Lucky Girl

Have I ever told you that I am one lucky girl! 

That's right...perhaps the luckiest girl ever!

My husband dearest made me the most amazing White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake for my 26th birthday. It was beautiful...like a piece of art! Okay...I know I am probably a little overly excited about this cheesecake, but it truly was amazing and I was so impressed by his culinary skills. It was his first attempt at a cheesecake and it was perfect in every way (other than he accidentally stuck his finger in the side of it-oops). And I will assure you, it was ever more beautiful in real life than it is in this picture! 

Okay, enough about cheesecake! It was a great birthday weekend filled with awesome food and awesome friends. It feels very good to have year 25 behind me. Let's hope that year 26th has lots of good things in store!

Us at Benihana's

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner (and show) at Benihana's with lots of good friends on the eve of my birthday. Did you know that if you sign up for their birthday club they send you a $30 gift certificate for your birthday each year...SWEET! And trust me, the food is delicious.

Praying that my birthday wishes come true...just kidding! 

I was actually clapping as they sang to me.

To add to my husband's awesomeness...He bought me a new "super duper" lens for my camera (a Nikon 70mm-300mm VR lens). The thing feels like it weighs 500 pounds! I can't wait to get out there and practice with it.

Lots of thanks to my Davy and all my friends for the wonderful birthday wishes! You all made my day very special and made me feel like the luckiest girl ever!

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{MUSE}

{MUSE}

If you haven't been by in a while, I am now updating my design blog regularly with a little bit of weekly design infatuation. Every Friday I try to feature something that I love in the design world. I fill each post with lots of inspiring pictures to get your wheels turning and your creative side to shine. So take a little visit over to:{MUSE}

http://musebykara.blogspot.com 

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Thanksgiving Point

I think I am cursed! The two times I have gone to a tulip festival the weather was freezing cold (although it was perfect the weeks prior to both of my visits) and the tulips were mostly dying off because of the weather! Either way, even a dying tulip seems beautiful and I was still able to capture a few fresh ones.

My mom asked my dad to take her to the Thanksgiving Point tulip festival for her birthday while we were up in Utah! It was certainly a site to see, freezing cold or not! My parents zipped around on segways while my grandparents and I enjoyed the scenery from a golf cart (easier to make frequent stops to take lots of pictures)!

My silly grandpa with his mad driving skills

Arn't they cute on their little segways!

My dad snuck this picture of me at work! Sometimes you gotta get down and dirty to get a good image (look at my heels popping out of my shoes-ha)! It may look like I know what I am doing...but I don't!

The sweet owl that built a nest in the side of a cliff at Thanksgiving point.

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Anna and Logan's Wedding

I photographed my cousin, Anna's, wedding while I was in Utah (sorry-I am still posting about my trip...I am so far behind). Her wedding was the main reason for my big trip. She was a beautiful bride with her awesome red hair! The weather was a little crazy while I was there (it even snowed one morning), and on the day of her wedding we woke up to pouring rain and very cold temperatures! Thanks to a lot of answered prayers, the rain stopped and the sun peaked through just as she started to come out of the temple. Here are a few images from her special day...

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Temple Square

Spring at Temple Square...

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Avery Lynn

While in New Mexico, my aunt asked me to take a few images of her new little one, Avery, for her three month old pictures.We didn't have a lot of time, so we had to do it in between my brothers tennis matches. We found the best patch of grass we could which was a 6' wide park strip with cars all around...not ideal, but we made it work! We unloaded the props I had gathered and went to work...

She was pretty unhappy with the whole scenario. But I suppose I would be pretty upset too if someone stripped me of my clothes with the cold wind blowing on me, put me in buckets, kept changing my hair bows, put a tutu on me, and moved me all around!

Isn't she just the most adorable little thing ever! I am so glad I had the chance to photograph her...I mean look at those beautiful baby blues!

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New Mexico, Utah, and Lots of Places in Between

So what do you do after a previous year filled with multiple surgeries and countless doctors visits? You take a much need 2 week vacation to visit family and friends! And that is just what I did...Only problem was Dave had to stay behind because he didn't have much time-off left after all those surgeries and doctors visits taking care of me! Here are all the details (along with a gazillion pictures and more to follow on additional posts)!

2 days in Albuquerque, NM
4 tennis matches watching my stud of a brother play

1 family pizza party with lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles

4 days in Farmington, NM
1 lunch date with an old friend
1 family BBQ

1 lunch date and furniture shopping excursion with my Grandma Jerry
1 visit with 4 family generations present

 (me with my mom, grandma, and great grandma)

Me with Grandma McGee

(She still ranches at 93 years old...she is amazing)

 

1 visit to see my Great, Great Aunt Grace

2 more tennis matches watching this guy...

1 photo shoot with my precious new cousin, Avery

(more images of this little one to come on another post)

1 New Mexico sunset (oh, how I miss them)

1 cuddle with Avery

7 days in Utah
2 trips to Cafe Rio (aka: a little piece of Heaven on earth)
1 Wedding, photographing my beautiful cousin Anna

(More images to come in another post)

250 spring filled flower beds on Temple Square

1 dinner at "The Garden" on temple square watching the sunset

 Grandma and Grandpa Reeves

4 miles (roughly) on a golf cart around Thanksgiving Point with this guy...

250,000 tulips (most had already died off )

 15 or so good laughs watching my parents zip around on these...

3 day stay with my good friend Tarrin and her 2 precious kiddos
1 trip to Roosters (best margherita pizza, EVER)
1 more BBQ with friends from our old ward in Syracuse

Susan, Tarrin, Kara, and Hayley

All equate to countless memories to hold onto for a life time! Thanks to all the family and friends that made my visit so special and unforgettable!

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