Our little Christmas Angel

Merry Christmas to one and all. Here is a picutre of our new Christmas Angel this year. SHe is loving all the lovely decorations and things to explore. I hope your day is filled with love and peace:)

Merry Christmas to you

{week 4} tree trimming

while I was away on my girls weekend...Kent and the trio went out in search of a tree. Grady thought it was great. We haven't had a "real" tree since Grady was a baby since babies and trees don't always get along. So this year is our year to stay home for the Christmas so we thought a real one was in order. It is perfect. Flat along the backside so we can push right up to the window. Grady loved putting the candycanes on it. Its a beauty. Merry Christmas to all.


"Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when
the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail
over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and
deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God."
~George F. McDougall~

{Piano Concert} Williams Lake Seniors Village

Makenna loved her piano lessons. She had her first recital at the Seniors Village today. She play Jolly Old St Nick. She did great! Grady loved the Seniors Village....makes himself right at home. He sat with his Nana and cousins for a while then joined me after a pout... then ended the show off laying on the ground behind all the seniors. (cause you know this is gramies other house...she has fish here!)
I love having piano music in our home...

{week 3} baking

making Christmas cookies is always soooo much fun. especially when there is flour included....it was everywhere....

{Elf Hip Hop Dance} Grady

Grady's turn for a dancing premier!:) Grady has been practising for this elf hip hop dance on thursdays at preschool...the teachers said he loved it! But the performance was on tuesdays...so he was a little shy to be going on a different day. But the music started and he didn't miss a beat!:) He had the same amazing dance teacher; Melissa; that the girls have...I love the last shot in the series of mr D...who spotted his momma:) Here's hoping the elves take some time to dance...

{maternity} Mara

i don't think Mara knew what she was in for...when she agreed to be our super model for the afternoon...my good friend & photographer friend Leslie and I took Ms. Mara out for a fun maternity session. It is great to get out and shoot for the love of shooting.
Oh she is just glowing....and a whole lot of babies....Yes! TWINS....boys...both expected in early February. I can't wait to meet the boys! Thanks for the visit Mara...and watch out Canada's Maternity Top Mara...she is ready to shine!:)

{week 2} crafting

I'm sure on day this little table will be outgrown...but it one of the most well used little tables around. Here is the trio doing some craftin together....scissors and tape are always a hit at this table. Oh happy day that G is craftin with them.

{family session} Mackinnon

doing a bit of catch up on my blogging...
 Here is a session from a great family...K & K were amazing...full of smiles and treats:)
in true Cariboo fashion this session was almost rained out. that day is was sunny, cloudy, rainy and then when we met for the shoot...the sun came out and the rain that had fallen glistened!  Thanks Melinda for having me capture your family.

{Okanagan Bridal Expo}

Pack up the car I smell a road trip...MARK YOUR CALENDAR;
check it out I will have an amazing booth set-up at the Okanagan  Bridal Expo being help January 8th 2012 at Prospera Place in Kelowna. Amazing door prices and a whole huge list of great vendors. Planning a wedding? this is the must go to event. Check it our HERE. Stop in and say HI! I will have a great gift for all the brides!:)

Dance class

my girls have taken dance class with Melissa since Makenna was 3 and Carrigan was too little to be in it...Melissa is an amazing lady who provides an amazing dance experience to our lovely girls of the cariboo. She is now doing classes out of the rec centre. this was the girls dance recital for their class...Carrigan designed her own outfit....nothing plain for my girl. Makenna as usual was happy to be in pink. during the class mr brother Grady was making funny faces in the mirrors across the room....lovely brother!:)
good job girls!:)
(the photos are a little grainy...i didn't use any flash cause the mood was set for the performance...just bumped up the iso!)

52 weeks {week 1} sledding fun

I finished up my weekly photo challenge of my kids in the summer....since then I've only taken candid shots of them a handful of times. So I've decided to once again start the challenge again. From these weekly photos this is what I design my kids yearly album after. It encourages me to capture them in action in their little life and wow do they change quickly. I LOVE this shot...Grady obviously isn't that thrilled with the super fast ride down the hill and into the fence...even though they did it a half a dozen times....ahhh! winter fun...my kids are wishing for more snow. They like Daddy to pull them on the toboggan with his fast sled.
Game back on...I've been busy this fall...lots of blogging to catch up on! Stay tuned!:)

Happy Halloween {go seahawks}

I'm so far behind in blogging these days...but really wanted to get these halloween photos up before its christmas...we had a seattle seahawks FOOTBALL player, and two cute little cheerleaders.  We made it to the end of the street and back...with a huge bag of candy for all. Grady was so cute...he thanked each person for the treats and then said "Happy Halloween"....

{family session} Neuner

parenthood looks great on these too! my husband and Clayton have been friends since high school. . We are so happy they chose to jump on to the parenthood train....how does one explain the joy of parenthood when all they hear about it the crying etc...
I LOVE LOVE the photo on their step of their home!:)

check out this amazing little man...he was such an amazing model for this shoot. Full of giggles and smiles even when he was fed up. gotta love a client who choses a chair with a session in mind:)

{family session} Okanagan

This is a family that is near and dear to my heart...it is amazing to see them grow up to be such amazing souls...hard not to be with a great mama like they have. Thanks Nichole for letting me capture your family. I love love the photos of Kaylene with the roses...only in the Okanagan would the roses still be blooming while the pears are ready to be picked. I really think Koalden needs to stop growing...I'm sure the next time I see him he will be taller than me.... xoxoxo

{Holiday Mini Session} Info

Looking for a quick way to update your walls...and have a christmas card designed for the upcoming holiday....here is a  great way to capture your family is a 20 minute mini session. I will donate 25$ from each session to the Children's Wish Breakfast~

Bliss Boutique

 Do you want to see what I've been working on...click on the link above to "weddings" to check out my new site that I've been working on....then on the Bliss site you can click back on home blog to come back. Enjoy....

{family session} Cantelo's

A great session with an amazing bunch!~ A kind, considerate and loving family~who rocked their session...oh yes and they were sooo much fun. Happy happy that their lovely Momma tracked me down to capture their family before their oldest graduates and spreads her wings into the great big world. I love the relationship the older girls have with their little bro...(reminds me of me and my little bro)

Great time for a family session...amazing colors!

  J is dripping with personality...I love the last shot...right back at ya J!:)  too cute for words...

{fall challenge} 10km run

i did it~ yay! 10km....(yes I did run the entire thing~not sure why people always ask that ?)
when you are young you strap on a pair of shoes and go out and run...you would not stretch, wear special shoes or ice your feet after....well at 36 things change... it's tough when you would like to do something and your body is screaming I don't think so....
it started in june when our trainer kicked us outside to run....then in August we decided to train for a 10km...the challenging part is finding time to get in the runs along with our gym visits. time isn't something I have a whole lot extra of...and with a few injuries along the way & with the help of physio, chiro, and "orthodics" (old people shoes inserts!:) I was able to finish it and my time improved....We are already planning for our next run in the spring...who knows maybe my old body will be able to get to the 1/2...at least i can check off something on my bucket list~10km before 40
the fall challenge was so much fun...loads of ladies from Williams Lake running and walking. I took my mom/daughter and they did the 5km walk. We also enjoyed the yummy lunch afterwards...it all supports the GR Baker Memorial Hospital Mammography Unit in Quesnel. We will be there next year!:)

Williams Lake {corn picking}

every year since Grady was a baby...we've headed out to the u-pick corn....its a great way to spend an afternoon!~this year we brought along some great friends. Not much corn picking was happening from the kids...just a lot of silliness and racing thru the corn. the challenge is to get one photo of them all looking....Grady just had to go in for a Dawson hug...silly boys!~
september is almost coming to an end....I need to get back on with my usual blogging and such. Just sorting out our schedules...from dance, gymnastics, sparks, brownies, school and more. ~or should I say the kids schedules! we're getting into a groove with it all!~I will work on catching up on my blogging when I finish my big run next weekend. stay tuned!~

Cousins

summertime bliss...here is a quick snapshot from our l'il visit with our cousins this summer. Grady had to be bribed to get in the photo...you will notice he brought his bird tia in the frame for "grama" to see too!~
Our visits are always too short...the girls wish Serena lived closer!~ (Jesse and Eli too!)

{a day in the life} the Watson's

This is my August project...I had a break from my {52} week project of my kids...and was working on another project. This is the day in the life of us.... (I didn't prep that kids...except to grab my camera in the morning and take it with us all day) You'll notice G is almost naked by the end...he doesn't like clothes...and Carrigan likes to change hers several times day day!:)

it was a great day. We started out as usual and did some back to school shopping, lunch out, and much more...never a dull moment with these three. Enjoy!
I miss these great days as we are in the back to school swing...missing the late dinners on the deck....now its rushing to get everyone into bed at a decent time. until next year!~

{Helping Hearts} Alex

I am very privileged to be part of Helping Hearts it  is an amazing project with the goal of offering free photography sessions for families with children who are suffering a life-altering illness or disability. Check out their site here.

Meet Alex and his family. Alex has Menkes disease. He started out with seizures as an infant and was given until his first birthday. He is now 18.5 months old. A daily miracle for his family!:)

I spent a lovely warm evening with this loving family!~the Dad wears the symbol tattooed on his neck for Menkes....Alex did amazing and showed us his gorgeous eyes and even laid on the blanket by himself without getting upset.:) Wishing your family all life's blessings!

Menkes disease (MNK), also called Menkes syndrome, copper transport disease, steely hair disease, kinky hair disease, or Menkes kinky hair syndrome,[1][2] is a disorder that affects copper levels in the body,[3] leading to copper deficiency.[4] It is an x-linked recessive disorder, and is therefore considerably more common in males: females require two defective alleles to develop the disease.

{back to school}

how fast time goes by....grade 1 and grade 3... they were mighty tired girls tonight. back to lunch packing, singing in the car to school, and just plain missing my lovely ladies during the day.:(

Bleeding Heart {back to school}

I'm just going through my summertime photos...I came across this photo of a bleeding heart....ahh summer here will be coming to an end...with cooler nights and shorter days. With the leaves starting to change~ahhh the season of fall is upon us! A sure sign is the start of school....tomorrow is the 1st day of Grade 1 for Carrigan and Grade 3 for Makenna. Oh boy is their little brother G not going to be very happy about this!~along with their Momma. I'm the type of mom that loves to have her children close at home...a bleeding heart is fitting.
Happy back to school to all~

{3 years old shoot!} Grady

Where oh where does the time go....3 THREE years old~ my little boy! He is such a handsome fella. HE is a momma love...and a busy boy whom is wise to momma and her camera...Here is a few shots of him at Nana's garden which he's had his bday photos taken each year since he was one.... I love the last photo...he's eating rasberries from the garden.

{breakfast} blueberry

Mmmmm breakfast for dinner...always a hit at our house. the kids had their best friends O & C over and this is what we decided to serve for dinner. With icecream on the side...cake and icecream for dinner...I'm now the coolest mom on the block!~LOL  Enjoy...this is out of my clean eating magazine...so only 285 calories per serving (3x4inch piece)
recipe:
13-14 slices of grainy bread (i used vitality from lac la hache bakery)
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese ...low fat
4 large eggs
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 3/4 cup blueberries
1 cup milk
2 egg whites
2 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted raw almonds-crushed
1. spread 1/2 the bread along the bottom of 9x13" pan.
2. in blender; ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1 egg, 1 tbsp maple syrup. Spread over bread and then layer with blueberries and then another layer of bread.
3. blender' remaining ingredients; 3 eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup
4. pour over and sprinkle with nuts
5. oven 350' covered with tinfoil for 25 minutes. then uncover for another 10 minutes. then broil for 2 minutes to brown.
Enjoy!

{ceasar salad} dressing recipe

Mmmmm...ceasar salad is one of my families favourite!~ Here is a great quick recipe certain to please everyone....
1/2 cup grated parm cheese
1/4 cup mayo (i use 1/2 fat olive oil version or plain yogurt)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp fresh lemon(I put extra~love lemon)
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 garlic cloves crushed
fresh pepper
whisk together! and dress your salad....

{summer fun} Saskatoons

I'm amazed each year on the quantity of saskatoon berries that our little bush produces....my kids are forever eating and picking. This day we all pitched in along with our friends O&O to pick some to make some muffins. I made the girls a fresh fruit slushie drink along with muffins for snack time. Then they set up a booth in our driveway to sell their wares. They sold muffins, beaded items...they had signs, tip jar and more....(I warned the mom's who were picking up to bring their loot) They even hit up daddy on his way home. Funny how I even had to spend money on items I paid for in the first place....summer day fun!
Slushie: easy easy ...I used lots and lots of ice,,, a little water and fresh fruit, and 1 tbsp of juice concentrate ( I used limeade here with fresh strawberries/blueberries)

The Hills Health and Guest Ranch {wedding 108 Mile House} S&T Slideshow

S & T from Tammy Watson on Vimeo.

{hot pink smoothies} breakfast

hot pink smoothies.....our healthy breakfast!~ here is the recipe!~I love love these! I also add ice to make it extra cold. and as always I make in my blendtec blender

Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie

GreenSmoothieGirl.com

Published 05/22/2008

• 1 ½ cups young Thai coconut juice (best raw, or from a can, both can be found at Asian markets and health food stores)
  
• 1 large carrot, cleaned and cut in 3 pieces (or 5-6 baby carrots)
  
• ½ a medium raw beet, peeled
  
• ¼ cup cashews
  
• ¼ cup chopped dates (inexpensive in bulk foods at a health food store)
  
• 2 tsp. vanilla
  
• 12 frozen strawberries
  
• optional: 1-2 Tbsp. hemp protein (available at health food stores or on Amazon)
  
• optional: 2 Tbsp. kefir or yogurt