-it's almost over

this year was memorable.

to say the least.

2010 will go down in my book as the "learning year".

learning how to........

-slow down and pull it in

-surround myself with happiness

-enjoy the moment

-lean on my husband

-manage money

-find some spiritual maturity

a vague post about seemingly generic points.

this was probably one of the most important years of my life.

i'm very excited about 2011 and all the the new places, faces and experiences it holds.

things are going to be awesome.

i can tell.

-sunny christmas in az

christmas 2010 actually from heather Lewis on Vimeo.

-interim

video coming soon of the festivities.

thanks jo and deaners for another amazing holiday together.

we love you and your babies.

-merry merry

photo by jose de orta

-my moon

photo by jose de orta

SO MUCH HAPPINESS

by Naomi Shihab Nye

It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness.

With sadness there is something to rub against,

a wound to tend with lotion and cloth.

When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up,

something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs or change.

But happiness floats.

It doesn't need you to hold it down.

It doesn't need anything.

Happiness lands on the roof of the next house, singing,

and disappears when it wants to.

You are happy either way.

Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house

and now live over a quarry of noise and dust

cannot make you unhappy.

Everything has a life of its own,

it too could wake up filled with possibilities

of coffee cake and ripe peaches,

and love even the floor which needs to be swept,

the soiled linens and scratched records. . . .

Since there is no place large enough

to contain so much happiness,

you shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you

into everything you touch. You are not responsible.

You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit

for the moon, but continues to hold it, and share it,

and in that way, be known.

-run fast for your mother and fast for your father

so remember my theory about the more i like the people, the better the song?
we the chavez family just took my favorite.
dog days are over by florence + the machine.
seriously.
try listening to this song full blast and NOT dance.
it's impossible.
like trying to hold a newborn and NOT smell its hair.
or like thinking about swimming horses and NOT smiling.
impossible.

another impossible- not knowing how freaking perfect you'd look with short hair until chemo and radiation forces it. val is a beautiful, fun and loving person. we're all so glad her dog days are over!

Untitled from heather Lewis on Vimeo.

-another day

a couple of things that i need to remember about today:

- a woman stopped me at the store and told me that ade looks EXACTLY like ricky martin.

- brooks told me that dads are more fun than moms because dads "don't take a lot of photo shoots"

- ade barfed carrots, chocolate syrup and blueberry soda all over the front bathroom but then sang "away in a manger" in the shower while i cleaned it up.

- i discovered the smoke house at whole foods. i have 6lbs of medium rare grilled steak in my fridge. our tacos tonight were incrediballs.

- brandon looked rad in his levi's.

- i listened to "dog days are over" by florence + the machine 7 times.

- i found running shoes AND trail shoes today on sale at Sole sports and my sales guy's name was flash.

- i discovered a new videographer to obsess over.

- i got to talk to my big brother.

- brooks blessed the stray cat in my parent's neighborhood in his prayers.

- i saw my closet floor for the first time in 3 months.

- my pubic bone still feels cracked when i'm running.

- kerri posted this message on my facebook page: "you missed the best tea party this morning. Judd made strawberry popovers and Fritz and I made daisy chains and embroidered handkerchiefs."

- she may have been referring to santa's gifts to the boys.

- brooks has been devouring his new human body book- asking me questions like "are brains squishy or hard?"

- i caught brandon glued to harry potter. again. i think i've finally converted him.

- i finally listened to pandora on my blackberry. jayZ this morning.

- a package from my sister arrived.

- lew and i plowed through victoria's platters of gluten free happy heather christmas treats.

- brooks told ade he has a motor cycle in his bummy.

-landon stopped by and told brooks that he needs to tell his mom to take him to the park after we go to costco. we love that knuck.

- ade told me he needed hot tea.

- the boys wrestled like squirrels.

-burn baby burn!

chandler fire just scored this world's greatest employee.

and friend.

congrats matty!! we're so excited to have a personal fire fighter on hand to resuscitate the diabetic, deliver our babies, move our fridge and run the canals with.

i've edited your number in my cell to be 911.

it's been a looooong journey and your lewis family is so proud!

chandler fire academy graduation 12/17/10 from heather Lewis on Vimeo.

-a dozen

photo by deortaphotography.com

when i was 19 i sat behind brandon in an ethics and values class.

our teacher was larry harper.

he was a utah boy with D-rings on his backpack and leather Simple clogs.

i watched the back of his head for an entire semester and would say anything i could think of to make him turn around and realize how funny and clever i was.

never in my wildest dreams would i have ever believed we would be where we are today.

i got that cute utah boy to love me somehow.

12 years of marriage- he's still the one.

happy anniversary lew................................

-what day is it anyways?

wanna know why i only blog about taking pictures and other's homes for xmas?

because that's all i've been doing.

but i think i'm pretty much done at this point.

if i haven't contacted you about taking photos in december- we'll see you in the new year.

if i have, please ignore the glitter embedded into my scalp and the arms scratched by evergreen.

occupational hazards.

this month's been a blast.

especially with friends like these:

i love the de orta fam.

it is very stressful taking pictures of another photographer and their family.

he'll see.

when he does our next weekend.

De Orta Family from heather Lewis on Vimeo.

-deck the halls

good news this week- decorating for christmas party #1 wrapped.

gooder news this week- mariah was in town for decorated party.

goodest news this week- party with decorations had a salsa bar. holy guacamole. you have no idea.

i was so exhausted by the time the client's guests started arriving- mariah had to smack me around a bit to get me to hurry up and take some pictures.

the TWELVE FOOT WHITE TREE was my achilles tendon.

it was large, spacey and large.

defeated until somehow rotated 45 degrees (without my knowing) to expose it's less showpiecey angles. curses, spoiled again.

this tree is mother's favorite child.

somewhere in that dark corner are pussy willow branches, pheasant feathers, sprigs of gold dush, grapevines and hydrangea clusters.

i've never known a love like this before.

fresh wintery floral arrangements by my new favorite florist:

mrs. g's floral design.

(aka jonelle)

and then there was a salsa bar.

so happy it all pulled together at the last hour.

and having mariah there as a witness to my completely random life made it that much merrier.

-pop pop pop

cutest little couple on the planet.
jessica and jim love each other.
i love shooting in central phoenix.
people love shooting people that are shooting in central phoenix.
lots of shots happened.
bullet hole free.
this was a "shoot" i did a couple of months ago and can't believe i didn't post.
you can tell i really like the people when they get their pictures played to my favorite songs.

jessica and jim. totally. from heather Lewis on Vimeo.

song by william fitzsimmons off the derivatives album.

- a little behind......................

Untitled from heather Lewis on Vimeo.

song- "Zousan" by Elizabeth Mitchell