Shot by Karen

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE taking pictures? Well, I do. Saturday, I got to shoot some fun pictures of a friend and her family. I really love the way they turned out. Of course, they were super easy to work with and that may have just a little to with it, but I like to think that I did okay clicking too. =) I probably need to get a "real" camera though, if I'm going to do this often or "for reals." I think mine was about $140. Hhmm....

Anyway, I got permission to share a few of the pics with you guys. Saturday was a lovely day for pictures. Most of these were taken right here at our house and the rest just a few miles away at the Nampa Depot.

Let me know what you think...do I have a future in photography??? =)

Dressy Shots

Wouldn't you know it? Rain on picture day! We took a few shots here and there between showers/downpours/thunder ect. Someone would notice that the rain had stopped, so I'd comb ALL that hair as quickly as possible and we'd gather shoes and run outside. Just about the time we'd get all set up, it would start raining again!

I was pretty determined to get something--curling and combing 5 heads of very long hair for nothing, is not my idea of a good day. Between the wind and the rain though, the curls were pretty much gone in the first 5-10 minutes.The umbrella wasn't a planned prop--it was a necessity.My $100 camera has a timer, so I did our pictures myself. Next year, we are going to a studio! (I say that every year--but I mean it this time.)In spite of the weather, the kids were super awesome to cooperate with me!This is one I snapped while we were waiting for the other girls to gather and it's turned out to be a favorite!Kammy looks so lady-like here! Surprise, surprise!Kalli and my mom both mentioned that Kayla is getting so big that they find themselves thinking it is me walking up next to them at first.Happy-go-lucky, fun, bubbly Kalli!I'm really regretting all the ruffles on my sweater and blouse--as if I needed any more bulk! Oh, and Kammy really is leaning WAY back like that on purpose--it's soo fits her personality!Remember, we are on a timer here, so I get the camera set up, the kids set up, the hubby set up, and I RUN like an idiot. (10 seconds!)Another shot of Kaite. She dislikes the hat, and I hat to promise the moon for this one!Rick has flowers behind his back, but they just blended into the landscape.

We do still have casuals to do--with the dog! We decided against trying to add the dog into the rainy pics especially with the dress clothes! I'm thinking that the rain might be a minor hinderance when compared to the havoc a dog will add to this mix!

Gone to the birds....

This place we are living is literally crawling with birds--or would that me flying? We have so enjoyed them! We have seen sparrows, doves, wood-peckers, camp-robbers, wrens, and more recently, robins! It's still cold and wintery here -- in fact, we have had snow the last several days. That has not stopped the robins though. I guess they know that spring is coming regardless of how it looks or feels. I counted 22 of them in my backyard today. I took a few pictures today, from the IN-side of my kitchen window. We received some bad/sad news today and I am especially loving the above photo and poem! Then below, some from the 'lighter side'.

McCall, Idaho Winter Carnival

Here are a few pictures of that little trip I was talking about in my previous post. I'm posting some pictures and I also copied Kayla's report paper she wrote on the trip. She is currently taking a course in Idaho History and although it wasn't required, I thought it couldn't hurt to make this trip a learning experience as well. I love snow and winter. I keep telling the hubby that I think I'm "called" to a more wintery climate, but so far he and God don't get it. :) These first 2 pictures are scenery shots on the trip up.

And now--from Kayla:

My family went on a little vacation to McCall, Idaho. They were just getting ready for their annual Winter Carnival. I am taking Idaho History, so mom had me write a report. She is typing it for me below. It is interesting. There are also some pictures of our trip.
The first carnival took place in 1924. It began with the largest train ever to enter McCall. It had 248 people on board and one of them was Idaho's govornor C. Moore. The very first carnival was called, "Payette Lakes Sports Carnival. It lasted three days. One of the biggest events was the dog sled races. They also had ski joring, which is when a skier is pulled by a horse! They had toboggan races and raced homemade snowmobiles on the frozen, snow-covered lake. These 'snowmobiles' were actually vehicles set on steel runners and driven by an airplane engine and propeller. Eventually, the carnival turned into an "ice break-up contest." People would buy tickets and guess what day, hour and minute the ice would break up on the lake. The person guessing the closest, won a prize. The last contest was in 1941 at what time gambling had become illegal. In 1965, the "Winter Carnival" began again and has continued to this day.

McCall can get up to 400 inches (33.3 feet) of snow each winter. One of the coolest things about the Winter Carnival these days are the fantastic ice sculptures. They might be animals, disney characters, Christmas or winter scenes. Whatever they are, they have amazing detail and are very beautiful! They are on nearly every corner and in front of nearly every store and shop. The sculptors work hard shaping the snow and pouring on water to maintain the icy surface. Awards are given for what judges say are the best. The town of McCall is beautiful with trees and snow. It is right on the Payette Lake. McCall has a population of 2,554. It is about 2 1/2 hours from our house on clear roads.

In January of this year, my family went to McCall. We stayed January 25-26. We stayed at the Western Mountain Lodge. We had a lot of fun! We looked at all kinds of sculptures, and since we were there a few days before the carnival began, we got to watch them working. There were bears, trains, trees and all kinds of other stuff all made out of snow! We were wondering why there were dragons, so we did some research and found out about the legend of "Sharlie." Some people say that they have seen a huge dragon, or sea creature and think it lives somewhere in the lake. Other people say there is no such thing and that it must be a log, a giant sturgeon, or even a herd of moose crossing the lake. This year, McCall is 100 years old, so we saw lots of sculptures with the number 100 as well.

McCall is a beautiful little town. It was founded in 1911 by Tom McCall. There was an article in the newspaper while we were there that talked about McCall's history. Tom McCall's daughter was McCall, Idaho's first schoolteacher. His son later became the first forest ranger. They were alone when they first came to McCall. They traded with an earlier setter named Denver, his homestead for their best harness, team and wagon. Someone asked Louisa, Tom's wife if she was lonely or discouraged in those hard early years and she said, "No, I had my family."
We also went sledding at Bear Park while we were there. The sledding hill ends in the lake, but don't worry. The lake freezes over every winter.

Enjoying pizza at Blue Moose Pizza.
Sledding at Bear Park.

Payette Lake.

Working on a sculpture with a chainsaw.

Back to Mom (Karen). Hope you enjoyed it. I thought she did quite well and I loved that they had fun too! We have gone I think 4 years now and I'd love to make it an official tradition!

Birthday Photos of the Cowgirl!

Here are some of my favorites of Kammy's Birthday photos. I love this one of her and Rancher. It is so natural...so her!
She's getting all grown up on me!

She looks a lot like her daddy....and more like his sister, Aunt Rhonda. Here I think she looks like pictures of me when I was little though!

She and Rancher have a lot of fun together. I am anxious for summer when they can have ALL their "fun" outside. :)

We have a little party planned for this Tuesday. Birthdays are special at our house. Not spendy especially...just special. Birthday girls always get to choose the supper menu and a cake flavor. This year, Kammy is decorating her own chocolate cake! (Should be fun!)

I have birthday pictures of all the girls, beginning with "month birthdays" to a year and then yearly pictures from there up. The last several years, I have done their pictures myself....I like the prices better and usually the results as well!