Just a Thank You

This is a little off-subject, but my dad just came out of some pretty intensive surgery last night with flying colors. He's as hard-headed as they come, and didn't call to tell me he was even going in for surgery until the final hours yesterday.
I called him this morning and he was already out watering his horses, promising me he's not going to try to lift anything today...yeah right.
My point is, short and sweet,
God is Great.
He hears prayers.
From the small little breath-prayers to the On-your-knees-with-your-nose-to-the-floor kind, He's listening, and He cares.

It's strange to me, the distractions of Man. We put a Blessings jar in the center of our dining room table several months ago, with this great idea of writing down the blessings from day-to-day and putting them in the jar, so we'd have a constant, visual reminder of God's grace and mercy. Then the other day I found that jar in a cupboard, over in the corner...isn't that just like us? We always put God in the corner until something comes up that sends us searching the house for Him, dusting Him off.
So small is our grasp on reality, and so Big is our God.

It's just that plain and simple. Believe it or not. I was hundreds of miles away, and nothing I could do, but my other Dad was right there by his side.

If God is everywhere doing all things, then maybe He reads my blog, and I just want to say Thanks, publicly. :) From the deepest corners of my soul, I owe you, big time. :) You're a cool Dad, and I'm sorry I ever put you in the corner.

Blue (and Pink) Angels

At our wedding on Saturday we got a few shots of the Blue Angels as they buzzed the church where the ceremony was being held, since their act was going on at the same time for the airshow. Then, this morning we found out that the show was being put on today also, and we ran out with the kids. There were Blue Angels screaming past us from every angle. It was amazing. I saw them once when I was just a kid, and it was just as great seeing them today.
Can you imagine being on the recieving end of an F18 Hornet, let alone a posse of them?
They may have been intimidating, but at the end of the show this year there was also a Pink Angel, and, I'm sorry, I just have to say that she really wasn't that scary. See for yourself... :)

Scott & Leah

Okay, I had a deeply philosophical blog to post, but then reconsidered, as it might be a little much for posting here. Besides, I'm behind so far on posting what I should be posting that there needs to be a new word created for my tardiness.

Here's a few shots from Scott & Leah's wedding that we shot down in the great state with the bumpy roads...(sorry, telling it like it is).... Iowa.
They actually had a very fun wedding. We got to take some shots on the slide where Scott first asked Leah to marry him. It was an outdoor affair on a very beautiful day, with horses to whisk them away. And, so far, the best hand-written vows I've ever heard. Wow, were they moving!
Usually Kari gives me a little nod and smile from acrossed the congregation every weekend as we hear the wedding vows, as if to remind me to pay attention.
C'mon! I'm a guy, not a rock! I'm hearing every word! 'F-stop down, shutter speed 60, aperture...perfect, good composition, wait for it, wait for it...' :)
We hear wedding vows sometimes two or three times a week, you see. Unlike most couples, Kari and I have the rare opportunity to have Marriage 101, weekly, as we cover these weddings, and to be truthful it really is a great refresher after twelve.....ahem....glorious years together. Sorry, :), just looking for the right words their babe :P
But this time, as the bride and groom were gushing with tears, it was all I could do to keep the lens in focus on them and not my wife.
My wife, as it turned out, was in complete photographer mode. It seems she's become quite the shutterbug from covering all of these events with me.
hmmmmmmmm....... One of these days, very soon, I'm just going to toss her the camera, and Shazam! I'll watch her magically change roles, right before my very eyes.
We were laughing the other day, wondering why God has me doing this kind of photography.
I'm not exactly a people person. I'm easily anxious. I don't like crowds. I like standing up in front of them even less. I get easily distracted when I see something beautiful in my eyes. Plus, we used to have a bit of a rocky marriage, back in the day. I know, you're all shocked! :)
So God says, "Hey, I've got it! Let's have him shoot weddings! He'll have so much anxiety he'll feel sick to his stomach every time, standing at the front where everyone can see him, and capturing the bride coming down the aisle. He'll have to pray to me to help him through it, and he'll know that it's nothing he could ever do on his own. Let's have him working with crowds, and oooooh, better yet, let's have the two of them, working together, every Saturday, so they can hear straight from Me what a marriage is supposed to be! It's a perfect plan!"

Anyone who doesn't think God has a sense of humor....just wait. You'll get yours.

Move Over Hollywood

I have a friend whose wife I used to call Hollywood...
Until today.
Decked out in the babysitter's wacky-wild hair creations, with her brother's sunglasses, dressed head to toe in pink, and cruising the highways and biways of our town's sidewalks in her brother's "wheels", my little girl has somehow transformed into this new creature.
She even learned a dance that literally shocked me into telling her, at three years old, that I'd better never see her doing again. And she learned it from a cartoon of all places!
That's it.
No more Cartoon Network at Nana's house.

Introducing Miss Kara Brown

Well folks,
It's probably very obvious via the blog that things have gotten very busy around here. We're now booking into mid-September for our regular photo shoots.
Our first assistant, Angela, had her last day a week ago, and is scrambling to put together her wedding by July 22nd. Her fiance was given orders to deploy to Iraq, so they are doing all they can to just get married before he leaves.
It's since been difficult to get on top of the workload, but manageable, for one very good reason...

I wanted to take a moment to let you all in on my secret weapon.
Her name is Kara Brown.

I first met Kara about 7 years ago, and even then she made quite an impression.
She's got a beautiful mind and a smile that is infectious, and she's very driven.
I had the opportunity to take her senior pictures a few years ago. I remember we jumped out of the car and went running up into a bean field for a shot that I had in my mind, and we got an amazing portrait of her beneath the South Dakota sky, and even managed to capture that purposed demeanor in her eyes. It was very much a God-thing.

These days she's going to school for photography, and we're hoping she'll be with us from here on out.

Kara hired on to be our part-time assistant a few weeks ago, and with a stroke of luck she's now signed on full-time this week. By all of my standards, (which are picky and usually a little too meticulous) she's going to be a huge success. The girl is just flat smart. :)
Just yesterday she finished her first slideshow for me, and I couldn't find a flaw in the finished DVD.
Some of you will see her around at the next few weddings over the summer, snapping away as our third shooter, and she's quickly picking up on the business.
She's toning, she's coloring, she's editing, she's helping us, greatly.
I very much appreciate having her around, and I'm certain you'll all get to know her very well as she grows with us.
Please take a moment to say hello if you give us a call this week.

Abby Gene

My baby girl turned 3 years old yesterday. Suddenly, everything seems to hinge on transportation, and getting places faster. You know, a 3 year old has places to be, things to do, it being such a Barbie-eat-Barbie world and all...
For her birthday, she got her first bike from Mom and Dad, equipped with water bottle, backpack, helmet and pads (as if we can save her from the bumps and bruises in life), and also a scooter from her Nana.
She was a little nervous at first, and she still hasn't figured out how to brake, so she simply screams and flings her feet up in the air. I don't know why, possibly in the hopes of creating drag and using the wind to slow her down? :)
For now she's atleast cautious, but that won't last. She spent the weaning hours of the day building those leg muscles to pedal up "the hill" in front of our house.
Just the other day I caught her about 4 houses down on her Hotwheel zooming off in the other direction. Not a care in the world, going God knows where, and natural as you please, as if we all see little toddlers heading off to work, the store, the gas station, to and fro, every day. What's the big deal Dad?
She wasn't very happy when I reminded her of where the line ends.
I can just imagine what new horizons will tempt her with her new wheels.