Nature and how I don't like it.

I got to meet Becca last night at Memory Grove which you four will remember from a few posts ago, because it is haunted. A ghost lives there, an actual ghost that ghost hunters have caught on tape, (please google "memory grove ghost" and get the youtube link if you are interested as I am still too terrified to watch it or look it up) yet that isn't the scariest thing that exists at Memory Grove, at least not for me. But I will get to that in a sec, first let me tell you about Becca, because she deserves a shout out and I absolutely loved her. She is a girl after my own heart, she loves history, she loves to read, she is totally grounded in reality and she can rock a pair of green rainboots. She doesn't mind going barefoot, she doesn't mind when I make her change her outfit in the middle of a public park and she is really into photography, which I think is awesome, even if she is going to buy a Nikon instead of a Canon:) Also, she babysits. Which is a big deal because good sitters are hard to come by in this day and age. She is a great girl and we had a wonderful time doing her senior pictures. That being said, let me get back to the story and the title of this blog post.
So there we are, Becca, her mom and I, walking on a PAVED sidewalk (an important element to the story because I am so skittish whenever I am in the grassy or off -the- beaten -path areas) and I am making some small chit chat when all of a sudden I hear "MOM, there's a snake under your foot!!" And in less then a millisecond I was gone. I mean, across the street screaming and hopping from one foot to the other and probably swearing, all while trying to erase from my mind the image of the thing squiggling around on the ground underfoot. Becca of course is cracking up (obviously not afflicted by the same phobia as I am) and her poor mom is just trying to get a sense of why her photographer has just taken off screaming down the road in hysterics. For the rest of the shoot, and this is not an exaggeration, folks, I made Becca's mom keep watch for the snake while I tried to get my body to calm down enough to take a steady photograph. Which brings me to the title of my blog. I need to reiterate that we were walking on the SIDEWALK when all of this occurred, not the forest, not the grass, the sidewalk. Where we human beings belong. I try to do that as often as possible lately because of the Bee Incident of 08 (please click here for more details) and guess what? As it turns out, it doesn't help me avoid nature any better then if I had been traipsing through the woods with a basket and a snake charmers horn. To be fair to the wretched snake, it really didn't do anything to us, but as I may have mentioned, I am a little on the crazy side so it really doesn't matter. Mike still had to check under the covers when I got into bed last night and as I type this I am sitting with my feet tucked safe and sound under my butt lest there be a critter coiled up under my office desk just waiting for its chance to pounce.

PS, I told Paige about the incident and she laughed, and then she said "wait, mom, was it a poisonous snake? Did you see a rattle? Did it have red stripes down its back? Well, good, it wasn't poisonous, you don't need to be scared of the little guy.." I gotta stop taking her to the zoo.

Stephanie Smith

This girl has got more talent in her little finger then I can even begin to imagine. I am so proud to know her, so amazed at her songwriting ability and so blessed to have her as a friend. Check out her music here and get ready for her new album because it is going to be incredible. I got to hear a few of her songs live a couple of months ago and they were so catchy that I find myself with them stuck in my head after one listen. Stephanie, you wail, girl!! Oh, and you are beautiful to boot. The whole package!

Teaser for Nicole

I wanted to give Nicole a tiny taste of her pictures so she would drool about the rest, but I couldn't choose just one photo, so here are ten or so. What a beautiful wedding, an amazing day, perfect weather, fairy tale location, surrounded by family and friends. It was lovely. And Nicole. Nicole was stunning. What a beautiful bride! Enjoy Nicole!

Chalese

I have been so busy lately doing last minute high school senior pictures and I have been dying to post some, so I quickly got a few ready. Lucky you readers, you get to meet Chalese via photographs. She is spunky, funky and adorable! (and she loves bags.) I loved spending time with her over at Memory Grove and some places in downtown Salt Lake. And guess what?? Memory Grove is haunted!! By a real ghost that likes the color purple. She hangs out in this old reception hall that used to be a USO dance hall and that is where she does her haunting. Its true, an old guy at the park told us about it and I came home and googled it. You can watch videos of people on ghost hunts on You Tube at Memory Grove park, but I was too scared to watch them so if any of you check it out, let me know what happens. Anyway, Chalese, I hope you love your pictures, you are a knockout!! Spain is one lucky man!

Mothers Day and other things.

Happy Mothers Day! In honor and celebration of this yearly event I would like to share one of my favorite memories of my own mother. I was only seven or eight at the time, and we lived out east. We were driving under a canopy of trees, I know it was fall because all the leaves were brilliant orange, red and yellow. The late afternoon sun was illuminating the falling foliage as we zipped along in our car. I don't remember exactly but I think it may have been the banged up spoon car (if you are curious about that, please see me for details later) because in my memory the setting was more intimate then the one of two volkswagon vans we used to drive around town. We were listening to Oldies like always when on came "Barbara Ann", the Beach Boys version, and my mom started singing her heart out. She knew every single word. And she sang it high, just like those Beach Boys. She was spilling out happiness and to an eight year old, it seemed like everything was right in the world. Thank you, Mom for giving me that memory and an endless love for the Beach Boys!! Happy Mothers Day!

Also, I was tagged, at least I think I was, even if I wasn't, I would still do this because I think I looked hot on that particular night, to post a prom picture. I went with Nick Trejo, I wore a red dress and gloves, and I felt like Pretty Woman. Sorry about the paper stuck to it, it was the best one I could find.

One more thing, we went to Moab this weekend with the kids. We had a blast! Paige and I stayed up late playing brick braker on my cell phone, we went on a little hike, we went swimming, we ate at Pasta Jays which I love, and we went and looked at the Moab Movie Museum and saw props from Thelma and Louise. I have a little video of the girls oohing and ahhing as we are driving through Arches, I thought it was so cute! I also only brought my point and shoot camera, which I bet Mike was thrilled about because he usually ends up lugging it around, but I think that cannon has got some awesome color capabilities, plus it takes video.

I don't know why she was making this face, maybe I was too stinky from all the hiking? Or maybe she was mad that Black Puppy got to be in the picture, he loves to be in photos!

Here is Black Puppy again, monopolizing the frame! That darn dog! Oh, sisters!! So cute!