My New "Toy"...

Cancun is almost here and I am working harder than ever! I am finishing up my last Business LEAP class as well as wrapping up some photography projects that need to be done before we take off.

I recently got a new toy. It is a editing program called Lightroom 2. I am still learning how to use it, but here are some of the first fruits of it's labor...just a few of my favorites from the Bar Mitzvah I shot a few weeks ago...

These centerpieces were done by my friend Sheena, of the Invisible Hostess. I think she did a magnificent job, don't you?

I think this is my favorite, if I had to choose just one...

I'm still learning how to fully utilize all of the functions of Lightroom 2, but really enjoying the simple things like the vignetting and watermark for now.

For the photographers out there that use Lightroom, what is your favorite feature, or hidden shortcut that you can't live without?

(Or, maybe you can tell me how to get rid of the grey background?? :) Not sure how I did that one?)

Happy Birthday, Blog!!!

Today marks a very big milestone in the Hicks household...It's our Blog's 1st Birthday!!

It has been fun to look back through everything that has happened in our life this past year that we have documented through our blog. I am super excited about what we are going to get our blog for her birthday...

One day while I was blog-hopping, I ran across the idea to do a Blurb Book of your blog! You can simply upload your blog to the free Blurb software, and you have an automatic scrapbook of your blog! I am SUPER excited to do this with our entire first year of blogging posts! I use to feel bad that I was not the scrapbooking type. Don't get me wrong, they are super cool, but I just could never really get into it. Now, I am super excited to "scrapbook" via our "Blurb Blog Book"

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY, BLOG!

My First Seahawks Game!

I was THRILLED to find out from Greg that he got tickets for us to go to the season opener from a co-worker just days before the game! I have been wanting to experience my first NFL game, and what better way to do that than to experience Quest field in all of it's 12th man glory?!? I have never experienced electricity from a stadium like this...ever!

A pre-game shot...

We ran into some of Greg's buddies before the game...

It was super cool being right next to the 12th man flag! Here you see Chris Gray (a fellow Overlake-er) raising the flag...I had goose-bumps! The whole place was going nuts!

It was a beautiful sunny Seattle day!

This fan was unreal! He was a true 12th man...running up and down the stairs giving high-fives and all. Is it odd that I pictured him as a very reserved business man Monday thru Friday, but a super-fan on Sundays?!? :)

My cutie-hubby, binoculars and all...

I don't really think there is a bad seat in the house! We had an awesome view!

So our hawks ended up loosing to the 49ers in OT, but is was still an amazing experience! Here is my last shot of the day of my sad hubby...

Overall, it was a crazy fun day! Greg and I kept asking ourselves why we didn't have season tickets...we are going to call up the Hawks and put our name on the waiting list of oh, 15,000 or so. :)

I can't wait for our next game! I am hooked!

Julie & Tyler are Married!!!

A few weeks before Julie & Tyler's wedding, I had the honor of taking a few pre-wedding photos for them. So, on the day of their wedding I couldn't help but snap a few shots as a guest...

During the ceremony, if Julie was not shedding a tear of joy, she was smiling ear to ear with joy...

That tender first dance...

Julie's dad's face says it all...he is so proud of his beautiful little girl!

So this is kind of crazy! I recently re-connected with Sheena, one of my best friends from back in the day. Sheena and I became friends at the young age of 5 back in McMinnville Oregon! Well, it so happens that Dawn, Sheena's little sister who recently re-located to the Seattle area is dating Julie's husband's brother! No joke! So, Dawn was in attendance at Julie & Tyler's wedding, so I snapped a few shots! All grown up and GORGEOUS! :) 

Crazy I tell you! :)

One Beautiful Family

I had the privilege of doing a shoot with the Ushikubo's on Labor Day. They booked one of my practice sessions in exchange for a donation to a charity (Click here to read about it). It was SO much fun! They are such a beautiful family! Not only are they a beautiful family, but they are heros too! They made a very generous donation to the East Side Women of Purpose's fight against Human Trafficking! Seriously you guys, you are heros!

Thanks so much to Takeshi, Kelly, Noah and Kai! You guys are awesome!

The Library, day 2...hour 3.5

This is my "what the heck?!?" look :)

My sanity is no where to be found at the moment...

The Library...hour 2.5

Two heads are better than one, right??

Okay, that was fun...now back to it...

What I am learning...

"When we come to the point of truly grasping God's Word, we will find God's Word grasping us."

- From "Grasping God's Word"

By J. Scott Duvall &

J. Daniel Hays  

I am working on my Biblical Exegesis homework....

I would much rather be working on editing pictures, but I would be fooling myslef if I didn't say this is good stuff! 

I am trying to take it all in...

A quick life update...

I am...

Stressed

Overloaded

Anxious

Swamped

BUT...

I have never felt so...

Loved

Blessed

Full of joy

Excited for the future

Fulfilled

Hopeful

On the edge of Achievement

Loved (yes, again)

I am currently working on...

Biblical Exegesis 15 page Final (yes, 15 pages on one small passage from the bible!!)

Homework for my new class that started last night

Editing pictures for a beautiful family I did a shoot for last Monday (they are SO cute, I can't wait for you to see them!)

Editing picture for the Bar Mitzvah I did over the weekend

and Thinking about how elated I am going to be September 29th at 10 pm (at that time I will DONE with my LEAP classes!!!)

I will get it all done, I will be successful, I will be fine!

I will lean on God and remember that I have the full support and love of my Husband, family and friends.

It is a season...

A season with a sweet reward at the end!

I will also think about the fact that in exactly 25 days I will be done with school at Northwest University, and will be back here for a much needed vacation with my Hubby and his family...

(I took this pic from the deck of our hotel room on our Honeymoon 1 1/2 years ago!)

Ah...Sweet Relief!!!

Family Shoot with the Bowmans

While Greg and I were down in Oregon we got to do a "shoot" with my sister, brother-in-law and their beautiful daughter, our most perfect niece, Karis.

This would be one of those "you just had to be there" moments, but let me see if I can paint you a picture...

I was trying to get a fun shot of Alicia and Vance kissing in the background and Karis in the foreground. How does one achieve this? Well, while I was snapping away (and giggling behind my camera) Greg was being a wonderful "assistant" by rolling this old green apple all over the place. Karis was laughing and chasing after it. This went on for quite awhile and we were all laughing in no time. This is a fun memory for me. My favorite is scanning through the sequence of pictures seeing Karis running ever which direction after that silly apple. :) Fun times...

It is always so hard to choose just one favorite, but this one is in the running...I can just hear Karis' little giggles...

Thanks for the fun shoot! I love you guys!