wanna watch a moodie?


I get to see these little tikes in just a few days. I wished we lived closer to each other. It's hard to only see them once a month, once every two months. with so much time not together, how will I keep my "favorite aunt" status?... I'm thinking gum. lots of gum.

grandma henriksen













I have the world's coolest grandmas. my maternal grandmother featured, is a 30yr old disguised as a 80 something yr old. she is bubbly, energetic and still can hike and garden (cross legged). My paternal grandmother is equally as young and is taking me to hawaii with her next week (need I say more?).

my grandma henriksen (maternal) is who this blog post is featuring. her and my grandfather bought this cabin when my mom was still a child. we grew up celebrating holidays there and having cousin sleepovers. we swung on the rope swing, played backwards checkers with my grandpa and searched for "brownies" in the forest. we all fought over who would get to sleep on the smooshiest bed in the attic and loved driving down the road swinging our legs from the back of an open car. sitting around the campfire we would give testimony's and sing family songs including the goodnight song, when we would sing goodnight to every person there by name (even if there were 50 people). my grandpa would cook us floating pancakes for breakfast and grandma would always serve cantaloupe and bacon. I love those memories.

so here is to one of my favorite women on earth. thank you for the notes and gifts under my pillow. thank you for the gold fish. thank you for figi, the pioneers and the prophets. thank you for the music boxes and the laundry shoot. thanks for the wall paper in the laundry room. thank you for letting me live with you that one summer. thanks for being my "other" during a rough time. thanks for giving me space when I needed it and hugs when I wanted to be close. thanks for the orangesicles. thanks for showing up in the PERFECT outfit when I told you to dress for the photo shoot in what you would normally wear to the cabin. thanks for loving me to the moon and back.

I love you too.

xxoo-
rachel

colorado- august 2008













we had family reunion time with the porters in colorado springs and can I just say, colorado springs is great! small, but not too small. clean, but not too clean. old, but not too old. we hit some of the old stomping grounds... manitu (and the natural mineral water that is fizzy), garden of the gods and good quality time at gma and gpa porters house. We then left one porch swing to visit another in boulder. grant's uncle corky and aunt melanie welcomed us into their wonderland for a couple of nights. they are amazing artists and their home is a reflection of the amazingly creative heads they live in...so colorful and thoughtful. There was no mistaking who's home you were in. I loved it. I could have stayed for months.

baby pedicures






while I was in utah my sisters and I wanted to get pedicures. my 5 yr old niece heard us discussing this and really wanted to come because she had never had a pedicure (uh, yeah. you're 5!!) we all decided it would be super fun so we took both of our nieces with us. they seriously handled it like pros. I almost got teary eyed watching taylor from 4 chairs over...she was barely big enough to sit on the chair and dip her toes in the pedicure bath...but she WAS big enough. I want them to stay little. when they are little they write me notes, like this one faith wrote for me while she patiently waited for me to finish. oooohhh. melt my heart.

norah

there are people in my life that helped me survive. sarah jane is one of those people. she was my "other" for the time I spent in the city. when I look at these photos of her newly formed family I can't help remembering all the late night conversations had where we shared the wonder at ever finding husbands or having children....would it ever happen? how? HOW? seeing her happiness is like an open ending to so many years of questions. I know her happiness will only grow.

I need more photos of this baby. her lips are seriously the cutest around.

love you bowen family.




madeleine on the east side

this family represents all things NY to me. Norris is an amazing broadway performer, Jen is one of the most classy women I know...and still maintains a wicked sense of humor...and their first, beautiful, happy, charming, adorable, delectable little girl makes NY even more of a heaven on earth. how fitting that they live there. oh, and if anyone in the NY area is in the market for a chocolate fountain they can hook you up.

It was so great catching up and getting to stare at your child for a couple of hours. she is one of the most enjoyable babies I have ever been around. xxoo.












it all started in harlem..

...with dating, falling, marrying, baby making and now parenting. one of my first memories with nikki was sitting in the "full moon" talking about life one 4th of july weekend (the same weekend matt and heath started canoodling). I knew she was smart, ambitious, genuine and somebody you could trust. cameron was the one who made witty films, had witty side remarks and was the man we compared all other men too, knowing he was the perfect example of a "good guy" (seriously one if the nicest people I have ever known). this is one couple I loved before they were a couple but after moving from NY I find myself feeling closer and closer to them as they include me in their life. I loved being there on their wedding day. I loved being there to hold and kiss their first born. I feel blessed to have them as friends.

I am excited for many more moments with your family. missing little john already.

xxoo-
rach




















in the future

I will post more of...

the kelly family

madeline & mom

nellie & kent

grandma at the cabin

lisa & dave

I am off to girls camp till saturday. I feel like a horrible bad person for neglecting my blog and so many deserving people from seeing their photos. Believe me when I say it will be a welcome change to catch up on work when I am back saturday. Who knew I could miss photoshop?

until then...

dessert time

photo shoot of my nieces and nephews during my last trip to utah. for some reason when I look at these images as a whole I feel like crying....and not in a "these are so hideous I can't stand looking at them" sort of way, but in a, "really? you're that big...that old..that smart?". It's almost more than I can stand. these kids are just so delicious, they give me a permanent stomach ache.

























the odom family

too many favorites..lots of series sets.

always love my time with the whole "crew". thanks for the ladder, the chocolate banana milkshake the size of my head, and for liking mia michaels choreography. next time longer...maybe weekend vacation to CA?


















maybe this will change your mind

..or my mind...or somebody's mind...

I'm not usually one to post photos of myself, but as I was editing through my nephews birth I came across these and haven't been able to deny the "worlds happiest aunt" look pasted across my slap happy face.

perfect baby and me.

perfect baby, sister in law (mother of perfect baby) and me.

perfect baby, older brother (dad of perfect baby) and me.

perfect baby and me crying because I had to leave 10mins after he was born to catch a flight.

me + having to leave newborn baby nephew minutes after being born= not cool.


I will post more from the birth in the next day or so.




mothers day

I love my California family...especially since my own mom and family are so far away.










this last photo was NOT taken by me! Grant gets full photo credit. If you want to hire him to take your child's portrait, email him at grantporter2k@gmail.com

Aven

Baby fever.

It seems everyone I know has recently had one or will in the next year. This is good news for me because I love myself some babies!!

Aven was 12 days old when I took these...now he must be 14 days old. Stop Growing!!! Stay little forever!!! He is the cutest little crumpliest smooshiest thing you've ever seen. Too cute to stop kissing. Too cute to stop staring. Too cute to stop taking pictures. He was so easy to photograph. A little feeding here, and little diaper change there and he was good to go.

Despite what some of the pictures show, he did not want to close his eyes. Most times you can't beg a newborn to open their eyes and Aven wouldn't do the opposite! He made a lot of eye contact which is also rare. This little guy didn't want to miss any of the action....a little bit like his dad, if you ask me. He also has as many shoes as his dad, which believe me is LOTS. Coolest kid on the block already.

Lindsey is a pro. She can quote any baby fact by heart and throws him around like she's had 20. I know who to call when the time comes for me to ask questions.

I loved being there. Thanks for letting me invade your home. Tell him to stop growing till I can see him again!


















FAQ About Photo Days.

FAQ:

How much does it cost?

-Each 30min shoot will be $100. this includes time and an 11x14 finished image, a portrait credit of $30, as well as steeply discounted product prices on prints, books, CD’s of images etc..

What are the prices for print, CD and book orders?

-Because you are part of a group photo day you get special discounted pricing! Individual prints will be 20% off my normal prices as well as any book or albums. The biggest discount you get for being a part of a group photo day is on Image Discs. All of the Image Discs are 30% off and the high resolution disc is 50% off!!!!!! On top of all that you get perks for ordering over a certain amount. Here's the breakdown:

-order $100 and receive a complimentary 8x10 print (a $35 value)

-order $300 and receive a complimentary proof set from your session
(a $150 value)

-order $500 and receive a complimentary 7x7-20pg softbound Contemporary Image
Portfolio (a $350 value)

-order $1000 or more and receive a complimentary low resolution Image Disc
(a $500 value)

for a list of the regular pricing click here.

What form of payments do you accept?

-The session fee of $100 will need to be paid by check or cash, but any print, book or CD reorder after you may pay with either Visa or Mastercard, if you prefer.

What equipment do you use?

-Because I prefer to use natural light, I typically use my Canon 5D, numerous lenses, reflectors and a tripod (if needed). Less equipment means I have freedom to move and create a more natural photo shoot.

Can you come do a photo day in my hometown?

-YES! I love to travel and as long as you have at least 5 different groupings interested, plan a date and fly me out!! If you find 10+groupings interested I will fly myself out!

Does it have to be outside, or can I plan a photo day for friends inside my home?

-Definitely. This is a great idea for parties of any kind. Bridal showers, birthdays, holidays, play groups, reading groups, families...the list goes on and on. Whether we plan the day outside or inside it makes no difference.

Please contact me with any questions about photo days or ideas you may have!

Crew Odom

Friends in life come and go. People move, get married, have children and it seems fewer and far between that old friendships remain intact. Nick and I have been lucky to have stayed friends through all those changes. Nick married Whitney a few years ago and I might like Whitney more than I like Nick now....I definitely like her more. She is laid back, funny and beautiful..because of those things and a few good things that nick might have contributed, they just gave birth to their first practically perfect baby, Nicholas Crew.

Crew looks like a miniature Nick. Their faces look exactly the same. Whit and I agree that this fact is very unfair considering she formed Crew inside her belly for 9months. Maybe you can dress him in girls clothes every once in awhile to make up for this fact..no?

FYI: Whitney is an amazing hairstylist. She has an amazing fully functioning hair salon in their home and is way to busy for her own good. Email her if you are ready to have the best hair of your life. whitneymwaite@msn.com

I love you guys. I can't wait for you to have the rest of your 8 children!!