Monthly Archives: August 2008

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Route 66: The Slideshow

 

 I finally found some time to go through our vacation photographs.  I’ve put together a slideshow of highlights from our trip.  For those who haven’t been keeping up with the blog, Amy and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary in July by taking a road trip west on the historic Route 66.  We traveled with our friends, Erin and Andy, who were celebrating their 7 year anniversary.  Our travels progressed through the states of Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.  And we met up with a few of our friends along the way (the Sewards in St. Louis, the Lews in Tulsa, and the Sievers in Las Vegas).  We’re amazed at all the things we saw on just one stretch of road.  Lots of history to see as well as mountains, desert, ancient ruins, caverns, meteor craters, an inactive volcano, the beach, etc.  We camped for much of our trip.  The evenings were really quite pleasant.  In Arizona we stayed in the Wigwam Motel which was so fun.  From California we drove up the coast to Oxnard and camped again, and then proceeded to Las Vegas where we dropped off our rental vehicle and flew home.  This trip was amazing.  We highly recommend it if you’re the road-tripping type.   So without further ado, I give you Route 66.  And for more images from our trip, check out our friend Erin’s blog.  She has several entries from the trip, so be sure to go back as far as July to see them all.  She’s done a far better job than me of narrating the trip.  Don’t miss it.

Wedding: Ann + Adam

Ceremony:  St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Manito

Reception:  The Forman Center, Manito

Ann and Adam had beautiful weather and a fun getaway car for their August 16th wedding.  I had a great time documenting their day, even though I was without my better half, Amy.  Everyone made me feel very welcome.  Here are a few of my favorite images.

Congrats, Ann and Adam!  Best wishes to you both!

Grant Family

Shawna and Kendra had the brilliant idea of surprising their mother, Charlotte, with a portrait session for her birthday.  More people should do birthday sessions.  (wink)  We had a great time shooting in downtown Peoria.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Back to School

 This is Amy typing this…in case anyone wonders…

 

Well.  The day has finally come.  All three of our children are now in school.  Ryan, our youngest, started kindergarten today.  It seems like not long ago I had a newborn, a 2 year old, and a 10 year old…I was so busy that I didn’t know WHEN I would EVER again have a moment of quiet again.  I guess that day is here now.  I am not yet sure what I think about this new phase of our lives.  It is exciting and sad at the same time for me.  Kids really do grow up too fast.

 

Here are the kids at home before school this morning.

 Ryan and Jenna having fun in the car on the way to school.  They had just called Grandma and said “We are on our way to school!”

Here’s me taking the kids in.

Ryan is waiting in line outside to go into his classroom.  It’s a little sunny out, and this expression is something between excitement, nervousness, and “Mom, I need sunglasses”.

 Jenna in her second grade line waiting to go inside.  Note the height difference.  She’s always been the tallest in her class.  Someday those boys will catch up, though.

Wedding: Julie + Scott

Ceremony:  Northwest United Methodist Church

Reception:  Wildlife Prairie State Park

Julie and Scott had a beautiful wedding day on August 9th.  Amy and I had a great time being a part of it.  An unplanned theme that seemed to follow us through the day was Top Gun.  That’s right, the Tom Cruise movie.  It followed us through the getting ready time where it played in the guys room, to the bus ride to the reception (“danger zone” below), to the reception where I’m sure you can guess what song is being sung to the bride.  Everyone had an awesome time all day thanks to the hilariously funny wedding party and the fantastic DJ services of DJ4U.  Here are some of our favorite images.

Congrats, Julie and Scott!  We wish you well!

 

Wedding: Lori & David

Amy and I traveled all the way to Des Moines, Iowa for Lori’s and David’s wedding, and it was worth the trip.  Neither Amy or I had ever spent any time previously in Des Moines, and we were not sure what to expect.  Des Moines is a very clean and modern city that impressed us both.  But even more than that, we really enjoyed the wedding and reception that we had the pleasure of photographing.  It was one of the most relaxed, stress-free weddings that we’ve ever been a part of.  The ceremony took place at St. John’s Lutheran Church with reception following at the Downtown Marriot.  Here are a few of our favorite images.

 

Congrats, Lori & David!  Thanks so much for allowing us to be a part of your wedding!

Wedding: Gayle & Brandon

A big thanks to my friend Heather King who drove all the way from Ohio to shoot this wedding with me.  She felt right at home with all the Buckeyes in attendance.  We couldn’t have asked for better weather for an outdoor ceremony and portraits at the Crestwicke Country Club in Bloomington, IL.  It was a truly gorgeous day.  Here are a few of my favorite portraits from the day, and an exit shot that I think just plain rocks.

Congrats, Gayle & Brandon!  We wish you the best.

Tim

I had the pleasure of photographing Tim’s senior pictures today.  Tim attends Metamora High School.  Here are a few of my favorites from Tim’s session.

Thanks, Tim!

Engaged: Megan & Josh

I had a great time photographing Megan & Josh downtown on Thursday.  They’ll be marrying in October this year.  Here are a few of my favorites from the session.

Wedding: Kelly & Todd

Amy and I have known Todd for what seems like forever.  We’ve practically watched him grow up.  So we were honored that he and Kelly chose us to document their wedding day.  Todd and Kelly married at Maranatha Assembly of God in Decatur on July 19th.  It was a great day.  Here are a few of our favorite images.

Congratulations, Todd & Kelly!  Best wishes for your future together!