Lord's Hand

Yesterday morning a little after 11 am, my mom came running down to my room. She was flustered and started to cry when she explain to me that my younger sister, Sara, had been hit by a car while walking to school. My parents rushed down to the Provo hospital to meet her. Sara was walking across University Avenue on a cross walk by the Stadium. She was holding the orange flag and 2 cars were stopped. The car behind them couldn't stop -- the driver was under the influence and had been using illegal drugs -- he started to slip so he moved to the right in the biker lane. His car started to spin and he ran right into her, knocked her up into the air where she hit another car and then fell to the ground. From that, she only broke her cheek bone and had a concussion.

Anyways, here is the news story. The box on the right is the story that was broadcast.

http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_333184720.html

We know the Lord was watching over Sara yesterday. We feel so blessed and thankful that she is ok. It reminds us all of the fragility of life and how things can change so quickly. Let us all live our lives with love.

She is coming home from the hospital this morning.

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a wonderful day spent with family, friends, and those you love. I was lucky enough to spend the day with my family. We headed up to our cabin at the last minute because it very well could be the last time we all could be there together before we sell it :( It's sad to know it won't be a part of our lives, but the special memories will always remain. We even took a couple family pictures which NEVER happens in my family. We played lots of games, had a foosball tournament, and just enjoyed hanging out with each other. I love my family so much. They bless my life in so many ways :)

Rosy Cheeks

Today was the epitome of a perfect November day. We went to Liberty Park and had a great time, especially when we saw the geese. Lizzy was with her 3 beautiful daughters - Elle, Greta, and Clara. It was fun talking, playing, and getting to know them as we photographed them, and as you can see they are all simply gorgeous. By the end, all our noses, hands, and cheeks were rosy and pink.

Here are a few of my favorites and CLICK HERE to see a slideshow.

Morgan Wellness

Yesterday I went to Morgan Wellness in Salt Lake City to photograph Kevin, Merrilee, and Tammy. Dr. Morgan is a chiropractor and Merrilee is trained in Reiki, which is a healing technique that channels energy to activate a natural healing process. She is also the only practitioner of Auro Soma in Utah, which 'deepens self awareness with color.' She gave me a free consultation, and it was an awesome experience. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Her email is merrilee@merrileemorgan.com.

Delicious and Refreshing

Yesterday, Katie and Steve were finally married!

What a beautiful, amazing day, as they are some of my dear friends. They were married at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple in the morning and despite the cool temperatures, they were troopers as we took all our pictures. We even went to this awesome restored Sinclair gas station in American Fork which was laden with vintage signs and cars. Then we headed up to Salt Lake for a small ring ceremony and reception. You can just see their happiness shine through in their expressions. They are so much fun and I am so happy for them :)

CLICK HERE to see a slideshow of the day.

Tribute

Today, I would like to post a tribute to Joan -- an amazing, strong-spirited, adventurous woman. After fighting ovarian cancer for 4 years, she passed away on November 2nd. This morning, funeral services were held. I have known Joan for many years. Her daughters are near my age in school and she was my Young Women's leader when I was a teenager.

She has always shown such a passion for life, as well as compassion for those around her. Even through her sickness, she taught me a wonderful life lesson that I will never forget.

During her first run through of chemo, she lovingly allowed me to photograph her for a school assignment. She was feeling terribly sick and had another appointment shortly after, but she courageously smiled and did as I requested. We took her picture on the couch first and threw in her 'Believe' pillow last minute. I know she believed with all her heart. She carried her faith with her until her last breath. When we went to photograph her on the bed, she quietly lied down as I set up my lights. You can see the elegance and grace as she lay exhausted. She endured for 3 more years!

A week and a half ago, I visited her house and spoke to her for a brief moment. Even in her weakened state did she immediately ask me about my life and my photography business. She is such a wonderful example of pure Christ-like love. It can be so easy for me to focus on myself and fail to remember or even ask about other's lives, but Joan taught me that loving and caring for others is the only way to live. Thank you, Joan for the love and example you have been in my life.

~ Italia ~

This last Spring, I backpacked through Italy with my friend Shannon.

We traveled to Venice, Padoa, Vicenza, Verona, Milan, the Cinque Terre, Florence, and Rome.

Later this summer, I picked my favorite pictures and designed a book. As most of you haven't seen this yet, I decided to post it on my blog. CLICK HERE to see a slideshow with all 29 spreads.

Arrrrrrrr!!!

Hope you all had an exciting, fun, scary Halloween. My nephew, Will, was a pirate. He was having so much fun saying 'Arrrrr!' and he couldn't wait to go trick-or-treating. My other nephew, James, was a little tired when it was time to take pictures, so we got one good smile and a lot of frowns. They were so cute, I just had to share :)