The Christmas Holidays was fun and relaxing. It is always nice to get a 2 week break from the riff raff of life. We spent the first week at home and enjoyed Christmas day in the warm Nevada winter. The week of New Year's we spent up in cold and snowy Northern Utah. The kids always have a lot of fun when we go up there. We appreciate the hospitality of family as well as the positive influence they have on our kids. Nana Ross made some traditional British Christmas cooking (Christmas cake, pudding, mince meat pies, sausage rolls), and Papa Ross took us snow on his snow mobiles. It was a wonderful season break, and we have a lot of great memories to think back on. Here are a few photos
Could it be that all those trick-or-treaters wearing sheets are dressing up as mattresses? I don't know, but I do know that our kids had a really fun time collecting all their candy loot! It was a lot of fun watching the kids race up to the door to see who got their first. But as soon as the bags started getting heavier, the fun soon slipped away. Enter mom and dad!
One thing that really gave us a laugh was Brooklyn's questions at every door. She had the most random questions that really made us wonder where they were coming from. At one particular door, a sweet old lady came driving up to her door in an electric wheel chair. AFTER she got her candy, Brooklyn asked the nice lady "Why are you riding in that chair? Don't your feet work?" At another house she kept asking the nice lady why she didn't have bags. We didn't quite get that one. Oh, and she has this thing for dogs. Any house that had a dog, Brooklyn was more interested in the dog than the candy. She would run up to pet the dog and shove her hands in its face. I keep telling her to stop doing so, but she won't listen. One of these times she is going to get nipped by a dog!
Anyhow, the kids had a lot of fun and the evening went well. Here are a few photos from Halloween night 2009
We had a fun time going to a Halloween party. Lots of food, lots of fun, and the costumes were pretty cool and creative. The kids had a lot of fun too. Here are some pictures. If there are any photos you like, feel free to right click and download. Enjoy!
Hey everyone, I just launched a new blog that focuses on my client work. Bookmark it and take a look- let me know what you think.
Chris Ross Photography: The Blog
This last Saturday, Naquel ran a 3.2 mile run with our local ward. Every year she participates. She was always a fast runner- I know she could kick my butt in running. When she told me she finished first place I congratulated her, but she said she was still 1.5 minutes slower than last year! Always competitive, always trying to do her best in everything she does... I am so proud of Naquel. Thanks to Mr. P for taking the photos, and sorry to all the Sisters for posting pics without your makeup on!
A special thanks to Rebekah Westover for doing such a great job on our family photos. We went up to Alpine UT for the fall colors, and we are so thrilled with the results. The kids were well behaved (Thanks to a Disney bribe) and the weather was great. Here are a few of our favorites.
I have been so bad about keeping up on the blog over the last few months. So to keep you updated, let me tell you about our camping trip up in the Uintah's (Trial Lake) over Labor Day 09. Over the last few years I kept on bugging Naquel that I wanted to plan a camping trip up in the Uintah's and I finally got her to agree. So we reserved a camp spot over the long Labor Day weekend, packed up our gear and drove up to Utah. We spent the first few nights at Naquel's parents in Spanish Fork, and then on Sunday afternoon we drove to Trial Lake campground. When we got there, some people were still in our camp spot, but kindly packed up and moved out. We set up camp in no time, and then took a hike down to Trial lake. The water has receded quite a bit from the last time I was there, and it was a little muddy. After a little hike, we came back to camp to prepare dinner- tinfoil dinners (Naquel's outdoor special). Connor, Grandpa, and I then took a drive out to Lilly lake and went fishing. We didn't catch anything, but I got some great photos of Connor and Grandpa. I returned later that evening for sunset shots at Lilly lake, and then went back to Trial lake for some moon lit shots of the lake at night. We all went to bed around 9pm when it was nice and cool. By 3 AM we were all bunched up together in the freeze of the night. It was so cold that the moisture from breathing froze to the inside of the tent. We made it through the night and then quickly started up the fire again to warm up. Grandpa took Connor fishing while Naquel and I broke down the camp and packed up. It was a quick 1 nighter, but perfect for us. We left Trial lake and drove all the way back to Las Vegas. The kids were well behaved and we had a very fun time. Here are a few pictures.
Today we went out on Lake mead with some friends of ours. They rented a wave runner and we had our boat. After getting everyone on the water, we headed over to a local beach on Lake Mead. It was nice and relaxing, and the kids had a really fun time playing in the sand and throwing it at each other. The rest of us just laid out in the sun and sat in the water. Our friend, Mr. P, went to get some gas for his wave runner while we waited around on the beach. When he came back we were ready to roll out and pull the kids on the tube, but Mr. P was complaining that his wave runner was really slow to get up and go. We decided to take the kids out on the tube, then meet up with Mr. P where we left him. 1 hour later, a stranger in a boat came flying up near our boat yelling " IS YOUR NAME CHRIS?" we answered yes, and they told us that Mr. P was marooned on the a beach and that his wave runner had almost sunk. We hurried over to where Mr. P was with his daughter. Apparently, they wave runner had taken on so much water that it started to sink out in the middle of Lake Mead. Luckily, a near by boater saw Mr. P frantically waving his orange flag and they barely dragged the wave runner back to shore before it sank. So when we arrived, we felt pretty bad leaving them there. We were able to tow the wave runner back to the marina and load it on the trailer without any other problems. Everything turned out fine and we all had a great time, with a little stress thrown in to keep things exciting. Today was a good example of how being a boat owner really can be stressful and worrisome at times. Here are a few pictures.
Today we celebrated our 11 year anniversary. It doesn't seem like it has been that long, but I guess it has. Looking back on it all, I feel very blessed to be where I am today, and to have such a devoted and loving wife and family. Here are a few pictures of our wedding day.
Last weekend we had the pleasure of heading up to Northern Utah for a family reunion. This time of the year, it is always nice to get out of the desert heat here in Las Vegas, and cool down in the Utah mountains. This year the family reunion was being held at the LDS Girls Camp just North East of Heber, UT. Before getting up to Heber, we stopped off at Vivian Park up Provo Canyon for a little lunch.
This kids were having a lot of fun playing at the park, but Brooklyn was a little grumpy from just waking up.
The Girls camp is so beautiful. June was a very wet month in the area, so everything was green and vibrant.
The administrative staff there had activities planned for our group, including some water activities.
And of course, Papa Roger was having a lot of fun, until they told him he couldn't fish in the lake. That really upset him.
Even worse than that, we took a hike up to a secluded beaver pond and the fish were jumping like crazy. The mosquitoes were bad, but that didn't stop me from taking a few pictures.
Chris loves to camp, but not when there is snoring involved, so we... er he opted to wuss out and stay in a hotel in Heber- The Holiday Inn. So comfy...2 bedroom studio with a king bed and jacuzzi as well as a kitchen. They had FREE breakfast that was yum yum, and then we took the kids swimming.
We all had a lot of fun, and look forward to our next trip up there.
On July 4, 2009 at approximately 11:30 AM Connor Christopher Ross was baptized a member of the Church. It was such a perfect day, and all of his family and some of his friends were there for the big occasion. I doubt he will forget this day. Connor was so excited to get baptized and I think that he really understood what it meant to do so. He was trying really hard to be on his best behavior weeks before and even after, he constantly reminds us of the things he needs to do right, because he is baptized now. We are proud of him and know that he will be strong in the Gospel. Here are a few pictures of the day.
Thanks to everyone for making the trip down here.
After the baptism, being that it was the 4th of July holiday, we took the boat out onto Lake Mead and had some fun in the sun. Uncle Mat was cool enough to take Connor out on the wakeboard.
It seems like every time we turn around the kids are getting a few years older. But it also makes us grateful that they are turning out to be great kids.
Connor and Sydney had their 8th and 6th birthday on June 28th, 2009. This also happens to be their Uncle Aaron's birthday as well (Chris's younger brother). So Connor and Sydney were so excited for their big day, and Naquel was on the ball. She had a big birthday bash planned for the day. The day started out with the big inflatable water slide delivery. We had a company called A1 come set up their inflatable slide, but when then unrolled the huge apparatus, it had a huge tear in the side and would not blow up. Naquel was frantic and upset, and was trying to call other companies to see about same day rentals. I was on the phone with Jim, the company owner, demanding an explanation for for their crummy and unprofessional equipment and business! And the poor kids were looking out the window with sad faces while the incompetent employee packed up their junk slide. Dino Jumpers saved the day, and was able to deliver an even larger inflatable jumper water-slide. This one was 36-ft high, and dominated our large back yard. This minor setback only cost us 30 min of planned party time, so everything was good. The slide was set up in no time, and during that time the kids opened presents and had birthday cake.
Naquel, being the thoughtful and wonderful mom that she is, realized that Brooklyn might feel left out of all the fun, so she bought her a present too, even though it wasn't her birthday. We hope that as the kids get older, Brooklyn doesn't feel left out because her siblings have the same birthday day.
After the cake and presents were dealt with, the kids went outside into the blistering 105F weather, and frolicked in the sun. Here are a few pics of the kids enjoying themselves.
The above picture is kinda funny- the water slide seems bigger than our house.
Connor and Sydney had a lot of fun, and they really liked having all of their friends there.
So thank you to all of the parents for having their kids over and making Connor and Sydney's birthday so special for them.
Another year, another birthday. But it still makes us sad to see our kids grow up so fast. We feel it is so important to take the time to make as many good memories as we can, while we can. We are thankful for such great kids, and wonderful friends.
Every year Sydney has a dance recital with her dance company Kids in Motion, showing off all of the wonderful skills she has learned. Sydney has been doing very well and really loves to dance. This year was extra fun for her because she was able to be in the same class with a few of her friends from church. She danced to the Lionel Richie Song "Ballerina Girl". She was so cute. Here are a few pictures of her in all of her glory!
Here she is getting ready for the recital.
Before the show, Dad was able to sneak back and get a few photos of her group.
Sydney has a very focused set of skills that she has developed over a long period of time ; )
And at the very end of the recital, they all came out to bow to the audience. To see the joy on Sydney's face was worth all the running around and preparation for her big day. We are so proud of Sydney, and continue to encourage her to develop her talents and interests.
This last weekend our family went up to Zion Ponderosa Ranch just north of Zion Park for a family reunion on Naquel's mothers side of the family- The Condies. We were pretty impressed with the location as the pictures below will show.
They also had a lot of fun things for everyone to do: Zip lines, Tennis, ATV's, Horseback Riding, Basketball, Hiking, and Connor's favorite, Pool
The main attraction at the Ranch, though, was the swimming pool. The kids had so much fun
In the picture below, Brooklyn was so excited about going down the slide that she failed to realize what was at the bottom.... a whole lot of scare.
We also took a hike down to the Narrows in Zion.
And Brooklyn bit her tongue
Anyhow, we had a lot of fun and look forward to going back that way again.
With everything going on, and all of our individual busy schedules, we figured it was time for a little vacation. Originally, we were going to take the boat out to Lake Powell, but after some fall through in family attendance, we decided to take the Lake Powell trip in October and take the kids to Disneyland. Looking back, we are so glad we did so.
We found a great deal on a nice hotel that was walking distance from Disneyland. The kids loved it because it had a bunk-bed with trundle so it was really cool for them. The hotel also had a nice pool, so the kids had a whole lot of fun. At the end of the trip, the kids kept on saying " We miss Disneyland... we miss Disneyland... dad, when are we going back?'
As excited as we were, we ended up getting to to park around 7:30 AM to find out that it didn't open until 9 AM. so we ended up waiting around until then to get into the park.
When we finally got into the park, they still made us wait another 15 minutes before we could get on the rides. The kids were more patient than their dad. We were first in line, ready to rush to Space Mountain.
We went on a lot of rides, while I was busy fiddling around with my camera.
The kids also had a lot of fun at the afternoon parade. Brooklyn was going crazy when she saw all the Disney Gang. They even invited her to go out and dance with them.
Here she is dancing
There was Goofy
And some Cow Girl lady...
Donald
Pooh
and last and most anticipated.... MICKEY
I wish we would have taken a family photo together, but these will have to do.
We ended up staying in Disneyland until about 8 p.m. and then we went back to the hotel where the kids wanted to go swimming for a few hours.
The next morning we went to Aliso Beach north of Laguna and just played on the beach for hours. The weather was so perfect... warm, yet a cool breeze kept us from getting all hot and sweaty. Naquel got some sun, the kids played in the sand digging holes and chris had a lot of fun taking pictures of anything that moved.
Chris got his big lens out to take pictures of some really cool skimmers
All in all we have one awesome vacation, and the kids can't wait to go back again. Bye Mickey, we will miss you!
Today on my way home from work, I stopped off near Red Canyon, UT to try out a new lens- a wide angle beauty! Here are two of my favorite images. Enjoy!
Tonight I had a photo shoot out in Red Rock Country Club- a foreclosed bank home that sold for over $800,000 at the height of the market. The current short sale price is $454,000. Yep- things are getting pretty crazy down here in Vegas! It's a buyers market out there! Here are a few shots of the home.
Breakfast was at 7 AM again on Wednesday morning, and then we left for our activity for the day- Cattle Drive Horse Back Riding. This was my 2nd time ridding a horse (whose name was Loco) and it took a little getting used to. One thing that impressed upon me right away is that riding a horse is not like riding a 4 wheeler at all (not that I thought that or anything)! On a 4 wheeler you turn the handle, the vehicle turns without any delay or hesitation. With a horse, you nudge the reins in the direction you want to go, and depending on the horses mood at the moment, either you turn the way you want, or in the case of a poor lady in front of me on a crotchety old mare, you turn into a cactus. The horses would nibble on brush along the way and the guides told us not to let them do so, by pulling up on the reins. Here is a shot of Naquel riding on her horse Durango.
After the horse ride, we came back to our hotel room, Naquel wanted to lay out by the pool again for a little while. We showered up and then went to dinner with Chris' former counterpart, at a quaint little restaurant called Bandera. Their cornbread is amazing.
When we came back to the hotel that night from dinner, there was another gift on our bed waiting for us as the image below shows.
Inside the package was a large book: Arizona on my Mind- a book with large pictures of the beautiful locales of Arizona. There was also an invitation to the planned event the next night.
Early Thursday morning we woke up for breakfast, then jumped on board the shuttle to our activity for the day- River Fun Yak. We drove 1 hour east of Phoenix to the Salt River in the Tonto National Forrest. Our guides inflated our kayaks, and we embarked down the Salt River for 5 miles. The current was pretty slow so it took about 3 hours.
We arrived back at our hotel room around noon, jumped in the shower and got ready for the even that night- a bar-b-q cook out. Here is Naquel getting on board the shuttle to the bar-b-q.
The food was delicious and the decor was based off of a southwestern theme. They had hundreds of gi-normous ribeyes cooking on huge grills.
The scenery was beautiful, and the effort that AZ took to make this as fun as it was was very nice.
There was an old mission near us, and the full moon rising made for a nice picture.
I almost forgot to mention that Naquel and I dressed up for the dinner. Here is a picture of Naquel getting all honkey tonk!
Friday morning we woke up, had breakfast, packed all our stuff, and then headed back to Las Vegas. Although we had a super fun week, we were excited to see the kids and give them big hugs. What a great time we had. Hopefully, we can win Circle of Excellence again next year, in Florida. We will keep you posted.
Sunday night when we came home from our dinner, we found a surprise waiting for us in our room. Sitting on our bed was a leather backpack with some really cool items inside: A blanket, swiss army knife, and a Moroccan cook book. Here is a picture of Naquel as she opened up the gifts.
We had to get to bed early that night because the next day was going to be busy. Monday was really fun for us. We started out the day getting up for breakfast at 7 AM, and then we had to meet in front of the hotel at 8 AM for our ride to our first activity of the week: Dune Buggies. Our charter bus drove us 45 minutes NE out of Phoenix to the Tonto National Reserve. We signed our lives away on a waiver form, geared up, buckled in, and then drove off into the desert. The picture below was near the turn around point of our trip. As you can see the desert is so beautiful, but there were parts of the trail where we were driving down extremely rocky dried up river beds, and that was a lot of fun,
We drove about 15 miles into the Sonoran Desert, and then took a little breather. We were pretty shook up from the jarring ride, and we were covered in dust. Our guide kept on telling us to watch out of rattle snakes, so we didn't want to venture too far from our dune buggy
The dune buggy was really fun to drive. The tires were pretty low on air, so they gripped the rocks and boulders with ease. I drove us to the the turn around point, and Naquel drove us back.
By noon we were back at our Hotel room cleaning up. We had a big night planned ahead, so we didn't venture too far from the Hotel. We drove down Camelback Rd. to the Fashion Square Mall- one of the best places to shop in Scottsdale. While there we ate lunch at the Grand Lux Cafe, and then we went to see the movie "17 again".
Later that night, we were driven about 1 hour north of Phoenix to Los Cedros Ranch where Astra Zeneca entertained us for the night with a wonderful horse show, tour of the ranch, as well as a Moroccan feast for dinner. The food was ok.
Here is Naquel posing and petting one of the beautiful Arabian horses.
This is the inside of the stables. These horses were treated so well... better than their human care takers. The stables were very clean, and had all the necessary amenities for the stallions.
This is a picture I got as one of the riders whizzed past us. Naquel kept on laughing at me because I was getting so excited about the photo opportunity. She thought that I looked like a camera geek!
I have this obsessive compulsive issue about always trying to sit on the very front seat of a charter bus... otherwise I get car sick! And the view from the front was pretty cool riding back to the hotel. It's almost like we were riding on a time machine or something. Pretty neat.
When we got back to our hotel room, there was another gift waiting for us on our bed. This time it was a pot for making cus cus, what ever the heck that is. Probably something I won't ever eat, let along make, so it will make for a nice piece of home decoration.
Tuesday morning was pretty laid back. We were able to hang out by the pool all day long. It was really nice to just relax and soak up the rays.
Later that afternoon we went back to the Fashion Square Mall and watched the movie "Ghosts of girlfriends past"- LAME. then we came back to the hotel to get ready for the awards ceremony later that night. Astra Zeneca rented me a tuxedo for the night, and they gave Naquel $200 to purchase a new dress as show below. We took a few formal pictures around the Phoenician Hotel property and then we to the ceremony where we sat around for 3 hours while they called every single person up to the stage one at a time to receive their trophy for winning Circle of Excellence.
We sat at table #43 and met some really nice people from back East. The food was delicious- surf n turf (filet mignon with lobster).
Here is a photo of the trophy I received.
When we got back to our room that night there was another gift waiting for us on the bed. I got all excited expecting an ipod or some other cool electronic device... but inside the box was a his/her champagne glass set and a chilled bottle of champagne. Seeing that we don't drink, we took the glass and left the champagne for room service to dispose of.
We had a busy couple of days. We were constantly tired because it seemed like we were always waking up at 5:30 AM and then going from one activity to the next all day long. The Pool day was a nice break, but we still had many more activities scheduled for the week. I will leave that for another post.
2008 was a great year for us at Astra Zeneca. Everything said and done, I won the coveted award "Circle of Excellence" for ranking #1 in the region (western USA) and #2 in the nation. Winning this award comes with many benefits, winning a week long vacation being on of them. This year, the CoE award trip was in Scottsdale, AZ. Although we were excited to take a vacation, there was a lot of work to be done to prepare for the trip. Thanks to Naquel and her insightful planning, as well as her parents and my sister for watching our kids while we were gone.
We had an action packed week filled with so many activities and it would take a long post to describe it all. So we decided to post a little bit about the trip over the next few days. All in all we had a great time, and we got a little more tan. The resort we stayed at is called the Phoenician. It rests right at the base of Camelback mountain in Scottsdale. When we first got there, we were very impressed at how beautiful the property was. The resort had a special welcome party waiting for all of the CoE winners which was very nice. They gave us some really nice bags, towels, shirts, lots of money (cashiers checks) for off resort dinning, as well as some really nice Maui Jim sunglasses for each of us. Every night for the rest of the vacation they left gifts in our room- that was my favorite part of the trip (more to come on this, later).
We finally checked into our room and I was ready to crash, but Astra Zeneca had a welcome party that night which was pretty cool. Lots of food and pop to keep us content. The theme was based around Arizona Wild Hogs bikers... the bikes were cool... the bikers...not so cool. Here are a few pictures from the first day there.
Our hotel room was pretty cool.
And the bathroom was upscale as well
We had a great view off of our balcony
Naquel was pretty excited to finally get settled in
The pool area was amazing and we had a lot of fun hanging out there
The Phoenician Resort grounds were beautiful, and the resort did not disappoint.
More photos to come in another post.
We took our boat out to Cottonwood Cove for spring break this year. We all had a lot of fun. Here are a few pictures.
Connor and I got up early to head out on the water.
Pulling up to the Willow Beach Marina.
Colorado River Shoreline. I guess some guy with a point and shoot got a much better shot...
All the kids crammed in the front of the boat.
We had a great Easter. The kids had a lot of fun running around the back yard looking for the Easter bunny eggs. I still don't understand why eggs are used... the last time I checked, bunnies don't lay eggs.
Naquel went to Utah this weekend for her niece's blessing, and because I had a wedding to photograph Saturday night, I ended up being home alone for a long weekend. At first it was fun because I had a weekend to myself to go out and take pictures (below) but after a while the novelty wore off and now I can't WAIT for my wife and kids to come home... I miss them so much. Not having them around makes you realize how easy it is to take them for granted. Going to to take photos has helped keep me distracted a little!
I never pass up an opportunity to photograph our kids~ something about the way the grow up so fast makes me feel that I can slow down this process by taking snapshots of them!
Connor is such a nice big brother. He is always trying to help out his younger sisters.
Connor is getting ready for soccer practice.
Brooklyn being cute.
Sydney does not like it when I take pictures of her, so I have to sneak them in when I can.
This morning Connor went to a surgical center to have surgery done on his ears. Connor had Dr. Schroeder put tubes in his ears because he was getting fluid build up in his Eustachian tubes. This is his second time having this surgery done, so by now he is a pro, and he wasn't even scared about going under the knife. Connor couldn't eat or drink ANYTHING 12 hours before the surgery. We woke up early this morning and went to the surgical center to check Connor in. Connor was excited. He always had a big smile on his face and thought that it was cool that he got to wear Sesame Street gown. He was a little worried at first because of the way it was open in the back, but once he was laying down on the bed everything was ok, especially since he had a TV and a remote to keep him busy. The Anesthesiologist came in and let Connor choose the flavor or anesthesia, and then after a few more minutes he was strolled off into the surgery room for the operation. Daddy went to McDonald's to buy mommy a big breakfast burrito while they waited for Connor. 30 minutes later they called us in and we helped Connor come out of his deep sleep. Connor kept on grabbing his ears saying that they were bugging him. Daddy kept asking Connor if he could hear him. Mommy kept getting mad at daddy for bugging Connor, and Grandpa just sat there embarrassed at the scene everyone was making. Connor went home, and after a few hours he was running around the house like it never even happened- just like he did a year ago after getting his Adenoids and Tube surgery. We are so thankful that Connor is a healthy little boy and that he can hear better.
I came home from work the other day and Sydney was spastic with excitement waiting to give me a present she had made. First there was an enevelope and on the front of it she had written
"Dad, I have something for you". Here is the envelope cover.
Inside the envelope Sydney sketched a picture of Sydney and I going to the park.
Also inside the envelope was a picture she had taken of her when she was a Chucky Cheese with her best friends Chandler and Chase.
Getting such a sweet gift from Sydney was just as wonderful as seeing how happy she was when I opened the envelope with surprise. As parents we cherish these moments.
Some of you may know that I recently went thru layoffs with my company. It was a scary time for Naquel and I, and we are thankful that I still have a job. Change can be scary when you are not expecting it but it can also be positive and beneficial. A positive change that has occurred with the layoffs is that I have been reassigned to our San Diego sales team. I am always hesitant about getting a new manager because it is like starting all over again- building up trust, friendship, and an understanding of expectations- as you can imagine I was not thrilled at first. However, after our first district meeting on Monday, I was very relieved to see that I have ended up with one of the strongest teams in our sales force. I have an excellent opportunity to learn from some very talented people, as well as help others with what I have learned over the years. My manager seems very confident, experienced, and I feel that he has a genuine interest in seeing me succeed. We feel so blessed, and we are thankful.
I have a fear of flying, as reinforced by the recent "Hudson Landing", so I prefer to drive if I can. statistically speaking its safer to fly.... yeah yeah yeah... but at least I can jump out of the car at the last minute if impending doom is unavoidable... so I'm kidding... but I still feel safer driving (well at least I do, don't ask Naquel). So I decided to drive to Laguna Beach, CA for our first district meeting. I had a little time to burn before the meeting so I grabbed my camera gear and headed to the beach. Here are a few of the shots I took...
On the way home Monday night I witnessed a beautiful sunset.
The other day Connor's friend Tyler came over asking if Connor could go ride bikes. I said sure, and went out in the garage to get his bike...designed for a 4 year old. Connor was WAY too big for the bike- his knees kept hitting the handle bars. I felt really bad for Connor, but he was just SO excited that he could ride bikes with his friend. On the way home from work today I stopped by the store and bought Connor his new bike- a new inline Magna. When Connor came home from school I tied a bandanna around his head telling him I was trying a new photo experiment. He gladly went along with it. We took him in the back yard and told him to take of the bandanna. I had my camera ready to take the shot. At first he just stood there trying to compute what was going on... after a few seconds he saw the bike in front of him and his face lit up from ear to ear. He ran to the bike to climb on it saying how cool the bike was. Then he stopped and came running to us to give us a big hug saying thank you. Sydney and Brooklyn helped pick out Connor's bike and it was so cool seeing how excited they were for Connor getting a new bike. It was a wonderful experience! Here are a few pictures.
Connor started soccer a few weeks ago and had his first game last Saturday. I think that soccer is more of social event than competition to him. He has a lot of fun just being out on the field with his friends and takes more interest in that, then running after the ball and trying to score a goal. But that is what is most important....Connor having fun! Besides, I remember trying to play soccer when I was his age, and I wasn't near as good as he is. We are so proud of Connor and his enthusiasm, curiosity, and strong sense of right and wrong and a desire to do the right thing.
Sydney lost her first tooth today. It is sad yet happy moments like this that make you feel like your kids are slowly drifting away to adolescence and soon adulthood. We are so proud of Sydney and Brooklyn and feel so blessed that we have such beautiful little daughters that are so sweet and kind, and have loving hearts turned to the light of Christ.
We spent the weekend before Christmas with my Uncle and Aunt- Clive and Anne. They drove all the way down from B.C. to spend time with the family. We had a lot of fun frolicking in the snow, albeit freezing...yes... we are talking -25 F at times. We really appreciate Clive and Anne for coming down our way! Here are a few pictures of us.
I had a lot of fun taking pictures-even though it was snowing the whole time. here are a few of my shots I took at the Geysers and Hot Springs (called terraces), braving the cold cold weather.
We cross country skied up to Temple Falls, well... we tried to, and turned around after a few miles because it was getting late. On the way back down the ski trail we were confronted by 2 big bull bison...one on the road... and one next to it in a narrow gully. On the opposite side of the road was a partially frozen lake. Not wanting to risk falling in the lake, we decided to SLOWLY shuffle past the buggers- the closest one being about 30 feet from us. It stopped to look up at us, as if determining that we were no threat, and then took back to feeding on the ground plants.
We also saw a lot of wildlife along the way.
On the very first morning we were there, we saw this amazing site- a grizzly guarding its kill. Actually, it was a kill that a pack of wolves made, but the grizzly stole it from the wolves, being stronger and more dominant. This is a rare site in Yellowstone, as most bears are in hibernation well before Christmas. On a side note, I made Naquel VERY upset because I kept inching closer to the Bear (I didn't have a long enough telephoto lens with me). I kept telling Naquel I was fine because I wasn't too close... besides... I can run faster than a Bear anyhow! Then the grizzly suddenly stood up erect and was stepping in my direction. I could have made it back to our SUV easily, but yeah... it was a stupid thing for me to doo.
We ran across some other kills sites, which was really neat, but you have to be really alert because many carnivores in the forest are attracted to carcasses, and they could be comming from behind you.
Ok.... I have a little more time than I thought. Since we didn't get around to taking a Christmas picture this year, we thought we could make up for a last minute snap shot. Here is a picture of us at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. We had just spent the day freezing in the -25 F weather, and decided that spending time in front of the fire place was worth while. Thanks to my Uncle, Clive, for taking this picture, as we don't seem to have many of Naquel and myself.
Brooklyn turned 3 last Friday, December 20. As Naquel and I were in Yellowstone cross country skiing the backwoods, we decided to have her birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Utah with her Uncle Matt today. We are still on vacation at this moment, so I don't have much time- but here are a few shots.
You have probably heard about the big winter storm that has been ravaging across the country! We got hit by it hard as records were set. 12 inches of snow up here in Summerlin, NV which beats the record set in 1979 of 9 inches. This is good and bad...good cause of the fun the kids had in the snow, but bad because of the idiot drivers here that don't know how to drive in the snow. Needless to say, I was up each morning at the crack of dawn cashing in on the smorgasbord of images! Here are a few from out at Red Rock Canyon.
A few pics from 2008...
We don't know what Brooklyn was trying to do here...
Brooklyn was so proud of her new bunk bed
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Sydney loves to take pictures.
Playing at the park.
Fun in the snow. Mt. Charleston.
I came home from work this evening stressed out and in a hurry to start all the administrative paperwork as I am preparing my year end review for my regional manager. As I rushed through the door Connor asked me to come and play with him on his bike. I quickly told him no, that I was too busy and rushed up stairs to my work desk. As I sat down and started at my work, I felt prompted to go down stairs and talk to Connor, and so I did. Connor again asked me to go play with him and ride his bike, and so I did. It is simple... to a child- they want to love and be loved. Adults are complicated... our lives are jam packed with deadlines, expectations, and responsibilities, we work hard and get caught up in the rat race of life, but at what cost? What is more important- what our boss thinks of us... or our kids? Connor reminded me today, that the greatest accomplishment we will ever make in our life time is being the best parent we can be. Life's lessons can be so sweet!
Always with a camera, here are a few pictures:
Connor is way too big for his bike... I guess Santa will have to hook him up this year!
There is a little alley down the road from our home. Sydney is still working with the TWeels!
How can I say "no" to a face like this?
Sydney loves to jump on the trampoline!
I have been looking around for a black muslin for my photo business and after seeing the CRAZY prices for a 10 x 20 piece of black fabric I just decided to make one myself. To be totally honest, It was my idea and Naquel's crazy skillz that made this work! Naquel was so nice to sew two 5x15 swatches of fleece into 1 large muslin. She is so talented and made this little project seem like a breeze- I don't think she really knows how much this means to me! Anyhow, here are a few test shots I took to break it in.
For Thanksgiving we went up to The Bingham's in Spanish Fark to spend time with the family. The kids were very excited to see everyone. I wish I would have taken more pictures of friends and family, but all the food got me side tracked.
A few of the activities that the kids really enjoyed included some fun playing at Jumping Jacks, an indoor mecca for blow up jumping bags and slides. The kids had a blast and had smiles from ear to ear.
We also did take a trip down to Mt. Pleasant to visit with Nathan on the land that my dad bought earlier this year. We made a camp fire (which was greatly appreciated because it was freezing by night fall) and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Brooklyn and Gunner (Nathans dog) became best friends and Brooklyn took great pleasure in hollering out orders to sit and jump. Gunner got so excited that he jumped on Brooklyn and knocked her over.
Today Connor brought home his school work and Naquel and I got a real laugh! Connor is still working on his spelling (which adds to the charm of this writing) so here is a little translation.
Today when I came home from work, I saw Sydney getting ready for her Dance Class. She had her pink outfit on and was heading out the door. I was so impressed by how cute and sweet she has become. It's scary just how fast kids can grow up.
One of the cool things about living in Las Vegas is that you can go boating out at Lake Mead 8 months out of the year. We are already into November and we took our boat for the last time this year. The water was cooler than we are used to, but bearable, at least that's what Naquel says! It was a nice 75 degree day, and hardly anyone out on the lake. The water was glass the whole time, the best we have seen it this year so far.
Naquel got a very nice picture of me and the kids.
Connor and Brooklyn anticipating the ride.
Even though the water felt a little chilly, the kids still wanted to take one last ride on the tube.
Connor and Sydney like to sit at the very front of the boat.
Brooklyn testing out the water.
Cruising along enjoying the ride.
Chris threw a piece of bread to a coyote watching us clean the boat. We were surprised at how close the coyote came to us.
So now we have to have the boat winterized and stored for the winter, but we look forward to boating next summer. Hopefully we will make it to Lake Powell next summer!
When ever we tell the kids we are going to Utah to see Papa and Grandma, they get so excited. This excitement comes at no surprise to us when we see how much love and attention Roger and Becky and the family give the kids. We really appreciate all they do to make such great memories for the kids. This last trip to Utah was no exception either. As soon as we pulled up into their driveway, BJ came outside and started playing with the kids. While unpacking the car, we could hear the kids running and laughing while playing with BJ. It was such a beautiful day and the leaves had just started changing colors. We decided to take a walk down a trail behind the Binghams house. The kids were having a great time free to run and play... but we had to keep a close eye on Brooklyn who is always trying to run into the most dangerous situation she can get herself into.
Every October our ward, Elkhorn Springs 1st, has a 5k run smartly named Chicks on the Run. Naquel likes to compete and, I'm proud to say, is usually one of the first women to finish the race. I am so proud of her, and I love the way she takes this so serious. For the last 2 years she has been going running with some of the ladies in our ward every night to keep in shape, and probably more important- decompress all of the days stress and anxiety from dealing with the kids. She is a great example to our family!
Naquel's friend asked me to take some photos for a family reunion- it was a pleasure taking their pictures. Location really makes a difference, and their back yard did not disappoint. Here are a few shots.
This is my favorite time of the year...things start to cool down around here, and the holidays are abundant. The kids were very excited to wear their costumes and go trick-or-treating. We started just before dark, after taking these photos, and stayed in our neighborhood: 2 hours later, very tired kids, and at least 10 lbs of candy in my hands, Naquel and I headed back home. The kids were exhausted and we ended up carrying them the last mile. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Family photos are very popular this time of the year as everyone gets ready for the holidays. The last few months, I have had a lot of requests for family photos out at Red Rock Canyon. So here are a few more shots from a family shoot over the weekend.
Last weekend I was taking pictures of a family out at Red Rock Canyon. I had hopes for clouds and nicely diffused lighting, and instead I got wind, cold, and hard light. Still, I was very happy with the end results, and the Tiner's were a wonderful family to work with. Here are a few images from the shoot that I especially like.
Chris
I did a photo shoot for a client out at Spring Valley Ranch just outside of Las Vegas. The early morning light was very nice to work with, as we had rain clouds looming over head ( a rare treat here). So here are a few of my favorite shots. Enjoy!
Another image I took at Balloonapalooza.
Every year Las Vegas has a mini-balloon festival called Baloonapalooza. I like to get there 1 hour before sunrise (5AM) and capture light trails from the carnival rides. Right after sunset, trucks file into the Craig Ranch Golf Course and start setting up their Balloons. I have yet to see them leave the ground... it seems that the conditions are too windy each year. But, its still cool to look at and offers interesting photo subjects.
To celebrate our 10 year anniversary, Naquel and I took a week long trip to Hawaii and stayed at the Hilton, Wiakoloa on the Big Island. Our flight left early Monday morning and we arrived at the Hilo airport around 7 AM. We initially reserved a compact car, but seeing as they were unavailable, we ended up getting a free upgrade into a convertible mustang. So we started making our way to the Hilton, a 2 hour drive, and took the old scenic Highways. Coming from Las Vegas, I was pleasantly surprised by how green and lush this side of the island is. My mind was racing with ideas for sunset photos...too many places to see and photograph, and not enough time. When we got to the Hilton, we were very impressed with how big and beautiful the hotel was. It has a monorail and boat transportation systems because the property is so enormous. After checking into our hotel we checked out the hotel grounds. I found the one and only sea turtle there, and although I took pictures, I was careful not to disturb it. It was amazing how close I was able to get... literally 3 inches from its face. After 10 minutes it got bored of me and went into the water. We also found a really neat little peninsula jutting out into the ocean, called Buddha Point. For our first day in Hawaii we were very impressed.
HEY LOOK! THAT'S ME JUMPING OFF THE BOAT INTO THE WATER.... BEFORE I GOT A TAN! Just kidding! Today we woke up bright and early because we scheduled a snorkel trip on the Fair Wind III catamaran. The water was so blue and clear. This is the best snorkeling I have ever done, and supposedly the best in the state of Hawaii. We had breakfast and lunch on the boat, and then took a nice drive south of Kailua-Kona to check things out. We stumbled across an ancient Hikiau Heiau (temple for the water according to the local resident guarding it). We had a nice sunset dinner in Kailua-Kona at the Aloha Cafe. Afterwards I was able to get some nice pictures at a beach right off of Ali's drive while Naquel did some shopping.
Today we took the scenic Hwy 19 north out of Wiakoloa Village to the Kohala Coast line. There are some stunning overlooks. We drove thru the quaint town of Hawi (Havi) where we partook of some of the best ice cream I have tasted, from Tropical Dreams Cafe. We stopped by an old church that was damaged in the 2006 earthquake. We Took hwy 250 over Kohala mountain where I took some pretty cool panorama shots of the green hills. One of the rather annoying factors about being on the Big Island, is that the roads are all single lane, and the locals drive 20 miles slower than the posted speed limit... and you usually can't pass for miles at a time. I took us 1.5 hours to drive 40 miles from Waimea Township to Honoka'a, and then another 30 minutes to travel 12 miles to the Waip'io overlook. Such a beautiful view- I wish I could have taken pictures there at sunrise.
Today was a day for R&R. The Hilton Wiakoloa has an amazing pool, and we spent most of the day there so Naquel could work on her tan. Around dinner time, we took a stroll around the hotel grounds to check things out. The Hilton has a "swim with the doliphins" experience that is very pricey, but that didn't stop me from getting a few photos. There were also places to rent Kayaks and other fun toys.
After dinner we went and watched the Sunset on A-bay. The view was spectacular- one to remember!
I had made up my mind months ago, that if I was coming to Hawaii, I would be taking a helicopter ride to get some killer aerial images of the Volcano. So we booked a flight with Tropical Tours out of Hilo. We flew on a Hughes 500D helicopter and our pilot's name was George. They were nice enough to grant my wish: take the doors off. At first the idea seemed to make sense as I wouldn't have to worry about shooting my camera thru a Plexiglas window, but once we lifted off, I began to realize the problem with this idea. First of all, Naquel was cramped between myself and the Pilot. Secondly, I was forced halfway out the helicopter and I could feel the air from the rotors smashing against my body... good thing I was harnessed in securely. Because of my predicament, I didn't enjoy the first 20 minutes of the flight... but once I got my camera out with a feast of photos to be taken, I forgot about my discomfort and the joy set in. We flew over the active volcano as well as Rainbow Falls. 1 hour goes by pretty fast when you are doing something you really enjoy.
After the flight, we ate lunch at an Italian restaurant called Pescora's- a dingy little hole in the wall... but the food was aight. From there we drove around Hilo only to realize that it is quite the shanty town. At the end of the day we stopped by a Botanical garden, and then ended the day out at Onomea Bay where I got some killer images. see photos below this post.
Naquel has reprimanded me for not giving you more information about our Hawaiian vacation. So to please her, I am adding more information about our little trip, and will break it down by each days worthwhile activities as they occurred. On the 6th day of vacation my honey said to me, " I want to get dirty, then frolic on a beach with Palm Trees". So today we rented some ATV's and 4x4'ed all over the north side of the big island. At the top of the trail we found this sweet cold water springs, and it was COLD! Naquel jumped in, but I had my reservations. After getting all dirty, we stopped by one of the best beaches on the Big Island, Hapuna Beach. Naquel didn't think about putting sun tan lotion on, and got a bad burn. We just layed out in the sun until dinner time, then went back to take some more "formal" pictures at our Hotel. My favorite one is the one above with Naquel with all the green around her. After taking sunset photos we went and ate dinner at this wonderful Thai restaurant called Jin Tia's. knowing that we had heavy travel plans for the next day, I was a little restless to get back to the hotel and start packing. Ugggghhh!
Well, we finally made it back from our Hawaii trip. Naquel and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on the Big Island. We stayed at the Hilton Wiakoloa. For those of you that are not familiar with the Big Island, it is on the Northwest side of the island, the dry side. Our flight left Monday 8/8/08 @ 2:30 AM for a 5AM arrival in Honolulu, and then a 45 minute flight to Hilo. From there it was a 2 hour drive to our Hotel. It seems like a lot of traveling, but we were so excited that it didn't seem that bad at all.
As our luck would have it, there were shark sightings along the Kohala coast line, so the best beaches in the whole state were shut down (all of the other beaches were lava beaches and offered nothing but sharp rock and cuts and bruises for the brave). I know Naquel was really looking forward to basking in the sun, and we had to wait till the last day we were in Hawaii. To make up for her disappointment, I scheduled many excursions including snorkeling at the Captain Cook Memorial (another best in the state of Hawaii), a helicopter tour over the active volcano, and a really fun ATV tour thru the north side rain forests.
Naquel was nice enough to let me get away for my photography, and take photos I did... lots and lots of them... really good ones. Since we planned this trip 5 months ago, I have been chomping at the bit about getting out to take some awesome Hawaii photos. I bought a fantastic book by Andrew Dougherty called " Hawaii, the Big Island Revealed". 400 pages of a local insiders guide to the VERY best places to eat, sights to see, excursions to take, and places to stay at. Some might call me obsessive compulsive, bit I like to refer to it as just being prepared. And besides, Naquel was really happy that I was putting so much effort into making our trip a great one. So, when we got to Hawaii, we already had a really good idea of what we wanted to do and see.
Naquel was so patient with me at times. About 1 hour before sunset I get really serious about my photography because that is the VERY best time to start taking pictures, and you only have so much "good" light until its gone. So there were a few times I just pulled off the side of the road and hiked into the rain forest a few miles to find an extremely remote beach to take my photos, while she waited nicely in the car... for a few hours. Luckily her cell phone worked to keep her busy. She is such a sweetheart.
So...now that I have talked your ears off...here are some of my favorite photos I captured with my D700. I have many more photos to post, but it will take a little more time and they will be on my photo site: www.chrisrossphotos.com when they are completed. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed capturing them.
Thanks
Chris
Some of the most impressionable locations of Utah are found along Hwy 89. Enter Orderville, a small town in south west Utah. This field is just south of town.
Ever been to the Uintah Mountains? If so, you will understand how beautiful and peaceful this national forest really is. Every time we are up in Utah, I try to sneak away for an early morning trek with all 40 lbs of my camera gear. This time, I hiked a few miles into Wall Lake. Here are a few of my favorite pictures. Enjoy!
Connor, Sydney, and Brooklyn.... they are growing up so fast and furious. Sydney started Kindergarten this week, and Connor went into grade 2. Every summer we take a family vacation up to Papa's house in Utah. These are some of the better shots where they actually smiled for the camera at time.
I love driving... I love it. It's my quick fix when I'm feeling down. It's like guzzling cold water after walking in the heat all day. I love taking pictures and having to wait till I get home to see if I got any keepers... its a great feeling... the same feeling I had as a 10 year old at Christmas time, rushing downstairs to open up my presents from Santa... intrigue, excitement, anticipation, all mooshed together in a hodgepodge of good feeling. Driving + Photography = Happy Chris! Even if I don't get the image I had in mind, being there and taking the picture...setting up my tripod...leveling the camera....dialing in my settings...scanning the edges of the image... and then hearing the crisp click of the shutter...it all adds up to a very enriching experience for me. Then I get to share this with you! So, here are a few from a detour on the way home from work today!
I am really enjoying my new D700. This image sums it all up for me. Hand held, this image was taken with my D700 in nearly dark lighting at ISO 6400. It was under exposed so I used CS3 levels to pull up the brights and the details out of the shadows. I am very pleased with it.
So I have finally got around to starting a blog, and after thinking it through, I have decided to set this site aside to highlight some of my favorite photos from client shoots, and places I travel to.
I did a shoot for a family reunion last weekend out at Sienna Golf Club in Summerlin, NV. This young couple are getting married soon, and requested a few shots. More to come... enjoy!
