Jodi Davis Photography

Goodbye Blogger!

2009-03-12T17:11:00.002-07:00

So long Blogger, I have a new home now. You were good to me and I thank you!

Come check out my new blog here. Make sure you change your bookmarks to reflect the change. I know it is annoying, but you won't be disappointed. Thanks!

Jodi

Beautiful

2009-01-22T20:51:00.004-08:00

I mentioned to Brooklyn the other day that we needed to go take some pictures of her in the pecan groves across from our house. Well, she bugged me for several days because she wanted to get dressed up in the pettiskirt and get some pictures so we made a date and headed out. Wouldn't you know that after being there for less than 2 minutes she was done with me and ready to go home. We did have fun though as she explored and ran through the trees. That girl makes me laugh so hard with the things she comes up with. I love spending time with just the two of us. She lights up when she is by herself and thinks she is SO BIG.

I think I could stare at this picture of her bright blue eyes and sweet smile all day. I don't know where the time is going. She looks so big to me here.

This last picture is definitely a favorite of the day. She looks so carefree just spinning and being a little princess all dressed up. This makes me want to treasure everyday of her childhood and enjoy the little moments we have together.

26.2

2009-01-20T19:13:00.005-08:00

Yep, you read that right--26.2 miles of pure determination. The PF Changs Rock n' Roll Marathon was this past Sunday, but no, I didn't run in it. I know, I know, I just didn't want to have to beat up on Troy and go and embarrass him and the other guys so I stood by and watched from the sidelines. Hey somebody has to be there for moral support and to be the chauffeur so I decided to take the bullet for the team and let them do their thing and race. And it is a good thing because Troy did an amazing job, especially for an old guy. (Just kidding hon, I love you!)

Seriously though, Troy hasn't done a marathon in 10 years, but he still managed to get second place. Not an easy feat for sure. Not only that, he had a great time--2 hours and 37 seconds--not too shabby if you ask me. He qualified for the Boston Marathon with 23 seconds to spare. Competing at the Boston Marathon has been a dream of Troy's and I am very proud of him for accomplishing his goal. His older body definitely didn't like the miles and I don't think Troy has ever been so sore, but that won't stop him from doing it again in a couple of months. Troy is the most dedicated and hard working person that I have ever known. Once he makes up his mind to do something, there is absolutely no stopping him--not even when I get on his case.

I want you to know that I am incredibly proud of you, Troy. I am in awe of your determination. We can all learn from you for sure. Thank you for never giving up!

Here is the start of the race. Adam, Erik and Lamar also competed with Troy and did an amazing job. Congrats on finishing the race boys!

Here's Troy very happy that the race is over. He was so sore that it took him three tries to just get out of his chair, but luckily he finally made it. Congrats, honey. I am proud of you!

I had to add this picture of Lamar finishing the race. Lamar is a quiet guy, but man when the race was over he had the biggest smile across his face and surprisingly enough wants to do another marathon in the future. Are you crazy??? Lamar first sat in a racing chair less than a year ago and now has finished his first marathon. Pretty amazing if you ask me. Congrats, Lamar!

Better Late Than Never

2009-01-09T20:21:00.002-08:00

I know, I know, I am a total slacker. It is already several weeks into January and I am JUST posting pictures of Christmas morning. Even though it is late, I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year! I just had to show you what Santa brought my kiddos. I think Santa went a little crazier this year than he should have and I think he forgot that the kids were only 2 and 5.

Brooklyn got her very own moped from Santa. I was FREAKED OUT to say the least when she got on this for the first time and went whipping down the street. This thing goes 15 miles an hour and she went full speed from the second she got on it. Troy's family had bets on how fast she would end up with a broken arm, but surprisingly she is great on it. And doesn't she just look so cute?!

Brigham was not left out on any of the fun. He got his very own MOTORCYCLE! All he wanted for Christmas was a motorcycle and talked about it for weeks and weeks. Funny story--he called Santa on the phone to let him know that he wanted a motorcycle (my kids are too scared to sit on Santa's lap so we called him instead :) ). Well a couple of days later, he saw Santa in a parade. When Troy asked him how the parade was he just kept saying, "Santa didn't bring me my motorcycle." We had to remind him that Santa would bring it for Christmas.

Then on Christmas Eve at our family party Santa brought Brigham a little motorcycle. He was in HEAVEN to say the least. Well, Christmas morning comes and we ask Brigham if he wants to go in the family room and see if Santa came. His response, "I'm ok, I already got my motorcycle." He had no idea that Santa was going to be bringing him a full size Harley. As soon as he saw it he was in love and did not want to get off of it to open any of his presents.

Thanks, Santa!

Temple pictures....in print

2008-12-10T11:50:00.003-08:00

I have had a great deal of interest in the pictures I took of both the Mesa Arizona Temple and the Salt Lake Temple, but the cost of canvas is out of the price range for many people SO I have decided to now offer the pictures in PRINTS! And just in time for Christmas too!

I have printed the images as a print and I can tell you that they look AMAZING. It is funny to watch every person that sees it reach out and touch the print because it looks like it is canvas, even as a print because of the textured look.

Yes, I will still add your sealing date to the picture at no extra charge!

11x14 $75
16x20 $125
20x24 $175
20x30 $250
24x36 $325

These would make a terrific gift for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or just because! Hint, hint to all of the husbands out there trying to find the perfect present for their wife. I can guarantee that your wife will LOVE this under the tree on Christmas morning.

One more thing, if you don't live near me, I can ship this to you for an extra $10 anywhere in the US.

If you would like to order, please email me at jdavisphoto@gmail.com.

In the Past 24 hours...

2008-12-10T10:50:00.003-08:00

Let's see in the past 24 hours Brigham has:

*poured an entire bottle of glue on my tile, carpet and leather couches
*dumped out a bottle of nail polish remover all over my bathroom
*smeared lotion all over my bathroom
*opened a new bag of chips and proceeded to smash them into small crumbs all over Brooklyn's bed
*got out of bed every 2 minutes for over 2 HOURS last night and each time he did it he LOCKED the door
*smeared glitter glue in a friend's hair
*broke more than a couple ornaments and spread them throughout the house

Yeah, I guess that will do it. As you can see I am more than a little frustrated with my little guy today. I hate to even think about what the next 24 hours has in store for me.

But then I look at this cute little face and everything seems better again. That and the fact that he is napping peacefully at the moment!

Hayden's Toy Drive

2008-12-09T21:19:00.005-08:00

I love this time of year! People seem to be friendlier and look for opportunities to help others more than any other time of the year. You might expect that from an adult, but it always takes me back when kids open up their hearts for others and teach us how to live. My 6-year-old nephew Hayden is a great example to me when it comes to giving to others. Hayden was born with a heart condition that required 3 open heart surgeries within his first few weeks of life. He spent his first Christmas at Phoenix Children's Hospital recovering from these life saving surgeries. Through it all the doctors, nurses and staff were so amazing to both Hayden and his parents. Santa even came to visit Christmas morning and brought presents to all of the kids. Although Hayden was just a baby, this moment will never be forgotten by his parents. They told Hayden this story often and that is when he decided that he wanted to start collecting toys for other kids that spent Christmas at the hospital. After telling everyone he met about it, Hayden's Toy Drive was born. This will be his 3rd year collecting toys for the hospital. Last year the hospital said that Hayden collected more toys for them (outside of corporate sponsors) than any other charity. AMAZING!!! Think about the difference one boy can make.

Now, I am asking for your help to make the toy drive even bigger this year. I know that times are tough, which means that even more kids are going to be needing presents this year than ever before. I am not asking for thousands of dollars, I am simply asking that you pick up an extra toy when you are out shopping and you find a sale. They love DVDs, journals, scrapbook items, pajamas, legos, nail polish. I mean some of these are seriously only a couple of dollars. I know that you have a least a couple of dollars to spare.

All donations are tax-deductible! Come on, I know you want to donate! So give me a call at 480-710-0750 to arrange for a time to pick-up toys. Cash donations are also accepted.

Visit Hayden's blog for details! I thank you in advance. Have a Merry Christmas!

Beautiful Girls

2008-12-09T14:44:00.003-08:00

So it feels like all I have been doing lately is sitting in front of my computer editing pictures. Tis the season I guess. I have so many pictures that I need to share, but for now here are a couple of beautiful girls that I had the pleasure of photographing last week.

Didn't I tell you they were absolutely beautiful?! They were good sports too. We actually got kicked out of the first location that we were at. That was definitely a first for me. One of the residents threatened to call the Sheriff because I was taking pictures in their community. Seriously, some people have entirely too much time on their hands. Thankfully my brother lived close by so we ran over there. In the end it all worked out and we got some great shots.

Alright back to editing!

The Ultimate Christmas Giveaway!

2008-12-06T18:39:00.005-08:00

Photographers from all over the world have been challenged by a fellow photographer, Kristen Kalp of Essential Imagery, to offer an amazing gift this Christmas season and I could not pass up this opportunity. Times are tough right now and this is one way that I can make a difference this season.

For many people, this is an exciting time of year-the hustle and bustle, the shopping and gift giving, holiday parties and spending time with loved ones. For some, it's a struggle and a painful reminder of hard times.

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography. So here's the deal. I will be giving away $1500 worth of products--canvases, slideshows, prints, albums, gifts...anything that I offer. And of course that includes a complimentary photography session. Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a complimentary session and a $250 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside within 45 miles of Queen Creek to qualify. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include contact information (phone number and email) for both your nominee and yourself.

* E-mail me the full story at jdavisphoto@gmail.com.

*All nominations must be received by midnight, December 22nd.

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve -- get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Jodi

All Because Two People Fell In Love

2008-12-06T10:58:00.006-08:00

It amazing to see the legacy that two people can make through their love. Looking at all of these beautiful children just makes me smile. This is what is important in life--our children and grandchildren! I hope you love this, I keep looking at it myself and they aren't even my grandchildren. They are all absolutely gorgeous.

2008-12-01T22:21:00.004-08:00

This past Saturday I loaded up and drove to Glendale to the coolest location for pictures. Why does this place have to be so far away from me? Wood, brick, peeling paint--I was in my own little piece of heaven. But, back to the reason I was there. I met up with a VERY cool and very BEAUTIFUL family. I try to stay away from big groups, but I thought I would give it a go and everything worked out great--better than great. I *might* even do it again. Let's see once I finish editing all of the pictures.

So here is the first of several posts from this wonderful family. I promise to add more as I finish up with editing. ENJOY!

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-26T18:40:00.005-08:00

Wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you all enjoy eating turkey, taking naps, visiting with family, watching football, and my favorite--looking through the ads and strategizing for Black Friday! Have a good one!

Banana Head

2008-11-25T22:36:00.004-08:00

I really shouldn't even be looking at these pictures yet, considering I still have a couple of sessions to edit and Christmas cards to design, but I just HAD to. I know that all of you photographers out there know that there are some sessions that you just can't wait to edit. Well, this was one of those sessions.

My husband and I met the "A" family about a year ago and I don't think 2 families could possibly have more in common. Just like us, the "A" family has been blessed with amazing and gorgeous kids through adoption! Well, just recently little L's adoption was finalized and their family headed to the Mesa Arizona Temple this weekend to be sealed for time and all eternity and they wanted to document this amazing experience. I can vouch for them and say that taking my kids to the Temple was the most amazing experience in my life--2 days that will be forever etched into my mind and heart. I have to say that their are definitely some advantages to adopting your kids!

So on to the pictures and there are A TON of pictures. It's late and I didn't want to narrow it down. They all make me so happy.

They even have a Brooklyn, too! I DIED when I saw her hair as I haven't seen her in a while. She is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

And I love this smile from T. I loved that it was so easy to get a natural smile from him. He called me "banana head" the whole time, which he thought was hilarious. I don't mind being a "banana head" as long as I can get a good smile out of it :).

"N" wasn't too sure about me at the beginning, but it didn't take her long to warm up and then she LOVED being in front of the camera. She is a natural I must say.

And what about these cheeks? Don't you just want to reach through the computer and squeeze them?

Then came play time and the kids loved tackling their dad!

I couldn't forget about mom and dad. They have been married for almost 10 years and yet in this picture they look like they are getting engagement pictures because they look so happy looking into each other's eyes.

Thanks "A" family, it was great seeing you again. I had a wonderful time! I hope you love them as much as I do!

First Book

2008-11-17T21:57:00.004-08:00

A few weeks back Brooklyn pulled this book out of her backpack and wanted to read it to me. Not thinking too much about it I said sure. And then, much to my shock, she actually started reading it to me. I couldn't believe it. You should have seen the smile on her face. Priceless. I guess the sight words we have been practicing are sticking. She is one smart cookie I tell you.

I am so proud of you, Brooklyn! I hope that you always have a love of learning and reading!

The Year of TIN

2008-11-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that 10 years ago today Troy and I were sealed for time and all eternity. 10 YEARS!! Just saying that makes me feel old, but truly that day I made the best decision of my life. Marrying Troy, as cheesy as it may sound, made me complete. In so many ways we are complete opposites, but that is what makes our marriage work. We balance each other out and make up for each other's weaknesses. Together we make one amazing person I tell ya!

So apparently the traditional gift for your 10 year anniversary is TIN or aluminum. At first I thought this was a little different, but then I read why and it totally fits us. Tin is used to describe the first major milestone anniversary because it is both flexible and durable and can be bent without being broken. This is exactly what marriage is all about--compromising, helping each other out, taking the good and the bad-- "bending without breaking". That absolutely describes the past 10 years of our lives. I am a different person in so many ways since I have married Troy and I think that he could say the same about himself. We have learned to adapt and have tried to give more than we take. We have had ups and downs for sure, but through it all we have leaned on one another to make it through. We are both stronger people than we were 10 years ago. We have been bent, we have been molded, but we are not broken!

Troy is an amazing father! He loves playing with the kids and takes every opportunity that he can to be with them. They spend every evening outside playing when he gets done working and I get a few minutes of peace. Yeah!

After dinner you can always find Troy and the kids wrestling on the ground. I love to sit and listen to them all laugh--well at least until they all gang up on me and take me to the ground.

What do you think of his crazy new helmet?

Here is my guy looking so handsome in his new suit from China!

Troy we have had many wonderful years together. I cannot even begin to express my love for you, but I hope that you see it everyday in the way that I live and in the way that I treat you. I see your love everyday in a hundred different ways and I am so grateful for that. I don't know how we ever made it past the first date, but I am glad that you were patient with me and didn't give up. I pray for many more anniversaries together because the best is yet to be! I love you, Troy!

Pencils and Slides Don't Mix

2008-11-07T14:56:00.003-08:00

What do pencils and slides have to do with each other anyway?

Funny you should ask.

Brooklyn decided to climb up the slide two days ago at the park next to our house. While nearing the top she slipped. Normally this would not have been a big deal, I mean how many times has she fallen down the slide, right? But, this time she had a pencil in her mouth. Don't even ask me why she had a pencil in her mouth because I have no idea, but she did. Now I didn't see this happening because I was at home and Troy was "watching" the kids while pushing around the neighborhood. Yep, best parents of the year I tell ya. So she came running home screaming. I thought she was being her normal drama queen so I held her for a while and looked in her mouth. I could see the top of her mouth was cut a bit, but I was not overly concerned. She complained off and on for the next few hours and then she started crying all over again. Again, not thinking it was a big deal, I put her to bed, but let her sleep by me.

All night she kept whimpering in her sleep and saying that she couldn't move her head. I felt horrible for her but I really didn't know what to do. I took her to the pediatrician first thing in the morning and by this time she looked miserable to say the least. She wouldn't eat or even move her neck from side to side at that point. The doctor told us that she not only hit the roof of her mouth, but the pencil actually hit the uvula at the back of her throat and that it was extremely inflamed. She called the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist and they told me to take her straight to Phoenix Children's Hospital because it might be something serious. So now I am concerned and feeling horrible that I didn't take her more seriously the night before and actually take her in somewhere rather than just putting her to bed.

After spending about 4 hours in the ER and a few x-rays later we found out the luckily she didn't break anything and her uvula should heal in about a week or two. She does have to wear a neck brace for a few days because the muscles are so tight and she has to eat soft foods, but it really ended up not being a huge deal. So for now we are eating LOTS of popsicles and ice cream and watching lots of movies so she is thinking that life is pretty good right now.

It really is amazing how resilient kids are--she is already up and playing. She even wanted to go to school today, but I figured it wasn't a good idea. She has told me several times, "I won't be doing that again." And I am sure she won't. I guess that we all have to learn from our mistakes sometimes, I mean I could have told her 100 times to not put a pencil in her mouth and climb up the slide, but do you think she would have ever learned anything from that? Nope. But have one accident like this and she has learned her lesson for a lifetime.

As sad as she looks, she still looks dang cute with her neck brace on I must say.

So all of you out there that were planning on climbing up a slide with a pencil in your mouth--I hope you learned your lesson. I know I have.

Halloween

2008-11-02T12:46:00.004-08:00

We had a great Halloween! Although by the time it came to get dressed up on Halloween night I think that they were partied out because it was like pulling teeth to get them into costume, but they had a blast once they were ready and headed out for trick-or-treating.

I have to say that Halloween has to be Brigham's favorite day of the year. CANDY, CANDY and more CANDY! He had at least one piece of candy in his mouth and 2 or 3 more in his hands at all times. He couldn't figure out why people would put candy in his basket--he just wanted them to open it right then so he could go ahead and eat it. Why wait???

Doesn't he make the cutest Superman? I had planned on having him dress up as Hulk, but when we got to the store he told me, "No Hok, I Superman!" I didn't think he was old enough to have an opinion on his costume this year, but I was surely mistaken.

This picture capture Brigham on Halloween with his hands full of candy! I love it!

Ann | 2008 Senior

2008-10-30T13:30:00.004-07:00

Here is a sneak peek for Ann and her family! We had a great time this weekend walking around in downtown Mesa documenting Ann during her senior year. She is an amazingly talented girl--she can play several instruments and is a top notch artist. She will definitely go far in life!

Ann made my job a piece of cake because after each click of the camera should would have a new look for me. I really didn't have to do anything. It was great! Don't be surprised if you see her on an upcoming senior shoot as my assistant.

Meet Ann!

light

2008-10-25T16:14:00.004-07:00

My nephew came over for a visit today and I couldn't help but to snap a few pictures in the beautiful light that was coming through the front door. Can you believe how big he has gotten? (You can see him here and here.) Hope his mama likes it!

Baby

2008-10-22T20:25:00.005-07:00

I just finished making this and I had to share. What do you think? It makes me want to make something like this for my kiddos rooms. Like that will ever get done so I will just enjoy this one.

Wranglers

2008-10-21T22:50:00.005-07:00

I just had to share a few pictures of this cute little guy. He wasn't crazy about the idea of getting his pictures taken, but got some great ones anyways!

Can you believe this little man has actual Wrangler jeans? He is only 4 weeks old, but he is already dressing in style. And that cowboy hat?! SO CUTE!

San Antonio, Texas

2008-10-20T14:35:00.012-07:00

Last Wednesday I was sitting outside with my kiddos when I remembered that we had a couple of tickets on Southwest that were just sitting there just waiting to be used up and Brooklyn was out of school for fall break so it was the perfect time to use them. So Brooklyn and I decided that it would be fun to go visit Uncle JD, Aunt Cassie and the boys in Texas for a few days. Troy was already heading there for work so it was the perfect time to go. We were on a plane the next afternoon. It seriously felt like "prekid" days when Troy and I went on spontaneous trips quite frequently. It is a little harder to do that with 2 kids, but we made it happen.

JD and Cassie don't get too many visitors so they were thrilled we were coming and dropped everything for us. They were the best host/hostess ever. I felt like we ate the entire time between Cassie's amazing mexican dishes and JD showing us the best restaurants in town and then, of course, we always had to fill in the cracks with ice cream or smoothies every night after the kids went to bed. Just writing this makes me crave Cassie's burritos and smoothies. I was trying to take some cooking lessons from her, but I just don't have the same touch as she does. Oh well, I will stick to taking the pictures and she can pay me with food. So when are you moving back to AZ again?

On top of the good food, our kids play so well together. Bryson and Brooklyn would play outside for HOURS at a time and they never once fought. Seriously, they played together for 5 days and they NEVER had an argument. Bryson is so mellow that Brooklyn can push him around and he doesn't even care. Brigham loved playing basketball and football with Coby and motorcycles with Tanner. Cassie and I actually had a chance to sit and talk to each other. Imagine that? So I ask again, WHEN ARE YOU MOVING TO AZ???

As you can see we had an amazing trip. We miss you guys so bad and we want you to come see us soon.

Anyways, while we were there we, of course, had to take a few (or a few hundred) pictures of my cute little nephews. Warning: there are a lot of pictures, but I just couldn't resist. Believe me this doesn't even scratch the surface of what I could have included. Oh and I have to say that I am in love with this location. We found this place just driving around one afternoon. There were several antique store right next to each other and I have to say that I wanted to buy everything in sight, but that is another story entirely. We had a gorgeous overcast day which made for some nice light wherever we went. Why does this place have to be 1000 miles away from me?

After the antique stores we headed back home and Bryson asked if I would take his pictures on the swing. I guess getting your pictures taken is that bad after all if a 5-year-old boy is ASKING to have his pictures taken again. I was honored and jumped at the opportunity. I am SO glad that he asked because we got some great pictures of the boys just playing like they do everyday in their backyard.

Now you can see why I had to include so many pictures. They are one good looking family! Hope you like them, JD and Cassie!

Sorry, but I just have to include one more. While I was taking pictures of the boys on the swings Brooklyn asked me why I wasn't taking pictures of her. I told her that I had LOTS of pictures of her on the swings so I needed to get a few of the boys before the sun went down in a few minutes. She seemed fine with my answer because she ran off. The next thing I know she has gone upstairs and changed her outfit into one that matched the boys. She hops on the swing and says, "Mom, I am all clean now and I match. Now will you take my picture?" How can you say no to that?

{Holiday Mini Sessions} Reminder

2008-10-16T13:01:00.002-07:00

Just a quick reminder about the mini sessions that are coming up quickly. Now is the time to get your pictures for Christmas cards and presents. Click here for more details! Don't miss out! Spots are filling up fast.

My Little "Nickel"

2008-10-15T21:41:00.003-07:00

Talk about the worst mother of the year award--I am just now posting a happy birthday greeting to Brooklyn. I know, I know, her birthday was almost 2 weeks ago, but I am just getting around to blogging. We got so busy preparing and celebrating the big day that I was too worn out to post I guess. Even though I am WAY late I still wanted to give her a shout out on the blog.

What can I say about my little missy moo? It is so hard to put into words how you feel about your daughter. She may only be 5, but her soul is so much older than that. She is seriously wise beyond her years and has an incredible amount of love in her heart. She is constantly taking care of everyone around her. She jumps up whenever any of us need anything. She will get chocolate milk for Brigham in the morning so mommy and daddy can sleep for a few minutes longer. She will bring me a cup of water when I am working just in case I am thirsty. She finds chocolate for her and Troy to share. She helps me clean the house without complaining--and even does more than I ask her to. If we are ever going to someone's house to visit she makes sure that she makes a card for them before we leave. If I need anything she is always so willing to stop what she is doing to help me out. I love this about her and it will serve her well in life.

Brooklyn is my little buddy. She wants to help do whatever it is that I am doing, whether I am cooking, cleaning, working on the computer, watching TV, shopping, or hanging out outside. It doesn't matter, she is happy doing whatever and is always a huge help along the way.

Brooklyn is also one smart cookie. I am amazed at how quickly she picks up on things. She loves school and it is a breeze for her. She seriously just soaks up everything like a sponge. She loves to write and is constantly asking me how to spell words. She can read about 25 sight words (which she learned in all of 3 days), can spell all of the colors and can write at least 10-15 words. She is in preschool mind you.

Another word to describe Brooklyn is DETERMINED. If Brooklyn decides she wants to do something nothing can stand in her way to stop her. I remember when we first moved into our house almost 4 years ago. Brooklyn was only about 18 months old at the time. At our park next door there is a small rock wall, but to an 18 month old it was about 4 times her height. She decided that she wanted to climb up it and off she went. About halfway up she lost her grip and fell to the ground. Before I could run over there to comfort her she was already up climbing the wall again. A silly fall wasn't going to stop her from reaching the top--and it didn't. This was also about the time when she decided that she wanted to do the monkey bars. Of course she wasn't tall enough to reach without our help, but she knew that one day she would be tall enough. Every time we went to the park for at least a couple of YEARS she checked to see if she was tall enough. One day she finally was and that was when her mission began. She practiced the monkey bars until she had blisters on her hands. She would fall and get right back up and try again. She didn't want our help--she wanted to do it by herself. After many, many falls and blisters she learned to do them. I will never forget the smile on her face as she swung from each bar until she got to the other side. She had put in the work and she was now reaping the reward. So what did she do once she learned to do the monkey bars? Well, learn to do them backwards of course! And so the blisters begin again.

One more thing, this girl is such a girly girl. When given the option of a toy or clothes, she will pick clothes any day of the week. Seriously, she will not ask for a toy, but walk through the clothes section and she wants everything in sight. We were visiting JD and Cassie this weekend and she was so excited that Aunt Cassie let her go in the closet and pick out clothes for Cassie to wear. She grabbed the stool and found a cute shirt with some bling on it and then went in the other room and found a matching necklace and laid it on the bed all nice and neat. I have to say that she did a dang good job. I give her about 2 years and she will be picking out all of my clothes at the store and dressing me everyday. I think she is going to be embarrassed of me otherwise because I really don't care about clothes as you all know. She also loves to get her fingernails painted and make-up on. She just sat in awe everyday while Cassie got all of her make-up on and since Cassie doesn't have any girls of her own, she loved putting make-up on Brooklyn everyday. Brooklyn loved it!

As you can see, I am one proud mama, but how could I not be? Brooklyn is absolutely incredible. We are all so blessed to have her in our lives. From the moment she was put in my arms with a big smile across her face, she has made our lives so much better in every way. I want you to know how much I love you Brooklyn. Our family would definitely not be the same without you. You bring so much love and laughter to our home. Never forget that you are loved!

And just to explain the title of the post--Brooklyn was SO excited to turn 5 because now she is a NICKEL. She tells me this so often that I now refer to her as my nickel. It never gets old with her--she smiles every time I say it. What a spaz! Man, I love this girl. I have to say that I am TERRIFIED for her to be a teenager, but I will try not to think about that and just enjoy everyday with her at this age because she is growing way to fast! I love you!

Party in the House!

2008-10-15T21:30:00.002-07:00

As I mentioned way back when, we had a Hannah Montana birthday party for Brooklyn's 5th birthday. She had a great time with her friends celebrating her big day. She could NOT wait for her party to get started which was evidenced by the smile that did not leave her face all morning.

Here is a quick snap before the party. I don't think I have ever seen her so excited before. Seeing her like this makes every ounce of effort seem SO worth it. Aren't birthdays wonderful? We get to celebrate the people we love and be surrounded by friends. It is awesome!

A few more from the day! We had a pinata, Hannah Montana Karaoke, made crafts, and of course opened presents and ate cake and ice cream. Seriously, what more can you ask for?

I am so glad that you had a wonderful birthday, Brooklyn, we all love you so much!

{Salt Lake City Temple}

2008-10-07T23:37:00.005-07:00

I took these pictures last April while visiting Utah and I am FINALLY getting around to playing with them. I really wanted to play with them after watching conference this weekend and seeing the beautiful Temple again. I am so excited with how they turned out! If anyone is interested they are for sale of course and I can even add your sealing date if you were married in the SLC Temple. And, in case you have forgotten, I also have the Mesa Temple as seen here.

These images would look amazing as a gallery wrapped canvas that can be passed down through the generations.

Horizontal Image:
16x30: 375
20x40: 575

Vertical Images
20x30: 425

Back by Popular Demand {holiday mini sessions}

2008-09-30T23:34:00.004-07:00

(click on photo to make larger)

The session fee is included in the price of the collection.
$100 is due at the time of booking to secure your session.
Mini-sessions are for individuals or families (up to 4 kids and 2 adults from the same immediate family).

To schedule a session, please call 480.710.0750 or email jdavisphoto@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Secret Pop Star

2008-09-24T22:51:00.003-07:00

Brooklyn is IN LOVE with Hannah Montana. Yeah, I know most of the words to her songs because that is all she ever wants to listen to in the car. I don't know when Brooklyn grew up, but it happened. I mean, she is 4 yet she acts so much like a teenager. Shouldn't she still be into Cinderella and Snow White rather than one of the biggest pop stars out there?

It should have come as no surprise when Brooklyn told me that she wanted to be Hannah Montana for Halloween AND wanted to have a Hannah Montana birthday party. It is sad in a way not to be doing the princess thing anymore, but she is so stinkin' cute that it makes up for it. So in order to get ready for her small party we had a mini-session (and in mini, I mean like literally less than 10 min) of her dressed up like Hannah Montana.

So, without further ado, here is my Secret Pop Star...Hannah Montana!

This one makes me laugh. She kept flipping her hair around and said "Mom, let's pretend that Oliver is walking by and I do this."

I told you that she was cute. She LOVED taking these pictures and we were both sad that it got dark so quick. Oh, and this is just me playing in photoshop. As if I have nothing better to do. Oh well, the house can always be cleaned tomorrow, but I don't want to miss a moment with my pop star.

Star of the Week

2008-09-24T22:44:00.002-07:00

So Brooklyn was the "Star Student" at school this week and she could not have been more excited. For an entire week before she kept asking if today was the day and when are we going to make her poster. We put it off until the end of the week (I work well under pressure), but we got her down and I must toot my own horn and say that it turned out awesome. I remembered why I used to love to scrapbook. I haven't done it in forever, but I just might have to after this.

We had fun making it together. I put all the pictures on and then she ran around the house collected things that she loves. I plan on hanging it in her room when it comes home in a few days so we can look at my cutie everyday! Don't be surprised if the next time you come over she drags you to her room to show it to you! I am so proud of you, Brooklyn, you are my STAR everyday!

SK8R DUDE

2008-09-19T17:55:00.002-07:00

Doesn't Brigham make the cutest SK8R DUDE ever?! He LOVES his helmet, skateboard and showing me his tricks. I am a little nervous for him to get bigger. He already does everything he can for a "thrill". He stands up on the seat of his bike, goes down the driveway on his skateboard and constantly wants to watch the motocycles on TV (X Games). I guess you could say he is all boy. Man how I love my little skater boy!

The Village, Water Cube and Night Views

2008-09-13T08:07:00.006-07:00

Sorry to have disappointed my fans with my lack of blogging, but we have been on the go so much that I have been completely exhausted. I was so tired yesterday that I wanted to just sit in the corner and cry, instead I slept for nearly 12 hours last night and then took a nap this afternoon. I am feeling MUCH better now and so we can get back to the regular scheduled programming of blogging my adventures.

Yesterday Erik competed in the 200m semi-finals. He once again had a good race, but these guys here are crazy fast so he didn't quite make it to the finals. There is a Chinese guy here that nobody has seen before, but has broken the World Record in every event that he has raced in. He is absolutely amazing! Erik seemed pretty bummed, but is focusing his attention on his upcoming 100m and 4x400m relay.

After the races we headed over to check out the Paralympic Village. We had quite the adventure in the taxi trying to find the correct entrance to the village. Nobody understood where we were wanting to go and with the language barrier it can get pretty frustrating. Luckily we had a taxi driver that was patient with us and we were all cracking up laughing. After getting Aunt Sunny on the phone multiple times to speak to the driver and police and after asking many volunteers we FINALLY found it and we had a wonderful time.

Here is where the athletes stay in the village. After the Paralympics are over they will be converted into apartments and be sold off.

After visiting the Village, we were heading over to the Water Cube to watch some swimming. When we walked out we were trying to get a taxi when Collin (below in red) told us that it was only a 5 maybe a 10 minute walk to the cube so we decided to walk. Over 1 HOUR and a few blisters later we finally made it to the Water Cube. It was worth the walk because the Cube was amazing inside. We watched a little swimming and then walked around to get some beautiful night pictures.

After coming out of the Water Cube we were leisurely walking and enjoying the beautiful surroundings when, with no warning at all, water started coming out of the ground. Luckily I was able to move and not get my camera wet, but Troy was not so lucky. After he got wet he decided to just have fun with it and wheel through the water. Yep, Troy and a ton of little 5 year-olds played in the water. It made me miss my kids even more because they would have had a ton of fun with Troy.

I am headed home in the morning. I will be sad to leave Beijing, but I can't wait to see my kids. I miss them like crazy. I am ready to sit and cuddle with for sure. 10 days is too long to be away from them. I will get updates from Troy on Erik's upcoming races since he is staying for a few more days so I will let you all know how he does! Thanks for keeping up with my adventures in Beijing!

The Great Wall

2008-09-11T08:07:00.003-07:00

Today was another beautiful and eventful day in Beijing. We spent the day at The Great Wall and at the Ming Tombs.

The Great Wall was absolutely amazing. I cannot even begin to imagine what it took to build this hundreds of years ago. And I have to say that I feel horrible for the poor guards that had to walk to the top of the wall for their turn on duty. I think that we should all be very grateful for our jobs. Can you even imagine having to do that every day?

We took a gondola ride to the top and then Troy and I hung out while our friends climbed to the top. I did walk a little ways because you can't come all the way to China and then not climb the wall. It was breathtaking looking over the wall through the mountains.

Even now, I can't believe that I walked on The Great Wall of China. I NEVER thought in my life that I would be standing there on that wall. I mean that is something that you learn about in school or see in pictures, but to be standing there in person was wild. I have seen so many things this trip that I will never forget. What an opportunity this has been. I am loving this!

See what I mean? It is gorgeous and these pictures don't even begin to do it justice.

My daily picture of my crazy husband in his rice hat.

After a long day we went to dinner tonight at the BEST place. The shrimp, chicken and noodles were delicious, but the dumplings were my favorite of anything we have eaten so far. I ate more tonight than I have all week I think. When I get back home I am calling my sister-in-law Debbie so she can teach me how to make them. Mmmm, Mmmm. I have also learned how to use chopsticks for the first time since I have been here. I have always been chopstick challenged, but I am so proud of myself that I used them all day today without a problem. I don't need no stinkin fork. And then after I completely stuffed myself at dinner, Troy's aunt who we are staying with took us for shaved ice. I was thinking that it was going to be like a sno cone, but these things came out and they were huge and delicious! I didn't bring my camera so we may have to go back just so I can get a picture. At least that will be the excuse that I use. So are you all hungry yet? You should be.

Erik has more races tomorrow, which will be nice because I am ready to relax and watch some racing rather than climbing all over China. Talk to you tomorrow!!

Blue Skies in Beijing

2008-09-10T07:16:00.006-07:00

I can't believe it--the skies were beautiful and very blue today here in Beijing. The entire time we have been here they have been grey from all the moisture in the air, but after all of the rain it was a nice sunny day today, which made for some nice pictures.

We visited the Temple of Heaven today and it was very interesting and beautiful.

This man was 98 and still so energetic.

This is the Echo Wall and it is pretty cool. A person standing behind the building on the East end can speak into the wall and be heard by a person standing behind the building on the West end. Here is Troy attempting to sing like a Mexican Mariachi into the wall. Leave it Troy to get the attention of every person in the entire place.

Troy and I standing on what the Chinese believe to be the "Center of the Earth." I am trying to be one of the locals putting up the peace sign. They all do it, even tiny little kids.

As is typical in China, Troy and Erik were stopped once again by the news to be interviewed. They are celebrities I tell you.

Troy being Troy and making me laugh!

The Best Day Yet

2008-09-09T09:31:00.003-07:00

Today was a very eventful day. My favorite so far. We did some sightseeing in the morning and then spent the evening at the track.

Troy has been wanting to see the Forbidden City since he saw it on TV during the Olympics so we headed over there first thing this morning. This place was gorgeous. The first part was covered in gardens and very interesting buildings. It was a photographers dream. I would have LOVED to have a photoshoot there. Man were there some locations that were to die for. Troy was a wonderful husband and humored me while I spent some time taking pictures.

We then walked through to the other side which was about 1 km. Not bad if it was a straight path, but there were HUNDREDS of stairs. They had added a few ramps along the way to make it easier, but these ramps were practically straight up and down. Luckily for me, someone would always run over and help me up. Apparently they could tell that there was no way that I could do it on my own. Troy, on the other hand, they saw his muscles and didn't give him a whole lot of help. I guess there is an up side to being wimpy :). Needless to say, after pushing on cobblestone and going up and down for several hours, I am quite sore tonight. But it was worth it because it was an incredible sight.

All along the path both sides were lined with this beautiful mosiac of small stones that were made into various pictures. I can't even begin to imagine how long that it took to make these roads hundreds of years ago. Incredible, not fun to wheel over, but incredible.

You would think in a country that has 1 billion people they might know what an elevator was and have a need for them, but apparently that is more than they can handle. Elevators are few and far between here in China. Even in the stadium the only elevators are behind closed doors that you have to be escorted to. All the people walk up the 5 or more flights of stairs to get to their seats, which is totally unheard of in the US. Maybe that is why the Chinese are so much skinnier than all of us back home. Since we have been here we have had some interesting lift rides, but this one takes the prize for the most creative. Seriously this is how they took us up a flight of stairs today. No, this is not connected to anything other than the man that is walking with it. Yeah, kind of scary, but it did the job I guess. The Chinese men were laughing at me that I was taking a picture of this, but come on you would never see an "elevator" like this in the US.

The Chinese Elevator:

So after the Forbidden City we decided to hop on the subway and head on over to the Bird's Nest. 2 hours later finally made it--it probably would have only take 20-30 min in a taxi, but you have to experience everything in a new city right? Yeah, that will be the last time we take the subway.

Being at the Bird's Nest tonight was a spectacular sight. The stadium holds 91,000 people and nearly all of the seats were full. You don't understand, I have NEVER in my life seen anything this. I think I mentioned it before, but people unfortunately just don't watch disabled sports events in the US or pretty much anywhere else for that matter. The Chinese were going crazy and seemed to be loving every minute of it. I am still in shock really. I don't think that another Paralympic Games will ever compare to these because the people have been SO amazingly supportive. You would think that they were watching the NBA finals or the Superbowl. I am so grateful to all of them that have come out to support the games. You can't get a ticket to most of the events which has absolutely shocked us.

We watched a lot of exciting races, but they saved the best for last. Erik had his 400m semi-final. He had a great race and pushed very well, but he ended up in 10th place I believe and only the top 8 advance. He was still very happy to though because this is his weakest of his 4 events. Even better things are yet to come. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty good by the time it came for him to race and you know being from AZ he is not used to pushing in the rain.

I love this picture of Troy. He was looking out over the track watching Erik race. Being in the stands as a coach rather than as an athlete on the track is totally new for Troy. I think that he has been more nervous for Erik this trip than Erik has been. He has gotten heartburn before each of his races and has lost his voice screaming for Erik. Heartburn is common before he races, but I didn't think that he would have the same reaction for Erik. This is a sign of a great coach. He definitely cares a lot about Erik and wants him to do well.

After the races I took a few quick pictures of the Water Cube from the stadium. It is such a beautiful building at night with all of the changing lights. Awesome!

I am now absolutely exhausted so I better head to bed so I can get going again tomorrow.

Beijing Rockstar

2008-09-08T07:32:00.004-07:00

Another exciting day has come and gone here in Beijing. We had a great time today. We started the day by going to the Bird's Nest and watching Erik compete in his first race--the 400m. He looked really nervous to all us, but he keeps assuring us that he wasn't. Either way, he did a great job and advanced from the prelims to the semis which will be held tomorrow night.

It was really cool to see him down on the track. You know how Troy is, he was screaming at the top of his lungs so that Erik would hear him and hopefully calm his nerves a bit. The Chinese got a kick out of how loud he was. I told Troy that I wasn't sure if Erik could hear him or not since Erik didn't respond, but a Chinese man next to us assured us that the entire stadium could hear Troy yelling. He probably wasn't too far off.

Here is Erik on the big screen. It is so cool to see him larger than life. This one is for you Erik!

The Chinese people are AWESOME! They have really embraced the Paralympics and came out in full support. I have never seen anything like it in my entire life. The stadium was 3/4 full which in a stadium that seats 91,000 people that is incredible. Usually at a disabled sporting event you have a handful of people in the stands, even in Australia there were probably only 10,000 at a day of competition and we thought that that was a lot. It really made the events that much more special to have that many people watching and cheering. And talk about cheering whenever a Chinese athlete was competing. The roar of the crowd is exhilirating.

Here at the Paralympics if you are in a wheelchair you are a celebrity. So as we were sitting at the stadium talking after the events hundreds of Chinese people were waiting to take pictures with us. I guess we looked like official athletes sporting our wheelchairs and USA clothing. At one point we had at least 30 cameras in our faces and we definitely felt like ROCKSTARS. It was a pretty cool experience. People stop us constantly on the street to take pictures with them as well. We really can't go anywhere without getting stopped. I can see how celebrities get sick of getting stopped when they are going places. It is fun at first, but it would get old real fast.

This guy was my favorite though--Introducing...MR. BEIJING!

Here are a few more pictures that I got of the Bird's Nest today. I just can't tire of taking pictures it. It is spectacular. Tomorrow I am going to try and get some pictures at night so this will not be the end of these for sure.

Tomorrow morning we are going to do some sightseeing which I am excited for. We miss all of you back at home and think of you often, but we are having an amazing time!

Paralympic Opening Ceremonies

2008-09-07T06:54:00.004-07:00

I want all of you out there to be able to get a glimpse of the action going on here in Beijing. First off--Opening Ceremonies!

Here is the US entering during the Parade of Athletes. It is hard to describe the excitement and thrill that we felt as the US entered the stadium. The smiles from the athletes and then seeing Erik come around was great.

The crowd went WILD when the Chinese entered the stadium. Everyone on their feet, screaming and waving their flags. It was an incredible sight. Pictures just don't do it justice.

Another awesome moment was when 320 hearing impaired women danced and signed in unison. AMAZING!

The lighting of the torch was incredible. A wheelchair track gold medalist, strapped to his wheelchair, pulled himself with a pulley above the stadium to light the torch. For a moment, I wasn't sure he was going to make it as you could see the sweat coming down his face and the wind was blowing the flame near his face, but he did it. Again the crowd went crazy as he made it to the top. Unfortuately, we were seated directly under the torch so we watched it from the big screen, but it was very cool. I am still in awe of him, seriously I would have been terrified to say the least.

And then as we were leaving I got a quick picture of the Bird's Nest with the newly lit torch.

Opening Ceremonies were incredible! It cost a absolute fortune to get in, but it was a once in a lifetime experience. Let me tell you, it was worth it.

Paralmpics in Beijing, China

2008-09-07T01:56:00.003-07:00

My husband Troy and I are in Beijing, China right now watching the Paralympics. It is AMAZING! Troy is a much better writer and he sent out an email to those back home so I thought I would add it to my blog so everyone can get an update.

After a long 12 hour flight out of San Francisco, Jodi and I made it to Beijing a few days ago. After taking part of our first day and night to recover from jetlag we spent our first full day in Beijing. We began the day by going to a market called Ya Show, which is 4 floors of entertainment. Each floor was full of clothing dealers, each believing that they had exactly what you need. We walked up and down the rows of endless clothes with this young chinese girls grabbing Jodi saying, 'hey lady, how many you want?' It was a huge benefit to have Sunny with us who spoke Chinese to help us negotiate a better price. For example, I purchased a Giorgio Armani button up shirt, which the young girl started me at $280 RMB (which is about $47, cheap in the US). Sunny told me that was much too high and after a few minutes of intense bargaining in Chinese, I walked away with that shirt paying $40 RMB (less than $7). One of the main goals of the trip was for me to buy suits, which I have 2 custom suits being made now for only $1000 RMB ($167) per suit, which I go for to my second sitting tomorrow to ensure they got the measurements correct and finalize the fitting. Jodi left with several bags of clothing, which she got amazing bargains on as well.

We concluded the evening by attending the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies which was nothing short of spectacular! Jodi and I had great seats, on the first row above one of the 4 entrances (that way no one could stand in front of me... and believe me, the Chinese stood and cheered almost the entire time). The Chinese have been extremely enthusiastic about the games, at each seat for the Opening Ceremonies they gave the spectators a bag full of accessories to participate in the Ceremonies. Included in the bag were a flashlight, a rainbow colored spinning flashlight (like you would buy at Disneyland), flags, sashes, etc. They would turn the lights down inside the stadium and 91,000 spectators would turn on their flashlights, it was an absolute amazing site! Like the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, the Paralympic Opening was loaded full of Chinese performers. My favorite were 2,000 eight to ten year old boys who were studying marshall arts, I called them 'Little Ninja Turtles' because the costumes they wore reminded me of a Ninja Turtle. Following the Ceremonies, the Ninja Turtles were gathered together ourside of the stadium sitting in the grass. I got out of my chair, crawled into the middle of hundreds of them and had Jodi take our picture (unfortunately Jodi didnt bring her flash, so the picture didnt turn out so great), but the experience was amazing! It didnt take much to get these energetic boys riled up and I had them all cheering, waiving and giving me high fives... they were the coolest little Ninja Turtles!

Here are the "Little Ninja Turtles" coming out of the tunnel preparing for battle:

Following the Ceremonies, we exited with the other 91,000 people and trying to grab a taxi was another once in a lifetime experience. With hundreds of taxis bobbing and weaving through the streets taking no regard for whomever was in front of them, we thought it impossible to flag one of these guys down. Fortunately, I found a young police officer who spoke English and he stepped out in front of an oncoming taxi, which he stopped for a policeman and we got it.

We are now beginning day 3 with Erik's first races scheduled to begin tomorrow. We are now heading to what Sunny calls 'Silk Street', which is a huge indoor market. We had plans to go to see some of the sights of Beijing, but it is raining so we will stay indoors.

Troy

We will try update as the week progesses!

Pink

2008-08-27T22:35:00.004-07:00

Just stopping in to share a few pictures from yesterday. The W family invited me to their home yesterday to get some pictures of their sweet new baby girl and her proud older siblings. They made me work for it, but we had a good time running around capturing the kids being themselves.

I was so happy that I caught this sweet moment in the midst of their wrestling match! I love it!

Brain Freeze

2008-08-14T22:18:00.003-07:00

This is my nephew, Treyson. Isn't he a doll? I had so much fun with his session and he was a trooper considering we changed his clothes MULTIPLE times. I am just going to let the pictures speak for themselves this time because the gymnastics finals are coming on and they are my favorites! Hope you love the pictures, Ashlee!

At the end of the session it was time for popsicles! Yeah! After being in the heat so long he devoured his popsicle and of course ended up with a brain freeze. I guess this is a common occurrence for little Treyson so I felt like this storyboard was appropriate.

I always love to get comments. SO show me some love and let me know what you think!

Holiday Minis

2008-08-12T13:55:00.004-07:00

Introducing the Holiday Mini-Sessions for 2008! I am so excited to be able to bring these sessions to you this year. What is a mini-session you ask? Basically it just like a regular session expect that it is MINI. You will have about 25 minutes of shooting and you will then be shown about 8-10 images in an online, private gallery. Also included with every session is at least one set of Christmas cards. And let me tell you, these cards are high-quality cards that are printed on watercolor or linen paper (they are not just photographs). Your friends and family will LOVE to receive these cards and you will be proud to send them out. Think about it, you could get a huge stress of the holiday season finished. How nice would that feel? You could be the first to send out your cards for everyone to enjoy rather than running around at the last minute. I know you have all done that before, myself included. Don't do it to yourself this year!

Please call Jodi at 480.710.0750 or email jdavisphoto@gmail.com for more information on times and prices.

In addition to letting you know about the minis, I wanted to let you all know that I will only be taking a VERY limited number of sessions this holiday season due to my personal family commitments. We will gone for 2 weeks in September and at least 2 weeks near the end of October. SO if you decide on the minis or on a full family session, please plan on booking early so that you aren't left out in the end. I know that last year I had to turn many people away and it makes me feel awful so please don't make me do that again this year.

I know it is early to be thinking about the holidays, but they will be here before you know it!

My Rugs

2008-08-06T14:59:00.006-07:00

The other night my kids were stir crazy so we decided to play outside since it wasn't too hot. The light was perfect so I made them a deal that if they would quickly change their clothes and let me take pictures for 10 minutes we would go for a ride on the quad and then eat ice cream. They both agreed even though all Brigham understood was "let's go for a ride on the quad" and was not happy when the picture part came first, but he came around at least for a few pictures. They were relatively cooperative for 5-10 before the sprinklers came on and ruined it, but I was still happy to have the few minutes that we did. I don't take the opportunity to photograph my own kids like I should which is such a shame.

Here is an overload of pictures. I know, my mother eyes are on and I love my little rugs. The first picture was an instant fav from the time a clicked the shutter. Brigham constantly is giving his sister hugs, but NEVER when the camera is out so I love that I captured this moment (even if he doesn't look enthused about it)--it is SO them.

I am so glad that I was able to get some good ones of Brigham. He is so hard to photograph and Troy keeps threatening to shave his head so I need to get all the pictures that I can to remember his cute hair. I am in LOVE with his afro so I will be VERY sad the day that it finally goes. Hope you have a great day!

Track and Swimming Star

2008-08-05T12:44:00.005-07:00

Meet Adam, a 2009 Senior! Adam, his mom and I braved the heat last Saturday in order to get his senior pictures "out of the way" (using his own words). I have known Adam for several years as an athlete on my husband's track team so I was excited when he asked me to take his senior pictures. Adam will be heading to the University of Arizona (the BEST school there is!) after high school on an athletic scholarship for track. He is also a swimmer and has traveled not only around the country, but as far as South Africa to compete in both events. He recently returned from Junior Nationals and came in 2nd place in the 1500m!

Here are a few "in action" shots that were taken a few months back at a regional event held at ASU.

Congratulations, Adam! Hope you have a wonderful senior year!

A few more...

2008-08-04T14:51:00.002-07:00

Now that I am finished editing these I wanted to share a few more. I don't normally do sessions just for couples, but I LOVED this session and it makes me want to not only do more of these, but to go have a session with just me and Troy. Is is time that you had a special session for just the two of you? If so, call a schedule a session this week and you will save $50 on your session fee!

True Love

2008-08-01T13:13:00.002-07:00

While I was in Oceanside, CA a few weeks back I took pictures of the sweetest couple. They have been married for over 30 years and are still totally in love. Isn't that amazing! I love it! I am in the process of editing their pictures and this is MY FAVORITE so I couldn't wait to show it to them (and all of you). I know there will be more, but here is one for now. Can you believe they haven't had professional pictures since they were married? Well, I would say that it was about time! L and S, it was an absolute pleasure to taking your pictures. Enjoy!

When Did My Baby Grow Up???

2008-07-28T14:16:00.003-07:00

I can't believe how big my little girl is getting. Today is her first day of school and I am a bit saddened as she starts this new journey in her life. She misses the kindergarten cut-off by a month, but did qualify for a program called Kindersteps, which is basically half-day kindergarten for those kids that barely miss the cut-off. So she is at a "real" school now and is gone every afternoon. Briggy sleeps every afternoon so I will get a few hours to myself everyday. YEAH!!!

Before school today I, of course, had to take a few pictures to document this milestone. She was excited to get her picture taken because she felt SO big. Man, doesn't she just look so old in these pictures? Here is my little beauty...

She was so excited to go to school, but once we got there the nerves kicked in. She looks SO nervous walking down the hallway at school. All of sudden she looked like my baby that I remember, not big enough to be walking down the huge hallways, but once she met her teacher and found her seat in class she went right to work. I wanted to shed a tear, but I was strong :).

SALE

2008-07-12T21:07:00.002-07:00

For all of you photographers out there, check out my design blog for a HUGE sale!

ETA: Sale has ended. Thanks to everyone that took advantage of it!

Reliving the Summer Fun!

2008-07-08T20:39:00.006-07:00

So today was one of those days, all of you mothers out there know what I am talking about. The day when the kids are whining all afternoon, the laundry needs to be folded but an unnamed two-year-old unfolds it faster than it can be folded, the day when you feel like all you do is pull your hair out and get way more frustrated than you should. Yeah. After putting the kids to bed tonight (over an hour early, btw), I felt like a horrible mother and that I should just go to bed and pray for a better tomorrow, but instead I came to the computer and started looking through some pictures from the past 2 months and I realized something. We all have bad days, but I LOVE being a mother. It is ok that today I wasn't the best mother out there because tomorrow is a new day and I can promise you that tomorrow will be better. I am posting this so that the next time I have a bad day I can look through these pictures once again and see the smiles on my kids faces and know that we are a family and we love each NO MATTER WHAT--on good days and bad days. I wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world. I mean look at these kiddos, they make me SO happy. I have to warn you this is picture overload. I haven't edited pics of my own kids in so long that it felt so nice to be able to do it. Hope the pics bring a smile to your face as well!

The kids had swimming lessons in June. Brooklyn LOVED it, but poor Brigham didn't feel the same way. He loves to swim, but only on his terms. He screamed anytime it was his turn. He would always end up doing it, but he wanted to make sure that we knew that he was not happy about it.

He looks so scared getting ready to jump in the water, but man is he cute.

Brooklyn amazed me by how much better she got at swimming in such a short time. I mean at the beginning she could not swim at all and by the end she was swimming across the pool. She is amazing!

Do you ever have those moments when your kids literally grow up right before your eyes? Well, this was one of those moments. Hayden and Brooklyn were outside playing while I was cleaning the house. I looked out the window and saw the two of them just laying in the pool talking. As I stood there watching them it was like they were teenagers hanging out talking rather than being the silly kids that they usually are when they are together. Seriously, when did my 4 year old grow up?

And finally, 4th of July!
We spent the weekend in Sedona at my dad's cabin. We had a wonderful time playing in the dirt, swinging, having a ping pong tournament--which was won by none other than myself and my nephew (Way to go Ryland!!!), swimming in the creek, playing games and RELAXING! It was wonderful to say the least.

I LOVE these swing pictures of Brooklyn. This is what she did most of the weekend. She even learned to push herself! This was a happy day for me. Oh and do you see her cute hair that he Aunt Laura did? I love it and so did she.

I HAD to include this blurry picture because this is Brigham telling me to quit taking pictures and push him on the swing. I love this kid!

I know this is a forever long post, but just one more. I love this picture of daddy and son walking side by side. Troy was rolling off when Brigham ran his little heart out to be next to his daddy. Made me smile for sure because Brigham is such a daddy's boy!

Well, I am off to bed now and I am feeling MUCH better than I did a few hours ago. I need to remember all the fun I have with my kids and their cute smiles and it makes everything else worth it. Brooklyn just woke up and is sitting on my lap while I finish typing this. It makes my heart happy to sit and hold her and not worry about anything else in life.

'08 Christmas

2008-07-07T12:11:00.003-07:00

I am excited to announce my first set of Christmas cards that I will be offering this year! They are bright and fun and really showcase your images. Your friends will surely be impressed when they find one of these cards in their mailbox!

It is not too early to start thinking about the holidays and updating your family pictures! Slots are starting to fill up for the most coveted time of the year for pictures. I will be booking limited sessions this holiday season so book early to get your desired slot!

And for all of you photographers out there, you can purchase these templates for your clients! Visit my design blog at www.jodidavisdesigns.blogspot.com for more details.

The Competitors

2008-06-19T22:57:00.004-07:00

I wanted to share a few of my favorites from this weekend. Enjoy!

The End of an Era

2008-06-18T22:12:00.003-07:00

Well, I have to say that this weekend was one of the longest of my life. I spent 3 long days in the blistering AZ sun photographing the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials - Track and Field. Through the sweat and near heat exhaustion, I managed to have a great time and get some fantastic shots. The weekend consisted of elite competition from nearly 200 athletes that traveled from not only around the country, but from around the world. The athletes were all trying to claim one of the 44 spots (27 men and 17 women) on Team USA that will be headed to Beijing, China in September for the Paralympics.

Troy competed in the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints. He was 2nd in the 100m and 400m and 3rd in the 200m. He had some of his best times in recent years, but his times, unfortunately, were not enough to secure himself a spot on Team USA. I know that he was disappointed when his name was not called at the banquet; he has trained as hard as his body would absolutely allow him too. He has pushed his body to the limits and then some and his dedication far surpasses that of anyone else I know. He did his best--both in training and at the competition--so he can never look back with any regrets. So even though we will not be headed to Beijing this fall, I want Troy to know how proud I am of him. He is an incredible husband, father, coach, athlete, and so much more to so many people. So as his racing career ends he is now able to focus his time and talents to coaching and helping train a whole new group of young athletes that hopefully will one day call themselves a member of Team USA. I love you, Troy!!

The good news, though, is that now Troy has some vacation days that will actually NOT be used for racing. This may not sound like a big deal, but we have not had a family vacation in a LONG time that did not involve racing or work so now we can. YEAH!! As soon as his name was not called we both said--"We are going to Lake Powell!" I can't wait for July to come and sit back and enjoy the lake!

I have many, many pictures to show you from the weekend, but that is all you get for tonight. I will try to get some more up tomorrow so come back and take a look!

Paralympic Track and Field Trials

2008-06-11T18:34:00.003-07:00

Starting tomorrow (6/12/08) the nation's most elite track and field athletes with physical disabilities will be at ASU competing for the chance to be part of Team USA in Beijing, China in September. You really should come and check out the events. I promise you will have a great time and leave feeling very inspired. For more information you can check out the website at www.2008ParalympicTrackTrials.com.

Jodi Davis Photography will be the official photographers of the Trials so stop by and say hello. Maybe even bring me some cold water because I have a feeling that I might be suffering from some heat exhaustion by the end of the weekend!

Most importantly though Troy will be competing so come see his races. He has been training hard and put his all into making the team, but it all comes down to this weekend. He will have to beat his personal best in order to make the team so please come and cheer him on!!! He needs your support. The best times to see him race are on Friday night from 6-9 or Saturday morning from 8-10 at the ASU track. Hope to see all of you there!!

I will be posting pictures of the events next week, but I promise it will be much more exciting in person.

The Dreaded Day Has Come

2008-06-05T20:16:00.002-07:00

It is true, Brigham learned how to climb out of his crib last night. I knew this day would come, I mean he is 2 and Brooklyn was climbing out of her bed before she was 18 months, but I was still hoping I could keep him in his crib a little bit longer. He has always gone to bed so easily. Just plop him in his crib and he would be out before you knew it with no fuss at all. I guess I was spoiled long enough. It took me 2 HOURS and at least 20 times putting him back to bed before he finally fell asleep last night. Even while typing this little bit I have stood up 4 times to put him back to bed and I am sure that it will still be many more times before he is actually asleep. I have to say he looks so cute when he gets up--he walks to my office and just stands there staring at me waiting for me to put him back to bed. What a spaz! Oops there he is again--gotta go!

Modern Baby

2008-05-31T22:27:00.008-07:00

I had the pleasure of spending the morning with the W family. Little M was such a sweet baby and was happy the entire time I was there, even though she was exhausted by the end and quickly fell asleep in her mama's arms.

I have to say that the W's have the coolest house--modern with amazing artwork throughout. They really have done a great job decorating.

Don't you just want to reach out and squeeze her?

Now back to editing, but wanted to give mom and dad a quick sneak peek. Hope you like them and there are many more that are still to come!

He's Finally Home!

2008-05-26T20:15:00.002-07:00

You probably all remember my sweet nephew, Korbyn, who was born 13 weeks premature. You can see pictures of him here and here. Well, he is now just over 10 weeks old and was able to come home from the hospital last week. He is still on oxygen for at least a few more months but he is gaining weight and is now over 5 pounds!

I had the pleasure of taking his "newborn" pictures yesterday and I have to say that these are my favorite newborn pictures to date! We had to be patient since he really wasn't a sleepy newborn anymore, but we got some pictures that really show how cute and little he is.

Debbie is such a wonderful mother and is an absolute natural! I was so impressed with how calm she is about the oxygen and everything else that Korbyn has already been through in his short little life.

There is nothing like a little tiny baby in his daddy's big arms.

There are still so many more that I still need to edit, but I had to show you a few of my favorites. What can I say, I am a proud Aunt and I know that his mommy will be happy to see them as well!

Belly...

2008-05-24T18:42:00.006-07:00

Well Brigham's birthday came and went last week and I never did get out to get some pictures of him. I had great intentions, but life was a bit crazy and then I got very sick. So today Brigham and I were home with not a lot to do so I tried to get a few pictures of him just in the backyard. I don't know if I have said it before, but this boy HATES to get his picture taken. It is torture for him to sit there for even two minutes. He lasted less than a minute in this cool new chair that I got a few weeks back, but here is what I got.

Doesn't he look like such a little punk?

This is SO Brigham at 2. His broken, pink car, his cute mischievous grin, and pointing at his "elly". This is a pictute that I will always cherish.

Time Well Spent

2008-05-24T12:51:00.004-07:00

Brooklyn LOVES anything that has to do with art--painting, coloring, writing, drawing, etc, but fingerpainting is probably at the top of that list. She gets SO excited at the mention of fingerpaints and so even though it is terribly messy we fingerpaint from time to time because it makes her so happy. Here are a few pictures from last week. Brigham lasted about a minute and then ran off to play, but Brooklyn sat there until ALL of the paint was gone. Watching her paint brought a smile to my face. Nothing else in life seemed to matter but being with my kids at that very moment. It is so easy to get caught up in life and those things that need to get done, but I love when I can just forget about everything else and just relax and be in the moment. I am grateful for my kids that help me remember the simple pleasures in life.

So without further ado, here is my little artist...

2 Wheelin'

2008-05-19T23:11:00.004-07:00

I am continually amazed by Brooklyn and this time is no exception. Last week Brooklyn's friend was over and the two of them were outside riding bikes when Brooklyn decided that she wanted to try to ride her friend's bike that did not have training wheels. Well, within 5 minutes she had TAUGHT HERSELF how to ride a 2-wheeler. I couldn't believe it when Troy told me this. I mean c'mon, she's 4. I remember when I learned to ride a bike I was WAY older than Brooklyn and I spent the entire day outside with two of my older brothers. I was bruised and bloody from head to toe before I finally stayed up on two wheels. Looking back I am so surprised that my brothers were patient enough with me to stick at this for HOURS and HOURS. Thanks guys! But back to the story, so the next we decided to go buy her a smaller bike because the one she currently has is too big and she can't put her feet down. She tried riding the bike through the store with no luck at all. So we get home, I pull the bike out of the car and before I can get Troy's chair and Brigham out of the car, Brooklyn is riding in circles around the driveway. Didn't I tell you she was amazing?! She can now stand up and ride and is one crazy girl on her bike.

Here is a picture of her first night on the bike. It is a terrible picture, but look at that smile on her face. Gotta love that girl!

Oh, I almost forgot, don't you just love the outfit she's got going on? Like every other 4 year old I know, she likes to create "unique" styles, which is fine at home, but her Aunt Suzi took her out in public like this. Nice, I know. Oh well, I am sure all the other moms at McDonald's now feel better that their child is not the only one dressed like this.

I had to add this one of her on Sunday. She just looked so cute and big that I had to take a few pics before we headed out. She is definitely my little model and LOVES when the camera comes out. Work it!

He's Not 1 Anymore

2008-05-19T21:57:00.003-07:00

I can't believe that my baby is not 1 anymore. That's right today is my guys 2nd birthday! It makes me sad how fast he has grown. I didn't have much planned for the day other than just have some fun. We started the day with Mickey Mouse pancakes (one of the few foods that he will eat) and PRESENTS!! He got a new ride-on bike which he had to ride immediately (he was being made fun of too much for his hand me down broken pink bike) and a blow up pool. We then went swimming in his new pool for a few hours. After naps we headed out to McDonald's for some playland fun and then played at Aunt Jer's for a little while. I have to say that we had a great day! He LOVED when people called on the phone to sing Happy Birthday to him. When they would finish he would just keeping signing "more, more".

What can I say about my little guy? He is a stink for sure, but man I love him to death! One of my favorite things is in the mornings when Brigham has his sippy of milk in one hand, his blankie in the other hand and then points to the couch, "Mama, mama, want toons". We then climb up on the couch, him on my lap cuddling and Brooklyn snuggled into my side and we sit and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Every morning I think, "man, life just cannot get any better than this!"

I also love watching Brigham ride on his little cars. We have been through 5 of them in the past year because he rides them constantly, but man is he cute while he is. You also better watch out if this kid has a ball in his hand (or anything that could possibly be a ball) because he has an arm on him and he is not afraid to use it! He loves to workout with his daddy and push his wheelchair. He is always asking Troy "want workout daddy". He has been going through withdrawls because Troy has been out of town so much lately.

Well, I just wanted to wish my little man a happy birthday. I love you, Brigham!!! You are such a sweet little boy and bring so much happiness to our lives.

Here are a few pictures from yesterday and today. Enjoy!

After 12 years (or so)...

2008-05-12T22:42:00.002-07:00

this family FINALLY has a family picture! This is my cousin, Lisa, and her wonderful family. Lisa has been talking about getting family pictures for forever it seems, but when it comes to the day to take pictures she always backs out. I mean her youngest son is 11 (??) for crying out loud and they haven't had pictures since before he was born, which is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me. So I wouldn't listen to any of her excuses this time and even went to her up in Prescott so she wouldn't change her mind. I think that she is going to LOVE the results.

I have to say that I fell in love with this barn that is next to the house they are building when I first saw it about a year ago. I knew that was where I wanted to take pictures. All the neighbors laughed that we were taking pictures by the neighborhood "eyesore", but man if I could haul this away I would make it my studio! I guess one person's trash truly is another person's treasure. I am hoping that their minds might be changed about this barn once they see the pictures. Then again, maybe not, not everyone can have good taste like me :).

Tyler tried to make me promise that I wouldn't put a picture of him on my blog so that just made me want to post pictures of him even more! He has bugged me enough in life so I have to take any chance I can get to get a little payback.

I couldn't have a post without a picture of Katie. She is the reason that Lisa finally decided it was time for a picture. Katie is heading to India (I believe she is on a plane as I am writing this) for a YEAR to teach science to 9-10 year old girls at an orphanage. I am still in a little bit of shock that she is headed there, but I know that she will make such a difference to everyone she meets while she is there. Good luck, Katie! We all love you very much!

I am still amazed as I look at these pictures how big all of their kids have gotten. I spent many of my childhood summers up in UT with Lisa, Bob and the kids. We had a lot of fun and they were always so good to me. I still think of these guys being about 1-6 year olds, not teenagers and adults. It is crazy how fast time goes by. Well, I hope you like your pictures, Lisa. I had a great time!

My Little Track Star

2008-05-04T22:28:00.002-07:00

Brigham watches Troy just like all little boys love watching their dads. And since daddy loves to be on the track it is no wonder why Brigham loves it too. It was killing Brigham to just sit in the stands watching everyone else have all the fun during Desert Challenge so once the races were over we let him have a turn and he loved every second of it! Isn't he just the cutest?! I know I have my mommy goggles on, but I sure love these pictures of my little guy. As soon as he is old enough he and Brooklyn will be training with daddy on the track every Saturday morning!

These pictures just put a smile on my face! This is why I take pictures.

Desert Challenge...swimming and weightlifting

2008-05-04T22:20:00.003-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from last weekend at Desert Challenge. This time it is swimming and weightlifting. Short on words so I will let the pictures do the talking for me.

You can see all the pictures by using the passwords: field, track, swimming, and weightlifting in the client section of my website. Enjoy!

determination

2008-04-30T23:06:00.004-07:00

I was editing a few pictures from the weekend when I found this series of "K" during field. I couldn't resist making a storyboard. Isn't he just the cutest kid?! I was amazed by him all weekend as he participated in swimming, track, field and archery. This is his first competition and he did great! He is only 7 and is on Troy's track team so I will have the opportunity in the years to come to watch him get better and better at sports, which is always so much fun. He was so focused and determined before each event and I think the first picture really captures that.

(make sure you click on the picture to see a larger version)

Quote reads: determination--every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

I told you he was cute!

Desert Challenge--Track

2008-04-29T14:53:00.002-07:00

I wanted to get these pictures up earlier, but I have been trying to recoop after a LONG and HOT weekend. Desert Challenge turned out great! Everything ran very smoothly and the athletes were amazing even though they had to deal with 95 degree heat in April. Ridiculous I tell you. Of course, on Monday is was overcast and a lot cooler. Isn't that how it always works?!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone that came out and supported the athletes. I wish more people would have come because it is really an amazing experience. There will be another competition at ASU June 12-15 so put it on your calendars early so that you can be there.

First up is track. Here are few of my favorites from the night.

Troy so badly wanted this picture and after disappointing him last year I am happy to say that I captured it this year. This is the 100m invitational.

Be sure to check back in the next few days as I show my favorites from field, swimming and weightlifting!

Desert Challenge

2008-04-21T20:45:00.004-07:00

(click on picture to make larger)

I want to invite all of my blog readers out there that are local to come join us this Friday and Saturday, April 21-22 for a swim and track meet at ASU. Troy will be competing Saturday night from 5 to 9 in the 100m, 200m, 400m and the 4x100m relay. Bring your picnic dinner and enjoy some great races. There will be many elite athletes competing from around the country and internationally. There will be athletes with various types of disabilities, including amputees, wheelchairs, dwarfs, cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities. These athletes train hard (Troy trains 5 days a week, usually 2x per day) and are sure to impress you! If you know anyone with a disability let them know about this event so that they can come watch and then maybe get involved in athletics in the future. It will change their lives!

This is a regional competition that will help athletes get their needed times to compete in the Paralympic Trials that will also be held at ASU in June. Those winning at that event will then move on to the Paralympics in Beijing, China in September.

I will be there taking pictures so be sure to stop by and say hello. For those of you that can't make it, I will be posting pictures next week. If you live close and can make it I promise that you will enjoy yourself! Bring the kids--they will think that it is the coolest thing ever!

Also, Arizona Disabled Sports is always looking for great sponsors so if you are interested give them a call at 480.644.5702 or email me at jdavisphoto@gmail.com. Hope to see you this weekend!

My Kiddos

2008-04-16T11:05:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to share a few fun pics of my kids that I took while we were in UT visiting family.

So Brigham now has a "cheese face" that he does whenever I pull out the camera. He looks stinkin' cute, but I really do despise the whole "cheese" look because it is so unnatural. Oh well, what do you do?!

Brigham could seriously swing for hours. He LOVES it to say the least. Luckily he has the greatest big sister that is so willing to push him. I love that they are such good friends.

For those of you that know my daughter, you know that she is TERRIFIED of animals and even that is an understatement. So this picture of her holding a bunny is somewhat shocking to me. After spending several days around her cousins bunnies she finally decided that she was going to be brave and play with them and even pick one up! I can hardly believe my eyes even now looking at her holding this bunny. I had to run and grab the camera to capture this amazing moment. Maybe there is a little hope for her!

Bribery at its finest...

2008-04-16T10:42:00.003-07:00

For the past several months--OK maybe longer than that--Brooklyn has decided that she needs to sleep in our room right in between us. Annoying! Not only that, she wakes us up screaming, crying, kicking and trying to find anywhere she can to potty (yes, she has opened up the fridge looking for the bathroom, climbed up on a regular chair and even tried going in the backyard). After MANY nights of waking up to her Troy and I had had ENOUGH. SO my brilliant husband came up with a plan--If Brooklyn sleeps in her room for 5 nights IN A ROW without waking up mom or dad then she gets to choose something fun to do. BRILLIANT I tell you. Bedtime fights have gone way down, not eliminated, but much better and she has not come in our room since we started this! Heaven! Last time she choose to go to the movie theater--something we rarely do because they just aren't good in movies--and this time she choose to have a "Girl's Night" and go get manicures, pedicures and ice cream. I am loving this too (gives me an excuse for Troy to keep Brigham and go out and have some fun with the girls--it's a win all around). Anyways, yesterday we were driving in the car and Brooklyn was talking about how she wanted to show everyone her pretty nails with flowers so to avoid going to everyone's houses we compromised that I would take some pictures and put them on the computer. So here she is with her beautiful nails!
(Cassie--make sure you show Bryson because Brooklyn really wanted him to see them too! She cracks me up!)

Now I just need to figure out some bribe to get her to stop whining! Any ideas???

Squeezable!!

2008-04-13T22:39:00.006-07:00

I am finally posting these pictures. I'm way behind with the sneak peek since we were out of town, etc. I am so sorry, Dustie!

Isn't "B" just so squeezable?! He is THE best baby ever. Usually the 2-6 month range is such a hard age to photogragh, but man I could have photographed him all day--he was happy the entire time. Made my job a breeze!

I couldn't decide if I liked this picture better in color or black and white so here it is two ways. What do you think?

I don't know what it is about this picture, but I am in LOVE with it. It just makes me smile for some reason.

I couldn't leave out all B's older brothers and sister. It was tough getting the four of them in one picture, but I think that mom will be happy with this one. I don't know what she was doing behind me, but from the looks of it I was sure missing out on something.

Anyways, I could have posted way more of these cuties, but I want to keep mom and dad in suspense for a little longer. I will be done soon, I promise!

My Turn...Finally!!!

2008-04-09T22:14:00.003-07:00

We took a little family vacation to UT this past weekend to visit Troy's brother, Reese. We had a wonderful time and are so grateful that they let us overtake their house.

While we were in UT I took the opportunity to get our family pictures taken from a wonderful photographer, Angie, from Simplicity Photography. We had an urban shoot in the coolest location. I was totally jealous that there isn't somewhere around me that looks like this. And the best part is, the location is just outside her studio. I am drooling just thinking about it! Anyways, my kids were HORRIBLE so all of you out there don't feel bad when your kids won't cooperate. I understand your pain. We were all freezing--it was probably 50 degrees outside, but when you are from AZ that is COLD. I couldn't find any cute winter clothes because in UT this is warm, so we were braving the cold temps in t-shirts. My poor kids thought that they were going to die or something, but anything for a cute picture right???

Luckily, Angie was very patient with my crying children and Brooklyn LOVED her assistant Michelle because she gave her piggy back rides the whole time. Troy is a little worried that we didn't get anything good (just as most dads are when they leave a shoot ), but I have complete faith that we will have many shots to choose from. In fact, she posted a few pictures of my cute little man on her blog. They are to die for! I already have plans for the first picture to be put above his bed in at least a 20x30. Won't that look amazing!

I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures! Now I know how the rest of you feel when you are waiting for your pictures. It is torture!

Sweet Baby, Amazing Parents

2008-04-02T22:58:00.003-07:00

I am finally feeling better and was able to go up to the hospital again to see my cute nephew, Korbyn. He is doing great and is all the way up to 2 lbs 11 oz now. Way to go, Korbyn! Well, we wanted to get pictures of his mom and dad holding him, but he wasn't up for it tonight because there was too much going on in the NICU. Maybe in a week or two we can try it again. He did not like the lights on, but I got a few shots of him. Enjoy!

I know there are a lot of pictures here, but this little guy has a fan club far and wide that want to see him and we don't want to disappoint them.

Here he is trying to show off how strong he is getting!

I love this picture, definitely far from perfect technically, but I love the story that this picture tells. Korbyn could not ask for better parents, they are both so strong. Here they are, you can tell they are full of worry and love for this sweet little baby. They spend their days and nights by his side. They are learning things they never thought they would need to -- Mom looked like an old pro messing with all the monitors -- and through it all they remain so calm and positive. We can all learn a lot from the two of you. You are amazing parents already!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2008-03-28T22:43:00.004-07:00

I wanted to share a few favorites from a recent session with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's family that came all the way from Utah just to get their pictures taken (oh, yeah, and to celebrate Easter, but I know the REAL reason they came!)

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this family picture! It is REAL! I love that the entire family is focused on the "Little Princess" except for the "recently dethroned princess." Now I just need to convince my sister-in-law that this is the family picture that needs to be blown up for all to see!

I know that C's mom is not going to be happy that he has grass stains on his pants, but personally, I love that he does. Such a boy thing!

It was great seeing your wonderful family! I will have the rest of your pictures for you soon, I promise.

Punks!

2008-03-25T21:49:00.004-07:00

My sister-in-law has been wanting pictures of her kids so we went to a cool location near my home under the railroad tracks. It is the perfect location for a tween/teen shoot. The kids were complaining when we got there because they did NOT want their pictures taken, but within 10 minutes of climbing all over the place they were hooked and did not want to leave. Needless to say, we had a great time. It is nice taking pictures of older kids because they actually stay where you tell them to--well at least for the most part. It was also nice because I could just tell them to go stand somewhere and they all did their own thing. Anyways, here is a slideshow of their pictures because I loved too many of them to leave any out. Aren't they punks??? I love it!

Slideshow

2008-03-21T00:24:00.003-07:00

I have been working on this slideshow and I am dying to share it with everyone! Humor me and take a look. Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Brothers

2008-03-20T14:09:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to share a picture from a mini-shoot I did the other day with 2 brothers. I took their pictures once before and not much has changed--the oldest boy would pose all day for me and loves the camera while the younger brother hates everything about it. The only thing that would make him smile was talking about farting. I use whatever works!

(click on picture for a larger version)

Introducing Korbyn!

2008-03-16T21:08:00.008-07:00

I wanted to introduce you to my newest nephew, Korbyn. He was born on March 13 and weighed in at a hefty 2 lbs 7 oz. This little guy just couldn't wait to come out, in fact he decided he wanted to make his debut a full 13 weeks early. The doctors are surprised at how well he is doing for being so early. At least we know that he is a fighter! His sweet mom and dad are doing great and are already such amazing parents. They are staying very calm and spend a majority of their time with him and they even got to hold him for the first time today!!! Yeah!

I was lucky enough to be in the NICU when he needed a diaper change so that I could get a glimpse of this cutie!

Can you believe how tiny he is? Look at those cute little fingers compared to his daddy! I love the comparison.

I am going to head up to the hospital again in a few days to get pictures of his parents holding him. I am SO excited! I also can't wait to get some fun pictures when he finally comes home as well, but we will have to wait a while for that. Please keep this little guy in your prayers! We all love you, baby Korbyn!

My Cute Boy

2008-03-15T21:48:00.002-07:00

I was looking through some pictures and ran across these cute pictures of my boy playing at the park a few weeks back. Don't these just make you want to squeeze him? Man, is he ever cute!

Scrapbooking

2008-03-15T21:44:00.002-07:00

It has been FOREVER since I have sat down and scrapbooked for my kids. I spend so much time editing pictures for everyone else that I don't have time to scrapbook anymore. Well, the a couple of weeks ago I decided that I need to start doing this again for my kids' sake. So I sat down at my computer and completed 4 pages in one night! A true miracle for me. They are simple and I LOVE them. Now I just need to make a habit out of this!

Why did I even bother...

2008-03-14T10:33:00.002-07:00

buying Brooklyn a bed? She doesn't sleep in it--no, she prefers to sleep in my room right in between Troy and me, which btw is MISERABLE as I am sure all of you parents out there are aware, or on the couch. On the nights when we won't let her do this, she would rather sleep ON THE TILE FLOOR than in her nice comfortable bed. That's right! This is Brooklyn, sound asleep on the nice hard tile floor! Gotta lover her.

Preschool Pictures

2008-03-05T20:20:00.002-08:00

I spent the morning taking pictures of Brooklyn's preschool class. It was fun to meet all of her friends and even the boy she talks about all the time. (I have to say he is a cute little boy with a very fun personality, but she is WAY too little to even be thinking about boys!) I will be headed back tomorrow to get pictures of the other class. Since I don't have permission to post any of the other kid's pictures I thought I would at least give you a taste by sharing Brooklyn's.

Oh, I got this cute dress and leggings from Chicky Bella. If you have not checked this boutique out yet, you really should. The clothes are SO cute and the owner is extremely friendly!

Have a great day! Be kind and leave a comment. It gets kind of lonely when people don't leave a comment! Thanks.

After All These Years...

2008-02-29T14:31:00.004-08:00

they are still in love!!! I had the opportunity to take pictures of Troy's grandparents this past weekend. Aren't they so cute together?

Superman

2008-02-19T20:14:00.002-08:00

I had to share this shot of my nephew, Hayden. I took him out for some pictures yesterday for a project that I am working on (more to come later!!!) and I just couldn't resist showing you this one. Enjoy!

Mesa Arizona Temple

2008-02-14T09:37:00.006-08:00

I am excited to offer you an original piece of artwork of the Mesa Arizona Temple. My father-in-law asked for a picture of the Temple for Christmas and so my project began. After completing this for him I had to order one for myself as I fell in love with it. Since that time, I have received so many compliments and even a few order requests that I decided to offer this artwork to all of you as well.

My favorite part of this picture is that it is a unique piece that is customized with your sealing date. Each time I look at the picture hanging in my family room I think back to my wedding day and the feelings I had at this time. It is a daily reminder of why I got married to my amazing husband and it is a silent reminder to my children of the Temple's importance in our lives. I am planning on ordering a smaller version to put in both Brigham and Brooklyn's rooms and include the date they were sealed to our family after their adoptions.

28x36 Gallery Wrapped Canvas: $575
This is a great option as gallery wrapped canvas comes ready to hang. No frames are needed!

28x36 Rolled Canvas: $525
The rolled canvas comes ready to be custom framed in a gorgeous frame to match your decor.

11x14 Gallery Wrapped Canvas: $175
Includes an easel for easy display.

11x14 Mounted Print: $125
This size will be printed as a high-quality photo and mounted on a 3/4" standout board that is finished with a black edge and can be put on the wall or displayed on the included easel. A linen finish is optional.

Please contact me at jdavisphoto@gmail.com for questions or to purchase your custom canvas.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-13T18:17:00.005-08:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

(These were Brooklyn's Valentine's for school, which is why there is no Brigham. I know, mean mom. Next year I will make him his very own to pass out.)

Welcome Packet

2008-02-08T09:49:00.001-08:00

All of you photographers out there, this post is for you! I am so excited to start on this exciting adventure of designing templates for photographers. I have a love for both photography and scrapbooking so designing templates gives me an outlet for both passions. In the months to come, I plan on continuing to release new products that will help photographers save time designing and spend more time impressing their clients. Products will include card designs, business materials and more!

Check out my new design blog at www.jodidavisdesigns.blogspot.com.

To start off I figured I would start with a Welcome Packet! These can be time consuming to create on your own, but with the templates provided you are well on your way! You just need to add some of the wording and pictures to make these unique to you. Send these out to clients after they book and impress them before they even meet you. Who doesn't like to get beautiful letters in the mail? These also provide you an avenue to educate your clients up front. Tell them what your policies are, give them suggestions of what to wear, provide them with a list of your collections and prices, etc. After the session you can include information about your referral plan and copyright information. And don't forget the marketing postcards that are also included. Now all of your materials will have your consistent branding so clients can recognize in an instant.

Here are a few pictures of a completed Welcome Packet:

Here is what your templates will look like. Complete with all of the wording you see here! That's right! You will get the complete collections that are so popular among my clients; specialty items, including descriptions of items; wallet referral cards and so much more. Take a look below to see what is included. All colors and layers are fully customizable.

The Details:

-Templates come with instructions, list of free fonts to download, templates as shown above and a vendor list.
-The Welcome Packet is set to be printed as 4x6 postcards
-A basic working of Photoshop, including working with layers, is required to complete templates.
-Software Requirements: Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3. I believe that all versions will work as you are provided with layers, but please email me if you use a different version and I will send you a sample file to try before you buy.
-You have the ability to change all colors, fonts and layout if desired.
-It is the responsibility of the buyer, not Jodi Davis Photography, LLC to check spelling, printer specifications, and color space, before printing. Colors may vary depending on the printer used.
-You will be provided templates in both sRGB and CMYK. Be sure to check with your printer before you begin completing templates as the color space will affect printed colors.
-Templates may not be transferred, sold or shared with more than one photographer.
-Only the wording shown in the photo directly above will be included. Not all wording in samples of printed packets above will be included with the templates.
-These templates will not be offered to photographers in Arizona as this is where I market my business.

Please ask any questions about templates prior to purchasing by contacting Jodi at jdavisphoto@gmail.com.

PRICE: $150 USD *********ON SALE NOW: $125 (only until 2/2/08) USD**********
Send paypal payment to jdavisphoto@gmail.com. Please include your zip code and email to send templates with payment.

Please contact me if you are interested in hosting a group buy

TROUBLE!

2008-01-25T10:50:00.001-08:00

Here comes TROUBLE (aka Brigham)! I love this shirt on Brigham because it describes him SO well. He is such a sweet little boy most of the time, but man can that kid find trouble to get into--I know that it comes with the age, but he sure keeps me on my toes. His favorite things to do are raid the pantry and I mean NONSTOP. That boy won't hardly eat food, but he sure likes to snack. I will open my pantry to find boxes ripped apart and crackers covering the floor. He also apparently loves markers and pencils because he is constantly eating the tips of the markers and none of my pencils work because he eats the erasers and dumps the lead on the carpet. Above all Brigham likes to find empty water bottles, socks, whatever he can find and dip it in the toilet and drink the water. Then he walks around saying "mmm, mmm" with a big smile on his face. Doesn't he know that this is absolutely DISGUSTING! Here is my little man and yes trouble IS his middle name (even though he looks oh so sweet in these pictures--don't let him fool you)!

Well, I better run as my little man is waking up and is full of energy and just looking for some trouble!

A Family in Love

2008-01-23T22:52:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun photographing the Allen family this past weekend. Their daughter B is 4 months old and is such a doll! Can you believe how much hair she has? She was the happiest baby too which is always nice for me.

I adore this picture. Throughout the session I kept thinking to myself how much they were in love with little B and I think that it really shines through in this picture. They were all hanging out in a hammock in this one, no posing, just being a family. What is better than that?

And how cute is this one. I think that she already has her daddy wrapped around her little finger!

Here is just a little sneak to tied you over for the next few days. I am almost finished editing everything and will be calling a few days to schedule an appointment. Thanks for a great day!
--J

Cool New Location!

2008-01-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post a few more favorites from my outing yesterday. I am always on the lookout for new locations and one day while driving back home from dropping Brooklyn off at preschool I spotted out of the corner of my eye this place under the railroad tracks. It is part of the wash and it looked really cool so I HAD to turn around and get a better look. I instantly knew that this would be a GREAT location and I couldn't wait to try it out. So yesterday the kids and I were a little bored and I needed some pictures of Brooklyn for her room so I decided that we should go try out this location. Luckily, Brooklyn is almost always up for pictures so we hurried and got ready. My wonderful husband also decided that he would humor me and go along. What a guy I tell you!

This place did not disappoint. It was covered in paintballs and graffiti which just added to the grungy feel. Here are a few of my favorites.

I still have plenty more to edit of Brigham, but I did Brooklyn's first so I could get prints ordered before it never happens. I will share those as soon as I get to them.

Also, if you are looking for individual or family pictures this place would be fun. I know that initially you will think that I am crazy, but I am sure you will pleased with the results. This place would be great for boys 2-3 and up and seniors. Hopefully one of you out there will take me up on this location!

SMILE

2008-01-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my husband and I took the kids out for some pictures. I really need to get pictures hung in Brooklyn's room--I started to redecorate it in August and have yet to get pictures up. Horrible mom! I got some pictures that I LOVE, but I just wanted to share this one right now. Just looking at this picture brings a smile to my face. She looks so sweet and happy. That's my girl!

Ooh-La-La

2008-01-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity this week to take pictures for a local boutique called Ooh-La-La by Laura. Laura makes the cutest tutus, bibs, hair bows, capes and more. You really need to check her blog out--www.oohlalabylaura.blogspot.com--you will LOVE her stuff. She is in the process of creating a website and needed some pictures. We headed first to the laundromat. I know what you are thinking, but the laundromat was a great place for pictures. The kids could run around, but were still contained and it is a fun backdrop. Really if anyone wants to go there with me again, I would love to go! (We don't have to stay there for the entire session, but it is unique and there are a lot of great places in this same area for pictures!)

Back to the shoot, here are a few of my favorites from the day! We will be heading out again to take some pictures of the boys in their capes, but until next time enjoy these beautiful little girls!

What do you think about the laundromat now? Hopefully I changed your mind but I understand that it is not for everyone. Until next time--J.

New Website!

2008-01-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

As you can tell by looking at my blog, I have changed things up a bit. What do you think? Take a look at the website (link at the right) it is ALL NEW! You will notice that I now have a new logo, new colors and best of all--all new pictures for you to look at! In the galleries you will find my favorite pictures from 2007. Take a look and see if you can find yourself in some of the galleries.

Add a comment to my blog or send me an email letting me know what you think. I know you are out there reading this so make a girl happy and leave a comment once in a while!

2,049 TOYS

2008-01-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

That's right, my nephew, Hayden, collected 2,049 toys for the kids that spent Christmas at Phoenix Children's Hospital--more than double the number of toys he collected last year. He had a little help from his parents, aunts, and friends, but Hayden also did a lot himself to promote this. He talked to his entire elementary school, went to local doctors offices and helped out at several garage sales. Way to go Hayden, I am so proud of you!! We can all learn a valuable lesson from this little guy. It only takes one person with a goal to make a HUGE difference. Hayden's Toy Drive was the largest toy drive outside of corporate sponsors that PCH has ever had.

Here are a few pictures of the toys so you can get an idea of what 2,049 toys looks like! I couldn't even get all the toys in the pictures, but you get the idea.

A big thanks to everyone that donated toys! Your generosity did not go unnoticed. We will all be shooting for an even larger number of toys next year!

Time is Running Out

2008-01-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

A few of you have taken me up on the deal of scheduling a session for 2008 and saving some money in the process, but you don't have much time left. I am almost finished with my new site. You can get a sneak peek of what is to come by visiting my splash page--it has been updated with my new colors and logo! My website should be up and running in the next few days and at that time my new prices will take affect. In the meantime, you still have a chance to lock in the 2007 prices and receive a $50 print credit. I hope to hear from many of you very soon!

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

I know that I have been slacking on my blog, but it is a new year and time to get back on track. I want to thank all of my 2007 clients for a great year! I had so much fun meeting all of you and creating works of art that will you can look at long after your kids are grown.

Since it is a new year, I decided it was time to freshen up my website. It is time to add all new pictures in my galleries and add a few more goodies as well. I am still working on it, but as soon as it is up and running you will be the first to know. In addition to new pictures, new prices will also be announced on the new site. But there is still time to get in on the old prices. I will not only give you my old prices, but you will also receive a $50 print credit when you book a 2008 session BEFORE the new site launches. I don't know how much time you will have--it may be a day, it may be a week, but once the new site launches this deal is over. You must mention this when scheduling your session! Don't miss this great opportunity to save some money!

I wanted to share my favorite pictures from 2007, but then they wouldn't be a surprise for the new website so instead I will leave you with my favorite picture of Brooklyn. I just love her eyes in this picture! I am going to be ordering this picture in a 20x24 for her room as soon as I get a free moment.

I am looking forward to the new year! Hopefully I will be meeting a lot more of you this year. I know that there are many of you that are looking at this blog and thinking that you would love to schedule a session, but you just haven't made the time to do it. Well, it is a new year, start it off right by making memories that will last long after this year. Believe me, you won't regret it. Make it a great year!

Hayden's Toy Drive

2007-12-11T19:19:00.000-08:00

This is my nephew, Hayden. He is an amazing guy. Hayden was born with heart problems and underwent open heart surgery twice in his first week of life and since this time has endured several more surgeries. He has spent a lot of time at Phoenix Children's Hospital, but is now doing great! Last year, at the age of 4, Hayden decided that he wanted to start a toy drive to help the kids that will be spending Christmas at the hospital. He received toys during his first Christmas at the hospital and many times since then. He says that it makes him feel better to get a new toy when getting a scary procedure done and wants other kids to feel better as well.

I am proud of my nephew for thinking about other kids at such a young age so I am doing all I can to help support his cause. Brooklyn and Hayden went through their toys throughout the year and held 2 garage sales to benefit the toy drive and have passed out cards at school functions and around the neighborhood to get the word out. I figure if a 4 year old and a 5 year old are willing to give up their toys for other kids then we as adults need to help them collect as many toys as we possibly can this Christmas.

If you would like to donate new toys, gift cards or money to Hayden's Toy Drive please email me at jdavisphoto@gmail.com and I can either pick the toys up or give you an address of where to send the toys/money. Phoenix Children's Hospital will send you a donation receipt if you include your name, address, phone number and list of donations. Thank you in advance for your generous donations. I will post pictures of the kids delivering the toys to the hospital in the next few weeks. We will be delivering toys this weekend and next, but we will continue to collect money and toys throughout the year.

Polar Express

2007-12-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

So this post is WAY late, but better late than never I guess. I have all of my holiday orders out finally and I have to get back to my neglected blog. Anyways, the weekend before Thanksgiving we went on The Polar Express in Williams, AZ. This was our second time doing this and we had a wonderful time. For those of you that have not done this--it is a MUST! You get on a train all dressed in your jammies and go to the "North Pole." After reading The Polar Express book you get hot chocolate and cookies and then you pass an area that is decorated like the North Pole. Santa then gets on the train and gives each child a bell. It is the greatest!

After the train ride we went to Mrs. Claus' workshop for some crafts. Brooklyn LOVED Mrs. Claus because "she's a girl." She was terrified of Santa.

Brooklyn even wrote her first letter to Santa. How cute is that?

Here she is putting her letter in the mailbox to Santa. You better believe I went and took it out when she wasn't looking. I had to have her first letter to Santa. The "elves" just laughed and said that a lot of moms do the same thing.

Here are just a few pictures from our weekend.

I can see the Light!!

2007-11-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like I have been living at my computer for the last few weeks working like a madwoman trying to finish up Christmas orders. Several days I have sat here for 12 hours or longer editing into the early hours of the morning. I have almost everything ordered and then I will just need to package it up and deliver it, which is the fun part. I LOVE seeing people's reactions when they open their orders. It is like Christmas morning! All of the hard work and heart that went into the pictures really pay off!

Since I have been pretty much abandoning my kids the past few weeks, we headed out of town for the weekend for some much needed family time. So what do I do as soon as we get out of town??? Well, take pictures of my kids of course! I know, I know, it is an addiction. We were in the cutest old town and I just could not pass up the opportunity to let this beautiful location not be photographed. My wonderful family, sister, and in-laws humored me and walked around the town camera in hand. The could not believe the places I wanted to stop at--old brick walls, tin walls, old doors. Junk to most people walking by, but a photographers dream!! We just don't have cool locations like this here in the valley so I have to take any opportunity I can get. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

This is my cute nephew, Hayden. He HATES getting his picture taken, but I torture him anyways because his mom loves pictures almost as much as I do. I LOVE this picture of him so I guess it was worth the torture!

Isn't Brigham just getting SO big??? I can't even believe it! Time really flies.

Troy was behind me on this picture making Brooklyn laugh by pretending to wipe boogers on me (well, at least I hope he was pretending :) ).

I definitely want to head back in that direction for another weekend because we had a great time!! I will share more about what we did once I finish downloading the rest of my pictures.

Soulographer

2007-11-05T23:56:00.000-08:00

I spent the weekend at a photography workshop in Phoenix with Skye Hardwick. I learned so much and met so many wonderful photographers. I am grateful that my wonderful husband was willing to keep the kids for the weekend so that I could go enjoy myself. And not only did he have the kids, he cleaned the house which was a HUGE mess and did probably 20 loads of laundry!! What a wonderful surprise to come home to. Thanks again, hon, it really means a lot to me!!!

Here are a few of the pictures that I took while at the workshop. We had wonderful models to work with, which made it a lot of fun.

Happy Halloween!!!

2007-10-31T23:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas to me!! It was a great day today! Not only did I have a ton of fun watching my kids (we'll get to that in a minute), but I got a Halloween and early Christmas present today--I got a Canon 5D!!! I have been eyeing this camera for some time now and, well, my other camera has been having some problems and had to be sent in to get fixed so I finally had an excuse to bite the bullet and get it! For most people reading this a camera is just a camera, but to me (and the other photographers reading this blog), my camera is more like a baby and it is something to get really excited about. Sorry if I am boring you :).

Anyways, here are some of the first images using my new camera and I have to say that the colors are AMAZING!

On to my kiddos and our Halloween. Brooklyn was Cinderella and she was beautiful I might add. She has been so fun this year because she was finally excited for the big day and understood that this holiday means LOTS of candy and she is a candy fanatic. She loved playing at our neighborhood carnival with some of her cousins and friends and had a great time trick-or-treating.

Brigham was the hit this Halloween! Everyone LOVED his Yoda costume and he LOVED the candy. He had a sucker in each hand all night (I am sure he ate at LEAST 10 suckers, if not more) and I found half eaten candy bars all of the place. Yep, they still had the wrapper on them. This candy lover wasn't going to let a little thing like a wrapper stop him from having the greatest night of his life!

Did I not tell you that this camera is incredible?? I know, I know, enough already!

I hope all of you had a wonderful and safe Halloween as well! Until next time.

--Jodi

4 Boys and a Babe

2007-10-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

I had fun yesterday spending some time with my brother and his wonderful family. After having 4 boys they were finally blessed with a girl. She is 9 months and is such a doll.

It was quite the adventure trying to get 4 boys to stay near each other long enough to get a few shots together. Picture day for these boys is sheer torture in their eyes, but they should be happy to know that it will be another entire year before the dreaded day comes again. As if 5 kids didn't add enough excitement, the sprinklers decided to come on and drench me. Yes, I got completely soaked because I was more worried about saving my camera than saving myself. There is something about this family and water. You see, the last time I took their pictures we were shooting at the ocean and I fell in the water. But, yet again I saved my camera--I got the wind totally knocked out of me, but I saved the camera. Next time I will be prepared--we will be headed to a location that is as far away from water as possible :).

Enough rambling and on to the pictures. Don't you just love how little B is looking up at her mom?

Anyone that tries to mess with B better watch out because she has got some pretty tough older brothers!

I had a great time with all of you! I know that I kept you in suspense big bro, but you should be happy to know that you made the blog!

Our Little Menace

2007-10-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't shared any pictures of Brigham in a while and I just couldn't resist this one! He is getting so BIG. We loving call him our little menace because he is into EVERYTHING! He loves to scatter ice around the house, empty all of my cupboards, chew on markers, and throw his food halfway across the kitchen. I realize it is just the age, but it is driving me CRAZY!

And then I look at this cute picture and it makes the crazy days worth it. I could just eat him up he is so cute! And let me tell you, some days it is a really good thing that he is cute. I love this kid.

Tree Climbers!

2007-10-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun yesterday with the B family. They made my job so easy--they were relaxed with natural smiles and they were up for anything. They were also VERY patient as we had to search for some good light and dodge the puddles of mud. We accomplished our goal though and got some great pictures. Isn't Little Z so cute?

I just love how he dad is looking at him. It just melts my heart!

This was last picture of the night. The entire shoot D kept talking about how eventually I was going to make him climb up in a tree because I kept asking them to walk through mud and all sorts of things to get some decent light. Well, at the end D was standing next to the tree and decided to climb it. I will spare you the pictures of him trying to get up, but he made it and it turned out to be a great picture!

Thanks again! I had a lot of fun!