KateLynn had birthday this month and is 7 years old. My how fast they grow.
KateLynn has sure grown up this past year. She is a great big sister and just loves being a little mother to Camdon. She has a big heart and is such a sweetheart. She is the first one on the scene to see if she can help if anyone is hurt or sick. She is also Hannah and Mya’s protector when it comes to killing spiders or ridding the room a big bug of some kind.
KateLynn is incredibly artistic and she says she wants to be an artist when she grows up. She is always painting, drawing or creating something. I introduced her to a hot glue gun this summer, and her creations have taken on a whole new dimension. Most of the art she creates she gives away to her family and friends as gifts.
Here are a Few of her Favorite Things
Favorite Food: Pizza
Color(s): Red
Primary Song: I Love to See The Temple
Game: Matching Game
Friends: Lasette, Simon, Skyler, Hunter, Robert
Book: Puff the Magic Dragon
Movie: Lion King II
Scripture Story: Nephi got the plates of Brass
Soda: Root Beer
Candy Bar: Chocolate
Family Activity: Watch t.v. together
Animal: Giraffe
What do you want to be when you grow up: A Vet
What makes you happy? My family
For each of my children this year I wanted to do a photo shoot of them somewhere that show a bit about them and who they are. I thought and thought about where I could do a photo shoot with Katie and realized that she is most herself, and I will always remember her at this age, sitting at the kitchen table doing her art projects. She loves art and the paint stains on the table prove it.
Happy Birthday KateLynn, you sure add spice to our family!
KateLynn is the child in the family that keeps a close eye on the few wild blue berry bushes in our yard and alerts us the second they are ripe and ready to be picked. They were ready earlier this year than usual, by about 3 weeks. I think it is due to the warm spring we had. It is a good thing she has been keeping such a close on them or we could have missed them altogether.
I know I am looking forward to making a smoothie with these juicy, balls of deliciousness really soon.
Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I am always sad to see it end. We had a wonderful December, this year, full of Christmas cheer, holiday fun, and birthdays.
The kids are always so excited to put the Christmas tree up and to get all of the decorations out. This year the kids wanted to decorate the tree, but I was busy finishing my book for book club, so I told them that if they could bring it in and put it together they could decorate it. I was so surprised that Hannah and a friend of hers were tough enough to bring it in and set it up. Then Logan and Tabetha put the lights on and all the kids put the ornaments on. It looked as good as if I had done it and I didn’t have to do anything but watch. It was awesome, especially since I loath putting the lights on the tree.
I took the kids to the annual Gingerbread House Competition this year. We used to go every year, but some how got out of the habit of going. The little girls loved it and had so much fun voting for their favorite house in each category. Of course a gingerbread house competition in Alaska wouldn’t be complete without an igloo.
KateLynn celebrated her 8th birthday in December, and was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (more on her birthday coming)
Tabetha had a birthday as well. She turned 18! Holy Cow! (more on her big day will be coming as well)
Every year our church ward has a big Christmas party complete with a live nativity. My girls look forward to the nativity for weeks. They each get dressed up and then they sing a couple of Christmas songs to all the parents. It’s adorable. This year I had two angels and a wisewoman in the nativity.
This year we went and saw a production of The Nutcracker Ballet. I have always wanted to go and was able to get some cheaper matinee tickets. They girls were the perfect age to go and sit through it and understand it. We had a great time and would like to make it a tradition to go every year.
Finally, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the real, actual, Santa Claus house in real North Pole Alaska. It was Camdon’s first time sitting on Santa’s lap and I was pretty surprised he didn’t cry. He wasn’t too thrilled, but he didn’t cry. I was sad I didn’t get a picture of them all together with Santa, but they enjoyed telling him what they wanted for Christmas.
Good-bye Christmas and December. We are sad to see you go, but we are looking forward to January and the start of a wonderful new year.
For each of my children’s birthdays, I wanted to do a photo shoot of them doing something they love, or take photos that remind me of them at their current age. Well, with so many of my children having birthdays so close together (5 birthdays in 6 weeks), that didn’t happen. So, I have decided not to stress about it and just get some photos of them sometime during the year.
A few weeks ago, Tabetha and Hannah were at the piano and Tabetha was playing and helping Hannah to learn to sing a new song. Hannah loves to sing, and I knew this was my chance to get my pictures of Hannah doing something she loves. The light was perfect, and I love how they turned out.
180. Even though he is so sad, I still smile when I see this picture. He’s just so cute.
I’ve had several revelations, in the last couple of months, about my photography, that have really led to me enjoying my camera more and to me taking a lot more photos of my children. The first revelation I had, came after I read a series of blog posts by photographer, and BFF Amy’s sister, Tammy Smith, about finding your creative voice and about taking images that really inspire you. I realized from her posts, that the images I really enjoyed taking were candid, everyday, honest images of real life and not posed, staged images. I love telling a story with the pictures I take and I love to be able to show the connections and love that family members feel for each other in candid everyday moments. Truth be told, I’ve known for a long time that candid photos are my favorite, but reading Tammy’s posts I finally felt justified in my likes and dislikes and I felt like I had the permission now to pursue what it was I really loved. I think before I felt like being a photographer meant that I needed to take posed pictures, of dressed up people, in fabulous outdoor locations, and all this done in glorious light, and there’s nothing wrong with those kind of pictures. We all want a picture like that to hang on out living room wall, but those just aren’t what inspire me. This led to my second revelation.
I live in Alaska, and 9 months out of the year I have terrible light, and can’t go outside to any location. I realized one day that I don’t live in Florida, (or insert any warm state here with glorious weather and light 12 months of the year) so I just need to get over it already and get my camera out even if I don’t have what I think are ideal circumstances. I have to make do with what I have. So my pictures are going to be more grainy than other peoples, oh well. This is me, working with what I have. My pictures and my voice are going to be unique, and I want it to be that way anyway.
Which leads me to my third, and final, revelation. I need to take more pictures of my children to tell our story, and if I like the pictures I take, that is all that counts. It doesn’t matter if everything is technically correct, or that anyone else likes it. As long as I am getting my camera out, and I’m happy doing it, that’s what matters.
By letting go of all my preconceived notions of what photography has to be, it has let me enjoy using my camera, given me the confidence to try new things, and has allowed me to find so much more joy in photographing my children.
Now, with that all said, here are a few of my favorite pictures over the past couple of weeks with the people that inspire me the most. They tell a bit of our story. and they bring me joy.
181. KateLynn and her hair. She has started brushing it and putting it in a ponytail all by herself.
182. I love Hannah’s expression as she examines her new birthday present.
183. Watching Netflix when they should be going to bed.
Welcome to my blog. My name's Kimberly. I moved to Alaska from Utah, when I married my wonderful husband, and I've been in Alaska for 14 years now. Little did I know, when I got here, what an eventful life it would be. Surviving the "Last Frontier" while raising and home schooling 7 kids is an everyday adventure.
