REAL Family Portrait...

Taken by fellow local photographer Duane Lutz instead of my camera on a tripod with the timer set. Quite an improvement! Many thanks to Duane.

Boy, it sure is quite a different experience being on the other side of the camera. A lot more work goes into preparing, picking clothing, keeping kids fed, clean, and bruise and scratch free, getting everyone looking good, and making sure all are happy (despite kids having woken up at 5:30 that morning!).

3 Ninjas

Daphne has joined her brothers and now seeks to earn a purple belt. Only about 3 more years to go!

Sequoia Kings Canyon

Fresno may not be a jewel in California, but there are so many gorgeous places near by. We took a day trip to the Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park and did the tour through Crystal Cave. Awesome. Very cool. I highly recommend it. The kids did really well with the hike to the cave entrance and were quite intrigued by the water dripping and the sparkling formations through the dimly lantern-lit curving passageways.

Waterfalls on the way to the caves:

Here's the cave entrance:

The Hook

Poor Ben. This little hook spoiled our fun Labor Day trip to the King's River east of Fresno. We weren't even fishing! 4 hours in the ER to get this thing out of Ben's leg...painlessly being the most important factor. I could have pulled it out the way the doctor did, but the wait was worth it for the shot to numb the area. And it was a good thing Ben didn't want to watch because, YIKES! I had no idea just how tough skin can be!

1st Day of School

Summer came and went in the blink of an eye. Here we are at the beginning of a new school year, a big milestone for me this year since Daphne (my youngest) is now in kindergarten! I love the "first day" photos each year. So here they are, starting with Ben the 4th-grader:

Cameron the 1st-grader:

And Daphne in kindergarten. I can't believe it!

Photography Opportunities Galore!

I will soon post a bunch of my favorite (non-family) photographs on my photography blog page. So stay tuned for landscapes and cool rocks and stuff...