Notes for my sister

photo credit Rachael Nelson I love the candid shots where you can see some personality coming through. For example, here's big brother with baby sister on his shoulders and Amber sticking out her tongue. We love doing them outdoors.  It feels less staged, and it's fun for the kids to be able to run around at a park.  In October we had some beautiful golden colors.  There's a mellow light about an hour before sunset.  My photographer friends know these kinds of things, but this was something I just learned a few years ago.  We went to Highland Glen park, right by Lone Peak high school.  There were at least four other families doing pictures there, taking advantage of the scenery and the late afternoon light. See how Norm is smiling?  That's because he only had to be there for half the photo shoot.  Here's my #1 secret for the reluctant spouse.  You know the one who says, "Do we really have to do family pictures?  Is that really necessar

December 4, 2017 Every so often, we go out of town together…without the kids.  There’s something magical about detaching from the normal routine.  We have time to rest and relax and reconnect.  I can’t say this enough, especially for my mommy friends with young kids, remember to invest time in your marriage!  Just like cars need maintenance, relationships do too. There’s something special about dating your spouse.  If going out of town is tricky, you can carve out 24 hours and go to a hotel downtown.  If grandparents are healthy, and live nearby and are available, bingo.  That’s like the perfect trifecta:  willing, able, and local.  If this is true for you, count your blessings!  If not, find a nanny.  It could be a newly married couple, a college kid home for the summer, or a single lady who doesn’t mind looking past all my messes.  OR you can split the kids up between friends’ houses.  Seriously, I know how crazy it is to try and make all these arrangements.  We just did i