Katie + Michael 3.26.2011

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I have blogged...I really have to get better at this! I have a wedding to share with you guys though...I feel so bad for those who are actually reading this...I had these pictures done, I just totally forgot to share them with you on the blog! :0(  I am hoping to get a few more pics up here tomorrow and then you will get to see what is going on with the Greathouse crew on Monday. Stay tuned to see what will be revealed on Monday! Until then...ENJOY!!!

Paige + Bryce: March 13, 2011

Ok...so...This is what I have learned...Shooting a wedding at 7 months pregnant is only for the brave and strong...luckily I had Chelsea with me and she bought me some gel inserts for my high heels which then turned me into one that could be called "brave and strong!" I was seriously turning into a weenie! My feet were starting to hurt before the wedding even started and I was like "uh-oh!" Then when Chels got back after a short break she had the goods! (gel inserts) It made me want to cry to know that she remembered I wanted to get some (but of course I forgot). When I put them in my shoes they were like a WHOLE NEW PAIR of shoes! Which in turn gave me about 6 more hours of gumption! (not literally but thats what it felt like) :0) I took an extra pair of shoes (some flats) for the reception, but I really didn't want to put them on for the wedding...I just felt like I needed to be in nicer shoes than my (only kinda cute) flats. It would have been a lot different if they were cuter.

Anyway, the wedding was absolutely awesome! It was truly the most beautiful wedding I have ever shot and one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen! I was in hog heaven! Paige was the most precious, little petite girl! She is super stinkin' gorgeous too! And Bryce...he is so sweet! He was very caring and easy to work with. He knew how to strike a GQ pose and when needed he could hit an awesome smile that just radiates his friendly personality!  So together they are a precious couple!

Here are a few images from their GORGEOUS WEDDING!!!

My Friend Be-jer...

Byron Rogers was my first friend at ACU...we met during ACU's Passport Week in June 2007...which is kinda like a freshman orientation. It was awesome!! When we met I am sure he thought I was nuts...All I kept saying is that he needed to meet my boyfriend...hahaha! I kept saying that because he was so much fun and I just knew that one day he and Brant would be very good friends...and I WAS RIGHT!

 As Brant, Jacob and I were moving into our dorm rooms I kept telling Brant, "You have to find Byron Rogers!" I am sure he didn't understand why. But, leave it to the Lord, He put Brant and Byron on the same hall! Go figure! God is soo cool that way! So as time went by, Brant and Byron and all of the guys on Mabee First North became the greatest of friends! I love a lot of these guys like they are my own brothers! Especially Bjer!

Brant and I have seen him through thick and thin (Brant more than me due to guy stuff, but I have still been there and I still love him the same!) :0) We pray for him constantly as he is growing in Christ and running after his passions with all of his might! I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for him (b-jer) and where he will continue to take our friendship as we desire to serve the Lord through our lives. 

With all of that being said here are a few pics of B-jer in action. He is a soccer coach for Abilene High and his guys were playing here in Midland yesterday....and....THEY WON!!! 1-0! Way to go guys! I am pretty positive its because you have one super awesome coach! :0)

Finally home!

WPPI was an incredible experience...A TON of information, a TON of walking and a TON of amazing sites to see (including some of the speakers for WPPI)! I will definitely be going again next year! So as some of you know Wednesday was the last day I was in Vegas and of course I had to make sure I brought home some souvenirs so...I HAD to go shopping! :0)  (I am sure Brant would have agreed with me by this point in my trip...i needed some site seeing and down time after so much brain overload!)

Anyway, while Chelsea and I were out on the strip we wanted to make sure we hit a couple of super important sites. We had to go see: The Hard Rock Cafe, M&M World, The Coke Factory, and the Bellagio water fountains. Oh my, what a site to see! Each of these places I could have spent hours in...oh, and WAY TOO MUCH money :0)  Which by the way is the main thing needed when going to Vegas...I almost went to Vegas with out any cash. As we were on the way to the airport I told Brant, "I am going to Vegas and I don't even have any cash." He looked at me, opened the console of the car and said, "There's your cash." Hinting to my Sonic Happy Hour change...So not cool! He said I could play the quarter, nickle, dime and penny machines :0)  He makes me laugh! He knows my luck way too well! Then after all that I didn't even have a chance to play the slots :0( Chels played one, and lost a whole dollar :0) But then after that we were too brain overloaded to try to stay up late and play slots. (Definitely a good thing in my case...)

So after all of these excursions I am finally back home! I have missed my little Cade soo much! Luckily, Karitsa (my sister in law) kept me in the loop...every time something hilarious happened I got a text! That was really good sometimes and not good at others, I have a tendency to laugh out loud when something is really funny and apparently that is kind of embarrassing when you are in the middle of a serious photography workshop :0) All of this to say, I have had an incredible time and I will definitely have to go back again next year! I really hope you have enjoyed Vegas too! Here are a few more pictures and a video of the Bellagio Fountains...It's not an amazing video because I am not a videographer, but it's still pretty cool! ENJOY!!

Me and my partner in crime, Chelsea Giles!

M&M World...SOOO FUN!!

Harley Davidson Cafe...we didn't eat here, but i liked their sign!

These beads were soo beautiful! They were super photogenic!

 More of the "inspirational, photogenic" beads

AND NOW... I present to you...The Bellagio Water Fountains!!!

It has been a LONG two days!

So there were literally like 100 classes we could have gone to today and we actually had (between the two of us) 7 on our list to go to, but we narrowed it down to about 3...mainly because the 8 am scene didn't work very well...we were up, but were not willing to sacrifice a nice, leisurely breakfast. Then there was one that I was not allowed to attend because there was no room in the room for me...the security guard would not even open the door (which made me super sad, but at least we know he is really good at his job!)  Then there was another class that we wanted to go to, but in order to attend that class we would have to sacrifice dinner (ok...not totally sacrifice dinner, but eat it on the run...literally, run! Between how far we have to go to get the food and then RUN back to classes to try not to be tooo late...). So we decided to skip that class...another reason is because it would have made us late to the other one we really wanted to attend. All that to say it has been a JAM PACKED last two days! I have a headache from BRAIN OVERLOAD, and baggage overload...All I took today was my notepad, camera, wallet and pen and still somehow that ended up too heavy to carry by noon...NO, I am not a pansy, we are just walking a super lot...and anything starts getting heavy when you walk around carrying it all day! :0)  Anyway, I am totally not trying to complain (even though it may sound like I am...I'm not.) I am incredibly blessed to be here and be encouraged by all the men and women speaking! Plus, Chels and I are making super awesome new friends! Oh and another really cool thing...I just purchased the best thing in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD! Action Runner! I absolutely love it! I just got my life back from editing...I am totally in LOVE with Action Runner! I have just started playing with it and it is the best editing software I have ever seen...ABSOLUTELY GENIUS! Here are some pictures I took today...edited within 1.5 mins (literally...all 11! did I mention I LOVE ACTION RUNNER!?) ENJOY!

 As we were headed to our first class this morning the lions were out hanging around...then we went to the Rainforest Cafe...LOVE IT! Then as you can see...things got a little crazy with Sponge Bob...I just had to take this picture...I wanted Cade to see that mommy met Sponge Bob :0)