Decisions!

Today we drove to Blackfoot to enter some photographs in the Fair (it starts the 4th and goes through the 9th). I hope I do well there...at least to cover the entry fee. Well while down there I interviewed with a glass shop that is looking for glaziers. It would be more money but a smaller shop and only residential and auto glass (I haven't done auto glass in about 8-10 years). Living expenses are less there, but I hate to move down there only to get laid off in the winter...but the money is more. How can a smaller shop pay more than the larger shop I am at now??? Should I be worried??? Or do I take the plunge and move to the Salt Lake Valley and work for an even larger shop? I would love to photograph full time, but don't see how I could support my family on less than I earn now. I just don't know for sure, and with the family all decisions effect 5 times the people.

Other than that, we are still waiting to hear back on another job...an office job...and just plugging along trying to make ends meet...TRYING!


Wish I still had the bus...wouldn't make anything easier, but I sure would love to go for a cruse.

No more training wheels!

Yesterday, Jessica decided it was time for Christopher's training wheels to come off. I am not quite sure why she thought to take them off, but he was READY! I only had to hold the back of his seat for about 30 seconds and I could tell he was ballancing himself. There isn't a whole lot of room to ride around in our driveway, so we took the kids over to the church parking lot and he did great! He has trouble starting on his own and stopping without crashing. But no skinned knees (as of yet--we know they are coming) or major trauma. It was a neet feeling to see my oldest child ride without training wheels.

Jen & Brant left for Kansas on Monday. We were sad to see them go, but happy for them and the new job and house. Good Luck guys! The kids were sad to be seperated. Our kids loved playing with their kids. Sunday night they played at grandma Waddoups' while we visited. We will surly miss them.

Redfish Lake

Last week was the annual trip to Redfish Lake with the Waddoups family. It was a lot of fun, as it always is. Chris & Becky are so wonderful for putting it together and inviting everyone…I know how much hassle organizing something like this is (and they do it every year!). Jess and the kids went up Tuesday morning and I joined the party Wednesday night after work. We camp, eat food, water ski, hike, play, play and play some more. So much playing has made me very tired this week.

Thank you Becky for the Float Toys!

Much of the time is spent playing at the beach with the kids. We took a little 1-man boat (the label says “one person or 120 lbs.” you’ve got to be kidding me!), the kids really liked that. We could put Toph, Creedance, Callie & Clark all in the boat and pull thm around the swimming area of the beach. They love to play in the water.

I caught some air...OK, so INCHES but I didn't fall! I just wish I could do one ski or a wakeboard, someday.

We also love to camp. Because of our newborn, we were fortunate enough to have a motel room in Stanley for Jess and TJ. I opted to stay in the tent at the lake however. I had Toph and Creedance one night, and then just Toph (Creedance didn’t like that much, but she had too runny of a nose to stay out in the cold).

Each night after I put Toph to bed, Brant and I went down to the beach to photograph. It was a lot of fun to have a photo partner. The moon was giving some really cool lighting. This was my first (successful) experience with night (low light) photography. I shot with my 10D at first (no cable release so rock and tape trick--thanks for the idea Darren!), then on the last night I even got out the 4x5. I hope those turn out good. I didn’t make very many exposures. By 11:30 or 12 the moon went behind the mountains and our light went away with it. I really enjoyed it. The long exposures gave me time to think and reflect on many things, as well as talk with Brant and get to know him better. It was a really fun experience.

Redfish Lake in the Setting Moonlight.

About 15 Minutes at f/8

I liked this shot so much that I came back the next night with my view camera.

Redfish Lake Point Beach and Chris' boat.

Our trips to Redfish are always very fun and very memorable. We are just trying to get back into the swing of things. Still not unpacked, it may be a while because this weekend we are going camping again…so why unpack that stuff?! The kids will miss Redfish, they didn’t want to leave (I somewhat felt the same, but was also ready to go home to my bed).