Merry Christmas!! :: Snoozing, Before Photos, and Breakfast

This might very well be the last Christmas that we get to sleep in... I'm guessing that next year Hudson will be bounding out of his bed in the wee hours of the morning to see what Santa has brought him.  Hudson knows what Santa looks like in his Christmas book, but doesn't quite get the whole concept yet.  So when I stretched awake at 8:00 this morning, and he was still snoozing away, I took a moment to savor what will probably be my last chance to sleep in on Christmas.

When I stumbled down the stairs I found Dad and Fraser chatting in the kitchen.  Fraser was cooking breakfast, and Dad was probably taste testing.  Again, I took a moment to watch them interact.  To be grateful for two wonderful men in my life.  As they talked about golf and baseball in the kitchen I snapped a few photos of the untouched Christmas in our living room.   Hudson woke up and instead of stopping to gaze all the new presents under the tree he ran straight into his Daddy's arms.  His Daddy showed him his gifts, and he immediately took advantage of the surplus!

As we sat and ate breakfast we all took a moment to realize that this is probably the last Christmas that we will be able to have breakfast before opening presents.  This morning was wonderful, but I also can't wait until the excitement is bubbling over so much that I don't have time to snooze in the morning, take photos of the "before" tree, or eat breakfast prior to the wrapping paper rainfall.

Merry Christmas everyone!  I wish you all warmth, love, and happiness on such a wonderful day.  Here are a few snapshots of the day -- the ones of my parents are to die for... I feel like I captured the essence of Christmas in just two photos.      Enjoy!

My Favorite Time of Year

Each year when I was growing up the music started earlier and earlier in the year.... the Christmas music.  First, she would wait until the day after Thanksgiving, but each year it just kept creeping up a little at a time.  Mom would blast the Christmas music through the house and busy herself creating the piece of art she called a Christmas tree.  Most of the time the lights were still up from the year before so Dad and Jason would be on the roof trying to figure out why they didn't work.  It seemed as though the Christmas music got louder and louder as we neared Christmas day; therefore, we (me and my 3 siblings) got louder and louder as we shouted for it to be turned off!!  

You see, Christmas music never just meant that Christmas was coming hence a fantastic time of year, but it also meant a monstrous chore list.  There were always pecans to be picked up from the yard (which led to raw noses from wiping with a gloved hand), leaves to be raked, baking to do (which led to a dirty kitchen), laundry to fold, presents to wrap, etc... etc... etc...  As I lived through this "torture" during my childhood and teenage years it was annoying to say the least.  What wouldn't be annoying about that music playing on repeat all day long while Mrs. Claus ordered around her elves in order to get ready for the season?  Now that I'm grown and moved away, these memories make me smile.  I miss such a simple time.

You know what the funny thing is about how things change??  I bought a Christmas cd the other day... and it's playing on repeat, right now.

To my family and friends, and their family and friends.... I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous new year in 2010!!

Photo credit :: Gabriel Ryan Photographers :: www.gabrielryan.net

Las Vegas Newborn Photography :: Baby Madden

I'm pretty sure that it started with Benifer.  That being when Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were dating (and briefly engaged).  That was the first celebrity nickname I heard.  Now it seems like everybody can get a nickname.... come on.... Speidi??  I'm surprised Jon & Kate were never christened with an annoying moniker.  Maybe we can just do away with the stars on Hollywood Blvd, and just say that if you have a nickname, or have been part of a duo with a nickname; then you've made it.  Seriously though... have the pop culture followers just gotten so lazy that they can no longer say two names? For all of you who don't know a single person that I've mentioned in this mindless blog entry... GodBlessYou!!

My small rant has a purpose, and here it is...

This little guy, should he ever become famous, might just have the coolest nickname.  Ever!  I introduce to you...   B-Mad.  That's right.  Don't "be mad" that you aren't cool enough to have a nickname like B-Mad.  Ha ha ha!!  D-Mad and M-Mad (which are cool nicknames, but not as cool as B-Mad) requested that I document there 5-week old bundle, and I was more than stoked.

It has been a while since I got to photograph a newborn, so I was excited to get some baby snuggling time.  It is no secret that my baby fever is on full-blast right now, so it was nice to take a moment to snuggle and then be able to go home without even having to change a diaper!

I loved every moment of being in the Madden house last weekend.  Both the Madden family, and the friends they had in town were down right awesome.  I felt like I was in a house full of old friends!  

Here are a few photos from the day....   enjoy!

Oh the details of a newborn.... so precious -- as though they have been hand-picked just for them...

As well as just be all-around awesome.... Mary (aka MiMi) is a phenomenal interior decorator!! She's one of those good-at-everything type of girls... {{jealous}}

Las Vegas Children Photographer :: Matthew

I was sitting on the workout bench during another one of our seemingly endless weights sessions that began in the wee hours of the morning.   This was a session in which we actually made it on time, and without... uh hum.... outside influences of the liquid variety.  

I was sitting on the workout bench when Leiana came over and began to rub the temples of my head.  She must have been able to see the stress because when my tears started to flow she simply said, "Oh no, I must have hit the cry button."  I laughed through my tears, but was so grateful that she had known to come talk to me.  I remember what had gone wrong the night before, but it basically involved my boyfriend (now husband) breaking up with me... and since we know that breakup didn't last... I won't bore you with further details.

It was small moments like this that our new friendship clung.  We spent two years playing volleyball together, and experienced all that college in Las Vegas had to offer.  We celebrated when we graduated, witnessed each others' weddings, and treasured the birth of both of our baby boys.  Through all of this there have been several small moments to which our friendship clung.

Leiana has stuck with me from the days of torturing her in my teeny tiny studio (which no longer exists) during a maternity shoot, and then gave me the chance to practice newborn photos on her sweet baby boy.  Now that Matthew is a year older we didn't have to stay indoors!!  I had a great time spending time with an old friend...gathering some more small moments.

Here are a few of Kevin & Leiana's little guy who is quickly turning into a toddler!!

Las Vegas Children & Family Photographer :: Price Family

When I started this business I thought that it would be impossible to ever build a client base.  I thought that there was no way that I would ever get to the point to where a family would enjoy my work so much to ask for not one photo shoot, or two photo shoots, but three photo shoots (hopefully with even more in the future!!).

Okay okay... so this is my cousin's family, but that still counts, right?  Riiiiiiiight.   I've been able to document the growth of my adorable cousin Ava since she was about 4 months old.  She just turned 1 over Thanksgiving weekend, and I was ecstatic to be able to get her in front of my camera again.  

I can not believe how much she has grown since I saw her this summer!  Like a weed.... as my Grunner would say.  You too can see her sprouting like a weed by looking here and here.  

Seriously... adorable.  Just adorable.

Holiday Mini Shoot :: Box/Hatch Crew

I remember a bunch of hens cackling.  Hens cackling in the kitchen at the house on Hondo.  That's what I remember most from my childhood.  Grandma, Mom, Aunt Sue, Aunt Sara, Aunt Carol, and Aunt Marlene cackling.  Loud!!  I wonder, now that I'm older, how much their laughter annoyed the men in the house trying to watch football!  Although there were several occasions when two of them would be together, or three of them; there were always memories during the holidays of all of them harmonizing their laugh.  The laugh that you couldn't tell apart to save your life.   

Holidays were always spent at Grandma's house.  Nobody even had to question who was hosting Thanksgiving, or Christmas for that matter.  As all of my cousins and siblings have grown and had families of their own; the cackle has dissipated to a dull murmur in my memories.  Writing this post I can help but to revel in those memories, and wish for that simpler time in my life.  Even the memory of this sound makes me weepy with nostalgia. 

I haven't had the chance to spend as much time with Grandma and Grandpa as I'd like over the last ten years due to the many miles between New Mexico and Nevada, wanting to split holidays between mine and my husband's family, and wanting to create holiday traditions for my child to remember from his Grandma's house.  

So, when Aunt Sara contacted me about snagging a few photos of Grandma and Grandpa while I was in town for Thanksgiving, I was honored.  Honored not only to document such a long overdue photo, but honored that Aunt Sara would give me something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving... time to catch up with family.

Now, after that introduction, you might be wondering what the title means when I say "Box/Hatch Crew"??  Okay, maybe you didn't catch that, but that's okay.  I'll fill you in anyway.  It seems that, along with me, some of the other members of my very large family were yearning for some Grandma and Grandpa time... or the lure of New Mexico green chili and the alien themed city of Roswell generated too much excitement to turn down.  

Here are a few more of my relatives that came along for the shoot!  How could I not throw them in front of the lens??  

My Great-Uncle Brent and Great-Aunt Sharon....

My Great-Uncle AR and Great-Aunt Jean....

My Great-Uncle Brent, Great-Aunt Jean, and Grandma -- no more sibling rivalry here!!

My Uncle Pat and Aunt Marlene...

And my long lost cousin, Spencer, his beautiful wife, Allison, and their adorable son, Ryan...

Thank you everyone for a fantastic morning together!  I am more than stoked to have been able to spend some much needed time catching up!!  I hope you all got home safely!!

Happy Holidays!