How goes it cowboy baby?

The summer is quickly ending. I have so many many photos to share and edit. Honestly, I have around 5000...

I can't wait to share more with you. I will be getting right on that in the next few days. Along with so many other projects. In the mean time let me share a few things with you.

After a year of feeling like a yo-yo and never seeing each other, the Willits family,  are finally feeling somewhat normal again. On a whim we decided to take a family bonding trip to the Dells the last two days. This included absolutely no cell phones, for the first time since Matthew was born! No one could get ahold of us! No one needed to. It was the best way to start our new chapter. 

I did not shoot many pictures as I swam almost as much as the boys but I will share them with you soon.

In the mean time I have to share this picture for Wall Drug from our return drive from Montana. One of the few places Mike stopped for us...even though he threatened not to during one of our few(very funny) fights we had despite being in the car together 21 hours each way..over photography rules of composition btw. 

I don't think we were speaking when I took this photo...I think this adds to the mood of the photo.

Now I can check Wall Drug off my list of places to see before Matthew grows up. 

More Montana

 Most of my pictures from our trip our from the road...moving. Mike and I were on a mission to find a house. I did not really disclose that before because our whole moving thing has been such a roller coaster since last July that I did not want to start it again. We actually had high hopes and seeing family was helpful...but do you ever feel like you are headed in for a slaughter? That is how we felt about this move. It did not feel good to us at all. The houses we looked at and the places we went did not work.We however, saw the whole state in a week! If you are not familiar with Montana..it is BIG! 

 Mike's dad grilled pizza for us one night. It was nice to see them, even if it was really brief.

Then we were off to Kalispell for Mike to work again. It is so pretty here. It was too bad we could not enjoy it. 

More to come

Simplify...

I have a saying on my wall that reads "Tis a fool who does not return to the place of their last happiness"

This place for Mike is Belt Creek. It is where his grandfather taught him about life, and fly fishing. It is a very special place. 

 This was the cabin that the family had for many years. It is a special place for both Mike and I. One of our good friends from high school got Mike in trouble with his grandfather for his one and only time here. That friend was killed shortly after high school in a plane crash. It forever left a hole in our heart. 

 This is the old mossy fountain that has been keeping the pump going for many years. 

 Then there was grandma...

 Before we even got inside we knew we were there. Her house always smells amazing...just like her. 

 It was a simple joy just to see Mike shucking corn with her.

We went with her out to visit Clair.

She told me so much about the family history as we looked at all the gravestones. 

 And then we were off to get back to Mike's work trip.

But not before a lot of tears and a signature lipstick kiss on Mike's cheek. 

Mike was in big trouble for not shaving btw! The kiss is one of my favorite memories about Dot and I so desperately wanted to capture it. Guess we have to go back:-)

Do you ever just need a good laugh

Today we learned that with 100% certainty we are not moving to Montana. 

There are perks and stresses to knowing this.

At the moment we are taking a moment to breathe...

On the bright side, I think I will finally be able to get back to making signs again:-) I am going to restructure a bit. Stay tuned. 

Swimming with the fishes

Mike and I have had to much to do on this trip. We have not had a lot of time for fun but this weekend we are staying with Grandma Dot who happens to have a pool at her condo. Matthew almost fell over when she told him this. 

 Matthew was thumbs up over the pool at Grandma Dot's

 Mom was thumbs up about using grandpa Bob's new waterproof camera...I think I need to get one of these.

Hold the phone...I forgot the best ones from today

 In the past 9 months we have not seen Mike much. Even though he was home last week using vacation time we were working the whole time with the wedding. We really needed some serious family refill time. Even though this is a working trip, there is no greater blessing than being together. I really mean that. Then I think of my photography mentor whom I adore that just sent her husband to Afghanistan and I thank God...just to be together.

Sometimes being together is enough...

but adding water helps:-)

humoring me...

humoring him...

And if you are reading this Chuck and Port...we miss you(stop laughing Jenny)

Montana...unplanned day 2

After waking up in Forsyth Montana Mike must have felt like he slept in a Holiday Inn Express because he came up with the brilliant idea to hand the bags out the window...

Then he got a call for work...I should mention that this is far from a vacation for him.

 Then we were off to see beautiful Montana...

These are all right out of the camera btw...

Montana really is beautiful

These are all right out of my window. Mike does not make frequent stops.

 I did convince him to take a small break at Pompeii's Pillar because I knew Matthew would love it.

This is the only evidence left of Lewis and Clark's adventure.

 This is a replica of it inside the center. 

 It was really well designed. See the blue print of the river at Matt's feet?

 And then there was the view outside of it.

 Matthew loved seeing the rock chuck..We decided that he was a chubby chuck like our Chuck at home.

 Matt was a very happy kid

 Then we saw the signature on the rock. It has an amazing history. It was first spotted about 50 years after being carved and even then they knew it was something worth saving...There is a lot of history on this rock.

There it  the real signature

 Mike had a bit of computer work to do so he let Matthew and I go into Montana's largest candy store

Then we were off to look around Big Timber.

We said hello to an old friend(quickly) 

and then checked out Bozeman

Bozeman is beautiful but I was not in a shooting mood.

Unplanned, unpacked and on the road...

We are headed for Montana...

The trip came out of nowhere

Some of you reading this will probably be shocked 

Before you hit Montana you have to drive all the way through North Dakota

Did you know you can find happiness in North Dakota? These fields were everywhere and after being in the car together for so long it was nice to see. 

 And the BadLlands...

They were not so bad

Then we saw it...

I had to chuckle when I saw this photo as it is on the ND side and it looks like it! Where are the mountains? That John Denver is full of crap man!

Watched the sun set in Montana for the first time in over two years

Found a diner in a building that was over a hundred years old and full of history

They had old photos up all over from what it looked like back then. They even had a picture of the photographer that took them...

Happy to be here, happy to lay here, happy to be by your side Michael.

Meet Jake

Sorry, if you are just tuning in don't miss my earlier post about my senior shoot yesterday.

I had to share this story with you though. 

Early in the morning as we were shooting Heather took me to meet her horses. She introduced me to Jake and then told me his story.

He had a hard life. He was a race horse that was retired as a police horse. After years of service he was then owned by a young man who spoiled him and loved him. That young man was deployed to Afghanistan...he never returned.

His mom wanted the horse to finish out his life the way he should, so he ended up with this family.

Yes, I cried...and fell in love with Jake.

Had to share a few of my senior pictures

 I don't know if you remember but a few posts back posted a few pics for a senior shoot I did at the fair. 

Yesterday was my actual shoot with the girls. To be honest with you I probably have about 5000 or more pictures to edit right now:-0 

I always process a few right away for my subjects. I just know how I would feel if I were waiting.

Here are a few of the ones I pulled for them. I have to say though... these might not even be my favorites. There are so many cute ones. I am pretty sure the girls are going to have LOTS to choose from

 Seriously!! I am so in love with this picture. She looks adorable...and the fence!!

 This is her sister. There are two reasons why I want to share this with you. One is that I love when someone asks me if I will take a picture for them when I am shooting. I always joke that if you put it in front of me I will click away. It was so fun taking pictures of Jaide and her sister. Mike and I have also discovered that Tattoos add a hidden art to photos and that alone made me happy to take this picture for her. 

I can't even tell you how much fun my day was. Heather had so many ideas and locations for me. I met some of the nicest people ever. I learned about the huge tie that Minnesota has to the civil war. 

Jaide had a garden in her back yard that took 8 years to build and a barn that was over a hundred years old. 

Oh, and then there was the field of garden spiders that were HUGE. We counted at least 10 of them. One even crawled in her shoe and she squished it. I have pictures!

I had to share this one from the carnival "mini" shoot. I love it so much.

Another one I just love! 

I think I have found my calling. I seriously shot from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and looking at these I know I could do it all again.