Things I've Been Up To

I haven't been taking the normal mass amounts of pictures of the wee ones this week.
I guess I have been doing other things.
That makes for a lack of blogging here.


Instead of photo journaling my children's every move
This is what I have been up to.

Harvesting this out of my garden



Remaking this bookshelf
see more pictures on ReadySetPlan


And doing some portrait work
See it here

New Project

I am funny about projects and hobbies.
I usually start a project only to loose interest before I finish.
Or put time into a hobby, but not enough to be any good.
I do have one hobby however, that seems to still around month after month, year after year.
That is photography.
I know that every mom with a D-SLR thinks she is a photographer.
In fact I often refer to these people as "faketogrophers", or "momtographers"
I am not saying that some of them aren't good.
Some of them are, some momtographers are very good.
And I wouldn't say that I was the best by any stretch.
But I am certainly not the worst.
In fact recently I began a search for our own family pictures, only to be recommend dozens of momtographers with full on websites with pictures far worse than my own.
So I decided to join the trend.

Truth be told I have had pieces of a portfolio sitting on my desktop for over a year.
I finally gave it a little time and constructed a website portfolio here.

Click on over and check it out.

www.crystalfreemanphotography.com

Kid Pictures.

I finally did some one year posed pictures for Sam. A few at least. He still is not quite over the requiring me to hold him all day long side effect that comes with being sick. It is exhausting, so I don't know why I thought making him pose for pictures on an old chair in the snow- not in my arms- would work. Regardless- we gave it a shot.
Last night while Jake was at scouts I worked on our family scrapbook. Something I am not sure anyone else experiences is feeling guilty you haven't taken more pictures. I do. Especially when I try to make a book for the kids and realize that we only have five pictures from all of November. It was the added push I needed to get these done.








This is the best picture I could get with the two of them. UGGG!
Some pictures of Kate. The bright snow was killing her eyes. She doesn't have any idea how to pose. When she smiles she lunges forward at me. Although I appreciate her attempts to do what I want it is so far what I want it is almost pointless giving direction at all.

Weekend Wedding Storyboard

....and its a long story.

We started our drive Wednesday night with one throwing up little two year old. Hoping she would soon recover and feeling like we needed to be at Jake's youngest sisters wedding we kept going. We slept in Primm, NV and found her much better in the morning. Much better although apparently still very contagious. The wedding was beautiful but the weekend was miserable. Over the next two days all twenty something family members staying at the Freeman Farm minus one niece and (thankfully) a bride to be fell ill to the malicious virus. Sick everyone's with little sleep and lots to do to pull of a completely do it yourself garden wedding made for a stresstul and exhausting visit with little actual time for visiting. Below are some of my pictures from the wedding, both those I liked and others needed to tell the story. One highlight from the trip was that although it was exhausting (can you be sore from taking pictures?) I am pleased with the results.The Freeman orchard 7:00 am day of the wedding. Up early to the cries of sick children. Ready for a beautiful early fall wedding with temps of 102 degrees projected for wedding o' clock.
The Fresno Temple is one of the mini temples they built in 2000. Although it is smaller with smaller grounds it is just as beautiful. Plus you know most the people inside. The kids waited in the waiting room. Kate kept telling me "I need to see my Jesus at the temple."
Father of the bride and father-in-law Calvin. This guy has been puking all night but he is still the most photogenic guy I know.
Elisabeth and Cami. My sister-in-law and niece. She let us stay in her daughter's room giving her and Mark little sleep, let me wash our puked clothing in her washing machine, feed us, gave me a quick tutorial on her photo editing software so I could have some ready for their slide show that night and in the end were some of the wedding weekend warrior viruses sickest victims. Thank you Mark, Elisabeth and Cami.
Did I tell you how the Freeman's can throw a do-it-yourself wedding and you would never know they didn't hire help. Here is Dave (Jake's brother if it wasn't obvious) as videographer. I player photographer. Lisa, a sister, did all the amazing food, for 150, while pregnant and sick. Doris (mother of the bride) as if she didn't have enough to do made an amazing wedding cake...picture to come later. Everyone contributed in some way helping with cleaning, decorating, cooking. Good work Big Team Freeman! They had another friend to a slide show and another DJ. It worked out so well.
DeeAnn and Drew Ensslin. Recently pronoucned husband and wife.

All seven siblings looking so good. Especially that first one.
Jacob, Lisa, David, DeeAnn, Joseph, Kirstin & Mark. I am so lucky to have so many great friends as in-laws. Not only are all the siblings people I love and admire, there are amazing and enjoyable spouses to go along with them.
Bride's maid pictures. DeeAnn has a lot of great friends. These four were her bride's maids.



These are two of my favorite shots I got.

Drew's mother had a lovely luncheon, none of which I got to see sadly. She did have these water bottles made. I love customised drinks!
Nothing like a little glamor on the farm.

My amazing mother-in-law and her cake skills. She always does the cakes for wedding and you would never know they weren't ordered.

Thanks to Jake, his job was harder than mine. Because I had a camera in my hand the entire day he had to corral two cranky and tired children. He missed the whole day really. Not to mention that we rarely saw each other the entire time we were there as we tried to divide and conquer two children who hadn't had a good night sleep of nap for days. That goofy grin is hiding an egg roll I believe.
Dee and Calvin at the reception.
Drew and DeeAnn's first dance. Dee had to have dancing at her wedding, so her mother painted the driveway to look like tile and strung lights.

There are so many more pictures I would love to share, but that is long enough. I can't wait for Dee to get back from Mexico so I can show them to her.
We left the next morning as early as we could get out and made it home around 10:00. It was a long drive, but we made it in under 13 hours so we'll consider that good time. Our home never seemed to nice, comfortable and clean, that is until I started cleaning out the car and doing the laundry.
We only regret not being able to stay for a few more days. Not being sick, with nothing to do and eating wedding reception leftovers with those you love sounds like much more fun than work and chores to Jake and I.

Daddy Pictures

I made Jake and Kate come with me to the "old town" Heber to take some belated father's day pictures. They may have been cute except that our sometimes cooperative model was obsessed with all the rocks on the ground and would get upset whenever Jake picked her up. If you look close I am pretty sure she has at least one rock in hand in every picture I took, plus she wouldn't wear the cowboy hat I had for her... I know shocking right. I guess all the matters it that Kate has got the most wonderful, funnest, and hottest dad around.

Pictures

On Saturday I got to go and take some engagements for Lisa and Rodney. It was really fun and easy since they are both really good looking. We did three small shoots around Provo and here is a picture from each one. Obviously some were just for fun. But I love the middle one, it reminds me of a perfume ad. I have always been into photography, but never really get a chance to do it, so it was a great opportunity to enjoy it and also learn a little.