Amy Kaylor Photography

Air Force One!!!!

2012-01-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

Air Force One flew into the airport just a mile North of our house this past week and we got front row seats to the landing and motorcade! It was very exciting to say the least to see all the pomp and circumstance for this ONE man. Even though we differ in our political views, I wanted to share with our kids how to show respect for our President and it was SO fun!! I'm glad it was a half day of school and I'm thankful for the sweet man who let us sit in his lobby office and hide out til the plane came into view.

Birthday Portraits in the Park!!

2012-01-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

This year I will be offering monthly photo sessions for kiddos' birthday portraits! I used to take my girls to Picture People and the like when they were younger and always left feeling like they didn't capture my child and I spent WAY too much money. I want to give parents some personality as well as some beautiful images they will treasure always. Here are just 2 from January and please contact me at cactuskaylor@gmail.com if you would like to book a session for February!!

Happy New Year!!!!

2012-01-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! I've already had a couple more New Year photoshoots and am excited to see where God takes my business in 2012. I plan on keeping my prices affordable so that every family interested can have a portrait for years to come! I'm also offering birthday portraits in the park each month for those birthday babies!! Cupcakes, balloons and your darling kiddo sounds like the perfect mix for me.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!

2011-12-17T06:50:00.001-08:00

Meet Baby T!!

2011-12-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

Meet Baby T. She is just a little over 4 weeks and was very awake and wiggly for our session together. Sadly, it was a rainy day, so we did the best with the light from a window in Mommy's room. She was so happy and gave us some wonderful looks including this one! Welcome Baby T...you are very loved!!

Large Family Portraits...

2011-12-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share a little bit about my philosophy when it comes to family portraits. I think every family should have one every year!! I want to keep my photography affordable for big families such as these so that they can have the memories too. I'm not trying to undermine my fellow photographers in my area, but it seems to me that I would much rather have the blessing of giving the gift of a moment in time to others than having my prices so high that these families miss out on the beautiful portraits!

More adorable families!!!

2011-12-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

Every sessions with the families that I have done for Christmas have been so different! I've learned so much about posing and lighting along the way and look forward to Christmas next year already just for the family portraits!!

More Mini Session Peaks!!!!

2011-11-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful this year I stepped out in faith and decided to put myself out there for family portraits! I believe every family should be able to easily afford portraits to capture memories for years to come! Here are some of my recent favorites and I hope I can continue to bless families with affordable family photography!!

More Mini Sessions!!!

2011-11-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

Crazy, crazy busy, but I am loving all of my mini-session families, kids, brides, etc.! I feel totally blessed to be capturing such precious moments along the way while having so much fun. Here are couple more from the past couple of weeks and there are more to come from this past Saturday including a group of 23!

Black and White!!!

2011-11-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

I love black and white photos...love, love, love them. I would print most of my photos without color if my hubby would let me, but he's the color guy! Here are just a few of my favorites from our mini-sessions....gorgeous!!!

Couples!!!

2011-11-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the couples of the families from our Mini-Sessions. As it turns out, some of them have not had their picture taken together in years....just the 2 of them. For time sake, we had to kind of keep going with the same types of poses, but I can totally see myself doing more couples in my future. I could still see the great connection between these beautiful people as they look over at each other across their kiddos...across the years together, the bumps, the highs, the joys of being married with children!

The Happy Howey's

2011-11-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

I have known and loved this family ever since we moved here to Phoenix 11 years ago. Robbin and I seemed to always be pregnant together and we even have 2 kids just 1 day apart. They have some chickens now at their house, so we added them in for some family portraits at The Pecans.

2011-10-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

Oh my, oh my what a week of editing, sifting, sorting and having the best time ever with these darling kiddos!! Here are just a few shots (but I have so many more) from this past weekend's mini-sessions!!

2011-10-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say that I fell in love with Boston! I loved the charm, the history, the food, the colors, the quaint cities down to the Cape, the food, the weather, the desserts, the clam chowder, the brick, the Commons, the food...did I mention the food? Our family had an amazing time visiting the sites, but especially loved our train ride up to Salem and our gorgeous ride down to Chatham. Not sure when I'll be back to the East coast so I tried to capture my memories and these are just a handful of my favorites!!

Beauties times 3!!

2011-10-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

Photographed this beautiful family (Dad's pics coming soon) in their home. I could do photo shoot after photo shoot in their home as it is perfectly decorated in every way! The girls skin is amazing and their blue eyes just popped in every picture. Thank you Dillon family for letting me capture your stunning ladies!

The Great Dane named Deuce!!

2011-09-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

Meet Deuce and the family that loves him! This was my first photo shoot with a pup and it went surprisingly well! Now mind you, it's still well over 100 degrees here right now, so I kept this shoot movin' and shaken' as to not have the make up all running down these darling ladies' faces. I love this family and their love for each other showed through...especially the sister's who adore one another!

Honest to goodness "sun flare"!!

2011-09-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a fabulous retreat in the woods outside of Payson and was able to capture this beautiful sun flare picture and it's SOOC~straight out of the camera. I love how the sun showed up just in time as I was walking to breakfast and how the SON also showed up in a powerful way this weekend shedding HIS light on all the women who attended.

Baby Announcement Idea...

2011-09-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

I used to enjoy making my own baby announcements years ago with stamps, vellum, ribbon and what not, but now I could totally see how I could use my photography too! This was a fun little idea I started off with in PSE by using a faded picture of Mom and Dad then popped the baby pic over that with a nice frame. I see the endless possibilities and hope to do more very soon!!

Newborn!!!

2011-09-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Baby J here is just 7 days old while Big Brother Z is 2! Both boys were quite wiggly so I did the best I could to capture some darling pictures. I love how starting off on my own has brought new challenges to my work along with learning my limits, strengths and weaknesses too along the way. Thank you to this sweet family for giving me the wonderful opportunity to provide you with images from that 1st week of Baby J's life!

Picture Day!!!

2011-09-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

Years ago I started taking my own pictures for school for the girls. I've never really loved the school pictures and they seem to be very high priced for the quality you receive. If you would like me to take some non-traditional school pictures, look me up! I'd be happy to!!

Christmas Mini~Sessions!!!

2011-09-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Announcing Christmas Mini Sessions on just a few Saturdays in October and November. I'm going to be shooting with my talented photographer friend, Jennifer with Aesthetic Focus , and together we will give you 30 minutes of shooting time, a CD with 10 images to print anywhere you'd prefer and lots of loving and giggle time with your family for just $50!! Call me today to find out more as I announced this on Facebook and in my neighborhood and there are just a few slots still available!! Thank you so much for you continued support of Amy Kaylor Photography!!

Christmas Family Mini Sessions Will Be Announced This Weekend!!

2011-09-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

Mini Family Sessions Coming Soon....

2011-08-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

Coming very soon, I will be announcing Family Mini Sessions for Christmas! My very talented friend, Jennifer over at Aesthetic Focus, and I will be working together this year to provide families with amazing photos for an even more amazing price! Check back often for more details!!!

Grand Opening!!!

2011-08-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Amy Kaylor Photography is officially open for business! Many people have asked me what I charge for sessions, so I thought I would post here what I am currently offering! In honor of my grand opening, I'm providing Family Sessions for $100!! For that amazing price, you will receive at least 1 hour of posing, laughing, hugging and spending time doing what you love with your family at 1 location and a CD with approximately 25-30 images that you may print at your leisure. I will give you permission to print those images anywhere. My purpose with my photography is to provide affordable and beautiful images of your family telling the story of your connection with each other. Call me today at 602-758-3920 to book your session!

And baby makes 4...

2011-08-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

This darling family is adding another little boy to the mix very soon and before I capture them loving on a new baby, I thought I would snap a few shots of them as a family of 3. I remember when baby #2 came home and it's such a joy to all of sudden seeing your very own child start experiencing that love for another....of course until that baby crawls and starts taking toys away!

My Favorite Marine!

2011-08-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is my nephew Brandon who has wanted to be a Marine since he was a young boy. Thank you for serving our country B with all of your heart! Ooh~rah!!

Sun...and lots of it!!

2011-08-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

On thing I'd love to master in my pictures is that amazing sun glare we get so much of here in the Valley of the Sun. It seems to be there at every photo shoot and this is one of my favorites.

Places we go..

2011-08-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here are just some pictures of places our family has visited and of course loved. I love capturing the feel of the destination and helps to take me back there. Maui, Turks and Caicos, Nebraska, Sonoita and our very own backyard! I'm pretty sure that AZ has THE best sunsets when it comes to colors that are painted in our sky!

Meet Elijah!!

2011-07-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

I had the blessing today of doing my “first” real newborn shoot! His name is Elijah and he is loved by his darling family…Andy, Melissa, Cadence and Izzy! I tried some different things with him and he obliged not to mention, I worked with some crazy back lighting in the bedroom as well as some shaded areas too in the home. I am excited to keep working on getting it right, SOOC, the first time!

Nebraska July 2011

2011-07-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

I took well over 500 pictures while in Nebraska and these are just a few of my favorites! I loved all the dilapidated barns, railroads, vintage phone booths and much much more. Enjoy and I hope to post more very soon!!

Erin and Kevin~Married!

2011-06-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege and blessing to be the 2nd shooter at a wedding here in Phoenix. Erin and Kevin met and fell in love and were married within 15 months of their first date. I love that! When you know, you know. Here are some of my favorites from the day….

Special and many thanks to Tara at www.redthreadphoto.com who let me tag along for the fun ride!

Under Construction!!!

2011-06-24T16:28:00.001-07:00

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!!!! Hoping to get my new blog up and running very soon. Amy Kaylor Photography is on it’s way and I couldn’t be more excited!!!

Baptism!!!!!

2011-06-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

When Sophia was just 5 years old, she asked Jesus into heart at VBS…later that Summer while her Grandpa Bill was getting baptized, Sophia decided to run into the pool as well and confess her love for Jesus. It was so sweet

and a day I will never forget! She was the only one in a dress unprepared for baptism, but she just didn’t care!

Well after this past week at camp, she learned far more about what baptism truly is…an outward confession of a changed heart! With my hoppin’ house of 6 kiddos, I totally forgot that our church was doing baptisms til I saw a picture of all the youth from camp on Facebook getting baptized. I reminded Soph and she immediately asked to be

taken over to be baptized…and even sweeter, she was baptized with her camp buddy and sweet friend, Sara.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Flower Pens For Sale!!! $3

2011-06-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Sophia’s Pen’s Shop is officially open for business. Her cousin taught her how to make these adorable pens and now she has big goals to make money at her church and for Jesus, for her school and at their carnivals and perhaps local doctor offices too. They are $3 each and they come in any color really! So fun and such a great past time!!

Higley Track Meet

2011-04-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

The girls participated in a district wide track meet for all the kiddos from K-8th. They all did the long jump and either 50m or 100m. It was tons of fun and I think it gave them a little taste of some fun to come in middle school. Chloe ran the fastest in the 50m with a time of 9.12 and Sadie a close second at 9.22 for all the 1st graders. Great job little ladies with long legs!!!

40 Days For Life

2011-04-06T16:58:00.001-07:00

Today I totally stepped out of my comfort zone! I joined my very good friend, Peg, in front of our Planned Parenthood clinic here in Chandler to pray for the unborn. I met some other lovely ladies who also feel very strongly that we as Christians need to take a stand and show our support for life. I only stayed for about an hour, but I left knowing without a doubt that we all need to do more! Girls need to know the truth about abortion and the emotional and spiritual ramifications their choices make in their lives. It’s not “easy” and it’s not “no big deal”! Many pastor’s have become very complacent with abortion and seem to shy away from advertising these types of events that are happening in our communities…sad, so very sad. The Lord spoke to me clearly that I can do better in this area of my life…what about you?

Cake Pops

2011-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Todd’s very crafty cousin, Chiara, I decided to try these darling Cake Pops. Sophia was my assistant and we had tons of fun. You can check out a better tutorial on Cake Pops at www.calicoandcupcakes.blogspot.com Chiara is full of great craft ideas too for Easter!!

Piano Recital

2011-04-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

Paige is an old pro now at recitals and I love seeing her confidence grow in her songs. She chose Let’s Go Fly A Kite and did a lovely job. Sadie got hurt during gymnastics last Fall and so she decided that was not her thing any longer…even though she is very good at it. Sooooo….she began piano in January and she chose It’s A Small World for her debut. She was a bit nervous, but played her song through twice beautifully! Sadie has also been the one to sing in this house ALL the time. She will turn anything into a song, so she has also started voice lessons to go with her piano. It’s a full time job just juggling piano, horse, gymnastics, voice and we will be adding guitar here soon to Sophia’s schedule. Not too many things on the calendar, but just enough to keep everyone busy and growing in something they love! I’m so thankful the Lord gifted all my children so differently so the competitions are not an issue.

Recognizing God’s Voice….by Rick Warren

2011-03-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

We always visit Saddleback Church while on vacation in Cali. I have to be very honest, I am very careful to listen for God’s voice above all the noise of that church. It’s HUGE and has it’s hands in all kinds of things…perhaps too many things. But with that said, I heard God’s voice like nothing else this past trip and wanted to share something that I have always struggled with….hearing God’s voice!! Rick Warren carefully outlined 7 filters per say that when an idea comes into your head, you should pass it through these 7 questions and then you will indeed be able to know whether this is from God, yourself or from Satan himself.

*Does it agree with the Bible? Luke 21:33

*Does this make me more like Jesus Christ? Philemon 2:5

*Does my church family confirm? Proverbs 11:14b

*Is it consistent with how God S.H.A.P.E.’d me? Ephesians 2:10

S~Spiritual Gifts

H~Heart

A~Ability

P~Personality

E~Experience

This was my favorite part of the message. I loved his examples of how some people

serve in church in places they are not gifted! Use your gifts for the Lord!!

*Does it concern my responsibility? (Don’t be the Holy Spirit for and to others) John 21:22

Another great part of the message when you feel like the Lord has given you a message

to pass on to someone else! Ha…most likely the Lord will reveal himself to that person

so you don’t have too! Pray…and usually the Lord will use you when you are not

expecting it to be a WORD to someone else.

*Is it convicting rather than condemning? Romans 8:1

Conviction comes from God~exposes wrong and needs to change

Condemnation comes from Satan~attacks your value..you are worthless

*Do I sense God’s peace? 1 Corinthians 14:33

So the next time you are wondering about an idea that just pops into your head or facing a decision and are at an impass, run it through the above 7 questions and see how God speaks.

The Beach...

2011-03-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

This pretty much sums up the fun my girls have at the beach. They are happy to visit in clothes just running around or in bathing suits and going in! Either way…they are happy as can be and free as birds while at the beach. I love to sit back and just watch them now…pure relaxation!

My artsy pics...

2011-03-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Flowers in the OC..

2011-03-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

The Montage

2011-03-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Another one of our favorite stops in the OC is the cliffs at The Montage. It reminds me of a little piece of a tropical island with beautiful plants, palms, ocean views, flowers and the perfect place to have a picnic at sunset. Sophia played some football with her Daddy and is getting quite proficient at the spiral throw! And I worked on my Project 52 assignment which is to take a picture that represents a song or lyrics in a song. I chose Butterfly Kisses and tried to capture those sweet kisses on Daddy’s cheek. I’m still tossing around another idea as well, but we’ll see if I can pull it off before Monday!

San Diego Zoo

2011-03-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

What a picture perfect day at the San Diego Zoo! All the animals were awake, except the Koalas, and were so up close for our viewing pleasure. We decided to walk the entire zoo rather than take the guided bus tour so by the end of the day, I was SO pooped!! I took so many pictures and truly stand in awe in God’s creation!

The Strands….

2011-03-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

We took a lovely walk/hike around The Strands near Dana Point. The flower, cliffs, views of the majestic ocean are just so amazing! Not to mention the gazillion dollar homes along the way! One house in particular has a HUGE flat screen TV outside by his lap pool which is below his “other” infinity pool. Crazy moola!! We are grateful to visit this beautiful place.

Train Station...

2011-03-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

There is the coolest train stop in San Juan Capistrano and I wish I had an entire day and children that aren’t sick of having their pictures taken to walk the streets around here. There are really cool painted doors, arches, old mission, old country markets and the like that I could photo all day long!!! Perhaps…someday. LOVE SJC!!!

Zoomars

2011-03-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

There is the cutest little petting zoo, Zoomars, in San Juan Capistrano and as I look at these pictures, I stand in the awe at the beautiful creations that God has given us to enjoy. The colors, the textures, the personalities of all the animals showed through as we fed them, touched them and rode them. I stand in awe of these little creatures…thank you Lord for making them all for us to enjoy!

Handstand on the beach...

2011-03-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Todd and I laughed and laughed as we tried to capture this picture of me doing a headstand on the beach. I’m still participating in the Project 52 and the challenge of the week was another self portrait. I loved what this picture says to me…looking at the world from a totally different perspective and that is what God calls us to do! I never want to follow the mainstream world views when it comes to being a wife, mom, daughter, sister…etc. I want to stand differently and I pray that my testimony shows just that!

Painting the Fire Hydrants Yellow!!!

2011-03-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, our church hosted a weekend of Community Service Projects for the town of Queen Creek. There were several projects to pick from and our family chose painting the fire hydrants. What a super fun family outing and we felt like community helpers too. Thanks Rock Point Church…you rock!

Project 52!!

2011-03-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

A bug’s perspective….so I grabbed this shot of our palm tree in our backyard. I really wanted to capture a tall blooming flower, but everything is still quite brown around here. This week was titled, “broken”, so I went with something I feel is broken everyday…God’s laws. I love the composition of the barbed wire in front of the billboard. And this week was…old cars! I took this in Nebraska, but I still submitted it cuz I just loved the old car and leaning barn.

Our Favorite Marine!!

2011-02-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

Brandon came to visit us this weekend from Twenty Nine Palms where he is currently stationed while he goes to Communications school. Sadly, it was pretty rainy all weekend so we layed low, ate some fabulous meals and saw Gnomeo and Juliet. The girls loved playing Uno and Apples to Apples with him and Mocha loved playing ball non-stop with him. I was terrible about pics, but I do love this one right before the boys went out for a little jog. Little for Brandon and almost killed my hubby. ;o)

Jog A Thon!!!

2011-02-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

The girls all ran 10 or more laps and both Daddy and I joined them. Our caped crusader, Mr. Monroe also ran laps with the kids. It was so super fun and I’m trying to think how will we top it next year?!

Blackhawk….

2011-02-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

Our rockin’ Principal, Cort Monroe, had a Blackhawk helicopter land at our school to kick off Cortina’s Jog A Thon. I can’t really tell you in the words the excitement that was surrounding the entire day from the kids and staff. We also had the ASU cheerleaders, the Gilbert Police and Fire Department all in attendance. Whatta day!!

Arizona Sunsets….

2011-02-20T15:02:00.000-08:00

are just hard to beat. I’m amazed at the colors we see here night after night. Truly God’s paint palette!

Our Pet Butterflies!!!

2011-02-20T14:58:00.000-08:00

Sadie and her sisters raised larvae to butterflies. We had a release day and it was bitter sweet. The colors were just beautiful!

Centennial Jog A Thon

2011-02-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

I love the Jog A Thon fund raisers at our school. All the money just goes to the school without me having to stock up on cookie dough, wrapping paper and the like. I just love how spirited the kiddos get jogging to raise money. This year, Sophia’s school honored Kate Mcrae by all wearing pink on the day…even some boys wore pink. It was super fun and I got to jog with my little lady a little bit too.

Decade Day & Valentine’s Day

2011-02-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

Decade Day inspired Chloe to go 50’s and Sadie to go 70’s. It was fun getting them all put together for Spirit Week…backwards day, pink day, sports day, etc. As the girls get older, the parties become less of a big deal at school and one of my children has gone missing all together!! It’s bitter sweet as the girls lose interest in some things, but gain interest in others. We had a lovely Valentine’s Day with all of the Kaylor Girl’s waking up to roses delivered by Daddy and he prepared us a delicious steak dinner too. I’m finding myself to be more content these days with the little things in life and not feeling like I need to “do” more to still enjoy the Holidays and my girls. It’s a more peaceful place to be I have to say.

Love this...

2011-02-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

Last night, we went to Oregano’s for the very first time. It’s a pretty happening Italian place in downtown Gilbert and famous for it’s orginal Pizza Cookie. Bj’s knock off Pizookie is just nothing in comparison. Anyhow, they give all the kiddos dough to play with and then bake it for them too. I just love Paige’s design. Todd and I kepting hugging and kissing all night in front of the girls as if we were on “real” date and so I’m pretty sure they could see our love…Paige did!

Sand….

2011-02-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last year for Christmas, Todd received these glass water bottles from Demi and Ashton for Christmas. Yes, he used to fly them, but for now, Todd is just flying Bruce Willis. Anyhow, we decided to take the water bottles and start saving sand from all of our travels. So far, we have Mazatlan, Hawaii (Maui), Turks and Caicos (my favorite) and Cabo San Lucas. We hope to keep adding and we feel very blessed to have seen all these places in just the past 2 years.

Leigh Ann’s Blankies…click here to see how you can help!

2011-02-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

Please Pray!!! Click Pray!!!

2011-02-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

Project 52, week 4

2011-01-31T16:38:00.000-08:00

This week’s photo project was to take a picture of something or someone in motion. Todd’s Dad, Mom, Todd and myself headed over to our local park so that I could chase around Todd’s remote control plane. At one point, I asked Todd for a fly by and it smacked me right in the sunglasses…see the pic of the plane straight on to see what I saw coming! It was tons of laughs and the last picture is the one I submitted for motion. It’s not exactly what I had in mind….I really wanted to get a real jet from the airport in motion, but time just got away from me. It will have to do and I am not expecting much positive feedback.

Bus rides...

2011-01-25T16:58:00.000-08:00

I was picked to chaperone Paige’s field trip today to the Shanghai Circus. Thankfully, it was right up the street where our church meets so the bus ride was short and the entertainment was fabulous. Sadly, every picture I took of us kept cutting off the cutest smile on the sweetest girl. I really need to work on this….

A little boost….

2011-01-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

Todd knew exactly what I needed this am…’nuff said!

Project 52, week 3

2011-01-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

Week 3 of Project 52 of Sandi Bradshaw Photography was to take a picture of a stranger. What? Like go up to just anyone and ask them to take their picture? UGH! I immediately thought of this little old man I see sitting outside of this little shack near a very hoppin’ Coffee Shop. I wondered what his story was, why he sits outside, if he owns all that land around his shack and all the old tractors, trucks and junk in his yard. Sooooo…along with Todd (cuz of course I couldn’t approach this man alone), I went up to him and asked him if I could take his picture. He just shook his head like, YES! Then a younger man came out of the shack and talked to us along with another older gentleman, but he was not quite as old as this man I photographed. Both men sat happily on the couch and stared at me while I took their pictures. I took a total of 10 pictures and then used this one for my Project 52 assignment. I still don’t know his name, but his face speaks volumes to me with his blue eyes, deep wrinkles, Army veteran hat and his hand up to rest his chin on. I think most photography loves to capture new life and babies, but I have a HUGE heart for old people. There is so much wisdom, experience and life lessons behind these eyes!!

Billboard

2011-01-20T20:19:00.001-08:00

Todd and I drove out to Apache Junction today for kicks…actually there was a store I wanted to visit…and we drove by this billboard. I had Todd do a U-Turn so I could go back and take a picture. There was barbed wire and a chain link fence in my way, but I kind of like the composition it brought to this picture. We are all in bondage to sin…but just on the other side of the fence is the love of Jesus…you gonna hop it? I did.

Thankfully, I’m working on my photo assignment for Project 52 so had my good camera along for the ride. More on that photo later…

Garage Sale Comin’!!

2011-01-18T16:27:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Todd and I spent the better part of 8 hours going through every nook and cranny of this house. We purged in every closet and in every room and took out anything that we have not used recently or feel we will NOT be using in the future. We have books, bedding, games, toys, girls clothes, more girls clothes, a tent, bikes, a Barbie Jeep, a pak n play, baskets, backpacks and much much more! I can walk through my home now with a sigh of relief having done a major clean out!! Less is more and I’m going to be extra careful what I allow to be brought back in the house. I’m hoping for a February 5th garage sale.

Wind Cave in Usery Regional Park

2011-01-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our family took our first ever family hike. I love trail walking and have been waiting til all of us were at a level or age that we could all enjoy the day. I was a bit worried when we arrived and saw the cave that we intended to visit halfway up this mountain, but as it turned out, it was the perfect hike for our family. The twins led the pack and Mocha even charged up the hill at full speed ahead. The weather was probably close to 75 or warmer and it was a great work out for us all. I can’t wait to return!! I took over 200 pictures and there are more out there to be captured.

Audience named Festis….

2011-01-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

Festis the cat watched our girl,

do the trot with a twirl.

Sophia, “lover of horse”, you see,

is dancing on Chewy!!

Typical Afternoon at the Kaylor Kastle

2011-01-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Since the trampoline arrived back in November, our girls have had THE best time jumping, playing, screaming, bouncing, falling, hurting and imagining! It has been by far one of the smartest investments we’ve made to date. The girls that live right over our wall hop back and forth between their tramp and our tramp and it’s just hours of giggles. I video’d this short clip with my new iPhone Reel in the 1920’s mode for that old fashioned look. I love Mocha too hopping in the frame!

Friday Night

2011-01-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Our Friday night consisted of a lovely bike ride up to the park to romp in the sand. We enjoyed seeing bunnies along the trail and even a falcon sitting on the fence waiting for it’s prey. We came home to the most beautiful sunset while devouring a BBQ’d steak dinner and then finished off the evening with a trip to Cold Stone and the movie, Tuck Everlasting. I so enjoy our Friday nights when Todd is home…it’s a treat and we make the most of the them!

Tetherball!!!

2011-01-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

I was able to play some tetherball with all of my girls this past week and wow, did it bring back some wonderful memories of my childhood. I’m sure you can all remember running to the courts at recess since our schools were lucky to have 1 or 2 poles with balls actually still attached! I had a blast with all of my girls and Chloe gave me a run for my money. I love her determination and desire to give it all she’s got in all that she does!! I wish I had some of that drive!

Cheerleader!!!

2011-01-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

I would have never expected my ungirly girl to take a liking to Cheerleading, but she has and she does it quite well too! I love her precision in her moves and even though some friends quit along the way, she kept going and finished off the 7th Grade Flag Football season. Way to go Sophia!!

Project 52, week 2

2011-01-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

So my next photo assignment was to take a black and white image of something that defines me…WITHOUT using people. Bibles and Barbie quickly came to mind as I love the Lord and I love my girls who love to play with Barbie. I’m not trying to be disrespectful at all to my Lord for placing this doll next to God’s holy word since she is not the most “holy” of dolls, but she represents my girly girlz and that is what I was after for this ‘artsy’ photo.

Editing...

2011-01-11T10:33:00.001-08:00

Here is an example of different editing on a picture I took at horse lessons the other day from the comforts of my warm car. I love my iPhone and all the different things it is teaching me. The apps that you can find now make photography, editing and enjoying pics a breeze! One thing I am learning as I take more pictures is that most great photography comes with the skill of being able to edit the photo. With that said, I still think it’s a skill that a top notch photographer has to already see that finished photo while taking the picture. I was just playing around with this picture of Sadie and the bottom pic reminded me of a picture of me from the 1970’s…colors kind of warped.

Project 52..

2011-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited. I totally took a leap and was acknowledged by 2 photographers for my work. And THE most exciting news is that the one photographer was the “winner” of the week and she called my pic…”cool”. How stinkin’ cool is that??? Next assignment is already in my head as I have to define me without using me. I have some sickly little ones home today so it will be a photo shoot kind of day. Can’t wait!

Project 52

2011-01-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

An amazing photographer, Sandi Bradshaw, has started Project 52 on her blog and I signed up. It’s basically a photo challenge each week that she will lay out for anyone...professional photogs or just hobbyists like me. I feel that this will be a great outlet for me and I hope for some growth too as I take this journey. I’ve really struggled with feeling “joyful” in all things lately and these pics really captured how I feel on the inside right now…serious and sad. I’m working on this, but it’s slow going.

Christmas!!!

2011-01-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas was very quiet at our house this year and I loved every moment!! I had unexpected surgery shortly before, so I’m thankful there was no traveling or running around in our plans. We did all of our favorite traditions together such as visiting Natal Street for lights, Christmas Eve Church service as a family, building our Gingerbread house, visiting the assisted living house in our neighborhood and singing Christmas carols and bringing cozy blankets to the residents, making our Danish tradition of Aebleskivers, reading the Nativity Story from Luke BEFORE any presents are opened, giving the children 3 gifts only just like Jesus received and totally enjoying the day with just each other. It was quiet and perfect!!!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party!!!!

2011-01-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Todd and I hosted an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party this year and had THE best time! Everyone got very creative using tree skirts as tops and as bottoms and sewing/gluing crazy things onto shirts and sweaters. We had a white elephant gift exchange and of course, that made for tons of laughs. I love these people…they are truly just like my family here in Phoenix!

Paigey Girl is December’s Student of the Month!!!

2011-01-01T07:20:00.001-08:00

And Paige got Student of the Month for December at her school. I don’t like to brag about my kids, but I can’t tell you how proud I am that all 4 of my girls have been recognized for their character, academics and effort at school. One thing I struggle with as a Mom is “control”. Don’t we all? We want our kids to behave a certain way at all times, but it’s truly when they are not in our presence that their true colors shine and my girls have done just that!! Thank you Lord for helping me to raise such amazing little girls and for this boost to keep this Mommy going!

Character Counts...

2010-12-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

S0phia was awarded a Character Counts certificate and t-shirt this past week at her school. And as you can see from her face, the last thing she wanted me to do was to take her picture. Sophia is an amazing student and continues to make the most excellent of choices in life. Sophia…be proud and know you count!!

My little snow angels...

2010-12-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

Our sweet sister in law by marriage made all of my girls these adorable hats. She is selling them at…http://RestoreCouture.etsy.com

Check them out!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-05T06:24:00.000-08:00

Palm Desert Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-30T17:29:00.000-08:00

We spent a week in the desert with Todd’s family and our kids had THE best time. They swam, shot off rockets, played with remote controlled boats, helicopters and Papa crashed a few gliders! We ate ourselves silly each day and also got quite a bit of shopping in as well. It was cooler this year than years past, but the kiddos still managed to keep busy all week with playdough, climbing trees and digging holes in the sandy beach area.

Another one…Cortina Student of the Month!!!!

2010-11-30T16:03:00.001-08:00

My lil’ Sadie Joy was awarded Student of the Month at Cortina!! As I told Chloe, Sadie too can be super proud of her accomplishment and the most excellent choices she is making at school! And of course I am blessed TIMES two!

Some photos I took...

2010-11-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

These are straight out of my camera and not edited yet, but you get the gist! I really have NO idea what I am doing, but I’m sure having fun trying!! I love these families and I LOVE taking pictures!!!

What I learned from Gramma Lucy….

2010-11-16T16:54:00.000-08:00

Lucille Ruby Warnecke Schlueter~October 24, 1914~November 8, 2010

Gramma taught me perseverance...the gal just kept going and going despite all of her illnesses, surgeries, cancers and clots.

Gramma taught me the love of paper towels. I use them for everything...counters, drying dishes, wiping up spills..I go through a roll a day.

Gramma taught me to pass the time by playing cards. She taught me bridge, pitch and cribbage. I’m sure her and Grandpa have already had a few games under their belt since she arrived in heaven.

Gramma taught me to love cookies in milk and cookies in coffee...she always had room for a cookie and her jar was always full of our favorites like sugar wafers and Devils Foods.

Gramma taught me to love and respect her husband...even when she didn’t like him.

Gramma taught me to respect the Lord and dress up for church each week.

Gramma taught me to appreciate all the traveling I get to do and reminded me all the time what a lucky girl I was.

Gramma taught me how to someday be a wonderful Gramma just like her. She loved me and my sister like no other and her great grand children too.

Gramma taught me to save and to plan for the future...her and Grampa were wonderful with their money...and generous too.

Gramma taught me that Sea Breeze could fix any and all boo boo’s...even though it stung like the dickens going on.

And Gramma taught me this scripture that she said every day... Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

Enjoy heaven Gramma and I hope that I live as long as as good of life as you did. You will forever be held close in my heart and the hearts of my children.

Twinners!!!

2010-11-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I won’t spend the money on school pics each year when I can take my own. Of course I still purchase a Spring Class Picture for the girls’ school books, but these are the kind of pics of my girls I display. They are having a race on who can lose the most teeth and in the meantime, our Tooth Fairy is going broke. I am so truly in awe of their relationship and am blessed to have mothered twins!!

Student of the Month

2010-10-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

I think her smile says it all….congratulations Chloe!! You can be so proud of YOUR accomplishment and it’s a total reflection of your good choices.

Halloween

2010-10-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Halloween is by far my most least favorite holiday, but we decided years ago to be very particular on how we celebrate. The girls have always chosen appropriate costumes and we try to be a light to our neighborhood as much as possible by carving our pumpkins with a cross. We hope to get some carving done this week! This past weekend, Sophia’s school had a pumpkin lighting party and the creative carvings were super fun to see!

Mazatlan!!!

2010-10-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pictures from Mazatlan. I’m still kind of reeling in our time there and what a blessing the trip was to the family we made the home for and of course, for us as a family too. Sophia was able to paint and love on the children in the village and she made a darling friend named Jazmin. Jazmin was taught how to play on the iPhone! I helped paint the siding and put up some siding as well and Todd did A TON of work. Thankfully he made up where Sophia and I lacked as far as construction workers go. We hope to continue to do mission trips such as these in the future and are now starting Spanish lessons as a family so that next time we go, we can better communicate with the people. We were able to share the love of Jesus through some VBS type activities and those children still have my heart and prayers. What dolls! I loved our time there even though I’ve never been so hot and dirty in all of my life. It was truly blood, sweat and tears and I would do it again in a minute!

Mazatlan!!!

2010-10-19T16:31:00.001-07:00

Click on the Title above to see a short video from YWAM. Our group of 33 built 2 homes in just 4 days! I have never been so hot and dirty in all of my life and never more blessed either! I will post pictures soon. The children in the village stole my heart and my prayer is that the seeds planted will continued to be watered by others that come along their paths with the love of Jesus!! You will see one close up shot of Sophia painting, Todd drilling and me way in the background of the brown house helping to put up siding.

Mazatlan

2010-10-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

Normally this time of year, we are off to some super fun family adventure and have been so super blessed throughout the years with amazing vacations. So this year, we are trying to give back just a small portion of our time, talent and treasure by going on a Missions Trip to Mazatlan, Mexico! We will be building 2 homes in a squatter village and reaching the people and especially the children with the love of Jesus Christ through our ministry! We are SO excited to see how God will work in the hearts of those we encounter along the way and of course, our very own too. We are taking Sophia along as her first ever vacation was to Cabo San Lucas so how appropriate her first Mission Trip will also take her Mexico. I know that every child needs to see that not every family lives in a big home, drives nice cars, wears adorable clothing, etc. A little humbling will be in store for us all and I’m so grateful for all the love and support our family and friends have bestowed upon us! If you click on the Title~Mazatlan~of this post, you will be directed to YWAM to see all that we will be apart of this next week!!

My Hero, My Nephew, Brandon!

2010-09-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure words will be able to do any of these pictures the justice of the emotions behind them. This is my 18 year old nephew, Brandon and he just graduated PFC Meseure this past weekend out of MCRD in San Diego. I’m still not wearing mascara…..and I love this boy and am SO proud of his choice to serve our country!! Psalm 121 and 91 are my prayers over him today and always!!

Paigey’s Fall Piano Recital

2010-09-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

Paige performed for us again a few weeks ago on her piano. She has the fingers of a pianist for sure and this comes very naturally for her. She can be so proud of her song, Once Upon A Dream! Love your sweet spirit and it shines through as you play!!

New York City and now I'm 40!!!

2010-09-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

What a trip it was this past week to NYC for 6 days! My hubby spoiled me rotten with amazing dinners, shopping, desserts, views, row boats, a cruise, 2 Broadway shows and much much more! Turning 40 was so much more tolerable. We stayed at The Marquis on the 39th floor above Times Square and enjoyed our time away together like always. I came home to a card shower from all of my friends and this banner from my favorite girlz in the whole world!

My Dad....

2010-08-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

My Dad needs your prayers if you are reading this post...our family is hurting beyond words that I can possibly express here. Just pray how the Lord leads you...He knows and He cares. Thanks!!

Sophia's Picture Day!

2010-08-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today was school pics and her's were taken at 1pm after lunch recess in 106 degree weather. I snapped these before she ran out the door this morning!

First Day of School

2010-08-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our first day of school and it was a HUGE hit with all the ladies. I am so truly blessed by such terrific kids. They help my heart to not be so sad sending them off with their sweet attitudes. Even Mocha got in on the photo session before school! We are once again blessed with amazing teachers and I'm thankful...so truly thankful!

The Montage

2010-07-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

I barely took any pictures on our vacation and to be honest, it was only because I wasn't in the mood...that's a whole other blog post! Anyhow, this is The Montage and it's a little piece of heaven on Earth. The grounds of the hotel are amazing and the beaches are beautiful. We were not there for long, but I enjoyed every moment.