Michelle Greene Photography

2010-11-29T22:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas with the Perreault family

There is no secret that the Perreault family is one of my favorites. Heidi contacted me again this year for their holiday pictures and I was happy to oblige. I love to look back and see how much this family has grown. I've been taking pictures of Ren since she was about 8 months old, and with the addition on baby Jack, I can't get enough of this family.

Here is a picture from their session last year, just the three of them

And here they are now, a family of four

We spent the afternoon at a local Christmas tree lot and had plenty of fun wandering through the fresh trees. I am proud to say I had a hand in helping pick the tree! It's a beauty!

Right before heading to the lot I snapped some pictures of Jack in his birthday suit. I can't get enough of this little guy!

Thanks to the Perreault family for letting me capture another year!

Enjoy your slideshow!

2010-09-13T21:15:00.001-07:00

Abbie and Kitty

Last weekend my niece Abbie wanted me to come over and do a mini session with her and Kitty. Kitty is old, Kitty is cranky, Kitty has the weirdest meow you have ever heard, but Abbie loves Kitty.

2010-08-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

McLellan Family

I had the pleasure to spend a Saturday morning with the McLellan Family at their home in Laguna Beach. This family is fun, easy going and have the two cutest kids!

Dutch is two and big brother to 2 1/2 month old Valentina. I was welcomed with a great big hug from Dutch which made my job that much easier.

These two kids were a pleasure to shoot, but being the boy he is, Dutch had some ants in his pants and didn't want to sit too long with his sister ;) Valentina was the most well behaved 2 1/2 month old, just going along with everything. She was so content and happy.

Thanks to the McLellan family for inviting me into your home and letting me hang out with your cute kiddos!

Click here to view the McLellan's slideshow

2010-06-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Kai Magnus

I've been waiting to meet this little guy for a long time, too long. And now that he's finally here I can't get enough of him!

Kai Magnus was born on June 13th, weighed 6.8 pounds, and 19" long.

The proud parents Lene Marie and George are very dear friends of mine and I was honored to take Kai's newborn pictures. I was lucky enough to meet him a few hours after birth and he just couldn't resist my camera :) Kai has the wrinkliest feet, grunts instead of cries when he's hungry, and when he's awake, is the most laid back baby I've met.

I was able to visit again a week later to finish he newborn session and he had already changed so much! Morfar and Mormor (Kai's grandpa and grandma) were lucky enough to fly in from the East Coast a day before his arrival! Talk about timing. So I was able to get some pictures with them as well.

Lene Marie and George are going to be the most caring, patient parents I know. They are a very easy going and thoughtful couple and I am so excited to see what life will bring to their beautiful family. Kai is a very lucky little man. He has a strong Norwegian background and his mom is fluent in Norwegian and English. His dad is a man of all trades. He used to work as a dolphin trainer, a personal trainer, and loves to play out in the ocean on his outrigger.

I can't wait to see Kai grow. I wonder what kind of personality he will have. Goofy and funny like his dad? Caring and sweet like his mom? Either way he will be perfect.

Congratulations to George and Lene Marie!

Click here to view Kai's slideshow

2010-05-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Baby Jack

The Perreault's added a new addition to their family and I was so excited to meet the new little guy. Jack is the most easy going guy, that did not want to fall asleep and miss anything during his first shoot.

This family is one of my favorites to shoot, and Ren their daughter, is always an easy subject, she's so darn cute! Add the newest addition Jack to the mix and I'm in Heaven.

Ren is so in love with her baby brother. Congrats to the happy family!

Click here to view Jack's slideshow

2010-04-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

Brayden

I've been waiting for Brayden to arrive for some time.

I was able to see him grow over time in his mama's belly.

Plain and simple, he is perfect.

He's such a good boy, he loves to eat and sleep, and is very content hanging out naked on his changing table. All these things I found out during my visit.

Here is Brayden just 3 weeks old. I'm looking forward to taking more pictures of this little guy and watching him grow.

Congrats to the proud parents Toby and Erika. You may remember them from my favorite engagement sessions.

Click here to view Brayden's slideshow

2010-02-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

I've been away...

Working on my new project. It's taking so long, but I will share the details soon. Until then, I wanted to share my new and improved website with you.

Michelle Greene Photography

Thanks!!

2009-11-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

Aidan

This past Sunday I spent the afternoon with Aidan, who just turned 1! With Mom and Dad in tow, we headed to the nearby park to have some fun. Aidan had so much fun he wore himself out! Playing on the jungle gym, swinging on the swings, pushing his wagon around, and on the verge of walking would tire any 1 year old out!

Happy Birthday Aidan!

Click here to view Aidan's slideshow

2009-09-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Ren and Finn

My favorite little gal Ren asked me to come over and take some pictures of her now since she is turning into such a big girl. Well, her mom called me, but I was happy to oblige. This marks our third shoot and I love watching her grow! She is so fun, happy, and playful.

While I was shooting Ren's session, her pal Finn came over and took some pictures too. Talk about a sweet and calm baby! He was a dream to shoot, I wanted to gobble him up!

Ren and Finn, I had so much fun on our play date and I hope we can do it again soon!

Pretty little girl in her pretty little bow

My favorite shot of the day

Who doesn't like to run through the trees naked?

Best Buddies

Tiny toes

These kids are too cute, so here's two slideshows. One for each of them!

Click here to view Ren's slideshow

Click here to view Finn's slideshow

2009-08-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog,

It's been a while since we last wrote. I'm sorry for the lag in posts. It's summer and we have been very busy enjoying it. The kids and I have been very busy with swimming, summer camps, a San Francisco trip, the list goes on and on. It's somewhat bitter sweet that it's coming to an end, but my favorite time of the year is fall, so I'm looking forward to all the fun stuff that brings.

I've also been cheating on you. I have been diligently working on creating a new blog. This has nothing to do with photography, but a side project that I have been really focusing on. I hope to unveil the project soon, but until then I will keep it under wraps.

Don't be upset, I have a photo session to post with one of my favorite little subjects. In the meantime, I will leave you with this.

This little gal is sitting patiently, waiting for Emma to get home. Emma has been expecting her, but I'm not sure she will expect her all dressed up in her tutu. Not sure what Emma will name her, but she will accompany her to the hospital tomorrow while she gets her third set of tubes in her ears. It breaks my heart to see my little girl get prepped for surgery, even though it's minor. I'm hoping her new gal pal will bring her some comfort. Can you believe I made her with my own two hands?!

2009-07-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

Don't ask...

I love how the Scooby Doo underoos are peeking out of Owen's skirt

2009-07-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Stupid idea #191

Not sure what part of my brain thought it was a good idea to put flowers in the garbage disposal...

Luckily it wasn't anything a bottle of Draino and some good plunges from my husband couldn't fix.

2009-07-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are cool!

As of yesterday I am another year older. It really doesn't bother me though, why should it? It's something that is going to happen anyway. I never understood people making such a big deal because they turned a certain age, like the world is coming to an end.

If anything, I've learned to appreciate birthdays, no matter what age. How lucky am I to be on this earth another year, spending time with my family and friends. Happy Birthday to me!

So having a birthday a day after the 4th has always been alot of fun. It's like a long birthday celebration, with BBQ's, and fireworks.

Emma started it out right with a super sassy new outfit.

Then dinner at Matsu's, my favorite restaurant!

We took in an Angels game and stayed for the fireworks.

The 4th of July had plenty of swimming, food and fireworks

On the big day, I received a ding dong ditch from my BFF Drew who left me these

I also received a CD I've been wanting for some time from my husband

And the best present came from Owen, my own one of a kind monster bank

2009-06-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

Amelia

I walked through the door and she stared at me with those huge brown eyes. She wasn't sure who I was, or what I was doing in her house. Her mommy put her down so the two of us could get acquainted, but that wasn't happening. She clung to her mom very tightly, eyes tearing up and her little bottom lip quivering if I would get too near.

Amelia just celebrated her first birthday, and although she is very shy, she did very well on her photo shoot. She kept her mommy close for comfort, but I managed not to make her cry. She was on the verge of it, but she contained herself.

I know all to well what it's like having shy children. Emma gives the death stare anytime someone she doesn't know even looks at her. I thought the older my child got the easier it would be, but I am still the occasional hiding place when a stranger says hi.

Amelia is a very lucky little girl and has such an amazing and loving family.

Happy Birthday Amelia!!

Click here to view the slideshow.

2009-06-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

It makes me happy when...

I was watering the plants the other day, and thought, it makes me happy when the flowers I plant are still alive.

So I was going to take a picture of my beautiful labor of love and post it. Then I was going to try to post weekly the things that make me happy. A nice gloomy day, a dinner where the kids don't get half of their food on the floor, you get the idea.

So well I was in my happy moment, I loaded my plant picture onto my computer and...nothing. My 5 year old laptop fizzled off into cyber heaven. Oh dear.

That should have prompted me into starting the "It makes me mad when..." post. Or maybe it was a sign, who knows.

I know have a beautiful new IMac sitting on my desk at home. I love it, can stare at it in awe for hours. But I do miss my laptop and the portability of it.

So then I got back into my "It makes me happy when..." mood. So well I have yet to upload any photos to my beautiful new computer, I will hopefully share my happy moments with you soon.

Oh, and with all the computer drama among other things, my plants died.

2009-05-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

My Artist

Last week Owen's school celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week. Owen is lucky enough to have two amazing teachers in his Kindergarten class. One of their assignments was to draw a picture for each teacher, which would be collected from each student and put in a book.

At the beginning of the school year Owen would just rush through things, not paying much attention to detail. I've noticed his progress throughout the year. Instead of quickly drawing a stick figure and throw in the towel, he is now drawing books with such titles as "The Imagination Land" and "On the Farm".

Here, Owen drew a portrait of Mrs. Giles

Mrs. Rodney was lucky enough to get a scenery picture. Owen calls it "Life on the Himalayas"

2009-05-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sticky Fingers

This is what happens when a four year old named Emma is left alone with a box of Krispy Kreme's.

2009-05-07T09:38:00.001-07:00

Happy almost Friday!

Why does it seem like Friday today. I don't like it when the weekdays trick you like that.

I wanted to share with all of you Emma's new obsession. She got a Yo Gabba Gabba/DJ Lance Rock hat and glasses set.

She won't touch the hat, she says it's too big, but she claims the glasses make things clearer for her.

She wears them all afternoon. She'll take them off, put them back on, and say.."Much better" as if they are some magic glasses or something.

2009-03-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

Tobin & Erika - Engagement Session

Erika had a vision. She scoped out her location, thought long and hard what would work, and set her expectations. When she asked me to shoot her engagement session, I was a little nervous, hoping I could meet all of those expectations.

We met at the train depot and wandered around a bit before we started shooting. Erika and Tobin are straight out of a fashion magazine. They look so good together! Erika fell right into the shoot and gave me a lot of sassyness, fierceness, and hotness, with little to no direction. I know it's not easy being in front of the camera, especially when you have an audience of people waiting for the train, but we managed to duck into some empty areas and got some great shots.

Thanks so much you two, I had fun sneaking onto private properties and visiting ostriches with huge ear holes ;) You both rocked!

Click here to view the slideshow.

2009-03-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Bad Blogger!

Yes, I know, I'm a horrible blogger. You don't have to tell me twice.

I've been a very busy lady!

I've been...

Playing in the snow

Celebrating Owens 6th birthday at Knott's with his best buddie Mia

And then heading over the Disneyland the next day to finish off his birthday extravaganza
(I know it's blurry, but it pretty much sums up how I felt after that crazy weekend)

Was able to hang out with my favorite 13 month old Brayden Bittel

Got to shoot an engagement session with an awesome couple

And last but not least...

Took Owen to see RENT at the San Diego Civic Center. For those of you who don't know, Owen loves theater/musicals. I'm not sure if he will want me to share that bit of info with everyone.

We even were able to take a picture with Adam Pascal, one of the original cast members from RENT.

I also wanted to thank my BFF Drew who is a major RENThead, which recently turned me into a RENThead, and in turn morphed Owen into one as well.

Picture courtesy of Owen

2009-01-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

Disneyworld: Day 3 & 4

We decided to leave our Disneyworld bubble and travel to Universal Studios. Our first stop was the Studio park which is so much different than ours in Los Angeles. The main difference is there is no tram tour in Orlando, which is the biggest part of the Los Angeles park.

Owen and Emma with Donkey

The day we visited, they had most of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, which was really cool to see

Orlando's Jaws is far superior to the one here

Margaritaville for dinner

The following day we visited the Island of Adventure Park in Universal Studios. The park is known for it's rides. Some are similar to ours here, but others are one of a kind. I highly recommend the Spiderman ride!

Emma with the gals from X-Men

2009-01-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

Love Love...and Vegas

Las Vegas and The Beatles. Two things I love, and two things I was able to share with Owen this weekend. Both things always bring me back to my mom who left me with such fond memories of both Vegas and the Beatles.

I started visiting Vegas at a very young age. My mom was an amazing bowler with a beautiful maroon ball with silver swirls. Her team would find themselves in Vegas tournaments often and her being a single mother meant I got to come along for the ride. I remember so vividly some of our adventures while we were there. It's so weird to remember the Vegas of the 80's and to see it now. Things have changed so much.

My love for The Beatles came from my mom as well. She was obsessed back in her day! My favorite memory is on our long drives, she had a tape called "Beatles Love Songs". It had a brown cover with The Beatles faces in tan. It's crazy how clearly I remember it. She would play it all the time, which is why by age 6 I knew every word to practically every Beatles song. When I got older I found her collection of Beatles albums and played them non stop on my Holly Hobbie record player.

Last year I had both world collide when I saw LOVE, the Cirque De Soleil show at the Mirage. It was amazing, I couldn't put it into words. The soundtrack to the show blew me away. My first thought was of my mom and how I HAVE to bring her to Vegas to see this.

A year has passed since my last visit. I was never able to share the experience with my mom unfortunately. She had passed away four months later. I know she would have loved it though.

Not too long ago I received an email with a great hotel and show package for the Mirage. I couldn't pass it up and decided that Jake and I would take Owen. Jake has already seen the show and doesn't share the same love for the Beatles as me (he almost fell asleep during the show! How dare he!) So I booked the package and couldn't wait to share this experience with Owen.

I thought the whole Vegas experience would be a little overwhelming for him, but he handled it like a pro. He was a party animal, staying up past midnight and sleeping past 10am. I know, I'm a bad parent, but hey, he was in Vegas!

I couldn't wait for him to see the show. We had tickets to the 9:30 late show, I was so worried he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes open. Throughout the show I kept taking a peek at him. His eyes were just so huge, taking everything in. I thought to myself what a bittersweet moment this was. The one person I would have loved to be there at that moment was gone. I could imagine my mom sitting there, tapping her foot to the music, enjoying the show. It made me so angry, thinking how much she would have loved this. Then I turn to see Owen sitting next to me, this perfect little guy who I love so much, enjoying every minute of the show. For a moment I truly felt like my mom was with us.

When the show was done, he turned to me and said "That was the awsomest thing ever mommy...can we go again tomorrow?"

We kept him busy the next day, going the the lion habitat at the Mirage, going to Circus Circus to play the carnival games. I can't even count how many times he asked if we could go see LOVE again. I would say I caved when I called to see if there were more tickets available, but like Owen, I could see the show over and over. Luckily there were, and at 7pm we were sitting in the theater again watching LOVE. He was really into it this time, knowing what songs were coming on next, telling me where to look and what to look for. He knew when the performance was coming to an end, and leaned over to whisper..."Can we come again tommorrow?"

He was very dissapointed to know we were leaving on Sunday. I promised him we would come back someday, and I promised him when we did come back we would see the show every night we were there.

All the way home Owen, wearing his new Yellow Submarine shirt, listened to The Beatles songs on my Ipod while he reminiced about the show.

I am proud to present to you, Owen Oliver Greene...Third generation Beatles Fan.

On our way back home, we made a pit stop in Baker to visit the best beef jerky store ever!

2009-01-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

Disneyworld:Day 2

Our first stop was Downtown Disney for some lunch. A month earlier they opened a new restaurant named T Rex, and since it's opening has been very popular, so I wasn't expecting to get a table. To my surprise the weren't too busy and were seated right away. Owen was in awe and didn't know which way to look. It's pretty much just like Rainforest Cafe, but with Dinosaurs.

We were seated in the Ice room. It was pretty much a huge glacier that changed colors about every 15 minutes.

After lunch we headed to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique inside the World of Disney store. I had been really looking forward to this part of the trip for so long. The boutique is a small salon tucked in the corner of the store which caters to mostly little girls that want to be transformed into princesses. They started off with taking Emma to the back of the store to choose her dress. They had all the princesses, Emma picked Cinderella. She then went to the changing room to put her dress and shoes on. A Fairy Godmother in training met Emma after changing and led her to her station. From there she got the royal treatment. She had her nails painted, make up applied, and hair done. They ended the makeover with some Fairy Dust sprinkled on her head and turned her chair around for the big reveal.

Overall I think I enjoyed the experience much more than Emma. She took the whole thing very seriously and once she was done she carried herself like any princess would.

I couldn't let Owen feel left out, especially because we had so many princess activities planned over the course of the trip. He got the "Cool Dudes" packaged and loved getting all the attention from all the girls in the salon.

We had reservations later that evening at a princess buffet in Epcot, so after the makeover we made our way there. We had enough time to visit some characters before dinner.

What better way to show off a princess makeover than to attend a princess buffet at a royal banquet hall!

2009-01-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

Disneyworld: Day 1

So posting our Disneyworld photos from a month ago have been in the back of my mind. My friends and family have been asking for them, but thinking of all the photos I took and how many I wanted to post would just overwhelm me. Then I thought I could just post our day by day adventures, that way I can break things up. So every day (or when I have time :) I will post each of our days at Disneyland.

Technically day one would be when we arrived, but by the time we checked in to our awesome hotel Animal Kingdom Lodge, it was very late and we needed to get some sleep for our upcoming week.

I feel we kind of had a hard time adjusting to the time difference in Florida. The kids wouldn't settle down until 11pm, sometimes later, and they never got up before 10am.

Our first day was spent at Epcot. This park is huge! We had so much fun exploring the World Showcase and visiting all the different countries that are represented her. Let's not forget the food! They had so much different stuff to eat.

One of Owens favorite rides

Emma wasn't tall enough for the ride, so she wasn't very happy

Hola from Mexico!

Heisann from Norway!

Ni Hao from China!

Guten Tag from Germany!

Owen loved the Bratwrust with saurkraut

Buon Pomerigoio from Italy!

Hello from United Kingdom!

Oh Canada!

The Living Seas with Nemo was friends was a huge hit too

Stay tuned for day two of our Disneyworld adventure.

2009-01-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

The Demont Family

I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with the Demonts while they relaxed at home over the holidays. Sarah wanted a family picture which seemed simple enough considering it's only her, her husband and son. Then she told me she wanted it to include their whole family, so the 3 of them, 2 cats and 2 dogs. The cats don't like the dogs, the dogs were very excited to be in the house, but I think we managed to snap a good shot before anyone killed each other.

After the family photo, we did a short session which included some things they loved doing as a family around the house. There was some serious ping pong playing and an intense game of Dominoes.

Click here to view the slideshow.

2008-12-18T13:45:00.000-08:00

All he wants for Christmas is his two front teeth.

He was very happy to be at Disneyworld. More pictures to come soon!

2008-12-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

Family photos

My BFF Drew took our family pictures again this year, and they look amazing, as all her work does. Last year we ventured the Salton Sea, complete with fish and bird carcasses and abandoned buildings. This year we stayed a bit closer to home and drove through the industrial streets and alleys of Long Beach. It was a Saturday, so the surroundings were pretty empty, but Drew's photographic eye was drawn to a freeway underpass. I was up for anything, so we parked and started walking. It was a step up from the Salton Sea, but a little scary non the less. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse to have my best friend take our family pictures. It's a good thing because the four of us are so comfortable with Drew, but on that same note, the kids know how far they can push Drew in the listening department.

Thank you so much Drew for doing this, and everything else you do for us.

Here is the slideshow she did for us and you can view more pictures on her blog.

2008-11-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

I know Halloween is probably a distant memory for most of you now, but I was looking through some pictures I took of the kids and wanted to share.

First off we have Pink Monster Emma. She looked oh so stunning in her pink ensemble with protruding belly.

Next we have the rugged and dashing Indiana Owen. He took his role as Indiana Jones very seriously.

And last but not least, we have Angel Bannon, who was not very happy having this costume on.

2008-11-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

Ren Part Duex

I had the pleasure of doing a mini session with Ren again, and get pictures of her and her daddy. She was lovely as always, and I even got a sneak peek of her Halloween costume before she had her big reveal. Here are some of my favorites.

2008-11-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

My very talented BFF Drew took some pictures of Emma on Sunday and I wanted to share. When we went to San Francisco in September, she got some new Ugg boots and we couldn't wait for the weather to get cold so she could wear them. Paired with the new dress and knit cap, I would say she's the cutest thing ever. Thanks Drew! Your the best.

2008-10-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

A Day at the Farm

This weekend my sister in law Jamie signed up for "farm duty" through the school she works for. She works with special needs kids at Goldenview School in Huntington Beach. Any kid that attends that school is so lucky, because off to the side of the school is a huge farm. The classes get to visit weekly to clean the pens and feed the animals, which gives them a little taste of responsibility. The farm has a good collection of animals, 2 pot belly pigs, 2 sheep, 2 goats named Lilo and Stitch, a chicken coop with some crazy looking chickens, geese, ducks, and tons of rabbits. I'm sure I'm missing some animals. All these animals are housed in a fairly large area, that has a cute little stream with a lake.

Jamie's weekend duties consisted of cleaning the chicken coop, pig pens, bunny cages, sheep and goat area, feeding them, refilling their water tubs, cleaning the stream gutters, the list goes on and on. It doesn't sound like much, but it was a full days work. The kids were in awe. It was like they had a huge petting zoo all to themselves! They fed the piggies apples, gave the ducks and geese their bird seed, raked the stream gutters, filled the water tubs, they really stepped up when it came to helping. It was like they lived on a farm all of their lives!

Emma takes her duties very seriously.

This was taken right after I told Owen not to jump over the stream. He apparently didn't listen.

This was my favorite guy at the farm. His name is Magoo and he's a blind goose.

Pooped!

2008-09-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my favorite photographer and BFF Drew took some pictures of the kids. As much as they love Drew they were not into taking any pictures, but you couldn't tell from these amazing shots Drew got. She definitely has a special little bond with Owen & Emma. Drew also brought my favorite little guy Brayden, AKA French Fry. Owen came up with the nickname French Fry when Brayden was still in Drew's belly, and it stuck, so that's what the kids always call him. Both Owen and Emma are so drawn to him, they love playing with him and doing crazy things to get him to laugh.

Thanks so much Drew for taking time out of your day. Any night we can hang out with the Bittels and eat In N Out is a great night.

Here are some of my favorites, there are more on her blog.

Here they are...the 3 Musketeers!

Lifting Weights

2008-09-16T21:17:00.001-07:00

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Disco!

2008-09-16T09:42:00.001-07:00

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2008-09-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

$20.00 please Tooth Fairy, thank you

Tonight my son lost his second baby tooth. It seems like he just lost his first one! What's crazy is his new big boy tooth is pretty much all the way in already. Well for his first tooth, he asked the tooth fairy for $6.00. That seemed pretty reasonable, I guess a tooth is going for much more these days than when I was a child. He must think the second tooth is worth some big bucks because he asked for $20.00 this time! Holy Moly, I guess I'm going to need to make a trip to the bank tonight.

He is very proud of his new window.

His sister...not so happy. She doesn't like the whole tooth falling out thing.

2008-09-05T15:20:00.001-07:00

Jelly Beans, San Francisco & School...Oh My!

Wow, I have had such a busy week! We went to San Francisco with the kids for Labor Day weekend. We love San Francisco! We spent a week there in December and have been dying to go back ever since. The drive there was a little long, I think I over stimulated the kids with stuff to do, but once we got there it was so nice. We stayed in Union Square this time, in a tiny hotel, but it was close to the public transportation which we love to take advantage of.

We stopped at all of our normal kid friendly spots. Chinatown, Fisherman's Warf, Ghiradelli Square, we even took a side trip to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield.

The tour was a little long, especially for the kids. The flavor that was cooking up that day was bubble gum, and boy was the smell strong!

Chinatown is always a favorite with the kids. They both love looking in the tiny shops for their souvenirs. Emma's main purchases from our Chinatown visit was a pair of pink slippers, a Chinese umbrella, and a kite from Chinatown Kite Company. There were hundreds of kites to choose from, so cool and different, but she opted for a Barbie kite. Owen got some wooden animals to add to his collection, a crocodile, sea monster, and cobra.

Emma loves her little slippers

Right outside the hotel they had this silly bench from an antique store. The kids loved the monkeys on it, but every time we passed it to take a picture there was always a car parked in front of it! It was so annoying.

To Owen, no trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the Aquarium of the Bay

Sorry about your eye there buddy

I was browsing around a store on Fisherman's Warf when I stumbled on these guys down an aisle

We didn't have time to catch our breath after returning from our trip. Two days later Owen had one of his many milestones, the first day of kindergarten. I was a little nervous for the day, but he surprisingly took it like a pro. No tears were shed I am happy to report, but that didn't make it any easier on me. I can't believe my little Bubba is in school.

The following day he decided he wanted to take the bus to school, so like a big boy he waited at the bus stop. Since he goes to PM kindergarten we didn't think the bus would be too full, little did we know he would be the only person on the pick up!

After all that excitement he has now decided he would rather be dropped off than take the bus. So that was his first and last bus ride to school.

2008-09-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

Ronni & Matt

I was able to spend an awesome Saturday evening with Ronni and Matt, exploring the alley ways of downtown Huntington Beach. These two were one of the best couples I have shot, up for anything and so comfortable in front of the camera.

I've known Ronni for a little over 6 years now. She is the silliest, goofiest (in a good way),soft hearted person I have ever met. She is so much fun to be around, and her giggle is the best.

Ronni and Matt met and started dating 6 years ago. I was one of the lucky people who accompanied her on her first official date with Matt. A few of us met at a nearby taco place for Ronni's birthday. Matt also came with a group of his friends...safety in numbers is what I always say! From there the group moved on to a dive bar where there was plenty of dancing and drinking. I still have the pictures to prove it, but I'll spare the happy couple ;)

They will be getting married in Mexico in November of 2009. Such a perfect location for a perfectly laid back couple.

Best wishes to both of them and their cute little family, including Roy the beagle and Ramses the cat.

Click here to view the slideshow.

2008-08-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

She's a girl and she's your friend, so that makes her your girlfriend...

On Sunday Owen had his first playdate with a girl. We met Jen and his little friend Mia at Central Park and had a great afternoon.

Owen & Mia have been in the same Pre-K class all year. In the past few months I have noticed that Owen has been speaking very highly of Mia. I'll ask him how his day at school was and he'll say..."Me and Mia did this, we went on the slide, we dug in the dirt, we sat next to each other at lunch", but he made it very clear that she was NOT his girlfriend. I explained to him that she's a girl, and she's his friend, therefore she is his girlfriend, but he wasn't having anything to do with that.

A couple weeks ago out of nowhere he told me he loved Mia. What?! My 5 year old in love?

When I told him he had a playdate with Mia he was smitten. They had a blast. Mia is the cutest little girl, with such a contagious laugh, so if Owen is "In Love" I'm glad it's with Mia. The two get along so well. Mia is such a rough and tumble little girl that loves to dress up in play clothes. She also loves to chase Owen around and give him wet willies.

During one of their tag sessions, they found a wishing pom (that's Owen calls the dandelion poms), Mia wished she was Hannah Montana, Owen wished he was a dinosaur. How cute are they?

Thanks to Mia and her mommy Jen. Owen and I had so much fun.

Stay tuned for the slideshow.

I could not get these two to stay still for a picture.
Mia had just given Owen a wet willie

The best way to end a day at the park!

2008-07-21T19:39:00.001-07:00

Such a Natural......

Ren carried herself through her first photo shoot with such grace and poise. She always had a smile, or the perfect pose on cue ready to go. She was such a natural, it's hard to believe she's only five months old! I can honestly say the Ren is the most content,happiest baby I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. She's full of things to say and very curious. She's definitely not shy, and her big beautiful eyes are so inviting. Heidi and Craig are very lucky parents, but in return Ren is such a lucky little girl for having such loving parents. She has recently mastered the art of rolling over and I'm sure will be crawling in no time...Heidi and Craig beware!

Click here for the slideshow.

2008-07-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Candis & Goblin

We recently visited Candis and her baby Goblin at the stables here in Huntington Beach. The kids were beside themselves, and Candis let them feed Goblin some carrots, which both the kids and Goblin loved.

As gentle as Goblin is, he's huge and very intimidating. There's no way I would have to courage to jump on a horse and ride off into the sunset. Candis is a pro though. Goblin is a huge ham and did plenty of posing for the camera.

Click here for the slideshow.

2008-06-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Many Adventures of Dino Wrangler Emma & Farmer Owen

The past couple of weekends the kids have had lots to do. Over Memorial Weekend, we drove to Cabazon to visit Claude Bell's famous Dinosaurs. I have memories of being a kid and stopping to see these guys on my way to Palm Springs. They are still considered the worlds largest concrete dinosaurs. Owen is a huge dinosaur fanatic, pronouncing dino names I couldn't wrap my head around, so he was thrilled to see them. The belly of the Apatosaurus houses a gift shop filled with everything dinosaur. Owen ended up buying a dino tee, a fossil dig kit, and a poster. Emma bought, of all things, a toy cowboy gun with a pink belt holster and stir ups. Nothing says dinosaur souvenir like a toy cowboy gun.

Don't mess with Dino Wrangler Emma!

Stay back Dimetrodon!

Otherwise you'll have to deal with Emma........

and this might happen.

I wasn't aware these guys lived in the Jurassic Period ;)

Just this past weekend we went to Tanaka Farms to do some strawberry picking. We usually go there in October to visit the U Pick Pumpkin Patch, but have never been for the strawberry picking. The weather was great and the kids had tons of fun. We rode on a tractor wagon which took us around the farm. Along the way to the strawberry fields we got to sample some of the veggies the farm has to offer like carrots, onions and broccoli. My kids love veggies, so they enjoyed the samples. I would definitely put this on the top of any family's to do list. We'll be going back in the summer for the U Pick Watermelon patch.

They had these cute "farmer" hats to buy. My son's head is very large, and the hat is very small. Don't laugh.

Owen loves broccoli.

2008-04-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

All you need is love.......

I had the pleasure to meet up with Stacie and Paul one day and do a mini photo shoot for their wedding invites. Stacie I've known since 9th grade. From Jr. High we moved on to the same High School together, a high school that was out of district, so she was the only friend I had going into the new school. It made the transition of moving to a new school that much easier and throughout our high school years we were best friends. Stacie is an awesome person with a bubbly, caring personality and a contagious smile. Little did we know, at that same high school she would meet the love of her life, her future husband.

Since it has been a little over a decade, I fail to remember the details, but I think Stacie and Paul started to date our senior year. Sorry if I'm wrong Stace. All I know is that they were inseparable.....and they still are. Stacie and I recently had a long overdue reunion, and I was thrilled to hear that her and Paul were getting married. They also share a very handsome little man named Noah, who was too busy playing with my kids the participate in the photo shoot. I managed to get a few pictures of him, but then it was right back to playing. The big day is coming up! Stacie and Paul will be married at Hearts Home Farm in Hemet on June 28th and I wish them nothing but the best!

Peaches Love's Pears!!! (It's an inside joke :)

Click here for the slideshow.

2008-04-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

In Memory......

The past couple of months I think have been the hardest of my life. I lost the one person who has been there for me from day one, who put me on a pedestal, who worked day and night, just to provide for me. The person who made me their first priority, and above all, the person that loved me unconditionally.

My mother Sandra Martinez lost her battle with cancer at 12:30AM on April 1, 2008. She passed away peacefully with her loved ones surrounding her. She battled cancer for seventeen years, starting with her diagnosis of breast cancer in 1991. From that day on she accepted the fact that the cancer was so bad, she would be on and off chemo treatment for the rest of her life. At times she was down and depressed, but always had such an optimistic outlook on life. I have never encountered such a strong, courageous person as her, and I am convinced I never will. She had such a strong will to live, that she beat the cancer in a sense. Yes, she had to live with the disease, but she never let that get in the way of her life.

My mother was an inspiration, making me strive to become the strong, courageous women she was. I am left with so many beautiful memories of her and I, and she has filled my heart with love. I am so thankful that she was in my life and her spirit will live with me forever.

2008-02-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

Back it Up!

Wow, I've been out of the posting scene for a while. My laptop took a poop about a month ago. Although I backed up all of my work files like weddings and family shoots, I failed to do the same with my personal items. I know, you should always back things up, that way if your hard drive fries, your OK. But not me. I had about 2000+ pictures in IPhoto. From the time Emma was born until today. That's the problem with everything being digital. I just get so lazy. I had everything to back up all my personal pictures, disks, cases, you name it. I just never took the time to do it. Now I'm kicking myself in the butt! I felt ill when I found out it was the hard drive. I didn't have much hope in retreiving info, but tried it. We ran a recovery system, and a month later it's still retreiving files. So far it has recovered 61GB of my 93GB hard drive, please cross your fingers that the majority of that is my Iphoto!

Lesson learned! In this digital age it's easy to get careless. Once those items are gone, you may not get them back....so Back Them Up!

2007-12-18T13:59:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year.......

That's how the song goes, right? How about the most overwhelming time of the year. I love the month of December, who doesn't. I like to get cozy with hot cocoa, listen to holiday music, enjoy the chilly weather, but I feel like this month has just flewn by and I haven't been able to enjoy all of those things.

There are a few things that have thrown me off. After Thanksgiving the family went to San Francisco for a week. I love that city, and wanted the kids to experience it, even thought they are only 4 & 2. It was stressfull, but fun and we picked a great time to go, everything was decorated for the holidays. I will hopefully have pictures up soon.

After the trip, I tried to get all of my holiday shopping done, but the list was just too long, so I got a little overwhelmed and put it off.

Then last Friday my husband had surgery. Not a great time of year to have inner ear surgery. He can't pick up anything over 25 lbs for 3 weeks. Our daughter is not very happy about that since she is so attached to her daddy. I'm not happy about it because I now have to carry in all of my groceries myself (I know, boo hoo) as well as deal with all the Christmas gifts. I also have to build an Ikea shelf for our newest addition to the family, Tuppy the Turtle. Well, Santa has it hiding in our office until the big day ;) So wish me luck with that!

So now we come to today, Tuesday, December 18th. I can't believe Christmas is only a week away. I have mounds of presents to wrap, and still a couple to get.

My son and I managed to have a little fun on Sunday, just the two of us. Most people who know us, know we are huge Anaheim Ducks fans. The team set up a Stanley Cup viewing for their Kids Club members at the Newport Sports Museum. I've been chasing this Cup everywhere so Owen can see it up close, and we finally had our chance. I think I appreciated the moment more than he did. The museum was really cool. Owen had a great time wandering around, checking out the creepy manequins decked out in their football gear. Here are a few pics.

Here is a picture of my favorite football player, Rob Johnson. He played for USC and was with the team when they won the Rose Bowl in 1995 against Northwestern. I was a huge USC fan all through my high school years. My love for the team sprouted out of shear rivalry. My grandpa was a UCLA fan, so it was fun to hang out with him on Saturday afternoons and watch the games. 1995 was a big year for me, I graduated high school, and USC won the Rose Bowl. Back in those days it wasn't trendy to like USC, and I was a proud fan, even though they were a horrible team. After USC he was drafted to the Jaguars, then to the Bills and I had a chance to see him when he played the Chargers. By the time I got there though he was pulled out of the game for injury :( Now, I don't follow USC as much, or football for that matter. I think I got off the bandwagon right when everyone got on.

We also took a quick trip to the mall. The crowd wasn't too bad. We stopped in Wonderland Bakery which is the coolest place ever!! It literally looks like Candyland, Owen was in awe. On our way out he wanted to stop and see Santa again because he forgot to ask for Tuppy the Turtle.

Happy Holidays everyone!!

2007-11-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

A Family Affair

Brian and Missy's story is a great one. To put it shortly, 8 years ago they met while Missy's son and Brian's daughter played on the same soccer team together. Three years ago they started dated, and three weeks ago they were married. Missy has two children, Lucas age 12, and Olivia age 9. Brian has three children, all girls, Sophie age 12, Isabel age 10, and Sasha age 7. Whew, the bathroom in that house must be crowded! This is a real life Brady Bunch, and they couldn't be happier!

Brian and Missy were married at Tivoli Terrace in Laguna Beach. It was a great venue, very intimate. They both wanted to incorporate the kids into the ceremony which was great. They had a Unity Sand ceremony which celebrated the two families coming together. All the kids did an amazing job. After the ceremony the kids let loose on the dance floor, I've never seen so much energy in my life!

Thank you Brian and Missy for letting me share this special day with you!
Enjoy the slideshow.

I loved Missy's shoes. You usually see brides with the strappy sandals, but I thought her close toed heels were a great choice!

Her dress was amazing, it fit her perfectly, and the detail on it was beautiful.

2007-11-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

Family Pictures

Hi all! My best friend Drew took some family pictures of us this past Sunday at the Salton Sea. It was a very creepy place to visit, but worth it. The pictures she took turned out amazing, as always, and the kids had so much fun. Towards the end of our "adventure" the kids were getting a little restless, but she kept their attention by playing Simon Says, and in return got some great shots! Check out the pictures by visiting her blog: DrewB Photography and looking under "The Greene Family" post.

Thanks again for everything Drew!

2007-10-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I take my pumpkin carving very seriously!

I was very impressed with Owens creation this year.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

2007-09-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

Chris & Timi's Wedding

Chris and Timi were married on August 18th at the Sportsman's Lodge in Studio City. Timi looked absolutely beautiful in her dress, and her shoes were perfect "Timi" shoes. Anyone who knows her will know what I mean ;) The ceremony was very emotional from start to end. It was great to see Chris' expression once he saw Timi walking down the aisle, he was completely taken aback. The reception brought great music, mediterranean style food, and awesome dancing! You can see in their eyes how much love they have for each other and I wish them the best. Enjoy the slideshow.

2007-08-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind in blogging. We have just been so busy! Last month was the OC Fair. Our family LOVES the fair. We go at least once a week while it's in town. The kids have such a great time. Between the pony & elephant rides, petting zoo, food and rides, they are in heaven.

The BBQ corn is a must!

Giant Texas Doughnut. The best doughnut I have ever tasted!

Piggies! I think these were only a day old. Over the next few weeks we kept visiting them and they grew so much.

Emma loved this little goat.

We also ventured out to Lake Elsinore to catch a Storm game. A friend of ours has a suite, so we watched the game in style. My husband loved it because he is a huge Padres fan, and the Elsinore Storm is the Padres minor league team. The ballpark is so nice, I highly recommend taking your family there one day. The seats are about $10, the food is awesome and so inexpensive, and they have a huge bouncer area for the kids. I know it's quite a drive if you live in Orange County, but well worth it. Especially if you want a low cost outing for the family.

Lake Elsinore Storm Game

The family with Thunder the Storm mascot.

2007-06-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

Timi & Chris

Last week Timi & Chris invited us to their house to enjoy some great food and company. We figured while I was there we could take their engagement photos. Cooper also joined in the engagement session, he's such an awesome dog! They will be getting married on August 18th in Studio City and I can't wait! The wedding invitations are gorgeous, Indian/Mediteranean sytle. I should post one up so everyone can enjoy. I will be a guest/photographer, so I get to have my cake and eat it too. Literally!

Enjoy the slideshow.

2007-06-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

The Cup runneth over in So Cal

The energy, the noise, seeing your favorite hockey team raise the Stanley Cup above their heads...

It was quite and unreal experience. Jake, Owen & I were geared up for game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Ducks were one win away from the most sought after trophy in sports history. We didn't discuss it, we couldn't, neither of us wanted to be the one to jinx it. The game started out good, up by two, but by no means were we comfortable with the lead. The game can change at any moment. Ottawa would score, the Ducks would score back. The moment I realized that the Ducks were going to win the Holy Grail of hockey was with 10 seconds left of the game. I was very grateful to be there. When Ducks Captain Scott Niedermayer raised the Cup above his head I got goosebumps.

Our house, Our team, our Cup!

Go Ducks Go!

2007-05-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

The Roberts Family

A couple Sunday's ago I shot the Roberts family. I have known Julie since high school, but we lost touch a short while after. We met up again last November when a mutual friend set up a little reunion. Julie looks exactly the same since high school, it's insane. She honestly doesn't look like she has aged at all.

She now is happily married and has two beautiful boys, Miles and Jack. She wanted some pictures of the boys, along with some family shots. I know first hand that kids aren't going to look up and say cheese when commanded, so getting the perfect family shot is always challenging. The kids were great, Miles had fun chasing the quack quack's. I can't get over what amazing eyes both of the kids have too. Congrats Julie on your beautiful family!

Here's there slideshow.

2007-05-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Let's Go Ducks!

My husband has been a Ducks fan from day one. It's true! He's all about rooting on the So Cal teams, not matter how good or bad they are. So I can honestly say that I married into his love for hockey. It wasn't a sport I followed or even liked before I met him. He started me out slow with a few games a season. A few years later we found ourselves season ticket holders. It was a little overwhelming at first, forty some games in seven months. Doesn't sound like a lot at first, but when you are at the arena three times out of the week for a game, things get hectic.

We got our season tickets in 2003 when the Ducks were headed to the Stanley Cup. It was an exciting time, the Ducks were in the playoffs, and our son Owen was born. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, Owen in tow in his Baby Bjorn, we went to the Pond to watch the game on the jumbo tron. They unfortunately lost, but the ride to the finals was fun. The following year we had great seats, and a very calm, very small Owen.

Two years later we now have a very hyper, very large Owen, and very high-maintenance, short tempered Emma. We have had to upgrade to four seats, but even those seats are tight. There is quite of bit of hitting, fighting, screaming, and I'm not talking about the game itself, but between my two kids. Needless to say I pay more attention to keeping them apart than watching the game, but the kids do have fun. Everyone comments on how well behaved they are, in my head I'm wondering if they are talking about the same kids.

Jake, myself and Owen (no Emma, I would like to watch one playoff game) headed out to the Honda Center on Tuesday to watch the Ducks win the Western Conference Finals. It was a very exciting game, Owen had fun booing and chanting, and the fireworks after the win was the icing on the cake for him.

Stanley Cup, here we come!
Go Ducks Go!

Owens' reaction right after they won the Western Conference Finals.

2007-05-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Like a sponge I tell you!

It's always amazing to me how much knowledge kids absorb. My son who is now four, is a walking animal dictionary. He can name the animal, tell you what it eats, it's habits, so on and so on. Beware, you can easily get caught up in a half hour conversation about a Triceratops diet, how tall a Parasaurolophus was (I had to look at the computer to spell it, it has taken me a good year to know how to pronounce it), the list goes on and on. If you would ask him how he wanted to spend his day, he would pick the Zoo, Sea World, a Dinosaur Museum.

Last week we took the kids the the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Like always, I had to document the journey with my tiny point and shoot (hence the quality). Owen was busting at the seams, he couldn't wait. He's in a completely different world when we visit, rambling on about sharks, giant lobsters, octopuses........you name it, he will tell you.

Of course I think he is the smartest four year old in the universe, but I'm sure other mothers can debate that. I just love looking at the world through his eyes, and because of him I now know things like why flounders have both eyes on one side of their body.

-Here is your Owen fact for the day: A flounder isn't born with both eyes on one side of it's body. It goes through a metamorphosis where one eye migrates to the other side of it's body, so both eyes are on one side facing up. They do this so they can lay flat and blend in with the ocean floor while eating crustaceans and small fish. (Yes he did say metamorphosis and migrate, I didn't even know those words were in his vocabulary!)

Here is Owen looking oh so cool on his way the the Aquarium

Here is Emma's idea of cool

This was the hit of the day. The kids got to feed the Rainbow Lorikeets.

I know this is blurry, but it makes me laugh for some reason.

Here, Owen was giving Emma a quick 5 minute session on the life of a ray.

2007-03-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

How do you sign Disneyland.......

I don't get to spend much time with my cousin Denise, but when I do I enjoy every minute. I can't express how proud I am of the person she has become. We usually go months without talking, letting life get in the way, but when we reconnect we pick right up where we left off. She works at her local high school as a sign language interpreter for the hearing impaired. Every year we join her at Disneyland where they give her the opportunity to sign show that usually can't be enjoyed by the hearing impaired. This year she signed at the Aladdin's Oasis show, which is a huge hit with the kids. We are already looking forward to next year! Here are some pictures of our day.

Denise at work

Emma being her pretty self

Denise and Emma

My cousin Liana with Goofy

Denise and Owe. He loves his Nise

The kids were a little scared to take a picture with Captain Jack

I asked them to smile, and this is what I got

Owen posing with the freshly picked flower

2007-03-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

Getting Older

It's so hard to deal with the fact that your babies are no longer babies anymore. Owen turned 4 on March 1st, and Emma is turning 2 on March 29th. I can remember bringing each one home from the hospital like it was yesterday. How time flies.

Here are some pictures from the party they had at Pump It Up. They had a blast.

Chantelle with Cupcake Creations (cupcakecreations@cox.net) made our cupcake cakes for us. They turned out amazing and tasted wonderful. I recommend the strawberry cupcakes.

All the kids had so much fun on the huge bouncers. Even the big kids like Drew and I had to try them out.

Even though Owen and I look like we are in pain, it was tons of fun.

Drew is going to kill me for posting this, but I love this picture. Emma's face is priceless.

2007-02-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

Whale Watching........Kind of

On Sunday we took the kids whale watching. The weather was amazing! We sailed out of Dana Point with Captain Dave (http://www.dolphinsafari.com/) on the small but intimate catamaran. The boat was so rocky, back & forth, back & forth, so I was really leery about taking the kids up to the front. We headed out to sea for about 20 minutes and spotted the first whale. In the next 10-15 minutes the same whale was spotted another 4 times. I had yet to see anything. I was getting so frustrated. The kids and I were in the back of the boat, so all the spectators in front were blocking the view. We finally got a view of the whale and I managed to get one picture. Later on the trip we saw a few dolphins, so I was able to take some pictures. By the end of the 2 1/2 hour tour the kids were asleep and we were pooped. It was a great trip though, and would highly recommend it.

Here is the one picture I got of our whale sighting.

Owen looking so sad because we haven't seen anything.

Finally we saw some playful dolphins.

They came really close the the boat. The captain took a count on who wanted to stay with the dolphins and who wanted to look for more whales. I was out voted by the rest of the people on the boat and we stuck with the whales which turned out to be a bad choice. We would have gotten more action staying with the dolphins.

Sea Lion rock.

This picture has nothing to do with Whale watching, but I just had to post it. The picture is courtesy of Drew at http://www.drewbphotography.com, taken on Superbowl Sunday. Thanks Drew!

2007-02-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

APPLE PICKING
I know October was SO last year, but I came across some pictures I loved and had to post a slideshow. We had a very busy October with our great friends the Bittels. First we went to the U-Pick pumpkin patch, then we went to the "First Annual Greene-Bittel Apple Picking Event". That was such a fun experience. The drive alone up to Beaumont was an adventure. It was so foggy and cold, but we all had a great time. Here is the slideshow.

2007-01-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Thanks to everyone who made 2006 a great year. Christmas was hectic, but fun. We visited our friends the Bittels and had a great time exchanging presents and seeing their holiday light display. New Years was great too. We went to the La Brea Tar Pits on Saturday. The kids really enjoyed it. On New Years Eve we stayed home and had a great time. They loved the party hats and horns, and couldn't get enough of the strawberry sparkling cider. Here are a few pictures from the museum and a slideshow of our holiday season.

Dire Wolf skulls that were excavated from the tar pits.

Looking up at a Mammoth

Owen with a sloth. He loves to pose.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday the Coverts and I braved the cold weather and did a quick shoot at Dog Beach. We didn't get a great sunset because it was so cloudy, and the fog started rolling in fairly early, but the kids seemed to have fun, especially Max to dog.
Enjoy the slideshow.

2006-11-21T23:00:00.000-08:00

My sister in law asked me to take a few pictures of my beautiful niece Abbie for her dance studios Christmas program. What started out as a few pictures turned into a few hundred! Abbie is a great subject, up for anything. I had so much fun with this shoot. Click here for the slideshow.

2006-11-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has traveled to far off destinations with small children, I commend you. We just got back from Hawaii and do we need a vacation! Here are some photos.

Room with a view!

Sea Life Park

Hanauma Bay

Matsumoto's famous shaved ice on the North Shore

Kamehameha Highway

The Polynesian Cultural Center

The plane ride home.

2006-10-29T22:06:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to have Drew at drewbphotography take me along as her second shooter for another wedding. Nicole and Shane are a great couple and I had so much fun shooting their wedding. Here are a few pictures of the big day.

2006-10-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of shooting Kari and Shane's wedding in Pasadena with my BFF Drew at DrewB Photography. It was a very long, but fun day and I'm glad Drew took me along as her second shooter. I was having a hard time choosing, so there are quite a few pictures posted.

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2006-09-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

I had a great time shooting with Shauna & Lilly. Lilly is such a firecracker, so cute and funny. She was all over the place, she definitely made me work.

Enjoy the slideshow.

2006-09-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

I just thought this was too funny not to post. Here is my daughter Emma, aka Tortilla Face.

2006-08-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Brian and Kori will be getting married this coming Saturday! Wow, how time flies. I have known Kori for some time and she is a great friend. They are a great couple and I wish them the best of luck. Congrats!!

Here is the slideshow.

2006-08-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Nadia and her husband Henry finally got to baptize their godson Anthony. I had the opportunity to take pictures of the event, here is the slideshow.

2006-08-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

So here it is, the moment you have all been waiting for.....the MG Photography blog! I would like to first and foremost thank the lovely and talented Drew Bittel with drewbphotography. She has been an inspiration and I owe all of my "technical know how" to her. I would also like to thank my very patient husband for being so computer savy. Last but not least, my kids. They will always be my two favorite subjects to photograph. Thanks for everyones support, check back for new posts!