Summer Memories

The World is at their feet...

                                                    
                            

This has to be one of my favorite pictures that I have of my children.  I took this one last summer at the beach in Oceanside, California.  We were visiting my sister and we decided to head to beach to let the kids dip their feet in the water, run in the sand and breathe in the ocean air. Visiting the beach in California had been on their top ten list since we had left on our vacation. Even though it was a little bit cloudy that day, they were not disappointed. It was a warm day and the sand and the water were lovely. I love that they were able to take some time to feel the sand between their toes, the foam of the ocean waves as the the water lapped at their feet and ultimately, experience the calming rhythm of the ocean. When I look at the pictures from this day, I am always reminded of the lovely, quiet, non rushed time that I was able to spend with my children. Sometimes these moments feel too few and far between.

I was reminded today by a friend, who has recently become a new mommy, what a struggle it can be sometimes to let your children go out and be in the world. We all have some anxieties as well as big hopes for our kids when they are gaining new experiences and spreading their wings. Personally,  I know that I have shed a few tears when we have dropped our children off for their first day of school or when they turn yet another year older. It seems that children grow and change much too fast. Time marches on quickly when you are a busy parent! It always amazes me how much your heart can break, sing with pride and love your child all at the same time. I just have to remember that Kendall and I here to help them along in their journey to becoming wonderful and caring adults. As hard as it is sometimes, you have to let them spread their wings and learn to fly. It certainly is wonderful though to have some of the quiet moments like these frozen forever in time. I think pictures can help to preserve those moments so you don't forget those special moments. These three "little" people have been the biggest blessing in my life and I will always be eternally grateful that I was lucky enough to be their Mom.

Baby Charlie

Pregnancy is a journey full of hopes and dreams for your unborn child. You are anxious that everything will be okay and that the baby will be healthy. You can hardly wait to see his little face and see what he looks like.  But nothing can prepare you for THAT moment when you first lay eyes on your precious little baby. It is amazing how fully, deeply and unconditionally you love him from the very first second you see him. Everything about him is perfection...his long eye lashes, rose bud lips and soft skin. You honestly didn't know that you could ever love someone so much. You would lay your life down for him in a heart beat.  Finally seeing him makes all those months of morning sickness, worry, lack of sleep, being uncomfortable and the pain of birth all so worth it! Hold on to these early days, they go by so quickly. That strong love that you felt for him from that very first second will never diminish. In some sense, he will always be your baby no matter how old he gets.

On November 3, 2010 at 3:15 p.m. I had the privilege and the honor to be in the presence of my sister, Marni and her husband, Ira as they welcomed their beautiful baby boy into the world! Little Charlie Rigger weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces and was 20 inches long! He is completely perfect and oh, so handsome! We are so excited to have a little nephew and new cousin!

I am not even sure how to start writing about what an extraordinary, moving and miraculous experience it was to witness this beautiful little child being born into the world. I barely have the words to describe it honestly. To see the love that his parents have for him and for each other is beautiful and inspiring.  My brother in law is an amazing man and my sister is a strong and beautiful woman. I feel truly honored that they wanted me there to be a co coach.  It will be an experience that I will always hold close to my heart and cherish forever!

I am so proud of Marni and how strong she was throughout her whole pregnancy. She did an spectactular job throughout her labor and was a real trooper during the delivery.  Marni and Ira are awesome parents and they are doing a tremendous job with little Charlie...he is a truly loved and adored baby boy! I look forward to walking with them as they journey through parenthood together.  It will be an amazing journey and I know they are going to do a great job!

Many Moods of Wallowa

Mountain Reflection

I was inspired this morning to post some pictures from one of my favorite places in the ENTIRE world. As a photographer, I have always wanted to capture the world as I see it. My own little take on the world so to speak. My biggest hope is that my images can touch someone's soul, maybe draw them in for just a little while, possibly even let them experience something they have never seen before. For others, maybe my images will spark some wonderful memories of a place or a person. When this happens and I hear about it, wow! It is so wonderful and makes me feel like I have accomplished what I set out to do.

Wallowa Lake is located in northeastern Oregon and it has always been a magical and sacred place for me. When I was child I would spend part of summers with my grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins in the town of Wallowa. We would always visit the lake, we would picnic, take hikes, pick berries and be free to experience the natural beauty that surrounded us. Some of my very best childhood memories come from this place. It is the place that I think of when asked to think of some "place" that is special to you. It is a place that when I go back there now as an adult, it transports me immediately to those special memories of childhood. Right now, if I close my eyes I can smell the aroma of the trees, I can hear the rambling river off in the distance, the crunch of the ground beneath my feet as I wander, in my mind's eye, through the beauty that is Wallowa Lake. The lake itself has so many shades of blue and seems to have a unique beauty that almost seems to instantly calm my soul. I truly hope that everyone has a place like this they can escape to, even if it is only in their mind's eye.

Up Around the Bend

Picnic anyone?

Early Morning Mood

Calm Morning

Reflection Time

Utah Lizard

One thing that I loved about Utah was the astounding beauty of the canyons and mesas that surrounded us. I never knew that many shades of orange existed. The desert truly holds a magical quality that is hard to express without seeing it with your own eyes. I love how this little lizard above, you may have to look closely to find him, blended into his surroundings.

Grafton, UT ~ Ghost Town

I haven't blogged at all about our big vacation that we took this summer. Kaitlyn plays on a club volleyball team that qualified to go to the National Volleyball Festival this past July which was held in Phoenix, AZ. We decided as a family to drive down to Phoenix from the Tri Cities so that we could see a part of the country that none of had ever seen before. Boy, were we in for a treat!

It was a long drive and the kids did a fantastic job of getting along and not whining about when we were going to finally get there. We decided to plan some stops along the way to see some of the sites we had read about. The first stop I wanted to write about is a ghost town called Grafton, which is located in southern Utah just south of the Zion National Park boundary. It was an amazing place to visit. The town itself is nestled in a valley surrounded by the breath taking beauty of the mountains, mesas and canyons of Zion.

As you drive the scenic nine mile drive from the town of Rockville out to the town of Grafton you cross over a single track iron bridge that takes you over the Virgin River. You follow the pavement to a dirt road which winds and climbs its way into the hills. You know that you are getting close to the town when you arrive at Grafton Cemetery. This lonely cemetery has a few dozen graves with burials ranging from the period of 1860-1910. When we walked through the cemetery it made you realize how harsh life could be for these folks. Some inscriptions were for young children all under the age of 9; some from the same family. Others were victims of Indian attacks. This cemetery has been preserved with loving care and respect.

From the cemetery you drive down a dusty road to enter the town. Grafton was established in 1859 along the Virgin River as a settlement to grow cotton. By 1864 there were 28 families that called Grafton home. There were several log houses, a post office, church and a school/community center. While they were successful with growing cotton the nearby river proved to be unpredictable and would severely flood the area. In addition to flooding the residents had problems with attacks from the local Indian tribes which forced the town to be evacuated in 1866 during the Black Hawk War. The residents returned to the area permanently in 1868.

In 1886, the residents built a school house/church. This was also used as a community center and it still stands today. It has been wonderfully preserved for future generations to see. The last class was taught here during the 1918-19 school year.

Another wonderfully preserved building that stands near the school house is the Alonzo Russell home. It was built in 1861. Members of the Russell family continued to live in the home until 1944. They were the last residents to pick up stakes and leave the town of Grafton.

It was amazing to walk back in time and visit this town and imagine what it must have been like for these pioneers to live here. There are a couple more houses that are still standing along with a barn and granary that are surrounded by a split rail fence. I think it was great for our family to visit this ghost town. It put into perspective for us how hard those who have come before us worked to build the West and make a life for themselves and their families.

Sweet babe

This is Amber and she is such a sweet little filly. She was with our 4H group at the fair this year. This is how we all felt by the end of the week. We were all completely tuckered out!

We all had such a great time at the Benton Franklin County Fair! My kids learned so much and gained so much more confidence in their riding abilities. I have to give it to them. They were up at the crack of dawn every day for a week and we practically lived at the fair grounds. We stayed up late and knew that the alarm clock was going to be ringing very early the next morning. There was very little complaining and they were always willing to give a helping hand no matter how tired they were. Their efforts paid off and our 4H club got first place in Herdsmanship out of all the small clubs.

I thought I would share a few of my favorites shots from the week.

Thomas and Tipper bonded quite a bit in the weeks leading up the fair. By the end of the fair they were stuck at the hip! So fun to watch! Maggie was a great helper and she worked her tail off even though she wasn't able to show our horse yet. Kaitlyn was willing to work with the younger two and teach them what she knew. I love my kids!

Waiting....

I have been at a loss for words since the sudden passing of our sweet little husky, Sierra. My heart still aches when I think of her, which is a daily. I miss her sweet little face and how she adored our children. Her beautiful spirit was always so happy and eager to please her "people". My children keep telling me how unfair it was to lose her so soon. She was only 5 years old and I have to agree - it was totally unfair. We lost her to salmon poisoning which apparently is a very rare event. It only seems to happen in the Pacific Northwest. Dogs can get this from ingesting any part of a wild fish that is infected with a parasite called Nanophyetus Salmoncola. Usually this parasite itself is harmless but the danger occurs when the parasite itself is infected with a rickettsail organism called Neorickettsia helintheocalt. This microorganism is what causes the salmon poisoning. Dogs appear to be the only species that is susceptible to getting the salmon poisoning (i.e. cats, raccoons and bears don't get it even though they eat raw fish). Often times the treatment of administering an antibiotic and a de wormer can save a dog's life but sadly in our case it wasn't enough. We tried everything possible to save her. We lost her within a week of taking her to a lake in northern Idaho.

Our family has had a really hard time dealing with the loss of such a wonderful dog. But I do know that we will always carry her in our hearts. She blessed our lives with so much affection and the joy of her spirit. I find myself listening for her. Our house seems so quiet and empty with out her.

A fascinating thing has been happening in the days since we lost her. We have seen a multitude of dragonflies where ever we go. They will come and fly up to our windows and hover there. They jet around the back yard while we sit out on the deck. The other day my son told me that one was following me as we walked outside. I have been doing some research on dragonflies and what some cultures think they symbolize. In essence they represent the brevity of life and how we must live life to the fullest - making each moment special. The dragonfly lives a very short life but it knows how to life life to the fullest with the time it has been given. I believe that our little Sierra lived her short life to the fullest!

The picture above is one that I took of Sierra a few years ago. It is a familiar scene at our house. She ALWAYS waited for the kids to get off the bus every afternoon. Like clockwork she would go over to the window and sit and wait. She knew that her "kids" were going to be home soon. Sierra would greet them with so much love as they walked through the door. I had titled this image "Waiting..." It has always been one of my favorite photos in my collection It truly represents her essence. I will cherish it always. I know in my heart that Sierra is waiting for us until we see her again. We love and miss you little girl ... until we see you again someday.