Danny, Heidi, Jonah & Allix

New Haircuts!!

2012-01-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

Jonah always looks older when I give him a new haircut...makes me so sad to think that he's still growing and isn't staying the sweet little bundle of joy I remember bringing home from the hospital 5 1/2 years ago.

How has he gone from this:

to this:

to this??

And then there's "Bug".

She won't stop growing either :(

North Pole Cupcakes

2012-01-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

I was in a baking mood the day before Christmas Eve. These were one of the many things I had to try. By the time I was done baking everything I was "craving", I didn't want to eat any of it :(

I found these online and I thought they were the cutest things ever! I had to try it!

I've never had perfect cupcakes like this before so of course I had to take a picture!

I also had to make bite-sized ones for those of us that can't eat a "whole" cupcake (not me) or just like really small bite-sized anything.

Fun with watercolors!

2012-01-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

I have a love-hate relationship with watching Allix grow up. I LOVE seeing her evolve into her own individual self. I LOVE watching her do things that it seems just yesterday she couldn't do on her own. On the other hand, now she is so independent! She wants to do everything by herself.

Allix painted...

She really enjoyed it...creating all on her own

She loves Dora & Boots!

She seemed like she really took pride in what she was doing.

I love these little hands...

Then I asked if I could help?? Any guesses on what she said??

Very independent!!

Eating in the dark....well...almost

2012-01-19T08:40:00.000-08:00

Invited friends over last night for dinner and games.
Finished making dinner except for the bread.
Friends arrive.
Greetings!
Kids start playing.
Put bread in the oven.
Power goes out!
Happy kids turn into frightened kids.
I screamed!...almost
I cried!...almost
Tried to compose myself.
Found three flashlights.
Turned them on.
Batteries are dead.
In all three!
Jonah and I are on the verge of crying.
Found the batteries.
Put batteries in the flashlights.
Yay they work!
Happy kids!
Happy mom!
Let's eat.
In the dark?
No.
Where do we get light?
The Hummer.
The Hummer?
Yes the Hummer.
Oh ok...?
Danny drove the Hummer over the curb,
Through the snow,

And onto our porch.

3 feet away from the house.

Headlights lit up the dining room enough to see what we were eating.
Kids cheered!
I cheered!
Attempted to eat dinner with semi-cooked bread.
Spilled dinner.
Attempted to drink juice.
Dripped juice.
Attempted to eat cake.

Scattered cake.

Good thing we couldn't see the mess.
Overall,
Sloppy clothes,
Messy house,
An adventure,
A memorable dinner,
And a fun time with friends!
Let's do it again!

P.S. This was the cake I had to try that I pinned on pinterest. It was very good :)

We Made Cookies Yesterday...

2012-01-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

I love it when I'm in the mood to do whatever my children ask me to do (which sadly doesn't happen too often). Since Jonah didn't have school on Monday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), Jonah wanted to make cookies, take them to Danny at work, and surprise him. The cookies, however, never ended up leaving the house. It ended up snowing outside and Allix has a lingering cough that I didn't want to make worse. Also, I really really dislike driving in snow...why do I live in Utah again??

But, daddy was surprised when he saw the sweet cookies after he got home :) Hopefully another day we'll try and surprise him with something else at work ;)

P.S. Please don't pay any attention to the little girl giving the "bird" to the camera.

Bair Family

2011-12-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

Asian Dragon Cake

2011-12-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

I had been working on this head all day Friday. That night, I ended at a point that I was very very happy with, put everything away, cleaned up the mess of a kitchen and set it on the counter top for the finishing touches the next day. I went upstairs for a break from the kitchen. My bouncing baby girl came upstairs nonchalantly and sat next to me. After a few minutes we decided to go back downstairs to eat dinner. My husband had walked into the kitchen before me and with a tone of shocking disapproval said, "ALLI??!!" My heart instantly sunk! I walked into the room to a mangled dragon head. After eating many pieces of fondant that used to be there, it must have donned on her that the dragon head "scared" her. So she did what any other frightened 2 1/2 year old adolescent would do in that case which was...stab it to death! I think she succeeded!

I ended up taking off the bitten pieces that were left and some that were too badly damaged to keep and waited until morning to try it again. So after a dreadful attack by my devilish little girl, I finally ended up with this...

The head is made of sculpted rice crispy treats and covered in fondant. I followed a tutorial on how to make it here.

The body was chocolate cake and frosting. The scales were stamped by my wonderful and inspiring husband!

Changes in the upcoming year (2012)!!

2011-12-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

For those of you that were still wondering about getting pictures taken this year, I am currently booked out! I am not taking any more photo shoots until next year (2012) after all the holidays are over.

Also on another note, my prices will be increasing at the beginning of the year. $100 for individuals, $125 for family photo shoots (up to 5 immediate family members) $15 for each additional person, and $150 for newborns. These changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2012.

I have learned that I cannot say no to those in need, and I always feel as other people's happiness is more important than my own. I still feel this way, and I think I always will. I love to see smiling faces when I know I've given them something they can cherish forever. But, for purposes of keeping my own sanity, enjoying my holidays with my own family, and being a happy mom, I cannot push myself the way I have been and be the person I want to be. So, therefore, I wanted to say that there will be a deadline for pictures in 2012. I am not going to be taking any bookings after October 30, 2012. No exceptions. This does not mean I'm done taking pictures forever. It just means that for everyone that wants pictures to send out to family and friends for the holidays needs to make sure it's done before the 30th of October.

My goal is to only do one shoot a week during the year. I do know that it is more demanding for the holiday cards and so for that reason only I will be taking two shoots a week starting in August. So that gives you 3 months to get those pictures done. I really hope that you can understand. I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do and I want to thank EVERYONE that has made this year so memorable! I really love and appreciate all that you have done for me! It's because of all you that make this so enjoyable! THANK YOU!!

Waugh Family

2011-11-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

Day Family

2011-11-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

Cosper Family

2011-11-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

Alli's Hair

2011-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

I love it when Allix lets me round brush her hair!

It has so much more volume and bounce to it!

It also makes her hair look longer, which I love!

But then MOST days, no matter how much I try to keep her looking cute, she'll always find static!! 5 minutes or less is all it takes.
She'll decide to sit on the couch or roll around on the floor (just to upset me) and she'll look like this...

Rasheed Family

2011-11-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2011

2011-11-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

Drake Family

2011-11-03T16:21:00.001-07:00

Brotherly Love!!

Bronson

2011-10-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Kalon & Kaydence

2011-10-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Holt & Casteel Family

2011-10-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Hayden & Zach

2011-10-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Vilela Family

2011-10-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Bingham Family Pictures

2011-10-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Weaver Family Pictures

2011-09-30T08:47:00.001-07:00

The Lily {My Favorite Flower}

2011-09-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Can't decide if I like it better in black & white...

Or old 70's style...

Ryann & Nixon

2011-07-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

This shoot was so fun! I got to see one of my friends from high school that I haven't seen forever! I also got to meet her husband and take pictures of her darling little kids! I love how Tracie kept making me laugh when she was trying to get her daughter to smile. Hope you like the preview Tracie!

Ruffle Cake

2011-07-03T15:57:00.001-07:00

It's Grandma Reaser's 85th Birthday today! I hope she enjoys her cake! Happy Birthday Grandma Reaser!!!

Whitley - 6 Months

2011-07-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here is one from last night. I can't even begin to say how adorable this little girl is!
She has the cutest dark curly hair too! Such a doll!!

One tired child after a fun filled day at the Gateway!

2011-06-27T16:11:00.001-07:00

Father's Day Pictures ;)

2011-06-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!!

2011-06-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Baseball Cake

2011-06-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

Soccer Ball Cake!

2011-06-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

Clint & Rebekah {Engagements}

2011-06-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

Lily - 3 Years!

2011-05-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I can't stop staring at those eyes!! She is so amazingly beautiful!!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

2011-05-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

This is Jonah's Preschool Program & Graduation; May 24, 2011.
He did SO GOOD!! I'm so proud of him!! I love this little guy more than words can say!

Fossil Cake

2011-05-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

So my sister-in-law asked if I could make a cake for her dad's 60th birthday bash! She had asked if I wanted to be nice and just make a "Happy Birthday" cake or since he's turning the BIG 6-0 if it should be something more mean. Without hesitation I said "MEAN, definitely!"

We thought of a couple different ideas like a black hill with a sprig of grass on the top, a dinosaur, which then led to a fossil cake. That would be fun!

After looking online a couple days I couldn't really find something that I liked and looked real. So I "winged" it. I am NEVER one to toot my own horn, or pat my own back, or whatever you say. But, I was SO happy with how it turned out. You have to believe me when I say that it looked so much better in person than in these pictures.

Here is the fossil (marshmallow fondant) before I put it on the cake

We had a lot of fun being Paleontologists ;) Now thinking about it, it would have been fun to cover the bones with the dirt and give him the brush to find it himself.

The dirt was made out of crushed cookies and graham crackers.

Sweet Rebecca and I doing our thang!!

All done, now just one more thing left....the eggs...

I wasn't planning on making these dinosaur eggs but I "overcooked" my first cake and had to make another one. What to do with a cake you can't use?? Make cake pops of course!!!

These honestly were so good. I don't know if it was cause of the marble cake or the cocoa powder that was dusted on them (by Rebecca ;)!

Rebecca with Jonah. He had just eaten a M&M doughnut that dear Rebecca had bought for us. Yes she was very naughty and got a dozen doughnuts for us to eat. Did I mention I'm trying to eat healthier?? Not this day....actually this weekend. We had doughnuts, Javiers, cake (2 kinds), ice cream (with all the toppings you can imagine), and cake pops!! Ugh I feel heavier just thinking about it. But it all was OH SO GOOD!!

My baby girl after her pink doughnut...not sure what she's doing....probably just waiting for me to giver her some more.

And the final presentation!! See that dino egg on the left with the big SPOT on top?? That was dibbed mine....right after I had dropped it on the floor ;( I have to say it tasted just fine! We had to keep it because it would have messed up our egg count.

So what do you think?? Does it look like a fossil?? What kind of cakes would you come up with for a 60th Birthday??

I am linking up to:

Leff Family

2011-04-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a little preview for my very sweet friend! I love you Jordan!! I know I say this all the time but, I just LOVE this family!!! I am so honored to take their family pictures every year and to see these kids grow it makes me feel like they are part of my own family ;)

Isn't she Gorgeous!!!

And then this sweet new addition to the family was so happy and perfect!!! Love him!!

Bristol - 10 months!

2011-03-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

I took Bristol's newborn pictures and can't believe how time flies! She is already 10 months old! Look how cute she is!

More Wreaths!

2011-02-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

St. Patty's Day Wreath!

Easter Wreath

Fabric Wreath

Another kind of book wreath

For you Twilight fans...a Twilight Book Wreath!!

Allix turned 2!!

2011-02-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

First of all I can't believe it's already been two quick years
since I had this sweet little girl!

They grow up so fast that you have to make sure you cherish every moment you have with them....even the worst ones ;)

I based the colors of her decorations off of the banner paper I got at JoAnn's. I wanted it to be kind of like a vintage valentine-type theme. I have been itching to do some type of celebration that I could have a desert table for and Alli's birthday was exactly what I needed. I have seen so many blogs on parties, decorations, tutorials, deserts, etc. and I am just amazed at what people can come up with! I LOVE this kind of stuff and I was so happy to put it all to work for my baby girl!! I love how it turned out! I appoligize about the lighting in the pictures ahead of time, of course my house isn't made for photo shoots (as you can tell from our previous family pictures) but I (along with many others) don't like to use my flash.

Here is the desert table. I was inspired by the set-up of this one from the TomKat Studio. I LOVE her blog and everything she does!

Cake & cupcakes

The cupcakes were filled with the whipped cream frosting. SO GOOD!! I have to say I love the coloring spray that I got at WalMart. I wasn't so sure about it but when I used it I think it made the cupcakes look perfect!

I designed the cake topper in photoshop,
cut it out and hot-glued lace around the edge.
The flower was one that I had purchased at JoAnn's. I took it apart and made two then glued them together with a button on each one. I love how feminine they are!

I made a cake for my sister-in-law's bridal shower and the frosting was made out of whipped cream and melted chocolate. It turned out perfect! So I decided to try it out on Alli's cake and didn't work as well. The chocolate hardened too quickly and so I tried to heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds, and then a few more, and a few more...well you get the picture. The chocolate was melting but the whipped cream kept getting more runny. So the idea of having the frosting look like this cake, I had to improvise. It still tasted amazing though!!

Danny and I love this picture of Allix so I had to incorporate it into the table too.

The sweetheart cookies were so good that they were gone the next day. Danny ate most of them I think and he doesn't really prefer sweets. It makes me feel really good when he likes what I make ;) I was inspired by these cookies from I am baker. She's amazing too!!

The moss ball trees were SO easy yet VERY messy to make. I love how they looked by the cake and they brought in some more green to the table. I just don't know what to do with them now that I don't have a cake to compliment them with. Any suggestions??

The party favors were the Chinese take-home boxes filled with candy and whatever else people wanted to take home with them.

Of course the infamous cake pops are always a hit!!

Allix enjoyed the cookies as well ;)

And of course what's a desert table without some candy??

Love her!

I had so much fun doing this and I can't wait until the next party to do it all over again...maybe a St. Patrick's day party?? I would celebrate ANYTHING just to do it all again! Thank you to everyone who celebrated her birthday with us! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Happy Birthday sweetheart! I love you more than words can express!!

School can really wipe a kid out!!

2011-02-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

I put his sister down to take a nap and heard him playing under our bed. Minutes later, the sounds were gone. I thought I would go check it out and this is what I found.....

I guess he had too much fun at school today :)

MY Family Pictures

2011-02-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

Kind of on a whim, not much of a set-up, & definitely not the best lighting...but I LOVE them anyways!!!!

My FABULOUS family!!!

Jonah & Allix. I just can't get over how much this picture makes me smile :) Even though it's not very sharp it has to be my favorite by far!!!!

My baby!!

My other baby!!

My BOYS!!

I love her!!!

What a sweetheart!!

Melts my heart!

He looks so old! I wish they would stop growing ;(

I love her laugh!!

The love I have for my kids is unmeasurable!!

How I love everyone in this picture!!!

Jordan & Bryson Sealing!

2010-12-10T15:18:00.002-08:00

I was SO HONORED to take these pictures for one of my great friends! It was so amazing and even more honored that she wanted me to be at their sealing! I loved every minute of it!! Thank you SO MUCH for the opportunity to be there!! Love you guys so much!!

Isn't she just to die for?!!

Baby Beckham

2010-11-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

Drake Family

2010-11-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

Hodson Family

2010-11-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Thorne Family

2010-11-04T09:26:00.001-07:00

THE END ;-)

Photo Shoot Update!

2010-11-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

I will not be taking any more photo shoots from now (Nov. 2) until the end of april (2011). Thank you to all that have had me take your pictures and be a small part of your family's life! I love what I do but right now I have so much on my plate that I have to limit some things...even things that I LOVE doing :( If you have already scheduled your shoot with me I am still doing them, don't worry! Thanks again everyone!!

Oaklee - 2 years

2010-09-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have so much more to post of this sweetheart!

4 yr. & 18 mo. Check Ups Today

2010-08-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

So today we had Jonah's 4 yr check-up (better late than never) and Alli's 18 mo check-up. It was more convenient to have just one visit for both of them. Jonah really liked the Dr. because he was making him stand on one leg at a time, put his arms out and close his eyes to make sure he could keep his balance, hop on one foot at a time, and talk like a monkey.

Well, the verdict is that Jonah is still a "little" dude. He's in the 25% on everything. Sorry buddy! I'm pretty sure those genes came from me.

My already 4 year old boy is:
39" tall (or short, however you look at it) and 35.1 lbs.

Allix, on the other hand, wasn't all that crazy about the doctor. Come to think of it, she's not too crazy about anybody she meets. So just a little FYI, when you meet my "sweetheart", don't think it's you. It's just how she looks at everyone. If looks could kill, she would be the only one alive. But, I would never give her up for anything.

Allix (a.k.a. "Bug") is:
30" tall and 21.11 lbs.

Everything was going really well, until the shots came in. I always knew Jonah was strong, but I was greatly mistaken on how powerful that "little" man is! First it took me a couple minutes to get him semi-calmed down. Then as soon as I would try to lay him on the table he would FLIP OUT!! He honestly was never this bad at getting shots before. I had no idea what had come over this sweet little boy. The nurse and I had to put all our weight on him just to hold him still. To make matters worse, as I was holding his tiny hands in mine, his tear filled eyes looked into mine and said "Please mommy, don't do this." Then tears started welling up in my eyes too. I didn't want to do this to him. If I had it my way, these "shots" would be in some kind of candy form. I'm sure there are other mothers out there that feel the same way, but I HATE it when my kids have to get their immunizations. I am always so emotional when it comes to my children feeling any kind of pain.

Allix was next and she, of course, didn't know what was coming. Then she gets stuck by the needle. Their reactions are always a little delayed, she looks at me like "what the heck was that??" and then starts crying, along with me and Jonah. So here we are, the nurse has left the room, Jonah, Allix and I are sobbing and holding each other. That's also the time when i decided that we are never doing this again..............until next time.

At least Jonah doesn't need to get any more until he's 11. Won't he be so excited!!

As we left the room, the nurse offered the kids a sticker. Jonah looked at them for a minute, still sniffling after the meltdown, and found an.........."IRON MAN!" sticker!

Thank you Iron Man!! You have given joy, hope, and instant amnesia to my son! Everything was all forgotten in an instant because Jonah saw the infamous Iron Man! Great! Now let's go have a fun filled day at IKEA!

Gotta love my babies!!

Flaming Gorge

2010-08-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, so this first one isn't from Flaming Gorge but I just had to put it in here! I love love love this little face!! She makes me smile every single day!! I am so blessed to have the children that I do. They are my life!!

The Drake's have a family tradition of going to Flaming Gorge every year. We go hiking, boating, water skiing, wakeboarding, sky skiing, tubing (tube wars!! so fun!), etc. Celeste and I had a tie this year (more about that later). Each year is different with the people that come. This year, the only ones who made it were Tim, Celeste and their kids, and Danny, me and our kids. We had so much fun!!

Here is a GREAT shot of Danny really taking control of that Sky Ski!! WoooHooo! Love you babe!

The sunset was so BEAUTIFUL this night! This was actually the opposite side that the sun was going down. It's so gorgeous in Flaming Gorge I wish we lived closer!

I have many more pictures to post of Flaming Gorge, but for now enjoy these.

Lainey

2010-07-31T10:02:00.001-07:00

Sweet little Lainey! She sure made us work for these! But, I think we were able to get some really cute shots!! Isn't she adorable?!

Mom's Family Pictures

2010-07-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks for being so patient with me Mom. I know it's taken a while to edit these pictures because of all the other shoots I've had. But I really hope you like them. I personally LOVE them all (and you too)!

ENJOY MY FAMILY
.....xoxoxoxoxo....

Sloane

2010-07-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

She was SO good! When she was awake she never cried and when she finally fell asleep she was OUT! Look how gorgeous she is! Oh and she kept smiling the whole time in her sleep ;) she is such a happy baby!

Reason to SMILE #2 & 3 of 365

2010-06-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know I wanted to post something every single day that my kids do to make me smile, but going out of town for a family reunion for a week doesn't help.

Well, we're back and we had so much fun with everyone! I'll be posting some pictures of it soon. It was very sad leaving everyone. Especially the ones that we don't see all the time because they live in either Washington, New Mexico, or Ohio ;( But we love you ALL and can't wait till the next time we get to be together again!!

Back to the main point for this post, Reason #2: SPIT!

Jonah's cousin Jake plays on a bowling league and Tara (Jake's step-mom) had asked if Jonah would like to sub today. Of course he said "YES!!" Well, like always, I can always count on myself running late and so we were leaving the house in such a hurry I totally forgot to do Jonah's hair. Oh well, I guess I can just lick my fingers and try to spike his hair. So I did. As soon as I put my fingers in Jonah's hair, he looks at me with this DISGUSTED expression on his face and says, "Did you just SPIT on me?!"

Of course the SPIT didn't work very well, but it ended up making me smile the rest of the day!

Reason #3: WOODY!

The other day Jonah was playing with his little friends in our living room. They were having so much fun & sharing their toys. They were passing them around every few minutes. Jonah's toy of choice was his favorite Sheriff Woody doll from Toy Story. I was just starting to think how proud I am that he's FINALLY sharing his toys. As soon as the thought came into my head Jonah yells out, "WHO WANTS TO PLAY WITH MY WOODY?!"

Not so sure I want him sharing ALL his "toys". ;)

365 Reasons to SMILE ;-) (1 of 365)

2010-06-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

This is the start of something new for me. I'm very very forgetful and there are things that my husband remembers about what Jonah used to say and/or do when he was little. It makes me sad that I can't recall some of those things about my boy that were so funny or just melt my heart.

So here is my promise to myself that I won't forget and also to remind me of how much these little angels are two of the BEST BLESSINGS in my life!! I am going to (try) to write down something said, something done, or something out of the blue that each of my babies do every day that make me SMILE and love them as much as I do!!!

Reason #1: CHEESE!

We are a family that LOVES cheese. Our favorite is shredded. When we do have it (able to afford it), we like to put it on anything and everything that we eat (even mac & CHEESE).
But, BEFORE we put this delicious topping on our food, we ALWAYS take a pinch-full of it and put it into our mouths.

So, as soon as this bag is seen coming out of the fridge,

this is what I get from Allix:

No matter how many times a day she does it, it still makes me laugh!!
(don't mind the messy hair)

Bristol

2010-06-11T16:30:00.001-07:00

Just a few more of this little angel!

You can find this hooded cocoon on my Alli Rae Designs Blog here.

Hudson

2010-06-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more of this cute little guy for his sweet mommy!! Hope you enjoy!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONAH!!

2010-06-09T14:40:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my boy is "FANTASTIC 4" today!! I'm so blessed to have him in my life. He brings me the greatest joy every single day!! Just seing his smiling face every morning melts my heart!! I love you Jonah!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!! Make a wish ;)

My Babies!!

2010-06-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast they grow!! They make my heart melt every time I look at them!! .....XOXOXOXOXOX....

Baby Hudson

2010-06-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

This little guy is SUCH a sweetheart! He was awake most of the time but he hung in there. I can't believe the hair that he has!! I wish my kids had that much hair when they were born, and it's so blond!! LOVE IT!! Thanks so much for all the help and for letting me take his pictures. I just love all of you!!

Here's just a preview of Hudson for now...enjoy his sweet little face!

Baby Bristol

2010-05-27T12:21:00.001-07:00

My step-sister had their sweet little baby and she asked me if I would take some pictures for her. Well of course! She is so adorable!! She was only 5 lbs. 9 oz. So so tiny! I wish my kids were that small... oh well, i guess when you have a husband that was 11 lbs. 9 oz. when he was born you're not necessarily going to get the smallest babies. ha ha.

Anyways, Bristol was such a good sleeper (once we got her to sleep). I could have sat there all day just holding her. So cute!! Here's just a couple for now.

Happy Birthday Allix!!!

2010-02-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

It's my baby girl's first birthday and I can't believe how fast this year has gone by!! She is amazing and I'm so so so happy to have her in my life!! She's the funniest, sweetest, most precious little girl that I could have ever wished for. I love you so much baby girl and Happy Happy Birthday to you!!!!

Sid & Alexis

2009-12-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

SO MUCH FUN!

2009-11-29T22:54:00.001-08:00

What can I say but these kids are GORGEOUS! I guess it would be a given when their mother is so BEAUTIFUL!! I love this girl, and she is just so amazing! Thank you so much for letting me get to know your little sweethearts and it was SO nice to see you again!! Here are just a couple I picked out...so enjoy!

Baby Kailynn

2009-11-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

Isn't she a doll?! She is gorgeous! She didn't want to miss anything either. She was wide awake, but did really well! Congratulations Cody & Tara! Thanks so much for letting me take these. Enjoy! More to come!

Leff Family!

2009-11-15T20:59:00.001-08:00

I LOVE this family!! You might remember them from last year. Thanks you guys for being such loyal clients! You're great! These girls are so gorgeous!!

my little darlings!

2009-11-03T16:15:00.001-08:00

Bond Family Pictures!

2009-11-03T14:08:00.001-08:00

Lorye & Curtis Family Pictures!

2009-10-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ok so this was the biggest family photo shoot I've done so far! Wow, it was actually pretty easy! Thanks everyone for putting up with me and being so great! I really hope you like them!

Drake Family Pictures!!

2009-10-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

I just have to say I LOVE this family!! Not just cause they're my in-laws, but they are the best people ever on the planet!! They also have the most adorable little boys you have ever seen!! Thanks you guys for the great time today! I had tons of fun! I hope you did too! LOVE YA!!

Way Custom Orders @ Alli Rae Designs

2009-08-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

I've been getting A LOT of custom orders on making things that i haven't made before, but i LOVE the challenge! So if you're thinking of something that you want: hats, headbands, flowers, dresses, skirts, shoes/booties, bracelets, bibs, skirts, ANYTHING crochet, ANYTHING knitted, ANYTHING sewn, basically ANYTHING CRAFTY....I'll make it for you! Either comment or email me at alliraedesigns@yahoo.com, or call 801.388.6831.

Thanks everyone!!

Also, if you find something on the internet and think it's too expensive, email me the picture and the price and I will make and sell it to you for 20% cheaper! (some things I just can't make...sorry) But like I said I LOVE the challenge...so give me your best shot!!

Warner Family!!

2009-08-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

Brinley & Maddie

2009-08-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

I LOVE these two girls! I wish we could live closer to them :-( These sweethearts are my sister-in-law's children & they just moved so so so far away! Jonah also LOVED to play with them (especially Maddie). When you see them together they look like they're twins.

These two pictures are some of my favorite!
I love candid shots and I had to edit them vintage style.

It makes me so sad how much these pictures get desaturated. Anybody know how to get the color back?? Comments??

New Flower Clips....check them out!!

2009-07-31T10:05:00.001-07:00

www.alliraedesigns.blogspot.com

Flour Sac Hat

2009-06-05T16:58:00.001-07:00

I think I have too much time on my hands...but here is ANOTHER little hat. I think it's my favorite so far. The actual color of the hat is in the last picture. Oh ya, and this is knitted :-)

Granny Square Beanie

2009-06-05T11:27:00.001-07:00

Here you go Mindy. Hope these work out for you. Thanks for letting me be creative! Love ya!!

First Knitting Project

2009-05-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

I know it's just a hot pad, but I actually really like it. I made it for a friend so I guess I'm just gonna have to make myself one.

6 Mo. Blue Newsboy Cap

2009-05-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

SPIDERMAN

2009-05-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

When we were at the store last week Jonah saw this Spiderman costume but they didn't have his size. I was talking to my mom about it and the next thing you know Jonah had a package arrive. Yay SPIDERMAN! Thanks mom! You're the best! Jonah wants to thank you too!

P.S. It did come with a mask that went around his eyes but, he wasn't able to open them so Danny took them and cut out bigger holes. Jonah thought it was cool and tried to do it too....needless to say they ended up going in the garbage

0-3 Month Pink Newsboy Cap

2009-05-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry the hat doesn't look thesame color in this one as the top three but the lighting is different. The actual color is more like the top ones.

Newborn Green & Yellow Beanie

2009-05-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

For a GIRL

For a BOY

Happy 3 Month Birthday Baby Girl!!

2009-05-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast she's growing!! I think it goes by even faster when you have more than one. I'm so glad I had a little girl. So much fun!!

I think I like the drool...what do you think??

She was tired, can't you tell??

These are the latest two hats that I've made...

Charlie

2009-05-07T04:38:00.001-07:00

Oh Charlie!! I love his little chunckyness...

So this is the face I got when I pulled out my camera!! I thought it was only my kids that did that.Charlie was a trooper though, trying to bend him every which way and trying to make him sit up by himself at only 4 months, not to mention the whole time being hungry, he did pretty well.

And one with daddy!!

2,350 Miles... to Boston, MA

2009-05-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

We left for Boston on Thursday the 30th of April. For those of you who don't know, Danny decided to try out selling security systems for the summer and this is where they sent us. WooHoo ROAD TRIP! Well, not as much fun as I thought, driving about 12 hours a day for 3 days. We finally made it on Saturday night about 9:00 pm Boston time. (Still trying to get used to the 2 hour time change.) Although, I don't think I could ask for two better kids to take the trip with. They were AMAZING! I love them SO much!Here are just a few things that helped us along the way...

Some foam animal stickers that my good friend Brooke gave to Jonah...which ended up everywhere in the car...i'm sure there are a few still under the seats.

An air freshener for those cow farms, poopy diapers, and those unexpected SBD's...

A DVD player (that didn't work half of the first day because a fuse blew)

So we gave him a coloring book....

and a marker... found out he just liked the marker... it kept him pretty occupied.

a GPS... because guys don't like to stop and ask for directions.

My FAVORITE! Because, I don't like water...

Some Goldfish for Jonah

Nilla Wafers (they were supposed to be for Jonah...but, I think I ate most of them)

Jonah & Allix bonded...

I thought these clouds were so weird because they were in lines.

We saw a TON of windmills...

and I LOVED it when this happened. Boston, here we come!

Kalon & Kaidence

2009-04-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE all of these pictures!! I'm so glad they turned out!! I hope you like them Brooke. Thank you again for having me take their pictures!!

One for Brooke...

2009-04-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

Kalon is so dang adorable!! I love his big blue eyes! Out of 340 pictures taken of course we got SO MANY great ones!! Can't wait to post more!

New Hobby

2009-04-19T15:37:00.001-07:00

I've decided to take up crocheting. I've seen so many beanies, flowers, and headbands that I love but seem too expensive to buy, so I thought I could try making them....well here's one beanie I finally finished after many attempts to get it right. This is also one of four flowers I've made. What do you think??

Bentley

2009-04-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

These little girls are so gorgeous! I'm so glad I got the chance to take their pictures...these are just a few...more to come!

Photo Contest....

2009-04-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Ok so I entered a picture of Allix into a photo contest and I'm hoping I can get some help from all of you. Click on the title "Photo Contest" and vote....only if you want to. Thanks for your help!

Allix...7 weeks (already)

2009-04-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Lily

2009-04-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Ok so I took this picture of Lily and didn't notice that I totally over exposed it. But when I saw it, I absolutely LOVED it!! What do you think?? What a cutie pie!!

One week...

2009-02-20T11:46:00.001-08:00

Allix Ranae Drake

2009-02-14T14:54:00.001-08:00

She's FINALLY here!! 7 lbs 15 oz & 20" long. (Just FYI Jonah was: 7 lbs 14 oz & 21" long...like brother like sister) ALMOST.

So this is Jonah when he first got to the hospital. Happy!

This is what happens when you have to wait for 12 hours while you wife & mother is in labor.

Then she finally came at 6:07 pm. (We arrived at 6:00 am) Blah!!
She's such a great baby!!

We are so happy to have a new addition to our family!!

Have you ever been THIS tired??

2009-02-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

One of my son...

2009-01-29T20:20:00.001-08:00

Just thought he looked so cute today!! I couldn't resist and he loves me to take pictures of him.

Snowmobliling in Yellowstone!!

2009-01-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

This was so much fun going snowmobiling up in West Yellowstone! Yes, I did go a couple times (even though I'm 8 months prego). I'm so glad I did cause I would have missed out on so many beautiful things! Jonah also went and he LOVED it!! He always said he wanted to "go FAST"! He would cry too when we would turn off the snowmobile cause he didn't want to stop. This is definitely a trip we are going to do more often!

Jonah doesn't look happy because he's not on the snowmobile....

I loved how you could see the detail in the snowflakes because they weren't melting up there.

If anyone is interested in going, Danny is selling packages. It's fun with groups of people too! You get the room, sleds, snow gear, etc. If you want more information, you can email me @ drakephotography08@yahoo.com, email danny @ edrakeus@yahoo.com, or call danny @ 801-452-1716. It's so worth it!!

Best Group of Kids!

2008-12-14T15:33:00.001-08:00

These kids were honestly the best bunch of children that I've taken pictures of as a group so far! They all were so happy, photogenic, and couldn't be any cuter! Thanks Wendy (and the rest of the family). They were all so good!

Melinda's Kids

2008-12-14T15:08:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank Melinda for letting me take her son's pictures. It was fun even though it was really cold. We got some good ones. You're kids are too cute (and so are your puppies). I hope you like them. Thanks again!

Christmas Card

2008-11-16T15:35:00.001-08:00

Some more of the Leff family...

2008-11-15T15:17:00.001-08:00