Caitlyn.Marie.Photography - Oklahoma Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

Richardson Family - Newborn & Family Photography

2011-11-05T09:56:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take my first newborn photos! Baby Gretta was born the end of September and she is adorable! I spent the morning at the Richardson's home, taking photos of the whole family in a relaxing setting. This is the best way to do newborn photos!

Here is the final result... Enjoy!

New Personal Blog

2011-10-09T09:13:00.000-05:00

For any of you that don't know, I have started a new personal blog:

www.blessed-blog.com

I invite you all to join me over there! I will still update CMP blog with photo shoots and some personal posts, I just felt like I had some things I wanted to write about that were more suiting to a personal blog.

Anyway, have a great day & I'll have pictures coming soon!

Cait

Newborn Photography!

2011-10-07T08:53:00.000-05:00

Today I am headed to the home of a beautiful family to take my first newborn portraits! I am so excited :) New babies are such a blessing, and to capture this time for a family is truly an honor. I can't wait to share some of the photos with you and let you know how it goes!

:)

Tim & Megan - Oklahoma Engagement Photographer

2011-09-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

This summer I had the honor of taking engagement photos for some of my dear friends, Tim & Megan. They are planning a gorgeous wedding this fall in Missouri, and earlier this summer we explored the rural parts of Edmond to capture these photos. Tim and Megan have known each other practically all their lives and I'm excited to celebrate with them as they start the next phase of their lives together this fall!

Under Construction...

2011-08-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

Our backyard is officially under construction. We are building an outdoor fireplace and a pergola, and we are doing it all ourselves! Thank goodness we have some amazing friends that are helping us out along the way.

Although I do stop and wonder why we are building a fireplace when it's currently 109 degrees outside... come November I think I'll be glad we did :)

At least we have some cute helpers...

Evan is HOME!!!

2011-07-22T14:09:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I flew to Colorado to take engagement photos for my fabulous friend Shea and her soon-to-be hubby Roger. Although those pictures will not be ready to share for another week or so... I wanted to tell you what else I got to do while in Colorado...

I got to see Evan! My "baby" brother has spent the last 6 months in Australia and just recently got home. He is working in the mountains the rest of the summer, so we met him up at Twin Lakes, CO to go fishing, hiking, and picnicking (ok picnicking probably isn't a word, but you get the point!) I was SO excited to see him that I just ran up to him and gave him a huge hug. My brother means so much to me, and the older we get the closer friends we seem to become. I'm so thankful that the Lord brought him home safely to us :)

Here are a few shots of our day together... Mom had the camera to get these first few of us. She is starting to get the hang of the "big" camera! Back-button focus and all ;) Love you Mom!

I know I look ridiculous in this first photo... don't make fun of me... I was SO excited!!!

I know I owe you all some posts on my most recent wedding and two engagement shoots... I promise they will be posted soon :) Have a great weekend!

Life Lately

2011-07-08T08:01:00.000-05:00

Life has been busy as usual lately. We are working on our back patio this summer, and trying to thoroughly soak up the sun whenever possible! With no big vacations planned this summer it has been relaxing so far :)

I often find that I am capturing moments of my life through the small lens of my iPhone, rather than carrying my big camera around on a daily basis. One of my goals is to start carrying my camera with me more often, however I admit there is something kind of special about all the little snapshots that pile up on my phone.

Today I thought I would share with you a few of the photos I've taken over the past couple weeks, all taken with the fabulous iPhone 4...

Q-Tip Monster

2011-07-01T09:33:00.000-05:00

Q-tips have been disappearing from my house lately at a very rapid rate. Every couple days I turn around and the little jar of them on the bathroom counter needs to be refilled! I find this very odd because, honestly, I don't use a ton of q-tips... I mean, don't get me wrong, they're awesome little things useful on so many occasions (see a list of uses here!). It's just that they seem to be disappearing faster than ever!

I decided that we must have a q-tip monster amongst us, coming in and stealing q-tips while Dwyatt and I are sleeping. Apparently I was right because this morning the culprit was found, surrounded by evidence...

Weston (aka Q-tip Monster) = Guilty.

For My Dad

2011-06-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

Dad,

I just wanted to write a quick note on here to say how much you mean to me. I look at this blog as my digital "diary" of life happenings and my thoughts. It's my way of capturing my life here and now. I want you to know how much you mean to me. You are the best father a girl could ever ask for. You have shown me the world, taught me so many things, always taken time to make me feel special, and above all you were always there for me.

Not only did you attend every dance recital, horse show, and school event, you supported me whenever I needed someone to be there for me. You still do. You have influenced my life in more ways than you know and I truly hope you know how much you're loved. I wouldn't change one thing about my childhood, and that's a result of all that you did for me.

You will always be one of the most important people in my life. I love you beyond words, and I will always be you're little girl...

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Life on the Lake

2011-06-19T16:12:00.000-05:00

Summertime is my favorite time of year. I love the freedom of it. Freedom to wear light cotton sundresses, live life without make-up, let the wind blow through your hair, and soak up the sunshine. It also means life on the lake, which is one of the best places to be :)

I love the water, however I didn't really grow up on lakes, so I have always been more comfortable just dipping my toes in the edge and sunning on the beach! However thanks to my hubby who is practically a fish in water, I'm learning to be a lot more comfortable with my ability to actually swim and partake in water sports! Now I really love the lake!

This year for Memorial Day we went to Lake Travis in Austin. This is becoming a bit of an annual tradition for us... it's so nice to visit Dwyatt's family and it always feels like the first true summer weekend! This year was even more exciting because we were able to take our boat! We bought a boat in January and have been SO anxious for summer to get here.

Finally... summer has arrived!

My niece and nephew driving Grandpa's boat!

Dwyatt surfing behind our boat. I'm such a lucky girl ;)

Sunset at The Oasis

Doug & Donna

Until next time...

Crawfish... a sure sign of spring!

2011-06-13T10:59:00.002-05:00

I have SO much blogging to do. Seriously, the month of May was crazy, I traveled every weekend, took finals to mark the completion of my first year of graduate school, started a new job at Devon, and tried to find time to just hang out with my wonderful hubby. So, in an effort to catch up, we are going all the way back to the 2nd weekend of May...

We traveled back to Mississippi this year for the annual Crawfish Boil hosted by my wonderful Aunt & Uncle. There are usually around 40 people who spend the entire weekend at their house, cooking, dancing, and enjoying one anothers company. This year was no exception. Thinking back each memory of the weekend seems to somehow involve food. We ate SO much food. Gumbo, smoked pork, fresh conch salad, and of course crawfish... 350 lbs of crawfish. Yes, crazy, I know. I guess this is what happens when you have a huge group of people who all love to cook, no one can stay out of the kitchen!

Luckily I came home with lots of food to freeze for later :) We drove this year, thus we were able to bring home more... Dwyatt has since recommended we drive every year! Ok, here are some pics to recap the weekend:

The best thing about having our Bahamian friends visit us in Mississippi? They bring fresh conch! For those of you who don't know, conch shells are the big shells you hold up to your ear and "listen to the ocean" in... Conch salad is kind of like ceviche, so yummy!!!

And a little spicy... gotta love habaneros!

slicing and dicing!

This little guy was my favorite crawfish... he loved to pose :) As a thank you for his cooperation, he was set free in the woods of Mississippi.

Cousin Yann prepping our massive amounts of crawfish...

Me and my hubby :)

Another family favorite: sagnuts (aka: ladder golf) competitions!

The Mississippi clan is the musical side of our family. The house is always filled with these amazing and unique instruments, such as the drums. They make for a pretty darn good dance party!

Cousin Ky serenading us in the kitchen.

Group photo! We had such a great weekend... so thankful for wonderful family and friends :)

Royal Wedding Day!

2011-04-29T16:51:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help but write a short note to say how excited I am about the Royal Wedding today! Dwyatt thinks I've gone nuts, and can't understand why women seem to care so much about this wedding, but I just keep trying to explain the fabulousness of it all! (I know I made up a word there, but hey... this is my blog!)

I really think it all stems from the fact that as little girls we put of pretty dresses and tiaras and dream of becoming princesses. We dream of the perfect fairytale with our prince, our tiara, and our happily ever after. All the while boys are outside play war... so naturally they don't understand... I think the mesmerizing thing about today is that it's like watching a modern day fairytale come true. Kate, who was a commoner, actually lived the dream of marrying her Prince and becoming a Princess. Beautiful. I also love the fact that they seem like a modern couple that truly love each other. Kate is so poised and elegant, and her dress was simply gorgeous.

I remember being completely in love with Prince William when I was young. In fact in 6th grade I had a scrapbook of pictures of him... yes, I admit it... I really did. Though it's embarrassing, I highly doubt that I was the only one. Today, I couldn't be happier with how my life has turned out, and I'm glad it wasn't me marrying into the crazy life of paparazzi and constant attention. However, I wish this royal couple the very best, and I hope they truly are together forever.

I have without a doubt been swept up in the joy of the day. I hope that one day I will share with my daughter the story of how excited the world was for this Royal Wedding, and how it seemed that the world took a time out to witness a celebration of love. Even more, perhaps one day, I'll get to watch the next Royal Wedding with my overly excited daughter :)

Photo courtesy of Yahoo

This Is Life.

2011-04-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

My life is busy. Crazy busy at times... recently as I have been coping with projects at work, assignments with school, trying to run this photography venture, training for a 1/2 marathon, and still trying to find time to spend with my husband and friends... I find myself thinking, "I really need to capture these moments. These moments make up my life."

So, although there are probably some out there that would say that this blog should stick directly to business, I just plain don't want to. I want to capture more there than my photography ventures, I want to capture life. I want to look back over these entries and remember this stage, this busy stage, where I was young and free. I want to capture photos in this "digital diary" that I can one day share with my children and remind them that I too was once young.

I have had lots of blog posts floating around in my mind lately, and every time I think I should write something down, I don't. Either for lack of time, or uncertainty that I should put my whole self out here on this blog. But you know what? I'm just going to go for it. Yes Internet, I'm just going to be me.

For anyone who hasn't figured it out yet, I'm not a full time photographer. Don't get me wrong, I love my photography, and I give my heart and soul to all of my clients. But for me, photography is fun. It's what I do when I'm not working. Personally I think this makes me a better photographer. I'm not going to be pressed for time and say "you only get a 1 hour session". When we go take pictures, I want to take my time, I want to enjoy the moment, because I'm having FUN!!! I love editing photos, and creating something that lasts. Finally, my favorite thing is seeing people love their pictures. That's why I'm a photographer, to help people capture moments that they love.

So my other life? I'm an engineer... by degree anyway... and I work for Devon Energy. I'm actually just about to dive into a brand new opportunity that I just "officially" accepted today. I'm going to be an NGL Marketing Representative starting in mid May! I couldn't be more excited! There are only a handful of people in this group, and we are responsible for marketing and selling all of the NGL (natural gas liquids) production for the entire company! Such an amazing opportunity. A challenge to be sure, but surely an opportunity to shine!

I'm also wrapping up my first year of my MBA program. One third done, yay!! Only two more years... I can do this! This summer however, I'm taking a break. I am going to read some great novels on my kindle, while floating on my boat in a lake somewhere. I'm going to cook wonderful dinners and drink wine with my husband, and I'm going to spend some time traveling around this beautiful country of ours. Life is beautiful, I welcome everything it brings, and from now on I'm going to start sharing a lot more of it right here.

A day at the office...

taken with Instagram on my iPhone

Our new family member...

2011-04-07T16:51:00.001-05:00

Last Friday Dwyatt took me out to dinner for my birthday. It was a beautiful day at Lake Hefner, so we decided to go sit on the patio, watch the sunset, and drink some wine. To my complete astonishment, when we walked in the front door of the crowded restaurant a whole group of people yelled, "SURPRISE!!!" After the initial shock I realized that all my friends were there waiting for me with a whole bunch of balloons, cards, and even a 25th birthday crown. We had so much fun, I have never had a surprise party like that before, and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

Later that night when we got home, I heard some strange meowing coming from somewhere. Frantic that I had locked Remington in a closet all day, I started looking around for him. Remington was nowhere to be found, so I asked Dwyatt if he heard the meowing too or if I had perhaps drank one too many glasses of Cabernet...

Dwyatt went to one of the guest bedrooms, opened the door, and handed me a kitten! He was hoping to surprise me, but the little one was getting impatient and ended up ruining his perfect plan. Oh my goodness, I have never seen such an adorable little creature! (Well actually every kitten is pretty darn adorable, but you get my point...)

We let him run around the living room while we tried coming up with endless names that might suit him. After laughing out loud at a few of our ideas, and trying to find something that "fit", we ended up naming him Weston. He is the newest member of our family, and already deeply loved...

Meet Weston...

He loves my Toms...

... but maybe not as much as he loves birthday balloons...

Most of all, he loves to snuggle. He is the first cat I've ever owned that likes to be wrapped in blankets when he sleeps!

Tulips

2011-04-05T20:30:00.000-05:00

Mom & Dad -

Thank you for my beautiful birthday tulips! They make me smile every morning and I love watching them bloom. What a joyous sign of spring!

Love you!

In This Moment

2011-04-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

In two days time I will turn 25. Wow, I'm going to be a quarter of a century old! While a lot of people seem to be hesitant about this birthday, somehow thinking we're on the downhill slide to 30, I am choosing to look at it as reaching the height of my 20's! I want to live in this moment.

Every year as my birthday approaches, I find myself thinking "have I done everything I wanted to do at this age? Is there anything I still want to do as a 24 year old?" I think that this year I can confidently say that I am so happy exactly where I am. There are so many dreams to be fulfilled, things I want to do, and learn, but today I am content.

Perhaps I'm starting to learn that life is an ongoing adventure, and that each stage of life should be enjoyed to the fullest, for exactly what it is. For me, this is a pretty remarkable statement, because I am usually the one constantly thinking of and planning for the future. And believe me I have lots of plans for the future! However, today I just want to be the 25 year old version of myself. I want to spend time with my husband and my friends. I want to stay up later than I should, drink mimosas with the girls at Sunday brunch, and push myself to run a half marathon.

I want to discover this city, the world, and myself with my wonderful husband by my side. I want to try all kinds of new things and go new places. I heard a quote the other day about turning 25... "it's an age where you have the perfect combination between youthful exuberance and wisdom." I love that! So true! I love the fact that I'm a responsible adult, I'm independent, and I can take care of myself. I love that I have a successful career, and that I have moved beyond being a crazy partying college kid. Yet, I still feel that I have a youthful optimism that I hope to always have.

When I think about where I want my life to be in 5 years, it's such a different picture. I've always pictured that in my 30's I would have a family, and revel in all the joys of raising children. So, for the next few years, between now and then, I have so many things I want to do for me. Travel the world, learn a new language, get lost on a road trip to nowhere, and just live life out loud!

Oh I couldn't be more excited for all that 25 has to offer!! Here's to living life, and soaking up all the joy I can, in this moment.

Ashley & Caleb - Wedding Album Design

2011-03-04T17:36:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I kind of disappeared this week, I have been fighting a cold, and am just now starting to feel better. It must be the changing seasons or something because I always seem to come up with a cold when spring arrives. Hopefully it's on it's way out and I'll be in the clear for the rest of the summer! Well, one can hope anyway...

I wanted to share another wedding album design with you all. I completed this one a few months ago, but I've just been to busy to get it up on the blog. I love the way it turned out! So classic... However it's easy to design a gorgeous wedding album when you have such beautiful clients :)

Enjoy!

My Kind of Winter!

2011-02-25T10:09:00.002-06:00

The weather in Oklahoma is growing on me more and more every year. Although I miss the mountains of Colorado, I have to say I love having seasons in Oklahoma! We really and truly have every season here. And the last few weeks have been the perfect example of why Oklahoma has my kind of winter...

It does get cold here, and we do have snow. A few weeks ago it actually go very cold, -10* one day. It snowed 12" during one storm and looked like a regular Colorado blizzard outside! The best part? It's unusual here, so the whole city shuts down and your basically forced to stay home with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy it! Dwyatt and I had such a blast cuddling by the fire and watching the snow fall. It gives you that cozy feeling that winter brings. We had two weeks with back to back snow storms so my taste of winter was fully satisfied!

The best part about Oklahoma snow storms? They don't last long... within a week of the snow falling we had days where the temperature hit 78*, and spring time is on the way! I was out looking at my flower beds a couple days ago and the tulips and mums are already starting to grow! The trees in my back yard have buds on them! Winter doesn't linger here... we get snow, we enjoy it, then spring shows up! What an amazing place :)

Here are a few pictures I've captured of our extreme weather changes... all of these we taken within the last 2 weeks...

Remington experiencing his first snow :)

Spring is almost here! Oh how I love tulips!

Roses are Overrated

2011-02-23T09:58:00.000-06:00

I know I'm behind by about a week, but I have to share my thought on Valentines day roses. You see, Dwyatt is so good about buying me flowers. I usually get a surprise bouquet every month or so (I know... I have the best husband ever!). When we were dating Dwyatt would always surprise me with roses. White ones, yellow ones, pink ones, red ones, I loved them all. However, without fail, they would start to wilt in just a couple days! So, I desperately tried to dry them and preserve their beauty. Never worked out so well...

Eventually I explained my disappointment with how quickly roses would pass, and Dwyatt started buying me seasonal flowers. Now they last forever! I was looking at my Valentines day flowers this morning, which I've now had for over a week, and they still look just as good as when he gave them to me :)

A sweet reminder that the best kind of love is a love that lasts, flowers should be the same way...

Hats, Scarves, Boots, and Gloves

2011-02-21T11:55:00.000-06:00

So, like I mentioned a few days ago, I have been thinking a lot about fashion lately. This has kind of become my recent avenue of artistic interest. I find that trying to focus on a certain type of art, whether it be paintings, architecture, literature, interior design, or fashion... they all help me think more creatively and challenge me to define my style both for my personal life, as well as through my photography.

Anyway, lately I have been focusing on fashion. I have always loved clothes and accessories. I love to dress up and usually I don't mind if I'm over dressed! I'm 5'9" but I still love heels and I have a closet full of them! I think that fashion can be a great way to express yourself, and to feel confident in who you are. However, I also think it takes effort. I don't think people just roll out of bed looking fabulous... they probably spend some time contemplating an outfit and ensuring that it's accessorized perfectly.

It seems to me that if you don't take the time to to be aware of style, or to try to determine what you personally love, you can fall into a "fashion rut". I know that I am guilty of waking up early, throwing on slacks, a sweater, and flats to wear to work. Are they appropriate? Yes. Do they make a statement to the world about who I am? No. (Well, actually they probably do make a statement, just not the one I want!)

So, with this thought I have been trying to not only make a conscious effort each day to consider how I want the world to see me, but also to define what my style is. I read some blogs, looked at articles online, and tried to find some guidance. Basically they all said, "you're style is either classic, romantic, urban, bohemian, sporty, or eclectic". Hmm... not much help.

I started to think about some of my favorite stores: Banana Republic, Ann Taylor Loft, Express, along with things like Forever 21 and Anthropologie. From this list, and after some reflection, I think I would describe myself as a girl who likes classic styles, probably preppy at times, but also loves to throw in some bold trendy accessories. Not sure if that's a specific "type" but I that's who I am. I love my dresses with kitten heels and pearls... and I also love my polka dot shoes and peacock feather headband!

Ok, so this was kind of random, but I'm just thinking out loud... all in an effort to live out loud!

Something New!

2011-02-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

I'm sure that you have already noticed, but CMP is getting a face lift! Well, maybe not an entire face lift, but a few nips and tucks here and there :) Really, I have been kind of bored lately with my color scheme, and I just feel like it's not "me". It started with an intention to have bright colors, and what I originally meant to be "reddish orange" color turned out looking pink. So the website basically became a pink and blue theme... for those of you who know me, I am not a pink & blue girl.

So... after agonizing over colors for the last few weeks, I finally came up with my new colors! This time you will see red and orange... not a the strange pink mixture. I have chosen to go with a lot of white and grey, which I feel are very classic, and blend nicely into the background while letting the colors of my images stand out. However, I needed to get my punch of color in somewhere! Although, I really can't say I have a favorite color, I tend to be drawn more toward the warm colors... thus red and orange, bright, bold, and fun!

I'm so excited about my new look & I hope you enjoy it as well!

#100

2011-02-17T16:15:00.000-06:00

I logged on to my blog this morning to write about fashion. My own personal sense fashion and style. However, before I could start typing away, I noticed that this post will be my 100th blog post! While I know there are mega bloggers out there who have posted thousands of posts, I'm pretty excited that I am now in the triple digits!

Looking at the last few weeks, I am amazed at how fast time has flow by this year! February is half way over and I feel like just yesterday was New Year's! I think that part of this is due to the fact that I'm a student again... and being a student while also working full time means that I'm crazy busy! Weeks and weekends are flying buy and it seems that if I don't pay attention half of the year will be gone and I'll have nothing really great to show for it!

I need to start focusing more on today, and what I want to accomplish. I feel like I have been very reflective so far this year, thinking not only about my future, but also about who I am. I guess you could say I have been making a conscious effort on the road of self discovery. It really is quite liberating to define who you are, what you believe, and to live your life for yourself striving toward what you care about and not worrying about what the world thinks. I know that this process will be a life long journey, but I'm excited to feel as if I've started down this path!

Ok, I guess fashion will have to wait to next time :) It will be soon, I promise!!!

Jason & Krista - Wedding Album Design

2011-01-30T09:32:00.000-06:00

Sitting at my kitchen table this morning with my laptop and a home brewed cup of Starbucks coffee. It has been so nice here in Oklahoma the last two days, both in the mid 70's! Today however, the high is 42. Just when I was starting to think about spring we dive right back into winter. That's ok though, because to be honest, I like the cold dreary winter mornings where I can turn on the fireplace and enjoy my coffee :)

I thought I would share a recent album design I have been working on with all of you. This was from Jason & Krista's wedding last summer. My clients are as busy as I am, and so I am just now getting around to sharing it with all of you. The final product is actually a 12x12 album, with a black leather cover. Very classy!

Anyway, enjoy & if it snows this week I'll be sure to take some pictures :)

Cookies :)

2011-01-28T10:04:00.000-06:00

I have the best the cousin ever! Last week, when she heard about Rigby, she took the time to make me cookies. However, these are not just your ordinary cookies... these are Rigby cookies!!! You see, my fabulously talented cousin actually owns her own bakery, A Trace of Sugar Bakery.

Last night when I opened the box labeled "fragile" I wasn't quite sure what to expect... but I couldn't help but smile when I opened the box and found these:

Thank you Em! You made my day :)

Rigby

2011-01-22T17:07:00.000-06:00

The past few days have been difficult. Like usual life is full of surprises, continually reminding us how short our time is, and how precious a gift each and every day is. On Wednesday morning when Dwyatt and I left for work our two kittens ran outside as usual. They have a kitty door so that they can wander in and out during the day. Some may think this is unnecessary to give the this freedom, but after seeing the joy on their little faces from being outside and playing in the grass, I didn't have the heart to keep them locked inside. When Dwyatt and I made the decision that they would get to be outside all day we knew it was a risk. However it was a risk we said we were willing to take. After all, what does it mean to live a long life, if that life is spent constantly locked inside, too afraid to let them go?

Anyway, when we got home Wednesday night Rigby wasn't here. We hoped he would come home that night, but on Thursday morning when we got up to leave he still wasn't here. I was worried sick of course, but I was hopeful that he just got locked in a neighbors garage over night or something. Well, when we got home Thursday he still wasn't home. So, we started walking around the neighborhood calling for him and asking neighbors if they had seen him. Eventually one of our neighbors told us that he had in fact seen Rigby, and that he didn't make it. My poor baby Rigby was gone.

Oh how I loved that little white kitten! The house just seems so quiet without him around. Although I get a little bit stronger every day, I still miss him desperately. I miss him most when I get up early in the morning and come out on the couch to drink my coffee and read a book before Dwyatt wakes up. Rigby had more personality than any cat I have ever known, he would follow me all over the house, and sit with me where ever I went. He LOVED attention, I use to call him my attention hog because he constantly wanted to be held, petted, and loved on. He was happiest when you coddled him like a baby doll and carried him with you where ever you went. If you slept in later than he liked, he would stand on your chest and put his nose to your nose, and repeatedly "head butt" you or lick your cheeks until you woke up.

Besides being held, his favorite activity was to sleep. He slept all the time, usually turned upside down in some kind of very awkward but absolutely adorable position. He would let you come lay next to him and he would just roll over and snuggle with you. Every night that we were at home, he would go crawl in our bed around 8:30pm and go to sleep. That was his bedtime, and if you were staying up late to watch a movie or something, you had to drag him out of bed to hang out with you. Then he would of course just go right back to sleep on your lap.

When Rigby wasn't sleeping he loved to chase frogs, grasshoppers, and unfortunately one red bird. We have a small "pond" (actually it's a large puddle) at the end of our driveway that has frogs in it every summer. Rigby spent all his summer evenings splashing in the puddle and catching frogs. I was fine with this until he brought one in the house for me one day. I screamed, yelled at him, and made Dwyatt take the frog back outside. Although probably the worst thing about Rigby chasing frogs was that he always came back into the house soaking wet and half covered in mud.

I don't think I'll ever understand why my little white kitten had to love getting dirty so much. It was either splashing in mud puddles, digging in the flower beds, or rolling in plies of charcoal ash from the grill. Ugh! Needless to say, Rigby got good at getting a bath. He probably had a bath about every 2 months of his little life, and I think he actually half enjoyed them. He was always happy to splash in water, play with the faucets, and enjoy water in general. Poor little thing looked so pathetic when he was soaking wet though, that usually after a bath he got dried with the hair dryer.

Another thing that was so funny about Rigby was how much he loved luggage. Any kind of luggage, be it a suitcase, backpack, laptop bag, gym bag, or even just a box, Rigby wanted to be in it. If you even left the corner of the bag cracked open he would push his way in there an then just lay there either until you made him move, or until his brother Remington came and jumped on him. Rigby and Remi were big buddies, they would constantly chase each other around the house, wrestle, and growl at each other, but the second that one pinned the other one, he would start licking him. Whoever was pinned got a bath whether they wanted one or not! It was the perfect picture of brotherly love and I can tell that Remington already misses his brother very much.

I know this is the longest blog post ever, but not only did I want to share my memories with all of you, but I want to have this to look back on and remember one day. I know time will heal the pain, but I know it will also dull the memories, and I never want to forget all the silly quirks about this lovable cat. He was a wonderful little guy, and I thank the Lord for the short time I got to have him in my life. He brought such joy and happiness to our home, and I know that I will see him again someday. Until then, rest in peace Rigby, I hope you are enjoying an endless supply of frogs, naps, and Whisker Lickers :)

Welcome 2011!

2011-01-18T17:20:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I know I basically fell off the face of the planet for the last month, but I hope that everyone had a fabulous Christmas and New Year's! I had a great time with family over the holidays and I was very blessed to see both my family and Dwyatt's family all within about 10 days!

I absolutely love the whole holiday season, and when it's over I find myself mixed with both sadness that the time has come and gone so quickly, but also eager anticipation for the hope and excitement of an upcoming year. This year has so far been like most others, I am very hopeful, full of plans to be fulfilled, dreams to be molded into reality, and experiences yet to be lived.

Also like usual, I am now working out more than I have in 6 months. I have decided that it's too complicated to say, "I'll do this, then this, then this..." so I have decided that my workout goals are as follows: do something at least 5 days a week that gets my heart rate up for at least 30 minutes. Luckily, with Devon Energy opening their brand new fitness center downtown that hasn't been a problem! I can now easily work out at lunch and have done a combo of running, zumba, boot camp, core class, yoga, and weight lifting! Very happy so far...except for the fact I have been in a constant state of pain with sore muscles for the last two weeks. Ugh! Time to just push through it. So, for now I'm randomly working out and enjoying it... until February 8th arrives and I start training for my 1/2 marathon on May 1st. That will be interesting...

Ok, well for now I'm headed home to enjoy my last free evening with my wonderful hubby. Class starts tomorrow...oh joy! Stay tuned because I have several more upcoming posts to share with photos from Christmas, wedding albums, and whatnot...

Happy Tuesday!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T18:44:00.000-06:00

I am listening to James Taylor Christmas music, drinking a glass of wine, and wrapping the final gifts to be given to loved ones. It is Christmas at it's finest. Not to mention I am now off work for 12 days! I just wanted to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas. I hope you are surrounded by family and friends, and your heart is filled with joy, and that you remember the true reason for the season!

I am headed to Texas tomorrow to spend the holiday with Dwyatt's family, and I am so excited! As we prepare for our vacation, I thought I would share a few photos of my decorations this year...

Dwyatt gives me an ornament for our tree every year... this was last year...

This manger scene was given to me by my grandmother. She bought it in Germany over 50 years ago...

Merry Chrismas everyone!

Moments of Peace

2010-12-14T10:03:00.000-06:00

This Christmas season has been one of the busiest I can remember. Perhaps its because my work schedule has been crazy, working nights and weekends to get Devon's gas plant started. Perhaps it's because I am in the middle of finals and all my evenings are consumed with studying. Or perhaps it's also finding time to edit photos, and design wedding albums. With everything going on, I find myself thinking, "Ahh! I still have to go shopping, I still have to send Christmas cards, I still have to wrap stuff, I still have to make cookies, I still have to clean, decorate, and attend Christmas parties!" The list goes on and on...

I find myself in the middle of all this hustle and bustle, and I just stop and think, this is not what Christmas is about. I feel like I can hear the Lord whispering in my ear, "Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). So I stop, I let the world melt away, I listen to my favorite Christmas song, smell the fresh pine scent of my tree, I hug my husband, and cherish the moments of peace and pure joy when I can feel the presence of the Lord all around me. And I remember that this, this perfect quiet moment, this is Christmas.

Hand Family Portraits - Oklahoma Portrait Photography

2010-12-10T08:10:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I had the honor of spending a few hours with a wonderful family. Although it was freezing, we bared the cold. Ok they bared the cold... I had my big coat on :) Despite slowly turning into popsicles, I was surprised how happy and excited the little girls were! Kielyn and Taylor ran all over the place, and Kielyn held my hand and helped me pick out all the best places to take photos! And when they weren't running around they were clinging to their brothers' sides.

This was an opportunity to capture a family, at a moment in time, happy and full of life! I found out during our session that Ben, who is in the military reserves, is actually getting ready to leave for Afghanistan for the next year. Knowing this it makes me love and appreciate my job so much more. I hope that these photos are something they can hold on to during their time apart and I pray that time goes quickly and that Ben comes home soon!

Hand family - Thank you for the sacrifices you are making to keep this country free, and thank you for letting me be a part of capturing your memories. Enjoy!

Throwing leaves! Kielyn picked this spot :)

It's easy to see why they have such beautiful children...

Also, I want to share with you all a new feature! I am now able to create slideshows and put them right here on the blog to let you see a lot more pictures! So, if you are interested in seeing a bunch more photos from this session just click play below. My favorite feature is that you can also email the show... at the bottom, under the controls bar, there is a little envelope. Click that and you can send the slide show to anyone you want to share it with!

Happy Friday everyone!

Coming Soon

2010-12-04T22:08:00.000-06:00

I am in the process of finishing up the portrait session of a beautiful family. We took these pictures over Thanksgiving weekend and I wait to share them with you, because there are so many cute ones! I couldn't help but share one of my favorites with you...

Enjoy!

Full of Thanks and Turkey...

2010-11-25T17:07:00.004-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today I am overflowing with thankfulness. I have so many things to be thankful for that it truly astounds me. How come I am so blessed? How come I am so fortunate when there are so many who are struggling? As I reflected on the meaning of this day I started making a list of things I am thankful for. I decided I wanted to share them with you, partly just because, and partly to help me remember that no matter what storms may come my way that I am so blessed. Blessed beyond what I deserve.

As you know I am more of an organized list person than a lengthy paragraph person, so here is my list :)

I am thankful for the grace God has given me in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is by far the thing I am most thankful for. God's forgiveness and love for me goes well beyond my comprehension and I am overwhelmed by his mercy. I know that the sacrifice that Jesus made for me literally means the difference between heaven and hell. For an eternity with my Saviour, I am so thankful.
I am thankful for my family. I am so thankful that when I go home I can hug my grandparents, and still hear my parents speak the words "I love you" to one another. I am thankful that my little brother is one of my best friends; and I am thankful for all my aunts, uncles, and cousins who would be there for me at a moments notice.
I am thankful for my amazing husband. I often wake up in the morning and while Dwyatt is still asleep I think "how did I get so lucky that this wonderful man wanted to marry me?" Dwyatt is my best friend and my partner in everything that we do. We have been together for 5 years now (married for 2!) and he still brings me flowers, writes me love notes, and gives me foot rubs. He holds me when I cry, and makes me laugh daily. He has completed my life and with him I know exactly where I belong in this crazy world.
I am thankful for all of my friends. Though we are now scattered all over the country I know what it means to have best friends. The kind of friends where you can go a year without seeing each other and then within 5 minutes of talking, its like you were never apart. These women are amazing and I know that I wouldn't be the same without them. I love you girlies :)
I am thankful for America. I believe in America and the principles it was founded on. I am so thankful for my freedom and that I was blessed enough to be born in this great nation.
I am thankful that my family is able to have such an extravagant meal on Thanksgiving when I know there are others who are suffering from hunger.
I am thankful for my health and the health of my family. It seems to me that being healthy is often something taken for granted until suddenly it's taken away...then it means everything. I know other families that are struggling with sick family members and again it makes me think, "why am I so blessed?" I hope I can remember to be thankful for my health every day, and be a support to those who are struggling.
I am thankful for my two little furry kittens who bring so much joy to my life :) Even if that joy comes along with scratched leather furniture and pillows covered in hair...ugh!
I am thankful for my career and the opportunities I have had to grow and mange projects in my 2 short years of experience.
Lastly, I am thankful for cranberry sauce. Even straight from the can this is one of my favorite Thanksgiving treats :) And I'm thankful that my Grandmother knows this because she always buys me extra!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you are able to reflect of what you are most thankful for!

Contest Winner!

2010-11-24T11:34:00.001-06:00

I want to say thank you to everyone who participated in my first contest! I really enjoyed this contest and I appreciate all of you who participated. CMP would be nothing without the support and interest of people like you :) So, without further ado, the winner of the contest is... Moriah! Congratulations girly, I will be in touch soon!

Today I am headed to Colorado to spend Thanksgiving with my family. This is one of my favorite times of year! Each year I am in awe of how many things I have to be thankful for...more on this tomorrow... :)

Have a safe day of travels everyone!

First Ever CMP Contest!

2010-11-16T16:14:00.000-06:00

Yay, the first ever CMP contest is here! I have been wanting to have a contest on the blog for the past couple months, but I have been struggling to figure out exactly what I wanted to do, or what prizes I should offer! So, after much debate, and just in time for the holidays, the contest is here!

To be honest, I have been so busy the last couple months that I feel I haven't really spent enough time focusing on my photography. For those of you who don't know, I am currently working "my other job" as an engineer for Devon Energy, in addition to running this business. To top it all off I decided to also go back to school for my MBA this fall, so time has been a rare commodity. I finally feel like I am starting to find my balance, and while life it still really busy, I am ready to start pouring myself into Caitlyn.Marie.Photography again. Besides I just got an awesome new iPhone, so now I can Facebook, blog, and check emails all the time! Oh internet, I think I'm addicted to you! :)

Up to this point I have been very happy with the growth my little business has seen. I have photographed several weddings now, and I have grown so much in just the last year. That being said, I still have so much more to offer and big dreams ahead of me! I am hoping to spread the word about Caitlyn.Marie.Photography and introduce myself to as many new people as possible. My hope is that through the use of this blog, Facebook, and Twitter everyone can get to know the real me. Thus the reason for this contest...

The contest will start today and end on Tuesday, November 23rd at midnight. The winner will be announced on Wednesday the 24th.

First and foremost: the PRIZES! A drawing will be held, and the winner will receive their choice of either:

          - $30 Amazon gift card (you can find anything here... even purchase other gift cards!)
          - $75 off a portrait session with Caitlyn.Marie.Photography

Ok here is how you enter: It's actually really simple... there are 4 ways you can gain entries:

Go to my Facebook page and "like" CMP - 1 entry
Click on the "suggest to friends" button in the upper left hand corner of the page and suggest CMP to your friends - 1 entry for every 2 people
Update your Facebook status, or write a post on your blog, telling friends about CMP and this contest. Please include a link to my blog - 1 entry
For those of you who know me, comment on this post a memory or fact about me that you think describes who I truly am. I am not fishing for compliments here, I simply want to help others get to know me! - 1 entry

Note that this is a "honest policy" contest. I have no way to track how many people you ultimately suggest my Facebook page to, and I may not have time to look at everyone's blogs or Facebook status updates. I ask that you please shoot me a quick email, telling me the total number of entries you have achieved through these four options, please be honest, and I will get you in the drawing!

Finally, thank you all for taking the time to participate in this contest! I know it will take a few precious minutes out of your busy day but I really appreciate your help spreading the word about CMP and I wish you the best of luck in the drawing!

Colors of Fall

2010-11-07T09:49:00.000-06:00

One thing I love about Oklahoma is the fall. It is such a gorgeous time of year filled with crisp leaves, colorful mums, and perfect weather. The thing I find so fascinating about fall here is that it seems to last for such a long time! September, October, November they are all gorgeous months! Growing up in Colorado I always loved the fall, and the changing colors of Rocy Mountain aspens was beyond compare, but it seemed like fall always passed within a matter of weeks.

One of my favorite things about fall is the leaves. I'm sure most people say that, but I just love how they change colors, crunch under your feet, and dance in the wind. Last spring Dwyatt and I planted a couple trees in our back yard. One is a crab apple tree, another a maple. This fall they are just so beautiful that I had to go snap a couple pictures of them to share with you all.

I hope you are enjoying this special time of year as much as I am :)

Starbucks: The cure for anything

2010-11-02T15:18:00.001-05:00

I love Starbucks. I absolutely love them. Don't get me wrong, I love unique local coffee shops too, and they are usually my first choice if I have one, but Starbucks is just so darn dependable! I love that I can find one just about every where I look. Whether I'm on a road trip, on my way to work early in the morning, meeting with potential clients, or about to endure hours of shopping and lines at Target, Starbucks is there to save me.

In fact I have gotten so good at ordering my "grande-nonfat-2 pump-toffee nut-latte" that I don't even stumble over the tongue twister of words anymore! And on days like today, when I'm coming down with a cold, Starbucks is there to provide me with as much Passion tea as I can possibly consume.

Thank you Starbucks, thank you...

Taken w/ my Blackberry

Sweet & Sour

2010-10-27T14:12:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking for awhile now about coming up with an idea for a weekly post. I want to have some way to talk about my daily life happenings. I want this post to start taking place every Wednesday. Why Wednesday? Because Wednesday is right in the middle of everything.

I don't know about you but on Wednesdays I look around and find myself surround by so many things and I'm stuck right in the middle. Still remembering the week before and busy with the work week it often feels like the week has flow by with so much left to do! On the other hand the weekend is just ahead and I'm busy starting to plan activities, events, and check off my to-do lists before it gets here! Since I often have little time in the middle of the week, and I'm the nerdy engineering type, I think I will give you bullet points :) Oh how I love bullet points! If only my MBA professors would understand if I turned in papers comprised of only detailed bullet points...

So... the first rendition of *Sweet & Sour* is born. Why call this post *Sweet & Sour*?? I thought it sounded cool. Much better than "My World Wednesdays" which was the first title that came to mind. And also because I love Chinese food... and they have sweet & sour sauce. :)

Sweet:

The Container Store: this place is amazing! I am in the process of redecorating my office and I have found so many amazing organization and decoration things here. For overly organized people like me, the Container Store is like a drug...an addictive one. Now I kind of want to organize every corner of my house... maybe the kitchen can be next :)
My Nalgene water bottle - I found my nalgene the other day hidden away in the bottom of a desk drawer at work. I have been looking for it for months!! So excited to have it back because I actually drink the recommended amount of water when I carry in around all day. And it's red... with polka dots... make me smile :)
K-Love radio - I have been listening to K-love all week and it is such an inspiration! For those of you who don't know K-Love is a nation wide Christian radio station whose slogan is "Positive, Encouraging K-Love". They are such a blessing. Whenever I'm stressed out at work or with life in general, I can just turn on the radio in my car and it helps me get centered again, remember what's important, and focus on the Lord in the mist of my crazy life. For this I am so thankful.

Sour:

My cell phone - ugh! This thing is seriously about to die. It's almost two years old (my contract is up for renewal next week!!) and it's a good thing because my phone is going down hill fast. It drops calls all the time, has recently decided to eliminate the T9Word text capability, and now the touch screen is getting faulty to the point where I have to push a button about 3 times before it actually does anything. Next week, I am getting and iPhone. No doubt about it.
Oklahoma wind - a couple nights ago the wind here was blowing so hard that it blew all my flower pots over, and knocked my Texas stars off the house. My Texas stars are made of metal, and screwed into the brick. Yes... crazy wind. It also kept me awake all night... I blame the wind for making me buy Starbucks lattes the last 3 days in a row :)
Houdini (aka: Rigby) - my little white kitten, Rigby, has discovered how to rip off his collar in record time. He and Remington wear break away collars outside in the neighborhood to help prevent a neighbor from just picking them up and keeping them, thinking they are strays. However this plan has quickly fallen through as Rigby has figured out how to tear off his collar less than a minute. Now what do I do?

My Z

2010-10-24T17:17:00.001-05:00

This post is for Dad... last week when I shared my photos from our Route 66 outing, I mentioned that we were driving our new little Z around, and Dad emailed me to say he was bummed that I didn't actually share a picture of it...

As you may have guessed, I got a new car... a new little 350Z. Well, new to me at least. You see, I have driven a Toyota Avalon my entire life, until now. It was a great car, very reliable, and with plenty of room, but unfortunately it wasn't that stylish. In fact my friends often teased me about driving a grandma car... well the grandma car is gone for good! I found this cute little Z on Ebay, and since it was used I practically swapped my Avalon for it.

So the girl that's always practical went crazy and bought a sports car! I now have only 2 seats, and a rather small trunk. Although they promise me that you can in fact fit 2 sets of golf clubs back there... I'll believe it when I see it. That doesn't really bother me though, because this is the perfect time to have my cute little car. And I plan to drive the wheels off of it for a few years before it's time to trade it in for my future "mom car".

So Dad, here are the photos I have been promising you... meet Z...

Route 66

2010-10-16T21:11:00.000-05:00

The historic highway of Route 66 conveniently runs through the middle of Oklahoma. Today Dwyatt and I took our new little Z out for a spin. It was a gorgeous fall day, perfect 80 degree weather, and all the trees are starting to change. We drove through the countryside, past some gorgeous ranches, a tree farm, and a pumpkin patch!

I totally wanted to go to the pumpkin patch, but when we pulled in the parking lot we quickly noticed that there were about 3 kids for every adult, and absolutely no one there without kids. Dwyatt wasn't keen on the idea of me fighting small children for the prize pumpkin, so we left, but not before I made him promise that when we have kids we get to go to the pumpkin patch EVERY YEAR!!

We continued along and finally ended up at the historical stop known as Pops. It has all kinds of old fashioned soda pop and some pretty amazing hamburgers! It was a fun evening, and the place was so colorful that I just had to snap some pictures!

Oklahoma - the land of extreme weather!

2010-10-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I experienced my first earthquake... and I was in Oklahoma City. Absolute craziness! I have decided that Oklahoma has the strangest weather I have ever seen! Apparently nothing is out of the realm of possibility on the plains of Oklahoma.

The earthquake yesterday was registered as a 5.1 on the Richter scale. That is a pretty sizable quake if you ask me! I was sitting in an elementary school where I tutor 4th graders every Wednesday, and all of the sudden the whole place just started vibrating! It lasted long enough that people stood up, wandered around, and were looking out windows and whatnot... very strange...

Anyway, within the last year in Oklahoma we have experienced:

1) A blizzard - with record breaking snowfall
2) An ice storm
3) Tornadoes - these are common place
4) Hail the size of softballs - literally
5) A 500 year flood
6) Extreme heat advisories
7) A dust storm
8) A tropical storm
9) And an earthquake!!!
10) ?? - Surely we'll round out the year with a #10, I just don't know what's left on the list!!

Oh crazy Oklahoma... at least you keep life interesting :)

Study, study, study...

2010-10-11T14:07:00.000-05:00

Some of you probably already know this, but I am back in school... again. I started my MBA program in August, and while I am so happy that I am working towards this degree I have to say I am already tired of studying. Part of it is probably just trying to get back in the swing of things, and part of it is pure laziness. I mean who wouldn't want to sleep in and watch movies rather than study for finals?

The program has courses that are short, only 8 weeks apiece! All along I have been thinking how fabulous these short classes are, until this week... it's finals week already! Who knew that 8 weeks could fly by so fast? However, I have to say I have really enjoyed my classes this semester. Studying subjects like Organizational Behavior is so different from Thermodynamics and Physics that I am actually loving school again! Well except for finals, and all the reading, and writing papers, and all the extra stress...

So yesterday when I should have been reading these books I took pictures of them instead :) Hey, a girl just has to take a break sometimes! And in just a few short years I will be able to look back at this post, comment on how fast time flew by, and how happy I am that I just pushed through and did it! I'll have my masters degree that I've always wanted, and I'll be able to confidently say that I never have to go back to school again!

Well, knowing me I will go back... but I plan to only study subjects like cake decorating, Spanish, or pottery :)

Kauai - Part 2

2010-09-28T08:24:00.003-05:00

Time for more photos! I know that these aren't exactly showcasing my business, but I really enjoy also using this blog to keep in touch with my family and friends, as well as create a "digital diary" for myself. I spent some time looking back over my older posts and it was so cool to see what I was thinking and where I was at just two years go. So sometimes posts, such as this one, are just as much for me as they are to share with all of you. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoy looking back on the times shared with my wonderful family...

About a month before we went to Kauai, my Mom turned 50. For her birthday I wanted to give her something she would always remember. So instead of just more "stuff" I decided to take her on a adventure that would make memories to last a lifetime! I surprised her with a powered hang-glider trip :) It was an amazing way to see the island. Here I am getting ready to take off!

Mom flying high through the sky!

We flew up to about 5,000 feet. So amazing to still be 'outside' and flying that high. Definitely a surreal experience!

Looking out over the sugar cane fields and toward Mt. Waialeale (this mountain gets more rain than anywhere else on Earth!)

Over Waimea Canyon - the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific"

And finally up the Napali Coast!

These beaches are where they are filming portions of the 4th Pirates of the Caribbean!

So much fun! We didn't even get scared once... the boys were so proud :)

Another favorite part of my trip... a visit to the coffee plantation!

I am a coffee addict... I bought about 5 lbs to bring home with me :)

My gorgeous Mommy :)

These were my favorite flowers. There was such variety on the island, but these ones were just perfect... and felt like velvet.

This one was pretty cool too... I have never seen such a fuzzy flower!

I have to say this is probably my favorite photo of the entire vacation. To me it captures the simplistic beauty of Kauai. This is Evan strolling toward the shore to check out the monster waves...

They look kind of big...

The waves won... after being rolled around in the sand and water he gave up... no snorkeling here :)

Ev took this photo of me... I did lots of walking on the beach. Just soaking up the feel of the sand, the sound of the waves, and the smell of the salt. I'm such a beach bum...

This little guy joined us for a picnic on the beach... I fed him an apple core :)

The Napali Coast!

Our last full day on the beach. Trying to soak it all in! Dwyatt had to swim all bandaged up... such a funny sight!

Last sunset. Enjoyed with a margarita and the love of my life. Nothing beats times like that.

On our last day we explored Hanalei town some more. This adorable church is on the edge of town, and attracts many visitors. It's easy to see why, there couldn't be a more beautiful setting to praise the Lord!

Family photo... oh good memories...

This trip was filled with such joy and so many great memories. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful place.

Kauai - Part 1

2010-09-26T10:33:00.000-05:00

Since I have so many photos I want to share, I am not going to write a whole bunch... I'll just explain the stories behind my photos :)

This was the view from the beach at our condos... Bali Hai :)

Sea Urchin we found on our favorite beach...

Kauai is populated, over populated actually, with chickens. They are everywhere! Even on the beach where the will dig through your beach bag if left unattended...

We went fishing! It sounded like tons of fun... until Mom and I spent the entire day being seasick... ugh...

But at least Ev caught a big fish! He made for some very good dinners :)

My favorite boys... mahalo.

Kayaking up the Wailua river. We were able to just go on our own and avoid the crowded tours, such a great day!

After kayaking a couple miles, we left the kayaks on the bank and hiked a couple miles to a waterfall. Kauai has to have the most perfect weather on Earth. Never hot, never cold, just perfect :)

Waterfall!

The water was so cold, and I didn't really want to get all wet before hiking back through the forest, but Dwyatt kept saying, "You only get to do this once... don't you want to remember this?" So glad we did... this is one of my favorite memories from the trip! :)

Stick fighting in the rainforest... at least they're entertaining...

So while kayaking back toward Wailua we found this great cliff for jumping! We decided as a family that the 5 of us would all go jump off and it would make a great family photo. So after finding someone to take the photos, and climbing up the cliff, and all counting together...1...2...3... We jumped. Well, most of us jumped... Mom got scared at the last minute. Probably made for an even better memory :)

Bali Hai at sunset.

Dwyatt and I enjoyed many evenings on the beach :)

We also visited Queen's Bath one day. Queen's Bath is this natural pool formed in these black rocks that is fed by the waves, but protected from all the current so it's safe to swim in... However, if you climb over the rocks and down by the water's edge...note where my Dad is... apparently it can be very dangerous!

But there were tons of sea turtles swimming around the rocks, so we had to go check them out :) Later we were able to snorkel with the turtles at another beach!

What's a beach vacation without a few mai-tais??

So here are the photos of the kiteboarding adventure... Dwyatt has been learning to kiteboard all summer and has been determined to take all his stuff to Kauai. One day the wind was perfect so he decided to give it a try...

He made it! Looking pretty darn good in this picture :)

Not so good in this one... he later crashed into the reef, scraped up his entire right side and broke his left hand which resulted in surgery. He is still in a cast today! What am I going to do with this daredevil??

Scuba diving!! This was Evan's first time diving and it was so much fun! We saw all kinds of fish, including the Hawaiian Humuhumunukunukuapua'a :) We also saw some eels, sea turtles, sea urchins, and plenty of coral.

Ev & I getting ready...

Ev, you look so cool... :)

This is kind of a random picture, but we were walking around a shopping center looking for souvenirs and I saw this tree with bananas growing on it! Who has bananas growing on trees in a parking lot?!?!? Apparently Hawaii does...

Oh the scooters... Evan absolutely loved this thing. Great way to see the island & tons of fun!

Ok that's it for part 1... I'll post more really soon!

Hanalei Bay

2010-09-25T10:37:00.001-05:00

I have been meaning to post photos of our vacation to Kauai for over a month now. Life has been so busy! With working and going back to school, I find that weeks are passing by and my to-do list keeps getting longer! So, I apologize that I am just now getting around to sharing these, but hopefully you will still enjoy them :)

True to form, I took about 700 pictures in Hawaii. I even had a camera case so I could take my camera to the beach and not worry about sand and waves. It resulted in some awesome photos, but also WAY to many to wade through when I got home. Over the next few days I will post about our adventures and share some of my favorites :)

For today, I would like to share a panoramic I put together of Hanalei Bay. Hanalei town is my favorite town on the island. It's quaint and less "touristy". There is also this amazing bay surrounded by the mountains which is just breathtaking. No wonder it was chosen as the filming location for South Pacific!

*If you double-click on this it will get bigger :)

More to come over the next couple days...

Carmen & Kane - Oklahoma Engagement Photographer

2010-09-15T11:01:00.001-05:00

Dwyatt and I met Carmen and Kane a couple years ago when I moved to Oklahoma. As fellow engineers they had also moved down to Oklahoma (from Montana!) to pursue careers with the petroleum industry. We easily became friends, and have spent a lot of time together over the past few years. Memories of wine nights, baking Christmas cookies, and lazing around in the pool are all fond memories we have made.

As good friends, Carmen and Kane have been supportive of my photography business from day one. They have always been there with kind words and encouragement. It's friends like these that help dreams come to life. Last fall when I was still getting my bearings, they asked me if I would take some Christmas card photos for them. I was so excited to just have a chance to practise that I'm pretty sure we spent like 4 hours shooting and I gave them a CD with over 150 pictures on it! Yes, I was perhaps over zealous...

Fast forward to this year... Carmen & Kane are now engaged!! We have been so excited for them, and with their upcoming December wedding it was about time to do some Engagement photos! So, a few weeks ago we headed up to Guthrie on a hot Sunday afternoon. In fact it was SO hot that the streets were practically deserted and we strolled around the quaint little town, free to shoot just about anywhere. It was so much fun, and just like friendship should, the evening ended with another shared evening of wine and laughter...

Congratulations Carmen & Kane, I am so happy for you :)

I love the primary colors!

Must use the wedding chapel mural :)

We found this car parked on the street! Must have been meant to be, even the sign in in the background is yellow!

Carmen, you are gorgeous!

Ashley & Caleb's Wedding - Part 2

2010-08-17T10:46:00.004-05:00

Following our amazing photo outing on Friday, was the real wedding day... Ashley was filled with joy, and Caleb continuously told me "I'm so lucky". It was beautiful Colorado day and I was so happy to be a part of it! Ashley & Caleb - I hope that these photos help you remember and cherish your special day. You have all my love and appreciation, thank you for letting me share these moments with you.

I was in love with these flowers... so gorgeous!

Shove Chapel... AMAZING!

During the ceremony Caleb sang a love song for his bride... not a dry eye in the house!

It's official!

They had an awesome get-away planned in a vintage Mercedes...

Ashley made all her own place cards, invitations, menus, & gifts. What a talented girl :)

Ashley also gave her new husband a painting she created for him...

First dance...

Only the beginning...

Our View...

2010-08-15T12:47:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was fishing... today was kayaking... lots of pictures to come, but here is a shot of our view from the beach right outside our condo!

Wish you all were here :)

Ashley & Caleb's Wedding - Part 1

2010-08-13T09:00:00.002-05:00

On June 24th one of my dear friends Ashley married a wonderful guy. Even though I had never met Caleb until the day before the wedding, I felt like I knew him already through the many stories Ashley had shared with me. He was everything I expected, and when I saw Caleb and Ashley together I knew that this was it. They are perfect together!

Caleb dotes on Ashley with such kindness and care you can see his love for her in everything he does. Caleb is the planner, and he had spent months helping Ashley coordinate and bring to life the wedding of her dreams. Lucky for me part of that dream was lots of pictures! We actually got together the day before the wedding to capture all of their photos together. This was a fabulous idea! We had about 3 hours of time completely devoted to photos. We were able to just relax and get some awesome images. However, it's not hard to take great pictures of these two... they are gorgeous!

So, here is part one of their wedding... their day before photos... the rest to follow shortly!

Their First Look...

I love this one :)

This one was Dwyatt's idea...

Gorgeous!

I'm starting to understand why their friends refer to them as "Barbie & Ken"...

This one might be my favorite of the day...

This one might not be technically perfect...but I like it!

Arrived!

2010-08-12T13:13:00.000-05:00

We are now officially on Kauai! I'm watching the sun rise as I drink a cup of Kona coffee and listen to the waves. So beautiful! One thing I woke up missing this morning, well two things actually... were these little faces.

I mean really... how could I not?

Ok, now I'm off to the beach! I'll write again soon...

One more day...

2010-08-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

I'll admit that I am having a hard time concentrating today... In fact I am having a hard time thinking about anything other than the next two weeks. You see, Dwyatt and I leave tomorrow morning for Kauai! I am SO excited I can hardly stand it.

I still have so much to do in the next 24 hours, but it's all going to be worth it to spend 11 days here:

Picture courtesy of Google Images

I can't wait! I will try to update my blog some while I'm gone to keep you updated on the trip... I also bought an underwater case for my little D60, so I am super excited to try it out! Hopefully you will see some snorkeling pictures on here before too long...

Also coming up I have a ton of pictures to share from Ashley & Caleb's wedding so look for those! I will be putting those posts together on my 6 hour plane ride tomorrow :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Ashley & Caleb - Sneak Peak!

2010-08-06T10:20:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I had the honor of capturing Ashley & Caleb's wedding day. It was such a joyous occasion, and we took so many photos! Dwyatt and I actually met up with Ashley & Caleb the day before the wedding to capture all of their photos as a couple. This was an amazing opportunity because we had several hours to devote photos.

At one point Ashley bravely hiked up the rocks at Garden of the Gods, in her wedding gown, all for the sake of photographs... I think the result was worth it :)

I am still processing these photos, but I have a ton more to share! Stay tuned for more photos of this fabulous wedding in the next couple weeks!

Hooked.

2010-08-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

I have a confession... I have recently started reading the Twilight saga and it has me hooked. Hook, line, and sinker... wow. For the last several years I have listened to all my friends tell me "You HAVE to read them, they are SOOOOO good!" Well, to me they always seemed a bit silly...who really wants to read about a high school girl and vampires, I mean come on... we aren't talking about deep thought provoking literature here...

So what made me change my mind? My Mom recommend them to me! I trust my Mom's recommendations on books more than she realizes... so when she actually recommend I read Twilight I figured I would try it. She did warn me that they were "a fun fantasy that wasn't very intellectually challenging." Considering I'm headed to the beach next week...that sounds PERFECT!

I started reading Twilight, the first of 4 books, last Thursday...and umm... I finished it last night. I don't know what it is, but I'm hooked. So from now on, I am going to be the friend that tells everyone "You HAVE to read them, they are SOOOOO good!" :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Sisters at Heart

2010-07-31T09:13:00.003-05:00

A couple weekends ago my little sister came to visit me. She may not be my sister by blood, but she’s pretty darn close! Morgan and I have been friends practically as long as I remember. She is 6 years younger than me, but I have known her since she was 3. We met through our brothers, and quickly became friends. Although 6 years is a big difference at ages 3 and 9, we were always close. Perhaps it’s because neither one of us actually have a sister, so we basically adopted each other.

We soon discovered how many things we have in common. It’s actually kind of crazy… not only do we look remarkably similar, we also have the exact same birthday! We have enjoyed celebrating birthdays together for a long time, and it’s funny because I remember, for instance, when she turned 12 and I turned 18. Well this year she turned 18, me 24. Its crazy how fast time flies!

Anyway, last weekend Morgan came down to hang out with me for the weekend. She is headed to college in a few short weeks, and we wanted some time just to chill and reconnect before she is a college girl! We spent countless hours visiting, noticing more and more odd similarities that we share. One evening while the sunset was especially spectacular we went out to get some new pictures together. I had to start with just some photos of Morgan, because I’m sure you’ll agree that she is absolutely gorgeous! Talk about making my job easy :) Then Dwyatt took some photos of the two of us together. Sisters need photos together… we have decided to try and keep this tradition going and take new photos together at least every 5 years. Here are a few of my favorites… enjoy!

Krista & Jason – Nebraska Wedding Photography

2010-07-29T08:07:00.021-05:00

It was time for their First Look. Everything was set. Jason was standing at the end of the hallway beaming from ear to ear. I ran back down the hall just to make sure Krista was ready to see her husband for the first time that day. As I round the corner expecting to see a bride full of nervous excitement, I am surprised. Krista is the epitome of poise and grace. Calmly standing in her gown, holding her bouquet, she is perfectly still. I ask if she’s ready and with a confident smile she simply says “yes”. That's when it really hit me. In the midst of the excitement and commotion of the day Jason and Krista were completely at peace. Their love is secure. They are meant to be together. This is God’s divine plan, and nothing could be more beautiful than that.

Jason & Krista – thank you for allowing me to share your special day with you. I wish you all the happiness and joy that life has to offer.

My reason why...

2010-07-27T11:50:00.003-05:00

A few days ago, I sent Krista & Jason an email to let them know that their wedding photos were ready for viewing! It was late, I was tired, and I had been hunched over my computer for hours putting the finishing touches on my photos making sure they were all just so. Dwyatt had long since given up on me and gone to bed.

Some might ask why I push myself this hard and why I keep trying to keep this business going while I am currently working my “other job” full time as well. It’s a lot. I’m always busy, and often tired. So, why do I keep pushing ahead with this dream of mine? Because I get text messages like this:

“Oh my gosh Cait… I just checked my email. The pictures are AMAZING!! You did an incredible job!! Thank you so much! We absolutely love them!”

I smile, completely content, and full of confidence that I am on the right path.

Back on the Wagon…

2010-07-25T10:39:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it again. I completely fell off the blogging wagon. I was doing so well too! For several weeks I consistently blogged every other day. That is a major accomplishment for me…then I basically disappeared. Sorry everyone :)

The good news is that I have been super busy and done lots of fun stuff since I blogged last! Over the next few days look for some updates on all I’ve been up to… Let’s start with 4th of July weekend!

Over the 4th of July Dwyatt and I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Birmingham Alabama with some of my family. I seem to have a lot of family, spread all over the map, but each and every time I get to see them it is time that is cherished. This time we spent the weekend on Lake Logan Martin with my Aunts and Uncles. Some people may think this sounds odd to thoroughly enjoy a weekend with Aunts and Uncles, but believe me the fun and excitement never ends with this family! One night we took a boat ride across the lake just to drink Long Island’s and sing karaoke. (Note to family: we CAN’T sing!!!) Then there was a midnight swim in the lake, homemade meals, a fireworks show, cliff jumping, and games of ladder golf (ahem… sagnuts) in the dark.

Another memory I cherish about this weekend was sitting in the living room surrounded by people I love and listening to my Uncle’s song. He recently completed composing his first song, one full of heart and soul that has taken a lifetime to complete. In fact it is so moving that the term “song” just doesn’t seem to do it justice. Perhaps masterpiece is the word I’m looking for :) As we all experienced such a special moment together, and I saw every eye filling with joyful tears, I knew that there was nowhere else I would rather be. I am so blessed to have such love in my family, and I promise never to take it for granted.

Sneak Peak - Oklahoma Wedding Photographer

2010-06-30T17:40:00.000-05:00

As most of you know I went to Nebraska last weekend to shoot Jason & Krista's wedding. Well, since I took a ton of pictures, and it is probably going to take me several weeks to prepare them all for you to see, I wanted to give you a sneak peak of one of my favorites...

The wedding was beautiful, and you could just feel the love between Krista & Jason. They are an amazing couple, and I know their love for each other and for the Lord will take them far in life. It was so hot and humid last Saturday that we decided to delay our outdoor pictures until the evening. So, we snuck away for a few minutes during the reception to capture some photos in the field behind the church. There was a corn field right beside the church property... and since there is A LOT of corn in Nebraska I asked them how they would feel about corn field pictures. They immediately loved the idea and went on to explain that they actually got engaged in a corn field! Jason proposed at midnight, in the middle of a corn field. So, it was perfect! Here is one of my favorites:

Jason & Krista - I was so honored to be part of your special day. Thank you for making me feel so welcome :) I can't wait to share the rest of the photos with you!

Can you say LAZY??

2010-06-28T08:43:00.002-05:00

It's official... I own the laziest cat in the world! The other night Rigby was sleeping on the couch. However, he was not just sleeping, he was stretched out completely laying between the cracks of the cushions.

I ran to grab my camera, realized it didn't have a memory card in it, went to get the memory card, and then proceeded to snap multiple pictures of him. Throughout this entire process he never moved a muscle.

Wow, the life of cat... if only I could sleep this well!

Anticipation

2010-06-26T09:45:00.002-05:00

Today is the day! I have been looking forward to this day ever since last fall when Krista and Jason contacted me about photographing their wedding. Now, I am just a few minutes away from heading over the the church where I will join them for their special day, and capture the memories that will last a lifetime!

I admit I'm slightly nervous, but I figure that is a good thing. A little bit of nerves mean that I take my job seriously and want to do a great job! However, despite the nerves, mostly I am just EXCITED!

Today is going to be a great day! Look for a sneak peak coming up sometime next week :)

Hardy Hibiscus

2010-06-24T09:16:00.001-05:00

This is the story of the hardiest hibiscus plant I know:

I love tropical flowers. Growing up in Colorado we never had anything resembling a tropical flower, so when I would go visit my family in Ft. Worth I was always in awe of their amazing gardens and variety of plants. My favorite was the hibiscus. One year when I was about 12, while visiting my Texas family, my Aunt Marilyn took me to a greenhouse and bought me my very own hibiscus plant! It was relatively small since I planned to take it back to Colorado.

Once it made the 12 hour car ride back to Colorado Springs this little plant was placed in one of our front flower beds. For the next 10 years it fought snow, wind, and cold. Every year it would die, then finally pop out of the ground again toward the end of July. It would grow and grow, and when it was finally covered in buds and just about to bloom.... it would freeze. Poor plant. So for 10 years it tried to bloom, and was never successful.

Well, after Dwyatt and I got married and were planning our move to Oklahoma my parents suggested I take my hibiscus with me. So, we dug it out of the ground, put it back in a pot, and drove it 9 hours to Oklahoma. Then we replanted it, wondering just how much this poor plant can take. Well low & behold it survived! Let me tell you, this is now one happy plant! For the past 2 years now, it has easily popped out of the ground in early April, and come mid June it starts to bloom! The blooms started just this week, and they are gorgeous! I am so excited that I have many more blooms to look forward to :) I love the hibiscus flowers because they are huge! These are about 8" across.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the story of this incredible little plant... here are a few pictures:

Napa Valley

2010-06-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

I wanted to finish sharing pictures with you all from my weekend in San Francisco. The weekend was filled with great friends, lots of laughter, and of course fabulous wine from Napa Valley. It was so much fun to share this time with my girls, and Tommy too... Our friend Tommy flew down from Alaska to surprise Coree on her birthday and it just completed the weekend to have him there after not seeing him in almost two years!

Our wine tour started at 8am with a drive through the city, over the Golden Gate bridge, and out to Napa Valley. Then we visited four different wineries including Domaine Chandon, V. Sattui Winery, Andretti Winery, and Rutherford Ranch Winery. Then the tour ended with a ferry boat ride back across the Bay. Incredible day :)

Anyway, here are the rest of my pictures from our day in Napa... Enjoy!

Golden Gate Bridge

Champagne at Domain Chandon

Bottling Champagne...

V. Sattui Winery

Rutherford Ranch... I brought a bottle of the Cabernet home for Dwyatt :)

Gorgeous Scenery!

Our Birthday girl!!

The girls :)

Thanks to Tommy for this awesome photo!

Baby grapes... and Erica rockin' it.

Ferry boat!

Tommy looking very debonair...

Miss California...

Precious Memories

2010-06-20T11:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes a photograph comes along that truly touches your heart. A photograph that you just know will be in your albums forever, and one day you will pull out to share with your grandchildren. Last weekend my friends and I flew to San Francisco to visit one of our very best friends for her 25th birthday. While we were there, we took a wine tour through Napa Valley.

These girls mean the absolute world to me, and although we have now moved in different directions and are separated by thousands of miles, when we all get together it's like we were never apart. I cherish all the weekends we share and all the memories that are made. Our day in Napa Valley was filled with laughter, joy, and of course multiple bottles of wine!

I wanted to share this picture with you all because whenever I look at it, I smile. I am reminded that girlfriends are truly a gift from God, and I don't know where I would be without these incredible women. One day I will share this photo with my granddaughter to teach her the value of fabulous friends, and perhaps remind her that we were once young women, enjoying life, and chasing after our dreams.

Fast Track Photographer: I'm on my way!

2010-06-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

Deep down, I'm a nerd. I always have been... so what do nerds do when they have a passion? They read books on the subject in hopes of bettering themselves. I am currently reading a book called Fast Track Photographer by the world-renowned Dane Sanders. Let me say, this book is AMAZING!

It teaches you how to grow yourself as a photographer, and how to differentiate yourself from the crowd by building a brand around what makes you unique as an individual. There are plenty of people who take gorgeous photographs, and I know there will always be someone out there with more talent than I have, so what makes me different?

Through the use of his pDNA system (stands for photographer DNA), you answer about 250 questions about yourself in hopes of determining your individual strengths and weaknesses. Then you build upon your strengths to create a truly one of a kind brand. That unique brand is what you offer to the world.

So, this morning I am sitting here, coffee in hand, pondering my pDNA results and discovering what it is that I truly have to offer my clients. I'm still not done with this process yet, but here are a few things I know about myself that will shape my business:

* I love people. I love to interact, visit, and share experiences with people. This means that when we go out for an engagement shoot or portrait session, I totally just want to hang out with you. And I'm kind of hoping we can go to dinner together afterwards... On your wedding day? I just want to blend in as one of the girls, share your laughter and joy, and be there to capture memories along the way.

* I believe in customer service. Nothing is more aggravating to me, and I me nothing, than when I call a customer service phone number and a computer answers the phone. Ugh! Then, to make it worse when you do get through to a real person, then they usually live in another country and have no idea what you're talking about... Ok, sorry I went off on a little tangent, but my point is that when you receive good customer service and an overall good experience with a business it is like a breath of fresh air. I will provide a great experience for my clients, from the initial meeting, to the day of the shoot, all the way through the design and delivery of albums and prints, my client satisfaction comes first.

* I'm a girly girl, and I love weddings! The flowers, the dress, the shoes, the invitations, the cake, all the planning... I love it all! When I ask you about the details of you're day, I'm not asking because it's "my job" I'm asking because I really want every juicy detail! I want to know what your dress shopping experience was like, I want to know how you chose a location, I want to know how you picked out the ring. Know that on your wedding day, while you are overflowing with joy, I will also have a giant grin on my face, thank you for letting me share this day with you :)

* I love marriage. Now, to me this is different than loving weddings... I do love the decor, elegance, and splendor of a fabulous wedding, but without a beautiful marriage the rest is just fluff. I believe in the holiness and sanctity of marriage. I believe that love can last a lifetime, and that when God puts two people together nothing can tear them apart. As a Christian I believe that there is nothing more powerful than love, and that a couple on their wedding day represents one of the purest and deepest kinds of love. Know that while I am moving around and snapping pictures of your ceremony, my heart is in a worshipful place. I love the tradition, I take seriously the vows, and I am inspired by God's presence. I simply feel honored to capture such an amazing moment.

Wow, I didn't know I had so much to say! I guess Fast Track Photographer is really doing it's job and making me think! I still have so far to go with building this business, but I truly feel like the characteristics I mentioned above are what sets me apart. They come from the heart, and staying true to myself is what will make me unique. If you're a photographer looking to improve or start your own business I would highly recommend this book, as you can see it has already done worlds for me.

The Epitome of Cute

2010-06-17T08:13:00.000-05:00

My house will never be the same again. More than likely it will never be truly clean and in order, for I have two new babies living at my house... While they are furry little creatures with 4 legs, they now are in complete control of the household, much like I would expect a newborn baby to be. There are toys made of bells, feathers, and ribbon scattered around the floor. There are milk bowls, and scratching posts, and little beds that have taken over the living room... yet somehow, I wouldn't have it any other way.

A few months ago I posted about my parents newborn Colorado kittens. Well, a few weeks ago my parents came to visit me and they brought me two of them! I am in love. What adorable little bundles of fluff! Besides the fact that they chase my toes constantly, and pounce on my head in the middle of the night, they are perfect :) Dwyatt loves them as much as I do and is constantly carrying them around! Talk about spoiled.

They have already grown up so much, I want to share a picture so I can always remember how little they were. I have some more recent photos to share of them terrorizing my house... but for now let's just pretend they are always this sweet and innocent :)

Meet Rigby & Remington

Saturday Morning Bliss

2010-06-05T08:03:00.001-05:00

Why is it that coffee tastes so much better on Saturdays? Is it because I get the chance to just sit in my kitchen, read a book, and enjoy the morning light? Perhaps it's because I grind my own beans and have the choice between flavors like toasted cinnamon or Texas pecan. Either way, I always look forward to quiet Saturday mornings where I can savor the moment and contemplate the weekend ahead. It's my "me" time, it's my Saturday morning bliss...

Conquering the Wakeboard

2010-06-03T08:16:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share another story from Memorial day weekend with you all... on Monday I finally conquered the art of wakeboarding. This may not seem like much, but I have been trying to get up on this silly board for over a year now, and it has been so frustrating! To make matters worse my husband, and his brother, are actually quite amazing boarders so I have a lot to live up to! Here is my story...

After watching Dwyatt and Devin for the past several years and capturing images like this:

And This:

You can see why I wanted to finally learn this sport... So, on Monday we all went out early onto the lake so the water would be calmer, and I tried again... Here I am looking nervous and apprehensive about the whole idea:

Giving it my all...

Still wobbly and worried I'm going to face plant:

Oh my goodness, I actually MADE IT!!!

Now I'm looking confident :)

I am SO excited that I finally accomplished this goal. Now I just need a boat so I can practise more :)

Finally, this picture is my favorite picture of the weekend, to me it really resonates the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Dwyatt & Devin - Thank you for being patient with me while I was learning. Now hopefully we can spend a lot more time riding and less time picking me up out of the lake... you're the best & I love you guys :)

Sunshine & Summertime

2010-06-01T12:34:00.001-05:00

Although summertime technically doesn't arrive for a few more weeks, in my mind Memorial day weekend is the start of summer. My memories of Memorial day always include warm days, cooking on the grill, spending time with family, and working on my tan! This Memorial day was no different.

Though these fun memories of family, food, and sunshine are what reminds me of this summer holiday, I always find myself reflecting on the truer and deeper meaning of the day. I know it is because of the sacrifice of many men and women that we enjoy the freedoms and simple pleasures that make life what it is in America. I think about my grandfather and how truly thankful I am for all he did for this country. He served in the US Army his entire career, during that time fighting 3 wars. I can't help but think that it is because of his choices in life that I have such freedom in mine. Thank you Pap, and thank you to all the others currently making sacrifices to keep our country safe. You are our heroes.

This year to celebrate Memorial day, Dwyatt and I went to Texas spent some quality time with his family. His Dad's new house on Lake Travis is now finished, and it's gorgeous! What a beautiful place to call home... It was in the mid 90's all weekend, so we spent most of our time in the water. Dwyatt and his brother Devin also cooked some fabulous meals for us. Since pictures speak louder than words I will share a few of my favorites with you...

View from the new house

View of the house from the boat dock. The deck is my favorite part :)

Donna looking on as the boys swim in the cove.

Boys will be boys...

Devin's adorable puppy Squeak had her own personal raft...

Dwyatt & Devin were in LOVE with this boat...

Dwyatt caught this picture while we were dancing on the boat dock. It's kind of dark and fuzzy, but I really like it!

Taken during our sunset cruise... simply breathtaking!

I also have quite the story to share with you all about my wakeboarding experience this weekend... but that has all it's own pictures to go along with it, so I think that will have to be a separate post :)

Dirt, Wind, & Cattle

2010-05-14T10:58:00.003-05:00

Dirt, wind, & cattle - those three words pretty much sum up last weekend. Dwyatt and I attended the NVRHA Rendezvous event in Hugoton, KS last weekend and we had a blast! For those of you that don't know the NVRHA stands for the National Versatility Ranch Horse Association, a place where ranch horse riders come together from all over the country to showcase their talent, compete, and enjoy the general camaraderie of each others company.

My parents are founding members of the NVRHA which is how I got involved with it. They currently both show in multiple events each weekend and it makes me so happy to see them sharing in this passion and supporting each other as they train and compete around the country.

Last weekend's event was filled with great food, great friends, and even a barn dance! Since I grew up showing horses, I absolutely love weekends like this. Yes, the wind blew 50mph all weekend, yes we were covered in dirt from head to toe...but, there is just something about being in my boots & spurs and spending an entire weekend on horseback that just makes me smile.

Dwyatt and I got the chance to ride most of the weekend, and though I thoroughly enjoyed being back in the saddle, my favorite part of the weekend was having Dwyatt there with me! He did SO well for not having very much riding experience. He rode my mom's horse Jinx, and by the end of the weekend he had completed a reining pattern, trail obstacles, and even roped the Taco!! (Taco is the burro...he is remarkably hard to catch because he ducks whenever you throw a rope at him...) Needless to say, Dwyatt was amazing and I was so proud to be married to such a wonderful man who supports my hobbies and passions in life. :)

I left my camera in the truck most of the weekend due to tons of flying dirt, and the fact that it's really hard to ride & photograph at the same time... However, I did capture a few good pics... mostly of my amazing parents during their competition on Sunday.

Enjoy!

Mom cutting her cow from the herd...

Dad & Riskey showing off...

This unique perspective was actually Dwyatt's idea... I think I may have a 2nd photographer in the making after all :)

Dwyatt loved these guys... they are even more fun when you get to chase them around the round pen!

I love spring time :)

2010-05-03T22:06:00.000-05:00

Well, thank you to all of you who voted in my poll! It seems that most everyone either wants more updates from my daily life, or they just want me to write more. I'm trying again to be better about that :)

Now that it's spring time, I absolutely love to come home, grab a glass of wine, and head out into my backyard to soak up the last few rays of sunshine before they disappear over the rooftops of my neighborhood. Especially on days like today when the wind is calm and the smell of fresh grass is in the air, there is no better way to unwind from a crazy day at the office. Today I, along with my friend Chardonnay, I ventured out to take some spring pictures of the garden.

I must say that Dwyatt and I are finally getting the hang of this gardening thing... lesson learned from last year: we are not very good farmers and should not attempt to grow anything from seeds. This year, most of our plants (tomatoes, peppers, herbs, onions, etc...) we bought from Lowes :) Oh yes, I know that means I am not a true farmer, and I have a long way to go to actually be able to provide food for myself, but the joy of growing a garden is there either way. So far my favorite part of the garden is the fresh herbs. This year I have chives, rosemary, dill, parsley, cilantro, basil, and oregano. If ever you think you're not a good cook, simply add fresh herbs... they make all the difference!

I also have strawberries this year. They always make me smile :) Though I know they will never produce a basket full of strawberries for me to actually make anything with. Why? Well, because they are so sweet and delicious that whenever I spot a ripe one on the vine I pick it and usually it's eaten before I even make it inside. Strawberries and chardonnay is a heavenly combination...

So, tonight I thought I would share a few snapshots of this year's garden... enjoy!

A baby tomato.

And a hot & spicy pepper!

Radishes... I see lots of salads in my future...

Strawberries...

...to go with my Chardonnay!!

Strawberry flowers...

Just the beginning...

I need your help...

2010-04-30T10:02:00.001-05:00

So, once again, it has been 10 days since I blogged last. I am so terrible at this! One of my goals for this year was to blog at least 75 entries this year... so far I'm way behind!

I have been looking at my blog the last couple days thinking "I need to get with it and write something!" but since I currently don't have any new photo shoots to share with you I am at a loss for what to write. I find myself wondering if anyone actually reads my blog, and if you do read, then why? Why do you follow me? So, I decided to get some answers to that question, and hopefully it will help me have a better idea of what you all want to hear from me.

I have put together a little survey :) I must say I am extremely proud of this survey! Who knew you could create something like this and embed it right into your blog?!?!? So cool. Anyway, if you all would do me a HUGE favor and submit your answer to the question below I would really appreciate it.

I am hoping that it will help me define some direction for this blog and determine what I should write about :)

Thank you ahead of time for your help and support! I can't wait to hear all your answers and get your feedback. I know the poll only lets you mark one answer, but if you really wanted to mark two of them then please just leave me a comment letting me know your thoughts!

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Kyle - Senior Portrait Photographer

2010-04-20T19:08:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was in Colorado for Easter weekend, and I happened to sneak in a photo shoot as well :) Kyle, the son of my dear friend Wendy, is graduating from high school next month and needed a few senior portraits. We actually met up on my birthday, very early in the morning, in downtown Colorado Springs.

Kyle is such a kind and polite young man with a bright future ahead of him! He is planning to attend the University of Northern Colorado and wants to be.......wait for it........a math teacher! I don't know about you, but I certainly did not love math enough as a student to ever want to be a math teacher! I so admire him for this career choice, I know that he will go far and spend many hears helping others to understand the importance of math!

Kyle - I wish you the very best as you set off for college. I know you will succeed at whatever you put your mind to and I can't wait to see where your dreams take you!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day :)

Had to get one with Mom of course :)

Brie & Doug - Oklahoma Wedding Photographer

2010-04-11T10:40:00.002-05:00

This post has been a long time coming. Not only did this wedding take place a month ago, but also, it marks the very first post written about wedding photography on this blog! I absolutely love weddings, and it has been a goal of mine for quite awhile now to break into this industry, get experience, and hopefully become a successful wedding photographer! To help me accomplish those goals, the generous Audrey Hannah of AudreyHannahPhoto allowed me to come along and shoot this wedding along side her. Watching her in action was an amazing experience and I walked away not only with fabulous images, but with tons of tricks & tips she shared throughout the day. I am so thankful for her kindness and honored to call her a friend as well as a mentor.

I am so excited to share Brie & Doug's special day with you as seen through my lens... this will be quite the lengthy post, as I had such a hard time choosing which photos to share! Anyway, on to Brie & Doug. The wedding took place in Colorado Springs on March 6th. Brie, a photographer herself (check out her work), was full of laughter and joy all day long! She is such a fun person, and so photogenic it's unbelievable!

Though I didn't meet Brie or Doug until their wedding day, I could instantly tell they share a deep love and respect for each other. Doug is so kind, and doted on Brie all day. Tears of joy were shed as they exchanged vows in Shove Chapel and later laughter abounded at the Fine Arts Center as they celebrated this joyous day with all their family and friends.

On to the photos!

We started the day with Brie and her bridesmaids as they got ready for the big day. The colors for the day were pink & black, and Brie had tons of fun details in store for us!

Brie's dress was gorgeous! Simple and elegant... and it even had pockets!

We found this little salon for some bridal shots...the walls matched Brie's eyes perfectly! Amazing.

Possibly my favorite of the day...

Doug & his Dad right before the ceremony...

Can you say adorable?

Shove Chapel... I have a new found love for cathedrals, gorgeous!

It's official!

Not many men would wear pink shoes... but Doug pulled it off with style! He even carried Brie to their car so her dress wouldn't get dirty...so cute.

Ok, these might be my favorite too...

The reception was filled with fun details! Brie & Doug even asked their guests to wear black and pink to the wedding. This was an amazing idea, because the entire evening looked so coordinated! Even their gifts were wrapped to match the rest of the decor!

Everybody danced the night away and had a great time!

Brie & Doug - Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this special day. I wish you a lifetime of love and laughter.

Signs of Spring

2010-04-07T16:54:00.001-05:00

Spring is finally here! It's probably because last weekend was both my birthday & Easter (both which are sure signs of spring) that I feel so sure winter is behind us and a wonderful warm summer is just around the corner! With flowers blooming, trees budding, birds singing, and me breaking out the summery dresses and sandals I couldn't be happier :)

Spring is a wonderful time that reminds us of rebirth and the promise of summer. Though I can't wait for hot days at the lake, I think I'm enjoying the anticipation of it just as much. Last weekend, I went home to see my family for my birthday & Easter. Unfortunately Dwyatt was working (but he's coming home today, yay!!), so rather than be alone I went to see the family. All my time spent with them is such a blessing and I can't wait for the day that we live closer together again.

Also while I was home I got to see my parents new baby kittens! Their barn cat, Okie, had kittens again this spring. Talk about an adorable reminder of springtime! They are so precious... I am actually thinking of taking one of them (or maybe two...) when they get old enough. Then I won't be completely alone when Dwyatt is working!

Here are some pictures...

First a daffodil from my flower beds. The Oklahoma wind is to blame for the slight blur...

Kittens!

Blessed

2010-03-26T09:45:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I apologize for being absent recently, I have had so many things happen over the last couple weeks that I feel I am just now starting to get caught up. It started last week when Dwyatt's mom got really sick and we hurried down to Texas to be with our family. Thankfully she is doing better, and the Lord has continued to bless our family.

I have been thinking lately about how blessed I am in this life and I am just overwhelmed with thanks. I am blessed to not only have an amazing family of my own, but to have married into another great family. I love my new parents and my new "big brother" who just loves to pick on his new "baby sister". They are so much fun and I look forward to all the years and memories to be made together.

I also feel that Caitlyn.Marie.Photography has been blessed in so many ways. I have been filled with encouragement recently from mentors, friends, and clients. Thank you all. You are making my dream come true!

This morning I am sipping my Texas pecan coffee and editing wedding photos! (I can't wait until this is a full-time job... it's so much fun!!!!) Anyway, I was just filled with excitement when looking at some of the gorgeous bridals of Brie. I am still working on editing the rest and I will be doing a post sometime soon with lots and lots of photos, but I had to share one today... I couldn't help myself, I'm just to excited!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Lindsay & Andy - Oklahoma Engagement Photographer

2010-03-14T18:23:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of taking engagement pictures for Lindsay & Andy. Lindsay works with me at Devon and Andy is currently in law school at OU. I first met Lindsay when I started asking around for help on my logo, and her father very graciously helped me with several design ideas.

Lindsay & Andy are a fun and vibrant couple who love to laugh. They are one of the couples that you can tell just fit together. They have a comfortable love and a deep respect for each other. We had so much fun running all over Bricktown, then downtown OKC, and eventually ending up at the Paseo Arts district. They were even brave enough to run back and forth across the street and then stand in the middle of the street, all for the sake of great photos. I think it was well worth it!

They also brought along they adorable dog Cadmus who was a blast. Lindsay's sister Marilyn also came along to watch Cadmus and carry all the coats and outfit changes we needed along the way. Thank you Marilyn, we couldn't have done it without you!

Lindsay & Andy - Thank you for letting me capture this exciting time in your life. I know your wedding in July is going to be beautiful, and I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.

Isn't he adorable??

Lindsay...you are gorgeous!

We found this cute little church along the way... I loved it!

Andy proposed to Lindsay on Halloween when they were both dressed as clowns... the noses were their idea. Such a cute idea!!!

Thank you guys! I hope you enjoy them :)

Sneak Peak...

2010-03-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

Well, today is the day I have been waiting for! I am off to photograph my first wedding with Audrey Hannah! I am so excited, and it sounds like it's going to be a beautiful wedding full of artistic details. This morning I was working on some engagement pictures I took last week, and I just wanted to give you all a little sneak peak.

Lindsay & Andy are such a cool couple... you will hear all about them in an upcoming blog post, but here is a preview for now. :) Have a great day everyone!

Busy Busy Busy!

2010-03-04T15:15:00.000-06:00

Well, today I don't really have too much to say, I just felt like blogging :) I am super busy today at work, trying to get ready to go out of town for the weekend. I am flying out tonight to head to Colorado where I will be shadowing Audrey Hannah this weekend at my first wedding! I'm so excited about that, but I have a million things to do before I leave in just 3 hours.

I also wanted to include a picture for you this afternoon, because what is a photography blog without a picture? Seeing that I don't have too many pictures with me at the moment I snapped this one with my Blackberry. Yes, that is an orange. A clementine to be precise. It is my afternoon snack... my snack I'm very proud of... Why exactly am I proud of a clementine? Well, you see, there is an entire apple pie in our lunch room and it looks so delicious! So far I have successfully avoided it... despite the prompting and prodding of co-workers telling me to try it. So yes, I am proud of my little orange :)

Love & Lyrics in Baltimore

2010-02-28T11:35:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Dwyatt and I flew to Baltimore to celebrate my cousin's wedding. It was a fabulous weekend filled with laughter, lots of hugs, great food, and a hefty supply of beer. I absolutely adore my family, and I love getting to spend time with them especially when we are all gathering for such a joyous event! Yann, my cousin, and Catherine also have the coolest friends! Dwyatt and I already knew most of them from the annual Crawfish boil that well all attend, and let me say I am honored to be part of such a great group of people! To me, we seem like more than just friends, it seems like they are just an extension of our family.

Anyway, we were all there to celebrate Yann & Catherine's marriage. Catherine is such a sweet and generous person, and I am so excited to now call her family! The wedding took place at the Museum of Industry, overlooking the Baltimore Harbor. Every detail of the evening was exquisitely planned, and fit Yann and Catherine to a T. The ceremony took place right as the sun was setting over the harbor, it was gorgeous!

One of my favorite parts of the evening was when our friend Kylie Sackley, along with her boyfriend Steve, serenaded the guests with a few songs. For those of you who don't know Kylie, she is a very talented song writer. She has written songs for Faith Hill, Leann Rimes, and most recently Alan Jackson. Have you heard the new Alan Jackson song "It's Just That Way"? It's currently in the Billboard Top 20. Yeah, that's Kylie's song...

Here are a few pictures I snapped while Kylie was singing, and during Yann & Catherine's first dance... the rest of the evening I spent dancing and hanging out with family, so my camera was kind of neglected. However, I have some really cool pictures of the rest of our weekend in Baltimore that I will share with you all in another post...

Kylie & Steve

Kylie

Yann & Catherine's 1st Dance

We're Live!

2010-02-25T11:19:00.000-06:00

Today I have more exciting news to announce: my website has officially launched! I have been working very hard on in the last few weeks, and it was finally posted to the web this morning. I hope you will take the time to check it out and let me know what you think. :)

In addition to the website, I also now have a facebook fan page and a new twitter account! I hope that you can check those out as well, and I will do my absolute best to update them as often as possible!

Over the next several months the website will continue to evolve. I plan to add new pictures with every new photo shoot, and hopefully I’ll be adding some video slideshows very soon. I hope that you will check back often and as always please feel free to leave comments or suggestions… I really appreciate all of your support, with out you all I couldn’t be making this dream possible!

Spread the word my friends… WE ARE LIVE!!!!!!

An Opportunity

2010-02-24T11:50:00.001-06:00

I haven’t blogged in 2 weeks… wow… I need to be better at this. Well, I know that last time I blogged I told you all to look for some exciting news that I would be announcing. Since then I have spent a long weekend in Colorado with my family, and another long weekend in Baltimore with even more family. Needless to say it has been a busy couple of weeks, and I can’t wait to catch you all up on those events in separate blog posts!

Anyway, I’m sorry it took me so long to get around to it, but here is the news: I am shooting my first wedding in less than two weeks alongside the one-and-only Audrey Hannah. For those of you who don’t know her, Audrey Hannah is an absolutely amazing wedding photographer located in Colorado. I personally think she is one of the best, though I may be slightly biased since she was my wedding photographer in August of 2008. (more on that here) Since my wedding we have kept in touch on and off, and I recently asked her if I could come shadow her at one of her weddings. She graciously granted my request, as well as answered a flurry of photography questions I had for her.

Hannah is a beautiful person, both inside and out, and I am so thankful to her for this opportunity. It’s purely out of the kindness of her heart that she has decided to take me under her wing and show me the ropes! We will be photographing what is sure to be an incredible wedding at Shove Chapel in Colorado Springs on March 6th. I’ll admit I am slightly nervous, so I have been diligently familiarizing myself with my new camera, and getting ready for the big day!

This opportunity is such a blessing. I feel that throughout this entire “photography journey” I am on, the Lord has opened doors and brought people into my life at just the right time. It gives me hope and inspires me to do my best and keep pushing forward with my dream. Though she may not know it, Hannah is the answer to a prayer. Thank you Lord for such a wonderful opportunity!

Look for my first wedding photos to be posted in a couple weeks :)

Golden Sunset

2010-02-10T22:57:00.005-06:00

This week I am lucky enough to be on a work trip to Colorado! Basically I am getting a free mini vacation for the weekend, I just have meetings all day tomorrow :) I happen to be only a few miles from Golden, which is where I attended college...

I was happy to arrive this morning and have plenty of time to spend relaxing and enjoying the beautiful Colorado weather. I spent part of the afternoon walking around Golden and exploring the changes to the Mines campus. It was so fun to reminisce about all the days I have spent there in the past. I think today was by far my least stressful day on campus ever!!! I watched all the students as they scurried by on their way to class. I wandered around, camera in hand, with a big grin on my face. Today my only responsibility on campus was to enjoy myself and take some pictures. It was wonderful :)

Then I headed up Lookout Mountain just as the sun was setting to capture a view of the city. I couldn't quite get the whole scene into view, even with my wide-angle lens, so I decided to take a series of shots and then create one big panoramic with them. Here is the result:

I hope that you all have a great week, and I will try to blog about the rest of my Colorado adventures soon. Oh and one other thing to look forward to: more news about an exciting opportunity for Caitlyn.Marie.Photography!!! I can't wait to share...but that's for another post :)

Acquiring "Stuff"

2010-02-05T16:21:00.001-06:00

Today is an exciting day! Today, when I get home there will be a small brown UPS package on my front porch. What exactly is inside this small brown package? To most people, it's probably just stuff... but to me it's new camera stuff... the best kind of stuff there is!!

That's right, awaiting me at home are 2 new lenses (Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 & Tamron 28-75 f/2.8), and a new off camera flash (Nikon SB-900). This is the first shipment of new equipment that Caitlyn.Marie.Photography has officially "invested" in! I can't wait to run home and tear open that little brown box... Even better, I can't wait until the next one arrives... the ever coveted Nikon d700...

More on that in a couple days!

Oh, and for those of you that have noticed issues with this site...the blog is now officially http://www.caitlynmariephotography.net/ The website is coming right along and looking fabulous! I think I'll be able to show it to you all in just a couple weeks thanks to some very helpful people, including my beautiful cousin who is helping me with all the text. As you may have noticed writing is not my strong point :) Anyway, that's all for now!

Cait

Winter Wonderland

2010-01-31T18:09:00.002-06:00

As most of you know, an ice storm recently came through Oklahoma City. On Friday, as snowflakes were still softly falling to the ground, I decided to brave the snow in order to get a few pictures. I love ice storms, I think they are magical. It is as if everything has been encased in glass and suddenly my world becomes fairytale winter wonderland. If only it wasn't so cold, I could have walked around outside for hours just enjoying the beauty of it all. However, since my fingers were freezing, I decided it was probably best to just snap a few pictures and post them here... my way of capturing the beauty for years to come. I hope you all enjoy...