Dawson's Brain

It's Alive!!!!

2008-08-28T22:14:00.002-06:00

www.BrianDawsonPhotography.com

I'll be moving my blog over to it in the next few days. There will be a link to it on the top of the site. Thank you all so much for your encouragement and smiles! You've all made me look good!

BD

Lily's Horse Birthday Party

2008-08-12T16:18:00.002-06:00

Kids + horse rides + animal control + pinatas + cake = always good times. The kids loved the horse rides on Bobo and whatever the pony's name was. Apples? Dale? Brennan? Can't remember. Everything was going smoothly with the pony rides down the street until the fuzz showed up. I couldn't believe my luck! I had a camera in hand and was ready to shoot Greg getting maced, but he talked his way out of any tickets or jail time. Actually, there ended up being no problems at all with him hosting pony rides in the school playground. Good for the birthday girl, bummer for me and my camera.

Lily's party had a nice horse/ cowgirl theme to it.

But, the choice of a horse pinata struck me as odd. I mean, the kids are riding horses, petting the ponies, painting pictures of them and then they round out the night by beating the crap out of one. And then they feasted on it's spilled innards. You can see it on the pinata's face. He knows what's coming.

The horse rides were a lot of fun for the kids. There was one little cowboy who came dressed for the occassion, but lacked the courage to get in the saddle. I can't remember if he ended up riding or not, but he won the prize for Best Dressed Party-goer.

Lily seemed like she had a blast. I didn't know if she was going to be hungry for cake after her snacks. First was silly putty.

Then, the horse candle.

My kids loved the party. Torrey got to lead the kids on one of the horses around the park.

And Jake apparently got on a horse for the first time. Hopefully, the last as well.

Finally, Leah stepped in a had her usual amazing photo shoot. This girl loves the camera.

And, then the ride off into the sunset. Of suburbia.

More Moors!

2008-08-09T18:14:00.003-06:00

A few Moor shots from our session on Friday and a shot of tubing on the Yampa.

Invasion of the Moors

2008-08-08T16:32:00.003-06:00

I'll have more photos to post soon, but I knew Paul and Sal would want to see these ASAP. Here's a sneak peek from the shoot this morning with my nephews and from this last week with the Moors and the Smiths.

The Cobbler's Children...

2008-07-27T09:20:00.003-06:00

...now all have shoes! Or portraits, that is! I finally got up the motivation (aka I was told that my wife and the kids and my camera were all in the car) to head out to the park and get some shots of my other two children. I'm pretty sure this is everybody now. It was hard to keep Zach in one place for very long. The park was crawling with rabbits and he would smile for a minute and then tear off after them. The pictures turned out really well, including one great shot of my amazing wife. I also got the best picutres of Leah ever. How did I get such great looking kids?? Have you seen me?? Imagine what they'd look like had Heather married an attractive person! You'd only be able to look at the afterglow of her kids as they passed by you on the street for fear of melting like you just looked into the Ark of the Covenant.

Favorite Leah picture ever!

Took this quick shot of my beautiful wife.

This look is Zach's classic "I made the devil do it" face. You read that right.

Too Good A Day To Pass Up - REMIX!!

2008-07-17T15:00:00.003-06:00

Due to some negative (albeit funny) remarks about my previous post, I'm choosing to edit this entry!!! Ok, so my wonderful wife pointed out that I've been taking pictures of everyone's kids but our own. The nice 8x10s we have on our family room wall were taken 13 months ago. I offered to switch them out for 8x10s that I took around Christmas, just to get our pictures within the last year. But, she won out and these shots are the result. Actually, there were quite a few good ones in the bunch. I can't believe how old Jake looks in them. It's one of those times where you see your kid and instantly know how he'll look when he's 16 or 18. He was more interested in chasing the rabbits that were all over the place than standing still for a picture, but we still got some of him. I know I'm getting in a rut by shooting in the same location everytime, but my little town isn't really a cultural hub. Instead of gardens with sculptures and old cathedrals with amazing architecture, we have a Dick's Sporting Goods and the old sugar beet mill. Granted, we also have the Rocky Mountains in our backyard, but whatever.

Could he look any older???

Como!

2008-07-14T14:34:00.003-06:00

Torrey and I got back from 5 days at Camp Como with RMCC yesterday. We were both exhausted, but refreshed from a fun week at camp. I was a counselor in a cabin of 11 6th grade boys. I'm amazed at how kids at that age never seem to run out of energy or creative ways to say 'fart'. Even 2 hours after "Lights out"... when you're totally exhausted... and your bunk is 3 inches too short for you... and the whole room smells like a pile of sweat socks left overnight in a sauna. And then, everyone finally drifts off to sleep and you can finally try to salvage the few remaining hours of sleep, only to have one kid start a coughing fit that lasts until 3am. Good times!

Como is a tiny little "town" that's settled in an amazing valley in SW Colorado. The campground is probably three times the size of the actual town itself. And, with 140 kids in attendance, we probably quadrupled the town's population. The camp experience was great for both Torrey and I. It was a time of spiritual renewal and healing for a lot of campers and staff. I found myself wishing that we could do it all over again as soon as Sunday arrived. Can't wait for next year!

Wyatt

2008-07-08T10:01:00.003-06:00

Thanks to Bobbie Jo for referring me to Wyatt's family for this shoot! Wyatt is a cool kid with a great smile. He was really easy to work with and I really liked how these shots came out!

They're only $15.00 + Shipping!

2008-06-24T12:47:00.000-06:00

Some Shots From The Weekend

2008-06-23T13:43:00.003-06:00

I took a few pictures over the weekend and I thought I'd post some favorites. My buddy Frenchy and I went up fishing at a private lake outside of Georgetown. The day started off amazing. Sun shining. Fish biting. Then, halfway through June, it started to snow/ sleet on us. Got to love life in Colorado.

Frenchy lands a nice one.

On Saturday, our friends Greg and June brought one of their horses by our house on the way to a show. I took this picture of Lily and Bobo together.

My New Favorite Thing

2008-06-23T11:23:00.002-06:00

I've noticed on CNN.com recently that they occassionally have a little t-shirt logo next their headlines. I clicked it and it takes you to a store on their website where you can buy a t-shirt with the headline printed on it. The shirts are arguably the most random ones I've ever seen. It would make my day to see someone actually wearing a shirt that read:

Rockies vs Giants

2008-06-12T12:37:00.003-06:00

For Father's Day, my sister gave her husband tickets to last night's Rockies game. I was invited along with my dad to go and cheer on the defending NL Champs. We arrived an hour or so before first pitch and I got into position to get a few autographs. Matt Cain of the Giants was a nice guy and signed my card for me along with a bunch of other stuff for the Giants fans. Then, I moved over the first base side of the field along with 150 of my closest friends to try and get signatures from the Rox as they came onto the field. Both Chris Iannetta and Ryan Spilborghs took my card from me, only to hand it right back without signing. This, of course, would prove to be a disastrous move for them as no one denies me a signature without some grave karmic consequences. They would both deserve what was coming for them later in the night. I haven't stood on the Rockies sideline for autographs before. I was amazed that Todd Helton, Matt Holliday and Garret Atkins all signed for people (people farther down the line than me that is). Ian Stewart also signed for a few kids. It was fun standing that close to the field and getting some pictures of them on the field. I didn't have much of a shot from our seats during the game, but I'm happy with many of the ones I took up close.

Todd Helton warming up.

Matt Holliday about to start throwing with Brad Hawpe.

Chris Iannetta signing for the people all around me. He would suffer an injury while at the plate at the end of the game. He writhed in pain on the ground near home plate in what could only be described as a "karma is a you-know-what" injury.

Like Iannetta, Ryan Spilborghs twice denied me for an autograph. He reached for my card and started to take it when he said "time out!" and turned around for the National Anthem. I grabbed this pic of him while he was contemplating either the state of our nation or whether not signing my card would bring down a cosmic hammer of bad juju upon him. He turned back around after the song ended and started signing for the guy next to me and then proceeded down the line. He would then proceed to strike out during a key rally and kill an inning for the Rockies later in the game. Coincidence???

Ian Stewart all smiles before warming up.

It's Good To Be A Twins Fan!

2008-05-20T12:58:00.001-06:00

That is until you see this video. Then, you pretty much need to go wash the shame off of you in the shower. This is dedicated to Lock and Luke.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

2008-05-19T12:29:00.013-06:00

This weekend was the sports equivalent of finding money in the pocket of a pair of pants. I was able to go to two Rockies games; one with Heather and a bunch of friends, and one with Jake. My brother-in-law/ punch magnet, Luke, went to both games as well. It's always an adventure with Luke at a game. He's kind of like the neighbor's pit bull. You're told he's nice and all, but you also won't be surprised to learn that he bit some old lady's shoulder off. With Luke, you just get that feeling that it's only a matter of time before he makes some comment to a drunk dude next to you that ends up getting you smacked in the face and security called down.

Both games were against the Minnesota Twins, my wife's favorite team. I couldn't believe the number of Twins fans around us. Our section was like our own little White Bear Lake. It was mini-Chaska, only without all the culture and sophistication. The Rox lost the game, but I breathed easy throughout the game since Luke was among his own kind.

The Sunday game was great. Jake was excited to see Coors Field for the first time. The weather was amazing and the Rockies won. The Rox hit a pair of bombs and Twins' slugger Justin Morneau added one. It was cool to see the big guys hitting. I brought my camera to both games for my first attempt at gameday photos.

I try to fit as many planets in my pictures as possible. I thought the moon looked cool above the stadium as the sun was going down.

Twins' phenom Carlos Gomez.

Our group from Friday in Little Moose Lake, MN.

Helton's home run from the Sunday win over Minnesota.

Jake at his first Rockies game!

I call this shot "The Whiff".

The ladies were all disappointed that Rockies' eye candy Matt Holliday wasn't in attendance in right field. Ryan Spilborgh's butt doesn't have the same attraction (so I'm told).

Twins' closer Joe Nathan was an autograph machine. He signed for Luke and I and approximately 200 other people before the game. Why can't they all be like him??!!

Nana and Papa's Visit!

2008-05-12T11:40:00.005-06:00

The in-laws were in town this weekend and their visit gave me a nice excuse to break out the camera again. We drove around in the mountains on Saturday, taking pictures of everyone and got to experience every season in 3 hours. It started out cold and windy in Boulder, then turned into a white-out snowstorm in Nederland, only to have a nice sunny drive on the way home. That's Colorado for you.

Random thought for the day: Every fight is a food fight, if you're a cannibal.

I love this shot of Nana and Papa!

Zach pretty much has this expression all the time and it's frightening.

I liked this little tree growing out of the top of a huge rock.

Some more fun with the new lens

2008-05-06T18:52:00.004-06:00

We went for a drive the other day and found this rundown old building with brightly painted garage doors. Since the "No Trespassing" sign had been knocked down when someone threw an old couch onto the property, I figured it was OK to venture over to them and take some shots.

Boom! Headshot!

2008-05-02T00:06:00.005-06:00

I shot these with my new lens today. I picked up a Canon 50mm 1.8 lens with a Christmas GC from my lovely wife's family. Very happy to try it out on these handsome dudes again! I love this lens!

Braedan and Trey

2008-05-01T10:08:00.004-06:00

Does it get better than shooting kids in John Deere shirts at a farm? I submit that it does not! These brothers were great to work with. Great smiles and attitudes make my life easier. I love taking pictures down on the farm.

This shot was Bobbie Jo's idea and it was great!

Shots from the Mall

2008-04-30T15:46:00.006-06:00

I had the opportunity to shoot some family shots for our friends Greg and June and their two great kids. The weather couldn't have been better for the shoot. I've enjoyed every chance I've had to take pictures of these kids.

Shots From The Weekend

2008-04-21T11:15:00.006-06:00

I had the opportunity to shoot KC and Amy's extended family last weekend as well as my new nephew, Charlie. My days always seem better when I have my camera clicking. I enjoyed the morning at the park and the kids really shined. Zachary's hair is amazing. Here are some highlights from the morning shoot:

Charlie is a tiny little thing. Hard to believe he's a pound heavier than when he was born. He's the smallest baby I've ever seen in person. Cute kid with wrinkles everywhere. I'll post more of him as I process them this week.

My First Wedding!

2008-04-14T12:26:00.004-06:00

Well, I finally got to shoot some shots during an actual wedding. There were two professionals shooting along with an assistant, so I had to pick my spots without blocking the pros. I'm pretty happy with the shots I took. Here are a few that I particularly enjoyed. The setting was beautiful and the weather cooperated nicely.

Both wedding parties looked great, but Tami stole the show (as she should have). It was really fun to get to shoot people who looked their absolute best. The photographers were all set up at the bottom of the staircase when the bride walked down. I thought it would be better to take some reaction shots of Steve since I would have had a crummy angle for the bride. I'm happy I did since Steve's reaction to his bride was priceless. I love the picture of him wiping his eyes as all eyes were on the bride's entrance.

My daughter, Leah, was the flower girl and looked radiant. My nephew, Dawson, was the ringbearer. I love any chance I get to shoot them and this day was too perfect. They both looked great and the compliments rained down on them throughout the day.

Finally, my cousin's daughter, Lucy, wowed the crowd with her Flamenco. She's almost seven and danced wonderfully. She spun and stomped like she invented the dance. Len Goodman gave her a 9.

Miss me?

2008-04-12T14:57:00.009-06:00

Well, I've finally been able to take some more pictures of not only my kids, but my first wedding rehearsal! Tami and Steve's wedding is tomorrow and I'll be taking candids and background shots, not the main pictures. I'm excited to have my camera in my hand again and these shots were a lot of fun to take. It's fun to have my daughter in their wedding as the flower girl. She's so excited to get to wear a fancy dress and have her hair done with jewels in it!

The War Against The Machines Has Begun!

2008-03-17T11:36:00.003-06:00

Today's video clip is a reminder to us all that the the machines are watching us. They may seem like they aren't plotting against us, waiting for their moment to take over the world, but they clearly are. How else can you explain a car reacting like this to a dude jamming to Queen?

Idol Worship

2008-03-13T10:24:00.008-06:00

Well, male stripper-turned-American Idol contestant Danny Hernandez was shown the door by the voting public last night. Despite a near Chipmunk-like performance by Kristy Lee Cook and a forgettable song by this year's Idol crush, Syesha, Danny couldn't stay in the competition. I think the news of his previous work in the spotlight got the better of him. Or it was the fact that dirty dollar bills kept falling out of his pants as he danced through the crowd during his song.

America learned why David Archuletta prefers to remain still when he sings. He forgot the words to his song more than once during his performance. He showed his immaturity when he tried the always difficult "sing and walk down three stairs" maneuver.

My boy Judge Dread, Jason Castro, also showed a side of himself that I didn't really want to see. During the video interview played before he sang "If I Fell" (brilliantly as usual for that dude), he appeared to be surrounded by flies or gnats. It may be time to mix in some shampoo into the daily routine. Dread's voice is by far my favorite in this competition. I hope he wins this thing.

Heather's Idol crush, David Cook, had another solid week. His first two verses were only average, but he absolutely killed on the chorus of "Eleanor Rigby". I don't think he can win, but the wife sure does.

Big props this week to Paula Abdul for either taking the right combination of pills or avoiding medication altogether. Not sure which one. But, she was mostly coherent and didn't appear to be hallucinating at any point in the show. She also abstained from the usual blithering over the various colors, smells, textures and other things that music conjures up for her.

Amanda Overmyer's ongoing tribute to Pepe Le'Pew continued for another week. At some point, she's going to have to stop dressing like Beetlejuice, right? Which reminds, this year's crop of contestants has easily the highest % of celebrity look-a-likes of any year. Here are some of the highlights:

Amanda Overmyer and Beetlejuice

David Archuletta and Bindi Irwin

Michael Johns and Timothy Daly from Wings

Jason Castro and Elizabeth Mitchell from L O S T

Chikezie and Isaac Washington from The Love Boat

Back With A Bang!

2008-03-04T10:25:00.002-07:00

It's such a rarity to hear an announcer call it like it is when there's an injury to an athlete of a, um, delicate nature. This announcer needs to be calling NFL games on Sundays.

Double Shot Thursday!

2008-02-21T14:44:00.002-07:00

Because I love most of you, and don't wish grave bodily harm for the others, I bring you this magnificent SECOND video of the day. If I wasn't ready for Semi-Pro before, I am now.

The Recovery Is Not Going Well

2008-02-21T14:13:00.002-07:00

One of my absolute favorite news anchor clips! I love the anchor's response after the video clip is stopped. Lightning will mess you up!

For Your Listening Pleasure

2008-02-19T11:36:00.002-07:00

This guy took all of the annoying beeps and sounds that Windows makes and turned them into a groovy little song.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-18T13:06:00.003-07:00

Here's a little something to make you appreciate the woman that said "Yes" to your marriage proposal. The greatest part of this clip, for me, is the the poor dude walking off the court with the mascot consoling him. You know you feel like a polyp on the colon of life when Clutch the Rocket Bear is the shoulder you lean on after your woman kicks you in the grief bone. I also thought it was cool that Nostradamus was able to call the game.

Freeze!

2008-02-14T13:10:00.002-07:00

This is really impressive. 200 people all freezing in place in Grand Central Station as the rest of the world moves around them and wonders what has happened. This is one of the best pranks I've ever seen.

Quite The Handicap

2008-02-13T11:57:00.002-07:00

I'm not sure why this would make it more difficult to climb Mt Everest, but that's why they're she's the news anchor and I'm just a dumb member of the general public.

Anchorman week rolls on!

Anchorman Week Rolls On!

2008-02-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm dedicating this week to great moments in news broadcasting. Today's clip is one of my absolute favorites. You may remember Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills player who was temporarily paralyzed in a game against the Broncos in week 1 of the 2007 season. The fact that he regained mobility in his arms and legs was a medical miracle. The following clip has to be an anchor's worst nightmare.

Another One Bites The Dust

2008-02-11T13:09:00.002-07:00

We've already seen how a news reporter shouldn't ever look up when reporting. Now, we learn that they should stand perfectly still. And wear a helmet.

All I Could Make Was A Staircase

2008-02-07T13:20:00.000-07:00

This guy's got a real talent. Not sure what else to say about a guy who takes an Etch-A-Sketch to the next level. I didn't know there was a second level to an Etch-A-Sketch. Thought there was only one. Ground floor: Slinkies, Birds That Bob Their Heads In Water, and Etch-A-Sketches.

When Ninjas Play Sports

2008-02-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what it would look like if ninjas played soccer? Well, this video will give you the answer you so desperately want. The soundtrack is garbage, so keep the volume low or off. It won't hurt the video if it's muted. These dudes are amazing. Too bad everyone else who plays this lame sport are such weenies.

When Bad Things Happen To Good Pranksters

2008-01-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Since I have no new photos for display today, I thought I'd throw this little gem up for your enjoyment.

Scary

2008-01-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Baby Scared of Fart -

He Should Have Seen That Coming

2008-01-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

This is amazing. I will never look up again.

Would you like fries with that?

2008-01-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

In today's magnificent batch of junk mail, I found this coupon from the local Ford dealership. At first, I thought it was a great idea, but the more you think about it, the worse this coupon seems. I mean, who makes the sandwich? The guy changing your oil? While you're sitting in the car, does a greasy hand reach up from underneath the car and hand you the food? What if you want a drink? Do they offer Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and 10W-30 Pepsi? Do I need another drink in 3,000 miles? There are a lot of unanswered questions with this coupon.

The other thing that bothers me is the unnecessary disclaimer that says "diesel extra". I'm ordering a sandwich. It would be foolish of me to expect them to throw diesel in for free. They don't do it with guacamole, so why would I expect it with diesel. I would be mad, however, if they charged me more than the price at the pump for it. Personally, I'll stick with mustard.

Greatest Hits Part II

2008-01-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

A few more favorites I ran across while going through the archives. I can hardly wait for the weather to warm up a bit so I can start shooting outdoors again!

Greatest Hits

2008-01-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my archived photos today. I thought I'd post a few shots I took right after I bought my DSLR. These were taken around Thanksgiving, 2006 in Minnesota. I loved all of these trees and the great parks there. Such great outdoor settings for pictures!

Cakes' Birthday

2008-01-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

My sister asked me to shoot a few pictures of Caitlyn before her birthday party. Cakes was excited to wear her princess dress and to accessorize. She got a box of dress up clothes for her birthday and was completely amazed with the shoes and day-glo jewelry in it.

Go Taem Go!

2008-01-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

I thought this picture taken at last Monday's BCS National Championship was an absolute classic. Not only did LSU run all over Ohio State in the game, but it would seem that the drubbing took its toll on the cheerleaders as well.

2007-12-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

A few highlights from the 21-person shoot last weekend. It was an honor for me to get to take this group portrait. What a great family! Thanks for allowing me the chance to shoot you all.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Christmas for our family was a blast this year. We spent the night in the mountains at my parents' house. The kids loved it and we woke up to snow on Christmas morning. The kids got snowboards and quickly got the hang of them on the hill behind the house. It was a really fun day and I know the kids won't ever forget it.

Jake looked like exactly like Optimus Prime on Christmas morning. Especially if Optimus wore camoflage jammies with feet.

It was a photo finish between Grampy and Jake.

Christmas Eve morning at Great-Grammie's house with the cousins.

Brian & Katie's pre-engagement shoot

2007-12-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was happy to get to shoot a few pre-engagement shots for this couple. Plus, we got to shoot a few outdoors, too and I love natural light.

Lily and Jackson in studio

2007-12-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

This brother and sister pair have great smiles and they're a lot of fun. They're both total hams and did a great job in the studio.

My First Studio Shoot

2007-12-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I was scheduled to shoot Steve's extended family on Saturday. However, snow and freezing temps don't help make the perfect pictures for outdoor group shots. Thankfully, I was able to use my buddy's studio. He's a professional photographer and graciously allowed me to set up shop in his office. After fiddling with the lights and settings, I took these shots. This family couldn't have been easier to work with and I appreciate them bearing with me as I tried to figure out how not to burn myself with the lights.

It's Showtime!

2007-12-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Starring You! eCards on JibJab

Leah turns 5!

2007-11-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

We threw a surprise 5th birthday party for Leah last night. She was pretty darn excited. She received some great gifts including a pair of singing Hannah Montana dolls that will undoubtedly lead to me to sitting in a clock tower with a high-powered rifle someday. Hearing ""Best of Both Worlds" for the 1000th time in 14 hours has me longing for the next world.

The birthday girl.

Jackson and his great grandmother at the party.

Zach vs Legos

2007-11-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Zach was building with his Legos yesterday. He was trying to make the tallest tower/ robot (they look the same to me, but apparently there are major differences that I cannot see) that he could. Three straight times, he built a decent tower-bot only to have it topple over. After the third crash, he just sat there and looked completely defeated. That's when I captured the first image. Then, after thinking about it his situation, he decided it was fun when they toppled over and started building them just to watch them fall.

More shots from the big shoot

2007-11-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd add a few more shots from this week. I'm still excited about the family portraits I was able to take. It was a real confidence boost for me and a lot of fun.

My First 6-Family Shoot!

2007-11-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I was able fortunate enough to get to shoot portraits of not only my family, but of my sister's and four friends' as well. The setting was really fantastic. It started out cold, but warmed up nicely as the day went on. Thank you to Mike and Amber, Hunter and Melanie, Steve and Misti, KC and Amy, and Joe and Marla for sharing your beautiful families with my
camera. Here are some favorites of mine from the weekend.

Zach was on fire. These are some of my favorite pictures I've ever taken of him.

Torrey and Caitlyn

Joe and his sons

Mylee and Kenna brought their usual great smiles.

Hayden had some great smiles and a ton of energy!

Kylee really was fun to shoot and I loved this barn wall.

Leah's Kids Choir Debut!

2007-11-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

The kids choir at our church performed in the main sanctuary this past Sunday. Leah was excited because she was going to get to be up front just like Jake and Torrey. After the first song, I moved down from my seat to a pew that was just off of the stage. It didn't take Leah long to see me with the video camera. Unfortunately, she had also just figured out the night before that she's really good at crossing her eyes. Any shaking of the camera is when I was wiping tears from my eyes from laughing. I'm not sure who was more distracting to the people around us.

Now I Feel Old

2007-11-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

I found this great clip from CU's 1989 National Championship team today. I vividly remember sitting in our usual seats, 5th row, 40 yard-line in the West stands and watching this play come together. Everyone was standing and as the play got farther away from us, it was tough to see Flannigan score, but the erruption from the crowd was amazing. It's hard to believe that this play happened nearly 18 years ago!

The Leaf Pile

2007-11-03T08:38:00.000-06:00

My wife hates fall in Colorado. Unless you're in the mountains, the color change of the leaves isn't nearly as spectacular as it is in Minnesota. We don't have a lot of red fall leaves out here. They mostly turn a dirty yellow-brown. But, a pile of dirty brown leaves is still fun.

Now I Can Enjoy The World Series!

2007-11-02T13:13:00.000-06:00

Well, my Official Major League World Series Baseball arrived in the mail. It looks amazing. The leather is pristine. Completely unblemished in any way. This must have been one that was used when the Rockies were on offense. Now I can really get into the spirit of the World Series!

As soon as my Official National League Champions ball ships (backordered) I'll be ready to celebrate winning the NL Pennant, too! Thanks MLB.com!

Actually, I'm not that disappointed in the Rockies' performance during the Series. Only because if you had told me that they would be there in the first place at the beginning of the season I would have flipped out. This organization fell bass-ackwards into a championship caliber team. After years of bad free agent decisions and questionable moves with their prospects, it all came together at exactly the right time.

I'll never forget getting to see games 3 & 4 of the NLCS in person. I've been to some great sporting events, but Coors Field was incredible for those games. Game 4 in particular was amazing. The only bummer about that game was the 6'14" guy standing in front of us the whole time. Having to stand behind Lurch during the game and to try to peek over his shoulder to see what was happening on the field was lame. I felt bad for my buddy, Tiny, who was sitting with us. As his nickname might imply, he's a bit vertically challenged. But, what he lacks in height, he makes up for in back hair. He had to stand on his chair for most of the game to try and see around the giant.

We also had "That Guy" in our section. By the fourth pitch of the first inning, I could tell that I was going to hate That Guy. Usually, That Guy is my brother-in-law, Luke. Somehow he ends up getting his section to yell at him to quit standing up, or standing on his chair, or to put his clothes back on. Thankfully, Luke was sitting in a different section, undoubtedly being "That Guy' for that section (as evidenced by him getting slapped in the face by someone behind him, spit on and security called). Our That Guy was also a complete annoyance. He would stand and shout "VIVA (insert name of Hispanic Rockies player)!" over and over again. All of his cheers were shouted in Spanish, even though the guy was whiter than I am. I have nothing against Spanish cheering, either. It's simply that That Guy had to yell it over and over again until I'm trying to figure out how I can hang myself with my Go Rockies! towel. My kids don't have electronic toys that are that annoying, and if you have 4 kids, you know that's saying something. By the end of the night, "Viva Anything"! became the battle cry for us. I don't think anyone punched him during the game. I think if Luke had been sitting in our section at the same time that the time-space continuum could have been affected somehow.

Getting swept in the World Series is a downer, but the bigger picture for the Rockies is much brighter than that. This is a young team loaded with talent. Hopefully Helton can stay around for another season or two. Most importantly, hopefully the organization realizes that they should pay these players, especially Holliday, to stay. If they keep this team together, 2007 won't be their only shot to win a World Series.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T22:52:00.001-06:00

Halloween was fun. We hit the neighborhood with our friends, Greg and June, and their kids. I've never seen this much candy in my life. Torrey figured out how to double dip at each house. She'd line up on the left of the group of kids, get her candy and then quickly move to the far right and get it again. Jake busted her at one house and she quit cheating. I had to remind Jake that we don't rat out our siblings on Halloween. Especially when these were houses that were giving out full-sized candy bars! Needless to say, my wife has a nice collection of chocolate in the freezer that they'll never see.

Each of our kids complained of stomach aches before bed.

Leah the unicorn

G.I. Jackson

A little help from our ninja

Torrey looked like she should be juggling fire batons on Pearl Street.

Zach was dressed like a ladybug. Somehow, he ended up with the M-16. He would go up to a house and say "Trick or treat! I'm going to kill you! I want that one!" and point to the candy bowl. Not sure where he learned all of this, but I blame the public school system. Or the Democrats. Either way, you didn't want to mess with Rambo Ladybug.

Wow! It's about time!

2007-10-25T14:01:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that it's been this long since my last post and since I was able to take any pictures at all. Thankfully, fall birthdays and Halloween provide great opportunities to shoot. My sister had a large Halloween party at her home last week. All the kids came in costume. Here were some of my favorites.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2007-09-20T19:00:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday to my mom! I hope you have a great day today!

Z Part II

2007-09-19T12:10:00.000-06:00

I found a couple more shots from Zach's party that I thought I'd post. He loved his birthday. He said he loved riding the train, the bumping cars (which we didn't do), the bumping boats (which we did do) and the helicopter (???). Having a three-year-old is a bizarre experience at times. He adds the word 'mud' to a lot of what he says just because he thinks it's funny. At the dinner table, he makes sure he says "A-mud" when we pray.

The birthday duo

More bumping boats

Zach and Heather's Birthdays

2007-09-17T08:52:00.000-06:00

We spent Saturday in Estes Park with my folks and celebrated birthdays for Heather and Zach. It was a great day at the mini-amusement park there. The kids loved the bungee trampoline, go-carts, bumper boats and water balloon launchers. Zach tried to blow out his candles and ended up spitting all over his cake. Thankfully, no one but Heather and I noticed (sorry Mike and Amber if you're reading this now). He was so excited for his cake that he basically plowed his face into his piece. Not sure why, since he's more than competent with silverware.

The Birthday Boy prior to cake.

Leah, Torrey and Jake loved the bungie tramp.

Cake, meet Zach.

As if the cake hadn't suffered enough.

Zach loves the 'bumping boats'.

Stinky

2007-09-13T16:15:00.000-06:00

The other day, I'm driving in to work and I'm listening to Fox News on XM. The story they're discussing is a disgruntled employee who tried to kill his boss by poisoning her coffee. When she left her office, the dude snuck in and dumped xylene into her coffee cup. His troubles began when she realized she forgot something in the office and went back to get it, catching him in the act. The best part of the story is the Fox News analyst who described xylene as "an odorless, sweet-smelling liquid". Huh?

Let me also throw something else out. You know how when you first got TiVo you were totally blown away? And how you still have a friend or two that don't see "the need" for it so they remain with their heads buried in the commercial-ridden sand? And now that you have TiVo, you can't even consider watching regular, pedestrian television? That's how life is when you have satellite radio in your car. The poor people of the world who suffer through wacky FM deejays all day look at you like you're using $20 bills as toilet paper when you tell them you have XM. They don't understand why you wouldn't want to listen to Mike and The Bone and 15 straight minutes of commercials while you drive home. But, like TiVo, once you have it, you understand. If you have a daily commute that lasts longer than 2 minutes, you don't know the quality of life you are missing.

Always Bet on Black

2007-09-11T11:20:00.000-06:00

I have to recommend to anyone looking for a good book Black by Ted Dekker. I finished it just a couple of days ago and pounded out the sequel, Red, in a day and a half. If my wife will hurry up and finish the third book in the series, White, I'll be a happy camper. Black starts by blindfolding you, spinning you around in circles a dozen or so times and then letting you walk into a wall. Your nose stings and you wonder why you thought this was such a good idea. After 70 pages or so, the confusion starts to subside and you begin to feel that you made the right choice by not dropping the book. By the time you finish, you can't wait to get your hands on the second book in the series. I don't really want to delve into the plot all that much because it's more fun to discover it on your own. Think CS Lewis + The Lord of the Rings + the Matrix + Armageddon. That about covers it. Pick up the series and thank me later.

The Hook

2007-09-07T09:10:00.000-06:00

If you haven't gone to the dark side yet, I suggest you hit McDonald's for a Iced Vanilla Coffee. Frenchy gave me grief on our fishing trip when I started to go through withdrawal, but once he had one, he was also hooked. It's half the price of a Starbucks and it's easily as tasty. The only reason I even care about the price is that I can justify buying two in a day as opposed to one Starbucks.

Speaking of Frenchy, that dude cracks me up. We're fishing for four days, living out of a camper trailer, and we're on the water for 14-15 hours a day. So, because the wives are at home, we don't take time to do the usual daily hygiene procedures like shave, brush teeth, change underwear, etc. The fish really don't care. And, if I offend someone down river with my odor or greasy hair, then maybe they'll leave and I can fish their spot. It's a win-win. What cracked me up the most on the trip was that Frenchy, after four days of not shaving, only grows a pointy mustache. No beard growth whatsoever. Dude only sprouts a 'stache that looks like something Jimmy Buffet would sing about. He's only missing the white linen jacket and straw hat and he could be the new host of Fantasy Island. Or he could just chase Peter Pan around. Lots of possibilities with that 'stache.

I've got a hankerin'!

2007-08-31T09:16:00.000-06:00

When we were in Seattle, Heather had a hankerin' for some gum. Rather than hit any one of 100 stores in the market, she went down to the Gum Wall and helped herself. Yes, that is gum all over that wall. It's fairly disgusting, but strangely artistic as well.

Here's a pic of Heather and the girls from our Mueller State Park trip. I'm still amazed at how great the setting was at that campground.

Since I've posted a couple pics of Heather, here are some more from this summer.

Heather and Leah at the park

Mueller State Park

2007-08-29T13:39:00.000-06:00

This year, we leapt from our comfort zone and camped at several different campgrounds. One of our favorites was Mueller State Park outside of Colorado Springs. The campsite had an amazing view of the back of Pikes Peak and a huge open meadow for the kids to play in. It was a gorgeous spot and we'd love to go back next summer.

Pikes Peak at sunset

Leah and Zach running in the meadow

Back from vacation!

2007-08-28T10:28:00.000-06:00

I'm back from a 4-day fly fishing trip on the Yampa river outside of Steamboat Springs. Had a great time and caught some large fish. The weather could not have been more perfect. The highlight of the trip was my buddy, Dan, hooking a muskrat. The muskrat fought hard, and finally broke off. I kept yelling for Dan to net it, but he was too afraid. I would have paid to see Frenchy try and get that sucker out of his net.

I thought I'd post a few shots from my first-ever non-family shoot. Steve and Misti have two wonderful girls and it was a great day for pictures by the lake.

In Honor of The Meltdown

2007-08-23T09:22:00.000-06:00

On August 12, Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox set the Major League Baseball record for most career game ejections. He's been booted from a game 132 times in his career as a manager and player. In honor of Cox's incredible career performance, I give you my son, Zach, and the times he hasn't been to happy on and off the field of play.

The Battle for the Stroller

Zach's actually a really happy kid. For some reason, I always seem to be pointing the camera at him when he's not terribly thrilled with something or someone.

Some favorite summer photos

2007-08-22T13:48:00.000-06:00

This summer really provided some great opportunities for kid photos. We spent a lot of time camping and being together outside. I thought I'd post some of my favorite shots of the kids from this summer.

I love this picture of my nephew, Dawson, taken on the 4th of July. He's hovering over the sidewalk.

Jake and Leah

Zach

Jake one second after he hit a tennis ball over the house
Leah in Heather's cowbot hat

Of Whales and Space Needles

2007-08-22T12:43:00.000-06:00

Heather and I loved our roadie up the Oregon coast. The scenery was fantastic and we loved cruising in the convertible Mustang for 5 days. Perfect weather for nearly the entire trip. Depoe Bay was our favorite stop. We had a blast on a 2 hour whale watching tour. No humpbacks, but we got to see a pair of gray whales up close and personal. After looking for them for 20 minutes or so, one surfaced suddenly directly behind our little boat. Amazing to see these gigantic creatures from only 30-40 feet away.

Our trip rounded out with a stop in Seattle. It was the first time either of us had seen that city. Amazing place. Heather took a ridiculously great picture of the Space Needle from the car as we drove by it. Could not have turned out better. I ran it through some filters in PS and added the text at the bottom so we could hang it on Torrey's wall. Her room has a world-travel theme to it, so it works well.

Heather was a nervous wreck on the elevator trip to the top. The tour guide in the elevator had his back to the glass doors explaining the history of the Needle on the way up. I thought my wife was going to pass out. The views were amazing and the city was wonderful. It's too bad we had such a short time there, but it was a blast nonetheless.

Jackson

2007-08-21T14:34:00.000-06:00

I was able to take some pictures of my newest nephew, Jackson, yesterday. I was pretty pleased with how the shots turned out.

My favorite