Williams Family 2012

I'm in love with our photos.  Jessica Downey is an amazing photographer and got exactly what I wanted...yes, I came with my own shot list.

as Kelly said...and I agree.  "Melts my heart."

family photos

We got our family photos not only done before the year ended but EARLY!  Stay tuned for the images. My good friend and idol photographer Jessica Downey took our amazing photos. I'm in love.

Kaylee is baptized

This was back on September 8th...but better late than never. ;)

Kaylee is the sweetest, happiest, silliest girl.  I'm so lucky to have a child that is so loving and sweet.  She's tender to my feelings and how I am doing.  She prays for my back every day and wants to choose the right.  She loves to eat fruit, and would pass up ice cream or cake.  She packs her own lunch...carrots, apples, grapes, banana, orange...whatever is lying around.  She LOVES her stuffed animals, princesses, babies, petshops...anyting fun and girly.

She can't wait until she is 12 so she can get her ears pierced and start wearing my jewlery.  She loves rings and necklaces.  She's excited to start wearing 'heels' when she is 14...but trust me sweetie, they look much more comfy than they really are.

She's in 2nd grade and LOVES her teacher and loves school.  You go into the school room and everyone is drawn to her.  You walk through the school and the kids all seem to know her.  She's a bubbly sweet social butterfly.

She works hard and has such tender feelings.  I'm so blessed to have her in my life.  She helps me to stop and consider the great things in my life, and helps me to not focus on the daily tasks, but the joy in the every day moments.

love this girl.

Kaylee  (notice the stance...Grandma Price showed her to how beautifully place her feet)

Kaylee with Grandpa and Grandma Price

the kids and their 'other' mother

who doesn't love to kiss that face?

Kaylee and Dad.

me and Kaylee.  She got baptized in the SAME dress I did when I was baptized.

our family.

the buddy club.  Cade and Grandpa Price.

Kaylee with Grammie and Papa.  Kaylee with Gigi.

The whole Group.

Kaylee sang 'When I am Baptized'.  She has a beautiful crystal clear voice.  She sang it beautifully.  A few weeks later, Kaylee was asked to sing it to all the adults in church during a combined meeting.  She was a trooper and did so well. She's such a sweet loving girl with a beautiful voice.

love the details.

stills

got a call this morning to shoot production stills of the show 'Baggage Battles' on the Travel Channel.  Pretty neat!

conner and avery.....

sittin on a chair.....

Conner had fun last week playing with a new friend Avery.  She is such a sweet little girl with the cutest little laugh.  We had so much fun with her.

artiste

conner has been into drawing and coloring lately.  very meticulous.

drawing him in his Halloween costume.  

oh the detail.

how many angels can dance on the end of a pencil?

silly conner.  my buddy during the day when the kids are gone at school.  i enjoy this time with you.

trying to find a new normal.  at least i wake up to these eyes which makes my day far from normal. 

i think this one is going on the wall.  

playing with his star wars buddies.  lutas.  love his speech.  sad to think he will grow up and grow out of his cute little quirks. 

kitchen.

had some requests to show the new house.  here is the kitchen.  love it.  

still trying to decide on paint colors for the walls.  after they are painted I can finally hang up my photos that i have been missing since early April when we took all our photos down in our Maricopa house.  Won't truly feel like home until then.

loving the new house, new ward, new location, new school, new teachers, new neighbors.

miss our old friends and think of you often. 

changing.

This week will result in a BIG change in our family.  We will move from our lovely home we've spent the last 7 wonderful years in, and move our family to Gilbert.  It's a bittersweet time for us.
Bitter: We've had so many wonderful memories and made some of the most amazing friends...friendships that are still strong, although friends have come and gone.  Now we are the ones who will be gone.  I've experienced some great highs and lows during this time.  A great time of growth in so many way.  These were some of the best years for me, personally, in so many ways.
Sweet: We are excited to be up in town close to our family that we don't get to see near as often as we'd like to.  We will be closer to David's work.  The kids are in a great school district and I am impressed with the teachers.  Shopping is much closer too. ;)  Want to go to a movie?  just 2 miles away.  the mall? 5 minutes.  costco...just around the corner!  Temple!?...why not!  Just look across the field.  There it is.  no map needed.  If you can't tell, I'm excited for the new changes.

We said goodbye to our San Tan Branch family today.  Kaylee and her sweet primary teacher Leanne had a photo together.  I got to hug my sweet Julio...and many more sweet natives on our way out.  It was 2 years ago exactly that we were called to the Branch.  I've grown to love them so much...and the sweet spirit I feel there...I know when we visit it will be like coming home.  I've been in three different presidencies in three different organizations in those short 2 years.  It will be an adjustment coming to a ward from the branch.  So many people.  150 kids in primary...vs....well...not as many. ;)

Today we attended the last hour of our new ward today and had such a warm welcoming.  We are excited to meet more new friends.  The kids happily went to yet a 4th hour of church...wow.  I'm fortunate to know at least one friend in the new ward.  I already feel at home.

The kids love their new school and new teachers.  Conner is excited to start school as soon as we move.  He loves shadowing me during the day, and is mostly a happy camper when I drag him everywhere to prepare for the move.

Kaylee will be baptized on September 8th.  Family will attend.  All of David's family should be there, as well as my parents and Kelly too.  I'm excited to share this moment with so much family.  Kaylee is so excited to be baptized as well.  She will be baptized in the dress I was baptized in...the baptism dress my mom made for me.  I still need to get photos of her in it.

This week ends the past 4 1/2 months of living with boxes strewn about the house, picture-less walls, playroom boxed and blocked...living out of boxes...and sometimes breaking into them to get something I packed WAY too early. :)  our pantry is just about completely empty...I only have the meals planned until Thursday night...and I only need a pot and maybe some butter to cook these meals.  We will be happy to be back to a normal balanced diet.

After this week....the unpacking and nesting begins.

and oh....then painting begins.  drat!

Maricopa night sky

I was asked to shoot the night sky by the editor of the InMaricopa magazine.  I took that challenge, and wondered how the heck I was going to pull it off.  After a bit of scouting and multiple calls to my mentor, I found it.  I set up camp and waited for the sun to go down.  After it was completely dark I started firing away, trying to hone into the setting that worked best.  I finally got what I was looking for, and after a while of photoshop and doing a fun little composite, here it is!

Excited to see it on a double page spread when the magazine comes out in a few weeks.  I love seeing my work published.  I've worked for InMaricopa for almost 3 years and enjoy all the people I get to meet while on assignments shooting for stories they write.

This was definitely a learning experience for me.  Didn't realize how tricky night shooting was until I was thrown into it.

I'm still quite a horrible blogger...and I wish I could get better.  Life has been pretty hectic.  Have absolutely NO photos of my kids for April!!!!  aaah!

Packing is going well...slowly and surely.  We spent all memorial day packing.  It was great seeing what TWO bodies could pack in one day.  More than I was able to do in the past few weeks.  Excited and yet nervous for our move, but know it is time for our move up to town.

1514 East Hummingbird Way

After 7 wonderful years down here in Maricopa, we're moving to Gilbert.  We're really excited and nervous about what the future holds for us.  We will be building a house and will be done early August...the BEST time to move in Arizona!

Our cross streets are going to be Germann and Val Vista.  

a photo of the new Gilbert Temple currently under construction from the spec home just 5 properties of where our home will eventually sit.  

We'll be happy to be closer to David's work, which is moving buildings in a couple months, making his commute farther.  He will be much closer to work now.  I'll have my doctors and specialists closer to me, which will keep my weekly travel up to town not such a tax on our car, unhappy ride-alongs (aka: Conner) or gas budget every month.  I am excited to be closer to shopping areas, pools, and parks.  The Gilbert Temple will be only about a mile from our house which I'm really excited about.  We can actually see it from where the new master bedroom window will be.  We will be in a wonderful school district as well...since our current principal has been forced out...which doesn't sit well with me after the great turn-around that was experienced this past year.  I'm kinda done with those politics, so we're off to a better public school system.  We will be nice and close to family finally was well.  It has been hard to come up to town often to celebrate holidays or special occasions due to our location.

I have so many fond and wonderful memories of Maricopa...being in 3 different wards and a branch...making some of the best life long friends that I'm so fortunate to have.  Discovered I had more of a passion than a talent for photography...and this is where it was fostered and nurtured by wonderful friends that had faith in my work....  I'll continue coming down to Maricopa for photo shoots as well...shooting sports actions still for all the Maricopa sports leagues, and any other photo needs of my friends that still want family photos for any occasion.  It was here that some of my worst pain was endured...and overcome with help from the wonderful service of my many friends and family.

I'm going to miss you Maricopa.  In so many good ways...but I'll be back often to visit.

our new street name: Hummingbird.  my mom loves it. :)

Gilbert Temple

wow.

i'm a horrible blogger!

Happy 2012

Life as a Photographer can get hectic...espeically with everyone and their horse (literally) wanting family pictures!  I tell myself that 'this year we will get our family pictures done early', but never happens.

Enjoy the new year.

Photos taken by my great friend and mentor Jake Johnson.