Purple Monkey in White Pajamas.

Thank you Image Stabilization. If not for you, all these pictures would have been blurry. {Ya know, cause it was freakin’ FREEZIN’!}

But now onto why this day was totally awesome…

Kids. Cute kids. I mean REALLY CUTE kids. Really cute kids who despite the bone chilling coldness still put smiles on their faces (of course there was EXTREME bribing going on, but whatever works, right?!)

Clouds. We NEVER get clouds here in SD.

Sunshine? Yes.

Seventy degree weather all year round? Check.

Mortgages that will make your head spin? Absolutely!

But clouds? Rarely see the darn things.

Super-Duper Fantastically Cool Parents.

Do I really need to elaborate on this one?

And thank you to my buddy {L}. Without your help, how would I have ever known what color the monkey is that lives in my camera? (purple, of course!). The fact that he was wearing white pajamas and his name is Clouds was also very informative. My world somehow feels complete now that I know these very important facts.

Bubba-Looooooooooooooo….

**{Sidenote: This is a perfect example of a few friends who got together and created their own photo shoot. You can do the same!! If there is a cool place you have ALWAYS dreamed about having your family photos taken, get a few of your friends to jump on board and I will BE THERE to take the pics!}

{Little Drummer Boy}

Ba-rum-ba-ba-bah...

Air-E-zone-UH {!}

I know I have told you all about my woes growing up as a child in the mean streets of Laguna Beach. It’s sometimes hard to recall those days because, well, they’re just so painful. But here we go…

As a child I was foretold about this faraway land of heat and cacti. I thought it a myth because all I ever knew was {here comes that sick feeling again in my stomach} 70 degree weather ALL-YEAR-ROUND! There was this one summer (or was it winter? It was so hard to tell), that my mother RIPPED us from this dirty sandy place they call the b-e-a-c-h, and took us to this far away land called Air-E-zone-UH.

These are my memories of that hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot place.

Sitting in my Grammy’s house trying desperately not to melt. Walking to circle K to get chewy sweetarts (have you ever had these? SO good!). Having to buy new flip-flops because the ones I wore to walk to Circle K melted. Playing and squeezing my Grammy’s dog Elizabeth so hard that it puked all over her carpet (too much info?). Playing in the irrigation canals. Catching toads at night. Playing H-O-R-S-E with my brother on the bb court in my Grammy’s driveway. Having to buy another new pair of flip-flops because while playing H-O-R-S-E my other ones melted and THEN evaporated. So weird?! Watching my Grammy RAKE her green shag carpet. Secretly walking on the newly raked green shag carpet when my Grammy wasn’t looking. I was so naughty….

There were many more summers that passed in the same fashion. I recall them with sweet happiness…

Here are some other memories made in AZ…

{Look for wedding pics of K&J coming next September!! Woot-woot!}

Thank You - Part Two

It's been a while since my first Military 'Thank You' post...but I have not forgotten.

I hope I never do.

Thank you for your sacrifice {J-H} Family.

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

Thank. You.

{R}amos & {R}ed

Love Ramos House (and so do about a zillion other photogs! grrrrr...) So the plan was to stray off the beaten path a bit. You just never know what you're going to find...

I love the little surprises you get when you just improvise a little bit. It's what makes my job fun:)