Click over here for a quick post.

Here is our family holiday card…I need to hire myself to take professional photos of my family. This is the self-timer deluxe on our big “snow day”.

Anyway, have a wonderful time with friends and family and be so thankful that you are all together. No stress, no worries, just enjoy every moment you have together and make them all count. See you in 2009!

Want to be them.

Y’all know how I’m always posting about Dakota Rescue, right? Well, I got one of their emails about a red dog named Penny that loved kids, was well behaved, and would love a forever home.

She found one!

Meet East Texas Coon Hound – Miss Penny Moon. We love her. If you have the means to help a dog (or cat), I say you owe it to them to do so. There are so many that need good homes. Don’t get me started. Sniff.

Hi Readers!

I want to enter a photo contest. I need photos for the following categories:

Love, Connection, Fun, Hope, Creativity, Family

With all the free time on your hands (hahahahahahahahaaha) could you help me by picking out one of my photos that represents one of these categories? Heck, if you have more than one you could suggest that would be even more awesomer

Maybe you can think of one right off the bat? Maybe it’s one of YOUR family’s I took – maybe you’ve seen it and thought it was exceptionally good?

You can go through this blog, my website, my first blog, my second blog. Leave where to find the pic and what category it fits into in my comments or email me!

If ya have a minute, I’d appreciate it. Thanks y’all.

This is Stephanie and her beautiful family. I met Stephanie in college. We were roommates and she continues to be one of my two closest friends in the triumverate that is Sara-Steph-Clarissa. Stephanie and I had our second babies 4 days apart. How cool is that?

Steph, John, Macie, & Maris came to visit from Arlington the week before that rascal Ike. Our two families stayed in Galveston and now these pictures are so especially meaningful! We frolicked on and under the “mermaid pier” or Murdochs – one of my favorite places to take pictures. Now it is just a pile of rubble. Because I am an only child, Stephanie is like a sister; my chosen family. Her kids are cousins as far as I’m concerned, and John – like a brother.

Love this family!

I had a shoot with a wonderful returning family yesterday waaaaaay down in League City. On my way there I saw so many signs of Ike; tons of billboards, signs, trees and roofs torn apart. It made me feel sad all over again. Then, I got behind a guy headed south on the freeway in a beat up old Jeep Wrangler with the warm coastal wind blowing through his vehicle. I felt proud of the Gulf Coast, knowing it will rebuild slowly but surely.

The weekend right before Ike I was in Galveston with friends from Arlington. We stayed at a hotel on the strand, took their family pictures at Murdoch’s, ate at a cool little restaurant off the strand in the historic district, played on Stuart Beach. All were affected or destroyed (Murdoch’s!!) by that rascal Ike. I will post pictures of our trip in a few days. I saw this one in my batch this morning and it just asked to be posted today.

This was fun. Go to www.wordle.com and make yourself a word cloud all about you (or anything else you fancy!). Soooooo easy!!!

Here’s mine with words from my blog:

(this message posted on sara’s behalf by her friend clarissa)

Sara and her family are away from home without power or water for the foreseeable future!

Thankfully, all are safe & sound at her parents’ house (with a generator!). Photos to come!

Updates: (Check back often)

• The Matilda Jane trunk show for Saturday, Sept. 20 is cancelled, but will be rescheduled. Please check back for information.
• All shoots scheduled through Monday, Sept. 22 are cancelled and will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
• All shoots scheduled for the following week (Sept. 23 and on) are tentatively a GO, until further notice.
• Oct. 26-27 Christmas card mini-sessions are still a GO and will be scheduled as soon as she’s able.
• For those waiting on deliverables, she’ll be getting those out as soon as she’s able to access her computer.

Above all, Sara wants to express her appreciation of your patience and understanding through this most unusual time. She really looks forward to getting back home and working with you all!

For all those affected by Ike, she sends her best and hopes all are faring as well as possible.

If there are any emergency questions, please contact Sara by phone. In addition, feel free to email clarissamtz@yahoo.com (messages will be promptly relayed to Sara) until Sara is back online.