I finally get it!

So my least favorite Christmas tradition growing up was riding around in the car to look at Christmas lights. I was stuck in the back of a minivan (where I'd get motion sick) and we'd drive around our little town looking at the same few streets that put the same lights up every year.

But today, when I stopped for the third time at "the dancing Christmas Lights" on our way home, it clicked.

It's the perfect thing to do with kids!

1. They're stuck.
2. They're quiet.
3. They're not making a mess.
4. did I mention they're stuck?

It's the perfect activity for a parent! Go try it!

A Christmas gift from me to you!

Thanks to my friend, Alissa, and the awesome pay it forward blog, I aquired these fantastic Christmas Card templates.

So, I want to offer my friends, family and clients a Christmas gift if you're interested. Just email me at mistydawnphotos@gmail.com with the subject of Christmas Cards and let me know which number you like and send me the picture or pictures that you want on the card. The pictures must be ones that you took yourself or that you have the copyright release for. If you're a client of mine, just tell me the file name of the picture/s you want included. I already have the pictures so you won't need to send it. I will email the finished card back to you along with instructions for getting it printed up so you can send it out!

I know it's a bit late, but if you're like me and havn't gotten your cards ready yet, then here's your chance!

Merry Christmas! (Click the image to see it full size)

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I could also use some help deciding which one of my own to send out...do you like 1, 2 or 5?

Happy Christmathanks!

Have I mentioned before that my family has banished Thanksgiving? We've invented our own holiday.

I'll start at the beginning. When I married Dave, I informed him that I will not be cooking a Thanksgiving dinner in my lifetime. Luckily, he was okay with that. We decided we'd just use that time to travel. We went to UT one year, Boston the next year. It was soon after that, as my siblings started moving on and meeting significant others, that we started discussing the holiday conundrum. You know, which family are we going to see this holiday? Who are we going to offend? What are we going to miss? Weigh the pros and cons, try to make things fair.

That was when Christmathanks was born. We decided we'd move our Christmas traditions back a month and have our family Christmas over Thanksgiving. We'd always go to my family for Thanksgiving weekend, Dave's family the weekend before Christmas and then be home for Christmas. Everyone gets seen, everyone gets holiday time, everyone is happy. We're going on 3 or 4 years now and we've made some tweaks. Growing up, we had fondue on Christmas Eve, so now we have it on Christmathanks Eve. We get up on Christmathanks morning to presents, stockings, the whole 9 yards, we laze around and spend time together and have a yummy meal (although we've pretty much done away with turkey and potatoes).

It's the best of both worlds! We've kept the spirit of both holidays (family and good food) and combined them into one fabulous long weekend. Not to mention shopping with my mom and sisters on black friday.

So, to all my fellow bloggers, family and friends, HAPPY CHRISTMATHANKS!

And for good measure...for the first time since Nathan was born, all my kids willingly sat and talked to Santa at the mall! (Nathan has already sent a letter, but he thought it would be wise to tell Santa himself that there's only one thing he wants this year. Super Mario Gallexy for the Wii). So, I shelled out $15 for a 5x7, since I'm not sure this will happen again in my lifetime. (Aria was terribly nervous and only went because the boys did and didn't want to look at/touch santa...but she smiled!)



Oh, and it's a good thing I scanned this in when I did. I found it a couple hours later, removed from the fridge and colored on by my budding 2 year old artist. *sigh*

For Rebecca

This was my first time to go to the arboretum and I can not figure out why nobody else has wanted to go there! It's absolutely beautiful! And this family was so easy to shoot.

Here are some of my favorites, and here is your whole gallery!

What happens in Vegas...ends up on the internet

We were in Vegas last weekend. We went with our friends Lee and Randy. The main purpose of going was to shoot a wedding for Charlotte (a friend of Lee's and mine) but we decided to make a trip out of it, so we bought tickets for our husbands and stayed from Friday to Tuesday. We packed so much into that trip, it was crazy! But SO fun.

On Friday, we took the kids to Lee's house where we did each others family pictures. My parents then came to get the kids and take them to their house for the weekend. We flew into Vegas that night.

Saturday we got up at 4 AM (I know, unreal) and got ready for the wedding. We went to Charlotte's house to shoot hair and makeup at 6, then over to the temple for the wedding. After the wedding we went to a yummy restaurant for the reception luncheon and were back to the hotel by 4-ish PM. A couple pictures from the wedding...





So then after gorging ourselves on italian we went back to the condo to change and went to the strip. We went to this place called tickets for tonight where you can buy discounted show tickets. We fot tickets for Phantom of the Opera. Only 1 problem. My husband and friends have absolutely no respect for a pregnant girl. After working on my feet for 12 hours they decided we'd just speed walk down the strip from the ticket place to the Phantom theatre. Only a mile and a half. Dave was literally pulling me down the street, but we got there in time to get decent seats and the show was AMAZING. Truly. The theatre was built specifically for Phantom of the Opera and it was just stunning. The cast was amazing, too. I sat there in awe for the whole thing. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures. We took some after before beginning the mile and half walk back to the car (a bit more leisurely this time, thank goodness).



Me and Lee.


On our way back, we took our time, took some pictures and watched the belaggio fountain. It was really cool. I have a video of it, but it didn't upload for some reason. Definitely see it if you're ever there, though!

The next day we wandered around the strip some more and that got us this little gem. We were browsing M&M's world and ran into the M&M guys. After Dave and I took a picture with them, Dave and Randy decided to get down and make a video of it. It was practically all they talked about for the rest of the weekend.

Dave and I.


The video...


We walked around some more and took pictures before going to a yummy dinner. I did that thing where you choose an oyster and get a pearl. We had gorgeous pearl earrings made.

The strip....




Dave, me, Lee and Randy waiting for dinner and a show.


The next day we decided we were tired of the strip so we went to Hoover Dam. We were going to go to Red Rock Canyon, too, but we ran out of time.

Pictures from Hoover Dam.


See those pillars coming out of the mountain? That's going to be a road. Scary, huh?


That night we went to an outlet mall that Lee had heard was good. It was good alright, but still more than we could ever afford. Prada outlet, Gucci, Dolce and Gabana, Versace, etc. It was kinda fun to look at everything, but 10 minutes after we got there an alarm went off and we were evacuated for an emergency. I don't have any idea what it was, but we didn't wait around to find out. Luckily there was an amusement park in the casino across the street and they even let me go on a mild ride.

The next day we hit a zappos.com outlet store (where I bought 3 pair of shoes for great prices!) before heading home.

It was SO fun, but it's good to be home with my kids again.

Halloween

I keep forgetting to post about halloween, so here are some pictures. We went to a big party at a local christian church. The kids had a blast!

My kids with their new cousin.


Nathan with his friend, Jason


Aria with her bff, Jackie


And some kid we ran into at the party. He was dressed as Nathan's sidekick so I had to get a picture!

Almost caught up!

Kari Ann and Mari, your galleries are done! I think this is officially my favorite "walking on a bridge picture" ever. I love that the kids are all over the place.



The rest of Kari Ann's pictures can be viewed on her gallery!

And for Mari. I have several favorites from your shoot, but this one is right up at the top.



Here are the rest of your pictures!

Another sneak peak

So, I've been proofing pictures all day and I had to do a few of Mae just cuz she's so stinkin' cute. The rest won't be done til next week though, so don't get too excited, Rach.

Liz, Dave is doing your gallery tonight. Kari Ann and Mari, your galleries will hopefully be up by Monday. Kristin, I'm almost done with your wedding, too. It should be up midweek. Thanks for your patience, everyone!

Sneak peak for Liz

Your pictures are done! Dave does my gallery's so I won't have them all up til tonight or tomorrow, but here are a few of my favorites.

Baby watch! I'm an Auntie!

Rachel had her baby today! Mae Ann weighed in at 8lbs 2ozs and 20 1/2 inches long. She's very cute and like a good photographer, I have lots of pictures for you all.

The happy family.


Aria with Mae. She's so happy Rachel had a girl. She said "It's just too bad we're probably having a boy baby." (did you catch that? hint, hint?)


Nathan and Mae. He wasn't so into the holding the baby thing. He liked the vending machines.


Crying.


Look at her cute little teeny finger by Sean's finger.


Sleeping with her fists snuggled up on her face.


Proud Grandpa Mac (Sean's dad)


Mae's first bath.




Put my clothes back on! I'm cold!


Holding Daddy's hand.


With Grandma J (my Mom)