if that title isnt confusing enough, allow me to explain.  i just realized, while preping my pictures for the blog, that there are entirely too many.  so you get the pleasure of 2 posts about chicago day 2.  the first part is morning through pre-ceremony and the second part will be the ceremony and reception on…  so saturday morning we woke up bright and early, ran downstairs to get our luggage (lost remember) and guess what??? not there :(  so we got ready the best we could.  which meant that i had to use hotel shampoo, conditioner and soap.  and if you have never done that, trust me it is not pleasant.  i felt like a wreck.  luckily they had a hair dryer and i had bought hairspray the day before, but no makeup or hair straightner. i will never again take forgranted having my own beauty products on hand.  you don’t realize how much certain things matter, especially certain things that are irreplaceable, like my charlotte russe eye shadow.   so we made another trip to target  for new clothes and makeup. also, you don’t realize how much replacing your makeup in one pop $$costs$$.  so before heading over to tammy and mikes house for getting ready shots, we stopped by the hotel once more just to check and HOORAY!  our makeup/hairstuff/hygiene bag was there! (but not the clothes)  i was so excited.  so i did my make up in the car, but no time for hair.  but at this point, i am not complaining. 

we got to mikes house and it was raining cats and dogs.  no joke, we dont get that kind of rain in utah.  so now for the getting ready shots….

tammy had an entire wall in her kitchen full of post it notes of stuff to do or done for the wedding.  it was awesome!

wedding day checklist.  very prepared!

we went downtown chicago before  to a hotel called the palmer house.  unfortunately we had to do them inside because of the rain, but tammy found this amazing hotel and i think they turned out awesome anyway! 

seeing each other for the first time! i love their reactions!

i loved this elevator area.  it was amazing!

thats is all for now.  more from the ceremony and reception later!  let me know what you think!!!!

i promise tomorrow i will post day 2 of chicago, but today savana is still sick and i am getting it too.  i have a sore throat, tired, runny/stuffy nose.  and i am sure it is only going to get worse but for now i just have a funny story to share:  if you were a kid with a $10 gift certificate to target what would you buy……. for me that would be a tough decision.  i could by a toy or a book or a movie or candy. but my oh so economical child decides there is one thing she wants and there is nothing, and i mean NOTHING that will change her mind.  what is it you ask????? give up??? an alarm clock.  yep you heard it right.  my 7 year old wanted an alarm clock far above anything else.  oh, she did buy her sister a puzzle, but seriously.  and i know jayde well.  for the first 3 days it will be awesome.  she will get out of bed and come wake me up.  but after that, it will all go down the drain.  so that is my funny story and i promise pictures tomorrow!

i am finally ready to blog about our trip to chicago and fabulous wedding of tammy and mike! day 1(friday) we got up at 5am to be to the airport at 6.  first of all i am not a morning person and second of all i have a terrible time leaving my kids, even for just a short time. but in all actuality, it was nice to just get up and get going without all of the emotions of saying goodbye again.  we just left them while they were asleep and my mom had come over the night before to stay with them.  our flight left at 7.  so after a layover in minneapolis we arrived in chicago at approx. 1.   we got down to baggage claim, and what do ya know…. no bags.  (fortunately i carried on ALL of my camera equipt, but we had no clothes or makeup etc..) when we talked to the lady at baggage claim, she told us that our bags were on a flight that left an hour and a half after us.  well,  i was dressed for flying, not for a wedding rehearsal. so after a quick trip to target, i was good to go.  of course with the impression that our bags would be there that evening.  so on to the rehearsal we went.  i have never actually shot a rehearsal before and i actually really enjoyed it!  it was a great chance for me to be able to plan my shots and have a good idea of how the wedding day would go.  they had a lot of fun and unique stuff planned so it was nice to get some ideas in my mind ahead of time.  check out some pictures from the rehearsal…..

after the rehearsal me and chris went downtown to eat and do some sightseeing.  i must be very sheltered  because downtown chicago was a real shocker to me!  the buildings are SO tall and there are so many of them!  i have NEVER seen anything like it ever! unfortunately i didn’t take my camera that night because i was a little paranoid carrying it around downtown chicago after dark, plus if anything happened to it and i had a wedding the next day…. i don’t even want to think about what i would’ve done.  so sorry, no pictures.  yet.  we ate at this fabulous italian restaurant called bella bacino’s and oh my gosh!  i have never and i really mean never had better food in my entire life.  if you ever go to chicago, you must eat there!  it was just a small little restuarant, but it was amazing!  so after dinner we walked around for a couple of hours and i was completely blown away by all of the buildings and architecture.  it is a photographers dream city!  then it was back to the room for sleep and a BIG day tomorrow!!! stay tuned for the wedding!  whoo hoo!!!! and ps.  still no bags

isn’t it funny how you just know things about yourself?  i was thinking about this as i was walking through walmart tonight.  for instance,  i know that if i own too big of a purse, all of my stuff will get lost among other stuff that can suddenly fit in my purse that couldn’t before.   no big purses for me.  i  know that if i exercise, eat well and get enough sleep, i will be happier, as well as be a better person and mom.  it is hard to find the time, i know, but it totally makes a difference. i know that if there is a song that my husband likes, i most likely will not like it.  i know i am horrible at keeping up with laundry and if i could, i would hire someone and  pay them good money to do it i also know that in the past, family and kids photography have not been my bag.  but guess what….. i think they now are!  and i am loving it.  i am so loving stepping out and broadening my horizons a little bit! so let me know what  you think..  please :)  this is the packer family and they are totally cute huh?  they are in my neighborhood and i was thrilled when laurie called and asked me to do their family pictures.  they have such adorable little girls and we all know, i have a love for adorable little girls.    please leave me a little blog lovin.  that is something else i know.  that i LOVE blog love!  thanks!!!!

 this is how you know your session is over!

i shot a wedding last august for amanda and preston, and got an email today that it has been featured on Utah Bride and Groom.com  so go check it out!  i am super excited!

me and my husband just got back on monday night from an awesome trip to chicago!  we went there to shoot an incredible wedding for tammy and mike and am so excited to blog all of the pictures we took, wedding and personal.  i will try and get those up asap, but in the meantime, now that i have shot their wedding, i can officially post tammy’s bridals!  isn’t she so gorgeous!?!?!  and her dress is to die for!  tammy has got to be one of the happiest brides i have ever met!  she is so sweet and caring and i am so very lucky that we got to fly out to chicago for their wedding!  so stay tuned (hopefully soon) for some awesome pictures!!! until then…..

to all of you who have been following my blog for a while, you know that i love to read!  it is a passion of mine right along with photography and my family.  i have been on a hunt for an “earthmoving” book, as i call it.  there are so many books out there that are good (and so many that are not!)  but i have a really hard time finding a book that is just so amazing you read it until it is done.  stay up all hours of the night just to find a stopping point and when it is done you think about it for days, even weeks.  the twilight series was one of those books for me, as well as many of you.  i have been searching  for a long time now for that next big one! “earthmoving.”  i have really read so many good books and some even great books, but i finally found the one.  if you have not read “a thousand splendid suns” by khaled hosseini, then you are seriously missing out.  i cannot get this book off my mind!  i went and searched for the kite runner at the library today but couldnt find it.  and since i know my friend owns it i dont want to buy it.  but go get this book!  it will change your life!