This bright new year is given me To live each day with zest . . . To daily grow and try to be My highest and my best! ~William Arthur Ward

Our family enjoyed great Christmas and New Year celebrations. Click on the image above to see a few [...]]]>

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
~William Arthur Ward

Our family enjoyed great Christmas and New Year celebrations. Click on the image above to see a few photos from the surprises of Christmas morning.

2011 was a great year overall. Like every year there were ups an downs. It was hard to say goodbye to Gerrie Tadd and Gae Beckstrom. We will miss them very much. But our little family is learning and growing and happy. We had a great time going to Southern Utah and Sun Valley on vacation. The kids did very well in their studies at school. They are so smart! They take after their mom who is also brilliant and graduated with her master’s degree from SUU. Work was good to Kellie and I and even Christopher found a good job. We enjoyed many blessings so there’s plenty to be happy about.

2012 will bring with it many anticipated changes. Christopher will be graduating from Copper Hills High School. Wow! We look forward to college and/or an LDS mission by the end of the new year. Courtney is already learning how to drive and will be entering High School. Nathan will start his last year of Elementary School. I’m sure there will be many surprises along the way but I look forward to the fun and all the challenges. I won’t spell out all my resolutions here but will share a few thoughts. As a parent I’m going to need to learn to let go a little more this year, especially as Christopher moves on to the next stages of life. I also want to have a more positive outlook and dig into new opportunities and challenges that come along. This will be a good year to stretch myself. Of course reading, exercise and healthy eating are on the list. I’d like to do more running like I started last year. I also want to develop better personal relationships.

Given this blog is a photo journal I’ll add that I look forward to learning and improving my photography skills. I read a suggestion somewhere that rather than buying a lot of gear we might choose to go somewhere fun and use the gear we’ve got. I’d like to take that approach this year. I’ll be working on lighting, composition, post processing and just having fun.

I hope your 2012 is happy and successful!

Nikon D7000 105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm 1/200 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. ~ Henry David Thoreau

It is pumpkin time again.  Click on [...]]]>

Nikon D7000
105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm
1/200 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.
~ Henry David Thoreau

It is pumpkin time again.  Click on the image above to see a series of pumpkin photos from the Adobe/Omniture Halloween party last Friday and our family pumpkin carving activity this evening. Happy Halloween!

Salt Lake City, Utah

Pioneer children sang as they walked ~Children’s Songbook

Saturday morning Nathan marched in the Days of ’47 Children’s parade. Click on the photo above to see a gallery of images, faces, floats, and fun.

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~Abraham Lincoln

Here is a gallery of photos from our family get-together on the 4th of [...]]]> July 4, 2011

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.
I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.
~Abraham Lincoln

Here is a gallery of photos from our family get-together on the 4th of July. Click on the image above to launch the gallery.

Memorial Day 2011

Nikon D7000 105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm 1/60 sec @ f/11, ISO 100

In valor there is hope. ~ Publius Cornelius Tacitus

We spent Memorial Day in Preston, ID this year. We took Iris flowers from our yard to the Preston cemetery to [...]]]>

Memorial Day 2011

Nikon D7000
105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm
1/60 sec @ f/11, ISO 100

In valor there is hope.
~ Publius Cornelius Tacitus

We spent Memorial Day in Preston, ID this year. We took Iris flowers from our yard to the Preston cemetery to decorate the graves of family members from Kellie’s side of the family. I love the detail in this flower. It almost looks like the mouth of a dragon.

We celebrated New Year’s Eve in Preston, ID this year.  This photo is of my nephew, Carey.  He’s doing [...]]]>

Another fresh new year is here . . .

Another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt, and fear,

To love and laugh and give!

~William Arthur Ward

We celebrated New Year’s Eve in Preston, ID this year.  This photo is of my nephew, Carey.  He’s doing a New Year’s jig.  Carey would say he is not dancing, but that’s what it looks like to me.  Click on the photo to see a larger version, plus another photo with a special message.

Hoping 2011 is the best year ever for you!

Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue. ~ Plato

Nathan was extremely excited to have his first band [...]]]>

Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue. ~ Plato

Nathan was extremely excited to have his first band concert last week. He is learning to play percussion instruments and particularly likes the bells.  The look of concentration on his face during the performance was priceless.  Click the image above to see the gallery.

Forever on Thanksgiving Day The heart will find the pathway home. ~Wilbur D. Nesbit

Kellie and I were married on May 10, twenty years ago — just a few days before Mother’s Day.  I remember the first Sunday after we were married we went to church and they handed out Mother’s Day flowers.  Kellie was a bit overwhelmed to go from being single to being a mother (well, [...]]]>

Kellie and I were married on May 10, twenty years ago — just a few days before Mother’s Day.  I remember the first Sunday after we were married we went to church and they handed out Mother’s Day flowers.  Kellie was a bit overwhelmed to go from being single to being a mother (well, future mother) within a week.  We laughed about that one.  Of course our oldest, Christopher, wasn’t born until a few years later, but it makes for a funny story.

Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Anniversary, sweetheart!  I’m looking forward to the the next 20 and beyond!

We weren’t sure we would be able to pull it off given the snow this morning, but here are a few photos from our Easter egg hunt today.  Happy Easter everyone!