Ben Slabaugh Photography

 

Jamie and I have a couple we absolutely love getting together with because although we couldn’t be more opposite in certain areas, we just seem to mesh and somehow always end up having a side-splitting, great time together.  Kristen and I met at work a few years ago and after “The Other Sister” became one of her favorite movies, we soon moved from being “Kristen and Jess” to “Carla and Daniel”.  (Don’t ask….nurses don’t need an excuse to be weird because we take care of 95% of the population who are undiagnosed with the “crazy’s” and by default it rubs off onto us…just deal with it, ok.)  So as soon as we made our husbands go through that awkward “first couple date”, we quickly became “The Tate’s and The McMahon’s”.

I’ve “featured” The Tate’s in previous posts but for this post I am pleased to show off the talents of Kristen’s husband, Ben, who is a remarkably talented, self-taught photographer.  (Maybe I’m shooting myself in the foot with this one because any pictures I take from here on out will sadly never look like these.)  They recently took a trip to Hawaii and he took some amazing pictures while there!  I love the creativity he incorporates into his pictures that really seem to bring them to life.  His photojournalist abilities include newborn and portfolio shoots, weddings, birthdays and other events.  Jamie and I are hoping to book a sitting with him soon…hopefully we don’t break his expensive, beautiful camera!  Ben is just starting out as a photographer but I think he is off to great start.  With that said, I’m pleased to show off a few master pieces he was kind enough to send my way.  (Thanks, Q!)

 

Ben and Kristen are a special couple and Jamie and I are truly blessed to call them our friends.  If you are interested in Ben’s photography or booking a shoot you can visit his website…

www.benslabaugh.com

(Trust me…it’s worth the visit!)

Bloomies

I’ve never had much of a green thumb unfortunately.  My attempts at gardening and keeping flowers alive usually fall short when I simply get tired of watering the plants…typically about a week into it.  But I’ve certainly attempted to get a little more green into my thumb over the past few years.  I’m amazed that I’m actually related to my mother and grandmother because their flower beds could win awards!  So in my attempt to act like I really do belong in this family as well as trying to make this tired old house look more alive, I’m attempting the almost impossible once again this summer.  Jamie and I bought a few plants recently and thus far they been kept well hydrated and are looking as lovely as ever.  So I thought I’d share my successful…at least so far…gardening skills for 2010.  Don’t hold your breath, the summer has just begun.  I’ve also included a few pictures of some flowering plants/trees that don’t require my devoted attention to bloom.

 

 

    

A Family Visit

About 2 weeks ago my family came down to our place for their first visit since moving us in.  I think we were all looking forward to it and I think it was also rather surreal.  May 16, 2009 was the day that Jamie and I closed the trailer door, fueled up the truck and headed west to what we hoped was a new chapter for us.  Little did we realize just how insightful and dramatic that next year would be for us.  We had no idea that a year later we would be back east, sitting in front of a camp fire with my family, and being at a completely different place in life than we were on the day we left.  It has been over a year since I’ve felt truly settled where I am at.

So this family gathering held much more meaning behind it than just a little get together and it was such an enjoyable evening!  The kids where so much fun and had a blast exploring our new home.  Isaac, Rachel and I collected “dicks” for pappy to keep the fire going, we roasted marshmallows, took a walk up the lane, got puppy kisses, and shared many, many laughs together.  Jamie got to show off his grilling skills and the tasty quality of the bison he cares for as we served up some bison burgers.  Yummy!!  It was a beautiful evening with the sun shining…at least it was when everyone arrived, but we ended up taking the camp fire inside when the wind began blowing the kids away.  But wind or not, this was a truly fun evening and we enjoyed the blessings of family, of living closer to home, and of a true sense of finally settling down.

 

Peek-a-boo!

I've had these pictures on my computer for a little while now and finally have the time to blog.  I took these when Jamie and I had first moved back east and I can still hear Isaac's laugh in the photo's.  It was so great to see the interaction between Isaac and his Grandma.  I also love the way you can see the laughter in his eyes without actually seeing the smile on his face.  He's an expressive little guy...don't let the smile fool you...he can give some "disapproving looks" like no one I know!  Mean looks aside, these pictures remind me so much of my own childhood.  So thanks, Mom, for making growing up fun.  I so enjoyed spending time with you as a kid and enjoy our time together even more now as an adult.  This post is just for you!

 

Let's peek-a-boo the day away
and tiddly winks the time
some duck, duck, goose and skipping rope
we'll shimmy and we'll climb

Tag, your it and hide-n-seek
let's color in some lines
a little game of memory
or singing songs that rhyme

No matter how our day is spent
in games or leisure time
I'm happy just to be with you
because Grandma...your mine.