The Spaghetti Brunette Blog

I Use Wheat Thins for Bribery

2012-01-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Although I use Wheat Thins crackers as a bribery, I still can't get great shots of them. Daisy's always got slobber hanging out the gaps in the sides of her mouth. Copper's always got Daisy's slobber smeared on his inside out ears... it never ends. They are always messing around, just like a pair of kids. Why do I ever think I can get a photograph of them NOT being kids? ha ha ha!

At least they are happy together, ear pulling, slobber, and all!

Thistle {favorite friday}

2012-01-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Buggy is working on a book soon to be published for a literature project her class is working on this year. She chose to write about our family holiday in Scotland three years ago. I know it's going to be fantastic and interesting, as her writing always is. One detail she mentioned (which I thought was great) was seeing all the purple thistle, as that was almost the only contrast to the dark overcast sky and continuously green countryside.

The above {favorite friday} image is sadly not one from Scotland, but was taken high in the Catalina Mountains. I am still hopeful that I will be able to retrieve all the 2009 files from the broken external hard drive that I was storing them on... fingers crossed!!

The Woes of Training Daisy

2012-01-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Daisy had no problem fitting right right into our energetic and fun-loving family. Training her on the other hand has been a bit of a bumpy road. Maybe I'm lacking in patience, as I probably expect her to understand the routine as well as Copper does. Even me learning simple commands in Spanish - which she seemed to most excitedly respond to, has not made much of a difference - I unfortunately lack the accent. Walks are a bit of a fiasco... the first 400-500 yards are me yelling "halt!" which Copper understands as "stop pulling!" while Daisy continues to drag me along. I know Copper gets annoyed with her. He was trained to stay left, and she wanders from side to side - often stopping in front of him, then he has to go underneath her to continue moving on. It's quite the event every time we leave together. When it's time to head home the walk back is spent telling her to "come on!" as she's most definitely runs out of steam by then and is happily but lazily moseying along - making another annoyance for Copper as he likes to keep moving at a steady pace. It's... comical. Hopefully we can establish a routine that works for all three of us soon!

The OpLove Albums

2012-01-25T05:46:00.001-07:00

A while back... like way back last month, I did my first couple of sessions for the wonderful non-profit organization Operation: Love ReUnited. I decided to use My Publisher for the albums. I LOVE how they turned out and I am thankful I decided to go with an upgrade. The quality is fantastic, and they are just the right size and price. I hope my OpLove clients enjoy them as much I do.

The only fault is that my logo on the back seems awfully small and insignificant. Not that I'm looking for praises and recognition... but as far as design and aesthetics go, I really think My Publisher should give the option to make it slightly larger. I don't want to have to squint to read the credits.

He Makes Me Happy

2012-01-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Puppy. Happy Tuesday.

Making Soup Together

2012-01-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Last week Bug helped me make a soup I saw on Pinterest. I don't remember the name of it but it had creamed cauliflower, broccoli and carrots as the main ingredients. I just knew it was going to be delicious because the photo on Pinterest was enticing and our own soup concoction had the most wonderful, homey aroma. Unfortunately after several hours of waiting to partake, we discovered that it was NOT good. Not good at all. I'm not blaming the kitchen helper, or my false pretenses of what this soup was going to be, I (and my enduring family) know I am about 50/50 when it comes to kitchen creations. In the end, we still enjoyed the process of making that awful soup together.

I {heart} Blog - to - Book

2012-01-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

I recently published all the 2010 blog posts from this blog using the ultra easy and free - Blurb BookSmart program. I LOVE that I was able to simply click a few buttons and everything was downloaded into book form, ready to print. The program is, as I said, easy to use and has a variety of templates to choose from... or you can do what I did and custom design every page from cover to cover - which was no small task, trust me! The finished product looks fantastic and is such a wonderful way to record our family history.

One thing I have learned though, as much as I try, I am NOT a writer. I didn't like having a book with loads of lovely photographs of family adventures but no story or testimony of those experiences to go along with the images. In creating this book of blog entries, I found myself going back and filling in details for stories I had only briefly mentioned on the blog. So now it is a new goal of mine to be a little better with my words, for the book's sake!

Angel Moroni {favorite friday}

2012-01-20T08:31:00.001-07:00

Today's {favorite friday} edition is of the Angel Moroni atop the Palmyra New York Temple. Two special personal goals this year involve attending the temple. Freckle Face will be turning 12 and will experience (the first time that she'll remember) going inside the temple to do baptismal ordinances for the dead. She was not yet two when she was sealed to Sam and I inside the Manti Utah Temple. The second goal is to have an image of that temple framed for our wall at home. I haven't found one to fit my tastes or one that doesn't cost a small fortune. It's so far away for us to go there from where we are now, but if I need to, I will drive there and take one myself... hopefully sooner than later.

Happy Friday everyone!

Naptime

2012-01-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Love seeing them napping together... even though they're not supposed to be up there on my bed.

New Callings

2012-01-18T08:13:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday we received new callings at church after being released from Primary Sunbeam teachers about 6 months ago. Sam is now in Scouts which he is especially excited about, and I accepted the call to Visiting Teaching coordinator. Not a whole lot of anything else is going on around here lately... I suppose it's because we are still recovering from two TDYs, the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and kids home on break for so long. It's nice getting back to some normalcy like cleaning the house, doing laundry, taking the dogs for a walk, simple home-cooked dinners and treats, quietly reading a good book or two, chatting with distant friends, and a little bit of blogging :) I appreciate that at this point, at least for another month or two, there's very little pressure and no deadlines to frantically meet.

Happy Wednesday!

Skateboard Shelves & Hanging Medals

2012-01-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

Freckle Face has been patiently waiting for me to get her room organized and painted. Finally, it is done! She picked a lovely lavender color that matches her bedding and furniture perfectly. We made a few changes, besides painting of course, like taking the bottom bunk bed out entirely so she could use that space beneath the top bunk for her bins and pet gecko, Peanut. She also put her large college dorm chair under there which makes a perfect reading/homework nook. Next, we uncluttered her desk area and put everything in easy pull-out Rubbermaid bins. We mounted the mini-skateboards to be used as shelves for displaying her various souvenirs from her many adventures over the years. Lastly, we hung all her medals from a planting hook - which I like so much better than when she would hang them from the skateboard wheels. I'm very happy to have the project complete, and she's happy about the way it all turned out.

This poster was made by yours truly for her upon the request of her fun-loving and supportive 5th grade teacher. The students were facing rigorous testing and her thoughtful teacher wanted each student's parent to make an encouraging poster for their child. Freckle Face's was the most simple, yet the most talked about poster in the group! I am happy she still wants it hanging in her room :)

Their Recent Accomplishments

2012-01-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

I am slacking in the "recognition" department here... so without further delay: Monkey Boy received Bobcat of the Month Award for November and Buggy received the same recognition in December. Neither occasion did their mother take the camera or even mobile phone to document the recognition... and I call myself a photographer, geesh! Anyway, congratulations to both my high achieving students - this marking the third year in a row they've both receive the award.

Sadly, football season came to an end mid-December. We're proud of how well Monkey Boy played his first year, with energy and enthusiasm. He can't wait to start playing again next fall. He also received this sweet football trophy. LOVE. IT. It has got to be THE coolest trophy I've seen in a long time, and he's so proud of it!

And sadly, softball season has also come to an end for Freckle Face, she enjoyed every minute of it and we are so proud of how well she did in the majors with the much older and bigger girls. She is excited for the spring season to start up soon (in about a month). Her teammates were all wonderful and we really admired her coaches for all the work they put into helping each of the girls. It was a great experience for her.

She also received the Best Lead-Off Hitter title... her head coach began calling her "Wheels" early on in the season; a nickname she's quite proud of!

Pink Blossoms {favorite friday}

2012-01-06T10:33:00.001-07:00

So it's {favorite friday}time again where I share a past favorite image. Love these blossoms... makes me want springtime to be here already! Not that I want to rush time or anything, but I am glad this week is just about over so we can start fresh next week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Dog Days of Winter

2012-01-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Everyone's back on schedules this week and the dogs are loving it, napping and playing together uninterrupted all day long. I am spring, err, winter cleaning while the mood and energy is here. Looking forward to having it all done. There's nothing better than being organized and refreshed! Hoping this isn't "dog overload" but I've only randomly snapped pictures to share while I'm on this new year's cleaning kick. Happy Wednesday all!

Love her expressions.

So handsome!

She comfortably sleeps in the most cramped and awkward positions, which might explain why she loves napping in the crate.

Se Habla Espanol?

2012-01-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Copper and Daisy sunsoaking in this amazingly warm and beautiful winter weather we've been enjoying here in Arizona. Seeing them napping in the sunshine makes me want to do the same.

So Daisy's been a fairly good dog so far, but she wasn't quite getting commands. I thought... Maybe it's because she's still young? Maybe it's because she's not been trained yet? Or maybe it's because she doesn't know English? Sam decided to speak commands like "stay", "come here", and "down" in Spanish and she responded with tail wagging. She has some other funny little quirks, like sleeping in the closet... but we'll save those tidbits for another time.

Assorted Holiday Break Activities

2011-12-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

The kids will all be back in school in just a few short days. Back to alarm clocks, schedules, and homework. They've made every moment of their holiday break count. Here's a few random shots of their activities: drawing, reading, video games, etc.

(Daisy likes to nap in her crate, that's why she's not pictured... but normally she's right there with the rest of them).

Military Man took his sweet time with this year's puzzle as it was sprawled out on the kitchen table. Neuschwanstein - hope to get back there, with the kids, some day.

Legos... everywhere.

Instead of Christmas Eve pajamas Ashley Bug got material to sew her own this year. Things went well until we got to the part where MOM had to follow pattern instructions for the neckline/collar. Sooo not my thing. I was hoping she would opt for the pajama bottoms - which I have no problem whipping out.

With the exception of the collar that MOM did, the pajama gown turned out. She did a great job and was very excited to wear them.

New Year's Wishes {favorite friday}

2011-12-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday my friends, and Happy almost-New Year!

Copper, Daisy and Juno

2011-12-26T12:14:00.001-07:00

These two are getting along quite nicely. Daisy is somewhat of an Oaf though, and obviously isn't aware of the amount of space she takes up.

She loves being outside and has become aquainted with Juno from next door. He's been quiet for a couple of days, I think he's realized he's not the loudest howler in the neighborhood anymore.

It's good to know they can both share the couch in my "office" for their morning naptime. Although the snoring is quite comical!

Happy Monday dear friends!

Just Real Quick

2011-12-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Me: "Hey guys, before you change out of your church clothes back into your pajamas, let's get a real quick family photo so we can email it to Grandma."

Mom: "Hey guys, come on! Just real quick! No more messing around now. You're making this take longer than it should and the timer is going to go off! ....Now we have to do it again!"

Kids: "Let's have the dogs in the picture. They'll come sit by us for 5 seconds and be good, promise!"
Mom: "Ok. But now I have to move the camera and adjust the settings... so be ready."

Frustrated Mom: "Oh nevermind then!"
Four shots... that's all it took for me to see that this was a losing battle.

Welcome Daisy to the Family

2011-12-24T17:00:00.002-07:00

We adopted an eight-month-old Great Dane - Bloodhound rescue dog named "Daisy" into our family this Christmas Eve. She loves to cuddle and is a big, clumsy and most of all, she's a gentle giant. Her and Copper seem to be getting along just fine as they are both timid and submissive. Even better, she's house broken, crate trained, and very good (so far).

Tails wagging... good sign!

Snapped these with my iPhone when we first got home. She was much bigger than we expected - just look at her compared to Copper! We joked that Copper's "Beauty" and Daisy is the "Beast" in their relationship. Sam also teased that she was "Myrna" from A League of Their Own. But the best nickname so far has been "Tina" from Napolean Dynamite... classic!

I am sure you'll be seeing a lot more of her, and hearing of my adventures with her and Copper on the blog in the future. For now, it's been wonderful having the house full of food and messes and family spending time having so much fun together.

Happy Christmas Eve!!!

Kirtland Temple {favorite friday}

2011-12-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today's {favorite friday} snapshot was taken last spring while on a church history sites tour with my best friends Eva and Sidra. Seems I've been forgetting to post {favorite friday} images... but I'll do better - promise! Happy Friday, and Merry Christmas all!

See more {favorite friday} snapshots by following this LINK.

Over Holiday Break

2011-12-22T14:40:00.001-07:00

Everyone is home for two weeks for holiday break; Sam even took leave between TDY's so he could have a break from work too. We've thoroughly enjoyed all this time together, and up until this morning it has been a maze of baking, crafting, and gaming. GIANT mess from one end of the house to the other. Mom finally put an end to the disorder though, and made everyone do chores before breakfast this morning. (I need organization if they expect me to function in my motherly duties).

In fact the other day I came home to a strange assortment of tools and random items spewed from the kitchen into living room. My thoughts were: What on earth are they up to now?

Alien Robot. At least they made good use of all the boxes I was needing to get rid of.

Last Session of the Year

2011-12-21T19:41:00.002-07:00

I had another Op:Love session this week... very fun! I LOVE when a client asks if they can bring their beloved pet dog. I'm working on refreshing the blog look but am very frustrated with the heading... I'll figure it out eventually, so please be patient with me! Hope everyone's having a great week. We are all very much looking forward to the Christmas holiday this weekend. Cheers!

I {heart} Serving

2011-12-18T12:14:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a few favorites from my first Operation: Love ReUnited session. I'll be sending their album to print this week - it's exciting! Happy weekend everyone.

Orchestra Performance

2011-12-14T13:25:00.001-07:00

This morning I attended Buggy's first orchestra performance. You can tell from the next couple of photos that she was very nervous. They performed for the whole school, plus parents, grandparents, etc. She did wonderfully. Athough I am glad she was front and center, it was awfully difficult to find a decent place to photograph her from as the conductor and the music stands were crowding her and I could barely see her from any point in the auditorium.

More Session Images

2011-12-12T08:44:00.001-07:00

See more of the gorgeous Briana and sweet side-kick Frankie on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog by following this LINK.

I {heart} Decorating the Tree

2011-12-09T07:31:00.001-07:00

Sahuarita Scorpions Football

2011-12-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

This kid loves football... and I love watching him play!

A Few More Sessions

2011-12-04T21:13:00.006-07:00

So, with fever and all that comes along with illness this time of year, I still managed photographing two sessions and one BIG event this week. Feeling much better now that I've had a day to rest... ready to start a new week tomorrow! Here's a couple of favorites from one of my Senior Spokes Model sessions last Wednesday. I love these two kids, they are wonderful and beautiful in every way!

You can see more of Frankie and Briana's session on the Spanish Sky Photography blog by following this LINK.

Next up - these two blue-eyed cuties! My goodness, they were SO stinking adorable and easy to photograph, which is like a bonus for me because I tend to struggle with the little ones! It was also very difficult to choose which ones to post because they're ALL my favorites! See more of them by following this LINK.

And to wrap up my photography week, my husband joined me to photograph a large event at the majestic Starr Pass Resort. We were worried about leaving the kids at home for that long at nighttime (even though they are capable children)... so we just booked a room and let them play around in the room while we worked the party in the Tucson Ballroom at the other end of the hotel. They had a great time and had a little bit of what I like to call "hotel hangover" the next morning, but it was worth it! See amazing photographs of the Starr Pass Resort (that don't include my dorky kids in them) HERE.

Playing Catch Up Again

2011-11-29T11:53:00.001-07:00

Have been BUSY with sessions - trying to wrap things up before December when I STOP doing family sessions and work on holiday events. Starr Pass Resort kicks off my next "busy streak" this Friday evening. So, here's a couple of images from some of the last week's sessions and the links to more of their images on the Spanish Sky blog.

I am NOT a toddler or baby person... I admit that. I really struggle getting them to sit still for 5 seconds and being ready and focused for anything they might throw my way. No matter how much I prepare and the toddler's parents prepare them for being photographed, it STILL is not ideal :( I know it will come with MUCH patience and practice, but let's hope I master it SOONER than later! Here's the Larsen family photo LINK.

I get to photograph this gorgeous teen, Briana again tomorrow... Cannot wait - the leaves have finally changed and we're going to get all cozy autumn-style :)

I will also be photographing this teen again in February... this was sort of a mini-session for her since we were really just trying to get something quick for the yearbook. Can't wait to work with her again. Really wish I had her length of hair too! Here's the LINK to her other images.

Oh, and one more thing... can't remember if I "announced" it here on the blog or not, but I was recently accepted to the charity photography organization: Operation: Love ReUnited to photograph deploying/returning military members and their families. I've already booked two sessions since being added to their approved list of professional photographers. ...Very nervous to say the least. Here's the website if you'd like to check it out: Op: Love LINK

Thanksgiving Football

2011-11-26T08:10:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving morning our turkey was still frozen after thawing out in the fridge for three days. So Bug and I decided to join the rest of the Brunette clan (from the sidelines of course) at the Ward football game. They had fun... and Copper enjoyed the company of a tiny friend named Hope. Buggy and I wandered around for a bit, then came home to begin our work in the kitchen.

Crisp Autumn Morning

2011-11-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T16:38:00.002-07:00

Today, and everyday, I am thankful to God for many blessings. I will not list them all, but at the top is most certainly, my awesome husband; Our amazing, and equally awesome children; My faith and Church membership; Our loving and supportive families far away; My even farther away, dearest, sweetest best friends; The comforts of our warm home; Continued good health; And our many wonderful privileges and freedoms.

Wishing you all a day of rich blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving

Please Pray For Them

2011-11-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

Holding my own (not-so-little anymore) children a little closer this evening as we have had a sweet young friend pass away this day as a result of a tragic accident. Please pray for his family. He has returned to his Father in Heaven and his family here on earth will need much strength and comfort. They are an amazing family, the most selfless and charitable family I've known. I know that they've countless times prayed and served many others in need.

Staying Home

2011-11-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Bug stayed home from school sick with a cold. Just as the dog hangs out on my couch next to my desk, she gathered up all of her belongings and joined him while I finished up some work on the computer. I love that she's always 'busy' with something - can't quite sit still at rest... must take after her mom.

I assure you, her violin playing skills are wonderful... Copper just doesn't appreciate the interruption to his morning nap.

2011-11-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

After two unpleasant letters from the HOA, we finally had to give up our fight to nurture our poor tree back to health. Father and son broke out all their boy tools to do the job this weekend. In the spring we plan to find a new, more suitable living tree... provided the HOA approves!

Violin Practice

2011-11-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Buggy has her 5th grade Orchestra concert coming up in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to hear her with the rest of the kids. I know they've been working so hard the last few months preparing for this.

I {heart} Lazy Mornings

2011-11-19T08:42:00.002-07:00

Today's the first Saturday in nearly four months that we haven't needed to be up and ready by 6 a.m. to "get it all done"... and we are LOVING IT! Kiddos have Legos all over the house, there's warm cinnamon rolls - with frosting - fresh out of the oven. It's 9 a.m. and I am still in my pajamas! We are taking full advantage of this opportunity to not be rushed and to enjoy each other's company this morning.

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

P.S.
I was still up early - out of habit, and I actually had to TRY not to "get moving" - it's in my nature to be busy.

Fetch With Copper {favorite friday}

2011-11-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

Wait! Where did the week go? Is it really Friday already?

Yes, I'm still hanging in here friends, I'm just busy NOT blogging... will be back to posting soon after I have had time to catch my breath!

Happy Friday!!!

Veterans & Military Brats {favorite friday}

2011-11-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

How I Roll

2011-11-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

I seriously have a lot of work to do, but can't quite get to it until I fiddle around for another hour with time wasters like my camera, emailing my hubby, cuddling with my pound puppy, watching CNN, doing the laundry, texting my hubby, and catching up on some blog reading. Oh, and this - hot chocolate. With marshmallows. Can't actually get anything accomplished until the hot chocolate warms me up.

How is it that I'm living in one of the warmest places on earth and STILL freeze my little toes and nose off if the temperature drops more than two degrees? Thanks to my thoughtful mom for these lovely warm and fuzzy platform slippers, at least my toes won't actually fall off.

Loving the Pandora Radio app on my iphone, makes getting this "office work" done a little easier. Just another "time waster!"

Got some cute stickers from the Backdrop Outlet the other day... just one of the many things piled up on my desk right now. Oh, and some Halloween clearance sale items I picked up for my silly booth and RND props. Unfortunately for Copper, since he's always at my side and I tend to get a little restless with this "office work" stuff I'm supposed to be doing right now...

Don't let the sad sappy face fool ya, he still loves me.

Recent Family Session

2011-11-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

I had TOO MANY favorites from this recent family session... Didn't help that the precious girls were sooo cooperative, and they brought along their wonderful canine companion - I'm a sucker for GOOD little kids and OBEDIENT dogs! It was difficult to narrow down the "favorites" list. Click on the link to see more of their family session images over on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog HERE.

Surprise Weekend

2011-11-04T10:31:00.002-07:00

Last Friday we had a special visitor: Grandma!!! All three kids had ball games and we adults thought it would be a great time to surprise them and let Grandma see them with their teams in action. Monkey Boy was also STAR STUDENT of the Week and could have visitors for lunch as part of his special treatment that day. He was elated to see Grandma walk in to join the lunch line up! We also ran into Buggy as she was leaving the cafeteria with her class - surprise #2!
After a nice chat and lunch we came home to prepare for surprise #3 - catching Freckle Face after school. Only she was more like on the startled side of surprised... freaking out when discovering a person was hiding in her room. Yeah, I can see where that might frighten a person. Turns out all three of the kids' games were canceled, and Grandma didn't get to see them play. But they enjoyed the time with her, eating sweet treats and playing games and cuddling.

Joey and best pal Henry (who is sadly moving soon), got a little 'guy time' in too, as they carved pumpkins together after a long, busy week of waiting to hang out. It will be a sad sad day when Henry moves. He's such a great kid and we love having him around. He and Joey have been inseperable for nearly two years!

Sam and I got to go on a "murder mystery" date with seven other super fun couples. It felt a little weird at first, since we've not been the best socializers since leaving behind our last loveable group of friends. And the whole "murder mystery" thing was new to us. We had fun though and it was nice to get away. (Thank you Kali for sending me a photo, can't believe I didn't think to take any!) So when we got home we expected wild kids and a big mess... we thought the kids were going to have a wild stay-up-all-night hopped up on Halloween candy, while watching scary movies with Grandma... but to our surprise they were all in bed, completely exhausted before 8:00. Guess having a good time WILL eventually wear them out!

His "Beard" {favorite friday}

2011-11-04T09:07:00.003-07:00

On Fridays I like to post an old favorite photo, one that makes me smile and comes with a simple or silly story. So with the several month-long hiatus from {favorite friday} postings, I've come back with a new twist: Polaroid-style! You can see other {favorite friday} posts HERE.

So, today's post is actually a newer photo taken last month when Military Man had nine consecutive days off from work. He was being a little rebellious and refused shave his face - no matter how uncomfortable and itchy it was or how much I begged him to get rid of the scruff. FOR REAL - just HAD to grow a beard because for one, he CAN go a beard in like two days, and for two, he had nine whole days of NO 4a.m. clean-shaven for military life routine happening.

Sunrise Along the Catalinas

2011-11-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday friends!

Halloween Costumes!

2011-10-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

Bug - Nerd

Freckle Face - Also a nerd

Monkey Boy - Old time gangster

Military Man - Zombie

Me - Dracula

Grandma - Bunny

Bring It On {favorite friday}

2011-10-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Another edition of {favorite friday} here on the Spaghetti Brunette Blog. To view previous {favorite friday} posts follow this LINK. Have a wonderfully spooky Halloween weekend everyone!!!

Totally Gorgeous

2011-10-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

Another totally gorgeous teen this last weekend... See more of her images on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog HERE. Feel free to leave a comment :) and have a happy Thursday - it's almost the weekend again !!!

My Scout

2011-10-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping I will eventually get a picture of him in his uniform - one that I don't have to sneak while he's not looking - one where he's not wincing and squirming to get away from my camera. But for now, this will have to do.

Daddy-Daughter Date

2011-10-26T07:54:00.002-07:00

The girls enjoyed a super-fun daddy-daughter date last night at Church. It was a costume party and the girls have been planning to be "nerds" for weeks now. So I asked them, what exactly do you need to be a nerd? This is part of the list they gave me (I added my own cliche "kick me" sign taped to the back):

Bow tie. Button-up shirt tucked in. Report card.

Mismatched socks, floody pants.

Squinty eyes. Taped glasses.
Exaggerated freckles. Uneven pony-tails.

Ashley added the rolled socks and sandals to her ensemble. The girls had to text Grandma, of course, just as we're leaving to go to the party.

The nerdy girls ready to get this party started... and Dad, he's not so sure about this!

Ashley won the "Scariest Pumpkin" award and shared her candy with the family in her true generous Buggy fashion. When we got home I put the carved pumpkins outside on the shaded back porch to keep them better from the heat of the day.

It must be a truly scary pumpkin as Copper refused to go out all night because the pumpkin was sitting there... and today - he's still avoiding it. What a scaredy cat, er, I mean dog!

Diamondback

2011-10-23T13:28:00.001-07:00

Terrifying surprise during a photo shoot yesterday. YIKES! Luckily, he was down a steep 8 foot embankment along the Santa Cruz River minding his own business, and we were safely above him... yet still unnerving.

Desert {favorite friday}

2011-10-21T07:14:00.001-07:00

{favorite friday} is back... Polariod-style!

See more {favorite friday} posts HERE.

Another Senior Session

2011-10-20T06:34:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of favorites from another gorgeous senior session last weekend. You can see more of Lisa's images on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog HERE. Seriously, how did I get so lucky to have such beautiful clients? I wish my long hair looked half as nice as hers :)

On another note, I've decided to start doing {favorite fridays} again... check back tomorrow for the newest edition. Have a great Thursday everyone!

Polaroid Fun

2011-10-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

Having a little fun with this free Polaroid Photoshop action HERE.

Have a fantastic Wednesday friends!

I {heart} Friends & Sunshine

2011-10-18T11:44:00.001-07:00

Quickly wanted to share this fun shot from

a session in Tucson last weekend. I love my job :)

See more on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog HERE.

Rockstar Session

2011-10-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a few of my favorites from a recent senior session. I call her a "Rockstar" because 1.) She was wearing an AC/DC shirt - for those about to ROCK 2.) She bravely pressed on as we were haggled by loiterning transients during our photo shoot ...and 3.) She totally rocked it! You can see more of Gabyelle's session images on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog HERE.

Mobile Phone Photo Randomness

2011-10-15T06:22:00.001-07:00

I've been busy doing 'business' lately, (which I am excited about) but it also means I haven't been capturing my own family on camera like I used to. However, this week was fall break and the kids were home from and my husband home from work - ALL at once and I DID manage a few photographs with my mobile phone camera. So, here's some of the random family moments I've captured lately...

X-Box. Hadn't seen action in a while... with all the kids in school and sports, it sits, collecting dust.

Even the dog is loving the lazy lounging. No alarm clocks this week (except for church on Sunday - early ward is a little rough some days)!!!

While Monkey Boy was playing around with friends, I noticed he was wearing his CTR ring. :)

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure I spelled the name right on the paperwork... I mean, I've only been using this name for 13 and a half years now. Oh well. Not gonna sweat it. It's seriously more trouble than it's worth to get it changed to the correct spelling anyways.

Buggy decided she wanted to be a 'NERD' for Halloween this year. Her mom's naturally a 'nerd' everyday I guess.

Monkey Boy was 'bored' while we were sitting in the parking lot waiting for the girls to finish their activity at church. I let him play with my phone and didn't realize he was snapping pictures. But the bordem quickly passed, as moments after he snapped this, we witnessed a phenomenon I can only label as: UFO.

After watching this floating, glowing object for about a minute, we finally got enough sense to get a picture or some sort of evidence of what we were witnessing. Joey took this one through the dirty glare of the van window. Sam used the video feature on his iPhone to record about 30 seconds of it before it shot out of sight. If I figure out how to add a video to the blog later I will definitely post it. And maybe go into more detail about what we saw that evening. I am glad I have two other trusted witnesses to back me up on this incredible sighting. Honestly still trying to wrap my mind around it.

Mormon Cemetery

2011-10-13T15:14:00.002-07:00

Sam took some time off work while the kids were home over fall break and for one of our family day-trips he took us on a "history" tour (surprise, surprise) to Binghampton Cemetery - founded by Mormon settlers in the late 1800's. He's researching for a history paper he's writing for school, and for a future book he plans to author.

We found several different temples on the headstones throughout the cemetery, which is kind of cool that they're not all from Mesa (the nearest temple). Another cool "Mormonism" is the wording found on LDS-specific headstones: "Families Are Forever" "Sealed" instead of just "Married" "Sealed For All Eternity" "For Time And All Eternity" "Glory to God in the highest" and "God be with you til we meet again."

In the military one thing that separates "Mormons" from other Christian faiths is that instead of the world-wide known symbol of the cross, we are recognized with the Angel Moroni. All of the LDS military issue headstones will have this symbol at the top. Sam's dog-tags even have Moroni on them.

Last Week's Family Session

2011-10-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Sooo stinking cute! I'm happily in the full-swing of fall family sessions - and loving every minute of it. Warm sunshine. Fall weeds. Cool breeze. Happy families. I think Arizona is growing on me (now that its not a thousand degrees out). I also did an awesome senior session last week that I'll be sharing in a few days. Here's the link to the Spanish Sky Photography Blog to see more McCloy family photos.

Also, if you haven't checked out the new website design, GO SEE IT! I love Showit, and thankful I took the time to work on a better design that works for me. http://www.spanishskyphotography.com/

Happy "almost" Friday everybody!

Sign Language

2011-10-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

Speaking of sign language... while on an early morning urban photo shoot last weekend, I encountered a def transient. I know very little sign language, but I am certain many actions like hungry, thirsty, or happy - which don't necessarily need to be spoken with by the hands or mouth- are easily conveyed through the eyes and the countenance of a person.

St. Augustine Cathedral

2011-10-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

Have a photo shoot here tomorrow... nervous to say the least. It's time for me to get creative as most of the catherdral grounds are plain and quite boring... however it IS clean and well kept for being set in an urban location. The kids ALL have games tomorrow -AT THE SAME TIME... and only one parent to handle driving and cheerleading duties as I have a full day of photo shoots throughout southern AZ. How did it get this crazy? I'm thankful, but definitely worn out already. I have a feeling we will be cutting a few things out of our crammed schedules to keep this family's sanity in check.

Busy Senior Season

2011-10-05T08:05:00.001-07:00

These images are from a recent session with Jose, a high school senior. I LOVE so many of the shots we did of him. He's an aspiring photographer and was not camera shy at all. You can see more of his session on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog here and also on the website. This season is starting out strong and I'm excited to have filled up my calendar with mostly seniors.

Baby Megan

2011-10-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a couple of my favorites from Megan's 6 month portraits last week. You can see more on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog here. And while you're at it, check out the fresh website update here.

Happy Tuesday!

Pitching, part II

2011-10-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ashley Bug pitching her first game.

Sahuarita Scorpions First Football Game

2011-10-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

Monkey Boy had his first football game of the season yesterday. He's on the Sahuarita Scorpions, and they have a great little team... just enough players to be able to play. Because their team is so small in numbers, they had to play both offense and defense while the other team traded out their players after every change of possession. But the Scorpions worked hard and did an outstanding job... 3-3 was the end score, with our own JOEY scoring the first two touchdowns!

One man down!

Two more down!

And the fourth didn't pull his flag before he crossed into the endzone!

Touch Down #2

I keep waiting for some pile-on tackles, but I forget it's "flag football" - NO TACKLING ALLOWED! I guess I would be a lot more nervous if my little boy was out there getting sacked by some of those bigger kids.

Pitching

2011-10-01T16:17:00.001-07:00

I love a good sunshiny glare in the evening... but sometimes it is NOT so desirable when I'm trying to see my little girl pitch her first game. It was difficult finding the right position with the fence, blinding sun and my nerves shaking the camera. I only got a few shots off, then set the camera down to give her my full attention and cheer her on. She did great for her first time and we are all so proud of her efforts and her enthusiasm!

Love, love, LOVE this shot!

That's my girl!!!

Horray For Friday

2011-09-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Have a fantastic weekend!

Buggy's First Hit

2011-09-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

Buggy had her first softball game last weekend. Her small team of first-timers will be playing the only other minors softball team in the Tucson area --all season.

A little fist bump from Dad.

A little pep-talk from Big Sister.

And a little hit...

...straight to first base. Poor girl! Everyone at one time or another has had that kind of moment in a ball game before, and I'm proud of the way she handled her first hit and first out.

She's going to have a great season!

Just As Sunlight Reaches the City

2011-09-27T11:04:00.001-07:00

I am missing opportunities for amazing shots by not allowing an extra ten minutes or so all to myself when arriving early for photo sessions. I have a resolution to allow myself these moments from now on. I know the above shot ISN'T the 'amazing shot' I could have captured... but it was what I saw from the parking garage as I jumped out of my car to prepare for a photo shoot Saturday morning.

Farewell Dribbles

2011-09-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Freckle Face's beloved pet leopard gecko, Dribbles, "kicked the bucket" Saturday (her words, not mine) after a long struggle with picky eating. We tried to force feed him his healthy stuff by literally prying his mouth open and shoving it in there, but he wasn't havin it. Poor guy... Poor Freckle Face, she was hysterical.

He's now buried under the lime tree in the backyard.

Lucky 7's

2011-09-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Grandpa says if Monkey Boy gets a #7 football jersey next week that we should head to Vegas. I'm not the gamblin type of gal - I hate to lose, even at the nickel slots - but I'm a typical mom when think it would be "so cute" if they all had the same jersey number.

Happy "almost-Friday" friends! Hope your weekend is rockin!

A Simple Smile Makes Life Sweeter

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love that when they leave for school in the mornings, they're always wearing a smile!

Spouse BUZZ LIVE

2011-09-20T11:25:00.002-07:00

Yes, yes I'm here... just not HERE, here as in: I seriously have no time for blogging - at all! Not that I was ever a good writer/blogger, but I do miss the "frequenly sharing of photos" of our adventures. I've been busy beyond my usual sort of 'busy-ness' ...busy as in: Hel-LOOO chaos!

Like the kind of busy you get when you spend all day thinking it's Friday, and in reality it's only Tuesday. Or like when you've been in the shower for 10 minutes yet can't remember if you've washed your hair already, so you do it again just in case. No wonder I'm low on shampoo and my hair's been awfully frizzy lately.

I know I am certainly no different than any of the other millions of moms out there just trying to keep it all together. Kudos to you all! So, I will be back eventually - after I catch my breath from supporting my military husband and our three very active kids, with one car, and a calendar so full that I couldn't possibly fit one more thing on it!

P.S. Went to SpouseBUZZ LIVE at DMAFB last weekend, it was wonderful. If you're a military spouse I encourage you to attend if you're fortunate enough to have it come to your mililary installation. The speakers were fabulous and it was so nice to be surrounded by people I could relate to. Go to http://spousebuzz.com/ for event information.

Classic 60's {Custom Photography}

2011-09-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a couple of favorites from a recent senior session. I'll share more on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog later in the week. Happy Wednesday ya'll!!!

Give a Dog a Bone

2011-09-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

I cannot lay down for a 5 minute break without having him toss his bone all around me. Silly dog rolls around carrying on, annoying me just enough that I decide I don't really need a break afterall.

I {heart} What I Do

2011-09-12T09:58:00.004-07:00

How about a meaningful Monday MOMent? I know it's not really my style, so I'll keep it short...

I love my family SO MUCH and I love my simple, yet profound role as a "stay-at-home" wife and mother. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, I feel that it's the most important job a woman could ever have. I love that I am the last one they see as they wave goodbye in the mornings and the first one they see as they get off the bus afterschool. I love that I am HERE when they do their homework and HERE when they play with friends, and HERE when we sit down to eat dinner together, and HERE when they need to talk. I love that they don't have to go to afterschool programs, or babysitters, or that someone else is witnessing their moments of problem solving or achievement - no matter how small... I love being there for ALL those things. In my opinion, no amount of purchasing power by a busy working mother could replace that. We may not wear new clothes or have many gadgets, and we rarely get to go to the movies or other away-from-home activities, but everything we have and do is done together. I was reminded of a popular quote the other day:

"We may not have it all together, but TOGETHER, we have it ALL."

My life is blessed each day and I will forever be full of gratitude to my Father in Heaven for these things. And I'm giving a shout out to all stay-at-home moms out there that love what they do, and do it because they know it's what's good for their families.

Out of the Ashes: Hope & Strength

2011-09-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

Remembering 9/11/2001

...let freedom reign.

Buggy's Punk Rock Tea Party

2011-09-05T19:09:00.002-07:00

Yes, yes. Seriously - they were eating the frosting straight out of the tube. Crazy, crazy girls!!!

Buggy enjoyed a special birthday tea this weekend... she was doted on by her friends while they baked, decorated and consumed pounds of sugary treats and engaged in a little singing and dancing and just plain giggly, pre-teenage girl silliness.

Tubac Presidio Historic District

2011-09-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Military Man begins another semester this week towards his history major. He surprised us with a little trip down south to Tubac where he intrigued the kids with his knowledge of the struggles between the Apaches, Mexicans, and Spainish conquerers. They especially liked the schoolhouse, and the story of how camels were once introduced to the Arizona desert.

What To Do... When it's 102?

2011-08-27T12:56:00.002-07:00

What do you do when it's lunchtime and it's blazing hot outside and your allergies are all flared up, leaving you with a couple of swollen black eyes? Teach your friend how to play "Chopsticks" on the piano of course! Poor little guy. He's suffering some serious allergies right now, but he's not letting it ruin his Saturday free-for-all fun.

I call it a "free-for-all" because this mommy's all but checked out. Today it looks like hurricane Irene skipped over the East Coast altogether and landed smack dab in the middle of our house... and, to everyone's surprise, I'm not letting it bother me! The last couple of weeks have been long and hard. So for now, I'm just letting them run around, creating and playing til their little hearts are content.

Gone Fishing

2011-08-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Buggy's 5th grade teacher hosted a fishing fair at the lake tonight. She sat still long enough for me to snap a photo (even before I could change my settings)... then she was up and away, making the social rounds - doing what she does best. Everyone knows her and loves her, and they were all so happy to have her greet them. And although she didn't catch a thing (as her pole was only in the water less than two minutes)... she made sure everyone else was having a good time. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful, thoughtful daughter.

Mountain Flowers

2011-08-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Lov-ING my new Macro :) Still need some practice, but very happy with it!

He JUST Wants To Play Football

2011-08-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

He doesn't want to sit by his giggly sisters.

He doesn't want me to take a picture of him sitting by his annoying sisters.

He just...

...wants to play...

...FOOTBALL!

He made due with the soccer ball as we didn't bring his football to the park that day. So glad it's football season. So glad we know someone on the High School team this year. He's going to have so much fun playing and watching, he's been waiting all year for it!

Back To School: Bug

2011-08-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

Eerie Evening Glow

2011-08-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last evening we had a huge storm roll through. We quite like running around in the cul-de-sac after storms pass. Copper especially loves splashing in the puddles and running through the wash. The sky last night left everything in an eerie glow. The kids had about 10 good minutes of playing around until some unexpected thunder crackled loudly, lightning striking nearby (too close for comfort), and it sent them running for the safety of the garage - where I was standing trying to focus on the clouds in the sky.

Back To School: Freckle Face

2011-08-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

My Freckle Face is growing up so fast. Middle School this year... my, how quickly it has all went by! She's my right-hand gal in the mornings. She keeps me organized and on schedule and keeps me sane. I would be lost with out her!

Back To School: Monkey Boy

2011-08-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Trying to get this kid to give me ONE good shot is like pulling teeth... but we got it done!

2011-08-16T19:31:00.001-07:00

Frankie is one of my super awesome 2012 Senior Spokes Models. He's a lot of fun to be around and I can't think of a time in the last year and a half since we've known each other that he hasn't had a great big smile on his face. Frankie is a great example to his five younger siblings and all the kids that run around the neighborhood vying for his attention (most of the time my own kids are included in that excitement). I look forward to working with him more as his Senior year progresses and can't wait to share the projects we're planning.

See more photos of Frankie HERE on the Spanish Sky Photography Blog... and on our Facebook page.

On the Green

2011-08-15T10:34:00.001-07:00

When I was flipping through magazines at the salon the other day, I came across some lovely images from photographer Max Wanger. Goodness, instant flutter!! I loved them!! ... and HAD to try to recreate my own creamy, dreamy, fun seventies look. In simple terms because I'm the least of many things, and one being articulate - this photo style is just so "HAPPY".

Happy Monday all!

Old Fort Lowell

2011-08-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

Evening Silhouettes

2011-08-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

I {heart} the First Week Back to School

2011-08-11T00:06:00.000-07:00

Don't they look sharp? Or, as Buggy would say, "Don't we look smart." Not a question, but rather a statement. I think there's still a lit'l bit of that smug Brit'ish-ness left inside of her ....and I love it!

Have a great rest of the week!

Playing in Photoshop

2011-08-10T23:54:00.001-07:00

Homegrown Pride

2011-08-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

Busy, crazy, unorganized and at times overwhelmed this week. School started for the kids. We've been 'going' non-stop. I've had a few photography gigs thrown in the mix and have fallen in love with a couple new locations for doing photography sessions (Yay!). Here's some of my favorites from a recent family session. I'll be sharing more Brunette happenings later in the week... time permitting. Have a great week everyone!

Can you tell this fun-loving family is proud of their home state?! Shhh.... don't tell anyone, but we all live in Arizona. I told them it was a good thing we started their family pictures early in the morning to escape the worst of the heat, because we were also deep in the heart of Wildcat territory - downtown Tucson. I've known this awesome bunch of Texans for as long as I've been here (which isn't long)... but I just adore them and am so happy to call them my friends. They were super considering I had them climbing up and down a dozen flights of stairs over and over again in the heat and humidity - all at 6:30 in the morning on empty bellies! Way to go team!!

From Passenger Window, in Black & White

2011-08-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

These were also taken from inside the car on the way down the canyon after our hike. The gradation of my tinted windshield sort of distorted the coloring of some of the photos... so I decided to try a few of them out in black and white. I think I really like them this way.

Catalina Highway Canyon Drive

2011-08-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

Recalling from the last post that the clouds were noticably heavier as we were returning from our hike, we heard a few crackles of thunder and decided to hurry to safety. By the time we got to the car, it began to rain ...and when the lightning began, we were happy to not have seen any on our hike.

So, this was the temperature at the top of the mountain... and the following photos I took from the car on our descent. Taking photos from a moving vehicle down a winding 30-mile stretch of canyon does not suit me! I hopped out a couple of times to snap a shot from a quick pull-out and I think I stepped out of the car before it was entirely stopped. No bueno!

And this was the temperature as we left the canyon and entered the city of Tucson... boo!

From the Summit of Mt. Lemmon

2011-08-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

More from our hike in the Santa Catalina Mountains. We found some good walking sticks, picked some rather tart raspberries, and let out a few hollers from the ledge of the canyons. Copper wasn't sure what to think of the echos, but he sure did love the rock climbing... he looked like a mountain goat bouncing around from rock to rock.

Only the 'photographer' noticed the thick dark clouds collecting overhead...

Aspen Fire Damage

2011-08-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our family hiked the "Wilderness of Rocks" trail at the summit of Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains. The area was nearly destroyed by the Aspen Fire that took some 900 firefighters a month to get under control. We hiked along rough patches where trees were uprooted, whole groves charred, and heavy monsoon rains have left the bare land vulnerable to rock slides and mud slides.

Legos & The New Carpet

2011-08-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

What do three kids do when it's blazing hot outside? Legos - all over - in the living room of course.

What does the poor dog do when said kids are occupied with their Legos?

He tries to find a spot on the carpet where he won't be told off for being in the way or knocking over their creations.

I can't tell you the number of lost LEGO parts I've stepped on. I stopped counting already.

Week-long Hiatus

2011-08-04T06:54:00.003-07:00

My recent recess from blogging is due to the following:
* Back-to-school shopping
* Family reuniting (hubby returned from Honduras)
* House painting (after nearly two years)
* Game playing
* Event planning
* Dental appointments enduring (did I mention the extensive dental itinerary I've procured? ...Boo!)
* Website updating
* Monsoon watching (and I'd love to share magnificent photos of the action, but honestly I'm too afraid to go out in the lightning!)
* Meal preparing (love having the whole family together for meals again)
* Book reading
* Dog walking
* Backyard reconstructing
* Late-morning napping

Hope to be back into the "blogging" swing of things soon. For now, enjoy your weekend everybody!