It's time for that end of month fitness report. I've been dreading this because I wasn't so diligent about fitness during the last half of December. I only did 4 workouts in the last two weeks. Holiday sweets didn't help either and while I didn't go crazy, there were so many of my favorites around, and I did eat. But it's onward and upward, so I gathered what courage and dignity I could and stepped on the scale this morning completely ready to accept the inevitable and find some of the weight I had lost at last report.

Imagine my delight to find I had actually lost 0.6 pound. Sure it ain't much, but the significance is that I didn't GAIN any. Today I weigh 221.4 lbs. All of my other measurements are exactly the same as they were last month. It's a personal miracle.

My next 30 days, today until February 4th, will include a minimum of 6 workouts a week and I'm giving up sweets. Not all carbs, just the really bad ones.

By the way, I was at the gym at 6 am today. I have never seen it so packed. Today was the first time I've ever had to wait for a turn at the cardio machines. Everyone's starting their New Years resolutions I suppose. Even all the news channels were doing blurbs from gyms and talking about fitness this and weight loss that. The optimist in me thinks it's inspiring when people get fired up like this. I'm trying to do the same thing only I started two months ago. The cynic in me gives it three weeks before the gym attendance goes back to normal and I can have my pick of exercise equipment again.

I've been waiting patiently. It got to be too much for me and I moved into waiting impatiently. I tried not to nag. I nagged a little anyway, but I felt kind of bad about it.

This afternoon I escaped the house for a few hours for a girls' afternoon out movie trip with my friends. BTW, I highly recommend you see Doubt. It was intense and amazing. I want to see it again, but don't try to distract me. I'm ticked at my husband and I'm here to tell you why.

So there I was, nagging a little for him get around to pulling the Christmas Eve video off the camera so I can show you our three girls performing "Deck the Halls". I watched them rehearse it all month thinking, "This is SO going on my blog." But I waited until the big show on Christmas eve to film it. Then I waited and waited and waited to get it into a format to post online. Did I mention that it was my husband's job to do that for me?

So yippee, before I left for the movie I see him start pulling the video off the camera. What do I find when I get home. He totally jacked my entry and posted it in his blog. You've probably already seen it by now, but here it is again anyway.



Cute, aren't they. : ) My husband told me the video ends abruptly because he had to cut it before you could see their big brother haul off and whack his ten year old sister and her screaming back in protest. Ahhh, Christmas.

Now here's another video that he hasn't blogged yet.



So you don't go into shock from all the sugar and spice and everything nice, we'll balance it out with the boy.



And finally, because you know how much I love those still photos, here is my four year old performing her arabesque. She has been practicing and practicing to be able to do this without holding onto the bar for balance. We are so proud of her. : )



Adieu until next year. I'm off to plot my revenge. There's no way he's getting away with this. (Insert maniacal laugh.)

Remember me? It feels like it's been a while. It's actually only been about a week, but it was a busy week. Seeing how it's the last day of the year, I feel the push to wrap up some old post ideas so can start a 2009 tabula rasa. So this post is a heaping potpourri of some of my favorite Christmas moments this year.

JoJo's Photo Shoot:
My niece arrived on December 14th. At 8 days old I got to go spend a few hours capturing her smallness, along with her energetic sisters and doting parents. It was a blizzard outside, but I made the 40 mile round trip drive anyway. The weather outside was frightful, but the smiles were so delightful. (Yes, it's possible that I've officially OD-ed on Christmas music.)



Click here to see more photos of my brother and his family.

Recitals upon recitals upon recitals:
Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Theater, Violin... it was a very very very long week, but I wouldn't change a thing. I haven't posted a lot of photos yet, but here is one from a ballet class.



And here is one from the sixth grade orchestra Christmas concert. Other than my son, who has been playing the violin since pre-school, none of the kids in the sixth grade orchestra had ever picked up an instrument before the school year started. I was afraid he'd be bored out of his mind playing songs he learned 7 years ago, but it has turned out quite the contrary. He's having fun being the leader and helping his friends learn a talent that he has long enjoyed.



I'm also waiting for my husband, whom I have designated as our family videographer, to get around to uploading the videos from our camcorder so I can share some of our more charming Christmas moments. So I guess part of Christmas '08 might be spilling in to '09 after all.

Christmas Details:
There is magic in the little traditions that fill the holidays. They don't have to be big elaborate things, just consistent. One of ours is to build a gingerbread house. This was the first year all four of my kids were really able to dig in and get it done. For me it was another one of those bittersweet milestones. I loved watching all my kids building memories together, but it reminded me that my baby isn't really a baby anymore. To see more photos of Christmas 2008, click here.




Heading South:
On Christmas day, after we opened presents, we loaded up the sleigh and headed over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house. (Holiday songs are still in my head, I can't help it.) I was looking forward to the warm Southern Utah climate, but it turned out to be about as cold down there as it has been here. No matter, because the snow on the red-rock mountains was breathtaking. The change of scenery and great company made it easy to forget about the cold.

My husband's Christmas gift from his parents was a 30 minute ride in helicopter out of the St. George airport. He had the time of his life and of course I tagged along to shoot photos. See more photos of their take-off and landing here. To read my husband's blog entry about his flight, see other photos and watch a few short videos, click here.



The grandkids couldn't get enough of watching the new model train that Grandma and Grandpa had around their Christmas tree. The batteries gave out long before my four year old did.



On our way home, we took a detour through Zion National Park. It's one of our favorite places to visit, but I'd never been there in the winter. In spite of a forecast for bitter wind chills, we decided to give it a try. The weather turned out to be warm and sunny and calm. The snow in the canyon was so picturesque and I squeezed off over 300 shots. Click here to see photos of Zion.

This is my favorite shot of the day, but I couldn't decide which version I liked best. Anyone want to help me out and let me know which one you like?



Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 2009 is going to ROCK! I can feel it. : )

It's December 23rd already. It stings a little to put those words together because I am anything BUT all-ready. I won't bore you with the list of stuff I still need to do, but suffice it to say it is long. I've had to scrap some projects I wanted to have done a month ago but are still languishing away on my "to do" list. I'm desperately trying to finish up other projects on my list, while also trying to spend some much needed time with my family, but it's December 23rd, and there just aren't enough hours left before the red letter day. Every year the holiday season seems to end like this, with me mired in feelings of failure and I hate it.

So why am I sitting here blogging instead of feverishly working all that stuff that's got to get done? Because my heart cries out "I need a little Christmas NOW!" Not the retail sale version, but the REAL reason for the season. My children are still nestled all snug in their beds, so I thought maybe if I takes some time this morning to share a little Christmas with you, I'll feel more of it too.



Last Sunday our ward choir performed our annual Christmas program in sacrament meeting. While singing with them, I realized how much my heart was aching for some of Christ in Christmas. My vocal contribution to the choir is questionable, even on my best day, but during one song in particular, I was completely useless as an alto because my emotions got all caught up in my throat. I think angels must have have seen my quandary and been there filling in for me because to my ears the choir had never sounded more wonderful. I know you are probably thinking they sounded so good because I wasn't singing, and I won't discount that possibility, but I think maybe there was more to it than that.

The piece we were singing was "Behold the Wounds in Jesus' Hands". These are words, written by John V. Pearson:

Behold the wounds in Jesus' hand,
The marks upon His side,
Then ponder who He meant to save
When on the cross He died.
We can not see the love of God
Which saves us from the fall,
Yet know that Christ from wood and nails
Built mansions for us all.

Behold the outstretched hands of Christ
Our God, who came to save,
Whose love and grace redeems our souls
And lifts us from the grave.
Though bruised and battered as we stray
His guiding hands caress,
He washes and anoints with oil
Then in his arms we rest.

Behold the wounds in Jesus' hands,
Look to your Lord and live
He yearns to bless you with His love
And all your sins forgive.
Oh empty is the heart of man
When it is filled with sin.
Come open wide your broken heart
And let your Savior in.

Behold His wounded hands and feet!
Come touch and see and feel
The wounds and marks that you may know
His love for you is real.
Then as you fall to worship Him
And wash His feet in tears
Your Savior takes you in His arms
And quiets all your fears.

I love every one of those verses, but the first and last are the ones that really get to me.

Merry Christmas!

Click here to listen to a clip of the song. Don't we sound good! Just kidding, that clip is actually a sample from this CD from the BYU Singers.

In my experience, when most people ask a photographer to shoot family portraits, they are hoping to get at least one shot of the whole clan looking good, facing the camera and happy. They want the wall shot. The snap that shows what everyone looked like back then and portrays a happy life. I don't blame them. That's what I have hanging on my wall too.

But right under my wall shot, sitting on top of my piano, are many more shots that are a little less conventional. I suppose I have quirky tastes, but often my favorite shot ends up being the one teeming with personality. The shot taken at the opportunistic moment when someone has forgotten that they are supposed to put on the camera face and they are just being. Maybe this is why I love child photography. Kids usually get over the self conscious camera anxiety much faster than taller people do. If I keep a sharp eye on them, and I'm fast enough with the lens, I might be able to catch a bit of purity. Like in this one...



The more I look at this shot, the more I'm nuts about it. I figure either she's having the time of her life at the art museum or she's bored out of her mind. For me, the uncertainty is part of the charm and I can't help but smile every time I look at it. One thing is for sure, she wasn't thinking about me or my camera right then. She was just being.

We also set up some more traditional shots for this family, who happen to be my dear friends and neighbors. Don't misunderstand me, I love love LOVE these portraits too. But those candid stolen moments feed a little part of my soul that just can't be satisfied by a planned pose.

What about you? What feeds your soul?











They are a gorgeous little family, aren't they. : )

My brother and his wife had baby girl number four on Sunday evening. Last night we went up to the hospital to meet her. Is she not the prettiest little thing you ever saw? Here are my Auntie Lu brag photos. : )















That's it for now, but expect more later. : )

This brings my tally up to nine nieces, one nephew, and awaiting the arrival of another soon-to-be adopted niece. Keep 'em coming. Me likey!

It's time for the end of month accounting. Actually, I'm about a week late, but here it is anyway.



Thanks to the stomach flu, the last week of my 30 day, 12 workouts a week goal was a total bust and I only made 4 workouts. I considered extending the 30 days, but with all the holiday craziness coming at me, the thought of it kind of overwhelmed me. So I decided to let it go and move forward. I didn't meet my goal, but I think the month was an overall success. Here are my before and after stats.

	THEN	NOW	CHANGE
Weight	228 lbs	222 lbs	-6 lbs
Body Mass Index	33.7	32.8	-0.9
Resting Heart Rate	85 bpm	80bpm	-5 bpm
Waist	45 in	42.5 in	-2.5 in
Hip	57 in	49.5 in	-7.5 in

It's feels really good to see negatives in every category. Hopefully, the ever-wise Shakira is right and my hips don't lie. I measured my hips three times this morning to be sure.

I'm scaling things down a bit during the holidays, so my goal for the next 30 days is a modest 6 workouts a week. Anything more than that during December is probably more than I can handle and still maintain my sanity. I started this goal on December 6, and so far I am on track. Also, I bought some new Nikes. My old work-out shoes were about 10 years old, so it was time. Considering the price tag on the Nikes, I expect I'll be seeing amazing and wonderful changes in my fitness with those little honeys on my feet. After all, the women in the commercials all look so GOOD!

Thanks for all the cheering and support from everyone this month. I am grateful to have so many good people pulling for me on this!

My little ones have been so sick over the last few days. As late as last night one of them had a temperature over 102 and the other one refused to eat because her throat hurt so bad.

Both of them still have scratchy little throats and voices, but I can report signs of improvement.

Yup. Things are starting to get back to normal.

Remember the cousin shoot last October? Well, they came back for more, but this time no cousins. It was just their small, beautiful family.





Calling them customers makes me chuckle a bit. Technically it's true, they are. But I love these guys so much it somehow seems wrong to attach such a cold business term to them. I still can't believe I actually get paid to do something I enjoy so much. I would do it for free, but photography is an expensive obsession and I have to remind myself that accepting a little money for my work means that I can afford to do it more often and better.

Thanks, you guys, for comming back for seconds. It's the ultimate complement. : )

Merry Christmas!

Their fevers started yesterday afternoon. This morning they could barely talk or swallow, so I took them to the pediatrician. Both of them got the work-up and just as I suspected, both of them have have strep.



My four year could see that her little sister was afraid of the nurse and that freaky looking medical contraption, so she valiantly decided she would go first. My two year old watched the whole process with intense interest and by the time all of her big sisters stats had been gathered, she decided it didn't look so bad. When the doctor came in to do the exam, it was the same drill. Four went first while Two watched, then they traded.

Once the test for strep came back positive, Doc gave me the option of putting them both on antibiotics twice a day for 10 days or give them each an antibiotic injection on the spot and be done with it. Let's see, I have a choice between 40 episodes of wrestling my girls into submission and shoving nasty tasting liquid medicine down their throat, having them spit it all back out in my face and hoping they ingested enough to actually make them get better OR give them each a shot that will hurt for a few seconds and then it's over. Uhm, that's a no brainer. Bring on the needles! They each got a flu shot while we were at it.

The whole needle scene was pretty dramatic. And loud. Four wailed and limped all the way back to the car clutching her thigh in agony. Two clung to me in desperation, and refused to be consoled, even by the 5 Tinkerbell stickers the nurse gave her. A nice lady in the elevator smiled and said, "Did they both get shots today?" Lucky guess.

After we were in the car they continued to voice their opinions as to the depth of their betrayal for another 1/2 mile until I said, "Hey, want to go get some ice cream." There was instant silence. It was like I had hit a mute button. Then about five seconds later Four said, as calmly as could be, "Alright." The drama was over. The next time I looked in the rear view mirror they were both asleep.

Strep is a bear, but the up side is that unlike a virus, it's treatable. Doc said they will be contagious for another 24 hours and should be feeling worlds better in a few days. In the mean time, consider yourself warned. Strep is in the house, enter at your own risk.

I'm not dead. I've just been sick. As. A. Dog. I had all kinds of blog entry ideas for Thanksgiving and Black Friday and putting up Christmas decorations, but for a few days I lost my will to blog. I'm better now.

The silver lining is that I lost weight this week -- four pounds in four days. It would be nice if I could pull that off without drugs, disease or an eating disorder, but I guess I'm just going to have to go back to loosing weight the hard way. The ol' "eat less and exercise more" is going to have to be the thing. I know it's better that way,

Change of subject. I was out with some friends last night and we were talking movies. The discussion moved to Twilight, which I haven't seen yet, but I plan to.



Are some of you a little flushed and out of breath after seeing that movie poster? This image of the vampire Edward and Bella, the girl that stole his undead heart, seem to have that effect on a lot of people lately. I am SO one of them. But can you blame me? I mean look at the lighting! It's just gorgeous! I have GOT to get my hands on some light like that. Can someone grab a flash diffuser and fan me, please? Anyway.

This photo became even more remarkable to me when I learned that Joey Lawrence, the photographer who shot this, is only 18 years old? You can read an interview with the young Mr. Lawrence on David Hobby's Strobist blog. He also has a less techy interview and a video on the MTV website. I think his raw talent is inspiring but it also turns me a few shades of green.

Another change of subject. If you live in the area, don't forget to come see one of my favorite events of the season, the Christmas Chorus concert. The performances are today and tomorrow.



I have to run now, or I'll be late for the dress rehersal. I hope to see you there!

It's day 20. This week has been tough. I've been SOOOOO tired. I missed my workouts on Friday and Saturday nights. I didn't get there on Friday because my husband wanted to me to snuggle up and watch a movie with him. I lacked the resolve to refuse him, or even to try and stall him. Saturday night I didn't get to the gym because I was dead tired from a massively busy day of yard work, cutting wood, hanging new window treatments, shopping and a 3 hour choir practice. I think I burned enough calories on Saturday to feel good about the day.

Still, I got over there 10 out of my 12 workouts, despite feeling really run down this week. I usually watch the news on TV while I'm on the cardio equipment, but I needed something to get me moving today, so I made sure no one was looking and clicked over to VH-1. *Gasp!* It was Pink and David Archuletta to the rescue! Thanks, guys.

My weight is still at 225.4. Higher than I hoped, but better than last week. Still I can feel results. When I first started this routine, I barely had to be moving to get my heart rate into the target workout zone. Now I have to really push to get it up there. Also, I am using more weight in my strength training. Even if my body weight isn't changing all that much yet, I know this is doing me a lot of good. Oh, and I've lost an inch off of my waist and hips. I'm convinced the weight loss will eventually follow. Right?



I was trying to be clever with this little portrait, but it didn't work out so well. I should have written my sign in reverse so you could read it in the mirror. DUH! And it should have been bigger. It says "Happy Thanksgiving. I *heart* Cardio."

Did you notice I managed a sharper photo this time? I kicked up the ISO to 400 and went f/4 at 1/20 sec. I should probably bump the ISO up another notch next time because I can see a bit of camera shake in there, so I need a faster shutter speed.

To see a slideshow of my fitness self-portraits, click here.

In an effort to continue learning as much as I can about photography and post processing of images, I've been experimenting with texture overlays on some of my photos. I've seen a lot of textured photos, and honestly some of them don't look so hot. They can be overdone and overused. On the other hand I've seen some beautiful and artistic work done with textures. Anyway, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what I can come up with, texture-wise.

I've mostly been using textures I've purchased from Nichole Van's online store, Flourish. I have some textures that I have created on my own, but they are a lot of work to create, and I'm not very good at making them. I got impatient for some new (and effortless) looks so I shelled out the money for them.

The process to apply them to a photo is really simple and Nichole Van includes a tutorial for your version of Photoshop when you buy a set of textures from her. I wouldn't use textures on every photo, but on the right photo, I think it adds a nice element. What do you think of the results?

BEFORE:



AFTER:



In this image I removed the texture from anywhere in the photo already occupied by the little supermodel because I didn't want a tapestry plastered across her face and body. I think I like the look, but I also think I need more practice at it.

Here is another set of before and after shots to help you decide.



What do you think? Are you into the textures or are you more of purist and prefer a cleaner look?

I did a couple of newborn portrait sessions this week. I think it is impossible for me to ever get tired of this type of photography. I've said it before, but I always feel so honored to be part of such a joyous event in a family. Both sessions this week were for families having their first baby. This was the first time I had done a shoot without older siblings running around. It made for calmer and quicker sessions, but it also reminded me how those older kids have a certain knack for forcing me to be flexible and spontaneous as I set up shots. Another difference in these shoots is that the babies are just a little bit older. My other newborn sessions were shot within the first 10 or 11 days, but in these sessions, the babies are the ripe old age of 3 and 2 weeks old respectively. Even those few extra days of age made a huge difference in how the babies acted during the shoot.

Here are some shots from the first session. This one was only meant to be a test shot as I zeroed in on the settings for my off camera lighting. It has turned out to be one of my favorites. Maybe it's because it has that candid feel that I love so much.



This little gal was so wide-eyed and alert during the shoot. It didn't matter where we placed her, she always turned to face the light. Also, she was an archer. Not with bows and arrows (yet), but she was constantly arching her back. She was NOT willing to curl up in any kind of fetal position. I guess after 9 months of being rolled into a ball, she had had enough. It's amazing the personality that comes through even in a 3 week old baby. It's pretty clear that she has some strong opinions about how she wants things and I'm sure she will be keeping her parents on their toes.



I'm sad to report that this family is very soon moving away from us. It has been such a joy getting to know them over the past months. All three of them will be greatly missed.



The second shoot this week was for the first grand baby of my dear friend. This new baby's parents have one of the most romantic, meant-to-be-together, against-all-odds love stories I've ever heard. As soon as my friend sent me the news that her granddaughter had arrived, I burst into tears. It was a happy day.



For this shoot we went for a more studio-like look. I set up a backdrop and both my off-camera strobes, one light in the front and the other from the side for a little highlight on their hair. See that tiny strip of light along the outside of her dad's right arm? I worked hard to get that little rim light just right. It's a subtle little detail, but I am kind of proud of it.

Unfortunately their sweet baby girl wasn't really herself that day and had a hard time calming down to get all the photos we wanted, so we had to cut the shoot a bit short. But don't worry, I'm going back in a few days to try and grab the shots we missed.

Her dad had a knack for swaddling her just the way she likes it. The only way we could calm her down was for him to wrap her up in her favorite soft fluffy blanket. Then the only thing you could see of her was her sweet little face, so we made the most of the situation and set up this shot.



I jazzed it up a bit with a warm textured border and the vintage color treatment, but I didn't really need to. She's perfect without any help from me.

My heartfelt congratulations to both families, and thanks for letting me share a tiny bit of your joy.

To see a slide show of more newborn portraits, click here.

I've been keeping fairly detailed records of my workouts. I write down what I did, how long I did it and at what speed or weight. Here are my stats at last count.

Resting Heart Rate: 79 beats per minute, measured Monday morning before I got out of bed.

Workout Report: I've missed 3 trips to the gym, but they were on days jam packed with busy stuff and a lot of physical activity, so I'm cutting myself some slack and saying I'm still on target to keep the spirit of my goal of 12 workouts a week. I've been to the gym 19 times since I set my fitness goals on Nov 6th. Each routine includes cardio and about half of them include some type of strength training.

Weight: Okay, so here's the thing. I am facing something of a moral dilemma. Should I tell you what I weigh today, or pad my stats by telling you my lightest weigh in? In the spirit of Proclamations to the Universe, I guess I'll just lay it all out there. My first weigh in was at 227.4 lbs on Nov 6th. I've been watching my weight take a slow steady drop since then, with a drop of 0.2-1.0 lb each time. My lowest weigh-in was last night at 224 lbs. Feeling a bit empowered I decided take a new photo and post this update so I could impress everyone with my progress, only to weigh in this morning at 226.2 lbs. What's up with that!? It's the first time I've seen an increase in my weight since I started this. Today is day 13 of my exercise program, so maybe there is something to that whole "unlucky 13" thing. Or maybe I should have avoided the truffles at last night's Book Club meeting. Oh well, I'm just going to keep my eye on the prize.

Also, who knew it was so hard to take a self portrait in the mirror? Why does it keep turning out so fuzzy? Maybe the mirror is warped.