Grand Re-Opening

A few nights ago Jessica and I went to a pot-luck dinner at the Boettcher Mansion with some of the other vendors. Laurie had everyone up there to show off all of the renovations, and let me just say WOW, that place looks incredible. For those of you who don't know, the Boettcher Mansion is located on Lookout Mountain just about 30 minutes west of Denver. It is tucked away in some beautiful ponderosa pine forests and has an incredible view of the city. Jessica and I joined their vendor program this year and we are so excited to shoot our first wedding there. Right now it is Bill and Kirstin's wedding in September and we really can't wait.

The mansion is a historical site so they were limited with some of the renovations, but they have all new lights on the outside with a ton of landscaping, some brand new hardwood flooring and a huge new fireplace; just to name a few. If you are looking for a place to get married you should definitely call Laurie and go check out the Boettcher Mansion.

Wedding With Grant Oakes

I had an amazing opportunity this past weekend to assist a photographer at a wedding. The photographer is Grant Oakes and he is a great wedding photographer here in Colorado. He has been photographing weddings for almost 30 years and has offered to work with and mentor me. It has been an amazing experience and I have learned so much, I am very thankful that Grant has decided to give his time to teach me; it has already made me a better photographer. I attended a wedding in Beaver Creek with him over the weekend, I was able to observe him, watch how he interacts with people and take some of my own pictures. Here are some of my favorite pictures. Thanks again Grant, I am excited about working with you in the future.

Thanks...

I was reading another photographers blog, Beckers Blog, he is an awesome photographer in California and you should check his work out; and he posted some of his favorite flag pictures for Memorial Day, and I thought it was a great idea.

I sometimes forget about the thousands of soldiers overseas and at home and I just want to say thanks to all of them. I also want to say thanks to every person who has ever served our country, it is a sacrifice that I know I couldn't make. The freedoms and liberties that I have are because of all those hundreds of thousands of people who have defended our country over the last 230 years, so thanks to all of them.

I think the commercials got to me...

Well I finally made the switch (partially) to a Mac. Maybe those clever commercials did work on me, I don't think so, but you never know. Yes I am now the proud owner of a MacBook, it is a sweet little laptop that I am using to write this post with. I needed a new laptop because my other one sounds like a jet engine, gets incredibly hot is very slow, and randomly shuts off. Not to mention I bought the 17" version which weighs about 10 pounds. Not exactly portable. But that was years ago, and this is now; now I have a Mac. I still have a Dell desktop, but I am excited about learning how to use a Mac. So far I have been very impressed, all the pre-loaded software is very cool and very easy to use, plus it is portable and very quiet. The people in the store were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable; which is a nice change from a place like Best Buy or Circuit City. So while I haven't fully converted, I am exploring the other side.

People who inspire me: Jessica (My Amazing Wife!)

I have really enjoyed writing about all of the people who are important in my life, it has been a great way to say thank you to them; but also to let me realize how truly lucky I am.

When I met Jessica, now over 5 years ago, there was an instant connection between us. Almost as if we had known each other for many years. We talked for hours on end the first few weeks we met, I was so amazed by her, and so wrapped up in our conversations that I kind of forgot to ask her out. I still feel bad about that, and she reminds me from time to time. Back to those first few days, I knew there was something different about her, something I really liked. I knew after the second day I met her that she was "the one." It's true, I could have asked her to marry me right then. We basically went from strangers, to being together forever in a matter of weeks. Of course we waited three years to get married; both of us being in school, and not having any jobs or money helped to make that decision.

There are so many things about Jessica that I love, she is so smart, so compassionate and the most selfless person I have ever met. She is an incredible teacher, not just because she knows math, but more importantly because of her dedication to making her students better. She has incredibly high standards and her students consistently live up to those standards. She has such incredible inner strength, when Jessica was only 18 she lost her mother to cancer. She had to grow up and mature at a much faster pace, and she has had to deal with things that are seemingly unfair. I see how hard it is for her to be without her mom, but she is so strong, and her strength is so uplifting. I admire her so much, and I wonder if I would be able to live everyday with the same strength if I was in the same situation.

But I think the most incredible thing about Jess is how she makes me feel about myself. She has given my life an entire new meaning, everything I do is to make US better. I want to make her happy and I will do anything to make her life easier. Jessica makes me want to be the best person I can be, it is because of her that I have been able to start our own business. Without her encouragement and without her standing behind me and motivating me I would never have been able to do it. She makes my life great, she makes everyday of my life worthwhile. It is difficult to put into words how much she means to me, but I love her with all of my heart and soul and I truly am the luckiest person in the entire world. I love you Jessica.

Michele and Lee

Jessica and I had a great time taking some engagement pictures for Michele and Lee yesterday. They love the outdoors so when they said they wanted to do their pictures in Evergreen at Alderfer Park we were definitely up for that. We had a great time climbing on the rocks, jumping over puddles, and getting some amazing pictures. They were so easy to photograph and the four of us had an instant rapport with each other. You know you have a good relationship with two people when you can call one of them a "dumbass" during their engagement shoot; in a joking way of course. (Jessica, not I, said it.) We had an awesome time and we can't wait for their wedding in August, it is going to be abeautiful ceremony at a beautiful time of year in Evergreen. There were too many great pictures to choose from, but here are our favorites...

Graduation Pictures

My sister graduated from Mullen High School a few days ago and she is headed to Colorado State University in the fall. We are all so proud of her and wish her tons of luck. Here are some pictures...








My dad took this picture, so if we ever need a third shooter for a wedding I know who to ask.

People who inspire me: My sister Sarah

My little sister Sarah is graduating from high school tomorrow and I am so excited to go to her graduation celebration. It is hard to believe that she is 18 years old, and that she will be heading off to college in August. At the same time though I know she is ready to move on, she is such a mature and down to earth person I know she is going to do great things in her future. There are so many things that I admire about Sarah, her incredible sense of right and wrong, her intelligence, her caring and loving heart. I am so privileged to have such an amazing little sister, a beautiful and caring person who I love very much. I wrote a letter to her about a year ago, it was meant to be read at a retreat she was attending; for some reason she never got it so I have decided to post it here for everyone to read...

"Dear Sarah,

You are probably wondering why I am writing this letter to you. Well there are a few reasons. First I want to tell you that I love you, secondly I would like to tell you what an amazing young woman you are becoming. I like to think that I know you pretty well; I have known you your entire life. I have seen you grow from that little girl who was afraid of the grass, to a girl who is probably a better athlete than me. The time that we have spent together, the camping trips, the family vacations, the holidays have been some of the most incredible times of my life; and I know that there will be many more years of those amazing times to come. I have always felt very close to you because I think we have very similar personalities. We are both a little shy, we are both smart, neither one of us was ever that “rebellious teenager” unlike another sibling; and both of us need a little “push” every once in a while.
There are so many amazing things about you. You aren’t just an intelligent girl when it comes to school, you also have great common sense, but more importantly you have a great sense of what is right and wrong. You are such a strong person that you have no problem standing up for what is right; even when it can be very hard. Believe me I know it’s hard, I had to do it in college and high school; and continue to try and do it everyday. I know sometimes it is hard, but in the end it is always worth it. I know that you will always make smart decisions, and that you will always be that person that your friends admire and look up to. You have a quiet confidence about you which is one of the greatest qualities someone can have. You are also a very modest and caring person. You have always been one of the most kind-hearted people I know. You never have anything bad to say about someone, and you always try and find the positive in everyone and every situation.
I also want you to know that I will always be here for you; and you will always be a very important part of my life. It meant so much to me that you and Chrissy were able to be such an important part of my wedding. You will never know how much I loved seeing you both standing at the altar with me and Jessica. The way you have accepted Jessica as not only a sister-in-law, but just a sister is truly amazing. I know it means so much to her. You never cease to amaze me. Whether it is your grades, pushing yourself to be a better athlete, or just pushing yourself to be a better person; you truly are an amazing young woman.
I want you to know that not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for you being in my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better sister. I love you with all of my heart, and I am so excited for you. You are at an amazing time in your life, the next few years will be a time when you will continue to grow and mature. You are going to learn a lot about yourself and they type of person that you want to be. I am happy to be a part of this journey and I want you to know that I am only a 10 minute drive away. Sarah, I love you very much and I am so proud of you!

Love,
Andrew"

People who inspire me: My Mom

Seeing as it is Mother's Day, I thought it a good time to talk about my mom. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without my mom, she is always the one person that can make you feel better. Sometimes just hearing her voice on the phone can make my day better. She has the sweetest heart and is the most kind and generous person that I know. She is the type of person who would invite anyone into her home to feed them dinner. She loves everyone she meets and she is never in a bad mood. She is eternally optimistic and can and will find the positive in any situation. Heck, when she goes to sporting events, she usually cheers for both teams.

She always has a way of knowing the perfect thing to say, and somehow she always knows what I am really thinking. She was the first one to ask me "are you in love?" just months after I met Jessica; my answer was yes, and we all know how that turned out. She welcomed Jess into our family with open arms and has loved her like another daughter ever since. She has this way of simplifying things and getting right to the core of people and their emotions. She is an incredibly emotional person, movies, weddings, funerals, everything will make her cry, and she is never embarassed by it. I hope that everyone had the chance to see their mothers today, and I deeply admire anyone who has had to live their life without their mom. I don't know how I would do it.

Thanks Mom for everything you have done, and everything you will do for me. I am so grateful and thankful to truly have the greatest mother in the world. I am so glad to have someone in my life who is one of my biggest fans, one of my best friends and who also happens to be my mom. I love you mom.

Graduation

Here are some pictures from Chrissy's graduation.

Chrissy With Mom and Dad


Chrissy with Mom


Chrissy with Andrew and Sarah (her graduation is next week.)


Chrissy with Grandma and Grandpa.


Chrissy with her boyfriend Juan.


Chrissy with Jeff and Adele (aunt and uncle.)


Chrissy with her friend Kelly, who also graduated. So congratulations to Kelly.