Meet one of my brothers and his beautiful family…you have seen them before if you have followed my photography journey.  Well, the big man, Greer turned a year in May and however tempting the tremendous heat is…I was happy to oblige and wait to do his pictures until we had our annual family camping trip up in the gorgeous White Mountains.  Those of you that are wanting a shoot like this…I have yet to find anything like this in the valley, but with a little bit of travel you can find places similar to this not too far away!  I know…I’m jealous myself because it is so amazingly green and beautiful…I want my family pictures taken here…did you here that E?!!

I have so much love and respect for this family.  They are above re-pore in all they do.  Their priorities are where they should be, God & Family.  They are on a new adventure and are trusting God’s guidance every step of the way.  I have been blessed with an absolutely beautiful sister-in-law inside and out!!  She has a sweet spirit that permeates all that know her.  She is a jewel…obviously my brother thinks so too.  I have always felt like a mother hen when it comes to this particular brother.  I was 3 1/2 when he was born and thrilled beyond years to be a “mini mommy”!  I have always had a special relationship with him that I cherish dearly…he is my friend.  In fact I don’t call him by his name, but he is “friend” to me.  My 100% boy nephew that reminds me of both my brother and my son.  We love watching you grow and learn…we love to hear you talk (and seriously this boy can talk…I think he pronounces words better than my 3 1/2 year old!!).  He loves his family…quite obviously.  He is sweet on his youngest cousin, Grace.  He is a lover of books…can’t wait till he can read them to me, but wait don’t grow up that fast!!  He is becoming such a big boy in every sense of the word.

I love you guys so much…thanks for being patient in getting your pictures…when you’re family you tend to have to wait to see your photos a little longer than my other clients!  Here are some of my favorites…these people don’t take bad pictures it was hard to choose.

I think this little man looks so much like his Daddy…

**Favorite**

**Other Favorite**  Seriously, sis you look AMAZING!!!!  Friend - you don’t look too bad either!! 

This is something to celebrate!!  25 years of marriage.  The perfect post inbetween my little challenges.  I met C & P last year around Christmas to do family photos at their home.  They have three beautiful kids and two adorable grand-daughters.  C called me because this month marked a momentous occasion.  Their 25 year wedding anniversary.  Fabulous.  This is something to celebrate, to document…to remember.  25 years takes a LOT of work…Congratulations to you both!!  Thanks for letting me be a part of the celebration!!

My favorite of the day…

I love the way P is nestled in…

awwwww…

She knows how to get him to laugh…

This one just makes me happy…

P designed C’s wedding ring…beautiful!

I hope your trip was amazing!!!  Congrats again!  Enjoyed hanging with you two so much!!

Well, I hope that you have been able to implement Challenge 1 & 2.  Honestly…number two has been hard for me because the things that we did had to do with things we no longer own and no longer want to do…hmmm…I have another idea, but it is in the works.  So, here is challenge #3.  Love this one!!  I know that my hubby needs words of encouragement so, this is so up his ally!!  I need a good challenge to make sure I vocalize those things that make him an amazing guy!!

Project #3
You da’ Man

Spreading Great Gossip About Your Guy

Your Project:
Say something nice about your husband to someone else. Make sure you tell him what you said, and to whom.

Getting Creative
Who are the important people in your husband’s life? Your kids, his parents, his friends? Be intentional about who you chat with when you brag on him – it’s almost as important as actually doing it.
Having a hard time coming up with something? I still brag on my guy for things he did years ago. He loves when I tell the story of how brilliantly he proposed (there were waterfalls and stuffed portabella mushrooms involved…).

Here are some other areas to think about when crafting your brag:

• His parenting skills
• His patience level
• The way he treats your mom
• His culinary ability
• His job
• His loyalty to you

Here is a session I am editing and will finish up in the next day or two…celebrating 25 years of marriage!!!

I got to head out to the beautiful Phoenician for this family’s session.  Love all the green and trees, we didn’t do much exploring, but this spot was just down from their room…so pretty. Here is Mr. William.  What a good little guy…not a fuss out of him the whole time!!  How many babies love being naked in grass??  This guy didn’t mind one bit.  He just lights up when Daddy talks to him and it is obvious that both mom & dad are head over heels for this little man.  Their “first” baby came out for a couple of the family pictures and she was so cute I couldn’t help, but snap one of her all by herself.  She had the softest ears, I just wanted to curl right up with her and cuddle!  D & B thank you so much for letting me capture Mr. William!!  I can’t wait to see how big he is in 6 months…probably running  around all over no doubt!!

This first image is my fave from our session…I love it for a bunch of reason…

So, what are your thoughts about Challenge #1??  What will it look like for your family??  So, for me because Jason gets off in the morning and because he is normally busy at his station the whole 24 hours…I have decided that when he comes home he gets to just chill by himself without us here for a bit…this way he can relax, take a shower if he needs to, but most importantly lay down and take a nap.  That way when we come home if the door to our bedroom is shut we know that Daddy is resting and he will be up a little later to play with us…rested and happy!!  I would love to hear what you are planning on doing in your home so, that I can encourage you too!! 

And since this about Hubby/Daddy…I wanted to share Jason’s Father’s Day gift from the kiddos and I that I never got a chance to post…if you are interested in doing something fun like this for one of your loved ones we can definitely make it happen during your session(we did one of the Grandpas too)…just let me know!!  :-)  And yes, the picture kills me because my son looks WAY too old!!

So, here is Challenge #2…I LOVE this one!!!  I will be thinking about this the next two days since Hubby is working today and then off in the morning to work another 10 hours, so he won’t be home until Friday night…hmmm…need to get to thinking!!

Project #2
Back in the Day

Do Something He Enjoyed Before You Got Married

“Lust is easy.  Love is hard.  Like is most important.”  ~ Carl Reiner

Your Project:

Initiate an activity that your husband used to love. Whether it’s his favorite hobby, sport, or pastime, it’s time for you to get involved – be his buddy today.

Getting Creative

• Many a man’s hobby has gone by the wayside due to matrimony. Is it possible that it’s time you learned to golf or fly fish? Don’t try to beat him, just join him.
• Possibly the only thing your husband would enjoy more than playing chess with you is teaching you how to play chess.  Ask for a lesson so he can teach you something that he is an expert at (or really loves). Just your willingness to learn will be a huge boost to your guy.
• Pick up a magazine about your guy’s now dormant hobby. Ask him questions about why he loves it so much. Learn a couple of technical terms so that you are better able to discuss it.
• Do a little research. Find out what the definitive website is on your husband’s favorite subject. Maybe there’s an event in town, a lecture to attend, or a game to watch.

If you are wondering what we are doing…check out this first post HERE.

Remember this is going to “look” different for each of us…my hubby works 24 hours at a time and comes home in the morning from work…so the way I am going to do this challenge may be a little different from you!!  Get creative…Have fun!!

Project #1

30 Minutes is All it Takes

Create Some Free Time When He Gets Home

“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”
~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

Your Project:

Focus on your husbands transitional 30 minutes today. Would he like to be left alone to rest and rejuvenate, or does he want some undivided attention from you? The point is to let your husband know you value what he does out in the world, and that he has a safe loving place to come home and get refreshed at the end of the day.

Getting Creative
There are plenty of reasons why it might not be easy for you to give your husband some transition time at the end of the day. You need to look at what can work for your relationship. Be creative, like the stories listed below. Brainstorm with your friends until you find a situation that will work for you and your guy.

• My friend, Joann, purposely scheduled her daughter’s dance classes twice a week at the same hour that her husband gets home from work. That way, her hubby comes home to an empty house. He gets some quiet, and she gets a more peaceful man.

• One husband has his workshop out in the garage. His wife encourages him to go and hang out there for a while before dinner. (Since starting this arrangement, her husband has started helping out with the after-dinner clean up. Nice side benefit.)

• Crockpots are The Husband Project’s best friend. Set your crockpot to be finished thirty minutes after your husband gets home from work. Let him know that you don’t need anything until dinner is ready. Don’t know a crockpot from a flower pot? Check out the recipes in The Ultimate Guide to Man Food at www.kathilipp.com

• Does your husband already have a great transition routine after getting home? Find some other little thing to bless that time. Maybe it’s making sure the TV is available, his favorite sweats are clean and ready to be changed into, or there’s a cold soda waiting for him in the fridge. It may be so small that he doesn’t even notice. That’s okay – you’ll know what you did.

• What if your husband works from home? Maybe the best way to help him relax is to ask what he would like the schedule to be. Does he want dinner before or after he gets some time to recharge? Ask him what would make his night better.

Ok before I share I have to show you a new photo of my family that my friend Natalie took!!  I am in love with it and I just purchased a nice size canvas that will be arriving on Friday to hang above my desk!!  I’ll post pictures of the canvas when it arrives!!

Now, I just have to share something…I was doing a shoot a couple of days ago for an amazing couple that just celebrated 25 years…a peek at their session in a couple more days, but I had photographed their family last year for Christmas.  We were talking about my business and what has happened in the last year…changes, growth, etc. and I was suddenly compelled to tell them that I didn’t really care about the “business”…WHOA!!  It’s not that I REALLY don’t care about my business, but in this day and age a business can come and go…it’s not my life and it’s not who I am.  Do you know what my business is to me?  This might sound crazy maybe business suicide, but this is me!  My business is a vessel…a vehicle to be with people.  I LOVE people!  This life is short and our relationships are what it’s all about.  For me relationships are the foundation of who I am…my relationship with the Lord, my relationship with my husband, my relationship with my kids, my family, my friends, my clients…people!!!  So, it’s not that I don’t care about my business because of course I do I just care about people more…I pray that my business grows where God wants it to grow and not because I did anything more than care and love on people (oh and that I take a decent picture too I guess!).  I hope that my clients can see the joy in my life…and the joy I have that I get to do something I love with them…capturing their family, wedding, whatever with my camera!!

So, speaking of relationships…how about one of the most important ones if you are married…your spouse!!  So, my hubby and I are going to celebrate TEN years in January…it feels like we were just in high school!!  We have had our shares of highs and lows as we all do in relationships; especially marriage.  We have had some tough bouts that we’ve had to work out with help…we have had some amazing joys like bringing three beautiful children into this world.  I have learned that nurturing my relationship with my husband is so important and yet it is really hard sometimes too.  The day to day is almost exhausting enough…between my kids, my business, whatever…sometimes he get’s put low on the totem pole and yet God didn’t design it that way.  He should be right under my relationship to the Lord and then after hubby comes my kids, my family & friends and then my business…wow!  So, since most of you reading/looking at my blog are women I want to share something fun with you regarding all of this!  I bought a book this last week called “The Husband Project” by Kathi Lipp.  The tag line under the title reads “21 Days of Loving Your Man - on Purpose and with a Plan”.  Well tonight as I was peeking onto Kathi’s website I saw that she has a Blogger - 5 Day Mini Challenge!!  Although this blog is mostly used for business purposes I also use it for my personal thoughts too.  Since I am in the business of loving people I thought this was awesome!!  I want you to have amazing relationships with your spouses…why not give it a try??  You may even win a book from Kathi!!  You can also purchase the book here.  Well, even if you don’t try this mini challenge…I would love your encouragement…I am going to be doing the whole shebang!!  Inbetween some of my client sneak peeks I’ll let you know how it’s going!!  Oh one more thing…this is a SECRET…don’t be telling my hubby if you know him (or yours if you do the mini challenge!) - thankfully he doesn’t look at my blog all that often!!  So, here is a little info on the book and the author…tomorrow I will post the first challenge!!  Hope you are up for it! 

Short description of The Husband Project

Do you feel like your marriage has gone from “I do” to “What did I do?” Recapture the romance that made you and your husband fall in love in the first place. The Husband Project provides 21 days of fun activities to show love and honor to your husband.  Kathi Lipp will help you discover:

* Proven ways to return fun and flirting to your marriage.
* Inner assurance to meet your husband’s unspoken emotional needs.
* Increased confidence when it comes to meeting your husbands sexual needs.
* New levels of warmth and tenderness in your relationship.
* A deeper sense of security with your husband.
* A greater ability to boost your husband’s belief in himself.

Author Bio

Kathi Lipp helps women renovate their life with projects for the soul. She is a national speaker and author who inspires thousands each year to take beneficial action steps in their personal, marital, and spiritual lives. Her wit and wisdom will give you new ways to:

* Avoid settling for less than God’s loving plan for your life.
* Develop new levels of warmth and tenderness with your spouse.
* Return fun and flirting to your marriage.
* Boost your confidence to follow God-given dreams and goals.
* Create an environment of encouragement in your friendships

Kathi is the author of The Husband Project: 21 Days to Loving Your Man on Purpose and with a Plan and The Marriage Project: 21 Days to Reigniting Your Relationship (coming Fall, 2009). In addition, her articles have appeared in Today’s Christian Woman, Bay Area Parent, Focus on the Family, Discipleship Journal, and Christian Parenting Today.

Church leaders and women’s ministry directors rely on Kathi to help women move from living out of obligation to enjoying godly passion. She shares her cheerful humor and biblical insights over 45 times a year at conferences and retreats.

Kathi and her husband, Roger, are parents of four teenagers and live in San Jose, California. They are members of Church on the Hill where Roger is the programming director of the worship arts ministry.

Renovate your life with a project for your soul!

Author Mini Bio

Kathi Lipp is a national speaker and author who inspires women to take beneficial action steps in their personal, marital and spiritual lives. Her wit and wisdom will give you new ways to:

* Avoid settling for less than God’s loving plan for your life.
* Develop new levels of warmth and tenderness with your husband
* Return fun and flirting to your marriage
* Boost your confidence to follow God-given dreams and goals.
* Create and environment of encouragement in your friendships

I have been itching to post these pictures for some time…this wedding was at the end of June, but after a few computer glitches it took a little longer to get this up…{sigh}, but hey better late than never!  So, I had the wonderful privilege of second shooting Jen & Aaron’s wedding with my dear friend, Erin, who is an amazing photographer!!  When Erin asked if I wanted to come along with her I was so excited!!  I knew the wedding would be beautiful and I also had an excuse to hang out with one of my besties all night…I’m there!

The wedding was at the Inspirador.  A beautiful and elegant venue.  All the little touches throughout the place were gorgeous and I LOVE all the wrought iron…Although I had not met the Jen & Aaron until their big day I could tell that the attention to the details of the day were perfect reflections of them from her dress, colors, center pieces, bouquets - which by the way the florals were done by The Garage by Ivy - amazing, down to the guests in attendance.

I felt honored to be there as these two got hitched…there foundation was crystal clear for their lives and their marriage…Jesus.

Please indulge me…this is a loooong post.

Thanks, E for letting me tag along!!  Thanks to Jen & Aaron as well!!  God bless you as you head off on a new adventure together!!

Remember my post about my Sweet Sadie where I said I grew up with three brothers and I was the only girl?  Well, I always dreamed of having a sister…don’t get me wrong I love my brothers and without them I wouldn’t be who I am today, but I think there is something special about two sisters…two best friends for life.  I am blessed beyond measure that God would eventually give me FOUR amazing sisters-in-law, funny how that works out!  We didn’t find out with Sadie…boy or girl, but with number three the suspense was too much and I prayed that God would give Sadie (& Gage) a sister…something I had always hoped for!  Now of course we would have been happy either way, but I still asked anyway, I cried when they said…it’s a girl…what a blessing Gracie is to our family.  She like her sister is also a pistol and like her a mother…a little stubborn at nineteen months, the words “sorry” to date are a difficult word to get out apparently…even after two time outs!  Ha!

Back to my original thought…sisters.  Some days they fight like cats and dogs, some days they are the best of friends…I pray that they will always be close, share with each other in the good and bad…be confidants…have hearts for Jesus…look up to their older brother…be sweet sisters today until the end…