What's that? A blog post?

I'm back!

I've been quiet on the blog the last two months, in lieu of a transitional time I entered into near the end of last year. If you aren't aware, I keep another job outside of photography. This allows me to really focus on the quality and time I give my customers, without charging large amounts.

I'm very pleased to announce that I will now be available for sessions all day, every Saturday and Sunday! Evening sessions may be scheduled during the week as well.

I'll be doing a bit of catching up on the blog in my next few posts, but this week I wanted to share photos that were just taken today. My husband and I borrowed my parents' Westie for a stroll through Multnomah County's latest snow fall. The adventurous little Kekoa enjoyed every minute of our walk up Powell Butte, smelling all the smells and making a handful of new friends.

​One man has successfully stolen the hearts of an entire city. You might know him as Todd, or you might know him as Mr. Gresham.

If you don't know who Todd is, he is simply the warmest individual you could find on earth. He delivers food and smiles to the people of Gresham. He really takes care of us and loves on everyone.

On Saturday, September 22, Citizens filled the sidewalks of Main Street to cheer on Todd in his very own parade. Fire trucks, an army of cheerleaders, and a police escort led the way as Mr. Gresham made his entrance in The Batmobile. After the exciting trip down Main Street, a stunning bronze statue of his likeness was unveiled. It truely was amazing to see a community come together to thank this man for all the joy he creates.

Over the weekend, I got to run the Hood to Coast relay race with my team, Chasing Destiny.
This was the 9th year the team got to participate and my 8th. Being a participant myself, it was hard to photograph every moment, but I got some nice images of the beginning and end.
My images include the excitement of the starting line, the first round of exchange points from van 1, and our team captain(my dad) bestowing medals in Seaside.
Pictures of me were taken by my hubby, who also ran the relay. Pictures of the whole team together were taken by the ever supportive wife of the captain, my mom.

Here are the runners! Included in a picture of Van #1 is our wonderful massage therapist and sister in law of mine, Kaitlyn.

Chasing Destiny, Team #1048 finished the 199 mile relay race in
33 hours, 3 minutes, and 33 seconds.
Enjoy this gallery of highlights!
Note that my dad is standing front and center on the start line. He LOVES that part!

I'd also like to note that after running HTC for his first time in 2016, my love proposed on the beach. We were wed shortly after the following year's relay and this year was our first time running as husband and wife!
​In celebration of our anniversary, I will be offering a discounted price for couples portraits next month.

Special thanks to our volunteers! We couldn't do this without you!
​Fantastic run everyone! I hope to see you all on the beach next year!

In the third installment of Hood To Coast introductions, I'd like you to meet my super cool brother in law, Josh. He became a part of the team in 2013 as a volunteer with his new wife (daughter of Gary) and started running with us the following year.

Josh has always had running in his blood and casualy enjoyed it, but really picked it up in recent years. He's participated in 9 half marathons and finished his first full marathon, the Blooms To Brews this past April. Josh quickly became one of the fastest runners on our team and has tackled difficult legs, such as #5. He plans to run the Boring Marathon in the month following Hood To Coast 2018.

​You may have seen him in previous blog posts with portraits of his sweet little family, like the image shown above. Josh works hard for his family and builds beautiful tables with Jewell Hardwoods. Each of their creations is a unique work of art.

​Josh trains very hard and is sure to rock this relay.
As a fantastic runner, artist, and family man, this is one to look out for!

A Hood To Coast team needs 12 runners, if each is to run 3 of the 36 legs it takes to get from Timberline to Seaside. When your team has been participating for almost a decade, things don't always line up for the same 12 people every year. Because of this, we often get to introduce new participants to the 200 mile relay. This week, I'd like you to meet our 2 latest recruits!

Johannah is a little new to the running scene, but has picked up a fantastic pace, joining Dad (Gary) and I at local running events like the Shamrock and Starlight.

Watch out for these fierce new runners in Hood to Coast 2018!

Tune in next week to meet more of the Chasing Destiny team!

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I hiked the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park.
I highly recommend this fun and beautiful trail. Located roughly 20 miles east of Salem, The park has over 24 miles of trails and 10 notable waterfalls that can be seen over the 8-ish mile perimeter of the park.

Here are my highlights from our adventure!

This past weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer my services to the Abby's Closet - Special Needs Giveaway, a part of their anual Prom Dress Giveaway! This was such a beautiful day, filled with beautiful moments!

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​Back when I needed a dress for my senior prom, I attended the dress giveaway with a specific idea of what to wear for my school's "masquerade ball". I ended up walking away with a gorgeous cream ball gown, covered with little gold embellishments.

​I've been a fan of the nonprofit ever since and was honestly geeking out a bit when I got to work with Abby, the awesome lady who started it all. 
The organization is a host to dress giveways, scholarships, and fundraising events such as PROM a 21+ Event. 

​It was an honor assisting these beautiful young ladies in selecting a gown that fit their personality just right. There are so many images I want to share that this is actualy my biggest blog post yet! Enjoy.

I encourage you to visit abbyscloset.org to find out how you can get a dress, volunteer, or help out in any way!

To celebrate our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife, my love and I took a four day trip to Long Beach, Washington. One of those days was spent hiking around some of the beautiful parks and lighthouses. Upon arriving at the North Head Lighthouse, we saw the bright orange of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. It was far off, but we soon realized that it was headed right towards us...

To our surprise, a gentleman nearby signaled the aircraft to aproach! We were able to observe as they rescued a practice dummy from the waters below.
I kid you not, we literally happened upon this. It was such an impressive and exciting sight to see. I thank every member of the U.S. Coast Guard for their hard work in keeping people safe.
This was truely, an honor to witness.

We took a look at the lighthouse and explored the surrounding area in peace, thankful for our surprisingly eventful morning.

Yesterday on January 12th, the city of Gresham celebrated its' 113th birthday!

A party was hosted in the lovely new location of iCandy at 344 N Main Ave. The party was visited by important community members while Mayor Bemis invited Mr. Gresham (also known as Todd) to lead us in singing Happy Birthday. The candy shop provided guests with a vast assortment of sweet treats while we were entertained by Cha Cha The Clown!

It was a beautiful afternoon filled with beautiful smiling faces. I love my Gresham!
Happy Birthday!

If you haven't gotten your Christmas tree yet, Couturier Christmas Tree Farm in Gresham is great and cost effective! The workers were friendly and helpful to my dad, sister, and I as we explored the variety of different trees. We ended up finding a tree that was bare near the ground, but quite tall. They helped us chop it down, trimmed the extra length of trunk from the bottom, shook, netted, and even secured the tree to our car. I of course, documented the whole adventure, complete with a final image of our decorated and lit tree. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and happy hunting for your tree!