cooper cheer

YEAH!  It's that time of year again!  Cooper CHEER time!  Remember, last year?  CLICK HERE 

Well, we met again last night and the girls are just so darn pretty, it's a bonus that they can cheer.  LOL  They are busy getting ready for Cheer Camp in Dallas @ SMU and I just know they will come back on TOP awarded out the WAZOO!  Go COOPER!

And girls?   If you are reading the blog, go and tag yourself on facebook.  CLICK HERE

Richard's 70th B-day

Who:  Richard Miller

What: His 70th Birthday

When: Saturday, May 24th

Where: his son Allen's house

I loved not having a wedding this weekend.  Well, really I didn't.  I get quite cranky.  But to fill it with a birthday party?  Shazaam!  Total fun!  Here's a sneak peek for the Miller family.  More to follow.  :)

Vote MIDLAND

CLICK HERE

Rachel and Will, a cool Midland couple from last year, emailed the other day about a Midland contest.  We loved their e-session images of the Midland skyline so she thought they would work great in the contest.  

So, go VOTE!

Update on Summer

Summer is having surgery

Just a quick shout out for PRAYERS for Summer.  We are going into surgery this morning and even though this is "minor", they still knock your baby out and Momma is a bit nervous.  I think if I brought a drink into the waiting room @ 6:30 just wouldn't be good.

LOL

I'll twitter later to let everyone know how it goes.  :)

We broke our finger

Hand doctors

Anyone know a good one in Lubbock. Leave a comment of you do? Summer
Zoe broke her finger and we need a hand specialist.

Kristin Bednarz
www.kristinbednarz.com

Have you read my blog?
www.yourlifemypassion.com

Sent from my iPhone

a bride!

This is Britteny!  And isn't she gorgeous!  I always forget to blog the bride after a bridal session, but I'm editing her wedding today and remembered.  LOVE LOVE LOVE the lighting in the first shot here.  We were in a parking garage just downtown Amarillo.

Lovely.  :)

Kalyn is AWESOME!

We've been super busy with the house and graduations and there's just so much to do in the spring!  Softball has us really moving and now it's cheer pratctice and basketball.  Anyway,   Cooper had their awards banquet the other night and we always sit on pins and needles as Kalyn and Natalie battle out the top GPA at Cooper.  This year proved to be no exception!  Add to that the tons of other awards given out that night due to the awards being combined with all of the high school students, and well, this momma was feeling a bit nauseous.  I did manage to video tape the event but I'm still figuring out iMovie.  Maybe by the time she graduates?

Kalyn Maire Bednarz

TOP Freshman GPA @ LCISD

Natalie and Grace were close behind.  I would love to see just how close, because baby, you could feel the heat!  Super great girls!!!

Way to go!

Lisa's kids, again

You may remember this little guy from Easter Weekend.  CLICK HERE.  Well, Casen (I hope I'm spelling his name right) wasn't having anything to do with family pictures last time, so we rescheduled to a time and weather more to his liking.  

Such a cutie!

He was definitely feeling it more today.  :)

and of course, I couldn't leave the girls alone.  

Thank you, Lisa, for giving me another try.  :)  I'll have the rest of your images up soon.  

what I've been up to

Spring can be so insanely busy.  Almost like December with graduates and end of year programs.  Not to mention, getting gear and me ready for my wedding season.  

I love the shot above.  It's of a Cooper School Board member, Shelley, and I'm working with them on a proposal they needed images for.  I got to spend time with each board member and photograph them interacting with the students, each other, officials, etc.

LOVE this shot!

tootin' my own horn

Got a great Mother's Day present.   :)

The International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers held their spring contest and three of my entries won.

First one above is from Anna and Nick's wedding.

The shot below is from Stephanie and Jason's wedding, and the one that one FIRST PLACE, the bride?  That's hot bride Kristen from Kristen and David's wedding.

Woo hoo!

CLICK HERE to see all contest results.

coffee break

We are in HOUSE PRE-MADNESS as they finish up the last few details at our new place.  We still need a fence, a few lights are on back order, mirrors, glass in the cabinets, etc.  CLEANING  But it's close.  I can feel it.   I can feel the knots in my tummy as I get out of my routine.  I can feel the madness in my bones as I stress about mess.  

I can feel it.

So, I also felt the need to gab.  That nervous kind of nothing gab where you waste time, and feel better.  The kind you do with your girlfriends that can also mindlessly gab.  :)   I jumped on Adium (for mac users, awesome way to bring all your chat's together) and tried to find Toni to gab with.  My nerves were piling up and I needed to release, but no luck.  She stayed up late, so I'm guessing not touching the computer today.  She was having trouble with a hard drive, so I'm praying no stress there.

So instead, I'm here.  On my blog.  And I'm gabbing.  That means, COFFEE BREAK!  

SOFTBALL

Last night was the Softball Team Supper before they head to play-offs today.  We thought Kalyn was going to be playing since there was an injury on the team, but it looks like no.  She will still be running and while she's great at that!  Has the cute nick-name and all.  (Wheels)  I would still love to see her hard work pay off in a BIG game way.  That's OK.  I get it Coach Winton.  You don't feel she's ready or better than what you have on the field.  And as her mom, I respectfully disagree.  And I know her time will come.  It still makes me sad.  (collective understanding head nob from all sport moms out there.)  Here's a shot of me and her last night.  Of course I used the TRA Pro-Retouch on my wrinkles and a few of her freckles.  Of course!

GREY's ANATOMY

Grey's last night was awful and amazing all at the same time.  I've been wanting Alex and Izzie to get together since they had sex back in Season 1 (or was that 2?)  I felt she was the spot of sunshiny happiness that would bring him out of his misery.  I was right.  But come on folks!  I'm a wedding photographer.  I've photographed 100's of weddings, almost 1000,  and there's no way in hell Meredith's gown fit "Izzie-the-Chesty"!  At many of the weddings I'm involved in, they  barely fit the bride they've been fitted for.  So, I definitely hated that part.  And yes, the church was lovely.  And wasn't that just the BEST kiss in TV history to last long enough for background music to play and every single couple have a "moment" during the ceremony?  Lovely.  But HELLO!  Who the hell does that at weddings?  Who?  I try to get shots of the guests interacting and catching each other's eyes during the ceremony but it NEVER happens.  Sure they smile, but linger on each other's necks and nuzzle?  Come on.  (I still loved it, though.  The sappy me, she LOVED it.  :) )

I did adore the part where George came and helped her down the aisle.  That was perfect.  You can have sex with George and break up his marriage, AND still get HOT Alex just because HELLO!  You have cancer.  Poor George.  He should be having the time of his life right now, as a single guy, you know, screwing all the new interns, and instead he's dealing with TRAMA and basically losing himself and his personality to not wanting to be there.  I realize he is leaving the show, I get that.  But come on!  Go out with a bang at least!  Profess your dying love to Izzie on her death bed, or break up your ex-and that stupid named Arizona.  But do something!  Interact with someone!   Don't go out a complete fuzzy memory for this season. I hate that!    Maybe get drunk and make a move on Little Grey, just to mess up her and Mark.  I don't know.

I do love the Christina and McScary story line.  Christina is really coming alive this season and getting her witty bitch back, and I love it!  She's one of my favs on the show and I can't wait to see what they do with her next season!!!!

EYESICKNESS

Not that I wear a lot of makeup anyway, but I definitely can't this week.  My eye won't quit watering and gunking up.  I blame the new anti-aging cream I tried out last weekend.  Yep, I may be allergic to anti-aging.  HA!  But it's painful and it hurts so cold water compress and lots of rubbing later, it's feeling better and seems to be doing better.  

Ladies?  (old ladies) what do you use on your face?  I've been an Oil of Olay girl for years but really want something a little thicker to absorb overnight.  Leave me a comment and let me know.  My face will thank you.  :)

ROSARY

We went and watched the Thirsting with the youth a few weeks ago and he encouraged all the kids to Pray the Rosary, so I started.  Daily.  It doesn't take as long as I though it would, maybe 20 minutes, and it's pretty simple, although I do have to cheat and have the prayer book handy with a diagram to help me out.  Yep.  If there's  leader, I do OK, but solo?  I need cliff notes.

Have a great weekend everyone!

britteny + ryan (the wedding)

Amarillo was the site for a wonderful wedding Saturday!  I'm home today, in my PJ's, drinking coffee and running through the images from the wedding and just thinking about my family, my life, and wondering what my daughter's weddings will be like.  Will they come home to be married?  Like Britteny did.  Will they throw a HUGE dance at St. Joseph Hall?  Like Britteny did at her church hall.  Will their sister cry like a baby as they walk down the aisle?  Like Britteny's did.  :)

The music played, the guests danced!  Britteny's Uncle stalked me.  And all sorts of other wonderful happenings happened as family and friends celebrated Britteny and Ryan getting married!  

Of course more images are on their wedding gallery, but here's a small sampling of our day!

Congratulations you two!

Cute sign at the Bridal Lunch.  They served Belgian waffles with homemade icecream just to name a bit of the menu.  YUM!  And mimosas are always a great way to start and continue and finish ANY day.  (shot above)

Hair was lovely.

The Fabulous YES!

The horses were running in Louisville that day.  

And when we arrived at the church to get the bride dressed, we found a few maids sleeping.  
The fabulous veil.  I loved how it looked on the dark wood of the room's armoire.  We were at the church in the newly renovated bride's room.  Which actually means, small area with very hot air.  UGH!  In Amarillo, they cook them before they  head them down the aisle.  Put an entire new meaning on "hot bride".  LOL

a friend doing the bride's makeup.

The fabulous "hug my body like a glove" dress.  

Interesting shot of the statue outside the church.  I clones a bunch of bird do-do off Jesus's head.

The guys, dressed and ready.

Handsome Ryan.

Mom, hooking Britteny into her gown.

They were having fun getting ready!

Beautiful Caroline.  Always listening, very cerebral.  You can see the thinking going on behind her eyes, constantly.  Quite the charmer as well, and excellent wearer of gloves.

What can I say?

The pretty maids.

Sweet kisses.

The Street Women

Oh, Happy Day!

Ryan's family waits.  I liked how this priest had both sets of parents down at the end.  After the initial greeting, he had each set give the kids away.  Made for good photo, too.

Overview of St. Thomas.  No balcony, only media room.  But I just put the camera on timed exposure and held it up with a monopod.  Very cool.

Ceremony shot.

pushing on the ring!

The KISS!

We did it!

Just enough daylight left to get this shot!  I'm so glad!

And onto the reception at the hall.  No guests had to leave, it was a quick walk around the church. 

This was cute.  They had the reception broken up into areas for drinking and eating and behind the "make me a drink" station, they had these posters that they had created.  Too cute!

Interesting shot of the rings

This is a church gymnasium.  Yep. 

If you look closely, you will see the free throw line.

I think we need to change the "DO" to "DID". 

One last kiss and dance!

Britteny + ryan (the rehearsal)

I'm up in Amarillo photographing Britteny and Ryan's wedding.  Last night was the rehearsal and it was so much fun!  Lots of laughter and just good people enjoying each other and enjoying getting together.

I "found" the couple through the bride's sister, Tori.  We met years ago at St. Joseph school when she was the principal there.  She also taught school at Cooper and we ran into each other on South Campus when Summer started school there in 4th grade.  It was great to see her and catch up on her life!  She has two adorable kids and as always, has that wonderful "teacher" voice.  :)

Britteny and Ryan chose the digital files from their engagement and weaved those into the wedding program and various other parts of their wedding.  I love that!

It's been very foggy weather in Amarillo which made travel a bummer for everyone.  Ryan's family is from Kansas City and many guests are traveling from all over the USA.  The planes wouldn't land in Amarillo due to weather, so many had to drive from Lubbock.  Thus this dude arriving in his plane duds.

Beautiful window in the bell tower.  I hope they ring the bells tomorrow.  :)

There's one of Tori's adorable little kids right there.  She loved her gloves and walked just like a princess in them.

Funny moment, the priest had to remove Ryan for a little talk about relaxing and letting him, the priest run the rehearsal.  It was too cute!  When the couples were walking down the aisle, Ryan felt the need to introduce and talk about the history of how they knew each person to the priest and other's there involved.  Of course it was going to take FOREVER to do so, but hey, I appreciated the effort.  I always love to know the story.  

There's a glimpse of those gloves.  :)

 I love weddings like this!  Everyone is enjoying each other and the time together and are here to celebrate the couple!  It's cold and rainy outside, but you couldn't tell inside at all.  

At the church, Britteny made a comment about "do we have to kiss?"  In her defense, she loves to kiss Ryan, but just not in front of 200+ guests!  Too funny!  

Wedding party meeting each other and again, LAUGHING!  The girl above is Britteny's sister, Tori.  We used to work together when she was the principal at St. Joseph School in Slaton.  She also taught at Cooper as well.  Small world and it was so good to see her.  

The Amarillo Club featured an amazing spread!  I hung out at the pasta station all I could to smell the wonderful spices.  Just super!

The happy couple!

Total YUMMY desert station!

Ryan's mom and dad,  Dr. and Mrs. Brown.

Mr. and Mrs. Street.  It's their wedding anniversary!  

Tori and Jeff.  :)

Looks like she is having fun at this party!

It's important to entertain your guests.  

Before mentioned spread.

gorgeous night!

wonderful moment during the toasts.  I love it when they are heartfelt and touch the soul.  Britteny made a wonderful toast to her family and talked openly about how they have impressed her life.

Ryan's dad sharing with the crowd.  

Too funny!  Oh, the stories they tell!  This is Ryan's mom, Angela.

One last hug before heading off to her "lingerie shower".  Tomorrow's the big day!  Get some sleep and I'll share more when I get back to Lubbock.