there are times in ones live that you have to stop and think... do i really want to do this. yesterday was one of those times. today i woke up and feel totally at ease with my decision. it was a year in the making and something that i am very proud of. how many 18 year old girls want to wear a sign of their love for their mother on the back of their neck forever. i have the most amazing daughter ever and i am so proud to say that she is going off to college and will someday realize all her dreams - i just know it. so yesterday we got matching tattoos on our necks. Originally we were just gonna get a black and white tat of this special number. it is the number that was on her ankle and my wrist when she was born. the nurse came into the room and said that that number was so important. that she belonged to me and i belonged to her. i asked where is paul's bracelet and they said he didn't get one. i just laughed. the nurse said that it was only for the mommy and her baby. after we left the hospital, i went to the bank and changed my pin number to that number because i loved it so much. lol. so now, that same number is tattoo'd on stevie rae's and my neck. we also have a beautiful cherry blossom that was inspired by a beautiful piece of art that we saw on father's day at the de young museum. i am not sure what i will do when talen is 18 and he wants one too~ LOL

one year anniversary

i really can't believe stevie rae and jeff have been seeing each other for over a year. he is such a sweet guy and really cares for stevie rae. they are both musicians and they have a lot in common. i have to say that jeff was so easy to shoot. he follows direction very well. and well stevie rae is my muse so it's very easy to shoot her.

i also finished painting my new photography studio and have a picture of that for you all to see.

have a great day.

lauri

independence day

some traditions are easily broken, some are not. my cousin suzanne has a cabin in lake tahoe that i have been visiting since i was 3 years old. for those of you not counting, that would be 41 years. my children have grown up vacationing at that familiar small red cabin in the woods of lake tahoe. when we arrive, we feel like we are home. when we leave, we are so sad. there is comfort in knowing what you will get when you get there. well, what you think you will get....

this year when we arrived at the cabin, we were so surprised to see a window broken out in the kitchen. after that surprise it became clear that a human had not done the damage. a bear had broken in to the cabin and complete destroyed the kitchen. actually, nearly burned the cabin down. beyond the cleaning of bear poop and other disgusting stuff, as usual, we had a wonderful time in tahoe this 09! my bestie came with us and we spent the 4th at commons beach in tahoe city watching the fireworks, the 3rd at meeks bay with stacey while the family rafted down the truckee, and the 5th, my 44th birthday, at sand harbor beach in north shore and then a nice dinner on the lake at gar woods with stacey. tahoe may very well be a little slice of heaven. thanks again suzanne.