New Photos Posted: Moody Family

It's getting to be that time of year again where the weather is nice and the circumstances are just right to do outdoor photos again. Not too long ago though, I did complete a batch of photos for our friend that I still have yet to share. We took the photos at the Grand America, and they turned out fantastic. I just haven't had much time for blogging or really anything of that sort. Until I can share those photos with you though, here are some that I just finished up recently.

My sister and her husband just celebrated their fourth year wedding anniversary and wanted to do photos to celebrate the occasion. Last year on this same occasion, we did photos at Memory Grove when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. This year, we did photos at the downtown library where there is always plenty of architectural interest to add dimension to any photo. I love the way the photos turned out with just the sort of dreamy edit I'm such a sucker for. 

New Photos Posted: Sarah, Kevin, and Lily

I had a whole concept planned out for these photos which I usually don't do... you see, we prefer to keep things more casual to encourage the kind of magic that happens between frames. Otherwise, the photos appear too composed for our personal taste...

So, as I was saying before, I had a whole concept planned out for this shoot which involved a lovely picnic scene in a park. We had a basket, we had a blanket. We even had a bottle of mock champagne. And still I took photos of my sister, her husband, and her beautiful four month old daughter sitting together on a blanket beneath a tree. But my eyes started to drift towards this flowering tree to the left shortly into the shoot, and soon I could no longer resist the urge to make them get up and move over to this tree. The picnic basket and all the little props that I was hoping would help to set the mood for their photos were no longer required, and all I needed to work with was this lovely, little family radiating through the branches of the tree.

As I edited the photos, my eyes were naturally drawn to my sister, whose sincerest happiness was made clear to me by her ability to shine through every photo I took of her, and it made me happy. It made me happy for her and for her family which has grown since we last did pictures. She has had every bit in confidence in me from the moment we began, and so it makes me proud to be able to give something back and to give her something which I know will mean a lot to her as her family continues to grow and evolve over the coming years.

You can see all of these and more in the Families/Groups, Infants/Children, and Engagements/Couples galleries.

   

Mr. and Mrs. McCue

It seems not so long ago that I was sitting with my brother at our grandmother's house bemoaning my relationship problems. He had tried (and failed) to find someone to keep me company, and then he found someone for himself. It was not too long after that however that Eric and I hooked up, and for both myself and my brother, that would be it. We had each found the people we would be with for the rest of our lives whether we knew it at the time or not.

It took my brother a much longer time than it did for me however for him to finally tie the knot with the one he was meant to be with. And then when he was finally ready to propose to Lacey, it took them even longer still to set a date. It's hard to believe that that date has already come and gone. I expected it to seem much like everything else has seemed in their relationship. Maybe some day they would get married and then maybe some day they would get a house and then maybe some day they would have kids and then maybe some day... yeah, some day has now come and gone, and I can now say that my brother is married. We're still waiting on the kid part, but I'm sure that some day when they are ready that will happen too.

My brother really means a lot to me for reasons that are difficult to go into without hurting any of my other siblings' feelings. I really don't intend anything mean by it because I love all of my siblings, but my brother really has a special place in my heart because he is my brother. Long story... hard things to talk about maybe because it is really difficult sometimes to talk about a parent that's completely out of the picture.

But there's really more to it than that. All our lives, my brother and I have been really close - most of which involved picking on our other siblings. And then one day we didn't spend as much time together. We were growing up and trying to find our places in the world. We didn't have as much time to spend with each other. Some of that has changed over time, and some of it has not. Working as much as I do, I don't get to see my brother as often as I would like. I very often wish that we could get together on a Friday or a Saturday evening and celebrate with a couple of beers or, hell, even a shot of whatever shit I can take down without puking in the sink. Maybe I'd crash on his couch before giving up in the middle of the night and hauling my ass back to my apartment (I like my bed. If you have ever slept in it, you'd understand why). Or maybe we'd stay up until dawn however unlikely it is these days that Zach can stay up that long...

As I've edited these pictures, I've thought a lot about my brother, about the good times that we have had together, about the good times we will have together in the future. It pains me almost to see him all grown up as it does all my brothers and sisters. I will always remember them as kids and not as the adults they have become. But it makes me proud to have each and every single one of them as my sibling. And it makes me proud all of the individuals who have become a part of our family over time as well. Eric. Kevin. Lacey. We are a strange family, but you all fit right in. And, for that, I am truly very grateful!

I feel like there's more to say, but it's just not coming out... just consider me a proud sister who's incredibly happy for her brother. And, as a proud sister, this is my gift to my brother: I took a ton of photos on his wedding day, one thing I can do which might have some sentimental value attached to it. On Facebook, I mentioned that I didn't edit these as Awen Photography. I edited these as me, and that is true. One reason for that is that I want both Zach and Lacey to know where these are coming from (when I say "I", I mean, of course, myself, Eric, AND Colette). They are not coming from us as a business. They are coming from us as family.

But also another reason for not editing these photos as Awen Photography is that I can understand how difficult it is for a photographer who has been hired to shoot a wedding when other photographers are out there shooting pictures as well. It can make you feel completely useless. Why have you even been hired to shoot a wedding if everyone else is taking photos as well?

Anyway, I've gone on long enough. You can find any of these photos on our Flickr page, and we will try to make them available to our family in other ways as well! Congratulations again to my brother and to Lacey! You may or may not read this, but I feel better still having said most of what I wanted to say!

Idle Hands

For the past 4 day's I've been having a bit of difficulty figuring out what to do with myself.

My usual daily life if structured around the routine and responsibility of chasing around a certain 3(almost 4!) year old that Christine and I spawned.

This is not a complaint mind you, I love being a Dad and it's inherent responsibilities. I love the sense of purpose and the knowledge that I am needed and important to another person, more-so the person I care most about.

That person has been on a trip with her Grandparents for the past 4 days(they return later today).

At first I was a bit hesitant about giving the OK for her to take the trip, knowing how it would be hard for both Christine and I to be without our little bundle of "Oops" for that long.

Never before have we been apart from her for more than a day or two.

Then we remember that as parents we must make sacrifices for the good of our Daughter and that she would likely have a lot of fun adventuring around with her Grandparents. A few lonely days we can handle, if only to let her have some fun.

I can hear the other parents out there saying "Quit bitching! You get 4 days off! You get to be independent and spontaneous and lazy for 4 whole days and all you do is complain! Her little vacation is also YOUR little vacation!"

It's true.

I must admit it has been an enjoyable few days of rewinded life. When your concerns were not the bladder status of a wild child or whether or not she has eaten enough today.

Days when the really pressing issues of your life were what movie to go see and what restaurant would provide optimum sustenance and satisfaction.

Because dammit, I'm an adult who is out there in the world and I should be allowed to do whatever I want and get whatever I want!

If I am suddenly overcome with the need to fill my fridge with booze, pudding, and pizza for the purposes of staying up all night being crazy, playing video games, watching movies, and gabbing on with my hip single friends about the injustices of the world, all the while without a care to what I need to do tomorrow, well then I should be able to right?

Meh, I guess so.

Funny thing, I really don't have much desire to do those things anymore.

I don't really know what changed, or what made the change. Could it be becoming a parent or did it just happen on it's own independently? Were I not a parent, would I just be a slightly older, slightly scruffier version of the 25 year old me?

One way or the other, I most certainly have changed.

That word "change"... I imagine that for most people it often brings a fearful twist in your gut, or the sadness of thinking you've lost something you had or were.

This is not the case for me.

Whatever the reason for my "change" I am actually quite glad to have made the turn. These days when I look around at other people who's lives don't revolve around the care of a child I don't envy them. I don't pity them, but I don't desire their "freedom".

These past 4 days I have had every opportunity to go be that 25 year old again, but I just couldn't work up any motivation.

Christine and I haven't waisted our time mind you.

Yesterday we drove up to the Salt Flats to take pictures, and because we were free for the night and were in close proximity to it, we ended up at a Casino in Wendover where we gambled away $20 on penny slots(I know, how lame are we? That's how we roll) and ate crappy Casino food.

It was a grand time all around.

Anyway...

All the while, as our 4 day "vacation" has carried on, I have had a lot of time to think about and observe my thoughts and feelings on being a parent. The main overarching theme that continues to come forth is that it was the very best oops/decision we ever made.

I honestly have a hard time remembering what we did for fun before our Daughter came along.

There are indeed certain sacrifices that come with being a parent but the thing's we have gained far out way any freedoms we may have lost.

Uh oh, I smell a sappy "love my Daughter" ending coming on.

If you haven't picked it up yet, the main point to this post is that we really love and miss our Daughter, even though she can be a little pain in the ass sometimes.
She is our little pain in the ass. And we like it rough.

Whoa, that might not have come out quite how I meant it too. Let me simplify.

We miss you terribly Colette. Both your Mom and I eagerly await your return this afternoon.

P.S. Don't be too freaked out when you see what our idle hands did to our respective hairdos. I cut my mop off and your Mom shaved the side of her head(pictured below). Yeah, idle hands. <