NEW BLOG!

Hey all, I finally got my official website up and running...kind of. Point being, I will be blogging on that site. It is www.djashbyphotography.com. Just click on the blog link. Let me know what you think.

Done, done, and done!

Sorry for the slow week of posting. I have been preoccupied with finals, which are finally done. Phew! If I haven't learned anything else in college...it's possible to procrastinate everything, and I meant everything, til the last minute and still get decent grades. Yea for me.

Now that school is out the real fun begins and everyone of you better be praying for snow.

We went out and took some pictures of the kids today. It was a blast and I think they actually had fun for once. We bribed them with ice cream...which is amazing that it worked because it was freezing out. Anyway, a few of my favorites are at the top.

Speaking of photo stuff. I was an intern at a wedding this past weekend. It was amazing and also freezing. Things turned very well even with the challenges we had. My friend Terra was nicest to let me tag along. You can see some of the pics on her website, http://www.magnifiquephotography.com/ Just go to the blog part and it is the last wedding on there. Hopefully I will be able to more with her, I learned a lot. Hopefully, next time I will be able feel my face when we are down.

Until next time...screw school (and pray for snow).

We sure know how to party...try #2

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

We sure know how to party!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Long live neon!

I post this blog today with the intentions of it sticking around long enough for my kids to read in, oh, about 10 years.  That should give them long enough to be mad at the way we let them dress when they were younger. Let me explain.

Last night I decide I should do something somewhat productive.  So I work my way, slowly, down the hall to the bedroom to tackle the every growing pile of clean clothes that somehow never make it to their rightful homes.  I embarked on this journey of laundry folding only to realize that my kids are wearing the same clothes we did 15 years ago.  Not kidding.  They are wearing things I swore off before junior high.

So Maelan, yep, she has a complete arsenal of stretch pants.  These things were it back when I was kid.  Until junior high came around then no one wore stretch pants...except maybe my sister (sorry Loni, you know its true.  You loved your stretch pants).  My little girl must have at least one of every color.

Dawson, he's seven and into his muscles...and muscle shirts.  Yea know the ones that you wear when your too chicken to wear a real tank top, but really want to show a little bit more of them pythons.  Yep, he's got several.  No wonder he's always flexing.

The sad thing about all this, besides the fact that our children are destined for the same fashion doom that I was, is that my wife and I have purchased all these clothes for them fully knowing what we are doing.  I am sure there will be some sort of back lash for this in the future and when the time comes I must remember that I am fully deserving of all I get.  No parent in their right mind would allow their child, or two in our case, to make such mistakes.  

So, to the Dawson and Maelan of 10 years from now, I am truly SORRY.  Never again will I allow you to wear such clothing.

On a side note I learned something else about laundry last night...it is much easier with a little bit of rock-n-roll.  

On another side note the pictures at the top have absolutely nothing to do with anything.  I just felt that I should post some pics.  So here are some random pics from the last month or two.  Dawson on his skateboard and Maelan in her coat.  

I must go now and put on my flannel shirt and roll my pants tight around my ankles...for old time sake.  Long live Neon.

I found a small piece of Heaven...in my mouth.

It's Friday night and like most people I'm at work. Oh wait, I think I have that backwards. Normal people don't work all night on the weekend do they? However, I am not here to complain. I am here with an announcement. Like the majority of the people in the world I am on a constant quest to find Heaven, be it spiritually or an earthly retreat. Well, I am happy to announce that today I found a small piece of heaven. In my mouth. The great news is that you to can find this small bit of heaven as well. You just have make the trek to Wendy's (shoes optional). Once there pay your homage to Dave and then order a Frosty Float.

These things are amazing. It's a frothy goodness that can't be beat. You see a frosty is not real ice cream. It is something different and alone it falls into a lesser category than the real dairy product. However, you mix this stuff with a tasty beverage, such as root beer, and BANG, Heaven in your mouth. I'm not saying to sacrifice your only child for this (maybe if you have two you could offer one of them) or walk thousands of miles barefoot (although, this would be a refreshing treat after a long walk) for one of these. I am just saying that I think that this could really be a spiritual experience for you.

By the way if anyone knows the secret chemical combination to make a Frosty let me know.

Until next time...See you at Wendy's

MC Detroit

If you are one of the three people that read my blog then you probably know that I love to take pictures and on occasion will take a little photo adventure. Well, today happened to turn into one those adventures. I left school a little early and headed out to the grand metropolis of Salt Lake City for the always cool down town pictures.

Things started out as normal. Me snapping pictures here and there, wandering around like I'm lost. Getting funny looks from people as I stare at shiny things and broken buildings. The first hour continued this way, then the adventure started. I met MC Detroit (not his real name, I don't remember that, but this name stuck). Mind you, this isn't my first go round with a homeless man. As a matter of fact I am kind of known for taking pictures of the less fortunate. But, nothing like this has ever happened to me before. To the best of my memory it went something like this:

MC: Hey, wanna take a picture of me?
Me: Sure, I would love to.
MC: What are you taking pictures of?
Me: Oh, anything really (as I snap a few pics of him sitting on the edge of a cement flower box)
Me: Where you from?
MC: Detroit.
Me: What brought you to Utah?
MC: I don't know. Hey how fast is that Camera?
Me: Oh, I don't know. Pretty fast.
MC: Sweet, I'm gonna break dance for ya!

So the saga began.

MC Detroit busted out the moves right then and there, no shame.

The amazing thing you might ask? Well, there were two. First, he was actually really good. Second, he did the whole thing without spilling a drip of his V8 drink (another amazing fact is that it was V8 and not something a little more popular in the homeless crowd).

In my photography adventures in the downtown area I have met drug dealers, drunks, super nice people, and even a psychic once.

But, I have to admit I have never met a break dancer. At least not one that was as eager to bust a move for me as MC Detroit was.

So if you are ever in down town Salt Lake and meet a break dancing hobo, tell MC Detroit hi for me.

I was also able to snap a few pics of things you might normally see in a city. I have posted them below (except the crazy tree one at the top, who would have thought you would get a cool tree pic in the middle of down town). Most of all it was fun to get out and push the shutter button a few times.

By the way, I also met this guy, who was super nice. Apparently a little shy though, when I asked him to break dance for me he wouldn't.

Until next time....BUST A MOVE!

Giving Thanks...a little late.

Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite times of the year. I love food and I'm pretty sure that food loves me to and this holiday is one small way to celebrate our love. It is also a time for me to assert my manhood by starting fires and cooking a giant birds on them. It has kind of become a tradition for me to barbeque the turkey which consists of many super-secret ingredients and about 20 pounds of charcoal and little luck. It works out most years.

This years get together was tons of fun. It is always great to get everyone together.

So Becky beat me to it on her blog, but I am still going to list a few things I am thankful for. So here we go:

-My family, yep all of them, extended and everything. They all do so much for me and my little fam.

-America. There is nothing like being free.

-School. It's a love/hate relationship.

-Soldiers. They do what the rest of us are too chicken to.

-Skis/longboard/bikes. Um, yea I kind of like to go fast down hills.

I just realized that this list could on forever, so I will stop here, but there are so many other people and places that I am thankful for. So, thanks to all those out there that are always helping and entertaining me and my family. Thanks to those keeping us safe. And especially thank you to that wonderful turkey that gave its life...may your spirit rest in peace in poultry heaven.

Quote of the day.

"When you climb a mountain to prove how big you are, you almost never make it. And even if you do it's a hollow victory. In order to sustain your victory you have to prove yourself again and again in some other way, and again and again and again, driven forever to fulfil a false image, haunted by the fear that the image is not true and someone will find out."
Robert M. Pirsig

Sorry for the short post and no pics. I'm at work, not working...reading a book. This book is probably the deepest book I have ever read. I'm not going to lie to you, I've been confused for most the book. There are parts, like this one, that stand out and really make since though.

So until next time, be yourself and enjoy your own little victories.

Fresh Fluff

So there I was, knee deep in the fresh Utah fluff, you know the white cold kind. I look at my watch, 9:33 Nov 11 2008. Shake my head a bit. This must be a dream. Great snow this time of year...has to be a dream. So I make a few more turns reaching the bottom. A lift line jolts me to life. I am awake, this is real. Sweet!

You guessed it, the first day of skiing for the year and it was amazing. Probably one of the best openers I have ever had. I did however realize that I am not a fan of "The Bird". My nose isn't turned high enough to ski there. More importantly I like to have a sit down between runs and with there super fancy cattle car...um, I mean tram, you have to stand. Not to mention the fact that you are crammed face to face, literally, with every joe on the mountain with there mountain breath.

All this aside it was amazing day. You can't ask for anything better than good snow in early November. I love Utah and this year it must love me.

Here are some pics finally. I scanned them from actual prints, not real sure how they will look. If there bad I apologize in advance.

Until Next time...Bring on the SNOW!

Keep your fingers crossed.

November 3rd. Election eve and like every other big decision in my life I have waited until the night before to make my choice. I feel a strong responsibility to vote, yet inadequate at the same time. I am in no way educated enough in politics to make a strong decision. If I make the wrong decision I'll have that on my shoulders, not voting makes me just as responsible. I'm pretty sure my vote here in Utah won't matter much for the big man anyway, however, all the local stuff is the wave of the future. I almost feel guilty not spending more time researching all the candidates and propositions. I dedicated a large portion of my life to serving this country you would think I would be informed about these things, but I'm not. So, I will be spending the night getting as informed as possible to make a half-hearted decision tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.

Sorry, no pictures yet. Actually their are pics, but I'm posting from work and they're not here. I know, the dog ate my homework...excuses, excuses. Tomorrow will be the big day for pictures.

Hope to see you all at the voting booths (hopefully your more educated than me).

Wow, I really need to post more often!

First off, an apology for not posting in a VERY long time and for not having a picture for this one. I'm not really sure who I am apologizing to. Surely there is no one still reading this. Just so I feel better I will post anyways.
So, I'm sitting here thinking about all the things that I shoulda-coulda-woulda said in my blog had I actually been posting and I decided it would be impossible to completely catch up so I'm not even going to try. What now? I am going to hop on the "ten things I am loving right now" train. So here you go, 10 Things I'm loving right now:

1. That my wife is creating art...and loving it.

2. That my baby is excited to see me even if I only went to another room for a second.

3. My new long board.

4. Being able to wear sweat shirts in the cool fall weather.

5. That Big D actually likes to read. Hope this one sticks.

6. That the yard work is pretty much done for the winter.

7. That my daughter still likes to play with me even though she is a super girly-girl and I'm...um, not.

8. That I am actually learning stuff in school that pertains to my career goals.

9. Fancy hot choclate. I know I sound like a girl, but dang that stuff is good.

10. Work. Not real work, but work in the photo lab at school. I get paid there, so it is work.

This is quite possibly the cheesiest blog I have ever posted (not that it matters, I'm sure no one is reading anyway). Things have just been good lately. People have been happy, school has been pretty easy, what else could I ask for. I guess good times equal cheesy blogs. Next time I promise a picture or two. I have a few goods that I would like to show off.

Hopefully, next time will be sooner than the last.

Still on track!

Yes it's true. I have posted twice in one week. I know I can't believe it either. Nothing too exciting has happened, but I did want to post a pic. I figured since we started with the bike theme I would keep it going for a little bit. This is another film picture. I have decided that film is a lot of fun. I really feel that I have full control over film. There are definetly times that my digital SLR has complete control of me. I'm fairly certain that I am backwards in that respect. The fun thing about these bike pictures....I have no clue who's bikes they are. I just happened to see them on the street and snap a shot or two. Maybe someday someone will claim there bike.

Summer is here. We had the inagrual barbeque to prove it today. The family all met my sisters and burned a few steaks. It was a ton of fun and it helped me realize that we need a cage for our kids. Not for the reasons you might think, although that cages would be nice to confine them also, but for entertainment. I am pretty sure all three kids, especially the baby, played for hours in the dogs crate. Next time we want to go to dinner I'm just going to have to lock 'em up. Anyway, it was a great time. Hope all is well with everyone.

Quick Update and New Goal!

Man time flies when you are having fun. I have been super busy. I just finished my first semester of nursing school. I was able to work in the photolab while at school....gives me access to all the goodies. I also was working my real job as well. I also just ran the Odgen Half Marathon, my first one and it was a blast. And, on top of all that we have started to finish the basement....on our own.

Everything is going great though. So now that everything is slowing down a little (sort of). I have set a new goal to post a new picture and update at least twice a week. Hopefully that is a realistic. Smack me around a little if I start to slack. Pic of the day: I have had some fun with black and white film over the winter and took full advantage of the lab resources.

The Time Has Come!

Well, the time has come yet again. I start my second year of college in only six short days. It has been an extremely short break. I took a class this summer which gave a couple weeks at the beginning and end with no school.

Honestly it is a little overwhelming to think about school, work, family, and all the other odds and ends that life throws at you. So, today it is all about the reasons to keep going.

First, I am so lucky to have such an understanding and supportive family. It is the coolest thing ever to have a five-year old that is just as interested in learning bones and muscles as I am. Their can't be enough said about my lovely wife. She has to work twice as hard as I do to keep the kids happy and keep the family grounded during all my turmoil.

Second, being a flight nurse has to be one of the most exciting careers in the world. How often do you get to fly on helicopters, ride on hoist, and just be "the man" on any scene (with the exception of the military).

Finally, I know this won't last forever (I hope). I should find out in the next month or two if I have been accepted into the nursing program. My chances are looking pretty good, but you just never know. I will be really happy when I have that letter in my hand. The other super cool thing this semester is I am filling my fine-arts credit with a photography class.

Until next time I will keep dreaming that I was on the hoist instead of behind the camera.

New Arrival!

Ok, so maybe our new arrival isn't as brand new as a new arrival posting should be. Graham Gordon was born April 2nd and weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces. Graham is our biggest baby. He is quite a chunk and to date (he's four months now) he is still huge. We are very excited.

If their really is anyone who reads this I have to apologize for not posting for so long. In fact, it had been so long I couldn't remember my password to update my blog so you almost didn't get an update ever. It sure is a good thing that computers are smarter than I am.

Just to catch everyone up from the summer. We bought a house, knocked out a wall and did some renovations, are officially moved in now. I also took a summer class and received an "A" in an english class for the first time ever. I am not sure if I have posted since I started my new job, which also happened in early spring. I love it. Things are going really great. I have nothing to complain about.

This fall I am taking a real photography class at the college. It should be a blast and, I am hoping, will push me. Like always, I am looking for something to make me better now. Please send me photo "assignments" and I will post them for you. Looking forward to hearing from someone (keeping my fingers crossed).

What kind of dream are you having?

I know, I know....I have been slacking and it has turned into months and months with no update. Not a lot is different. I finished my first semester at Westminster College. Christmas came and passed. All is well, just like usual.

Funny thing happened the other day. O.K. I am going to preface this by saying sometimes the funniest things are also the most annoying. That being said, I was sleeping the other day. I work funny hours and sometimes sleep in the day. My kids think this is the strangest thing ever. Specially if I haven't worked a grave shift in a while. So it is about noon and I am sound asleep and then "Dad, Dad....Dad wake up". It was that distressed, anxious voice that only a five year old can make. Huh, what....as I roll over and my son is in bed with me shoes and all, "What kind of dream are having?" That is all he wanted to know, what I was dreaming about. I thought it was pretty funny. Dreams are great (sleeping ones and real life ones) and I am glad that I have kids that keep in line that way.

So the picture today has nothing to do with anything. I just walked across the street earlier today and took some pics of the pretty old horse there and thougt this one was neat. Oh, by the way, I am thinking of starting a camera club so if anyone is interested or knows anyone that would be let me know.

Later.....hopefuly sooner this time :)

Exhale Time

As busy as I am it finally feels like a little time for some R and R. The wedding is over, I don't feel sick anymore and I am caught up at work and school. One giant exhale.

Things are good. I have taken about a thousand photos since the last time I blogged. It sure makes it hard to pick one or two to put on here. I have had a little photo inspiration. A new "coach" per say to help things out.

As you can see from the pics above the wedding was just horrible (just a little sarcasm for ya). The kids did great and had fun. Kristy and Abe looked good and had a great time. Times like this are always good for me. They remind how good I have it with my wife. It has almost been seven years since we were there in that exact same spot. The great thing is that I think with every day and every year and every new wedding our relationship grows. Sappy, I know, but the truth.

I was able to tag along with real photographer and bagged a few good ones. He was great to let me do that.

So the goal of the week is to find (and read) a book or two about flash photography and maybe some natural lighting stuff. If anyone stumbles across anything of the sort let me know. Also ANYONE that wants me to take their picture let me know. I need all the practice I can get.

In 911 talk.....

I am 10-24 India.... Until next time.....

Um...Hello....Anyone there?

Anyone there? I have been off this blog thing for so long I am not sure if anyone is even there.

Sorry about my not posting. Sorry no pic today, I am work (it is 4:09 am, no sleep for about 24 hrs now).

School is good. I decided that I love to learn and feel very thankful that I am able to study what I want and that, hopefully, someday I will be able to help people.

My wifes sister is getting married this week. Everyone is town. It is fun to see everyone. The bad news...everyone is going to Moab for a mini vacation without me. :(

Nothing to exciting today, just an update.
I am sure tomorrow and the next day I will be busy picture taking and will have something to post.

Later...

Big Times for Small Fries

Yes, I know, it has been just about forever since I have posted on this thing. I have been lazy, slacking, avoiding and just about any other excuse you could dream up.

But I am back. Hopefully for good.

The wife, kids and I went with my mom and sister to a farmers market today. It was a good time. We saw a dancing horse and turqouis jewelry, I guess that just about sums it up. It was alot of fun. I did get some good pics of the kids (one of which is above).

So their are big times for me in the near future. I start school on Wednesday. First time I have been to school full time since high school. Very exciting. Also, I just officially finished training at the new job. I am now a bonefied 911 dispatcher. Good times.

By the way, I am still looking for picture ideas. Anyone willing to give me an assignment, let me know (Loni I know about the ring thing, just let me know when).

Check back soon.......Hopefully I will have been back:)