merry month of may

. where to start?

i made it to colleen's very surprised 40th party. it was touching to see colin put so much effort into this affair and pull it off with such remarkable success. i mean there was catering, a housefull of friends, a limo, a midnight trip to mexico. and i think my sis-in-law, not unlike myself, is probably a hard one to surprise! most memorable moments have got to be colin's prayer, thanking god for giving him colleen. and, in turn, colleen's choked-up "thank you speech". you could just feeel the love!

. i also kicked off wedding season on the coast, photographing a spectacular wedding on whonnock lake. see feature: www.freshphoto.smugmug.com i could go on and on about this elegant affair! i look forward to my next bridal shoot on an old ship in kaslo.

. a great visit with my nephews and neice while cory & jen "honeymooned" in cuba. i called jim to tell him how i was having a wonderful time, 7 kids and me, because they had a fence, a trampoline and a sandbox. i also got to drive the "institutional van" (as jen calls it), singing shrek tunes all the way across maple ridge. do you think jen's still singing along to shrek, after all these years? little did i know i would return to my rossland house to find a fence, a trampoline and yes, a sandbox! it's now my little piece of paradise (and no shrek tunes here-just that mcdonalds burping ogre toy).

. was a bit sour to spend the may long weekend in the cold. (although it was nice to just loaf around with the fam for a change!) when the weather finally turns in rossyland, i don't think i'll be fleeing it. jim has been wearing shorts since april when we began to get: maybe slight snowfall in morning but 20 by mid-afternoon. (it's now early june and it hit 40 just down the mtn) the recent climate has helped me proclaim my love for my new hometown. besides the sunshine, we're making good friends, we've got new old friends (in trent & jacq who just joined us here) and with the assurance that we're where we're supposed to be.

. i'm feeling ultra-blessed with my work and personal life, still. on assignment, i spent yesterday with slocan valley artists, painting historical outbuildings in the area. there's definately an encouragement one gets from being around fellow creative-types. it was a bit dangerous perhaps, for even before the wine, i felt like i could go skinny-dipping in the river with these new stranger-friends. no mom, i didn't!

. stay tuned for a photo pictorial on my blog at my site address and a potential story on this "mom's mini-roadtrip from red mountain to new denver".

. and have i mentioned jim has more work offers than he can possibly accept?