Great time with this family...they are so game, so cool and I just had a wonderful time with them! I have to say I was greeted by their big German Shepard, and I thought, oh sheezz..how am I going to do this? But let me tell you, I have never been so close to a german shepard before and by the time I left, I had thoughts of getting one for myself and my kids. The HU are an amazing family...As you can see from their photos, they are spontaneous, loving and beautiful...I hope they like their photos and their time making them :)

Here's tita Linda and her daughter at their "Versace" home in San Francisco. I still cannot get over the fact that their house looks like a page from the Architectural Digest magazine:) It was late in the day when we got over to their house and even though the day was over, my clients still looked fresh and picture perfect ready.

Another family that will be featured in the upcoming book I mentioned....I have no business blogging right now but I have to post a couple of their pics. I will share some more but this will do for now....love, love my time with them! What a fantastic group of people and the kids --oh my soooo adorable -- I can just go follow them around all day! There are more pics of their family I wish to share but I'll see if I can come back here later tonight.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Pre-school Faire that was sponsored by the FUN Moms Club The task of choosing what the right school --ok the best school for your little one was quite daunting. As a mother, we'd always like the best for our kids. We want them to be in the best school, to get the best education, to be in the best environment...and as much as I did this for my first son years ago (well, that was a long time ago), there is still that fear: Will his dad and I make the right decision - will we put him in the school that is best for him? And yet, accompanying that 'natural fear" is a mixed sense of anticipation and nostalgia....

I am eager to see Troy go through the next phase of his life and yet, I cannot feel a little melancholy that he is growing up too soon. But I guess, that's just a natural stage for every parent out there....

For moms, dads and everybody in between, a poem I read from one of the literatures I took home:

A child who lives with gentleness
will touch with gentle hands,
A child who is understood
becomes someone who understands
A child who lives with patience
learns a way to wait for things,
A child who is taught to smile at life
is one who laughs and sings

when children find acceptance,
thats another trait to learn,
And children who are loved a lot
will give love in return.

Finally some sun today. The past few weeks, the continuous gray skies, incessant rain and biting cold has slowly, at first meandered outside my windows and as days went by, crept inside the walls and little by little inside of me...Its a good thing I had my boys this past weekend and they kept me pre-occupied and "anchored". With their laughter, silliness, and playful selves -- they served as my internal sunshine that got me through the horrible, horrible somber gray days. Oh what would I do without them!

So today, I want to celebrate them -- my kids who not only provide me with sunshine and love, but colors ---different colors of life. They make everything so much more...I am treating myself and my walls to some of their warm smiles and colorful, soulful presence....

Off to my lab this goes....

FYI: These are both 20x16 storyboards...backed with foam core.

For Paul, Peggy and their 3 wonderful kids with their 3 Siberian Huskies. My very first time to take photos of dogs and I love it! We did not shoot right away as I wanted to get cozy a little bit with the dogs and by the end of the session, I wanted to go home with them....

Well, instead of me posting some individual photos, I'd just pose these...one is a 10x20 storyboard, ready to be framed and the other one is a collection of different frames and how they can look like in the wall.

Here are some photos of Lavina and her two cute girls. It was late afternoon, the rain was pouring intermittently - it was cloudy, gray and dark. And yet, these two girls did not seem affected by the gloominess of the day. Hmm..that's why I really love to take pictures of kids....they seem to always be in some protected forever summer capsule...I especially love the eyes of these girls, bright, expressive and always full of wonder.

Some pics...

Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve such wonderful kids. And yet, sometimes I'm very scared because I have no control over what happens to them in the future. But I know I can give them love today.

For me, I enjoy being able to take candid shots. As if I am a silent observer from a distance watching an ordinary moment turn into a special and memorable one. Because utlimately, this is what I would love to see -what my kids would love to see ---just exactly how they were when they were younger and then the bond that exists between siblings. Those captured moments that shows so much special they are....so gratifying.

Here are some photos I took when we were walking at a park one time. Actually, I was looking for this particular tree that I saw this other photographer took and I wanted to visit it for myself...ya - I'm weird that way...but my family was such a sport to tag along with me that day.

Just before they went on their vacation to Cancun and then Scotland, I had the pleasure of taking the photos of CJ and Evelyn's family. Here are some shots from the shoot.

Usually, T and J goes up to my bedroom to wake me up on Sunday mornings. But not today. I woke up earlier than usual to see my SIL and her daughter leave for her volleyball tournament. Too bad we did not get a chance to talk as much as I was out last night when they came to stay for the night. So glad though to see T just playing with his train - can you spot how many Thomas the Trains he has....and that's not all! Oh how he just loves that train! And how we love how T makes Sunday mornings so beautiful.

With the cold virus infecting everybody around here, it is so easy to feel miserable. Good thing that we humans have a capacity to cope and always try to make things better, or feel better.

"T"s way of coping with his cold was to wear Mr. froggy. He saw his last year's halloween costume while I was putting things away in his closet and he immediately decided he wanted to be a frog for the day. I was very happy to put it on him and more pleased to see the smile it put on his face. He said Mr. froggy made him feel better.

I just love to visit places that takes me back to the past. Seeing where and how people lived in the past, things they used, houses they lived in, how they celebrated the holidays gives me a sense of peace and quiet joy. Perhaps, it is the lure of the simple life or the wonder of the memories made in the dwellings they left behind... I just find contentment and solace... So I made sure that when we were in Toronto, we took the kids to one of my favorite places in Toronto, the Black Creek Pioneer Village to see what Christmas was like 140 years ago.

A beautiful feast at the table...the fire is going, the room warm..cider, ginger biscuits, laughter, laughter and more laughter....the joy of sharing a meal together as a family - there is no better christmas than this.