Thanksgiving Day Ping Pong Tourney

Unfortunately, I was eliminated from this tournament in the first round.  However, I've already begun practicing for next year's big event.

Evidently, my FIL is a ping pong shark.  I thought I had it in the bag during our warm-up...

...but I was wrong.  Note me sulking on the losers' couch.

Kate beats Steve (in heels!) and puts up a good fight against Andrew, but she too is eliminated.

Andrew's looking awfully cocky here.  Are his eyes closed???

Check out Bridger on Mia's cat bed.  Pretty funny.

Championship round.  Andrew takes home the gold.  Matt takes silver (on his home court...sad!).

Baby Owen is Here!

He sure took his sweet time (11 days late...sheesh!), but, now that he's here, he's keeping his folks entertained.  Here are the many faces of Owen:

Welcome to the world, Baby Owen.  Boy are you cute!

Sampish/Bauer Crew

It's a strange thing, taking pictures of one's own family.  I was trying to determine why it is that I find it so much harder to photograph my husband's family than to photograph strangers, and a friend of mine (who is not a photographer but is awfully intuitive) got it exactly right: it's because my work and my life are colliding.  No one knows this, but Photographer Sara and Regular Sara are two different people.  Photographer Sara is quite a bit nuttier than Regular Sara (who is, admittedly, already a little nutty).  But, I'm not that eager to let my in-laws meet extra nutty Sara.  It's one thing for my husband to know her because she's revealed herself to him in small doses over the last eight years, and it's okay for clients to meet her because they don't know Regular Sara.  But, Photographer Sara can't suddenly show up when the fam is expecting Regular Sara.  So, that means that Regular Sara was the one taking the Sampish/Bauer family pictures earlier this month (and she's an amateur).  Photographer Sara must give her a little credit though; the pictures came out pretty cute.

This is my favorite photo of the day.  Notice how all the adults seem to be loving the group hug, but not a single kid is that psyched about it.  

Kelsi & Ty are Married!

Well, wedding season is officially over, and Kelsi and Ty's wedding was a wonderful way to end.  What an amazing couple they are: noticeably nice, utterly unruffled, and luminously in love.  (I discovered an alphabetical list of adverbs online today.  The former English teacher in me is in Heaven!  Check it out here!)

Anyway, my final wedding of the season was actually supposed to be in September, but this was a (very!) last minute booking.  Kelsi and Ty's original photographer got into a bicycle accident and had to cancel on them!  A big THANK YOU to the girls at Loveland Coffee Company.  When they heard about Kelsi and Ty's photography woes, they immediately suggested me!  Yay!  You girls rock.

Congratulations, again, to Kelsi and Ty.  It was so good meeting you both.  Best of luck in all you do!

Photo Booth Fun

We had a blast with everyone who came to our first annual Halloween party.  Can't wait to do it again next year!

Kayla & Michael are Married!

Where do I begin with this one? 

Wonderful couple,

lovely family and friends,

rockin' band,

knock-your-socks-off cake (raspberry poppyseed...oooohhh yeeeaaah),

gorgeous flowers,

fab dress.....the DRESS.

I just want to say that I love Kayla's wedding dress. SO. MUCH.  It is ridiculously fun and flirty; I can't wait to shoot Kayla's fidal portraits.  (Nope, that's not a typo.  "Fidal" is a term that I stole from another photographer.  "Fake" + "Bridal" = "Fidal" portraits.  (Really, they're not fake, just post wedding.  But, "pwidal" portraits doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely.)) 

Congratulations (and happy birthday!) to Kayla and Michael.  If only everyone was as great as you two.

Nicole and Justin are Engaged!

When I contacted Osborn Farm to schedule this photo shoot there, I was more than a little concerned that the 7am shoot time would be a problem (I didn't want to wake the owners who live on the property).  When I was assured that 7am would be "no problem," I just thought, "They must be heavy sleepers."  Then I arrived at the farm on the day of the shoot, and, not only were they not asleep, but........everyone was already hard at work!  Finally, it occurred to me...it's a FARM!  Of course they're awake (and working, evidently) by 7am.  Duh.

Thank you Osborn Farm for allowing me to shoot at your place ridiculously early in the morning (if you ask me).

And, thank you Nicole and Justin for agreeing to shoot so early (though, since you live on a ranch, I'm guessing 7am isn't early to you either.  Am I the only one who thinks that???)  Congratulations on your engagement!  You two are super cute together. 

Shannon and Josh are Married!

(Please don't judge these pictures too harshly; it's tough to get a good shot when you're a guest at the wedding, thus expected to stay in your seat.)

Congratulations to my former dorm-mate, Shannon!  You looked gorgeous, Geach.

The E'er Coordinated Watkins Family

Jenn was the first of my friends to get married and start a family.  As a result, her kids have a pretty firm hold on my heart.  Before I post the photos from our shoot last week, let me just relay my favorite exchange of the weekend:

Dave (after maybe the fifth time he's retrieved Blake from the playground fray after Adelyn has relocated him there from her parents' side): "Adelyn, don't touch your brother again."

Adelyn (never losing eye contact with her dad): Reaches out her tiny index finger and taps her brother on the head.

Me: Hiding my face so Adelyn doesn't see me hysterically laughing while she's grinning in time out.

You guys are too cute!  I had so much fun taking your pics.

Ezekiel Augustus

Welcome to the world, Baby E!  You are loved a LOT.