Sisterhood

Meet Lynn, my older sister by....oh, who needs numbers...she's just a little older than me;) She and her family have lived in Taipei, Taiwan for the last 10 years. I got to spend a lot of time with her this summer and her daughter, Kaiyuh who is all over the blog lately. I just wanted to share her new author pictures with everyone. No, she hasn't exactly written a book yet, but I will be the first to pick up a copy when she finally does. I have always looked up to both my sisters in huge ways, and that is still more true than ever to this day. It is always so much fun to go home and spend time with each of my brothers and sister's families separately. There is something way more intimate sending time in their homes rather then with the huge clan. It is like we are getting to know each other all over again because all the age gaps are now closing because we are all parents and we can relate to this crazy thing called life. Lynn and I got into a little tiff while we were staying at Mom and Dad's house. It was a total misunderstanding and not worth going into details about because we don't even know what we were giving each other the cold shoulder for....but we both knew how to fix it. I went out to the garage to test the waters about how mad she was at me, and how mad I was going to be at her. We looked at each other...paused...and she just said.."I love you, Kath". I said the same and we hugged....that's all it took to squash the pressure that was between us. I am always fascinated about families and how they function and we got into a discussion about it on ichat the other night. I love her outlook on life and she came up with a quote for me to ponder...she thinks the key to family is, "learning to not know them". "There is an advantage in families because there is the free gift of getting to know them as people." It makes total sense in that we don't always get the gift of knowing many of our friends as well as we would like sometimes. That free gift isn't assumed in firendships, it has to be earned. I could go on forever about Lynn, but all I really wanted to say about her is that I think she beautiful inside and out, and I love her. Thank you for a memorable summer that I am still pondering and spiritually growing from. Love, Fifi-Bug:)
I love this picture, but it also makes me a little sad that we didn't take one this summer with the trio if sisters. We got to spend time all together and that always makes me happy and the family feels complete. The boys always look forward to the "girls" coming home all together because it makes Dad happiest to have all "his girls" together.
Happiness is looking into the eyes of a sibling, feeling the love in your heart, and not being able to express it with anything but a smile:) My family is very instrumental in my life and I think about them more then they will ever know. I am blessed. I am happy. I am.
P.S. No spell or grammar-checking Lynn! It was too long of a post to re-read...it is what it is and you get the point:)

Childhood Friends

There is something so comforting about getting together with childhood friends isn't there? We choose in our adult lives who gets to know our families and our past by telling them stories. With childhood friends you don't have to do that because they were a part of that life. There is a certain comfort that I find in my childhood friends...a laughter that is only shared by the connection of our past. These boys hopefully will have that with each other throughout their lives to come. They were a riot and I hope they are able to look back on these pictures as a reminder of the type of friendships that they will want to harvest as adults.

It was pouring rain and we thought we weren't going to be able to do the shoot we had tried to do ALL day. We finally got everyone together and as we stepped outside...cats and dogs! I pulled the car into the middle of the street...put up the back door to stand under and gave them all umbrellas to play with:)

Twilight

Anyone else out there that can't get enough of the Twilight series? Yes, it is the next big thing since Harry Potter! Quite frankly, it has our youth in an uproar and they can get quite hostile if interrupted while reading the books. My nieces were all hooked this summer and we lost them for a couple days every time they would start a new one. My niece Kaiyuh always seems to take books a little more seriously than the next kid. She gets so into the roles I am pretty sure that in her world, she is already married to Edward and on their honeymoon. She made herself into a vampire on her blog using the picture above, so I had to put up my rendition. The shoot below is inspired by the craze and we also got some really great shots of the three of them not totally in character:) I'll share some of them just being teenagers. Thanks for the fun girls...love you! Teta

Dream Date

Imagine this...fresh, wild flowers spiraling up six poles. The walkway glistening with sparkles of water. Soft Hawaiian music off in the distance. The smells are so familiar that my over-active olfactory system doesn't even try to label them...they are just a part of me:) The stage is set for the most amazing date of my life. I need a writer translating my story right now like the Geico commercials because I am not going to do it justice.
Most people plan for something huge on their 10th anniversary because it is such a milestone. I don't really feel like it is such a huge one because Jake and I haven't really been through ups and downs...WAY more "ups" than "downs". And 10 years of marriage has gone by with the blink of an eye and I wish I hadn't blinked. Jake set up a surprise dinner out at the Lake with my family all around and fully involved. They kept me busy while he set up the most romantic dinner at the end of the dock, with a heater, music, and servers all included. The kids were our waiters (with a couple of their cousins) and I will never forget how the stared at us that night. They were so proud and so enthralled with our love for what seemed like the first time. They sat together all lined up gazing down at us from the deck, giggling the whole meal like they were spying on two unexpecting lovers who were so into each other that they didn't notice anyone watching. I have a huge smile on my face as I reflect back on it:) It was an a amazing night like I said. So simple...so pure..and packed with so much love that it will last a lifetime. 10 years of love and so much to show for it...how did we ever get so lucky? JAmie and Tré below feeling overwhelmed on the walkway of love! Thank you Jake....thank you for being you and loveing me so much. Love, K

In love

I just love this shot because it says curiosity, togetherness, and love. There is so much in this world that these three do together and I know that this might not be true for years to come. But if there is ever a time when I feel like they aren't doing enough together then we will just hop on a plane or go camping. My favorite memories with my bros and sisters seemed to be at our cabins or on a trip together. This life goes too fast, so don't forget to slow things down and go celebrate your core family. You have to keep the core strong so that you can take on the rest of life together.
My little dreamer:) She dreams with her mouth open like her Mom...must be a sign of creativity or genius or something.

Milo-Man

Many of my nieces and nephews spent the summer performing like little circus monkeys in front of the camera, in hopes of being blogged:) Well, I have to give the award to Milo for being the most persistent! I hope he is happy about making the blog again...and that it's everything he dreamed it would be;) This is where I get all sappy and talk about how amazing he is....no really he is a GREAT kid and my kids idolize him a bit. Most kids hi age would ignore little ones...but, all my nieces and nephews take care and love the little ones. We are a lucky family and I know these kids are going to amazing things.
Milo on Connor. Con-Man was the nephew that was involved with a moose rescue out of the frozen river last year. I don't think I ever blogged it, but we are forever bonded from the experience:)
Stefan, Connor, and Milo striking poses. Maybe they have been watching my blog too much!
And the biggest goof of them all joins the crew. Thanks for all the entertainment boys. We miss you! Love, Teta

You're what?

When we heard that our dear friends were expecting again when their little boy was just few months old....I think we reacted just like the rest of society, and asked, "you're what...on purpose?" O.K. so it wasn't planned, but if you've ever had a child then you know nothing from that point on can be planned easily. We all come up with these "birth plans for starters, and most of those are blown out of the water once we feel the first signs of active labor. Then we plan on how we are going to parent...and we come up with a list of "I nevers" in our heads. You might as well turn that list into the "I guarantee I will..." list:) Well, these two have an extremely strong faith and they are head over heals for each other...which is why they were able to get past society "thinking" that they were crazy for getting prego so fast with their second. God has a definite plan for these two (and now 4) because they couldn't be happier with the path that has been set out in front of them. Since I shot these, they have had a beautiful little girl that I am dying to see and they are over the moon happy...and maybe a little sleep deprived;)
I had to keep it real in this shot. This is what every mother goes through all hours of the day when they have an 11 month old. But, it's not very often that we have this big belly to boot:) Nevermind that 'D' couldn't see her toes...she couldn't see where the heck her baby boy went;)
The most tender moment you can capture, when a Mom gets a hug from her baby. It's still so new for their little to know what a snuggle is, and she feels like each hug is the very first that she has ever received.
This one still just makes me laugh. That you 'B' and 'D' for a wonderful dinner and we are still really sorry that our house is not baby proof anymore and 'J' got his first owie:(

Deep thoughts with Kathy-Handy

I thought I would start this post with a hysterical picture so that you would read this post with a smile of your face:) I am going to share some meaningful quotes that friends have shared with me recently and some thoughts that I have been having about life and photography.
I love photography for many reasons, but the main one is for the emotions they it envokes in me and others. This was a day that I spent with a childhood friend recently. We are all grown up now and in the middle of our adult lives with kids and life galore. The visit was going along just fine and perfect, but once these mustaches and the camera came out....it brought us back to those childhood moments in an instant....life back together got just a little bit sweeter through our laughter. All of the sudden our lives were connected through laughter, not the jobs, accomplishments and everything else that defines us as adults.
My passion for photography is only possible because of this guy that sparked passion in my life for the first time since my sixth grade addiction to everything teddy bear. He gave me a safe place to be in life where I could learn to believe in myself. He stares at me daily with the most confident eyes and forgiving smile that gives me the courage to persue challenges in life.
This young lady below was in my life for only a moment. I met her in an instant, had my camera out and just asked if I could take a couple shots of her. We had maybe a 15 minute conversation, and I took about 20 pictures. When I sent them to her she sent me this note back..." Hey. thank you sooo much. I love 'em! Meeting you was really the highlight of my summer so thanks, again." It was shocking to know that I could influence a 12 yr old in an instant and be the "highlight" of her whole summer. From a couple pictures that I took, she will probably gain a little more confidence, and a memory for a long time to come. This is a bit of an overwhelming thought because it makes very clear to me how much we are influenced by the people that come into our lives. How careful do we have to be with people that come into our lives? Should we search more carefully? Should we even be conscious? I know I am glad that her beautiful, sweet spirit came into mine for just a moment.
When I think about influencing people I get a little overwhelmed by the possibility. I could spark a passion that could last a lifetime in someone, and that feels like such a big deal. I don't underestimate the power of a picture by any means, it's just a lot to take in when it is you behind the camera. I guess I am just overwhelmed and humbled by how much my passion is contagious and I want to start sharing it more. Because I am passionate about my family and my life, I hope that others around me always keep their eyes and hearts open to the possibilities in their own life.
Another photographer that hung out with me for a couple hours....

"Oh Kathy, I've been on cloud nine!!! Seriously, my head is reeling with all the information you shared and the heart you allowed me to see. I was going to email you as soon as I got home but I delved into all these sources and started dreaming and thinking and figuring, lol. So thank you!!! I'm so motivated and inspired and wish tonight that I could shoot the entire world, lol.

I am so proud of you! And I loved the part on how you developed the name and about your company. You should thank God everyday you are really the happiest luckiest woman I know. Great husband, wonderful children, and you have a passion for something you are excellent in.

You really look like you have found your calling, I am completely jealous. I think too few of us (people) actually find their calling, and you have. Its pretty amazing that you are so passionate about it, yet only take on as much as your family can handle. It sound like your family has done really well for itself, congratulations!

When I read words like this, I smile. I don't over think it anymore and try to figure out how to help others find the same thing, because their happiness is going to come from within. I don't worry about being perceived as bragging because I know that I am not guaranteed all of this tomorrow. I have it now, I love my life and I hope to spread the passion to those around me. Today, I am thankful, happy, and humbled. Today, I am......

Deep thoughts with Jamie

When we were hanging out the other day, Jamie stopped, stared into my eyes and looked like he was going to say something profound. He said "Hey Mom, you have blue eyes." I thought that was such a cute and simple observation, yet a profound one. I told him "yes, and you have brown eyes." He didn't believe me and so I had to take a picture of our eyes in that moment to show him that we had different eyes. It was such a pure moment in this busy life where things seem to be passing us by at mach 3. He just took a moment to see the color of my eyes. Then he melted my heart and came at me with another stare and "Mom, you're pretty!" I know, get right out of here with that cutest, right! I have blue eyes and Jamison...the little guy once in my belly, has brown eyes and I feel beautiful because my 4 year old made me feel that way. Tell someone that they are pretty or handsome today!

Most Elegible Bachelors

O.K. so they are a little young for that title...but, they are going to be a CATCH for a couple lucky girls someday. Jordan is one of my nephews friends and he brought along Andrew (another one of the Fab 5) for support. They are so chill, funny, and up for anything. It was such a fun shoot where I got to try my hand at pet photography and some fun techniques featured at the end of this post. There was something to be said for shooting this many seniors together and in groups. They made each other laugh (usually by making fun of each other) and I was able to get some really cool interactions. I think that in the long run it will be a day they are able to look back on as a fun day, hanging out with friends, instead of a tension-filled photo shoot. I know I had a blast.
Andrew made sure to call me just to thank me for taking the time to take shots of him and that he was genuine and complimentary. Thank for entertaining all the other boys and making them laugh, making my job easier:)
Hey, I could get used to this Pet Photography thing if they all smile for the camera like this one:)
This was quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever done with seniors and I think they should both have these blown up on their walls in college to make sure that they smile at least once a day. I was DYING shooting this sequence! Thanks for being troopers guys.

Nick-Bo

Talk about variety is one HUGE shoot. This is the first of my nieces and nephews to be a senior. I can't even believe that I am taking senior shots of my little (not so little) nephew, Nick! He is an amazing kid with talents coming out of every pore. He is a HUGE birder (creates a life long list of birds that they spot) with many accomplishments in the field. He is teaching himself how to play the piano, and he has just about the sweetest personality that you can get. He brought along a group of his friends that he is very close to and spends a lot of time with. They were a really fun group to be around and the humor was entertaining to say the least. Does anyone else seem to be lost in the "teen" world? They make you feel "a little slow";) Here is just the tip of the iceberg of this shoot...friends, girlfriends, squirrels, and much more. Love you Nick and it was fun getting to know you and the young man that you have become through this shoot.