Class of 2011 [Wenatchee senior photography]

Carsey, I still remember the night you came into the world. You were 9 days late, not surprising to know now, because you can be late with the best of them. As soon as we parked, your Dad realized he'd forgotten the camera and insisted he could go home to get it and be back before much of anything happened. I wasn't so sure, knowing you couldn't get ANYWHERE fast in Tacoma. So I checked-in and he headed home. Despite taking your own sweet time to get the ball rolling, you had no problem deciding that when you say now, you mean NOW. I was getting desperate because your Dad hadn't shown up and it was time to push. Then he walked in and you came out like from a slingshot. The doctor almost dropped you! Not one minute before I had been thankful for her "little hands" (someday, you'll understand why) and then I was wishing for big, steady, sticky football-catching-while-running-on-the-ice-hands. But she managed to hang on, or you did, and after a cleanup you were handed to me. Flash forward 18 years and you are getting ready to graduate from high school. You have worked so hard this year, realizing past mistakes are not roadblocks but detours, and that you can always find a way through with a little hard work. I'm proud of you. Proud for you setting your mind to something and then going for it. In the end, that's really what matters. Love you Bug!

Zavala family [Wenatchee photography]

Sweet, sweet family. We found a cool little spot that was right off the highway, but completely private because of a huge swath of greenery. There was an abandoned fruit stand and rocks for eager boys to hunt and toss and examine; rock piles and gnarled, old twisted trees. I love getting to explore a tiny little slice of nature that I wouldn't have taken the time to find otherwise if not for trying to keep sessions fresh and new.

Soup and bread. It's what's for dinner [wenatchee food photography]

Hubby made a delicious chunky yukon gold potato soup with (you had me at) bacon. Hands down the smoothest, creamiest, best tasting potato soup ever. It was so good, in fact, it deserved it's own loaf of crusty, dense, slathered-with-butter, warm from the oven beer bread. So I made that to go along and for two nights now, we have eaten like kings. Simple, satisfied, well-fed kings. Recipe below image.

Yukon Gold Potato Soup

6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
32 oz. chicken stock
1 tablespoon bacon grease
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 pinch thyme
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt
6 tablespoons butter
16 oz. half and half
2-1/2 tablespoons flour
4-5 slices cooked, crisp bacon

1. Dice potatoes into bite-sized pieces, put into stock/soup pot and add chicken stock. Add enough water to cover potatoes (you can add some chicken bouillon if you had to add a lot of water.)
2. Bring to boil then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. In medium saute pan, add bacon grease, diced onions, diced celery, thyme, black pepper, sea salt and bacon.
4. Saute onion mixture until onions are soft, then add to pot with potatoes and broth.
5. Add butter and flour to empty saute pan on medium heat and make roux. Slowly add half and half, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
6. Once roux has thickened, add to potato mixture and simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes.

No more little girls [Wenatchee children's photography]

We see our kids everyday. The changes are so subtle that they seem to sneak up on us. A tilt of the head, a roll of the eyes and suddenly the baby is gone and standing in her place is someone acting a whole lot like a teenager. My 12 isn't a teen yet, just barely turned 12, but has appeared to turn that corner. While we were on vacation last week, 17 asked 12 if she could straighten her hair. 12's big, unruly hair has always been our battleground, with her unwilling to keep it brushed and equally resistant to letting me do it. But all it took was big sister's interest in making it pretty and suddenly it seemed she grew up in an instant. Last night, as DJ and I were laying in bed rehashing our days, he made the comment that he has "no more little girls" and it sounded as much sad as it did wistful. Nope, no more little girls. :(

Outdoor photography [Wenatchee landscape photography]

Wow, a new year already. I took my dog, a Golden Retriever named Gator, for a walk this afternoon. To say it was brisk would be an understatement, but once we got going, I was actually pretty warm. I did have to take off and put on mittens several times to keep my fingers from feeling real pain, but a cold shooting hand is a necessary evil in outdoor winter photography. I had slip-on metal grips on the bottoms of my shoes and felt pretty safe on the icy path and frozen snow. Poor Gator had a few cartoon-style spin outs on the ice but he quickly figured out that walking in the snow kept him on his feet and the two of us plodded along, picking our paths in absolute silence. It was just what I needed to start the year.