Walk for the babies - March of Dimes, Colorado

My neighbor is a strong woman. Stronger than anyone could ever be. Our daughters were supposed to be born the same week in June, almost 10 years ago. Her daughter was born in May and not June, so tiny that her husband's wedding ring fit on her daughter's arm. Her daughter was in the NICU for a few weeks to gain weight and to get better, while my baby girl was born three weeks early with healthy lungs and scores. My neighbor's labor did a number on her and she had to be in the hospital for a few days. When our daughters were old enough, we had play dates together and the difference in sizes between the girls was shocking. Her daughter is a very strong little girl too, just like her mom. A few years later, my neighbor became pregnant again with her little boy. This pregnancy was a lot harder for her than the first one. Her little one was also born premature and in worse shape. Why is this important? Because both children are health and strong today from the help of the March of Dimes. My neighbor does so much work for them raising money to help other children in need. A few weeks ago, she posted on FB to see if any photographers would donate their time to take pictures for the Walk for the Babies. I agreed right away and was very excited to be able to take pictures of these families running and walking for these little miracle children. I was able to meet so many families and hear stories, read stories, and share stories with others. In the process, I took their pictures, their moments, their smiles that will last for a lifetime. What affected me the most was a special flowerbox that had butterfly notes. This was a memorial box for those families who lost a child. Right then and there I wanted to go home and hug my children. I felt so honored to be there and to share in these special moments.

My kids are great models

Sometimes I get lucky and I am able to use my kids as my models. Doesn't happen often since I take a ton of pictures them anyway, but when I can get them to model for me I take that chance. Today was one of those special days. The horses were let out for the first time and the girls went to hang out with them. I grabbed my camera and went to track them down. They were back there talking to the horses, following them around. With camera in hand, I had them pose for me. Always fun when they are in the mood. Cicely is more of a ham than Lizzie, but Lizzie can get her with the smile. They are great kids, lots of fun to hang around with, and not bad looking either. What a beautiful day too! Mother Nature is "supposed" to get cranky later with some rain and winds, but nothing yet. We took this advantage and went to town. Using the sun as our lighting, clouds as the filter, and my two crazy kids I was able to get some pretty cool shots. Still playing around with angles, shading, and focus. Trying to get better as I shoot.

A special birthday for a special friend

Last summer, I was asked to take the pictures at a memorial service for a very special friend (see "The Hardest Shoot"). He left behind so many people who are still trying to live without his smile, laughter, fun. His wife, Theresa, is one of the strongest women I know. What she has had to endure these past months and holding her head high is a true testament what influence Allen had on her and she on him. Their two boys are going to grow up without their father, but will live with his memory. Last weekend, Theresa threw a special memorial birthday for Allen and invited all their friends to celebrate with her. Family, friends, co-workers, and more showed up. When "T" asked if I could photograph again, I said of course! The weather started out nice, but chilly and then got cold! Once I left for another event it was sunny again. Yup, that would be Allen. As the party progressed, Theresa asked that we all meet out in the yard for one special event. Allen's favorite color was pink so as a tribute to him, she had 100 pink balloons and Sharpies for the party-goers to write a special message to Allen or others. It really was a beautiful sight to see all those balloons in the cloudy springtime air. A perfect tribute to a very special man. He might not be here in body, but he did live his legacy behind.

Rodeo Kids Riding hard

A few days ago I went to watch and photograph the kids from our local rodeo team. Showing up around lunchtime, I wasn't able to see all the kids compete, but I did get some great shots of those who were on our team and doing what they enjoy. Being a parent and watching these kids compete, it is hard not to want to cringe and hide your eyes. I have been watching these kids for a few years now and still hide my eyes in some things they do. In this grouping, I was able to watch the boys compete on the saddle bronc rides and the girls do pole bending. Playing with different settings gave me some different perspectives of these pictures and getting lucky taking those just right shots makes me want to get better. And of course, the cuteness factor had to be thrown in for good measure.

Little Girls and their secrets

One of my closest friends invited me to church this past Sunday. My girls and I have gone to a church in the past, but stopped going when our faith in the church and their leaders was destroyed. It has been over a year since we stepped foot inside another house of worship, but with this invitation we decided to go. The morning was crazy like usual, but we got to the church on time. Ok so we ran a few red lights and sped just a little bit. My girls and my friend's daughter are all the same age and temperment. Meaning they are elementary girls with big dreams. I adore watching little girls discuss very important events in their lives. You know.....politics....world peace.....boys. Laura is one of those friends that I can talk to about anything and everything. She is also that friend that if you don't speak for a while you can finish your conversation when you meet up again. So while we were sitting at the stop light (yes, I had to stop sometime) I looked in the rear view mirror and saw these three little heads together giggling and whispering. My older daughter says I have a bad habit to grab my phone and take a picture of whatever they are doing when we are going somewhere. In this instance, it was so important to capture this moment. Why? Because they are little girls for such a short time. This week I have two photo shoots planned. One is for a good friend of mine's birthday. This is very special because this friend past away last summer and on Saturday his wife decided that we needed to celebrate his birthday. The second one is another set of pictures with the rodeo kids. This time it is their individual pictures. I am heading off to one of their local rodeos and trying to capture different moments of their competitions. Love getting busy again!!!

Some beautiful young ladies

For the past six years or so I have been a volunteer for the Elizabeth Stampede. I have pretty much done all the different jobs at the Stampede and have always come back to my top two committees to volunteer for, Royalty and Rodeo. Now Rodeo is tough and a lot of work. By the end of the weekend, I am bruised, blooded, and bushed! I LOVE being a member of the Rodeo Committee and am able to work with an amazing group of people for three long days. One of my other committees I am very dedicated to is the Royalty Committee. I have helped out with everything. From putting on make-up to straighten outfits to calming down moms. Another very hard and long job, but no blood. It is so wonderful to watch these young ladies grow from the beginning of their term to the end. A year or two into my commitment to the Royalty group, I started to bring my camera along. The Chairperson asked if I could take pictures and I gladly said yes. From that point forward, I have learned so many different technique and patience with my camera. I also will give credit to Ms. A. who helped me start this journey of looking through the lens and will always be grateful. This past weekend, we started our next round of young ladies who are interested in trying out to become the Elizabeth Stampede Royalty Queen and Attendant. We didn't get the turn out that we hoped due to illness, spring break, and prior commitments, but we still had a great time. Taking pictures indoors has always been a challenge, but going through these pictures a few times, I am not looking at the flaws in the pictures but the beautiful young women whose personalities shine through the images. Yes, there are shadows behind some of the poses and yes some might be slightly blurry. I am just proud that these young ladies came out to listen to the talks and walks and enjoyed the day.