Back to Colorado
We had such a fun, relaxing trip to Colorado last summer, we decided to do it again! This time, we rented a house in Frisco. It was a nice place with lots of room to spread out and relax.
I love having a kitchen available! Cooking ourselves is easier than finding reasonably priced, healthy places to eat every time you turn around. We just packed up the cooler and took breakfast, lunch and dinners with us. I’m sure Pete wouldn’t mind a break from cooking, but it’s just too convenient and economic!
The house was much bigger than we needed, but since we go during the off season, we always get great rental prices. There were a total of four bedrooms! We thought about giving each dog their own room, but knew they’d just crawl into bed with us in the middle of the night!
View from our front door!
Not that Kansas doesn’t have beautiful views and sunsets, because we really do, but I don’t think I have ever seen bluer skies than in Colorado. It doesn’t matter what time of day, the skies are just always a vibrant blue. Not to mention, the trees and mountains are everywhere you look. Just gorgeous!
A Niece
Yep, thanks to Pete’s sister, Julie, we officially have a niece! I was honored to have the opportunity to photograph her!
She’s just an adorable little bundle! Even though she started out petite at 6 lbs 10 ounces, she has wasted no time getting to work on those rolls! She’s already over 7 lbs! I say, bring on the rolls! There’s nothing I love more than baby rolls!
I definitely know where those rolls are coming from. During her newborn session, all she wanted to do was eat! I can’t even tell you how many “small” snacks she had. She’d snack, be satisfied for a little bit, and then be ready to snack again! I’m pretty sure Mommy felt like a buffet!
Despite the constant snacking, that didn’t stop us from capturing lots of adorable expressions and cute baby poses! Welcome to the world, Cassidy!
The Results Are In!
I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who participated in our Helping Paws Favorite Four-Legged Kiddos Facebook contest.!! This last week has been so much fun: watching the votes accumulate, reading everyone’s comments about their four legged children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren, seeing the intense facebook campaigning for more votes…all in all it’s been a blast! Best of all, we raised money for Wayside Waifs, a no kill shelter committed to helping homeless animals find a permanent place to call home.
And the WINNER is…Kate!! Congratulations Kate!! You are our 2010 Helping Paws Favorite Four-Legged Kiddo!!
I am so overjoyed by the response that we received from the competition, that I just can’t let our other top runners-up walk away empty handed! We’ve decided, in addition to Kate taking first place and receiving an 8×8 Designer Canvas Wrap Portrait, to also award second and third place!
Second place goes to Charly Mae. She will be receiving an 8×8 Custom Portrait of her image!
Third place goes to Winston. He will be receiving a 5×5 Custom Portrait of hisimage!
Last, but not least, is the reason why we hold our Helping Paws event and it’s the reason why we asked you all to vote! To benefit Wayside Wayside Waifs, a no kill shelter very close to our hearts! Instead of just donating $1 per vote for the winning image, we are going to donate $1 per vote for our first, second and third place winners…totaling $204! Thanks again to everyone who participated and voted!
Last Chance to Vote!
Monday, July 12th at 10:59 PM is your last chance to vote for your favorite Helping Paws Kiddo! It’s been a tight race, and could come down to a single vote! Don’t miss your chance to help decide the winner!
- Visit our Photography by Brandi Facebook page.
- You must be a fan (click “Like”) of the PhotobyB page.
- Click on the Helping Paws Album to see each of the four-legged kiddos who participated in our Helping Paws event.
- Vote for your favorite! Votes can be made by clicking “Like” of the image you want to vote for.
The kiddo/image that receives the most votes will be our winner! They will receive a complimentary 8×8 Canvas Wrap Designer Portrait of that winning image.
Your vote also helps raise funds for Wayside Waifs. For every vote the winning image receives, we will be donating $1 per vote (maximum of $250) to Wayside Waifs.
Just a few hours left…don’t delay!
Finally, the Sun!
May and June were just horrible months for outdoor portrait sessions. Any time there was a date that worked with our schedules, it was raining, or had just been raining so hard the ground was soaking wet! It was so frustrating! We were really starting to wonder if we were ever going to be able to make it work.
Of course the entire day before, it stormed and poured, but for once luck was on our side. By late morning, the sun had come out and was shining brightly down. It dried up the ground and added just a little warmth to the air. It was the perfect night for some dancing, smiling and family love!
Energizer Bunny
I only spent an hour with Avery, but that one hour was more than enough to wear me out! I compare Avery to the Energizer Bunny. She just keeps going and going! Not only in movement, but while talking, too. She chatted my ear off, telling me jokes, making me laugh and smile, overall just keeping me on my toes.
It’s very easy to forget about the high energy, when you see that radiant smile! She smiled and laughed the entire session. It’s not just a small smile, it’s a smile that lights up her eyes and comes through every pore!
Finding the opportunity to capture a serious Avery was very challenging! But no worries, I found it!
Only Me!
I know I say it all the time, but I am so blessed to be able to do what I do! There is nothing I love more then seeing these teeny, tiny babies grow into toddlers, then little kids and even into big kids. Now that we’re half way through my ninth year of business, I have quite a few clients that I have been watching grow for many years!
Isaac is one of those guys! The first time he came to me, he was a teeny, tiny newborn…just fit right in Daddy’s hands. Now he’s turning five! He’s kept his thin physique, but has grown and changed a lot!
Isaac is the guy that just has a ton of energy! He’s just always going and going, talking and talking, moving and moving! But every session he makes me laugh and smile right with him!
This year, he told me that I am the only one who is ever allowed to take his picture! Can I say it again? I’m so blessed…to be surrounded by these amazing little people who just light up my world with a smile, say the sweetest things just because they mean them and all in all amaze me every day!
Fun on the Farm
Well, fun and sweaty!
It was actually one of the coolest days we had had in quite a while! Unfortunately, that didn’t mean that, while standing on a rather large piece of farm equipment facing into the sun, I wasn’t dripping sweat like I was standing in the shower! But it was all in fun and worth every drop to get these awesome portraits in the wheat. We worked really hard to time everything just right, making sure the wheat was the perfect color, the ground was dry and, to our luck, there was no crazy prairie winds. We could not have asked for a better day.
Of course, since we were out, we had to take advantage of the beautiful green grass! With a few breaks, some helpful distractions and even our assistant, Pete, all four kiddos made it through the session, and were still smiling at the end!
Revealing…
…the Helping Paws Slide Show…featuring forty-three furry, four-legged stars!!
Thanks to everyone who participated in our third annual Helping Paws event! The purpose of the event was to collect donations and gifts for Wayside Waifs, a no kill shelter committed to helping homeless animals find a permanent place to call home.
Again, this was another year where I was blown away by all the donations that we received. Delivering them to Wayside Waifs was an unbelievable experience. They were so very thankful and appreciative!
Follow this link to the Helping Paws Pet Portrait slide show, and check out all our stars who helped in the cause!
AND…don’t forget to vote in our Helping Paws Favorite Four-Legged Kiddos Facebook contest!! Voting ends at 11 pm on Monday, July 12th.
What Do You Think?
Are they related?
