The List..New Year Style

Shot this on a quiet Christmas morning stroll.


Killin me with coolness..


The Strehle Christmas card..taken after Christmas..






A little grainy (the sun was setting) but I love it..it defines his personality perfectly:)


10. I love the New Year!! There is just so much potential as I flip the calendar over...What is on the horizon?? Who knows?? Ooooh its like a mystery..and it's name is 2010.

9. 2010 is already full of such creative potential.
I feel like a thoroughbred horse pawing at the starting gate..let me run!

8. We had a lovely Christmas around Roosevelt house. It was so nice to just be here at our own little home for Christmas.

7. I feel like 2009 was a growing year. It was almost like every single day I learned something more about myself..it was an awakening. Some of the things I saw were NOT ok, of course that is never really fun..but oh so necessary.
On the flip side, other little things that have been hiding in the wings waiting for the opportunity to speak suddenly found their voice and oh what a sweet song they sing.

6. Officially starting my own business..pretty big moment in my life.

5. Watching the Strehle kiddos adjust from Montessori to the Public Education system. Those 4 never really cease to amaze me.

4. Returning to Washington. Really I could write for days about this one. I'm sure that move had alot to do with #7.

3. Purchasing a house in the country once again..feeds the soul.

2. When everyone and everything fails you there is only one answer.

1. Paris!! (Duh) Almost every single day I think about my trip. At least once a week I ask Zach when they are opening a Costco in France. I dream of drinking a strong cafe au lait in a neighborhood older than anything you have ever seen here in the states. I dream of my bed overlooking the little terrace, high fashion, beautiful people, beautiful dogs, so so so much history, art, art, and more art, tripping because I was always gazing upwards, seeing La Grande Dame for the first time..
oh so many memories.
Can 10 days change your life?
I'm pretty sure they can.

Silent Night

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!!

The making of a Strehle Christmas card.

My sister always gives me a bad time about pictures of my kiddos.

"You've trained them since birth to give you those pouty perfect looks!"

Um sooo not true...Let me tell you my deep dark photography secret for good pictures with kids..

BRIBE THEM!!

It really is the only way..

Want a sucker? Done.

Want McDonalds? Done.

Want a pony? Done.

Just smile for the stinking camera kid.

Christmas card time has always been a little tense for us..and in true Strehle style never really well..normal. Really I can't think of a year that has not ended in tears...

"Kids after church we are going to take the Christmas card picture."

Insert collective moan from all 4 Strehle kids, plus one dirty look from Strehle husband.

"I have a GREAT idea for a shot at the train station, next to the big clock just like the one in the movie The curious case of Benjamin Button."

Insert blank stares from all 4 Strehle children, who often don't "understand" their mothers creative genius. Strehle Husband sighs really loud and secretly wishes he married a women that wears Winnie the Pooh denim jumpers and listens to Air Supply.

But noooo I'm not the woman that listens to Air Supply..no I'm the adventurous woman that ends up fearlessly leading her entire family into a locked stairwell (this is after I crashed the P.U.D company party)..I mean the door leading INTO the emergency stairwell was not locked..only the doors going out...shoot.

Let me pause here for a moment and tell you that after a few recent events in my life I'm fairly convinced God himself placed me on this earth for one main purpose..
Your comic relief..yes..go ahead laugh at my expense..I mean it's what I'm here for anyways.

But what the HECK!! Why would an emergency exit be LOCKED!!! I mean what if there is an, oh I don't know.. EMERGENCY!

Insert panicked 4 children here, along with just about postal husband, cuz he just LOVES situations like this..

After going up and down a few times and realizing that yes ALL the door are locked we all stop and just kinda look at each other, then we hear something..
which turns out to be a very nice cleaning lady on the ground floor. So back down the stairs we go again...

"Oh there is an exit right over there." She points at it, as if its been there the entire time and we just did not see it..whatever cleaning lady know-it-all.

Right now your reading this thinking..well I'm sure it was all worth it because Amber ended up getting the perfect shot in front of the clock right? Wrong...



On the drive home Twin A said,

"Well Mom, at least we had an adventure."

Yes my dear sweet boy, you were surely born into a family full of adventure and I'm really sorry about that.

Friday Fav..

Smilings my favorite...



So drink your gin and tonica..



It must be Italian..

help-portrait.com

I know it's been like a week since I posted..actually over a week, which in cyber land is like a year. All I can say is busy busy busy! Here are some pic's from the event I did with
help-portrait.com. SUCH an incredible event. The folks at Wellspring! are an amazing bunch, what a fun day they planned for the community.
Christmas toys, arts and crafts for the kiddos, lots of yummy food and some really AWESOME music.

So I'm sitting there watching this fun, super super funny childrens band called
Caspars Babypants (huh?) that was playing for the open house. I look over at a fellow volunteer (Lavi) and say,

"I know I'm totally dating myself but,in the early 90's there was this band called The President's of the United States. Have you ever heard of them?"

"Yes" replied Lavi.

"That lead singer sure looks like the lead signer of The Presidents of the United States."

"It is."

"SHUT UP!!"

Because when I was 19 and their first album debuted I'm pretty sure I had the whole thing memorized AND I saw them live (cuz I'm super cool like that)..at the height of the Seattle grunge scene, flannel, Doc Marten's and Kurt Cobain..

(ok youthful flashback now over)

So suddenly I was the 19 year old girl again..

"Um (bright red checks) excuse me?"

"Yes" looking up from his guitar case.

"So were you the lead signer from the President's of the United States?"

"Still am!"

(ok sorry I don't think I ever bought any of your other albums)

"Oh! Do you mind me getting a picture with you? Because (um I'm talking really fast now and my checks are really red and I'm kinda starting to act like I'm 19 again)
when I was 19 your album was one of my very favorites.

"Oh sure."

(awww soo nice)

Ok..so for the record this is like the VERY worst picture of myself that I have EVER posted on my blog..really I'm don't wear turtle necks very often..and the reason why is OBVIOUS. So I'm just going to have to get over myself so I can show you all (oh and burn that shirt).



Lavi, my partner in crime:)

BUT of course that was not what the day was about. This is what the day was about.









I was the rover for the day..it's my favorite place to be, sneaking in and out snapping pics of people at work (and play). The main photog for the day did an incredible job..people came away with beautiful portraits, pictures that brought out so much beauty..

Side note..can I say how COOL it is to be with a large group of other photogs?? So much fun!! When we had a little down time, things got fun..I mean when you ask a non photog to do crazy things for the camera (you want to shoot under the bridge??) they just stare at you, but OTHER photogs WANT to do crazy things for the camera..good times;)

It was such a blessing to be apart of this event.

Thanks again D.G. and friends, help-portrait and Wellspring!