Garden of Leisure

A garden must combine the poetic and the mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy. --Luis Barragan

I have since been working to make the most of the last bit of my vacation, so today I met up with my sister and nephew to head to the Denver Botanic Gardens. Now strolling through gardens wouldn't necessarily have been my first thought on a brisk 30 degree day in December, but it turned out to be a lot of fun and more to see then I would've expected. It was really neat watching my nephew wandering around discovering all the flowers, plants, and sculptures. I've included some picts from our day. Hope you enjoy and if you ever get the chance I highly recommend checking out the Botanic Gardens.

Boulder Hiking Adventure

Hiking with kids is always an adventure, and there is no exception when its my nephews. But I have to admit by the end of the hike I was a proud aunt of my 3 little men and how well they did for our first hike together.  Its amazing that its taken me this long to get around to doing it.  Although it definitely helped having my sister and hubs along for support. My oldest nephew Buzz, didn't realize that he would be taking on the roll of partial pack mule, but he did it with no complaints.  Yet another reason why I love that kid! CK did well taking the reins of Champy and leading us up the hill.  And then of course there's Bobo who did ok for the most part, but as most 4 year olds he took a bit of coaching at some points and even after hiking up his tenacious spirit wanted to keep going till he climbed a mountain like Uncle J.  All in all it turned out to be a pretty awesome day full of miles and smiles. I'm very thankful that I got to be there for Buzz's and CK's first hike in Boulder.  My hope is that its just the start of many more to come. 

Out on the Farm

On Saturday we decided to set of to Berry Patch Farms in search of a pumpkin. When we arrived the pickings were slim, but we still managed to walk away with one. I had been there a few years back for a photo shoot and there were still lots to be picked, but this time around I think the early CO frost hit the berries early and we didn't make it there in time. All was not lost though, with my adorable 4 year old nephew in tow we managed to snag a pony ride, some face painting, and check out the farmers market. All in all, it was a beautiful autumn day!

Boulder Family Photos

I got to spend a fabulous fall afternoon in Boulder with such an amazing couple, one curious pup, and one of the most adorable little guy I've ever met. Had an amazing time with them, loved every minute of it! These are the days that help me remember why I love taking photos and feel very fortunate that people allow me to document a little part of their lives.

The Mom Stays in the Picture

I have friends that have recently had babies and approach me to take photos, but are hesitant about being a in them because they aren't where they’d hoped to be at body-wise.  I've always struggled with how to answer this when someone brings it up. The way I see it is that life doesn't stop moving, and you can never get time back. Mother's have gone through an amazingly miracle of creating life, so record that and celebrate it. To my friends and whoever else may happen to read this blog entry, I happened across this wonderful article in the Huffington Post by Allison Tate that I've included a photo and a clip of the article below.  It really resonated with me. I may not be a mother right now, but I hope to be one day and I can only hope that I will be able to embrace life like this.  So to all you mother’s I challenge you...To Get in the Picture.  

 

..."When I look at pictures of my own mother, I don't look at cellulite or hair debacles. I just see her -- her kind eyes, her open-mouthed, joyful smile, her familiar clothes. That's the mother I remember. My mother's body is the vessel that carries all the memories of my childhood. I always loved that her stomach was soft, her skin freckled, her fingers long. I didn't care that she didn't look like a model. She was my mama.

So when all is said and done, if I can't do it for myself, I want to do it for my kids. I want to be in the picture, to give them that visual memory of me. I want them to see how much I am here, how my body looks wrapped around them in a hug, how loved they are."...

Have a wonderful weekend!  

Playful Saturday in Granby

Just thought I'd share some of the pictures from today. It was perfect weather so decided to take a walk with the pups on the Fraser to Granby trail. Which as you can see below my golden boy was pretty happy about. Is there anything better that a smiling puppy dog? haha There are still lots of changing aspens to be found, which makes me excited for tomorrow's Run the Ranches trail run. Its my first so I'm super excited and a little nervous, should be lots of fun.

Don't Pass on Kenosha in the Fall

On a gorgeous September Sunday, I got to hang out with my amazingly talented fellow photo-enthusiastic cousin. We decided to do a fall color tour and picked Kenosha pass as our target. It proved to be a popular choice as there were a ton of people showing up with the same idea. I'm a huge fan of Colorado in autumn. Its one of my favorite things about this beautiful state that I call home. Here's some highlights of what we found wandering around.