The O Family

The opportunity to photograph the O Family was bittersweet. They are great family friends, and just about the sweetest, most humble people you would ever want to meet, yet the request was to take what would likely be Dad O's final family portraits.

As a photographer, I wanted the photographs to be technically sound--good lighting, good composition, good focus.

As a friend, I wanted the photographs to capture the soul of the family--their strength and commitment to each other, their faith, their humility and most of all, their deep and enduring love for one another.

Here are a few of my favorites from our day together:

A few more...

Just had to share a few more of my recent favorites of my two favorite girls...

A quick practice shoot

Now that my daughter is mobile, she's getting a little harder to photograph. I have to be quick to get the shots I want, but it makes for great practice. I snapped a few photos of her as she explored the hallway today, before heading outside, where it was too sunny and hot to stay for long. I managed to get a few good shots though. Here are a couple of my favorites of my daughter and my dog.

Later, after Daddy came home, we headed outside for another quick photoshoot, this time to get some photos for Daddy's facebook. Though the little cheerleader outfit says it fits size 0-3 months, we were able to squeeze in to get a few photos. Here you go Daddy. Are you ready for some football???

Loving Hut Restaurant

When you are born and raised in Nebraska, a steady diet of meat and potatoes is pretty much the norm. For a long time, I was a very picky eater, but during high school and college I began to expand my horizons. During the years I spent in New York, I fell in love with sushi, sashimi, Indian food, Turkish cuisine, and became accustomed to ordering random items off menus. I was never disappointed in what I ordered, and found myself falling in love with each new dish that was brought to my table.

In all my culinary adventures, however, I never tried Vegan food. Like many other people, I mistakenly thought that Vegan food could not possibly be very good. I mean, how much variety and flavor can there be when you don't eat meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or dairy products?

The answer is a lot!

My husband and I headed to Loving Hut restaurant in Glendale, AZ on Saturday to sample some Vegan cuisine for my upcoming article in WVHL magazine, and were pleasantly surprised by every dish that came out of the kitchen. We ate until we were completely stuffed, and thoroughly enjoyed our first Vegan experience.

Here are a few photos from the day: