Homecoming

Last week, more than 170 members of the Montana Air National Guard came home from Iraq. Five of MANG's F-16s were also part of the two month deployment. The anticipation on homecoming day was so thick in the air, you could feel it. Everyone was either jumping up and down, or quiet...trying to hold back their tears. THANK YOU MANG for your service and hard work!!! Welcome home!


I bet this guy didn't sleep a wink the night before because he was so excited!

All of the homemade signs were so, so sweet.




When the doors opened, all you could hear was screaming! I got goosebumps all over and instant tears.







This young boy was flooded with emotion. You could clearly see that Dad is his hero.


LOVE this one!


Chaysen hugged Pat so hard that he bounced off of him!



Touching moment


100% joy...



...100% moustache. Ben - it's not March anymore!!! ;)



A Vietnam War veteran who wanted to show his appreciation.

Even Sam came to welcome his Dad home!!!

There's something about homecomings that brings out emotions you've never felt before. Matt went to Iraq the first time they deployed back in 2004, which is right after we got engaged. I'll never forget the way my cell phone was practically super glued to my hip. Or how exciting it was to get a new email. I remember the worrisome nights, the countdown until homecoming day and the way it felt to hug him when he stepped off the plane. It's a mix of pure happiness, relief and pride. Here's a photo we have on our fridge (thanks to Mia for stealing my camera). Whenever I glance at it, I'm reminded of how blessed we are to have our freedom.

God bless our troops who risk their lives for our country. Now I'm counting down for my dad to come home. 39 more days!

Greetings from Canada

I woke up to an email that made my day...my week...my year!

You know how I mentioned the Canadian couple who took home a shelter doggie after seeing my pet portraits at the Fur Ball? Monty's mom sent this update on her new lil' guy, who's named after Montana. This is exactly why I do what I do. Photos CAN make a difference.

On April 20, 2008, Monty, a precious little, old American Eskimo decided to become a Canadian. After an uneventful trip home in a lovely spring snow storm, Monty arrived in Calgary from the Great Falls Animal Shelter.

Monty has settled into his new pack nicely and he’s a wonderful little guy to have around. Although he is deaf, his teeth are really bad, and his heart has a severe murmur, he is enjoying life. We’re so glad that he decided to come to live with us!

Many thanks to everyone at the Fur Ball and at the Great Falls Animal Shelter who made it possible for us to bring Monty home. He wanted everyone to see how well he is doing in his new gig so here are some pictures of the little guy.

What a face!

The Furr Family

I've been waiting to meet this family since October when they booked the session! And I knew it was going to be fun from the beginning...considering they didn't run off when I told them we were doing the shoot at a funeral home, church parking lot and shady alleyway. They rolled with the punches and made the most of it! They even brought me goodies from The Body Shop - yum! Thank you for letting me capture your laughs & love for each other!
















Are you kidding me with how cute this is? Dad is a Great Falls firefighter, but Teague is showing him where the real gun show is!

Erin + Justin

Justin is one of the kindest & most genuine guys I've ever met....and his fiancee fits him perfectly. She flew in for the weekend from Chicago (the "other" windy city), so I was really excited to meet her!

They're one of those couples that I didn't have to ask to kiss. They just did. I didn't tell them to dance or hug. They just did naturally. It was almost enough to make me sick! But instead, they just made me smile. If their engagement session is an indicator of their wedding day, I'm envious of their wedding photographer! Wish I lived in Chicago! Best wishes you two.

Fur Ball

"In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog."

This saying has been on my blog before and it's here again because I believe so strongly in it. I'm on the Fur Ball committee, which organizes the annual Fur Ball to raise money for a brand new shelter. If you haven't been to the Fur Ball - go! There's a live auction, silent auction, raffle, incredible food, entertainment and the best part - everybody there loves to talk about their dogs & cats (perfect for psychos like me)!

This year, I had a photo package in the live auction which included a photo session and 24x36 canvas gallery wrap. I want to give the BIGGEST *THANK YOU* TO THE HIGHEST BIDDERS!!! Can't wait to shoot you guys with Luna & Groovy. :0)

I also took pictures of all of the animals at the shelter to display at the Fur Ball. Committee members helped me put together some fun & beautiful table centerpieces showcasing the dogs & cats. Our goal: to find a home for as many as we could. Even one would be worth it. And that's exactly what happened. A couple that traveled all the way from Calgary saw the sweet face of the American Eskimo (in the first photo after the video) & went to the shelter the very next day! Well, the white doggie was gone, so they took home another guy! Mission accomplished!!!

If you're looking for a dog or cat, PLEASE PLEASE visit your local shelter first. There are so many amazing animals there waiting for a new friend and warm home. I posted just a few out of the 52 pet portraits that I took. I wish there weren't that many at the shelter.

PLEASE take 6 minutes and watch this PSA about why you should adopt from a shelter & NOT a pet store or mall. Spread the word.