Mandy Hank Photography

Lexi-9 months old

2012-01-27T13:24:00.005-07:00

I still need to finish posting the last couple of days of our big vacation that was about a month ago. I envisioned this whole peaceful January where I could clean out closets, clean out cabinets, organize everything in the house and get caught up. And so far, it hasn't been that way. It sure is nice to be busy in my so called "slow season" but I am just trying to get caught up. Every time I scratch off 5 things from my to-do list, I had on 10 more.
So I promise I have more to show you and will eventually!
But up today is little Miss Lexi. Just in time for her 9 month portraits! It's so amazing to see how much she has grown over the last few months! She is standing now and so curious at everything she sees. It'll be nice to see her in a few months for her big girl birthday!! :)

You can view her slideshow by clicking here!

Our Vacation-Days 4-6

2012-01-17T06:20:00.003-07:00

So after San Diego, we took a day off from the craziness of theme parks and drove up the coast a bit to LA. We stopped in San Marcos to see some Mike's aunt, uncle and cousin. That was great, we hadn't seem them since we got married. We ate lunch together and then drove up to Dana Point. We have some friends there that Mike grew up with as a kid back in New York. We spent the afternoon with them and really had a good time. It was a nice relaxing break in between all the standing in lines and walking around.
The next three days were spent at Disneyland! Seriously one of my favorite places in the whole wide world :) I really just love it there! We hadn't been in about 2 years so I was itching to go. Plus Hunter was a lot bigger this time and was able to ride the big people rides. I was excited about that and so was he until he actually went on a few of the big people rides and it scared him so bad. Poor little Hunter. Hopefully next time he'll enjoy it!

Toon Town!

Waiting to go on Space Mountain

Love Reagan's smile on this ride. Do you notice that Mandy isn't on the ride. I hate the Tea Cups. They make me sick. And even worse our the stupid Rockets- blah!

Be careful, don't get too close because you know what happens

The little monster eats your hair!

A little Phineas and Ferb action!

Hunter loved the army men from Toy Story

Oh I just love that place and can't wait to go back again! :) I miss it already

How does this happen?

2012-01-13T15:27:00.004-07:00

I have been on a cleaning streak since the first of the year. Organizing, throwing out stuff, rearranging, heavy cleaning, you name it. The house needs it and my sanity needs it, or at least needs to be able to cross it off my lists.
Today's project was to clean out the fridge. You can imagine our house hasn't been normal for almost a month now with that department. First there are the weeks leading up to Christmas and let me tell you we were pretty bad about "picking something up" on the way home around that time. Then there was a lot of baking and prepping food for Christmas. Then came the days after Christmas that I really just spent prepping for our 10 day vacation. Then we went on that 10 day vacation and there is always a few days when you get back that you don't really go to the store, you don't really cook. You are just trying to get back into the swing of things.
So there was a lot to throw out, a lot to clean out, a lot to scrub. And in the midst of all that cleaning, I found that I have a little problem with buying hot sauce. How in the world do we have 5 opened bottles in the fridge. I never noticed them in there but just kept buying them. Here is my proof my mom brain was on overload again. Dang it. Where is my version 2.0 at?

Our Vacation-Day 3

2012-01-13T12:34:00.002-07:00

Our third day was spent at the San Diego Zoo,which I had never been to before but was really looking forward to. I have heard it's gigantic and beautiful. And that is was for sure. I wish I wouldn't have taken more pictures of the animals but we actually took the bus around the zoo to save some time so it was a little difficult to grab pictures through a moving bus. But here are a few from the day

This little poser stood still for me so I could grab his picture, it was like he was a professional :)

This guy was just out in the open for everyone to see- love his colors!

This crazy animal was with us on our whole vacation. Needed a little nap time apparently.

This is the panda they have there- actually they have 2 of them. So beautiful and interesting to watch.

Here is Dr. Harold...??? who knows?

The polar bears was something else I really wanted to see. They are so big and powerful. Just looking at their paws amazes me.

Our Vacation-Day 2

2012-01-12T11:10:00.002-07:00

On our second day we went to Sea World. The last time I was there was when Reagan was about a year and half old. Sea World has always had a special place in my heart. My dream job growing up was to be a marine biologist. I wanted to work with dolphins more than anything in the world. Even now I can watch them for hours and hours and just love how beautiful they are.
Some friends met up with us on our vacation, so my kids had a extra special time!

Here is Hunter, Alaina and Reagan

Some adorable little penguins swimming around

Our tour guide, Mr. Hunter. He just had to tell us where we were going at every map he saw.

Santa was still at Sea World so the kids got to thank him for our trip :)

The trainers don't get in the water anymore with the killer whales so they make it a huge big splash show. Thankfully we were smart and were way up on top. I feel so bad for some of those folks down there.

My favorite show of the day of course. They incorporated a lot of the trainers diving, doing flips in the water as well and more acrobatic type things. It was a great show!

Sweet little Emma, enjoying her stroller ride

We went to a Polar Express 4D that they had at Sea World. Hunter cracked me up with his little pose.

Our Vacation-Day 1

2012-01-12T09:52:00.003-07:00

Mike and I have been planning this trip for ages. We wanted to surprise the kids with this trip for two reasons. 1. We hadn't ever done that before and wanted to see the look on their faces and 2. you know when you tell your kids you are going somewhere and they ask 50 times a day for weeks "how much longer?" Well we just didn't want to listen to that :)

We actually planned a 10 day vacation which is really crazy for us. Even our honeymoon wasn't that long. But we knew we hadn't taken a vacation like this in years and we probably won't again for another few years.
We bought a City Pass that allowed us to do Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, 3 days at Disneyland and California Adventure and Universal Studios. We started off our first part of the trip to San Diego.
The first afternoon we got there we actually had our pictures taken on the beach. I found Limelife Photography in San Diego and I basically just wanted some pictures of us hanging out on the beach. I really loved the images. It's so nice when photographers can get some great images done with their own families. And I seem to always be the one taking pictures on our vacation so it was nice to have some proof I was on the vacation as well this time :) You can view some of our pictures on their blog here
After our session was over we hung out on the beach for a bit and let the kids play around. There was a huge fog that was rolling in over the ocean onto the beach. It looked a little eerie, almost like a tidal wave coming in. It covered up San Diego within minutes.

What a sweet little message from our hotel- makes you wanna crawl in and take a nap

Mike and I relaxing!

The kids running in from the waves

Reagan picked up a new hobby on the beach, collecting sea shells

Here is the fog rolling in

This is us driving through the beautiful Torrey Pines area. We were excited to see it and of course you can tell we couldn't see anything. :(

Long day at the beach really wipes them out :)

Happy Holidays from us!!

2011-12-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

This will probably be my last post of the 2011 year. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family! Please be safe and enjoy your time with your loved ones! We are shutting the office down for a little holiday break so if you do email us, we will do our best to respond as quickly as we can but keep in mind we will be yelling "whoo-hoo's" and "yippies" while at Disneyland! :)

See you in 2012! :)

Family Fun Together! -"Peanut Butter Heaven Balls"

2011-12-19T22:20:00.005-07:00

Here is a little idea to do with your kids on a Saturday afternoon. Even after school is pretty fun. It's a nice little recipe that's easy for the kids to do. I wait all year for Christmas time so I can make these little peanut butter heaven balls.

First of all let me explain that I think peanut butter and chocolate go together like salt and pepper, ketchup and fries, kisses and hugs. You get the idea. So when I can make these I am in heaven for the few days I get to eat these! :)

First you'll start off with a box of Rice Krispies, a generic brand can be used to substitute any of the ingredients. You will need 3 cups

Also....

1 jar of peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, your choice)
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 package of bark chocolate. Do not use nestle chips. They won't work as well.

You start by pouring the krispies in a large bowl. Add in the jar of peanut butter. Next melt the butter in the microwave and pour onto the mixture. Last take 1/2 a cup of powdered sugar and add in to the mixture and save the other half for later. Stir the mixture. Now you can start making them. I usually take about a spoonful of the mixture, sprinkle some left over powdered sugar in my hands and start rolling them in a ball. The powdered sugar helps so the mixture doesn't stick to your hand.
Next take the package of the bark chocolate and place it in the microwave. Read the instructions because each package is different. You may have to start with one minute and then do 15 second increments until it's melted. Don't over heat though. You want the chocolate to be nice and creamy.
You can place the mixture balls into the chocolate. I try and use a big spoon with holes in it to use as a strainer for the excess chocolate. Once they are covered you will place them on a cookie sheet to harden. Place a piece of wax paper on the cookie sheet first. Once your tray is filled place it in the fridge to cool and harden. And then voila`! MMMMMMM.... heaven with every bite :)
Hope you all have fun!

Baking is a success when your 5 year old looks like this

Sarah & Robert Engaged- Phoenix Wedding Photographer

2011-12-18T20:47:00.002-07:00

Third time is a charm for Sarah and Robert's session. Poor things had to be rescheduled twice because of rain. What in the world? I tell you Phoenix has had some crazy weather lately. I had this vision in my head for their location and I was so bummed every time there was a ton of rain. So luckily the third time provided lots of sunshine so we could do what we needed to do!

On top of the great weather, she works as a cake decorator at the best bakery in town! Sugarlips Cakery. I get the kids' birthday cakes there every year and they never disappoint! Sarah was so sweet, she brought me cupcakes from there! What a doll :) Totally made my day.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Turnage Family 2011- Mesa Family Photographer

2011-12-16T09:24:00.002-07:00

Christmas is just 9 days away. I am really excited for this weekend. It's the weekend before to finish those last minute things, doing a little Christmas baking, not working. Just spending some time with our family. It's a good time to reflect on the year,think about a better future and recognize what and who you are thankful for! A lot of times we get caught up in the hustle and bustle and don't take a step back to enjoy the season.
I found a cute little project to do with your family that I saw on Davina Fear's website. She has always been one of those amazing photog/moms that I look up to. She reminds us with every blog post how important it is to spend time with your family and cute little ideas you can do with each other.
She made these cute little boxes with adorable surprises in them for all the family members to open.
Just might be a nice little project to do with your family this weekend! And it will definitely remind you to be kinder to one another and appreciate each other! ;)

Check them out here!

Also check out the Turnage Family. The kids brought along their musical instruments which were a lot of fun! Really reflected their family right now.

Check out their slideshow by clicking here!

The Roe Family 2011-Scottsdale Family Photographer

2011-12-07T11:49:00.002-07:00

My last family of the 2011 Christmas Portrait Season is the Roe Family. It's been an awesome journey this fall season for us. These last few weeks have included over 20 pairs of mom and dads, 34 kids, 6 babies, 2 soon to be babies and an Eeyore. Eeyore made it to my final session. It's really has been so many great memories for me. Each family is so different. Some were new families this year, some I have shot many times. I enjoy shooting family sessions more than any other photography I do. I just always know the pictures I take I would want someone to take for my family. Pictures that showcase my family. We aren't perfect but we are who we are. So I hope each year I can continue to give that to my families I shoot!
Thank you all so much for such a wonderful season! :)

Check out their slideshow by clicking here!

The Adame Family 2011- Scottsdale Family Photographer

2011-12-06T14:25:00.003-07:00

My laundry is calling me right now but I wanted to post this cute little family first. I met little Miss Riley in the hospital when she was born. She was so tiny and cute. Ironically they were in the same postpartum room I was in when I had Hunter. Of course all I really remember about that room was how hot it was outside. 118 to be exact. Miserable. But thank goodness for air conditioning.
I think about that day 5 and a half years ago and remember it like it was yesterday. Almost every hour of that day I can remember. With Reagan's birth day too. I can't believe how fast time goes when you become a parent. I swear it was just yesterday I was changing diapers and playing patty cake with the kids. We go through the Elmo stage, the Princess Stage, the Wiggles stage and the next thing I know my kids are watching the Disney shows for teenagers and talking in complete conversations with us.
It's amazing and a nice reminder when I see a little cutie like this to cherish every day you have with your little ones. They won't always be little :(

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Marinelli Kids 2011- Scottsdale Family Photographer

2011-12-06T10:29:00.003-07:00

I am in such a organizing mood right now I just can't stand it. Actually I am pretty OCD when it comes to organizing. I over plan, over organize, over think! The problem is I have had every waking minute spent either shooting or editing. And if I find time at all in the day it's usually spent at the grocery store, doing laundry, last minute Christmas shopping or maybe just maybe spending 5 minutes with the kids.
Every room I walk in seems to catch my eye of a list of things to go through. The kids are growing out of their clothes and I need to sort through them to donate. My Tupperware cabinet scares me right now, my junk drawer is hardly closing and I have all these little bags around the house that I have thrown things into that I either need to look through, find a place for or actually put it in it's home. And it's starting to drive me bonkers. Every time I walk by something I feel like it's staring at me, saying ... "I need to be organized, help me".
It has been really hard to ignore the stuff I need to do but I have more pressing things to do. So my organizational skills are going to have to wait until after the first of the year. You just better watch out around this house. If you hear a lot of noises don't worry, it's just me getting it done and finally having some peace in the house.

Check out these adorable kiddos. It's kind of funny that when a 4 year old is done having his picture taken and is "having a moment", you best grab a picture of that as well. Because those moments are memories too and it turned out to be one of my favorite pictures of the day!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Siderewicz Family 2011- Mesa Family Photographer

2011-12-05T18:21:00.003-07:00

Conversation with Reagan : I haven't had one of these in awhile so I thought I'd share. The other day Reagan was talking about Christmas and she said

"I know why they named Rudolph his name."
Me: "Why?"
Reagan: "Well Rudy is because his nose is so red like the color. ( she is thinking of the word RUBY) and Dolph is.....um....... (glances up at me) ...... actually I don't know what Dolph means???"

I shot her back with a smile. Their imagination and minds just crack me up!

The Siderewicz Family also had to endure some nasty weather for their pictures. I felt so bad, it was cold and wet and just not fun. But they snuggled a lot with their little love bug and it I think it warmed them up a bit.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Klocke Family 2011- Mesa Family Photographer

2011-12-05T12:58:00.003-07:00

I am so so so sick of the rain. And I swore I thought I would never say those words. I really do love the rain. We hardly get rain at all in Arizona. If we get rain it's usually no longer than 1 hour. So when it happens I try to take it all in. I love snuggling on the couch when it's raining, I love driving in it. I love listening to it. But the past 5 weeks I have dealt with more shooting in the rain than I ever want to again.
Even went off to San Diego and the rain seemed to follow me there. It's been happening a lot on the weekends which of course is when all the family sessions are booked and weddings are booked. The rain has made this season much more stressful than usual. :(
All my families were troopers including the Klocke Family. They showed up while it was sprinkling with 16 month old twins. I was even impressed at how well the babies did in the cold rain.
Their pictures are adorable and they definitely didn't let some rain damper their style. Love these. Almost makes me love the rain again!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

My favorite from the day

Love this one as well!

Some cute ones of mom and dad

Ohhhh love that hair! :)

The Odle Family 2011

2011-12-02T06:50:00.002-07:00

So the next family brought me a song for their slideshow and I have heard the song a million times but never really listened to the words until I was doing their slideshow. It's really one of cutest family songs I have ever listened to and the words felt like they were written for every family I know. We all have those days that everything is happening at once. Kids are sick or fighting, you are running late, a bill is due, your boss is on your case, you have no clean clothes because you just can't find time to do the laundry and in the back of your mind you are dreaming of a vacation. But somehow the world we live in every day is ok. We come home and see some adorable faces waiting for us, or the unexpected hug from your kid, a sweet glance from your husband or maybe just maybe you have the one day in such a long time that seems to have everything go right. It's those little moments that make the crazy life you are living seem like it's normal and everything is gonna be just fine!
Thanks Odle Family for reminding me of that!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!

The Poyner Family 2011

2011-12-01T20:47:00.003-07:00

Mike is leaving on his first big boy hunting trip with my dad this week. I am a little nervous and I think he is too. I am very excited for him to go on this "all boy" trip but he's going to Texas and is hunting with a lot of home grown Texas boys. Normally that is ok but when your husband grew up in New York City, it's a little odd. Comical really. It reminds me of the movie City Slickers. Mike had to buy his first set of camouflage wear, and it was "really purtty". I have a little feeling he might come back a whole new person. They might even get him to wear a cowboy hat. :) Actually I think he might be the only hunter in Texas sporting his Yankee baseball cap! Wish him luck this week!!!

The Poyner family met me last weekend for their session. It was the end of November and the an extremely hot day for the time of the year. At the end of November we have just about had it with the weather we just want to say, "awww, come on!" This week of course our weather was a normal almost winter like feel. But they were troopers with the heat and we still got some awesome pictures.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Whittle Family 2011

2011-12-01T14:06:00.003-07:00

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....." Awwww, I love this time of the year. I love the songs, the decorations, the cookie baking, all of it!!! To see your kids eyes light up every Christmas morning is words I can't explain. The only fault is we don't get any snow. :( I don't even want snow all winter just on Christmas Day. That would be perfect!
I guess I will have to settle 62 degrees, if we are lucky we might get a little wind that day.

Here we go with the Whittle Family. Had a sweet little helper who is 4 years old help me with the shoot. She was so excited to get her picture taken. What a little ham. My camera just loves it!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!

The Barro Family 2011

2011-11-23T21:40:00.003-07:00

This poor family got me on my last leg of a hectic weekend. I had shot back to back weddings and then had 2 families before them plus was extremely sick. The weather was crappy that morning but I pushed through. I sounded like I was coughing up my lung, I had no voice. It was the "raspy phlegm-y" voice. Oh I was in bad shape but I knew I needed to shoot the families that day and can you believe how easy it was to shoot them for their session. Especially when the session involves the Barro Family. So beautiful, they just go together so well. They are a beautiful couple with two beautiful kids. They look like they belong in a magazine!
Thank you Barro Family for putting up with me on my last leg and for putting up with the wonderful background music I provided during your session :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Steltenpohl Family

2011-11-23T11:08:00.004-07:00

There is a new addition coming to the Steltenpohl Family! So excited they are having a little girl :) They are the sweetest and Jordan is going to be an adorable big brother. I can't wait to meet her. You just can't ask for anything better for this wonderful little family, and on top of being super cute, they are all so sweet and polite. I really enjoy meeting them every year. Congrats Justin, Rhonda and Jordan!! I can't wait to meet her :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

My favorite of the day!! :)

The King Family

2011-11-23T09:15:00.003-07:00

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I have to tell you, I just can't wait. It really forces me to have a day off and not feel guilty about doing nothing all day. I love the holidays, I love spending time with my family and getting into the spirit of the holidays. To me, even after all the stress of the year, it all seems worth it once the holidays hit. So I hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow with your loved ones. I hope you eat all you want and don't feel guilty about the calories. Enjoy your day off, even it's just the one for the weekend and cherish the day!

This was my first year shooting the King family so some major pressure on my end :) I wonder sometimes what they are thinking of me while I'm shooting but I'm hoping they are happy with the end result. :) It's not difficult when you have 2 pretty stinkn' cute little boys on the other side of the camera. Their smiles just make you light up!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Lopez-Hodoyan Family 2011

2011-11-16T12:06:00.003-07:00

Awwww, sweet little Dominic. Poor guy just didn't really care for me this year. I think it might take some time getting used to me. He is just so darn cute I can't stop taking his picture. I know it was super cold and really just miserable to take pictures during their session. And we all kind of knew the session was done when Dominic hit is melt down which was pretty stinkn' cute. I think that is what I love most about Carla and Peter. They use those non perfect moments as memories and accept that is just their family. They aren't perfect and don't pretend to be in their pictures and I think that is what makes for a perfect picture in my eyes. I really have so much fun year after year with this family and love watching the boys grow. Thank you Lo-Ho Family! XOXO

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Osheel Family 2011

2011-11-15T23:17:00.008-07:00

This past weekend was a pretty hard one for me, lots and lots and lots of shooting. Running around on top of being totally sick and having a voice that sounds like Peter Brady from the Brady Bunch. I wish I could just sleep for a few days and get rid of this crap but as a mom the world doesn't stop and I have to press on. I did actually try and come home on Sunday evening and sit on a couch and not do a thing for the rest of the night and yet Hunter had some plans of his own that included splitting his head open and us rushing to the Urgent Care. Sigh. Always something going on here in the Hank household. :)

Ah yes, one of my favorite families to shoot, our good friends the Osheel Family. I think most of the time during their shoot we spend more time laughing and talking and I have to remind myself to get down to business. But they are so stinkn' cute I don't have to work too hard. We have known each other for a long time, even before our kids were born and it's so awesome Mike and I get to experience life with a great couple like this by our sides.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!

My favorite of the day :)

Love these!

The Wasserbeck Family 2011

2011-11-14T22:05:00.003-07:00

Another family who drove up with me to Sedona last weekend to have their pictures taken. I felt so bad for the Wasserbeck Family, it was super duper cold out. When I had them cuddle for a cute picture believe me they didn't think twice about it. It made for some really fun pictures though. I just love shooting these kids. Their smiles are adorable and their freckles make me want to pinch their cheeks!

Thank you all for putting up with the chill for these pictures, they came out great and you have a wonderful family to show off in the pictures :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Lewis Family

2011-11-14T14:28:00.003-07:00

Years ago, I met Jaime and Shanna and was able to shoot their wedding. It seems like ages ago but it was a wedding I will always remember. Sweet couple and both are so adorable :) They have since had little Grayden and what a joy it was to meet him. He has such a personality and was so honest. If I asked him if he wanted to do something he just simply said, "no I don't." At one point a duck came up on the creek bed and it gave Grayden some interest. He chased the duck for a bit and said , "I want him." They are expecting again and I can only imagine their new addition will be just as adorable as Grayden is :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Mowery Family

2011-11-14T11:56:00.004-07:00

Last time I photographed this family they were not officially The Mowery Family (Mike, Michelle, Alaina and Emma) but since then they are complete and have added little Miss Emma to the family. They drove up with me last weekend to Sedona to take their pictures. Unfortunately the weather was a little chilly and we thought it might snow but it turned out to be ok. Plus the scenery was amazing and the little creek behind our hotel was breath taking!

Mike's birthday was on Saturday and I know he just loved having his pictures taken on his birthday, most husbands do. But he was a good sport and we bought this Mike and my Mike a couple of beers to let them celebrate afterwards :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

Amy Blake and Bailey

2011-11-07T13:00:00.001-07:00

Today Hunter who is 5 came up to while editing this session and said "Mom, I need to shave tonight, I feel a little hair on my face right here" and pointed to his cheek. I tried not to laugh but it was so cute to see how serious he was about it. That one can surely go in our memory books.

Amy came along with her 2 daughters Blake and Bailey who are getting older every year. Yikes. Two teenage daughters- Wowzer! They are a lot of fun and I just love the "girly" love in their family and I just know they have a good time hanging out together.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

Bailey

My favorite of the day!

Blake

The Norris Family

2011-11-03T15:34:00.003-07:00

The weather here in Phoenix is finally normal again. It's so nice out. I mean super nice out! It's a little chilly at night but I tell you during the day the weather is so nice it makes me want to stay out side all day. I wish I could set up my computer desk out in the front yard and get some fresh air while I was editing. Oh that would be perfect, although I have a feeling I'd probably want to take some afternoon naps and maybe not get any editing done at all :)

My last family session from last Sunday is the Norris Family. Sweet little Morgan and Landon are always such a joy to shoot. They show so much emotion in their pictures and I just love editing their pictures. The session was pretty fun and we had a couple of laughs and it's nice to look back while editing. It always makes me laugh again.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The Dean Family

2011-11-02T22:29:00.004-07:00

Never thought I'd meet another "Hunter" but during this family session last Sunday, I think I met his "twin". Well not really but pretty dang close. It was so funny to meet a little guy same age as Hunter, looked similar to him and acted just like him. He was goofy and silly and I'm sure just keeps you right on your toes like my little man does. When I edited these pictures I just kept seeing the similarities. :)

Take a look at this adorable family!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

My favorite of the day for sure! Love this one :)

What a cutie she is!

Sweet couple

The Sopha Family

2011-10-30T19:25:00.003-07:00

Tomorrow is Halloween. I am so excited to see the kids dressed up. Hunter is going as "Mario" from Super Mario Bros. and Reagan is going as a vampire. I'm sure that has something to do with my recent Twilight obsession :)
Halloween is one of those holidays that you only have a few years with the kids to still get dressed up and get excited over the Trick or Treating and everything that goes along with celebrating the holiday! For days they both have told me how excited for Halloween. They unfortunately can't wear their costumes to school but I'll bet you they won't wait 5 minutes after they get home from school before they will beg to put it on :)

My next family up is pretty super special to me, probably because they are my sweet family! I love that I can try some things with them and even if they think I'm crazy they will do it anyway and love me for it :) I giggled a lot during their session which just made me love my job more and more. And I will say I'm pretty stinkn' proud that I can call these goof balls my family!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

Teeheee- I just love them!

I couldn't even keep a straight face to take this picture of my brother in law :)

I swear it was just yesterday these two were babies :(

Amen to this saying!

Nothing like a great pillow fight between brother and sister!

2011-10-26T16:30:00.003-07:00

My family portrait season has started and in full force I might add. My first family was the Chambers Family. Allison and her little spit fire Mackenzie. Mackenzie wasn't thrilled with having her picture taken this day. She really didn't want anything to do with me so I tried bringing out my bag of tricks for her. Sometimes letting the kids do what they want is just the way to go. We got some great laughs out of her and some sweet little smiles and I'm so glad because her little face just melts you.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here

Grandpa even jumped in for a few.

My favorite of the day for sure :)

Sedona and Chad have tied the knot!

2011-10-26T12:29:00.004-07:00

Last Saturday Sedona and Chad, with their friends and family tied the knot! The weather started out a little hot that day but turned out to be a beautiful evening. The ceremony was at the groom's dad's home over looking the Phoenix area at sunset. Miss Regina Osgood with Meant 2 Be Events pulled off another wonderful wedding. She always has such great details and makes it seem like it was effortless.

They definitely had a big dancing crew at the wedding. I have never seen so many people shaking their grove thing! Lots and lots and lots of fun!

Thank you so much Sedona and Chad! We had a blast and wish you many many years of happiness! :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

The gorgeous bouquets by Kate @ Lux

Her "something blue" - I wore blue shoes as well for my "something blue" so I always love taking pictures of a blue heel!

Heading down first the first look

One of my favorites of the day :)

The girls

The guys all "tweeting" about the day

The amazing ceremony view

A sweet moment from the bride's mother

The view at night- stunning!

Hello Again

2011-10-24T11:20:00.003-07:00

Oh goodness, it's been a few months since I blogged and I feel horrible that I just haven't been able to keep up :( I really do love blogging but the timing is always off. Let's hope I can be a little better in the next few months when my busy season hits. I love sharing these families with you!!!

My last post a few months ago was Baby Lexi at 3 months old and ironically she is my first post back at 6 months old. What an adorable baby she has grown into. She loved showing me her "no teeth" smile!! Love it :) So proud of her gums!

Take a look at these adorable images!! And you can also check out her slideshow by clicking here!!

Baby Lexi

2011-08-01T13:30:00.003-07:00

My kids started school last week. We are finally back in the swing of things and I'm so excited to get back on our schedules. I love crossing off my to-do list and sticking to timing of the days appointments. Plus the kids were getting a little bored at home. Luckily we have year round school so my kids are off for about 6-7 weeks. It gives us just enough time to hang out, sleep in a little bit and then we are right back at school when they start getting bored.
They did great their first week. Reagan is a pro at this now but for Hunter, it was his first year. He did great, no tears for either of us. He was a little tired last week. I'm sure it's a lot to go through and very overwhelming.

I love having my days free of Spongebob on the TV but really look forward to picking them up after school. It's a great feeling to see them after a little day break :)

Now this little pumpkin, Lexi is about 3 months old and has quite a ways to go before her parents drop her off at Kindergarten. But she is absolutely adorable and just the cutest little thing! She wasn't very happy with me a couple of times during the shoot but it just made her that much cuter. And check out her adorable hair. I'm so jealous my kids had nothing but bald heads!

You can check out her slideshow by clicking here

Christmas Family Portrait Season 2011

2011-07-26T10:06:00.011-07:00

It’s that time of year again. Before you know it Christmas will be here and the time to get your family portraits taken will be here even sooner! We are going to do a few things a little different this year- you’ll still get great images, an amazing slideshow and a wonderful family experience.

We’ll be running a special for family portraits the fall season. I have added a couple of extra dates this year because we always fill up and I just want to get you all in :) And I also have added one more weekend in December which will help all you who run a bit late in planning :)

Specific dates and locations will be scheduled for the special package. If you would like to have a different location, date or month for your family photos, the package will be full price.

This year the dates for the special are

Sunday October 30, 2011 @ the Groves
Sunday November 6th @ Oak Creek Canyon (this is in the middle of Sedona and Flagstaff)Sunday November 13th @ Heritage Square in Downtown Phoenix
Sunday November 27th @ Wild Horse Pass Resort
Sunday December 4th @ Scottsdale Civic Center
Saturday December 10th @ Mesa Center for the Arts

Each date and location will have three 1 hour time slots starting at 2:00 and the last one starting at 4:00pm.

The family special will include
1 hour session
An online slideshow presentation
Disk of images
$275.00

You must book your session in advance and a non-refundable retainer of $100.00 is required to hold your location and time slot

Hurry and book now, slots will fill up quickly!!!***

Any other dates, locations and times, the session will be $375.00

Remember, Mandy Hank Photography still has the Preferred Portrait Club referral program- so the more people you refer to Mandy Hank Photography, the less you’ll pay for your own family portraits. Ask for details!!

Pictures of my kids? What a concept!

2011-07-19T08:51:00.003-07:00

"You must have some great pictures of your kids". I hear this a lot after telling people I am a photographer. And it always makes me sad. Because yes I do have some great shots of them, but I don't have as many as you'd think I would as a photographer. It's kind of like the maid who has a messy house. She cleans all day for other people, do you think she REALLY wants to rush home and clean her own house?
One of the reasons I started the 365 project was for this reason. I wanted to challenge myself to take pictures of my kids, my family and my personal life. Taking pictures of things I truly love to find my passion again. I am currently on Day 153 and feeling pretty good. There have been a couple of days where I fell behind but caught up quickly. I'm currently in the process of making a book of these images. I think when they are done it will be so special. Plus it will be of the people the mean the most to me. And sometimes we forget about that when we are busy and caught up living life.
I realized I hadn't given my kids a photo shoot in sometime so even though it's summer and extremely hot we waited until the sun set so it was somewhat bearable and headed out. We got some great shots with the light and the kids did a great job. I'm so proud to share my kids with you and show them off to you! They are adorable and I'm pretty proud of these images as well.
So now when I hear, "you must have some great pictures of your kids," I can reply, "Why yes I do!!"

Baby Emma

2011-07-16T10:06:00.003-07:00

I got to tell you, as much as I love summers, sleeping in, swimming, hanging out in our pj's some days, getting caught up on house stuff, getaways,etc, I'm pretty excited for the kids to go back to school. And I have 10 days left! Luckily my kids do year round school so for summer they are off 6 or 7 weeks. Which is just enough time for us to enjoy a break and get back into the swing of things.
Not to mention, it's hot here and the closer we get to school starting the closer we are to it cooling off. Actually what am I saying, this is July and it won't cool off until October. But the nice thought is there.
We have had a really great time this summer. I've been keeping the kids busy with play dates, craft days, movie days and swim lessons and I'm so proud to say my kids finally learned to swim this summer. They have been like little pool fish and they have the tan lines to prove it :)
I will add this summer into my great memory box and even though there is a little part of me that will miss it, I'm looking forward to our new adventure when school starts!

Now on to Miss Baby Emma!!
Isn't she just the cutest thing? Emma had other plans that surprised her family and she decided she wanted to be born 8 weeks early. She was 3lbs 90z. I saw her in the hospital and was almost speechless at how tiny she really was. Her head was the size of an orange, her little knee cap was no bigger than my thumb nail. But this little baby has a feisty side and fought hard and has turned into the cutest little 8 pounder! It's amazing that even though she is still little for her age, she is just perfect and healthy!

You can view her slideshow by clicking here!!!

Day 41-Day 53

2011-06-03T10:11:00.001-07:00

Day 27-Day 40

2011-06-03T09:58:00.001-07:00

The Poyner Kids 2011

2011-06-03T09:19:00.004-07:00

Summer is finally here!! I'm so excited that we don't have to rush out of the house every morning to get somewhere. We will be able to sleep in and that is AWESOME!!!! Of course sleeping in to my kiddos is about 7:30am. I'm working on them though. We have some fun activities planned for the summer but mostly I think we'll just hang out, swim and stay out of our horrible Arizona heat.

I have been working on my 365 project which I get really excited about and then get really frustrated with. It is really hard some days to post a picture. But hopefully this summer will help and I'll be able to have some inspiration. I have stayed up to date although I have lacked posting the pictures on my blog, so I hope to get caught up in that department as well.

Well here's to you all having wonderful summer memories as well, take some time out to spend time with the kids and create those wonderful memories you may not have for very long.

Here are the cutie Poyner Kids. Totally rockin' their outfits and adorable pictures. It's so great to see them get bigger each year I take these pictures.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!

Sedona & Chad are Engaged!

2011-05-23T21:42:00.003-07:00

So last night we all gathered around the dinner table to eat. We all had had a pretty crazy week last week and it was so nice to all sit down and catch up and spend some time with each other. It was Hunter's turn to say the prayer and after thanking God for all the food on the table, he thanked God for being able to play the Wii that night. Mike and I smiled and told him what a wonderful prayer he said. We gave each other the look as if to say we have the cutest kids in the whole world.

Sedona and Chad are engaged and are tying the knot later this fall!!!! I'm so excited for their wedding! You can check out their slideshow by clicking here!!!

Baby Addison has arrived

2011-05-15T19:49:00.003-07:00

I was so excited to meet Baby Addison. I saw her in her mom's belly just a few short weeks before. She is so tiny and has such a full head of black hair. Adorable. She is just perfect! She wasn't amused with me at all. She wasn't much for being in the mood to be a model. She didn't really sleep and she let me know she wasn't thrilled with all the things I was making her do.
But the pictures are adorable and I can't wait to see her again for her 1st birthday!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

Awwww, the proud big brother!

Brian-Class of 2011

2011-05-04T12:15:00.005-07:00

So today Hunter's preschool class had a wonderful Mom's day celebration for all the moms. Our children were instructed to give us a make-over. There were stations set up all around the room. First station was to get our feet rubbed by our kids with lotion. Next station we made a bead necklace and crown for us to wear on our heads. Next we moved to the make-up. Hunter applied purple dots on my eye lids and purple blobs on my cheeks. He then opted for the darkest red lipstick he could find and smeared it all over my mouth. Not much made it to my lips. That was a hard one to look at seeing as I never wear lipstick, let alone, RED LIPSTICK!!!. Then we went to the nail station wear Hunter painted my nails. Actually he did a pretty good job, except for the blob of paint on one of the nails that took forever to dry. Last was the hair chair and Hunter decided one small pony tail in the back of my head with the rest of my hair hanging down would suit me just fine.
All of the moms were looking at each other, trying not to bust out laughing. It was so funny! The kids were so proud of their creations and this day marks a very special day in my memory! I will definitely add this to one of my favorites! :)

Thank you Hunter for making me feel so pretty today with my bright smeared lipstick :)

Brian is graduating this month and heading to Colorado on a soccer scholarship. That is very impressive. I'm sure he will have the time of his life!
Good luck Brian!!

You can view his slideshow by clicking here!

Wes-Class of 2011

2011-05-02T15:51:00.004-07:00

So as I'm typing this, I can hear in the background the news covering the death of bin Laden. It's been on for almost 24 hours now. I hear crowds gathered cheering "USA". I hear them singing the National Anthem. I usually don't get political on my blog but I have to tell you, today is such a good day!
I feel so much proud in being an American!! Maybe more today than any other day. I feel like this is a huge moral booster for our country and also to let other countries know, just how great America is!
His death might bring a retaliation on our country but I probably feel the same as most when it was something we needed to do. We had to fight back and that is what we did!
September 11, 2001 changed our whole lives, it changed that way we thought of our country, the way we thought of the world and how we viewed our lives. And I think May 1, 2011 will do the same for us. In a good way! It's a great feeling today to be an American and I am just so stinkn' proud!!!

Wes is graduating from Hamilton in a few weeks and on his way to play football in Colorado. What an exciting adventure he had in store for himself. We wish him the best of luck in school and his football career!!

You can view his slideshow by clicking here!!

Frankie-Senior Session 2011

2011-04-29T21:53:00.003-07:00

Summer is almost here!! In one way I love the summer, I love sleeping in, I love wearing flip flops, I love swimming and just hanging out. We have bbq's, go to the movies, and just hang out. On the other hand..... It's so stinkin' hot here!!! Almost unbearable some days. You either stick to being indoors or live in the pool. Even the nights are hot. It just doesn't cool off. The temperature has been creeping up here lately.
We try and get really creative to what we do in the summer so the kids can do things but not pass out from the heat. Most events if any that are outside are done at night or early morning. Even swim lessons are schedule in the am.
You start to live here long enough and you get a little used to it. It's still frustrating but you deal. Hopefully we have a few more weeks of some easy temperatures to enjoy the weather and it'll give me a few more weekends to get some shoots in before the temps rise.
I shot Frankie's senior session on a beautiful day last weekend. The wind was blowing a bit but we made it work. She's super cute and ready to start her new life next year at college.

You can view here slideshow by clicking here!!

Jennifer-Class of 2011

2011-04-25T14:22:00.003-07:00

So we have all in the Hank Household been trying to get over this crud. I am one who never gets sick, I could let my little ones lick me when they are sick and I still wouldn't get anything, but this time I got it. :( Reagan had a sore throat last week that kept her out of school for a day and on the couch for a few days. A few days later, my throat started hurting, I lost my voice and hit rock bottom. I was so congested, couldn't breathe or talk (which I'm sure my hubby loved). It was such a busy week for me and I tried to work through it. And then Friday came and that was it. I was on the couch. I spent the weekend, trying to edit a little bit on the couch just trying to recover. I don't mind getting a little sick but seriously can it come when I don't have a busy week. I had way too much on my to-do list last week to fit that in.
Poor Hunter is getting it today so it sounds like we are starting all over, we can't win!

But in the midst of my crazy last week I did get to Jennifer's senior pictures which are awesome. Plus adding that she is absolutely adorable helps the camera as well!! And boy did my camera love her! She has those piercing blue eyes that put you into a daze. Love them!!!
She will be graduating from Hamilton in May and heading off to ASU. The last girl in her family to graduate!!! How exciting!!! Good luck Jennifer! :)

You can view her slideshow by clicking here!!!

My favorite of the day!!!

Love those blue eyes!!

The Beltran Family is expecting......

2011-04-11T13:54:00.002-07:00

Can't believe this is my 400th blog post!!!! I really can't believe I have had that much to speak about over the years. Although I'm sure my husband would be surprised the number isn't higher. Ha ha ha, very funny! It's easy to post on your blog when you have great subjects like the Beltran Family. I photographed them a few years ago and get some great images. They are just an adorable family. And now they are adding a new addition. Miss Addison is set to make an appearance in a few weeks. I'll be shooting her newborn images and I just can't wait to get my camera on her!!! :) Hopefully Mom will have a very easy labor and all will be home quickly afterward. Stay tuned for those baby shots! You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!!

Love this one!!!

Think this might be my favorite for sure!

So sweet!!

Mother's Day Mini Sessions 2011

2011-04-10T10:52:00.002-07:00

Every year we have such a success with our Mother's Day Mini Sessions!!! It's a great way for moms to have some wonderful pictures taken with their little ones. Even if they aren't really little anymore. :) It's a great Mother's Day gift!! Call us at 1-800-284-3699 to set up your session or purchase a gift card.

Jordan & Colton-Class of 2011

2011-03-15T10:52:00.004-07:00

Spring Break has finally arrived for us here in the Hank House. I can't tell you how much this much needed break will be appreciated!!! Mostly I think for me. The last 8-10 months have just been a crazy whirlwind filled with trying to be at 2 locations at once, running kids all over, running the two photography businesses and still trying to keep up on bills, cleaning, cooking, finding time to brush my teeth during the day. Well I promise I do that every day but sometimes it can be a challenge. :)

The greatest part of the Spring Break is we are leaving for a few days and doing absolutely nothing. No "to-do" lists, no running kids all over, no house cleaning, no answering emails! Oh it'll just be the greatest vacation ever. On that note, this will be my last post for a few days. My blog is officially on vacation as well!

My last session before Spring Break was Colton and Jordan. Brothers that are graduating this year from Hamilton High School. They are both big into baseball and hope to play in college. I wonder if Hunter will be like them when he is their age. I know they are super competitive and right now Hunter just likes watching his shadow in the outfield. We have a long way to go for the Yankees to call up Hunter. :)

Congrats Colton and Jordan on your graduation! You all should be so proud of this major accomplishment!! Good luck in college!! :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

Days 15-Day 26

2011-03-14T17:39:00.004-07:00

Wow,
Didn't realize I was this far behind in posting these images so I wanted to get caught up

Alex Senior Session

2011-03-05T15:18:00.004-07:00

So last week I took Hunter to the Zoo for what he called "his Zoo Vacation." He kept asking when his "Zoo Vacation" was and went on and on about a "Zoo Vacation." We went with his little preschool class and he hung out with all his friends. They ran from exhibit to exhibit to see all the animals. And every one was more exciting than the last. They saw monkeys, bugs, Komodo dragons, elephants, zebras, giraffes, you name it. It was so funny to see them at that age and so amazed at all they saw.
A few days before I shot Alex's senior session at the Zoo and it's amazing to think that Hunter will be a senior before I can blink my eyes. I know he's 4 and only in preschool but I swear it feels like he was just born yesterday. So I can only imagine as our lives get more and more hectic with their schedules it'll be here quicker than I can think. So for the moment I'll reminisce with the days I have now and try not to think that far in the future.

Check out Alex's senior pics! He did great! You can view his slideshow by clicking here!

Spring Family Picture Special

2011-03-02T15:19:00.003-07:00

E-mail me to book mandy@mandyhank.com or call at 1800-284-3699

Looking forward to seeing you all this spring!!

Kelsey (our first kid)

2011-03-02T11:11:00.004-07:00

So if you know Mike and I, you probably kind of know how our relationship started. This year we will be married 8 years, but about a year and a half before that he and I went on our first date. Nothing too fancy, just dinner and a movie but I knew that night at dinner I was going to marry him. So from that point on our relationship moved super fast. REALLY fast! But it just always felt normal and always felt like we had already been together for years. So we moved in together after 6 weeks of dating and he asked me to marry him 6 months after our first date. See I told you, REALLY fast.
Things were going well our first few weeks of living together. I was still getting things unpacked and Mike called me from work. He sounded like something was wrong and said in a very scared voice, "We need to talk." My heart sank. Thoughts started twirling in my head, "oh gosh he doesn't want to live together now, he's changed his mind, where will I live?" I waited for him to say those dreadful words and when he spoke he said, "Would you mind if we got a dog?"
Oh what a relief, my heart started pounding again, the lump cleared in my throat and the blood began to rush back to it's normal areas in my body that it should be.
So long story short, Mike came home with Kelsey, a beagle. She wasn't named Kelsey at first, I don't even remember what it was but we knew she wasn't anything but a Kelsey. She was 6 months old, she was a rescue and had been abused. When we got her she was so sweet and gentle and has never stopped being so sweet and so loving to everyone that walks in the door. She has been there for every house move, every new pet we have brought in, the new babies we brought home from the hospital, our good days and bad days and all those in between.
And although she isn't as young as she used to me, she might limp around and her hair is turning white, she is still as loving as the first day we brought her home! Her 10th birthday is this Friday. If you think about it, wish her a Happy Birthday, I know it seems silly but 10 years is a huge milestone for a dog and we are just so blessed to have her :)

Day 13

2011-03-02T11:08:00.002-07:00

My little barber shop man. Thought he looked so cool with combing his hair. Oh geez we are in for some interesting years with this one :)

Day 9-Day 12

2011-02-28T11:02:00.003-07:00

Fallen a little behind on posting my days on here. But here's a little treat for you!

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 8-Homework

2011-02-25T07:09:00.002-07:00

I had a huge shoot yesterday and I was gone all day, so my day 8 posting is a little late but at least I took the picture for day 8.

Day 7- PJ Day

2011-02-23T12:27:00.001-07:00

It was Pajama day at Preschool today, Hunter couldn't hardly stand it. He was so excited to go and show off his Toy Story pj's and slippers :)

Day 6- Snack Time

2011-02-22T13:55:00.001-07:00

Day 5-Skateland

2011-02-21T14:10:00.003-07:00

I took Reagan and Hunter to Skateland today for a birthday party. Hunter went half a lap and called it quits for the day. Reagan was determined to learn how to skate. She held on for dear life to the wall and walked herself around and around and around. She fell once when we were sitting at the tables and I helped her up. She gave me the look as if to say," Did anyone just see that?" I replied, "don't worry, no one saw." She had her back to everyone and I knew the truth but I knew she was so embarrassed. Poor little girl. Those are the moments you wish you could trade with your kids so you can take that embarrassment instead of them. Oh well. She brushed herself off and got back out there. Hunter really never was interested in it, but maybe in a few more years.

Here's a picture of Reagan taking a little break on the wall today.

Start your engines!

2011-02-20T11:35:00.002-07:00

I grew up around car racing. My dad used to race dragsters when I was little. I went to the races on occasion and the sound of a race on the TV played in our house every Sunday. My childhood was surely surrounded by sounds of big engines. It's a sound that you grow to love whether you want to or not and it. But you grow to appreciate the industry, even if you go just to people watch in the crowd. :)
Yesterday my family all headed out to Phoenix International Raceway to do a race car ride along with Nascar race cars. My dad, brother in law and uncle all actually were able to actually drive the cars. They had to take a little driving class a head of time to go over all the safety issues.
The weather was really crappy. We were praying for the rain to stop so they wouldn't have to cancel the event. And then the horrible wind started up. It definitely wasn't ideal weather but we all had an awesome time. A very memorable day in our lives that we will never forget. And for a few of them, it turned into a dream of maybe just a few minutes thinking they were really race car drivers. :)

Tish getting ready for her ride along

A happy face afterwards

Rick feeling the same happiness!

Mom getting ready for her ride

The cars lined up and ready to go

There goes my mom!

And she's back safe :)

My dad, I'm sure so excited he almost can't stand it!!! He even looks like a real race car driver in this shot

My nephew Colton getting ready for his big ride along... he's not even old enough to drive yet--eeekkk

Russ had a ride along first before he got to drive his own car

Ever wonder what a "wing man" is- it starts at a very early age. Look at these two love monsters Trenten and Hunter talking to the twins. Oh goodness, we are in trouble

Craig getting ready for his ride along

My dad got to drive Lighting McQueen. Yes Hunter was super excited about that!!!

Here he goes!!!

Vrrroooommmmmmmm.....

Craig finishing up his drive

And my dad, looks like he just won the big race!

Day 3

2011-02-20T10:54:00.002-07:00

Our newest addition... isn't he adorable?

Day 2

2011-02-18T07:24:00.002-07:00

The family is starting to feel better today!! Yipee :) Everyone is going back to school today!! Yeah for mom :)

365Project

2011-02-17T14:37:00.003-07:00

So my good friend Courtney Fries started a cute little project called 365Project. The point is to take 1 picture every day and upload it for 1 year. It's a huge big challenge for yourself to remember to take a picture and then to upload it. But I'm willing to try. The thought behind the project is for you to remember how much you love taking pictures. You are challenging yourself to think outside the box. Find things in your every day life.

When you sign up for the project you are picking some aspect of you to display. I'd like to keep my images on this personal because I feel like a lot of times I display my professional images more on my blog. This is a chance for me to show off my kids, my husband, my day to day life. What matters the most. It might be boring to some but it's just my life and I'm happy with it.

Over the years I have heard the same thing over and over... "As a photographer you must have thousands of images of your kids." I may have a lot but when you shoot professionally, on your days off, you kind of want a break from the camera so unfortunately your kids' images and events sometimes get missed. And I need to change my way about that. I signed up for this project in hopes of doing that.

I'd love any support and motivation you can send over to me to keep me going. God knows I do not need another project on my plate but this one I think is pretty important. I'll be posting my images from the project on my blog as well. This will help when my blog gets ignored :(
I may not always have a description of the images besides the day numbered but I really hope you like them! Here is my direct link to the 365Project

Here is Day 1. My house has been Sick Town USA for the last 2 and a half days. Some how I have escaped the dreaded sickness that my husband and kids have. And I'm hoping it stays that way. Moms don't have time to be sick. Here's poor Reagan who got the worst of it.

My little man is starting Kindergarden

2011-02-13T18:56:00.004-07:00

Oh my goodness! Can you believe my little man will be starting Kindergarten in July? Oh it leaves me speechless. I can't imagine what my days will be like without him. When Reagan started Kindergarten, I wasn't horribly upset because Hunter was there with me. Even though Hunter goes to preschool 3 mornings a week, it will be totally different to not have him everyday for lunch. I think I might be a little lonely. Hunter and I have had a lot of "lunch dates" over the last few years. Just me and him.
In one way I am excited when I think of all the "me time" I'll have during the days, or not having to prepare snacks, not having to listen to Spongebob Squarepants while I'm working. But on the other hand. I know those things are here for only a short while.
So I will cherish the rest of the days I have with Hunter before he is off to be a big Kindergartner. I have 5 months to do some extra special things with him. And next year when I have them both in school all day, I'm hoping to be able to volunteer more in their classrooms and give them some one and one attention.
Hunter started a new preschool a few weeks ago and I just love the school. I wish I had enrolled him in this one years ago. On Friday they had a "Arizona Snowball Fight" which for Phoenix means a "marshmallow fight!" I brought my camera to take pics of the kiddos and as I turned around, I saw this darting right for me.

He is so amazing!

2011-02-13T18:49:00.002-07:00

Every once in awhile, I see something beautiful like this outside my backyard and I am stopped in my tracks. It reminds me of how amazing God can be. What a sense of calm to end a wonderful relaxing weekend.

I Love Boudoir's Valentine's Day Special!!

2011-01-03T14:19:00.003-07:00

Looking for a great gift for Valentine's Day? Your man would love these photos a lot more than a new shirt!!! Check out our Valentine's Day special!!!! For more information email us at info@iloveboudoir.com or call us at 602-881-3383!!

Boudoir Website

The Tunstall Family

2010-12-07T13:26:00.003-07:00

So I always get a lot of request when it comes to editing my family sessions. We all want some magic button to make us loose 30 pounds, take away the wrinkles, make our teeth whiter, get rid of the double chin. You name it. I hear them all, believe me I don't ever post a picture of me that hasn't been "magically fixed." And with the technology world continuously growing, it's amazing what we can already do to people on their pictures.
My last session of the year is Reagan's teacher. She brought along her husband and adorable little girl Stella.
This family had such an adorable style and uniqueness the minute I walked up to them and I just knew their pictures would be great. Right after meeting Alicia's husband, he tells me matter of fact, "so she tells me you can make me look like Brad Pitt." I giggled and told him that I did have that magic button on my camera and I'd be sure to use it. And the end of their session, he reminded me, "Brad Pitt."
Well I was so loving taking pictures of little Stella that my camera hit that magic Brad Pitt button only once. So sorry, this was all I got :(

Bahhhhaaaaaa :) I just couldn't resist!

You can view more images on their slideshow by clicking here!!!!

The Dowdy Family

2010-12-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

What is it about the Christmas songs that send goosebumps down my spine? In a good way, I love Christmas songs. I love to listen to them right after Thanksgiving to get me in the Christmas spirit. I think it has to deal with our Christmas Days in Phoenix are usually 75 degrees so we don't get a lot of the nice cold snowing day outside that reminds us that it is Christmas. So I think the constant Christmas music, the burning of the Apple Cinnamon candles in the house and the baking of Christmas cookies is my attempt to get some sort of Christmas feel in the house.

Mike isn't a big fan of the Christmas music but the kids and I don't care. We jam out in the car and have fun. I think if I look through the corner of my eye I can see Mike having a good time and maybe just maybe singing along. We have 18 days until Christmas and I feel like a little kid this year. I am counting down the days. I am so excited to give them their gifts and spend some extra good quality time with them. There is no other month like December and I just can't help myself......eeeekkkkkkkkkkk!!!!! (me squealing in excitement!)

Take a look at the Dowdy Family. Jason, Deanna, Tanner and Paige. Paige has some adorable puffy cheeks and Tanner has such a boyish grin. The grin will melt hearts someday. And I'm sure little Paige will do some melting as well. So cute!!!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!

The Bowden Family 2010

2010-12-07T10:44:00.004-07:00

So the cat is out of the bag, well I guess I should say the puppy is out of the bag. Yep that's right. Santa is bringing the kiddos a new puppy this year. The kids have no idea right now and hopefully it will stay that way until Christmas Morning, so if I hear you spilled the beans to the them, Mike and I are going to drive on over and put you on the naughty list and probably do some other not nice things to you. But because I'm still trying to get on the nice list with Santa, I'm not going to tell you those bad things, just know they are not good at all :)

Grandma Linda is going to watch him for a little bit for us as Santa's helper. I'm not sure what we are getting ourselves into with this new addition. But I know he is super adorable and we just fell in love with him the minute we laid our eyes on him. Stay tuned for some melt your heart pictures to come. Any ideas for a name????

The Bowden Family is such a special family to me, that's because it's my family. So I guess I'm biased. But it's so easy to shoot when the family is yours. The Bowdens brought some adorable hats as a fun little prop to use for the shoot. And we had some fun with that. Even though our session was short it brought on some great fond memories for me not just as a photographer but also as a family member.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!

My favorite for sure!! Love this one :)

What's so bad about getting a kiss from your little brother?

Baby Riley

2010-12-05T21:44:00.003-07:00

Every once in a blue moon I get baby fever. I hate that I do sometimes because it makes me question having another one. And even though I'm pretty much 99% leaning towards no more, there is still that 1%. That 1% represents those sweet moments of watching your baby sleep. The sweet moments of seeing your baby smile at you for the first time, giggle when you tickle them, watch their sweet little teeth come in, see their chubby rolls start forming on their legs. I just love babies! But of course my 99% shows me the amount of sleep I don't get, the crying, screaming, throwing temper tantrums in the middle of the grocery store. The running noses, the back talk and the constant running after them. :) Isn't parenthood a blessing?
Luckily a good friend of mine had a baby and I could get some of wonderful sweetness. It was just enough to keep me going for the next couple months until I get baby fever again. :)
Little Miss Riley was born just a few weeks ago, she came early and I'm sure Mommy was so happy about that. I don't think she really enjoyed her first photo shoot. Most of the shoot she was wide away, and the other time she wasn't very happy with what I wanted her to do and boy did she let us know she was unhappy. We all got a giggle out of it. I still think I got some beautiful shots of sweet baby Riley that Mom and Dad will hold dear for many years. :)

You can view her slideshow by clicking here!!!!

The Coppage Family

2010-12-03T07:56:00.005-07:00

can Christmas Day is just 22 days away. It's amazing how each year it seems to come quicker and quicker. Luckily I am pretty much done with my Christmas shopping. I've learned the last few years I didn't want to hear my poor checkbook yelping in pain so much in December so I started my Christmas shopping in August.It's actually really nice to be able to wait for sales and not have to deal with the Black Friday mess. Hunter has been wanting some Batman Trio Building Block something or another and wouldn't you know it, Target read my mind and sent me a 50% off coupon for the thing a few weeks ago. Thank you Target!!!Some people like my dad love to do the last minute Christmas Eve shopping. That suits him just fine but I would be a wreck and probably catch myself in the middle of the mall either pulling my hair out or sobbing because I couldn't get it all done. The one down fall of shopping so early, yes I have forgotten I bought a gift or two. Last year in fact I had bought the kids a board game and the whole time they were opening the gifts I kept thinking to myself where it might be. After they were done opening the gifts, the game was no where in site so I started second guessing myself. "Maybe I hadn't bought it, just thought about it." Well guess what, this past April, I found it stuffed in the back of my closet. Oops. So they will have it under the tree this year.I had to be honest with myself and realize my poor brain can squish in all that information of where the gifts are hidden so I got smart this year and wrote down a cheat sheet. :)I hope you all are almost done with shopping so you can enjoy your holidays and I hope most of all your checkbook doesn't yelp in pain this year :) Meet the Coppage Family! Rich, Amy, Derek and Cameron. Such sweet little boys. The wind was horrible that day but they were such troopers. They were a little shy at first but really opened up half way through. So cute! :) You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!

The Sopha Family

2010-11-30T09:54:00.002-07:00

On Sunday I woke up to a day of rain. I was so bummed because as much as I love when it rains I had family sessions scheduled that afternoon. And I didn't want to have to reschedule the families. It was a great day for curling up on the couch and watching movies all day. In Phoenix the rain comes and goes quicker than we can actually enjoy it. So by noon most of the clouds were gone but the horrible wind had stayed. And sometimes that is even worse than the rain.
It was miserable weather. The kind that makes your face hurt, your teeth chatter and bones crack. And my poor families had to stand out there and deal with that.
Luckily my first family up with my adorable sister, brother in law and niece and nephew. I was able to get some great shots even with the wind.
It's amazing while I was editing the pictures and looking at how much my niece and nephew have grown. Colton and Cassity are so big now and it feels like just yesterday they were babies. They are the oldest grandchildren in the family so I think it's a little scary for me that I'm realizing my kiddos aren't too far behind them. Oh geez!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here

The Dudley Family-Extended

2010-11-29T21:12:00.003-07:00

Last year in February I had the honor of meeting The Dudley Family. Brian was just about to be deployed overseas with the National Guard. He was going to be gone for a year and I did a family session for them for the Operation Love Reunited Program. I was just so touched to meet this family and so excited I was able to capture some great memories for him to take with him overseas. Well Brian returned thankfully safe a year later and this time around I got to see them again and the rest of the Dudley clan.
They were such a wonderful family and so fun to be around. And I'm sure they are even more proud of Brian for doing what he does! Thank you Dudley Family for making my Friday morning such a joy! :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!

Brian and Amy

Brian with his sisters Shannon and Brooke.

The Poyner Family

2010-11-23T12:40:00.004-07:00

Hunter started getting a cough two days ago. I kept watching it, watching for the fever and nothing. Last night the cough started to get a little worse when he went to bed and he didn't feel very good. I brought him into our bed with us so we could keep an eye on him and not have to actually get out of bed as many times. Believe me we need our sleep. It must have been about 2:30am and he started coughing. We heard that noise, you know the noise that they are going to throw up in the next 2 seconds. And even though Mike and I were sleeping, we both shot out of bed at the exact same time like we were shot out of a canon. I grabbed Hunter to rush him to the toilet. Both Mike and I are blind as a bat so manoeuvring into the bathroom blind and on top of it being pitch black didn't help. I tried to throw on the lights and poor Hunter made it just inches from the toilet.
At the time it surely isn't fun, but I think back to those few seconds and it just makes me laugh. Parents are so funny and amazingly quick even when they can't see. We spent the rest of the night on edge and yes he did continue to throw up. But mom got smart and put a trash can by the bed so it would be a little easier for all of us involved.

Natalie is one of those friends I can tell these stories to and she just gets it. With four kids, she is always doing something like that. It's fun to share funny memories, stories and lots of advice on our kids. They are such a sweet little family and it's amazing how much they all look a like. The genes run deep in their family!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!!

The Osheel Family

2010-11-22T11:14:00.004-07:00

You This week is Thanksgiving and I'm so excited. I'm having the big dinner at my house this year and even though I'm a little stressed out, I'm really looking forward to the holiday and spending time with my family. The older I get I am appreciating the thought of the holidays much more every year. I look forward to spending extra time with my friends and family and doing more during the holidays that you might have been just too busy for the rest of the year.I'm so thankful and blessed. And these last few years I really have seen the reasons why just so much clearer. My house might be too small on Thursday to fit everyone in and I might just be a little stressed out cooking in the morning but you know what, once we sit down to eat, I'll realize the smaller the house the better. We'll be squished in and it'll just make us closer. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner this week and I hope you tell them how thankful you are to have them in your life :)The Osheel Family is a family I'm so thankful to have in our lives. Brooke is my oldest friend here in Arizona. We have known each other since high school. It's so neat to grow up with a friend and realize all you both have gone through. Good and bad. I always have a great time shooting this family and feel like we laugh more than I actually shoot. When they are laughing in front of the camera, I have the same expression behind the camera. I think I was able to buckle down, do my job and actually pull off some great shots of them. Thank you all so much fun for giving me such a fun family to work with. I love you all so much!!! :) You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!!

The Whittle Family

2010-11-19T12:19:00.004-07:00

The holidays are just around the corner and as busy as I am right now with editing and working, I just can't stop thinking about the holidays. I truly truly truly enjoy them. I'm not one of those that gets stressed out, I indulge in all the happiness and love spending the extra time with my friends and family. To me the month of December is my vacation. I only shoot to the first weekend in December and then spend the rest, baking cookies with the kids, going to Christmas shows, wrapping my Christmas gifts, going to Christmas parties. It's just so much fun!
Plus the house always smells so good, I love the cookie smells or the cinnamon candles we burn in the house!! Secretly I love the Christmas music too!!!
I hope this year you can enjoy the holidays for what they are really meant to be. Not the crowd pushing in the stores, not the worry about money or the extra events you have to do. Just enjoy your family, friends and really remember the kids faces every time they open their gifts!! :)

Andrea has helped me over the last few years with some weddings of mine and I just love her. She is so sweet and so helpful! I just love that she has me do her family pictures every year. Her son Jordan and daughter Cassia or just too cute. During their shoot, Cassia brought her stuffed animal, a dog named "Rhonda" with her. I held him and "babysat" him for most of their session and even let "Rhonda" take some of their family pictures. Cassia was pretty impressed. So I had to take a picture of "Rhonda" to show off my big helper!!!

Check out their family pics this year...

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!

Morgan and Landon

2010-11-14T17:49:00.003-07:00

Reagan has been in soccer for the last couple of weeks. She really enjoys it. More than anything else we have put her in or she has wanted to do. This is her first year and she has been learning so much. From her first couple of weeks until now we have seen such a major improvement with her soccer skills. Every week we have been secretly hoping for her to score a goal. We didn't want to give her too much pressure but as parents you want them to have that accomplishment. It's a big deal. The last few weeks she has been really close. And even her coach has really been rooting for her to make one. Every week we just know this game will be the one. Well yesterday right at the end of the game, Reagan had her chance, she dribbled the ball towards the goal and Mike, my parents, her coach and I started screaming, "KICK IT!!!! KICK IT!!!!! TAKE A SHOT!!!" And guess what, the ball went in the goal!!!!! Mike, my parents and I all stood up and started screaming like crazy fans. It was a moment I'll never forget. Reagan of course looked at us like it was no big deal and we were kind of embarrassing her. But I don't think more adults have ever been so proud. I'm so glad my parents were able to be there and share that moment with Mike, Reagan and I!!!

I took pictures of Morgan and Landon of this year. And I have such a soft spot in my heart for older sisters and younger brothers. Morgan and Landon remind me a lot of Reagan and Hunter. It's so cute to see what a great relationship they have with each other. And even though they may drive each other crazy sometimes they have a special bond and really are each other's buddies! Check out these two cuties, they are just so much fun to snap pictures of!!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!!!

She is too cute

So sweet

Love those baby blues!!

My favorite for sure!

Not quite thrilled with the kiss from the sis

The Steltenpohl/Sebanaler Family

2010-11-14T10:12:00.003-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Hunter hit his head again like he does a lot. Normally he would have broke out in a screaming fashion but this one time he didn't. I said, "oh Bud, are you ok, you hit your head really hard, are you seeing stars yet?" I should have known better that Hunter was really not ready to get that comment because he replied, "no, it's not even dark outside yet." Aren't little boys so cute?

Last year I met Justin, Rhonda and Jordan for their first session. Jordan is this adorable blonde with bright blue eyes and deep dimples on his cheeks. He is just the sweetest little boy. Jordan brought along his grandmother this year and she was able to get in his cute pictures. He is such a lovable little boy and his smile just melts your heart.
I really am so lucky to have these adorable families every year. Not only are they super cute, but they are fun, they smile a lot and make my job so easy.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!!!

The Lopez-Hodoyan Family 2010

2010-11-12T13:23:00.003-07:00

This has got to be one of my all time most favorite families to shoot!! I just love the LoHo clan. They are always so stylish, so fun and they have little Petey with those bright blue eyes that just melt my heart every time I see him. They have had a new addition. I actually took some pictures of him last year but he was only a few weeks old. He was so tiny and slept most of the session. I was so excited for this year's session to see how much their new addition had grown and to see if he had Petey's adorable looks as well. And guess what, he does. Dominic is so stinkn' cute with his little faux hawk and puffy little cheeks. These boys are going to break some hearts when they get older.

Thank you so much Peter and Carla, you always make the session so easy and so much fun!!!

Here are some of my favs from the session.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!

One of my favorites

Another favorite

Love it Love it

Favorite Fo Sho`

Absoulte Favorite

What a cutie!

The Faria Family

2010-11-02T08:32:00.002-07:00

Years ago in my "OG Days", that's Olive Garden Days for those of you not picking up my lingo. There was a big group of us that were really good friends and we hung out all the time. Every day. Most of us lived together, worked together and then still managed to want to hang out with each other. Surprising that we all stayed friends but we did have a good time. We were all a bunch of kids trying to make it on our own. Now more than 10 years have gone by, most of us are married and now have kids but that time spent I will always cherish as some of the best days of my life.
I am still friends with many of those great people including these two, Linda and Chad!! Linda was in my wedding years ago. Chad and Linda were married a few years afterwards and have 2 adorable little girls, Bella and Chloe.
It's so neat to see how much these two have grown as people, as a couple and as adults. It's wonderful that I can say they are a part of my life still after all these years :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!

Check out some of these adorable pics from their session

Chad with the girls

Linda and the girls

So sweet!

Adorable

The sweet lil' couple

The Wasserbeck Family

2010-10-31T13:56:00.004-07:00

I was so excited to shoot this family's session again this year. David and Tina have the cutest kids. I just love their smiles. These little cuties just light up the room and especially my camera. So their slideshow is just perfectly fitting for this family. Thanks Tina and David, I really enjoy your family!!

I'm off today. It's Halloween and my kids have been asking us since 7 am this morning if they can put on their costumes. I secretly enjoy the candy they get afterwards but I can't let them know that. :) Happy Halloween!!!!

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!

Little Miss Harley!

2010-10-31T11:26:00.003-07:00

Years ago I shot a wedding for Mike and Paula. They had a little girl who was just about a year old. Little Harley was their flower girl who was just the cutest thing. I remember her sweet little pink Converse sneakers underneath her flower girl dress. Well it's been a few years and Paula wanted to take some pictures of Harley for her birthday. When I met them Paula looked the same and then right around the corner walks in Harley. She was so big. Amazing how fast they grow up. She is 6 years old and such a ham. What a cutie she is. Check out some of these adorable images of her.

You can view the slideshow by clicking here!

The Barro Family

2010-10-21T11:47:00.004-07:00

The Christmas season has started for me. I really like this time of the year. It's when I get to meet with many families. Some I like to call "old friends" now and others are brand new to me. Each experience with my families is really so nice. I like to make my sessions as laid back as possible and make sure everyone is comfortable. I'm a mom and my family needs pictures every year so I know first hand how stressful it can be getting everyone ready and making sure my kiddos don't have a breakdown in front of the camera. :)

My first up this year was The Barro Family. And they did great! The weather really worked out perfect for them and they are such an adorable family, it makes it an easy session. Bruce, Kelly, Bostyn and Holden. Bostyn has a smile that can light up a room and Holden you can just tell will be a little heart breaker. Those piercing blue eyes are adorable!
Thanks Barro Family! It was so great to meet you all!!

You can view the rest of their slideshow by clicking here

I just love this little series. So sweet!!

Cassie and RJ are hitched!

2010-10-18T08:08:00.004-07:00

Cassie and RJ were married at the Wright House on Saturday. The weather was beautiful and the venue was unforgettable. Both Cassie and RJ are the sweetest couple and it was so great to work with them. You couldn't have met nicer people.
My favorite officiant in the whole wide world, Ken Bowers preformed the ceremony. This man is so special to me. Not only does he preform the best ceremonies but he did mine and Mike's almost 8 years ago. You really listen to what he says because he is such a genuine man. It's wonderful to watch him pray because you notice he squints his eyes probably because he is praying so hard for the two of you. If you are in need of a wonderful officiant please give Ken a call, you will be so thankful! 602-625-1677
RJ and Cassie are on their way to Maui this morning and I can't help but be a little jealous. Although I also don't know a better couple I'm so happy for that they get to experience such a wonderful honeymoon after they had such a wonderful wedding surrounded by friends and family. Good luck Cassie and RJ. I wish you a lifetime of happiness!!!

You can view the slideshow by clicking here!

Getting ready

The stunning bride Cassie

Finally Mr. and Mrs.

So sweet!

1st Dance

I just love the father daughter dances!

Kimberly and Clint got hitched!!

2010-10-14T11:12:00.009-07:00

So I got to go back home to New Mexico last weekend to shoot Clint and Kimberly's wedding. It was so nice to be home and shoot somewhere different. I also was able to see some familiar faces from my middle school years.
Their day was really beautiful! The weather was perfect! Their ceremony was sweet and their bridal party and family were so much fun. The only hiccup? The groom's dead battery in his truck. It actually made for a pretty funny moment and at that instance, you can't do anything but just laugh. Of course we got some pictures of that!
In the end, Clint and Kimberly were married, they were surrounded by their friends and family and that makes for just a wonderful day!

I had Britt McVittie from Falling Star Photography in Albuquerque drive down to help. She was a little blessing and just so sweet to help. Thanks Britt!!

You can view more images on their slideshow by clicking here

Here is me pulling double duty and doing the bride's make-up :)

Reading a sweet note from the groom

Here's a cute picture Britt got for me of the groomsmen

Do you have a weird obsession?

2010-09-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where my obsession with tank tops came from, maybe after living in Arizona for 17 years I'm sick of the heat and would like to wear the least amount of clothes and still cover my body. Who knows? I do know that I realized the other day just how many tank tops I do have and it frightened me. I have multiple black ones, multiple white ones, some with bling, some with designs, of course a few Yankee ones in there. Striped ones, pink ones, blue ones, green ones. You name it. I got it. Some I wear only underneath other ones. Some I wear just on their own.

I realize that if I wore one of these every day it would take me just over 3 months to wear them all. THAT IS A LOT OF TANK TOPS!!! I don't think there is a support group for "tank tops wear-ers". But I may need to admit I have a problem :)

Oh well, they make me happy and in the summer months they cool me off. Just please no one turn me into "What Not to Wear." They frown on those tank tops on that show :)

Anyone want to tell me your crazy obsession? You can tell me in secret, I promise I won't tell...

Moms Morning Out

2010-08-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

One thing you overlook when you are pregnant is the need and want of some free time. It's hard to admit that when you are a mom, or even haven't become a mom yet. You never want to admit that you actually need a break from your precious little ones, "oh goodness, they are just so sweet, I can't imagine wanting to be away from my angels for one minute" Give me a break! Yeah I think those words came out of my mouth long ago. I need that break, I want that break. And it's taken me about 4 years to say that out loud and not feel ashamed. "SOMETIMES I NEED A BREAK!!!!" Wow, I just feel better already :)

I love my kids more than anything in this world but I'm human. As a mom there is only so much I can give to them and get for them and make for them and tie for them or fix for them or wash for them or change the channel for them. Your life becomes them, all them and you have to be able to take a minute for yourself just to revamp your mom batteries. Otherwise you'll find yourself on the couch when your hubby comes home, crying, trying to spit out the words, "I'm just so tired." (I've been there by the way) And the hubby prescribes the best medicine. "Get out of the house and go shopping for a bit, I'll make them dinner."

My church offers a Moms Morning Out a few times a month that I jump on faster than I can click my mouse. It gives me about 3 hours to do whatever I want, pedicure, facial, house cleaning, shopping, coffee with a girlfriend, watch TV that doesn't include Nickelodeon. I can even stare at a wall in complete silence if I really wanted to.

Three hours doesn't seem like a lot but in mom time it's means the whole world. It gives me just enough time to recharge and appreciate my little ones more. This morning was Moms Morning Out and I watched the moms dropping their kiddos off. It's funny to see the expressions of the moms while dropping off, it's like we can get to the drop off area quick enough. And if they are anything like me I am patiently waiting in the parking lot waiting for the clock to strike 9am.

Three hours later we are all back picking up the kiddos but you can see a nice refreshed look on all the moms. Maybe they have freshly painted toes, maybe their house is spotless, maybe they got to catch up with an old friend, maybe they got 3 hours of silence. Whatever it was, I can tell you this for sure, they are back to square one, ready with open arms to start being the best mom they can be!

# 54-Give Blood! -Accomplished

2010-08-30T15:26:00.002-07:00

I started my version 2 of my 101 goals back in November and hate to admit, I have been slow coming out of the gates. There are so many things I need to get done and haven't even thought about accomplishing them. So a few weeks ago I decided to get down and start seriously looking at these again.

My first one up, I donated blood! It's something I had always wanted to do but passing out a few years ago while giving some blood for some tests of mine hindered that decision. At least I can laugh about it now. It's amazing how totally appreciative the lab workers are and how excited they are that you are donating blood. The whole process took about 45 minutes, that even included the 15 minutes of what I like to call "I can eat cookies for 15 minutes to help replenish my blood supply and don't even have to feel guilty about it" time.

A couple of other things I got to check off....

#39. Walk for Piper in the CF walk- April 25th, 2010 –accomplished April 25th, 2010

#47. Volunteer at my church- accomplished 2010

#65. Give up fast food for one whole month-accomplished Feb 2010

#72. Paint the kids rooms-accomplished July 3, 2010

#75. Take the kids to Polar Express for Christmas –accomplished 12/11/09

I got a couple more up my sleeve to complete, can't wait to share with you!!

Hunter starts Tball!

2010-08-23T09:31:00.007-07:00

My little man Hunter just started Tball. We were really excited to get him into this and we found a great organization to get him starting with Little League. Hunter is on the Angels this year, whew, can you imagine if the team was called the Red Sox? I think Mike would freak out. The Angels at least are a pretty neutral team for us in this household :)
Hunter is doing pretty well considering. I'm sure it's really hard to coach 3-5 year olds. The very first practice, Hunter stood on his head at the base but he is getting better. We keep reminding him that if he is going to support mom and dad and start with the Yankees, he has to pay attention. :) And I'm sure all the big named MLB stars started out the same way too!
It's really fun to watch, right now we are just having practice and I know we are all looking forward to the games.
All the parents bring chairs, try and hide in the shade because at 8:30 in the morning it's still 100 degrees. But we all giggle a little bit and you'll hear the occasional, "Billy, stand up or Katie, pay attention please." And when the little ones actually hit the tball, all the parents stand up to remind them and yell, "RUN!!!!"

Clint and Kimberly are getting married!

2010-08-12T15:12:00.007-07:00

Years ago in 7th grade I knew a boy named Clint. I think he was my boyfriend for a week or two. I think I remember those (us) youngsters calling it "going out." It makes me realize how fast life happens and now that after all these years Clint is all grown up and met a wonderful lady named Kimberly. They both live now in Texas but are getting married in my home town in New Mexico. I got to meet Kimberly last month when she came into Phoenix and even though I hadn't seen Clint in almost 17 years I knew she was perfect. She's bubbly and sweet, kind and adorable.
Because of the distance between us it made it difficult for the Engagement Session, but a last minute trip back home was planned and I was able to meet them and see them together!
I am really looking forward to seeing them get married in a few months. Things like this just make you realize that life is funny and you have no idea what is in store for your future. (or who's wedding you just might end up shooting) :)

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!!!

A funny little story....

2010-08-11T13:54:00.003-07:00

So years ago when Mike and I were first married, we talked about having 3 or 4 kids. It just seemed right to us. And little man Hunter came along and he was a lot more than we knew had to handle so for the sake of our sanity we kind froze the number at 2 kids. I never was 100% definite that we wouldn't have any more kids. Mike was but there was always a little voice in the back of my head telling me to have another one. So I kept all the kids clothes. Instead of giving them away when they grew out of them I saved them all. With having a boy and a girl, and the not knowing if you'd have another one or what sex it would be it just seemed smart of me to keep them.
In my head there would be a lot of money saved in having the third have the hand me downs. So one by one I started packing all the baby clothes into bins and piling them up in the garage. And every time I packed one, I roughly thought that was "Bin #10". My mind kept reassuring myself," oh it's ok, it's only 10 bins of clothes, that isn't too bad."
Well a few months ago, Mike and I were cleaning out and rearranging the garage and I started to count the number of bins that we had of clothes. Again this was in my mind another way to reassure myself that I only had about 10 or so.....
1,2,....5....10....17...23......27.......30,31!! 31 bins of baby clothes and toddler clothes!!!! Can you imagine how much garage space that is taken up. So I promised Mike that by the end of the year I would go through all 31 bins of clothes, sort them and either sell them, give them away or pack away my absolute favorites.
So I started today with 3 bins. Yep you guessed it, I bawled my eyeballs out. This is way harder than I thought it would be. Especially to look at the little baby clothes. Your mind starts racing and thinking about when they were that little, where they wore that outfit. All moms have little stories about their clothes, they got sick in that shirt at the restaurant or they wore that home from the hospital, this they wore their first Christmas.... the list can go on and on.
I finally got through the 3 bins and did actually really well with the items that I kept. I think Mike would be proud of how little I kept. This task won't be an easy one for me and certainly not fun to have to get rid of so many memories. It's not just about getting rid of the clothes, it's closing the door on some memories and having to rely on your head to remember these little things.

So wish we luck in getting through the next 28 bins and keep me in your prayers. I have to keep thinking positive and maybe just maybe one day, we'll have enough room to get my car back in the garage! :)

Christmas Family Portrait Season 2010

2010-08-01T17:43:00.004-07:00

It’s that time of year again. Before you know it Christmas will be here and the time to get your family portraits taken will be here even sooner! We are going to do a few things a little different this year- you’ll still get great images, an amazing slideshow and a wonderful family experience. We’ll be running a special for family portraits in October and November. I have added an extra date this year because we always fill up and I just want to get you all in :)
Specific dates and locations will be scheduled for the special package. If you would like to have a different location, date or month for your family photos, the package will be full price.This year the dates for the special are

Sunday October 17th @ Scottsdale Civic Center
Sunday October 24th @ Mill Avenue
Sunday November 7th @ Mesa Center for the Arts
Sunday November 14th @ Heritage Square in Downtown Phoenix

*Each date and location will have five 1 hour time slots starting at noon and the last one starting at 5pm.

The family special will include
1 hour session
An online slideshow presentation
Disk of images
$275.00

You must book your session in advance and a non-refundable retainer of $100.00 is required to hold your location and time slot

Hurry and book now, slots will fill up quickly!!!

***Any other dates, locations and times, the session will be $375.00**

Remember, Mandy Hank Photography still has the Preferred Portrait Club referral program- so the more people you refer to Mandy Hank Photography, the less you’ll pay for your own family portraits. Ask for details!!***

Reagan's 1st day of 1st Grade!

2010-07-26T13:28:00.005-07:00

Ohhhhh, my little girl is growing up before my eyes. Parents tell you this all the time that it happens so fast and it does, it really does. It's very sad. You want them to grow up but on the other hand you just want to keep them small. It's sad when you can't really hold them anymore because they are too big or they don't ask for your help anymore to get a glass of milk. Last year when Reagan started Kindergarten I thought for sure I'd lose it but Hunter was such a maniac like normal I didn't have time to cry. They whisked her away and before I knew it she was in her class. This year we haven't had much of a summer break since the kids are in year round school so I didn't cry. But I have a big feeling that next year when Hunter goes to Kindergarten I just might lose it. I'll be by myself all day which in one aspect is nice, I can get things done but to not have both of them all day makes me want to cry. So at least I have 12 months to prepare for that day.

Reagan woke up so early this morning and so excited. What a difference from last year. She was really scared, apprehensive and nervous. This year she just went in right to her class, no big deal. It makes me proud how she is growing up.

Hunter's Toystory Party!

2010-07-26T13:06:00.002-07:00

Last October, Toystory 1 & 2 were re shown in the theaters. We were on vacation at the time and decided to take the kiddos to see them. It was a double feature that gave you a little break in between both movies. We were visiting Disneyland at the time and were able to ride the brand new Toystory ride. My kids have been all geared up for Toystory 3 to come out. We all went to go see and it didn't disappoint. I even cried a little and had a guilt going home when I thought of all the toys I had gotten rid of. :( But Hunter has been slightly obsessed with the movie so of course when his birthday comes we have to throw it Toystory style.

One thing I have always done with my kids is go all out on their cake, I'm not sure why I go and spend extra money on this but I just know they won't be little forever and the older you get you don't really get cakes much. I found a wonderful place many years ago to fulfill my need of motherly spoiling. Melodie and Sugarlips Cakery and her entire staff have been so wonderful and amaze me every time I pick up the kids cakes. When I talked to Melodie on the phone we kind of threw around some ideas. I didn't really care what it was as long as it was a Toystory cake. And when I picked up the cake, my mouth fell to the floor. You just can't beat this little cake. It's adorable!!! Thank you Sugarlips!!

Hunter down the slide

Hunter got to make his own pizza

The Hank Family

Challice and Grace playing with the yo-yo

All standing around waiting to dive into the cake

Hunter surrounded by girls of course. Khloey and Grace, I just love how Khloey is looking at Hunter

Hunter surprised at his gifts. His facial expressions were priceless

Hunter's turning 4!

2010-07-21T11:00:00.008-07:00

A few years ago I started a topic on the blog called "Coversations with Reagan." She was at the age where she was saying funny things and I couldn't keep remembering everything. Somethings she said were just too funny not to remember so I started writing them on the blog. A few years later we are at the stage again with Hunter. He really makes us laugh, he just has the personality to keep us entertained.
And today my little man turns 4! My pregnancy claim to fame I tell everyone is he was born on the hottest day of the year in 2006. It was 118 that day. Miserable. But what a miracle we received in the midst of the horrible weather. You can view images from his big debut day by clicking here.

Here's Hunter conversation with me a few days ago.....

We were in the car driving and he was talking about Toy Story 3 and how the pig's name is Ham. He thought that was so funny that a pig would be named after a food. He obviously isn't putting the two together.
So I start...
"Well Hunter, where do you think Ham comes from, where do you think bacon comes from? Chicken comes from Chickens, hamburgers come from cows, steaks comes from cows......"

I'm trying to ease into the subject for fear of freaking him out and he replies..

"Silly Mom, cows don't poop out hamburgers."

So I quickly realized he isn't ready for the conversation. I can't tell you how many people I told that story to. It just makes me realize how children view everything in this world. So funny!

Happy Birthday dear Hunter! Believe me I will embarrass you and tell everyone that story your whole life because that is what parents do! You have made such a wonderful impact on our lives! Thank you for being you!!!

Hunter showing you his killer skateboarding skills without the skateboard of course, we aren't ready for that just yet. :)

Happy Birthday Mike!

2010-07-06T15:54:00.002-07:00

My dear sweet Michael turns 38 today! Wow! I keep teasing him that he is almost 40 and he is quick to remind me that I am right behind him and I'll be there too someday :)

I love you Michael, I hope you have a wonderful day and know how much we all love you soooooo much! You are a awesome husband and father and my life with you is just... well, perfect!

The Poyner Kids 2010

2010-06-16T14:19:00.003-07:00

I have the joy of photographing these adorable kids every year. Not only are they great family friends, but all 4 are so adorable to shoot. This year's shoot was so much easier than years in the past. They are all getting bigger and I think really enjoy their picture to be taken. And this year's shoot was about 100 degrees cooler than last year. Last year we did it around the same time and almost melted. It was so miserable. This year we just happened to come across a weekend that was going to have some pretty decent weather for June so we bit on it.
My own kids make it a little harder for me to edit these. They want to see every picture of their friends. So I have to hide them until the finished project.

Take a look at these four cuties!
You can view their slideshow by clicking here!

Kylee

Khloey

Kaycie

Jaxson

Summer here we come!

2010-06-02T11:13:00.005-07:00

And just like that, I woke up Reagan for her last day of Kindergarten, I drove her the last morning to school as a kindergartner and kissed my Kindergartner goodbye. In just a few short weeks my baby girl who isn't a baby girl anymore will start 1st grade. Where did the time go by? It's amazing and sad and wonderful and overwhelming all in one. Her school had a cute little celebration this morning. They were all on stage, signing cute little Kindergarten songs, and a little teary eyed, I whispered to my mom,
"I feel like it was just yesterday I dropped her off for her first day of Kindergarten."
My mom replied,
"I feel like I just dropped you off at Kindergarten," We giggled a little bit but thinking about that now, it won't be too long before I'll be sitting next to Reagan and watching my granddaughter sing her songs. It's surely something I look forward to in the far far future but for the moment I'm just enjoying my 6 year old.
Next summer my little man will start Kindergarten and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about that one. In a little way I feel like I'll be having a part time empty nest. Maybe it prepares you a little bit for the big time empty nest when they all move out.
Just thinking about it tears me up but I sure am proud of how much she grew this year. How much smarter, more social, more mature and more observant she is! It was a wonderful year and I look forward to the next 12! :)

Speaking of adorable daughters, I met up with Alicia and her daughter Maddie this past weekend to do my Mother's Day Mini Session. Two adorable little blondes, oh I just love it!!!! Take a look at these adorable pics :)

Splash Pad day for Hunter

2010-05-19T13:33:00.003-07:00

This morning our church had a mom's playgroup at a splash pad near our house. All the kids had a blast running through the water. Occasionally they would all be shivering and then they'd run wrap themselves in their towels, get warm and run right back in the water.
This time of year in Phoenix is just wonderful. Hunter didn't want to leave but then had a collision with another kid that I actually got on camera,(dang I'm good). Both boys fell, both boys cried and we moms knew it was time to go :)

Sitting getting warm

I just love this little man :)

Oops- that looks like it hurts :(

RJ and Cassie's Flirt Session

2010-05-14T12:49:00.008-07:00

I'm not sure what has happened to my writing this year but I just haven't been as motivated to post on my blog as years in the past. Years ago anything that happened in my life I just couldn't wait to post it on the blog and now, my blog is lonely and I think even has some cobwebs growing on it.
The last couple of weeks I've been thinking about it and really want to get motivated again to post. So I thought what better way to start it off then to post RJ and Cassie's Flirt Session.
They picked an awesome location which always makes for an awesome session. Add in an adorable couple and it's perfect!!! RJ and Cassie are tying the knot in October. Can't wait for that big day!! :)

I promise to not neglect my blog anymore so stay tuned for some more posts.

You can view their slideshow by clicking here!!