Spiritual Sundays

"Have you ever noticed that people can usually find whatever they are looking for? Look hard enough, and you can discover both good and bad in almost anyone and anything.....We have a choice. We can seek for the bad in others. Or we can make peace and work to extend to others the understanding, fairness, and forgiveness we so desperately desire for ourselves. It is our choice; for whatever we seek, that we will certainly find." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Foto Friday: Week 12

I wanted to try something totally different this week. Lucy was totally scared to hold the candle. But she did it :)

List 12: Words I love

1. Debt free. I'll love it when we get there ;)

2. Hogwash. Just try working THAT into your every day vocab!

3. Totally. I say it all the time. I always tell every one I am trying to bring back the 90s. And I bet if you hang out with me at all.... you might be saying it too :)

4. Fuddy-Duddy. oh yes. Love to hear it. Need to say it more!

5. This week I love the word Mexico. (HA are you all sick of me talking about this yet or WHAT!)

6. Thank you. I love it when people say that. Two wonderful words! My friend Gayle always sends me thank you notes. I want to be like that!

Regan is constantly telling me I talk like an OLD person. I can't help it. I talk like my mom did and like my grandma did and my great grandma did. :) After I say something he'll say what? what is that? No one says that!

But he's not around and I am struggling to think of them! :)

10 on Tuesday

1. SNOW.... SERIOUSLY???!!!!!

2. My lovely friend Marie brought me dinner last night. Yup she is spoiling me. (And Tisha brought me some last week) Seriously people are TOO Kind to me!

3. Regan is gone and we might get to see him for an hour or two on Wednesday night just so he can get clean clothes and drive up to Calgary and then hopefully for an hour or two on Sunday night so he can get clean clothes again. hmmmm He'll be gone a LOT in the next month. (Luckily in the middle we get to go to MEXICO!!!!!!!)

4. I did some sewing last week. And it was lovely. And it made me want to do MORE. :) I'll show it to you soon! (i'm too lazy to get the picture right now!)

5. I looooove books and I am needing some new ones to read lately. Just put a bunch on hold at the library!

6. Last weekend we were invited over to TWO different places for dinner. One Saturday night and one Sunday. Even our whole family. That doesn't happen often but it was great!

7. Apparently I can not just drink milk in this pregnancy. It makes my tummy soooo upset. Which I HATE cause I LOVE milk.

8. Did I mention I was going to MEXICO soon??!! AWESOME!

9. Eli is obsessed with technology. It's terrible. He cries for the ipad (we don't even have one!) and digs in people's pockets for their iphone.s It's terrible.

10. Lucy is currently in a stage where she says terribly embarrassing things in public. I'm not a fan!

Spiritual Sundays

“How well are we feeding, nurturing, training, and exercising the spirits of our children? . . . Remember, eternity is now, not a vague, distant future. We prepare each day, right now, for eternal life.” —Elder M. Russell Ballard

Foto Friday: Week 11: Macro

I had another one of an orange too... but then when I saw the other two lovely ladies went with eyes, I used that one instead :)

List 11: I'm lucky because....

1. I live in Canada

2. To be married to a great guy

3. To have such good kids.

4. I have great parents.

5. I get to go to Mexico in 2 weeks.

6. I am able to have babies.

7. I have good friends.

10 on Tuesday

1. I was going to get a post already last night and decided not too since I was in a bad mood and I don't think bad moods and blog posting go together.

2. I was feeling frustrated with not being able to any of the three things I badly wanted to do this weekend since now Reg is on call. So instead I'll be hanging out at home alone. Perhaps I might end up watching some lame girl movie and eating something totally unhealthy. :) Sounds like making lemonade out of lemons to me.

3. I just finished this book last week. It's really good. Totally made me cry a couple of times. Really really enjoyed it. And he had some really wise things to say about death and mourning those who have died.

4. I think I have had over 15 contacts about weddings in the past 6 weeks. And a LOT of them are for September - right when I am due. Obviously I am not shooting weddings the month I am due (or even the month after!) but it's kind a funny how many I am getting lately. Weddings are quickly becoming the thing I have taken pictures of the most.

5. I just found this photographer today and I have to say i LOVE her stuff.

6. My friend Jen shared her grandma's banana bread recipe with me and I made 5 loaves today. We have eaten 2 loaves and given one away already. :) I'll be sharing the recipe soon.

7. I've gotten some stuff done around the house but I need to get MORE done.

8. Regan started in Pincher Creek now. Which means he leaves in the morning before we are up and gets home after supper time. Last rotation. Last rotation. Last rotation.

9. I packed up ALL my crafts supplies. Is that going to be okay for the next little while while we try and sell our house and move? It'll have to be. Since being pregnant I haven't been crafting that much anyways. Although last week I sure wanted to sew something!! But my machine is still accessible. So Maybe if I get the urge to do that I will at some point.

10. I joined Piniest. It is totally cool. You can see my pin boards here. If you don't know what it is, it's kinda like a big bulletin board on the internet. Pictures of anything. It's cool!!

Spiritual Sundays

“[Youth] need to know that the theology of the family is based on the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. . . . They need to understand clearly that the fulness of the gospel is realized in temple ordinances and covenants.”

—Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president

Foto Friday: Week 10

I just have to say first - Wow about all the devastation in Japan! If you haven't seen it yet, go check out CNN! It's crazy!!

There is just two of us this week since Heather's computer died. Hopefully it gets fixed SOON!!!

List 10: If I Could I Would.....

When i read the topic my first thought was something my mom used to say.... If I could I would, but I can't so I shan't. :)

1. Attend a workshop with a photographer I love. There are lots I'd love to choose from!

2. Build the house of my dreams on an acreage (preferably WITH a horse)

3. Pay off all our debt tomorrow.

4. Shoot for magazines or commercial work for clothing companies and such.

5. Sleep in everyday.

6. Go see the Mona Lisa.

7. Hire someone to clean my house once a week.

8. Have a catering business.

9. Go on a girl's trip with some good friends (and pay for their way too.)

10. Run a decorating business for weddings. oooohhh that'd be fun!!

11. Have a big studio. With large windows, white walls, a couple brick walls and lots of space for photography, space for doing art and all that.

12. Dress my kids in really nice clothes.

13. Upgrade my camera to the D700.

14. Adopt a group of siblings.

15. Visit Africa and help out somehow. Build a well, provide medical care, fundraise money for them, take pictures for a non profit organization to raise money for needy kids.

16. Become a serious gardner. With flower beds and a herb garden and a huge vegetable patch.

17. Rent a house on PEI for my family and my friend Kelly's family to stay at for a week in the summer.

18. Take singing lessons.

19. Get a family or couple photo shoot with each Tara Whitney, Maria Lang, Jose Villa, Shannon Sewell, Jasmine Star and Brooke Snow. (not all at once, just over the course of time)

20. Decorate my house how I see it in my head!

21. Write a cookbook.

I know most of these are not going to happen but I can still dream.

10 on Tuesday

1. Lately Lucy has been making me snacks. I'll be napping on the couch (and she's entertaining Eli for me) and I wake up and see a plate on the table with a little note. To mom. My mom's pregnant. Something of the sort. And various snacks on the table and she is SO proud of herself. It is totally cute. And sometimes I have to choke down some things that totally sound unappealing to me. But I haven't thrown up a snack yet :)

2. I just finished up an online photo class called Advanced pro with my good friend and amazing photog Brooke Snow (hey that rhymes). And it was totally awesome. Go check her out and sign up. She has a manual you get to download, video tutorials, video feedback of your assignments, and a live video Q&A each week where you can ask ANYTHING about anything. My last assignment is here on my photo blog with Joelle and Brandon. It was super fun to think outside the box! My favorite image from that shoot...


3. I have a lot of talented friends. A few of them
..... Kathleen does organizing
..... Abby does interior decorating
.... Marie does MOTHERHOOD in a way few else do
..... Brooke does online classes
.... Jen is crafting all sorts of things
.... Christina (and her sister) are cooking great food
And there are LOTS of others that I know all over who are so talented! I'm lucky to have such talented friends!

4. We are on the count down for residency. Seriously I am starting to get a little ansy for the end. In one week he starts his LAST rotation of residency. Then he REALLY will be Dr. steed!

5. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather. I won't talk about how much I hate the weather.

6. In 22 days I need to have my house ready to go on the market.
In 24 days I am leaving on a trip to Mexico.
I neeeeeeeed to get my butt in gear and actually DO SOMETHING to get ready.

7. I can not get enough good food lately. I want to do some baking to have some healthy yummy snacks around and maybe some not so healthy snacks around. :)

8. Last night was one of the worst sleeps I've had in a while. I don't know what Eli's deal was but WOW sleep was NOT on the menu!

9. Found this and looooved it!!! "None of us is perfect. I know of no one who would profess to be so. And yet for some reason, despite our own imperfections, we have a tendency to point out those of others. We make judgments concerning their actions or inactions. There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: 'Judge not.'" - Thomas S. Monson"

10. phew that was hard work to come up with 10!

In the kitchen: Easy Peasy Rice Pudding

It doesn't get much easier than this!

5 cups milk
1/2 cup white rice
Put in heavy pot on medium-low (just to come to an easy boil).
After 30 - 40 minutes add in
some raisins
1/8 tsp cardamon
1/8 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cook just until it all mixes in.
It will be really runny when you pull it off but as it cools it will thicken up.
Suuuuuuper easy and so tasty!

Spiritual Sundays

“We know there are some essential things that must be taken care of if we are going to achieve eternal life “To get the spirit and know what that is we’re going to have to read the scriptures, and pray every day, and go to the temple, and fast, and do the things the prophets have told us to do. No woman ever has enough time, enough energy, and enough strength to do all the good things that are in her mind to do, We have to have the help of the Holy Ghost to take care of what is most essential.” - Sister Julie B. Beck, general Relief Society president

Foto Friday: Week 9

In order top - mine, then Mary's, then Heathers. Totally a new thing for me this week, this abstract thing. But I enjoyed it. And My Macro!

List 9: Things I Love to Photograph

hmmm so many things!

1. My kids. Especially when they are just being themselves, not all showy and performing. But really all the time. I get more satisfaction out of a good picture of my kids than of anything else.


2. Weddings. I really love shooting weddings. The more I have thought about why I love taking pictures at weddings it comes back to my own. My little sister died the week before my own wedding and that put a bit of a damper on things (to say the least). And now every time I am helping to make someone else's day special or share in their moments it makes me feel good. Makes me do what I needed others to do for me on my day. (And every time something minor goes wrong and the bride is all upset I think to myself, "things could be a LOT worse" - not that I would ever say that! ;) ) And in a round about way it makes me feel close to Kelly. Add some great dresses and hair and lots of love and you've got a great day!


3. Early morning sunrises. I don't like getting UP For them but I sure love taking pictures of them. I love the light just peaking over the mountains or the coulees. Love it and feel my testimony of an all powerful God every time.


4. Food. I love taking pictures of pretty food. And then I like to eat it. HA!


5. Couples. Newly weds, engaged, married long time. Love to take pictures of couples. Especially when I can catch them feeling the love for each other.


6. I love taking pictures of my nieces and nephews. (and all babies!)


7. Families. Especially in lifestyle mode. Not just sit here, but them DOING something, being themselves. Things that are THEM. :)


8. Artistic Commercial type stuff. Like this shoot. Still one of my favorite shoots cause of all the freedom he gave me to just let me come up with what my mind saw.


Things i'd love to try photographing:

1. "magazine/fashionish" kind of stuff. Sounds totally fun to me!

2. Some "styled" shoots ie with props and a designer and all kinds of stuff. I have a few different ideas I'd love to try!

10 on Tuesday

1. I am in LOVE with this bedroom. I love the vintage/ eclectic / handmade style that IS Ashley. And think it fits in closely to what my own true style would be my own. But... I can just hear my husbands disbelief if I said I was going to hang up chicken wire in our house. hahahahahahah

2. A couple of days ago Lucy brought this upstairs to me. Her own recipe she made up. :) i LOVE that she did this!!!!


3. Seriously I don't know how much more winter I can take!!!! I NEED SPRING!!!!!!!!

4. For our dinner club this month, we hosted and our theme (which Regan picked) was the letter R. So I made homemade Ravioli. It was three cheese mushroom filling with a spinach garlic sauce. Super tasty!


5. I finally learned how to curl with my flat iron and Lucy LOVED that her hair was curly. We will be doing this again for SURE!


6. I loved having Regan home this past week. We really hung out. And a couple days we looked at houses out in Raymond. It was good.

7. Speaking of houses, I need to sell mine - anyone want to buy it? HA!

8. And speaking of selling our house, I have so much work to do and no energy to do it. I need to deep clean, de junk, pack stuff up and currently I am having trouble keeping up the laundry! Can someone send some energy my way??!

9. We finally told our kids last week and we knew once we did the word would get out. sooooo, we are expecting baby #4. In September. Yes I am totally sick again. Yes I feel horrid, but we are excited to have another kid join our family. Lucy keeps saying that their is no way God would send her another brother. For her sake I hope we do get another little girl. 2 of each would be a perfect way to end our family!

10. I've kind of given up on the 6am posts..... does it matter?