Posted on December 29, 2009
Christmas was wonderful. Surrounded by family and friends we celebrated for three days. Lots of cleaning, lots of cooking, and lot of eating. Nothing can compare to the warmth of my ever growing noisy family.
One of the most memorable moments this Christmas was when my sister Marina presented Mom with her gift–a huge canvas of our entire clan. I restored the image when I was working on publishing Mom’s memoirs, and it literally took me days to get it to the point of satisfaction. When Mom “unwrapped” her present her heart seemed to have skipped a beat. But I will let you be the judge of it yourself.
Wait for it, wait for it…. There it is!
[If you are wondering, I am the little cute chubby cherub in my Mom's lap.]
So, there you have it–our beautiful large family all on one image–about the only time that will ever happen.
I hope your Christmas was as wonderful and heart-warming! I also wish you the best, recession-proof New Year!
See you next year!
Elena
Posted on December 13, 2009
Where can I start?! I had the honor of photographing a wedding of two very beautiful and deserving people yesterday: Holly and Ken. I blogged about them a couple of days ago here. They both serve our country with their time and their lives.
Their wedding took a place at The Villa at Cape Horn, hosted by gracious owners, Richard and Joan. Our prayers were answered! It did not rain!
So, here are some of my favorites of the happy couple, to whom I wish all the best in their marriage!
Holly got ready in the exquisite Tuscany Suite.
Once Ken and Holly got ready we hurried to catch whatever daylight we had left. And it all turned out so beautifully.
Close relaxed portraits of the bride and the handsome groom.
The inside of The Villa is equally gorgeous. While warming up we grabbed a couple of fabulous shots.
And then back to the great outdoors.
Can you believe how gorgeous Holly is?! Amazing!
And then it was TIME 
!
And now some gorgeous details and moments.
Holly and Ken, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your very special day! Thank you for all you do for us and all the best to you!
Posted on December 10, 2009
With Christmas coming up so soon my mood is already festive. There is so much that I am grateful for in my life: my God, my husband, my family, all the wonderful clients and friends I have met in the last couple of years, since we moved to Longview. But I am also super excited because I got a last minute wedding booking for this year. I will be shooting it this Saturday.
Why am I excited? Well, the couple that is getting married, both: groom and bride, are in the military. The groom will be wearing his uniform… with a sword to boot !
I met Ken and Holly last weekend and… WOW! what a gorgeous couple. They are so in love with each other. I absolutely adored how Ken was making sure that his wife-to-be was the center of attention. He is a smart man–he said that he knows that as long as Holly is happy, regardless his rank, he will be the happiest man. I so agree 
!
My only hope for this Saturday is that the freezing rain we are promised won’t happen–I pray for sunshine instead. So, if you are reading this post, please say a prayer for us, I am sure that the bride and the groom, who are serving us with their own lives would appreciate a sunny day as their wedding present.
Stay tuned this weekend for images fromKen and Holly’s wedding. Let’s pray that we will have an opportunity to get some gorgeous outside shots
