Baby Liam Barrett

I am a blessed photographer! For all of my years doing wedding photography - now rounding the corner to a fuller schedule with family photography .... and I get to take THESE precious pictures?!

I get to meet wonderful people... I am privileged to capture their wedding day... and then I get to capture some of the youngest days of their children's lives. I am blessed... there's no 2 ways about it!

May I introduce to you Liam Barrett. His parents Wyatt and Stephanie were married a few years back ... and now they have started a family. Thank you for the opportunity!

Not NEW advice... but GOOD advice...

Wear Sunscreen

Baby London Jackson Aldous

Below you will see London's Mom, Sarah, and her very pregnant belly. Well, let's welcome to our world - London Jackson Aldous. Born 3-15-08 to Jason and Sarah at 5:32 am. Weight and height I cannot remember at this point.... but's bigger than that now .... so, it's old news.

Still, he's adorable! Thanks Jason and Sarah for the opportunity... and congratulations on Baby #2! When is #3?!

Sarah and Baby London

Just 'cuz I had to post some new pics. Some thoughts on these later...

As I mature... no, no "get older"...

This weekend, as I've been in spring cleaning mode, I've been in another deeply retrospective mood. Being in this mood is usually a good thing for me - but it sometime causes some pretty damaging thoughts about my self. That's what this weekend's mood is like - damaging.

It all started with, centered around the chore at hand, the thoughts of why there is so much clutter in my life, er, world ... "Why do I hold on to so many things?" At the moment I was honestly only wondering about THINGS... material things.

Why am I holding on to one of my neighbor's books about historic homes? I read it 6 months ago and probably gleaned from it all I'll get out of it. Why is it still on my desk? Why haven't I dropped it off at her house ... plus, I've seen her a dozen times since reading it? Why?!

Why did it take me this long to pull down the Christmas flair? I've had weekends full of time since Christmas... and it's now finally down! Should've just kept it up until Dec 2008! WHY?!

After beating myself up over these things, and a few glasses of wine last night... my thoughts then turned internal. Why am I still holding on to the bitter words shared w/ a friend a few Christmases back?! Why am I still holding on to what an unhappy customer said to me last year?! Where did I stash the character traits that make me a strong, powerful, happy-go-lucky, confident woman?! They're under this rubble somewhere!

More importantly - how do I find them again?! How do I find those character traits that my husband fell in love with? .... the traits that so many of my friends so charming about me... ? And I do too! I miss that "me" that I can't find! How do I find me again? Why did I get stuffed underneath all this mess? Why did I allow that to happen?

Why?!

I don't know the answers to most of these questions yet. But I'm going to start working first on finding those traits again... put them back "on"... and then start to answer those questions one at a time.

I'll start with a good visit to the gym first thing in the morning... listening to some Superchick... spurring on the endorphins needed to tackle such a task... and putting a smile on my face. A quote I saw today that helped along this attitude... "Taking joy in life is a woman's best cosmetic." - Rosalind Russell

I might be getting older - but I like to think about it as maturing. Maybe my maturity has helped me to be less arrogant - so I can work on being more CONFIDENT. Maybe I'm more CONTENT than "happy-go-lucky" now than I used to be. Maybe I'm less strong now so that I can be more COMPASSIONATE. I don't know yet... but finding out is what I'll do while I continue to mature. Because even though the laugh lines are forming around my eyes - I'm NOT getting older! I'm getting better!

Christmas Day w/ The Girls!!!

What a treat! I was invited to come enjoy Christmas morning w/ my girls - Stephanie and Sonnet! We even worked together to make and enjoy a scrumptious breakfast!

You see - my hubby Lee is NOT a morning person... so for me (a definitive morning person) this was the perfect way to spend Christmas morning - bright and early, in our pjs... opening presents - the way it's SUPPOSED to be done! (Sorry honey!) You see, this gave him just enough time to wake up slowly, have his coffee, wrap my presents... we know how to do it right!!!

I'm not sure what Sonnet's favorite present was... the Happy Feet video, the new tap shoes and leotard or all the fine new threads... but my favorite part of the morning was catching the glee on her face when I walked in the door and she screamed "AUNTIE LORI!" !!!

Christmas Eve w/ the Marsheks

Christmas time with the family this year was on Christmas Eve. We decided to do a "soup buffet"... and wow, we bellied up to that buffet like we hadn't eaten in weeks! There was a rustic chicken noodle (with homemade pasta!), red chili and white chili (chicken). I also decided to make a butternut squash soup that wasn't very good - but that's ok, we had too much food on the table anyway. Oh, and of course lots of bread ("pandesol" rolls - did I spell that right?!) and butter.

And there was laughter, and music, and a killer chocolate chip cookie/brownie dessert, opening of presents ... wow... just see what we had on our hands here... wow...

Merry Christmas to all!!

What a legacy...

Legacy = anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor.

This week a colleague left a legacy that none will soon to forget. My friend Ann has been battling cancer for the past year or so. And on a sparkling Christmas Eve she lost that battle.... but is no longer in pain. A nice, nice email was sent out by the CEO of our company ... and I'd like to share some of his words as they were very inspirational in my life.

"Over these past months I have regularly been asking Ann for lessons she has learned along this journey. I can't imagine more valuable information about life than from someone facing the end of it. Here are some of the things she has shared with me:

Relationships matter, particularly when not just based on surface interactions. Take more risks to develop more meaningful relationships in your life.

Decide what your purpose is in life and keep that in focus.

Do good and important work but enjoy the beauty along the way.

You can choose to be miserable for the rest of your life, or you can choose to not be miserable. She chose to not be miserable, nor to feel victimized, even in the most arduous of circumstances.

Treat your body with respect.

Never allow who you are to get washed away in the rain of life.

For me, the greatest gift of learning she offered me is well-captured in a famous quote by the Roman poet, Horace, "Seize the day, put no trust in the 'morrow". She would fully encourage all of us to fully embrace each moment, as the present moment is precious and the only guarantee we are given."

As most of you know, even my license plate spreads the word reminding everyone to Seize the Day - even the motto for my photography business focuses on this mantra. And while most people feel this is simply cliche... it's a way of life. And for my friend Ann, it was a huge part of some of her final thoughts. Great inspiration... and an even more powerful legacy.

Merry Christmas!!!

It's a bit of a different Christmas this year. It's my first Christmas ever without a pine Christmas tree!!!! Don't all gasp at once... I'm still getting used to it myself. We figured since we already had a tree in the corner of the room, and since we wouldn't be having anyone to our house for the holidays... that the two of us would find a way to instead enjoy our Christmas Ficus!

So I pulled out some silk flowers, some small bulb ornaments, a strand of lights and got busy making the ficus look a little festive. All of the rest of the familiar sights and sounds abound... just no fresh pine scent. That's ok... we're ok, really. In fact, I'm going to share with you the message we put into our Christmas cards this year just to prove it to you!

Dear Friends and Family -

I wish a hand written letter was in the mail to each of you but life … well you know, it just goes so fast. And another year is almost behind us. I (Lori) want to share you with what seems to be the recurring them of our lives this year. We feel ever so grateful … warm inside… for all that our lives behold. Don’t mind the introspective attitude – I get this way this time of year. It’s a rainy day outside and my heart is overwhelmed. So I wanted to share with you some of our thoughts from this past year …

Together Lee and I had the opportunity to visit the Haraldsen (my dad’s) side of the family in Oregon for a much-needed vacation. This was our first vacation together since our honeymoon - it’s been 4 years of marriage for us now. As we had several occasions to sit around the table together (all 11 of us) the thoughts were spoken aloud that we were all so grateful to be together. With our family now spread across four different states it makes it difficult for us all to be together at one time. These were cherished moments!

So Cal experienced another scary round of Wildfires in the Fall - Lee and I were reminded of how much we have to be grateful for. The fires came within just a few miles of our house, which was daunting – but we still had a house when the fires were extinguished.

In November Lee and I shared Thanksgiving with the Marshek (my mom’s) side of the family. And the feelings were mutual around the patio table as we indulged on all the festivities (and way too much pie) – together we acknowledged that we have so much to be grateful for. Despite any sicknesses or injuries, trials or tribulations, in laughter and/or solitude – we are a blessed people! I mean, we WERE eating Thanksgiving dinner OUTSIDE! And laughing!

So I leave you with our annual Christmas card to tape to the back of your front door or hang from some garland – but take our thoughts with you through this season. We are grateful for you in our lives!

- Lee and Lori

A hike at Torrey Pines

Before you get all impressed that I was out hiking... it really was just a brief stroll. But the best part was that I was w/ the fabulous Stephanie and the extraordinary Sonnet! We took a stroll at Torrey Pines Reserve... learned about "leaving footrpints only" in this protected space, the winter migration of whales and much more ... and we even took some pics! Here's some pics of us... as well as some pics of other hikers enjoying the soon-to-be sunset.... loving those silhouette shots!!!

This is my Uncle Paul...

Enough said?!

Marshall Family at Torrey Pines Reserve

Quite the honor to be called year after year to take family pics for Christmas cards. I've had the honor to take pics of this family since before their daughter was even part of the family yet (just a mere 'bun in the oven'). They've become great friends over the years... and it's so much fun to see their kids grow before my eyes!

This year we met up at Torrey Pines Reserve for a family hike... and at times just let the kids run loose so I could "do my thing". Good times! Thanks Marshalls! I'll be looking for your Christmas card in the mail!