Mark.

He's braved my Photo 101 workshop, shadowed me on a couple shoots, and read Understanding Exposure. (If you're at all interested in photography, this is the book you should read. It rocks.)

I just have to take a time out and say, WOWZA! Mark, my sweet-patient-kind-hubby, is rocking my photography world. He's picking it up quicker than I ever did. And . . . sniff, sniff . . . it makes me so dang proud.

Over the ten years we've been married, Mark has never ceased to amaze me. Um, like the time he said, "Hey, since I just got laid off, you wanna move to Hawaii?" ...Uh SURE! (You're freaking awesome Sweetie). Or, like the time he said, "Lets buy this ghetto druggie house and rock it suburban style." ...Ok, I'm game! (So maybe those weren't his exact words, but you get the picture. He's so good at going with the flow and learning new things.)

The newest interest: Photography.
And not just because I'm his wife and stapled to his side for Eternity, but because I like to think I'm somewhat of a photographer, and since I teach classes, I have to say he's doing a bang up job.

Way to go Mark. Here's some of your shots I loved.

Happy Birthday Taylor!!

Hey little Taylor...here's a quick sneak peek at your 2 year old birthday shots. You are darling with your beautiful big blue eyes and radiant red hair! Can you tell I like alliteration? Thanks Joe and Carolyn for making a cutie baby girl...and then asking me to be your photographer. luv erin

The Ladies

Ok, so watch out, if you're around me long enough I might shoot you. This last weekend I spent some time with these awesome ladies that I met earlier in the year at BYU. We have so much fun together and I find myself snorting a lot when I'm in their company. So of course, I pulled out the shooter and shot away.

The Climb

Is it cheesy that I love the song "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus? I'll just have to live with that, the cheesiness that is, because I love it. It's inspiring and so true.

I started doing aerobics 13 years ago after I graduated high school and gained the freshmen 30. Seriously. That's no joke. All of a sudden...or not so sudden...I found that my jeans didn't fit. That's a feeling I DON'T LIKE. At some point in your life you may have felt the same. If so, you can identify. It's depressing. Yucky.

A few girls down the hall in my hale (dorm) were attending the aerobics classes at BYU-H. I went along with them and HATED it. Really. It was horrid. My face was bright red, sweat poured down my brow like I was standing in a rain storm, and I couldn't breathe. I wanted to leave. And I almost did. But something stopped me.

The Whack aerobic instructor yelled, "Isn't this great? I love it." She loves it? WTF? She must be taking crack. But still, the nutty comment made me think. Does she really feel that way? How would it feel to love working out?

Right then and there I decided to continue working out until I LOVED it too.

4 months after I started going, another early morning attendee mentioned that I'd lost so much weight. I looked at myself in the mirror. I hadn't even noticed. Wow. I lost weight. But the funny thing was, I still HATED working out, getting up every morning, and going to the classes.
So I kept on, keeping on. I would go until I 'loved' it.

It took a year. One morning, as I was preparing to go to aerobics, I realized that I couldn't wait to get there. I needed my release. My Release? Wow, I'd come a long way. And as I looked back over the last year, I realized that in some twisted sense, I had fun. I enjoyed it, and I certainly liked my new fit self. It was then that I took the steps to become an aerobic instructor.

So now when you come to my class and I say something like, "Good times at aerobics. Isn't this fun?" Just know that I fully mean it.

Tip of the Day: Do it till you Love it, and try to enjoy it along the way.

The Results: Rock my Urban World!!!

I have to admit, when 10 of us crowed into my front room, and the rain poured in sheets just outside, I didn't think the shoot would turn out so spectacular. I was wrong. I loved it. The colors popped, the textures drew me in, and most of all, we had a blast getting down and dirty.

If you are interested in taking a photography workshop see my new Class Site!

Bokeh.

I waited around all yesterday, running to the door at every tap or clank from outside. See, our cute button doorbell doesn't work. People ring it all the time, and I'm sure they think that I'm flat out rude for not answering the door when I'm home. But in actuality, I don't know they're there.

I knew UPS was coming, and if they rang my doorbell and I missed it, I would be a sad, sad, girlie. Half the day I actually left the door open, but the dang flies swarmed the living room and it was a great big buzz fest. Nuff' said. I had to close the door--and resort to listening to every pin drop.

Finally at 3:16-ish, UPS man came in all his parcel toting glory. Oh praise you UPS man with your tight-brown, rear-hugging shorts, and your electronic signature pad. Thank you very much for my NEW LENS! he he he.

I'm giddy. Overjoyed. Elated.

Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR, I LOVE YOU.

What I love most? Your bokeh.
(Side note: bokeh is the beautiful fuzzy areas around the sharp area...ok, so maybe that's not the technical term, but you get my drift. Just check out the sweet shot.)

Monday's Fit Tip Mania...Um, a day late

Muscle Up.

I went to the car show last week and thought, hmmm, how does this apply to fitness? Well, Duh. If you want to look hotter and have more energy (power) you need to muscle up. Add intensity to your workout by adding in weights.

Side Note: I always get lovely ladies in my aerobic classes who think if they lift more than a 5 pound weight then they will bulk up. NOT TRUE. Really...that is, you won't bulk up if you keep your diet the same or change your diet to eating lean meats, lots of fruits and veggies and limiting the Carbs (you know, yummy cookies and bread...ok, so sneak just one in).

Anyway, add some muscle. Throw it into the mix. Squats, Lunges, Bicep curls and Tricep Kickbacks. Do at least 10-12 reps of each, two times. Then work on increasing it.

Jinger and Grace and party hoppin'.

Yesterday was the day of Parteeeeees. Nick, our very close and chummy friend, turned a whopping 25. (How would that be? Sigh.) And then my ultra-cool, aerobics-lovin-Lady friend, Tracey, and her hubby, Finn had a rockin summer bash. (And when I say rockin, I mean it...there was a DJ! And yes, I danced a wee jig as I dug into their yummy party cuisine)
Then last, I snuck over to my once a month ladies night.

Ok, so what does my travelogue have to do with the super sweet baby shots on this post. Well, nothing really. Just that at the rockin' summer bash, Mark and I saw some super cool friends that we have known since Mark and I were dating. They just had their fourth baby.

So I seized the 'shooting a newborn' moment and snapped away. This little gal is only two weeks old and look how chunky lovely she is. ahhh. Sweet sweet baby.

Ah. The last one is my favorite. So sweet.

Janessa . . . turning 1

Little Janessa is turning 1 . . . tomorrow. That reminds me that little Ruby's first birthday is also just around the corner. sniff, sniff. Oh, Janessa, I am sure your mommy is just as sad that you are growing so big. With your darling red curls and happy coos, you just won my heart over. Happy Birthday Sweet Girl.

Aw poop.

I should have known. Really, it was quite obvious before I even opened the door that the smell was overwhelming . . . to say the least, it was nose-burning. But I pushed open Ruby's door anyway because nap time was over. (You can only leave your kids in their beds for so long and still consider it a 'nap' and not jail time for them and free time for me . . . although, I'm not one to count the time too closely.)

I was surprised that Ruby was awake after just a quick hour nap. She should have slept for at least two.

It was clearly evident, as in plastered all over her crib rails, blanket, toys, pillow, and her wee baby body WHY she was awake.

POOP.

Need I say more?

Gotta Have the Kiss

Alright, alright. I know I already posted from Alex and Mckell's wedding, but I couldn't leave out the kiss. I'm still knee deep in processing their photos and I just finished the kiss. It was so lovely. Enchanting. Beautiful. Mckell is just stunning with the sunlight illuminating the soft folds of her veil. And Alex, decked in black is her perfect compliment. Sigh.

I still feel lucky to do what I do. Thanks again Alex and Mckell...luv, erin

Student a la Mark

Have I mentioned a million times yet that I'll be shooting a wedding in New Zealand in October? Please, let me get on the bull-horn one more time. I am ecstatic over it. What I realized the other day is, a wedding is better shot with two photographers and not one. Considering that, and the upcoming wedding, I came to the conclusion that Mark must be trained. So Mark attended my photography 101 crash course last night. I think it was a whirlwind experience for all who attended. The class did great and here are a few of Mark's shots.

Way to go Mark!

Hairy Beast Prayers

Bubba, my beast of of black lab, fell off the kids slide today. I was ripped away from my computer to the sound of high pitched yelping.
Henry flew through the back door screaming, "Mom, mom, Bubba's hurt. Bubba's hurt."

"What? What's going on?" I yelled out in frantic mom voice.

"Bubba fell off the slide."

"What? What do you mean he fell of the slide?"

Then all my kids, the neighbor kids, and the cousins started yelling at once. Though it did little to mask Bubba's yelping from the back yard.
"He climbed up."
"He fell on his side."
"He tried to jump the slide."
"He hit the slide with his tummy."
"Mom, he's hurt bad."

I pushed past the yelling kids, toward Bubba. Seeing me, he hobbled and yelped, with his big brown sad Bubba eyes, right to me. Henry, with tears pooling, stood to the side softly stroking Bubba's massive head. Seeing him and the others, now deadly quiet, pricked at my heart. Here they were all so scared and concerned for our lab.

I didn't know what to do.

I ran my hand a long the side of Bubba's lifted paw. He whimpered.
I patted his back and tried to sooth him.

"Mom," Henry said in such a small voice. "Is he going to die?"

"No." I hope not. "I don't think so bud. I think he's just really hurt."

"Mom," George's eyes were wide with fear. "Should we say a prayer?"

"Yes, George. Yes, that's exactly what we should do."

Then and there, in the dust and dirt that marks the entry from the garage to the back yard, we all folded our arms and prayed.

Within minutes, Bubba seized the opportunity that I was knelt down next to him. He jumped on me, abandoning his whimpering for a high-energy tail wag. After pushing the hairy beast off, I watched him run back to the yard, with out so much as a limp.

I guess prayers for hairy beasts really do work.