general conference and family portraits

We did our traditional countdown-to-conference pictures for FHE this week. Each of us gets assigned a day and then we choose a quote from the last conference and put on the poster with an illustration. It helps rev up the excitement. :)

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Autumn has really arrived now, with temperatures dropping into the 60s and 40s, and some lovely rain and overcast days this week.

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One of the highlights of conference weekend was having my brother and his wife and daughter come for a few hours. For the past 8 months he has been my closest sibling, living only about 45 minutes away. Now they’re moving to Wisconsin, and taking my adorable niece with them. :(

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Another favorite conference tradition of ours is to put a bunch of blank cards in a bowl with pens, and then have a treat nearby. During each session we write questions for each other about the talks (or songs :). For each question we can take a treat from the treat bowl. Then after the session we read the questions to each other and try to answer. Super fun and it helps us pay attention. :)

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Saying goodbye. :(

Man, are we going to miss those guys!

This week we also had some family portraits taken, as well as Exacto’s senior portraits. I am so relieved they are done and we have them! Maybe only you mothers out there know what I mean, but I was seriously euphoric after we got these back, even if they’re not perfect.

I am really happy with them and highly recommend our photographer Brooke Clayton to anyone in this area!

Some of my fav’s. . . .

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I think this next one’s my favorite.

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I really love the background in this one. See the Horsetooth?

 

My favorite of Exacto. . . .

 

I’m really glad to have gotten some good Colorado portraits of us before we leave (probably) next year! Maybe now I can update the big 2010 portrait I’ve had on our wall since Rosebud was a baby.  . . .:)

Day 53 - { portraits from Kara }

post written 7/12/11

I researched a ton before getting Rosebud's 1-year pictures taken, trying to find a photographer that does excellent work but will give me digital copies and not require me to sell one of my offspring to pay for it all. It was tough. I have Martinelli's taste on a root beer budget. :) I just couldn't find any artist photographers that we could afford.

So I finally resolved to go with the new Portrait Innovat**ns that opened in West Little Rock (it is possible to acquire high resolution digital files, but there is a fairly complicated process involved). I hoped for the best, but was pretty sure it would only be a small step up from Walm*rt.

But a loving Heavenly Father knew the desires of my heart. He knew that I was clinging to every moment with this beautiful last baby, and that I desperately wanted good portraits of her. He sent a special blessing. . . .my talented friend Kara offered to take some. She does it as a hobby, but is SO GOOD. Even though she was having surgery the week of Roseberry's BD, she insisted she would be fine to take some the day after.

So here they are, Rosebud's portraits for her 1st birthday. . . .Have fun scrolling!

First, the ones from Portrait Innovat**ns. Taken actually on her birthday. They gave us a disk with low-resolution files of over 100 that they took, and here's a sampling, just for fun. They're fine, but I know I would have always looked back and wished I had better ones.

(outfit was a gift from sweet Rosy and Tommie)

 

I bought this one.

 

Cheesy, eh? I wasn't planning to get in any of these, but she was sad and I needed to hold her for a bit. :)

 

I'm glad we got one with her nursing necklace. Brings back sweet memories now.

 

Bought this one, too. I love how it shows her personality.

 

This one cracks me up. How does a one-year-old already know how to sneer? :)

 

Bought this one.

 

such a little cherub. :)

 

Don't you think the photographer should have come in closer or cropped these? Like this:

 

That's a little better.

 

Bought the "special" for this one.

 

gah! Is that background hideous or what? I wish I had said something while they were getting it out!

 

Rosebud didn't particularly care for it either.

(This one could go on that awkward family photos site, eh?)

 

Fancy Nancy outfit from Nana.

She made that pettiskirt, and also one for each of her granddaughters! Go, Nana! (She said it was way hard, and she'll never do it again. :)

Arg. They cut off our knees and feet. Ah, well. Overall it was about what I had feared, and I don't know that I'll go back.

If I could do it over again, I would save the money I spent at PI (and add some to it) to get ginormous canvas prints of Kara's beautiful work!!

(Life's too short to throw money at mediocre portraits, eh? Who needs food? :)

The next day, we went to Kara's house, and she captured these. (The last few were taken a month later because the birthday girl was getting tired and we had to come back). I am SOOO grateful we got these other ones. THANK YOU, Kara!

So here are the REAL portraits (taken on 12/22/10 and 1/19/11). . . .

 

As you can see, there's no comparison.

I LOVE THIS ONE!!!

 

She was watching the balloons in this one. (See birthday party post :).

 

This here was the shot I was hoping for. I wanted full-length, with her toes showing, and a smile, her eyes toward the camera. We got it! Woohoo!

 

She LOVES that Woody doll. :)

 

Wow. I think this one may very well be my favorite photo of her yet.

 

This one's on our wall now.

 

This one was Kara's favorite.

 

It is amazing to me that even with such a small matter as this--with something that wasn't really a need--I was blessed with one of my wants, heirloom quality portraits of my only daughter. Thank You, Heavenly Father!