Friday, March 28, 2008

Swimmin' with the Fishes

Her Mommy and her brother have been away on a missions trip to Mexico for over a week,
so my daughter has been trying very hard to cope.
She's told me every day since they left that I'm only allowed to work after she falls asleep. :) Literally, I sit down at the computer to tone images and there she is, hovering.
We've had play dates, sleepovers, movie dates, trips to the library, trips to the hardware store (for free tootsie rolls), the Washington Pavillion Cinedome to see Dinosaurs Alive....you name it, we've done it. Anything to keep our minds off of missing Mommy and her best friend, big bro.

Yesterday, a friend of mine called to tell me they had 2 spare goldfish that needed a home or their future would have a dismal, flushed ending, so we went to the pet store....can you guess how this one ends?
Well, we didn't walk out with the cat she desperately had to have 'as soon as our cat dies', or the bird, or the chinchilla, or the hamster, but we did drop a Franklin on a fish tank and the many, many accessories that come with them.
And now we have Star and Beauty, a boy and a girl goldfish. The namesakes are courtesy of my girl.



The dog and the cat, as you can see in the pictures, are completely enchanted by them, see the way the cat is just lovingly hugging the tank...yeah right, THAT'S what he's doing. :)





This morning I heard Abby telling them,
"You can't break this glass, because then the police will arrest us, and we'll go to jail, and we can't go there, because then there won't be anybody to feed all of you animals!" I need to see what kind of cool-aid that girl's been drinking ;)

She promised me and took and oath that she would be responsible and feed them, day and night, and I got it on tape. Evidence for the coming day when I hear a moan and a groan about how it's, SO...HARD, (gasp) TO...TAKE, (ugh)CARE, OF (whimper)...THEM!!!
:)

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Rushmore



We took a last minute trip out to Rapid City to see my dad before he flew out of the airport there. While we were there we had some time so the kids wanted to see Rushmore.
We thought it was a little corny driving up, doing the standard 'family-album' trip to see the Mount. But once we got there, seeing the grandeur and the detail, then the kids' faces when they caught their first glimpse through the trees, it was very much worth the 10 bucks to get in. I didn't remember it costing anything when I was a kid, but then again it didn't look anything like it does now either. The mountain is the same, but the entire walk up is granite and pillars, and the kids really loved the museum.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Respect

I had a few minutes between a photography seminar this week to get outside for some fresh air. Walking down by the falls, the thaw is just beginning, and I was captivated by the mixture of two worlds colliding. In the cold blue ice is a time, frozen still, almost foreign in the shapes and curves. A very quiet beauty.
But there in the slow moving water, you can see Spring striving to take the lead. Somehow, after a long cold winter, the water and the sunlight feels alive to me. There's hope and even the ducks feel it.
They flew in and were doing their best to take advantage of the new break in the ice, so out of sheer respect for their efforts, so that all that paddling wasn't in vain, these images are for you. :)





Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Proofbooks Will Become An Option To Sessions



Just a note, we've talked about not including them for a couple of years, and now that we've got the in-studio viewings and the online proofs, we're finally ready to let go of our Proofbooks. 3 different ways to look at proofs just isn't necessary, it's excessive.

No worries, moms.....Breathe....They'll still be available as an add-on, a little extra something you can order just like any other product. But for those of you collecting them over the years as keepsakes, we'll be getting a little more creative in the cover designs and with the options, to take out some images that you don't want, or to leave off the filenames and page numbers so that the book is a little less busy and more finished for the coffee table.

One big benefit to help set your minds at ease.... turnaround time.
Not having to wait for the Proofbook to be uploaded and then printed and shipped back down to us should easily shave off a few days.
Instead, as soon as we're finished making your pictures beautiful, we'll be able to call you to schedule your viewing, and away we go.
Saving people time is always a big plus, right?

We're really excited to move forward into the digital frames and some of the more creative wall print options and graphic design, and proofbooks are just another part of that traditional era that has been slipping away for awhile now.
Change is good. It helps us grow, and it introduces fresh ideas. Promise.
The new change will take effect for any sessions scheduled after Monday, March 10th.

We look forward to showing you all some of the exciting digital ideas that we'll be introducing in the near future.