Lisa Hansen Photography: Sharing Your Story and Capturing Memories

Family photos are a snapshot of a certain period of your sweet family's life, and I love them!

I love that taking family photos is a chance to clean up my mud monkeys, dress them up (in coordinating outfits even), perhaps even adorn one in a bow-tie, get a little fancy myself, and then capturing them in all their impish glory.

While I love getting family photos taken, sometimes the process is just, well, eh, so-so.

In the past, I felt a little like a smiling droid family striking the perfect statuesque pose, holding my breath and praying that all my Littles are looking at the camera.

Has this ever happened to you? Does this sound familiar?

I love family photos!
I hate family photos!
I love family photos.
I hate family photos.

Well, friends all I can say is from this day forward I declare from the mountaintops and a leafy treetop, or two, or ten, or a hundred, that--I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE family photos.

My new adoration and family photo love is all thanks to this lady...

Lisa Hansen of Lisa Hansen Photography.

Friends, oh friends! I have never in my life had such a personalized, unique and absolutely lovely photography experience. She really offers a boutique portrait art experience. I know you have seen some sneak peaks of our family photo sessions on Facebook and Instagram. I have been dying to tell you all about our experience.

Seriously people, best photography experience ev-ah. Oh where to begin?

Well how about the beginning...

From the very beginning, every detail is completely thought out. The packet she brings preparing you for your photo session is not only beautiful, but it is insanely helpful.

My favorite part is the Style Guide.

She perfectly prepares and guides you on ways to optimize the style of your family photo. She has suggestions on how to pick your outfits. Including, she uses her background in interior design (yes, she is like uber-talented) to guide you on picking a style so that your photos will also coordinate with your home decorations.

She calls you and discusses what location style you are thinking of and then like magic she just seems to know the perfect location. She asked us to think of things that we did as a family and to bring anything items we might want to use in our photo.

The result, perfectly candid, genuine, and lovely photos that catch the very essence of my sweet teeny tiny family.

Fields. A Quilt. Books. Giggles. Memories.

As the sun set, our photo session came to an end. It was like the end of a party that you really don't want to leave.

Seriously it was that grand.

AND like any good party hostess, she gives her sweet little guests a parting gift.

Insanely awesome, right???

My Little Men were beyond excited that they got a little gift. This photographer and Momma knows exactly how to make the day of the teeny tinies.

So are you getting that I think Lisa Hansen Photography is pretty amazing?

Now, where Lisa Hansen Photography really stands out is the unique Session Premiere she offers for viewing your photos. There is no studio or office you have to go to. Nah, she comes to you and you get to view your photos for your own personal Session Premiere and in the coziness of your own home.

PLUS, she brings you dessert (which we previously picked from a dessert menu).

The Premiere Session starts with the viewing of our family photos in a breathtaking custom movie of our photos mixed with some live video set to a beautiful and unique song picked just for our little family. She comes to your home prepared to give you the best movie experience possible. She brings a projector and a large screen to enhance the whole movie screening. Dessert on lap, while watching and well...you had me at dessert.

The custom movie was captivating and there was the shedding of tears. Cried in my cheesecake it did. I shed happy, content, and sweet sappy tears. I actually still cry every time I watch it.

Watch it without oohing and ahhing, I dare you!

The hardest part of the whole process is deciding what photos to buy (because of course I want them all). In the Session Premier, she brings sample of the portrait sizes available to purchase. If we had questions as to which size would look best, she would grab her sample canvas and hold it up on our wall so we could see the actual size and see how that canvas would look on the wall.

She also offers several collections. That makes it easier to get the photos you want. Ooh, ooh, and she offers Christmas Cards! 

Long after my plate was licked clean, we finally settled on our photos.

We ordered our photos and then before I knew it, a lovely package was hand delivered to my house.

Inside was a little treasure all nestled in tissue paper.

Goosh! I fell even more in love with our photos with them sitting right there in front of me.

Can I also just mention that along with the photos of these beautiful squishable faces, there was a special treat of chocolaty goodness.

The attention to detail just never ended. Oh and I am pretty sure I ate most of those chocolates by myself. Sorry Hubby.

After I giddily clapped my hands, I started planning the layout to display our new (and might I add bestest family photos).

I am rather enamored.

My boys let me know how great it looked and then they promptly told their friends, "She finally hung up some pictures on the walls. FINALLY!"

Our walls have been bare the whole 2 years we have lived here.

Well, not anymore.

Thanks Lisa Hansen Photography for such a personalized photography experience where every detail was special and memory making. This unique boutique portrait art experience is really an unforgettable experience. I just can't say enough about this lady and her insane talent.

Go and visit her site (you might just see more photos from our session too). You will find yourself mesmerized by her work, I promise you that. 

Like her on Facebook. Spread the word. Schedule your own Boutique Portrait Art experience. She only has 2 spots left for her Fall schedule. Prepared to be amazed, in love, and ready to make your own memories.

What is Your SuperPOWER? {A Teacher Gift}

We have still not gone back to school around here.

We are close though. Oh. So. Close.

Supplies are bought.
Clothes are picked (by me of course, I mean I do have boys so they don't care what they wear).
Back to school night attended.
Teachers met.
PTO assignments started.

This year I am super excited for my PTO responsibility.

Teacher Appreciation.

I love me some some teacher appreciation. I love great teachers and I love coming up with creative ways to cheer teachers on.

Previously, I have just done things for my kid's teachers, but this year I get to pamper all the teachers.

I wanted to start the school year off right with a little Welcome Back to School gift.

One of my favorite teacher tag lines is "I am a teacher, what is your superpower?" I first heard it years ago when my SIL, who is a teacher, told me about it.

So I that is where my inspiration came from.

For my POWERade What is SuperPOWER? Teacher Gift.

I picked out red and blue Powerade, because well those are pretty awesome superhero colors.

I made some coordinating tags.

I made a chalkboard sign and a superhero tag. I used PicMonkey, because well I love them. AND because they have a new "School U" full of all kinds of schooltastic tools, overlays, edits, and fonts. Goosh, I love it all.

I made the red tag and the black chalkboard to go with the red Powerade. The blue tag and the green chalkboard go with the blue Powerade. I actually printed them off like photos, but they would also print great from your home computer.

I have the images for you here on the little old blog. Just click the image and download to your computer. Then use a word type document to print off as many as you need.

I bought coordinating straws. Yes, yes, I do really like things to coordinate. I kind of geek out over coordinating colors.

I cut out the tags. Hole punched them and then tied them on to the bottle with, why yes that would be piece of coordinating fabric.

There ya have it.

20+ Welcome Back to School gifts for our teachers.

I also made a couple of teacher gifts just from the boys' to their teachers. I will share soon!

Happy Back to School!

Capri Sun My Go-To Kiddo Drink

  

Summer is practically over. Boats are making their last runs. Tents and roasting sticks are being put away. Cars have been cleaned out from just-ended road trips. Trips to the swimming pool are being crammed in before they all close up for the season.

For some of you school is already in, for us it is quickly approaching.

Hubby just wrapped up his summer time off with our little family. The last of our summer house guests have left. Our unscheduled, easy, breezy time in the sun (okay and occasionally inside in the air conditioned house watching a movie) is wrapping up.

School starts pretty quickly and then we will be on the go, living out of the good ole' mini van, known from here on out as The Mini, from sun up until sun down. Unscheduled will go to scheduled. Day in and day out all-around merriment will be reserved for the weekends when there is slightly less going on.

With summer ending, it is now time to make the most of The Weekend.

We love the weekends around our house, by Jove. We really rather enjoy just going and doing stuff with our little family.

You know what you can almost always find in the back of The Mini?

A box of Capri Sun Juice drinks. My kids love them. They practically beg for them. Quite often I am inclined to grant their very exuberant begging.

Why?

Well that is because I feel super confident in giving my kids Capri Sun Juice drinks. We take them to games. We take them on our family trips to Yellowstone. We have a box handy in our pantry for school lunches. They are a must for barbecues. My boys drink them at picnics. They suck them down on road trips. We also have been known to help stay hydrated with a Capri Sun Juice drink poolside.

 

 

 

Ahhhh...so refreshing.

Kids happy. Momma is happy.

They love all the flavor options. They pretty much also love drinking everything from the ultra cool, shiny pouch and then inflating it back up and insisting that they didn't drink it. Then they giggle in a rather conspiratorial way. Like they pulled one over on the Mom.

I love that I can feel good about giving my kids Capri Sun Juice drinks.   

I can feel confident that as they play hard and need hydration, Capri Sun Juice drinks are a fun beverage they will enjoy and one I feel good giving to them.

My favorite Capri Sun Juice drink is Capri Sun Roarin' Waters Flavored Water Beverage. Love, love, love them.

They are low calorie and have no artificial colors or flavorings. There are six flavors so my kids don't get bored. They are also a fun way for my kids to stay hydrated.

Hydrated on a hot day spent in the pool during a little weekend family pool party.

They offer a variety of wholesome Capri Sun drinks for your family. Besides the original Capri Sun Juice drink and my fav the Roarin' Waters, there's also Capri Sun 100% Juice and Capri Sun Super V Fruit and Vegetable Juice Drink which has 1 combined serving of fruit and vegetables.*

As the mom, I really just want them to have fun and wholesome options. It is a bonus when those fun and wholesome options are portable and can go as much as they do.

I love these squishy faces so much. 

Capri Sun Juice drinks are drinks I feel comfortable giving these cute, healthy, and active squishy faced boys.
 

Summer may be almost over, but family time and weekend fun is still going strong and Capri Sun Juice drinks will be with us every step of the way.

 

Learn more about Capri Sun's wholesome drinks.

 

* Each pouch provides 1/2 cup of fruit and vegetable juice. According to U.S. dietary guidelines, Capri Sun Super V Fruit and Vegetable Drink contains one combined serving of fruit and vegetables--3/4 from fruit juice and 1/4 from vegetable juice. Be sure to feed your kids a variety of whole fruits and vegetables each day.

Twelve Years

Twleve years ago Him and I became a We.

We got married in one of the most beautiful places in existence.

The day was really rather grand and pretty close to perfection.

My day started at 4:30 a.m. I got ready in the apartment that would be our first home, with my mom and sisters sleeping close by. I got ready with no hot water since it had not been turned on yet. 

It was early.

I was tired.

I was cold.

I had never been more happy or more excited.

I was on the short countdown to being Wife to Hubby.

Nothing else seemed to matter in the early dawn of August 25, 2001.

Before long, I was in a very quite car with my parents, driving the 40 minutes to the Salt Lake City Temple.

I reveled in my excitement. I looked forward to seeing him. I was giddy at the thought of being married to the man who absolutely and with out a doubt completed me. I dreamed about the journey we were about to start and I painted possible details in the picture of our future together. All in the quite car ride.

We arrived.

I went in a Miss and after a sacred and beautiful ceremony, I came out a Mrs.

I was now married to a man who gave me love, peace, confidence, security, friendship,
laughter, butterflies, safety, and eternity. He continues to give me these things everyday.

By far, this was the happiest day of my life.
I have had countless happy days since, but all of my happiest days since can be directly tied back
to the day that I married this man.

That happiest day on August 25, 2001 was the gateway to which I got to every other happiest day of my life.

Not every detail of the future may have always been completely known, but with him my future was sure.

My heart is full, yes quite sappily I know, of gratitude for this man, this marriage, and this life we share together and the one we will share together forever.

Dear Hubby,
Thank you for 12 of the most spectacular years of my life.
I am looking forward to all the years ahead of us.
I love you so much.
Love,
The Wife

Thanks everyone for letting me 
indulge in my reminiscent and sappy 
emotions today.

Slow Cooker Saturday: Cheeseburger Pasta

Slow Cooker Saturday.

Finally!

This is a simple one. I jumped back into the Slow Cooker Saturday slowly, one itty bitty toe at a time.

We still have another week of Summer around our house. For everyone else it would seem school is already in session.  This is a great school night meal.

It is easy.
It actually doesn't have to be in the slow cooker for too long.
Small children devour it, I mean like super scarf-down and then ask for seconds and thirds.
It really does solve all kinds of after school types of problems.

Except maybe math homework...

Spelling...maybe...but math, nope.

I am helpful like that.

Happy School being back in...even if we are not quite there yet!

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Pasta

1 lb ground hamburger
1 can tomato soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 cup water
1 cup beef broth
2 cups shell pasta
pepper to taste

Cook the ground hamburger. Drain.

Combine cooked hamburger, soups, water, beef broth, and pasta in a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Season with pepper. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or until pasta is tender.


See what I am saying about this being easy? It will probably take more time to read the instructions than to make it.

Happy slow cooking!

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