Merry Christmas from A Case Photo Place!

So, I really wanted to do an A Case Photo Place Christmas card this year to send to all of my 2011 clients, but time slipped by too fast.  Must have been the busy fall I had filled with so many sessions (that I still haven't had time to blog about).  Yay! 

Instead of an A Case Photo Place card this year, ya'll get the next best thing . . . my family card.  Creating fun Christmas cards with my kids' photos have been a tradition of mine for about 9 years now.  They have gotten pretty crazy over the years with many hijinx back and forth between the siblings . . . always girls against the boy and vice versa.  After about 5 years of the hijinx, I figured I'd run the gamut on that and decided to do something really groovy instead.  :) 

I called my hippy friend Lola who happens to be the best costumer around, who hooked me up with THREE (that's right THREE) giant tubs of hippy-wear for us to choose from!  What fun it was for my girls to try on all the old styles from the 70s!  Callahan may not have liked the wigs as much as we did, but we made him wear one despite his resistance.  He was a good sport!

All of the clothes in this photo are vintage, except for Callahan's yellow shirt and his jeans.  Nope, those aren't REAL bell-bottoms.  I clone-stamped the "bells" on to them. :)  Oh, and Lukah's headband is current, too, but it looks pretty boho-hippy to me.  Other than those items all of them are VINTAGE . . . including the shoes!  Thank you, Lola for absolutley making my card this year with your cool stuff! 

So here's the finished product.  All design done in Quark and then I used photoshop to create a vintage "yellowed" look on the photo. 

Merry Christmas from A Case Photo Place, and from my family to yours!

My Tracksters

So . . .  both of my girls are running track this year -- Mikah as a sophomore (her 5th year already!), and Lukah as a 7th grader (her 2nd year). 

While I do not particularly enjoy sitting in the frigid cold and wind (and usually rain) for the season, I do appreciate track for these reasons:

1. Everyone "plays".
2. The team spirit, as far as being supportive of one another, is the best out of any sport I've seen yet.
3. While it's a "team sport", it's all about achieving one's personal best (or as they like to say in track lingo . . . PR (personal record).
4. They sell delicious nachos supreme and puppy chow at the concession stand (or so I've been told . . . :)).
5. Even if it's freezing outside, I have a great time taking millions of pictures in great outdoor lighting. 
6. Speaking of pictures, I've found it's quite fun to catch those "jumping" events in particular. 
7. And, last but not least, these kids "got heart"!  Running and running and running like that in practically all weather elements?  I guess it's not for me.  :)

The season is winding down  -- tonight Mikah had sectionals in Monticello and tomorrow Lukah has sectionals in Rochester.  I wish them both the best of luck and want them each to know how proud I am of them and their seasons. 

With that, here are my favorite pictures from their seasons . . .

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Mikah's season started first -- EARLY in March!  In fact, she had to miss the first few indoor meets because she was still in dance.  Anyway, she ran the 800M this year and loves it! 

One thing I found out from photographing her while she's  running is she makes the most FABULOUS faces . . . check 'em out! 

Here she's getting ready to start.  FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!  

She looks like she's praying for a good run.  :)

On your mark, get set, GO!

Look at that face!  :)

I love her ponytail flying in this one (and her facials too, but the poor thing looks like she is in HORRIBLE pain!)!

Lukah's meets started in mid-April.  This was the first year she has tried pole vault.  She absolutely LOVES it.  I'm  personally amazed at any human being who can CATAPOLT their body over that pole . . . even at the lowest height they set it.   

Here she is concentrating before she takes off. . .

Running (or maybe it's called "bounding?" for her vault. 
(Her face makes me chuckle!)

Didn't make this one over, but the face is PRICELESS!

Now these are from early on, so they don't show how high she can jump now -- her PR was 7' this year!  That's not too shabby for a first year . . . or for any year for some people like her mommy  who couldn't vault over a 1 foot pole.   

Can't wait to see what she can do in the future.  :)

Looks like she's flying!  FUN, FUN, FUN! 

Scary, scary, scary for mommy to watch!

Ummm . . . yeah, ya cleared it, Lukah!  Ha ha! 

Again, her face is priceless.

So here are some other pretty cute kiddos I caught throughout the season . . .

Love her ponytail flying!

Love this one of Kate (even though she looks FREEZING!)

Look at this talented long jumper!!!!!!!!!

Here's muh girl, Jena!  LOVE HER (and her sassiness!)!  

Mikah has done the triple jump for 2 years now.  I'm told they like to put dancers in this event, because they already can leap. 

From what I've seen, that's a pretty good call on their part!  :)

How she, and the other jumpers, haven't blown their knees out yet, I will never understand!  OUCH!

Here are my sweet nephews, Mahx (is FREEZING on the left) and Jake (is in the middle with his movie star glasses on).  They came to watch Mikah's meet one day.  That meant a lot to her and it was awesome for me to get to spend some time catching up with them, since we don't get to see each other very often. 

I'm very proud of them -- Mahx is going to graduate from ISU (my alma mater!) next year and teach history, and Jake is on his way to Mizzou to follow his passion . . . journalism. Which for those who know me, mine is in mass communication -- very similar!

Anywho, thanks for coming guys!  We love you and are proud of you!

Love this picture of them with Cal!

So Miss Lukah is similar to her sister in probably only 1 way:  they both run the 800 M, and she also LOVES it!  

Here she is getting ready to start a race. 

Focused, focused.  :)

(Love the light on her face)

(Love those dimples!)

One thing I noticed about Lukah this season is that she was always making friends with the other girls running in her race as they lined up.  That makes me happy.  :)

Here she is, happily chatting, with her competitor. 

Run Forrest Lukah, run!

Hurry, Rosie!  She's gaining on ya!

Just finished a tough race. 

I love you girls!  I am proud of you both and your track accomplishments.  

'Til next year!  

Thanks for lookin'!  

PEACE 

Goodbye Winter!

I am SOOOOOOOO happy that tomorrow is the first day of Spring!  My flowers are sprouting, and soon the trees will be budding.  Track is underway for my girls -- I can't wait to sit out in that Spring air and watch them run (even though sometimes it is rainy and freezing, too.).  And soon Cal will be practicing baseball . . . his favorite!

In honor of Old Man Winter's much awaited departure, I'm posting some of my favorite pictures I took during the blasted cold frozen tundra also known as an Illinois winter. . . 

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Here's one of my favorite shots ever!  I love how she is camoflauged by the brush.  So beautiful!  

I love this one -- not just cuz it's cute, but we had such a funny time trying to get the dog to pose. He would NOT MOVE.  He is like 150 years old now and was being a stubborn and crotchety old man.  This is the best we could get.  I'll take it, and will laugh when I see it years from now, remembering our attempts for the perfect picture.  Love you, Vegas! 

These next two will always remind me of our catastrophic trip to Weldon Springs on a somewhat warmer winter day.  Corey tried to get closer to the water and ended up sliding down a big mud hill so we had to leave because he was COVERED in mud.  It was pretty funny, but I didn't get many pictures that day -- just these.  But I love 'em!   

Callahan is an outside boy.  He always has been, always will be.  Usually he has a ball of some sort in his hands while out there -- shooting hoops or swinging his wiffle ball bat and hitting balls all by himself.  He had a particularly fun winter because of all the snow.  The cold didn't bother him one single bit.  He'd wait for me to get home from work and as soon as I pulled in the drive he'd meet me at the door -- already all dressed up in his snow gear and ready to go outside and play (even if it was 20 below zero). Here are some shots of him having a ball in our front yard!

He built the cutest snowman ever!
 

OK, even I was a little sad when he melted.  He was so cute!  :)

One cold Saturday, we took Lukah and Callahan sledding at Weldon Springs.  Lukah was a great
snow-shot model.  These crack me up! 

SOOOOOOOOOOO SERIOUS! 

Cute "crinkle nose"!!!

Watching the action on the hill. 

Lukah giving him a BIG push!  

Amazingly enough, they made it all the way down the hill standing up that way! 

 BUDS FOREVER! 

 'Til next time winter. I can't say that I will miss you.  At least Callahan will!   

Thanks for looking. Peace! 

 

My Mikah . . .

So, I am very proud of my first-born for being so much more than just beautiful on the outside.  She's an honor student, a talented dancer and musician (saxophone woot woot!), and a genuine sweetie.  In addition to making me proud to be her mama, she makes me laugh on an almost daily basis! 

I am sooooo proud to introduce (to the blogging world anyway), my oldest daughter, Mikah . . .

I will all this blog "Caught between a Teen and an Adult."

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I love the light on her face and her contemplative look.  Now that I have captured this image, I will always and forever wonder what she was thinking. . .

I had this shot in my mind for a while, as this timber has a special place in my heart.  Now it is even more special! 

She just might have a touch of the "sass factor" just like her sissy does!

I found a new "spot".  I will DEFINITELY be going back.  Thank you, Mikayla Colleen for being a wonderful model trying it out for me!  :)

Deep thoughts! (And they are NOT By Jack Handy!  Ha ha :)

Possible FAVE!!!!  Woot woot!  :)

I am told the eyes are the window to the soul.  I am also told that hers just might confirm that theory . . .

I always and continually say, "This one is my favorite," but this one below really just might be!  :)

Brick walls ROCK! Especially old peely ones!  :)

"Those true eyes. . . too pure and too honest in aught to disguise . . . The sweet soul shining through them."
                                                   - Owen Meredith

And of course . . . here's some grain.  And a little "Hollywood Sass"! :)

Peely Brick walls combined with Christmas Trees = one HAPPY photographer!!!!! 

There's that SASS factor coming through again! ! !