Cousins

While in Bend, I also took a few photos of Ava with her cousins Jadyn and Jacob - their parents are Meghan's sister Kylie and her husband Ole. It's fun to watch these three interact - they love each other so much.

* If American Girl is looking for a new model for their dolls, I think Jadyn would be the perfect fit.

Lunchtime Photo Session with Lexi and Hayden

Lexi picked me up from work today at lunch and we headed over to the park to take a few photos of her 18 month old daughter Hayden. She is so adorable! Below are a few of my favorites.

* Lex - I love this photo of you, I just wish Hayden was smiling at the camera

The Blyth Family

Before I took off for the airport on Sunday night and right as Galen got home from his fishing trip, we headed out for our last shoot in the attempt to capture the perfect Christmas card photo. From all of the photos I took, there are a few that are off-limits as they would like to keep their card a surprise, but here are a few of my favorites...

Megs & Ava - Thank you for allowing me to spend the weekend with you two (and take a few photos), I had such a great time and look forward to seeing you both soon!

Weekend in Bend, OR

On Friday night after work, I flew down to Bend, OR to visit one of my best friends - Meghan (Grout) and her two-year-old daughter Ava. Her husband was out of town on a fishing trip, so it gave us the chance to catch up and for me to play with Ava. On each trip to Bend, I'm always sure to pack my camera because in my mind, Bend is one of the most beautiful towns in America. Below are a few of the photos we captured during a couple of our outings. We quickly learned that candy was the best way to keep Ava happy. As a side note, you probaly can't tell from the photos, but Meghan is expecting baby #2 in mid-April - she looks great.

Dream Job = children and family photography

I am in LOVE

With the beautiful fall weather we're currently experiencing! It's crazy for me to think that during my four years of living in Los Angeles, I never quite realized what I was missing out on during the fall months in Seattle and I truly appreciate it all the more for that experience away. I wish so badly that I could be outside taking photos today instead of indoors working. Included in this post are a few photos I took this past Saturday. Now I just wish that I knew the names of each of the trees to decipher which is which...I'm learning.

This maple tree below is directly outside our bedroom window - I absolutely love the way the sun reflects off the leaves and brightens up our room.

Faux Engagement Photoshoot

On Sunday night, the Rinabarger's joined the Coffey's for my birthday dinner celebration at my parents house. With the weather so perfect and crisp, I figured the fall colors would provide an excellent backdrop for a few photos. Thanks to Steve's dad Mike for taking the photos (just like a pro) with our camera.

Happy 1st Birthday To...

Little Miss Addison Claire Baumgartner

I know I've said this to your Mommy a million times, but I am so happy to share this special day with you. You are definitely not the little baby anymore and are growing up so fast - your parents are raising a beautiful girl.

Today I'm thankful for...

My AMAZING fiance, INCREDIBLE friends, and REMARKABLE family for the sweet messages I've received on my birthday. Thank you for making my day so special and I look forward to celebrating tonight in Ballard with a some of you.

I woke up this morning with 29 of the most gorgeous long-stem roses on my nightstand - thank you Steve - I love you!

Weekend Getaway to Eastern Washington

After work on Friday, Steve and I packed up the car and drove over to Wenatchee to attend Ruthie and Jeff's wedding in Leavenworth. Delane and Kevin were kind enough to house eight of us at their beautiful home in East Wenatchee. Friday night included quite a few rounds of Speed Scrabble and Sing Star - I think I should probably be banned from ever participating in Sing Star again. Saturday morning, Delane treated us to an excellent breakfast and then we stopped by a friend of their's apple orchard to drop off their two sweet dogs, Timber and Wrigley. The smell of the fresh fall air out in the orchard was wonderful - it reminded me of the fall mornings in Pullman. After enjoying a red delicious apple hand-picked from the tree, we headed down for a tour of downtown Wenatchee and a trip to one of Steve's favorite stores Hooked on Toys - most ecclectic store I've ever been in. They sell things like camping/hunting gear, games, and then a huge selection of childrens toys...strange.
Ruthie and Jeff were married at 3:30 at the beautiful Sleeping Lady lodge in Leavenworth. The two of them are an amazing couple - they compliment each other perfectly and enjoy life to it's fullest. The venue, nestled back in the woods, accompanied by the sunny weather made for a perfect fall wedding. After the wedding festivities came to an end, we headed out to partake in the Oktoberfest celebrations in downtown Leavenworth.

The drive back (very early) this morning was a bit difficult after the late night, but we had to get back for the Seahawks (sad) game. I'm trying to stay positive in regards to football, but it's becoming more and more difficult with my two teams (Cougs and Hawks) playing so poorly.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and congrats again to Ruthie and Jeff Parrish!!

You're going camping in the rain?

This is the question I received quite a few times after metioning to friends that Steve and I were taking off on Saturday morning to go camping for the night. My answer... "Steve fixed up the trailer." As mentioned in a previous post, Steve bought a 1965 (year has been corrected since previous post) Aristocrat Lo-Liner trailer (he saw potential from the beginning) and has been spending most nights after work restoring it. I can not truly express the incredible workmanship that Steve has put into this project. He has restored a forty year old trailer and turned it into a very comfortable 'second home' for us. We now know that the trailer can withstand quite the windstorm as the wind was howling Saturday night.

We had a difficult time deciding where we would head off to and after much discussion chose Deception Pass State Park. It was beautiful, but definitely a bit chilly with the fall like weather. The sunset photos below express more of the weather elements we experienced on Saturday night. The wind was blowing so hard, it was difficult to stand up. It was also tough to capture photos because the saltwater spray coming up from the Strait of Juan de Fuca could have ruined our lens without a protectant polarizer on it. The polarizer can affect the colors, so the photos I have included are with the polarizer removed when we decided to be brave and snap a few shots and the quickly cover the lens again.

All-in-all the trip was a huge success! And I can't thank Steve enough for making the experience so enjoyable and relaxed. I can't wait for our next adventure! Still trying to decide on a name - Stacie likes RinaCamper - ha!