Annual Christmas Photo

This year on Christmas Eve I was busy as always but had promised to volunteer at the Red Cross for a few hours. Turns out they decided to close for the afternoon and had forgotten to tell me. It was my first Christmas gift.....four hours of free time. What to do with it.? I decided I would take the time to really do a great job of setting up for the annual family Christmas photo. I figured out where everyone should stand since our family has grown this year. I set up the tripod on the stairs to get more distance; not an easy task but my trusty level came in handy. I took several practice shots to check everything out. I was ready. No complaints from impatient family members this year waiting for me to get it figured out. The careful planning was worth the effort in an unexpected way. My favorite photo for this year was when some of us decided to be funny. Funny to the point that I laugh every time I have looked at this photo. The look my Mom came up with is priceless. (Click on the picture for a full screen view)

Don't you just love my new earrings and BC looks great despite my brother's efforts.

We did get one good serious one but it is out of focus somehow.

Rocky is back for another visit for the Holidays while his people are in Mexico.
Whatever!

Rusty and Zoey took a turn playing in the discarded wrapping paper.

Hope your Christmas had a few laughs too and your

New Year is Happy!

Happy Holidays

I often wish my dogs could talk.

But then you just look at their faces and you know if Ruby could talk she would say,

" He is touching me, he is touching me!!"

And Rusty would say, "I HATE this @!#* hat!"

And finally they both would say,

"OK, take the picture then let's go for a walk and maybe you could throw the ball about a thousand times."

When all I wanted them to say is:

Happy Holidays!

May all the joys of the Christmas Season

be yours today and always.

Festival of Trees

The Festival of Trees

is a big fund raiser for Primary Children's Hospital and I was asked to be a volunteer photographer taking pictures of kids and families with Santa.

Of course I said YES!It was a great experience filled with lots of laughter and a few tears.

All one little girl wanted from Santa was for her friend

to come home from the hospital for Christmas.

There wasn't a dry eye in Santa Land during her visit.

I even got to sit on Santa's lap.

I was asked if I would take photos again next year.

Of course.....I said YES!

Rusty's 3rd Birthday

Happy 3rd Birthday Rusty!
As with most rescue dogs we don't know when his real birthday is.
The vet estimated that he was 4 months old when he became part of our family so we counted back and decided that November 15, 2006 would have been a fine day for his birthday. We spoil him a little more that day and are so glad he waited for us to come and get him.
He is loving, devoted and a source of endless laughs.

Baby Presents

Any day now I will be a Great Aunt.

It is about time that I finally am getting a proper title because I think I have been a

"great" Aunt all along ;-)

Just in case it is a Girl

The parents of my soon to be great niece or nephew decided they wanted to step back a decade or two and find out if they have a son or a daughter when the baby arrives.

Just in case it is a Boy
That is great but it made it a little more work for me. In our family babies are welcomed with homemade gifts. The last while I have been using my new found knitting skills to make blankets, booties and hats.

Traditionally we usually crochet our gifts
so I had to throw in a few crocheted booties along with my first ever knitted ones.

Thanks to JH for instructions for this receiving blanket and burp cloths.

This print is a nod to the baby's Great Grandfather. He was a rodeo cowboy in his day and would have loved this one. I figure it could be for a boy or a girl given some of my best friends are cowgirls.

I am finally ready. Now I can just sit back, relax and hope for
all the best for the newest member of our family.

Kickin' & Screamin'

Snow, you read correctly "snow". And not just in the mountains but here in the valley too. It is only October people! I'm not ready for it......but then I never am. Everyone that knows me, knows I would rather be in Southern California in the winter.One last look at summer.

I think Ruby said, "Rusty, you look that way, I'll look the other way and we'll really drive her crrrazzzzy!"

I already miss the flowers, the grass, the warm weather and the dogs going outside without coming back in covered in snowballs.

OK, time for some cheese and crackers with that whine.

But just for the record;

I'm not letting summer, or fall for that matter go without

Kickin' and Screamin' just a bit.

Zion Marathon

The Watchman at Sunset

Taylor Creek in Kolob Canyon

Last spring we left Zion National Park wanting more so we booked another trip the day we returned. This time we had fall colors on our minds and was not disappointed.

The colors in Zion were just starting but we found what we were looking for in Kolob Canyon on the Taylor Creek Trail.

This view from Observation Point in Zion required a high price. It is 5 miles up and up and up. It was countless switchbacks that looked steeper at every turn. I can truly say this for me was a once in a lifetime view because I ain't goin' back. My feet complained the entire 5 miles back. I would go back as far as Echo Canyon. That was so beautiful and worth every step plus a great place to stop for lunch.

More fall colors in Taylor Creek


JH enjoying the narrows of Echo Canyon




The sky was threatening but never rained on the parade of color in Taylor Creek.

We have a tradition of hanging our feet off the cliff of a conquered trail.

Thanks to TH we got to see our first ever Tarantula on Sand Bench trail.

In total we hiked 26 miles.

By damn that is a MARATHON!!!!!

Does it count if it takes 4 days to do it?

Lucky Girl

That "Lucky Girl" would be me because Great Guy surprised me with a new macro lens.
I have had lots of opportunities to try it out because of our recent Dahlia Show.

Plus, Zoey came to visit.....

then of course there are the usual subjects. Rusty has a great profile

and Ruby melts my heart with those big, brown eyes.

Our 2009 Dahlia Show was a success!

I do have to brag a bit. Mom and I won a blue ribbon and best in it's class for both Lovely Lana and Western Spanish Dancer. We got a blue ribbon for Sweet dreams and Woodlands Dufus and a 3rd place white ribbon for Mr. Jimmy to round it out. Not too bad for our first year!

Bad Day?

This should make you

SMILE !
Or how about this one?

I got to do a photo shoot for sweet Chloee and darling Ryker.
They both have such great personalities that made it so much fun.
The fact that I got to spend time with some of my favorite family members
and had a delicious lunch made it all that much better.

Chloee with a more dignified pose.

Ryker showing off for his close-up.

Don't you just love his eyes!

"What? If I lie here one more second you will actually give me that treat?"

Don't tell Rusty I let Ryker borrow his fetch toy.

Best Buds

Somehow I just knew they had had enough.

Now that you have a smile back on your face I hope you have a great day!

My Favorite Subjects

Rusty loves to fetch. He can't get enough of it.

In fact, we have to hide his fetch toys when we are in the house or he drives us crazy.

For some reason he likes pink balls best.

Who said dogs are colorblind?

Rusty won't give Ruby a chance to fetch.

No problem. She would rather sleep anyway.

No wonder she looks rested and Rusty is "dog" tired.