The Fillhart Family

I am lucky enough to call these beautiful people family!

Oh how I love this funny family.  The only downfall with this family is that they are so awesome that everyone wants to hang out with them so we have some serious competition if we want to spend time with them.  Thankfully they live close and we are able to spend birthdays, holidays, ski days and "hang out" days with them....so take that!

I love having nieces and spending time with them.  I find that they older they get...the more I love to hang out with them.  We paint our nails, go shopping together and watch wedding and cooking shows and I LOVE IT!  I hope that we will always be close and that they will want to continue to hang out with me!

 I can't believe how much this beauty has grown up!  Stop it little girl!

 And this one.....always has me in stitches.  Her laugh is so contagious.  The boys LOVE to hang out with her.

Stacey and Paul are so gracious, giving and loving.  They have helped us so much over the years that we can't even begin to say thank you.  We are grateful for all that you have done for us and we love you guys.  

They also make me laugh like no one else.  Chris and Paul are like brothers and it is so funny to hear/see their texts back and forth.  Seriously....LOL.

I love that they wanted to go downtown to the newly renovated Union Station to have their pictures done.  I don't get to do Urban sessions very often so I had fun finding spots and getting creative with down town Denver (and almost getting hit by a bus....that part was not as fun. YIKES!).

Thanks for letting me do your pictures (finally-hee hee) and for living life alongside us.

 Love you!

To see the entire gallery of pictures from this session click here.

To see more pictures LIKE my Facebook page or visit my website.

A Dino-mite Birthday!

So often I don't blog personal stuff.  It seems like time marches by too quickly and then by the time I get around to blogging the "every day" stuff, too much time has gone by and it seems like a waste of time.  But I am trying to be better about living in the moment and enjoying my kids as they are growing up so quickly.  So here I go.

I love birthday parties.  I love to plan them and execute them.  Usually I go way overboard and tend to almost die from stress during the process.  My husband is so wonderful.  He deserves a medal for having to put up with me during the week leading up to a party.  This year was a bit different.  Life was busier than usual leading up to Jameson's party, so I had to kind of wing it.  Guess what.....it still turned out amazing.  Perhaps I need to take a more laid back approach more often.  Also, HUGE credit goes to my mom who held my hand through this and did much of the work!  Thanks MOM!

Jameson is really into dinosaurs.  We may (or may not) have let him watch Jurassic Park and since then...dino obsession.  Don't judge.  He is the youngest of three boys and sometimes you get a little lax.  We NEVER would have let our oldest watch that movie when he was 5, but they grow up faster when they have older siblings.

None of the other boys were into dinosaurs and it has been really fun to have a dino-boy in the house.  We have gone to Dinosaur Ridge near our house, the museum, digging for "bones" in the sandbox (although I am pretty sure it was just cat turd from the neighborhood cats that frequent our sandbox-ugh).  So when it came time to plan a party, there was no other theme considered.

After haunting Pinterest, I found the best (read- cheap and easy) party ideas and got to work (a week before the party).  I really wanted to make dinosaur tales, but with it being the last week of school, having a ton of photo shoots, swim practices/meets, baseball practices/games, I didn't think it would happen.  Mom to the rescue. She convinced me to make it happen and as quick as you can say "crazymomasaurus" we were off to the fabric store.  We found some fun fleece and a pattern on Pinterest (you can find the link here) we were in business.  I helped cut out, pin and stuff.  My mom did all of the sewing which was a huge blessing.  They went together pretty easy and they were totally worth it!!!  The kids loved them and wore them all during the party.  The older/younger siblings and cousins were all jealous and wanted to try them on.  The boys even wore them in the car on the way home (which was a little tricky) and I even got a picture the next morning from one of the moms with her son sitting at the breakfast table with his tale on.

T-rex imitation

After all the dinos got to the party, they did a little "follow the leader".  They had so much fun imitating each other.

 Then some of the kids went ziplining while the other kids dug dinosaur bones out of the ice.  I found some cute plastic dinosaurs and bones at US Toy company.  I also found the perfect sized containers.  They were for paint, but they worked perfectly!  The kids had so much fun with all of the hammers and plastic tools.  Yes, I am that mom who gave six 5-6 year old boys hammers and sharp carving tools (no children were harmed in the making of this birthday party).  Then we switched and the kids did the other activity.  They all had a blast!

 

The tails even went ziplining.  

I like Corbin's style

Note the tail up and over the chair.  So cute.

 Cake and presents!  I was able to make the dinosaur skeleton from looking at a drawing online.  I originally did it on wax paper, but I couldn't transfer it.  So, I had to redo it right onto the cake, but it turned out better than I could have imagined.  This cake was a.....piece of cake.  Just what I needed for this party.  We also served Dino toenails (Bugels), regular chips, Dino eggs (Jelly Bellys) and Dinosaur blood (green Koolaid) to drink.

Thanks for coming friends! 

 After the party, we hung out at Nana's and got pizza!  Jameson got his own "cheeseless" pizza.  He was in heaven.  On the way home from the party he said "Mom, you and Nana and Bapa worked so hard to make my birthday party so much fun.  Thank you.".  Made it all worth it!

Happy 6th Birthday JJ!  We had so much fun celebrating with you.

Caught Up!

Those are two words I didn't think I would ever utter.  Especially heading into my busiest season.  But it is true.  I am caught up (on editing at least, not in real life mind you).  I have edited all of the pictures that I have taken (except a few from second shooting a wedding, but those don't count).  I even did my own pictures (and the retakes)!   I even input my expenses from the last 4 months.  I am feeling good.  It helps that I have been subbing the last 2 days and that while the lovely students at D'Evelyn have been furiously working, I have been working hard too!  I love having a laptop and being able to bring my photography work to my teaching work.  Win-win!

And now for the reveal.  Every year my sister and I (okay mostly me, I have to drag her kicking and screaming because like most normal people she feels like photo shoots are a form of ancient Chinese torture) take all 6 kids and try to get some pictures of them for my mom for Mother's day.  It always hits at the busiest time of year (okay let's be honest....every time of year is the busiest when you have kids) and we always have to scramble to get it done.

This year I had grand illusions of using a neighbors fun old  truck for the picture.  So on Mother's day, we ventured out to try to get pictures.  6 kids, 4 parents, 2 grandparents and neighbor and an old orange truck.  Too many people.  It was rough.  The kids did NOT want to be there and one of mine was sick.  But we pushed through.  *note.  As a photographer, taking pictures of your own kids is the HARDEST thing you will ever do.  They get surly and bored and give lots of fake smiles.  ARGGGHHHHH!

When I got home and looked at the pictures, I was upset.  My camera was having issues with back focusing and it was super sunny and I was shooting into the sun......yada yada yada.  All combined to make for a not happy photographer.  Hence the reason why no one has seen these pictures.

So......we have been trying to schedule a redo.  Not easy when sister (see above note) really didn't want to do it again.  But pushy little sister got her way and when we were up at the cabin for Labor Day weekend, we drug the kids out and tried again.  This time was a little bit better.  The weather was sketchy and we had to wait out the rain and then jump out of the car, take as many pictures as possible and then run back to the car.  So, I took pictures for about 10 minutes (and a different kid was sick this time) and it was pretty chilly outside.  Then the skies opened and it poured!  End of pictures.  But, at least I got a few that I was somewhat happy with.  Again, hardest job ever!

So here are the highlights of our "Nana" shoot.  4 months in the making.

Take One:

Take 2 (It was a little dark and dreary so most of them looked better in black and white...which I happen to love).

Here's to being caught up for at least one day!

Anniversaries

Today is my Blogaversary!  I started this blog 2 years ago.  I can't believe it has gone by so quickly!  I have really enjoyed sharing my thoughts, business, photography and life with y'all.

Today marks another anniversary.  Not a good one.  6 years ago today, we lost a member of our family.  Chris' dad passed away in a freak accident while in Lake Powell with his best friends.  There are so many things about that day and the days following that I remember with freakish clarity.  I remember where I was when I heard the news.  I remember meeting with the mortuary and saying "I never thought this is what I would be doing today".  I remember having to tell my husband that his dad was dead.  Worst moment of my life.

Time heals.  But not completely.  We still miss him, still wish he could have met his youngest grandchild (he will someday) and we still wonder exactly what happened that day.

But you know what?  It doesn't matter.  We have a hope and a future.  We have a God who works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

We don't have to know why or how.  We just have to trust that God is in control and that He will take care of us.

Happy 6th Anniversary in Heaven John!

Big Sisters

When you are growing up...big sisters can be a pain.  They boss you around.  They scare you.  They threaten to kill themselves by sticking their finger in a light socket if they don't get their way.....oh wait, maybe that was just my sister.  She sure knew how to manipulate me and she was always better at everything!

Then you move into high school and they take you under their wings and show you the ropes.  You sing fun songs together and play the electronic keyboard on the dashboard together.  You stay up late sleeping in the same bed and on Christmas eve you whisper and play games late into the night.

They go to college and you miss them like crazy and start to resent the boy who is stealing her time from you.

Then you stand up at their wedding and fall in love with one of the groomsmen....oops, maybe just me again.

Then you become moms and they are the first phone call you make when you are wondering what is wrong with your kid, or how get them to stuff fussing.

Then you grow even deeper.  You are there for each other at the deepest levels.  You finish each other sentences and laugh (or cry) over late night text messages.  Your run over to their house late at night when their husband is out of town and they think they heard a strange noise.  You come over to their house and borrow a can of beans without asking and forget to replace it.  You manipulate them into making you warm chocolate chip cookies (the padawan has become the Jedi master).

I don't know what I would do without her and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love ya big sis.  Happy Birthday!

Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Pinterest Challenge Day 8 & 9

Day 8:

I am going to combine two days.  I know….slacker.  I have taken on some ordering and shipping work from a photography company that takes pictures at the big bicycle races all over Colorado.  So yesterday was spent in front of a computer screen.  Lame.  It won’t be as lame when I get the paycheck, but for now it was lame.  Now I am trying to play catch up!

Yesterday (in the midst of data entry) I ran out to do a photo shoot.  Ding Ding.  A chance to get my Pinterest Challenge done for the day.

I was taking pictures for a couple that I have known since High School.  I was in youth group with their daughter.  They are an amazing family and she wanted some pictures to document their 40^th anniversary.  Awesome, right?

So I went onto my “Couples” board and bingo…I found a shot that I wanted to get.  I loved this shot of this couple dancing from Brian Powers Photography.

You can find this picture on my "couples" board.

 I thought it would make for a great shot that is very natural looking and produces easy smiles.  It is easy to give directions for also.  Many people, especially men tend to be uncomfortable in front of the camera and you really have to show them what you want.  It is too hard to describe….better to just actually show them how you want them to pose. 

So when we were about halfway through our session I had them to go into the field and then told them to start dancing.  They laughed!  Apparently she doesn’t ever dance (even with his prodding at weddings and such).  I forced them to anyway and I loved how it turned out.  Don’t they look carefree and happy!  I know it is far away, but their kids don’t know they did this shoot, so I was trying to keep it from being too close up.  But stayed tuned….there are some amazing shots of these two to come!

I am kicking myself that I didn't get a little closer to get their facial expressions, but I didn't want to make her even more self conscious (I did get some that were a little closer than this one, but not as close as the one on Pinterest)!  

I will defineatly be trying this again in the future.  It just loosens them up and gets them smiling and laughing.

Day 9:

Today it was finally time to do something with the boys.  In the past, I have shyed away from doing crafting projects with the boys.  For those of you with all girls...I am about to rock your world.  My boys VERY RARELY sit still long enough to do crafty things.   I have TONS of coloring books.  No one ever colors in them.  When I pick up JJ from Sunday school I see all of these beautifully colored sheets.....from the girls.  My son's has one color (usually green because that is his favorite color) and maybe 2-3 scribbles.  Boys just don't sit still long enough to do those kinds of things.  This used to be distrubing to me.  I used to spend HOURS coloring.  I kept buying coloring books to entice them to color, but it NEVER happens.  

Therefore, I am always skeptical of doing crafty projects with them.  I think the tide is turning.  They sat for a good 20 minutes at the table today working on our challenge.  It gave me warm fuzzies.  Especially because the reason I picked this particular project was that it would be quick and easy.  I thought it would be 5 minutes or less.  WRONG.  They loved it and were so much more creative than I gave them credit for!

Here is what we did today.:

I thought that with Tanner still working on reading, this would be a good one.  I also thought it might entice them to do some more reading this summer.

Here is what we started with:

I bought these at Hobby Lobby.

I decided to pull out some other leftover craft items from other projects including more eyes, pom poms and pipe cleaners.

 Then you get this:

Don't you think he looks like Christopher Lloyd as the bad guy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

JJ decided the monocle look was more for him.

 Here are our finished products.  Don't you think they turned out way more fun than the one on Pinterest?

Stitch is helping to showcase JJ's final product.

Don't you think that Makai looks like the bad guy from Rocky and Bullwinkle?
 

JJ had to get in on the mustaches

And...so did Tanner

This was so much fun!  Thank you Pinterest for making a boring Tuesday afternoon tons of fun.  And making me realize that my kids might not sit for hours and color, but they can still be creative and have fun doing crafty things.

This was from my "Good Ideas" board.  And it delivered.  It was a good idea!