A little bit of Cameron

Cameron has become quite the little chatterbox lately. For so long we were worried he would never learn to talk. Now we are worried we will never get him to stop, lol. Here's a few fun things he has been saying lately:

Today Cameron got out his tool set and was banging on the walls with a hammer (don't worry, it was plastic). When Craig asked what he was doing, Cameron responded, "Don't talk to me. I'm very busy!" Such a hard little worker!

Cameron: What's that on the wall?
Teacher: What? This? (pointing to a fire extinguisher)
Cameron: That's a fire ex-ting-wish-er.
Teacher: Wow! How did you know what that was?
Cameron (very matter-of-factly): Wall-E has one. It made him fly.

Cameron came downstairs the other day to find me on the computer and said, "Mommy, you have to get off the computer so I can check my email." Ah, they start so young!

Cameron just visited the Pedi of his annual check-up. They wanted to check his vision, and asked him what a series of shapes were on the wall (instead of the letters we normally use). When she pointed to a + symbol, Cameron immediatley resonded, "A plus sign". The nurse was pretty surprised that a four year old knew what it really was. Most kids guess "T" or a cross. How did Cameron know? There is a little + symbol on the Wiimote. He knows all things video games:-)

Earlier tonight Cameron was playing with his lightsaber, and asked Craig to "cut off his head". When Craig did so, Cameron stopped and bowed his head. When we asked him to come over to the table to finish his dessert, he said, "I can't, because my head is cut off and I can't see!" Then Craig "cut off" one of Cameron's legs. Cameron lifted it up and balanced on the other leg, but Craig cut that one off too. At first, Cameron wasn't sure which leg to stand on, but finally he dropped to the ground (because he had no legs). Then Craig "cut off" Cameron's arms, and he put them behind his back. Then he started rolling around on the ground trying to get to other places. One thing is sure - this kid has an active imagination!


Some other things to note:

Cameron got a clean bill of health from his Pedi last week. She was concerned about how much time he spends playing videos, but since he is running around playing the characters more than he is actually playing, I figure no harm is done. She also told as that Cameron should have a bike. We agreed, so the next day we went and got him one! I haven't been able to take any pictures of him riding it yet. He loves it! He feels like such a big boy riding a real bicycle:-)

Cameron is a great lover of books. From the time he was a baby, we have always read books to him every day. Now he is learning to read by himself! He knows almost all the letters and their sounds, and is starting to learn how to put the sounds together to make words. Just little ones right now, like CAT, UP, CUP, BALL, WALL-E, WII, and CAMERON. He also recognizes words like METROID PRIME FUSION, MARIO, and ZELDA. I told you he likes video games:-)

Not too long ago I took Cameron with me to scout out a new location for a photoshoot I had coming up. I decided to test out the light and location by using Cameron as my model. He LOVES having his picture taken, and sometimes I let him take a picture of me. I got some great images of him while we were there, and I will post some of my faves here. My problem is that I have so many great pictures of Cameron, and no walls to put them!

Aerospace Museum

On Saturday, Craig and I took Cameron to the Hill Aerospace Museum. It was great family fun, and didn't cost a dime. Woohoo!

Seeing all the different kinds of aircraft, from the Wright Brother's first airplane, to the fearsome jets we have today, was really cool. When you put it in years, we have really come such a long way in only a very short time. Orville and Wilbur were excited to fly 20 yards. Now we are sending people to the moon and we have jets than can travel from New York to London in less than two hours!! I think we are truly blessed to be living in such an age of technological advancement.

Of course, who would I be not to get some great photos of some of those cool planes? Here are a few of my favorites from the day. I was having so much fun with the planes, I think in the few hours we were there I took over 100 pictures, and there was still so much I did not get around to shooting. Another time, perhaps.

A replica of the Wright Brothers' plane. The light from the window was hitting him just right. Love dramatic lighting!!

Doesn't he make the cutest little astronaut! He thought he was going on a mission to Mars:-)
Tom Cruise, eat your heart out!
Cameron's first experience with a flight simulator. Let's just say I am glad it was only a simulator;-)
Big fancy planes everywhere, but all he really wanted to do was play with the toys. Go figure!
One of my favorite shots. I love the flag hanging behind this jet. I think it might have been a memorial as well - notice the folded flag in the cockpit.
I'm not sure what it is, but I find this image very moving. Perhaps it serves as a reminder that even the great shall fall. Or maybe that despite their beauty, machines such as this were designed to fight, and to defend. Many people have given their lives for the freedom that we enjoy today. May we never take it for granted.

New Family Members

We have two new members of the family!

Those who know me, know that I am a great lover of animals. Recently, my beautiful betta fish, Rajion, passed away. Two moves in barely over one year's time was just too much for him;-(

Although I mourn his loss, I was anxious to get a new betta, as they bring me so much simple joy. So off the the pet store I went! I had in mind a nice golden or yellow male betta, and I found two very nice specimens. Just as I was about to make my final decision, I happened to glance over at the section of female bettas. And that is when I saw her - perhaps the most beautiful little she-betta I have ever laid eyes on! Her scales literally sparkled!

In keeping with the theme of dragon names (because Bettas are truly the dragons of the fish world), I named her Saphira, for her bright sapphire scales.

Not long after Saphira came into our lives, my SIL asked me if I wouldn't mind taking her Betta, Julio. She is expecting a new baby soon, and the tank upkeep was becoming a little too stressful for her. I was more than happy to take her little fish. Sadly, Julio has suffered from some sever fin and tail rot, and a loss of appetite. Fortunately, I have been treating him with medications, and he is doing much better. He may never again have the same splendid fins he once had, but my hope is that he is just happy and comfortabe.

We also gave him a new name, as we felt Julio was simply not a fitting name for any fish, LOL. Again, in keeping with the dragons, we named him Kokusho, or the Evening Star (those of you who play Magic: The Gathering may recognize this name). This seemed an appropriate name for an older fish past his prime.

And here is a pic of Kokusho when he was younger and healthier. Such a pretty fish!

In other fishy news, we recently had a scare with our two goldfish, Feather and Firefly. Moving fish can be so hard on them, and they became so stressed that they became very ill. One day, i found Firefly floating upside down in the tank!!! Feather was also floating, but not quite as bad. I was in a near state of panic, as I have become VERY attached to my goldfish. I immediately did a 50% wate change and fasted them for several days. Then I fed them a strict diet of peas (I, myself detest peas, but the fish love them). Peas are very healthy for goldfish, as they help clean the body of toxins, while adding vital nutrients to the body. And they are like candy to a fish - a very special treat! At any rate, I am happy to say that both fish are doing quite well now, much to my relief. Feather still gets a little floaty after he eats, but that is just him.

So, if you have any fish, and are in need of some guidance, feel free to ask me any questions! I'm always happy to help my little fishy friends:-)

A lil bit of Christmas

Ah, finally a moment to sit and blog about Christmas! Well, technically I still have LOTS more to unpack (I HATE moving!), but I am taking a little time out today.


This was really the first year that Cameron has really been excited about Santa Claus and presents. I thought about taking him to the mall, but I did not want to battle the crowds. But he was still able to meet Santa at the ward Christmas Party. What did he ask for? A new Lightsaber! Cameron is very big into Star Wars:-)


Even though we knew we were moving, we still decided to put up our own Christmas decorations. Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I like to do it up right:-) We still have the little tree that I have had since my college days. Next year I plan to get a real tree, and then hit the after-Christmas sales for a nice pre-lit tree (do you have any idea how painfully annoying it is to string lights on a tree?).



We spent Christmas Day at my parent's home in Price, UT. Craig had to work both on Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas, so it was a very shot trip for us. But since we still had so much packing to do, we felt it was probably better this way, anyway.

The guys had a lot of fun on the computer. They seemed to be glued to it almost the whole time.


It is rare to have everyone together. All the kids, in-laws, and grand kids were present. While the boys were busy on the computer, the girls were busy trading off who got to hold the newest addition to the family:-)

The Loot. And was there ever a lot of it! Granted, more than half was for my sis Jenny and her family with four kids. Makes sense. Still, it is fun to see so many presents under the tree. Adn that Tree! That is the only tree I can ever remember having. I think my parents got it when I was about 6, so it has been around for about 23 years!!!! Seriously, it looked like it was about to fall over. Time to get a new tree, don't you think?

And what did Santa bring Cameron? A new Lightsaber, of course! He was sooo excited to get it. He has hardly put it down since:-)

We had to leave before we could eat the Christmas Dinner. We wanted to make it out of the canyon before it got too dark. As it was, it was stil dark, and snowed a lot, but we took it easy and made it through okay. Cameron was so tired from the day that before we had even made it out of my parent's neighborhood he was sound asleep, and slept the entire way home! Unfortunately, that meant he was awake for a while after that.

It was a good Christmas, and it was great to see family again. Now I am looking forward to a new year full of new adventures!

We have a house!

Sorry I have not updated my blog in so long. It's actually kind of funny and ironic. I visit quite a few blogs, and sometimes I get annoyed or sad when people don't update their blogs often. You'd think I would learn to take my own hints.

So, the big news is that we are in a house! Our very first home! We moved in this past Saturday, and already we are in love with it. We now live in Layton, near the High School. At first, I was o sad to leave our apartment. We had so many good memories there, and I was sad to leave behind some good friends and a great ward.

But from the moment we moved in our new neighbors have been great. They are helpful and friendly, which is great. We had a slight hangup with the furnace. It is really old, and we discovered that it had a couple of little leaks. Nothing too serious, and the gas company was able to patch them right up. But one thing I notice is that the house is much colder than our apartments, probably because there is so much more to heat. The basement is like sitting in a refrigerator, which wouldn't be a problem normally, but we are using it as my studio and office space, so it needs to be warmer.

And yes, I know have space for my studio! No more rearranging my living room to put up backdrops! Now I can put them up and leave them up! I have TONS of room for the camera, lights, backgrounds, props, and people! I am uber excited about it!

I would show some images of the new house, but I haven't taken any yet (werid, i know!). As soon as I do I will post a few.

I will also address the subject of Christmas as soon as I get all those images onto the computer, so stay tuned!

Super Mario Bros II

I finally got around to doing the "professional" photos of Cameron in his costume. I remember a time when I could stick him in spot, and he would just sit there until I told him to move. Not anymore! He will not sit still for anything, and the madder I get, the more he thinks it is a game. GRRRR! As a result, a lot of the images were out of focus, the the focus just feel somewhere else other than his face. Still, I think they are really cute (mommy goggles on, of course!)
I also did a couple of him without the accessories. I like these so much I think I will use them as his four year old portraits!
And finally, I have to show off my four year old's skills with a camera:-) After we were done shooting him, I asked if he would like to try taking a picture of me. I don't think he has ever taken a picture of anything before, so this was a first. I showed him how to hold the camera and look in the little window. And this is what we got! Check out the focus and composition! Yup, I'm a PROUD mommy:-)

Itsa me! Mario!

For Halloween this year, Cameron wanted to be Super Mario! This was by far the easiest costume I have put together, and the cheapest. I carved some custom Mario pumpkins, too, but we were so busy that we never got to set them out. So next year we will probably carve some more to go along with the theme. I use Styrofoam pumpkins every year, so that I don't have to worry about all my hard work rotting away!

Here is cute Cameron as Super Mario!!
I was really sad that we missed our Ward Trunk-or-Treat this year. We spent a long time preparing for it, but we did not expect them to have it in the middle of the day! That is okay, though, since we still got to take Cameron trick-or-treating. We also got to go to quite a few Halloween parties, including some for work, with a friend, and one that my bro Matt and his wife Christina planned. It was all a lot of fun, but now I am tired!

Four Years Old!

My baby just turned four! How did that happen? I must have blinked somewhere in there, dang it!

On Cameron's birthday we surprised him with a balloon bouquet, with a GIANT balloon. His eyes lit up when I walked in the door holding them. He LOVES balloons:-) We let him open one present (we saved the rest for his party). It was a brand new sword! Up until now he has been playing with homemade cardboard and ducttape creations. Although they looked alright, they tended to fall apart quickly. We wanted one that would last a while longer. We got him a plastic sword in just his size, and it even makes cool sword sounds!

Last Saturday we had a Super Mario themed party for him. He loves anything Mario, and was so excited about his "Mario Party". We were planning to hold the party outside, but it was cold and windy and was threatening rain. It was a little crowded in our apartment, but the kids had a lot of fun.

Cameron had a little melt down at one point, and had to take a little time out, but he perked right back up when it was time to open presents! His favorites were the new Mario toys - two RC MarioKart toys, and a Mario and Yoshi action figure. He also likes his new Nerf guns! Typical little boy, LOL.

After presents we busted open a big pinata. Well, I shouldn't say busted. This one had strings attached to the bottom. Each kid takes turn pulling on the strings. Most will just pull out, but only one actually opened it. The kids loved it. Finally it was time to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake! I made Mario Mushroom cupcakes! Most were red, but we had one "one-up" mushroom for Cameron:-)
"Uncle" Clin showed up dressed like Mario! What a treat for this birthday boy!
It was a great party. I am excited to see what this next year will bring for us. Cameron is learning and growing every day, and it is so fun to watch all of his changes!

What's Keeping Us Busy

The trouble with being a grown-up is that time goes by way too fast. When I was a kid, it seemed like days would last weeks. Not it is the other way around. How did that happen? We have been so bus lately, and it seems there is never enough time in the day to get things done. But here is a little update to let you you know what has been going on.

Cameron is doing VERY well with the potty training. He is almost completely day trained, and often stays dry through the night. He still has some trouble with poopoo, but we are getting there. I am most excited because I know we have purchased our last pack of diapers! Well, at least until the next baby comes along, LOL.

Cameron has taken a liking to the scriptures! The other night I was reading in the Book of Mormon, and he came in the room and wanted me to read to him, so I did. We read about Lehi's dream, which he LOVED! He won't stop talking about it now! He is always talking about how Lehi was lost, but found the tree with the fruit that make him happy. He talks about the big building with the bad people inside that laugh at the good people. And he talks about holding on tight to the iron rod. We are very excited that he wants to be involved with religion and scriptures. He loves going to church and learning about Jesus. I hope that this will be a continuing trend!

Recently Cameron and I made a trip up to Idaho to visit my sister, Jenny and her family. Jenny is due with a little girl (Jessica) in September, and I was able to do her maternity photos. They turned out great! I did her hair and make-up, and then we went out to our grandma's farm where Jenny boards her horses. We did photos all around the barn, adn I even had her get on a horse! It was a lot of fun:-) You can check out some of my favorite images on my photo blog.

We are continuing to work very hard. School will be back in session soon, which means I am in full working mode. Long hours, long drives, lots of kids! This season I am a head photographer, which I think will be really nice. I like to be in charge. We have lots of new people to wrok with, but we still have lots of really good people here from previous seasons. it is really nice to be bale to work with so many good people.

Meanwhile, I continue to work hard to get my photography career going. There have been plenty of setbacks, but also many moments where I see my hard work paying off. I have done several photoshoots this past month, and I have more planned. Nothing excites me more than being able to capture memories for other people:-)

Craig is working hard as well. He is still working two jobs, but he is currently looking for something that will pay a little more and be a little bit more of what he wants to do. He has sacrificed quite a bit, and I love him for it. But it will be nice to get my husband back:-)

Well, that about covers it for now. I think the next few months are going to be even busier for us, but heopfully I will be able to find the time to hop on here now and then.