The Talmage and Johanna Wagstaff Family

Day 12 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

On the twelfth day of Christmas my baby gave to me... A funny little scooting crawl, cute as can be!

Day 11 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

On the eleventh day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
A picture in our Sunday best---Just us three.

Day 10 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

On the tenth day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
A BYU-UTAH basketball game outing---daddy and baby.

Day 9 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-09T12:29:00.000-08:00

On the ninth day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
a long Winter's nap, what a sweet pea.

Day 8 Of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

On the eighth day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
A festive sight, just fun for all to see!

Day 7 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

On the seventh day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
A quick visit with five fun Lees!

We got a wonderful (but short) surprise visit from the Lees today on their way out of town for their big move! I simply adore my two beautiful nieces and handsome nephew. Broke my heart to see them drive away but we're planning a get-together in the south ASAP! Look how much Luke L-O-V-E-S his uncle and aunt! (he's saying, "Oh, do you really think I'm cute? No, stop it some more!")

Day 6 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

On the sixth day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
A classic reaction to Santa--- Oh so scary!

Whoever you are, please don't eat me!

Day 5 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

On the fifth day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
Two tiny 'tops and a teething treasure for a monkey.

Day 4 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

On the 4th day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
His first try---up on hand and knee!

Day 3 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

On the third day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
a pajama party full of elfish glee

Day 2 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

On the second day of Christmas my baby gave to me...
a sunny play day happy and free

Day 1 of the Christmas Countdown

2011-12-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

On the first day of Christmas my baby gave to me---
A sticky smile coated in banana puree...

Introducing my ambitious holiday project (this is for you, Mom, Merry Christmas) a Baby Luke Advent Calendar. We'll see if I can pull this off while simultaneously moving across the country.

6&7 Month Photo Shoots

2011-11-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

Opps, I forgot to post this 6 month old photo shoot. And today, we took a 7 month shoot. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Guess Where We're Headed!

2011-11-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

This little man is going to be King of the Wild Frontier!

Here's the hint:
Born on a mountain top in Tennessee,
Greenest state in the land of the free.
Raised in the woods so's he knew every tree,
Killed him a bear when he was only three.

Davy, Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier.

Did you guess?
Memphis Tennessee!!

Does anyone have friends living there? We'd love some insider information on the area so we can choose our housing with confidence.

Happy Fall to Y'all!

2011-10-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Lucky Luke and I attended the famous Smith Pumpkin Party (sadly without Tal). However, Luke got a perfect, pint-sized pumpkin from Great Grandpa Smith's pumpkin patch. He loves it and thinks the stem is delicious though spikey.
And, scroll down to check out our little sherif buckaroo! He was lower than a rattle snake in a gully when I took away the spurrs, but he knows he looks right handsome in his best ranching duds. Yee Haw!

The babystache

2011-10-12T15:37:00.001-07:00

This is the single most useful baby accessory of all time. Don't go to the airport without one. Everyone loves to help a woman with a mustache-wearing baby. I stole the idea from someone creative on etsy. Sorry etsy proprietor, but I did it better!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Luke is Five Months Old

2011-09-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

Baby Face

2011-09-08T10:43:00.001-07:00

Baby Luke is Four Months Old

2011-08-29T13:31:00.001-07:00

Our four month photo shoot revolved around one of my favorite moments--- when Luke is fresh out of the bath. Wet lashes, glowing skin, fluffy towel. So adorable.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Blessing/3Month Shoot

2011-07-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here's Luke sporting his blessing outfit and showing off his new skill---using his hands! He's a lot easier to photograph while he's sleeping because he's in a wobbly phase, but he is still smiling, smiling, smiling. He charms strangers everywhere we go. I think he secretly knows how cute he is. He's pretty fun.

Back Blogging: First Father's Day

2011-07-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

Talmage is the ideal father. Luke and I are lucky he's ours!

Back blogging: Hiking with the Wolds

2011-07-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Salt Lake City! Not so beautiful afro on Tal...

Back Blogging: Visit with the Wolds

2011-07-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

The moral of the story is: IF you come visit us, we'll do family portraits for you :)

8 Weeks

2011-06-09T18:12:00.001-07:00

Here's our beautiful boy at 8 weeks. He's starting to smile back when you smile at him. So, my cheeks are sore from smiling so much. I can't help it, I can't resist the opportunity to see his sweet dimples. We're having so much fun!

ETSY

2011-05-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Check out the sweetest shop on Etsy!

CLICK HERE FOR THE VINTAGE SHOP

Happy shopping!

1 month old!

2011-05-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the many faces of Luke, our big one month old! As Tal says, "we kept him alive for a month!"But seriously, it does feel like an accomplishment---and a blessing. By the way, I've calculated that I spend 35 hours a week nursing, just nursing, not including anything else. Crazy how many more hours of work you can put in when you're not sleeping. :)

Thoughts on Life

2011-05-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I rarely write anything on this blog, it's mostly just about the photos for me. However, I have some thoughts on life that I'd like to share. As I sit here my perfect baby boy is wiggling his little pink toes and endearingly nursing his pacifier. I'm trying to let him "self soothe" like the pediatrician recommended, but it's tempting to scoop him up and cuddle him to sleep.

Becoming a mother has taught me some unexpected lessons about life. The physical process of carrying and growing a baby, laboring and delivering is fascinating. But the experience gave me a strong conviction that growing a baby does not give an individual life.

I've heard it said that birth and death are closely related. For me, that statement resonated in the delivery room. The painful process of birth throws into sharp relief the inevitable nature of mortality. Pain brings with it the humbling conviction that we are not in control of our lives to the degree that we sometimes feel. Experiencing great pain reminds us that our bodies will not last forever, nor do we get to choose how and when our bodies will grow, develop and eventually, die.

In that moment, it's difficult not to feel a shock at ones lack of control. Like the bible explains, "Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black". Though we often say, "it's my life" or "it's my body" to assert our ownership, we in fact own very little of ourselves. Some things we choose, but others are---without a doubt---in God's hands alone.

So in the delivery room when it came down to it, I acknowledged my choice to be a mother, physically creating this little body. However, merely putting the cells together, nourishing and birthing Luke did not endow him with the "breath of life" to become a living soul. In that moment more than any other, it was clear to me that while I had chosen to create a child, it was God who chose to give my child life. No way was that perfect little person simply the product of a biological process. Life is so fragile. Our mortality is so real and far beyond our control. God holds these vulnerable threads together. Each breath we take is given to us by Him.

In the moment that I brought Luke into the world, I thought, "that's all?". "You just get pregnant, take your vitamins, wait nine months and magically out pops this amazingly complex person with his own thoughts, feelings and potential?" No, the thought makes reason stare. It's too incredible to attribute life to a mere biological result. Too many things went right that could have gone wrong. There are too many unfathomable mysteries about the functioning of the body, mind and spirit. It is impossible for me to believe that life is spontaneous. I've heard women say so before, and now I'm grateful to join to chorus of mothers throughout history who affirm that birth is a miracle, not just a process.

Now that Luke is here, I can't help marveling at his perfect little frame. Tiny feet, tiny hands. A mere fraction of what he will grow to be, but perfect for the present. I think of the intricacies of his body. The life-sustaining systems in delicate balance. Everything about him seems to say, "we are not our own". God designed this perfect, beautiful body. It is a masterpiece. And Luke, like all of us, is living on borrowed time.

I am reminded of the words of the song:

My life is a gift.
My life has a plan.
My life has a purpose,
In heaven it began.

My choice was to come
to this lovely home on earth
and seek for God's light
to direct me from birth.

So, on the days when I haven't slept, or showered, or stirred out of doors, it's empowering to cherish my beautiful son and reflect on the miraculous events that brought him here. Knowing that life is a gift also brings with it the conviction that life has a purpose, a meaning and a plan. That puts things into perspective again, gives me excitement for the future and faith in Christ to light the way.

Pictures for Grandma Suzanne

2011-05-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest for those of you who are "certain he looks different already" and "need to see more pictures immediately" :)

Here's a little tour of the nursery:

Luke and Grandma Suzanne Photoshoot

2011-04-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Come and meet Luke!

2011-04-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

First things first, this is Talmage writing. I dedicate this post to Johanna, doctors, nurses, and epidurals. I admit, I was scared for today. Johanna has filled my mind with all sorts of threats about how scary she planned be on the delivery table. My vision of childbirth was one of a wife screaming in pain, and at the key moment of delivery I imagined what the repercussions would be for me as a husband who passed out.
My fears were far from realized and have been replaced,for the moment, with a feeling of peace and pure joy. This is a photo-journalistic trip through the events that occurred over the past 24 hours.

Johanna got an epidural after progressing to 4.5 cms naturally. She was a bit fearful, but the process was basically painless, and made the next 4 hours so nice, for husband and especially wife.

After the epidural it was as simple as a nice waiting game. I went to the cafeteria and had lunch, Johanna napped, and her body did all of the work on its own, without even letting her know. She quickly dilated all the way, and then it was time to push. Luke did his part in lining up properly, nice and low, and we were done in about 45 minutes! I got to help with the pushing, and I even cut the cord when Luke came out, (only took me 2 trys! Doc says that I was impressive!) No but seriously, Johanna was very impressive.

Before delivery the Dr. called in the Intensive Care team, because they new Luke would need Merconium (fancy word for baby poop) vacuumed out of his lungs, not a big deal, it all happened right in the room, everyone was calm, and it went fine. Luke looked like he had been rolling around in Cheetos dust.

After the short drama, he got weighed, and measured. 7 pounds 1 ounce. 21.5 inches. He is on the skinny side for a nine month gestation, but Johanna and her body are OK with that so long as he starts to fatten up now,

After measurement, they brought him over to his Mommy for some skin to skin contact. This was my favorite picture and one of my favorite moments when I caught the emotion of the moment on Johanna's face.

We moved upstairs, took a few visitors, and love our new baby. He's pretty fun, I got to hold him by the window, and look up at the snowy mountains and tell him a story about bears. I'm not sure if that was appropriate or not, better I don't think its ever too early to caution babies about the dangers of bears, especially when they will have to deal with such confusing influences like Teddy Bears. These are a few pics of grandparents with Luke. See what you think, but I think he has Johanna's mouth, nose, and chin. Unless his head changes shape, like babies heads often do, I think he has the same head shape that I do.

After all was said and done, Johanna went about 2 and a half days without sleep, and she was due for some needed rest. She is right next to me sleeping peacefully. For those of you who know about my baby experiments, you better believe they are about to get better, and yes, I've got Luke and Johanna both pacified with binkis.

Thanks for your support, To all a good night. Talk to you soon.

Check out Natalie's Pics!

2011-03-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

Fun to have a model so close to home! What a beauty!
These two are my favorite. there are a few more on my photo blog.

Happy Heart Day!

2011-02-15T20:44:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's how Tal and I celebrated. I think perhaps this is more of a celebration of the new lighting kit, stands and seamless that I recently acquired. They are soooo fun! So is my Valentine for life. But that really goes without saying, see for yourself! Special thanks to Dunn Communications for the use of their still tripod. (I also want to note that for the sake of responsible photojournalism, I DID NOT Photoshop myself at all, though sorely tempted. But that should be obvious because if I had, I would look way more awesome) :)

Some Back-Blogging: Pregnancy Progress

2011-02-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

Ok, to all of you who have given up on my boring blog that never gets updated, hold onto your hats cause we're going to do a quick re-cap...(that was more punny than I even intended). Per my sister's request, here are some current pregnancy pics starting at 5 months, and the first one, from a couple days ago at 7 months along. Keep scrolling down for more of the Back-Blogging Bonanza.

Some Back-Blogging: Tal's Golden Birthday

2011-02-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

We had a magical day on Tal's day this year. It all revolved around food, starting with the smell of crackling bacon. Nothing beats Crab Cooker take out ON Newport beach, the most beautiful day of the year! I am proud to say that Tal's birthday cake did NOT look like gray matter this year (big triumph on my part) nor was it just pretty but basically inedible (still trying to live that down too). It was really, actually, good! And we finished the night with an assortment root-beer, since that's all Tal said he wanted for a present. Thanks to everyone for celebrating with us!

Some Back-Blogging: Christmas Portrait Sneak Peek

2011-02-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

We took extended family portraits this year in Newport. We got some really beautiful ones (still processing them) and here's a sneak peek at all the good looks that run in the fam.

And this is my favorite out-take...

Some Back-Blogging: Christmas on the BEACH

2011-02-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

Wonderful, Beautiful Christmas celebration with the whole Lee family together! Here are some of my favorite shots. More to come when I finish processing them...

Some Back-Blogging: First Pregnancy Portraits

2011-02-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

I have been avoiding blogging about his for about 7 months, but we sure had fun taking these shots! You may recognize them from our Christmas Card...

Some Back-Blogging: Thanksgiving

2011-02-02T18:05:00.001-08:00

Well, time to play Catch-up on the blog...
We spent Thanksgiving in California enjoying the beautiful Torrey Pines Beach and the company of our wonderful family! (I am, by the way, super proud of our self portrait kissing in the sunset. After we took it---on the first try, mind you---I exclaimed, "Amazing! I should do this for a living!" Then laughed really hard at my own joke :)

Crane Operatin'

2011-01-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

Since Johanna hasn't posted in forever, I have decided to intervene. This post shows some of the fun crane jobs that I have forced Johanna to come on with me. Don't worry Suzanne, I didn't make my pregnant wife work too hard on the job site! Quite the smooth operator, Johanna.

She did great setting the giant U up for ESPN on college game day. (Don't worry OSHA, she just jumped in the operator seat during a break! Tal's older brother was actually on the other side of the crane running the active controls.)

These pictures come from the Montage hotel at the Deer Valley ski resort. Fancy place, probably where celebrities will stay when they go skiing. I for one am excited to spend 1,500$ a night on a room. This red "bag" is actually a huge tarp that they are using to take snow off of the roof during construction. 4 thousands pounds at a time, not that the crane couldn't do more, the tarp was the weak link.

The "W" is for Wagstaff, it is not a gang sign, sorry if we threw any gang members off with that one.

Have a Marv-elous Halloween

2010-10-31T15:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! Talmage and I celebrated this year with some pretty professional pumpkin carving. Tal made this Mexico pumpkin in honor of Kevin, his little brother serving a mission in Mexico. But the best part this year was that Talmage found his true Halloween calling. He dressed as the actor Daniel Stern in his part as Marvin, the wet bandit, from Home Alone. He really looks a lot like him. Check it out. I, on the other hand, was a cat, which I embraced as my true Halloween calling at age 5. Three cheers for Halloween!

So So Proud

2010-10-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

I'm so very proud of my cousin Jennifer (and honorary cousin, Ashley) for being so good-looking and charming on our double (sort of triple) date. Beforehand, we had a fun girl's day just shopping and watching the General Relief Society meeting. Then we met up with Tal, his cute cousin Jake, and his friend Chase, for dinner at CPK. After that Tal and I bid the young whippersnappers goodnight, but I have it on good authority that Jennifer and Ashley brought their A game to Miracle Bowl in Provo. Well, actually, I heard Ashley was less a than exemplary bowler, but the point is she looked fabulous so who cares! :) Thanks for letting me "play dolls" with you girls, I'll be your stylist anytime!

An Audience with Queen Esther

2010-09-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I had a blast going out to Waco together to visit Laura, Noah and Queen Esther. What a little doll she is! Laura is the most atttentive and affectionate mother you've ever seen, and Noah is doing it all, being a full-time student and daddy-o. Sarah dazzled us all with her crocheting skills and Tony (the cat) was on bug patrol. It was a much-needed visit. We took walks, watched movies, made beautiful oreo truffles, visited with Shelly and Joey, and just enjoyed being together. Here are some photos of our trip and there are more of Queen Esther on my photo blog. Click Here to see more.

To give you an idea of our portraiture process, I included the candid photo of Esther sleeping like a rock on Noah's arm as we gingerly swipe off her diaper. She was a great model, like mother, like daughter!

Tal's Master's Graduation

2010-09-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

I need to back track a little on our blog and post about Tal's Master's Graduation. I am so proud of Tal for the hard work he's put into his Civil Engineering program at BYU. Tal and I both Love BYU and he's had many unique opportunities in connection with his studies there. Tal's Master's Thesis was: Improving River Water Quality in Veracruz Mexico by Using QUAL2K to Assist in Analysis and Water Treatment Decision Making.

Thanks to Tal's parents, Mindy, Brady, Nat, and Tal's friend Scott for taking time to come celebrate with us. Also, thanks to my parents, Jared, Debi, Bethany, Isaac, Brian, Candice, Sabrina, Olivia, and Jake for all traveling to be with us, we were so touched!

We had a fun lunch together after Tal's Graduation and then My parents, Tal and I went to the Ranch for a week to celebrate and unwind! What a party!

Care to Vote?

2010-09-14T18:34:00.001-07:00

I (finally) had some bridal portraits taken. I know, I know, it's a miracle I still fit into the dress. But that being said, I am now in the process of choosing 2 portraits to have printed. Care to cast your ballot? Which two would you print?

Beautiful Mormon Message

2010-08-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Voice of the Spirit
Voice of the Spirit

This is one of my very favorite Mormon Messages that has been produced this year. I love the cinematography, styling, and message. Just beautiful in every way.

California Love

2010-08-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of our fun trip to the coast (where I belong). Sigh. It was great to be home in the sweet summer weather and soak up some rays! We went to the beach as much as possible, played at the park, ate pie, went swimming at the Newport Coast Villas, ate pie, cruised through Long Beach Bay, ate pie, took the train to San Diego to visit Grandma, and played with our darling niece and nephew. Then we came home and started a diet. :)

Mini Models

2010-07-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

Tal and I just got back from a wonderful vacation in California! Lots more photos to come, but I can't resist posting a teaser from the portrait session that we had with my niece and nephew while we were there. Aren't these kids beautiful?

Goodbye to Kels and Mitch!

2010-07-25T22:42:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Kels and Mitch who are headed out to Baylor Medical School. Mitch is one smart cookie. We are sad to see them go and a little envious of their upcoming adventure. Before they left we all went out for a tour of Korean Quisine with Mitch as our guide. The company was wonderful and the food was...authentic :) We'll miss them more than the food :)

4th of July at the RANCH

2010-07-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely 4th of July with the Wagstaff Family at the Wagstaff ranch in Wyoming. My cousin Jennifer came with us which was a fun treat! Also, Tal's Uncle Blaine, Aunt Lori and their three sons Tucker, Weston and Truman who are really fun company were visiting so we had a blast! We left at 5:30 am on Sunday and after checking in at the Ranch, headed up to Jackson Hole for church, a beautiful picnic overlooking the Tetons, and a fireworks show. On Monday we went 4-Wheeling, shot clay pigeons (I only threw the pigeons a few times, but Jennifer earned a reputation as a sharp-shooter hitting 2 out of 4 with a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun, better than most of the boys! She said she hadn't ever been shooting before, but I suspect that she's an active member of the NRA. Just look at her wielding that thing like a pro!). We also climbed through the hay barn to see a family of owls that live in there. Funny how they didn't seem interested in delivering any mail to Hogwarts for us. Also, on the way up, a GIANT moose tried to run us off the road. Thanks to some quick thinking and evasive maneuvers by Tal, we were perfectly safe, but wow! It was exciting! (the moose pics aren't of "the moose" but we saw those two on the way home) It was fun to celebrate Independence Day in the wild west!

Eclipse!

2010-07-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

Jennifer came up to BYU a few weeks ago and we had a girls night out to see Eclipse this week. We loved it and Tal loved that he got out of seeing it :) Hooray for cousins! Jennifer and I are united in the opinion that Robert Pattinson is a lame-o, but we also thought that this movie is the best so far.

A Cousin is a Ready-Made Friend for Life

2010-06-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Our delightful cousin Christy was in town, so Sarah and I planned a little visit with her. We got together to 1) See Sarah's cool new house! (Which she's been painting and working on, getting everything organized). 2) Meet Christy's new baby Judah! Judah is a beautiful boy! (See glamour shot below) It was heaven to visit with my two wonderful cousins!

Play Day with Brian, Candice & the kids!

2010-05-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

Brian, Candice and the Kids were in town this weekend and took time to come visit us! We had a fun play day! At the park by our house there's a cool swing that rotates like a carnival ride, only this one's powered the old fashioned way. Brian and Tal took turns running the game. The girls loved it. Later we played dress-up and did a little face painting. I asked Jake if he wanted a heart on his cheek too. Mostly he pretends like he doesn't understand, but he gave me a loud and clear "NO" to that question. We're all on to you now, Jakey!

Trip to St. George

2010-04-29T18:20:00.001-07:00

We went with the Wagstaff Family to St. George this past week. It was a great vacation spot and the perfect time of year for it. Check out some pics!

One Baby, Two Baby, Pink Baby, Blue Baby

2010-03-03T17:46:00.000-08:00

Isaac and Bethany are so darling! Tal and I had a blast in Manhattan getting to know them. I posted a few photos on my photo blog http://johannaleephotography.blogspot.com More photos of the trip to come!

Good food makes you happier, it just does.

2010-02-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

My Grandma Dorothy taught me that good food makes everything better. My mom pointed out that whenever something is wrong, or you're upset, Grandma almost always listens, commiserates, and offers you some delicious food. Grandma is so smart!

Good food has magical powers and I married a magician. This Valentine's Day Tal made Parmesan halibut, tarragon green beans, and garlic asparagus, with creamy potato soup as an appetizer. ***Also, Tal made Crème Brulee with fresh berries for dessert. This part of the meal was a little love miracle, because I had actually gotten Tal a Crème Brulee torch and cookbook for Valentine's Day a few weeks before. He bought the ingredients for crème brulee, thinking he could figure out a way to torch the creme, not knowing I had gotten him that very thing! I gave him his present just before he started cooking. It was one of my first successful surprises for Tal! Like I said, it was a love miracle! Hooray!

We're in Business!

2010-02-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

Talmage and I are very excited to announce that Talmage's business team was selected as one of the top 30 teams for the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge through the U of U. (Basically this means our business has made it through round one of the judging!) Roughly, the UEC has 200 contestants each year. Anyone from the state of Utah can compete, student or not, so we're thrilled with the honor of being in the top 30! Check out the top 30 list at http://www.uec.utah.edu/ . Our company is listed as Artesian Systems! The team consists of Talmage, Jon Sargent, Scott Cowley, Russell Wilkins, Ben Theodore, and of course, me! :)

Kevin Leaves on a Mission

2010-02-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

Talmage's little brother Kevin entered the Missionary Training Center today to prepare for a two-year, full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Wagstaff will be serving in the Mexico, Mexico City West Mission.

It was a beautiful experience to see him off these last few days. It's amazing, the sacrifice he's making to put aside his pursuits, friends, family and formal education for two years to serve the Lord. There's a strong feeling that accompanies that kind of committment and resolve. Just being in this family circle, seeing him off, you could really feel the gravity of his decision and the sweet blessings that are already coming from it.

Last night Kevin told the family how excited he is to go share the Gospel of Jesus Christ because he wants others to have the wonderful blessing of becoming families forever, just like we are an eternal family through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Kevin has a sure testimony of the truth and expresses it with sincerity and thoughtful reverence. We are so happy for him!

Little Rex was not quite as enthusiastic after he watched Kev walk away. He tried to storm the MTC with his plastic, toy sword. Good thing his mom caught up with him! I love these images of my wonderful in-laws looking thoughtful after saying good-bye. It's hard to process all the emotions at once. Well, luckily, we've got two years!

The Daily Photo Challenge is moving...

2010-01-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

From now on I will be posting my daily photo challenge images to my business weblog http://johannaleephotography.blogspot.com. Here's one last post about my apartment. In the winter, we actually get more light in our apartment because of the angle of the sun. I've been really enjoying the change. Here are a few shots i couldn't resist.

Daily Photo Challenge Day 9

2010-01-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

Del Mar Beach California. Ahhhh, this is where I belong!!!

Daily Photo Challenge Day 8

2010-01-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

Miller Family Portraits. Here's a fun shot from the Miller Family portraits I shot over Christmas. Beautiful Family and so fun!

Daily Photo Challenge Day 7

2010-01-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

Great Scott! We did this fun photoshoot of my sister's beautiful family while I was in California this Christmas. He is a big, beautiful baby!

Daily Photo Challenge Day 7

2010-01-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

Brooke and CJ Miller's wedding day. I photographed Brooke's engagement's and bridals earlier, but over Christmas, I photographed thier wedding. Here are some of my favorites.

Daily Photo Challenge Day 6

2010-01-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

Wagstaff Crane bought a new 550 ton mobile hydraulic crane with megawing and sent Talmage and I out to photograph it. It was really amazing! It goes 450ish feet high. cool huh? I couldn't get it all in one photo. The overall shot is a composite of about 6 different images patched together.

Daily photo Challenge, day 5

2009-12-20T22:12:00.000-08:00

Portrait time. My brother let me watch his baby, so of course, I photographed him! So cute! And also, I photographed Kristi a few months ago when she was still pregnant, so I threw my favorites of those up too.

Daily photo challenge, day 4

2009-12-20T21:45:00.000-08:00

Deck the halls! I fell in love with these Boughs of Holly! Fa la la la la la la la la! 'Tis the season to be jolly!

Day three of the Photo Challenge

2009-12-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't been posting everyday, and you probably thought I had already given up on my daily photo challenge. But you're wrong! I have to do some catch up though...

This little series was taken last week when Tal and I took a drive through provo Canyon. All the photos were taken from the car (a specialty of mine). :) Utah is looking beautiful. Check it out!

Which one of these is not like the others?

2009-12-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

Day two of the daily photo challenge. Talmage joked it would only last one day. This, of course, solidified my resolve.

Provo recently got an IN-N-OUT. It's been busy 'round the clock. I haven't been yet, but the mere fact that it's there comforts me. It's a little piece of my homeland, Southern California. I think of it sort of like an embassy. Usually, just passing the new IN-N-OUT warms my heart a bit. However, today when I drove by, I felt a kind of uneasy anxiety somewhere near my sternum. Coughing, I pulled the car over, to access my feelings. After a quick moment of introspection, I emerged with the realization that it was the snow (yet again) that gave me such unease. It just wasn't right to see an IN-N-OUT covered in snow. It went so against the grain, that I had to photograph it, so you all could share in my horror. (Don't let the sunshine fool you, it's only 11 degrees outside today.) Shocked, dismayed, but resolute I continue along my photo journey.

Daily Challenge for Myself

2009-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

(Deep Breath) I am making a committment to myself to go shooting everyday. I hope that the practice will sharpen my skills in Photography, and deepen my enjoyment in the occourances around me. I've decided to post the "mini shoots" on this blog in hopes that it'll keep me honest. It's been snowing like crazy in Provo this week. Take a look at the orchard on Center Street. There's a herd of deer that live in the orchard. Tal and I have counted at least 30 mothers and yearlings but we suspect there are 50 in all. I didn't catch the deer today, but hopefully in future shoots I will. The snow's beautiful, and there's plenty to be had of it!

Freemont Lake

2009-10-07T17:21:00.001-07:00

In August we went to Freemont Lake in Pinedale WY with Tal's family. We loved it and had to go back again to try out the rustic lakeside cabins. It was calm. We loved it.

Snowbirds

2009-10-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Around our neck of the woods it's fall on one side of the mountain and winter on the other! Tal and I had a fun getaway this week to Snowbird Resort in SLC. It's not quite ski season so they have great off-peak bed and breakfast package. Our favorite part was the wood-burning fireplace! What an amazing sunset and a perfect mini-vacation to kick off the cold weather!

2009-10-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Sundance Hike

2009-06-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

We're just trying to enjoy the beautiful spring weather in Utah!

Bachelors in Civil Engineering

2009-05-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

Tal graduated from BYU with a Bachelors in Civil Engineering a few weeks ago. I think the engineering program must be one of the most difficult undergrad programs at the Y. Way to go, Talmage! Graduation was fun, thanks to all those that came to support us! Happily, we get to do it all again next year when Tal graduates with a Master's in Engineering, if everything goes to plan. After that, we will be leaving Provo, finally. Until then, we will be enjoying BYU and trying not to go crazy in our little apartment.

I Ski, I am a Skiier

2009-05-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

Tal bribed me into going skiing with him in March. He took me to a really cool B&B in SLC called the Armstrong Mansion and in return, I went skiing at Alta. It was cold. Sadly, I find that I am not a natural skiier (despite Tal's attempts to convince me that skiing is in my blood due to my ancestry from the Netherlands). However, Tal had a smart idea with the whole bribing concept. We'll definitely be going again next year. Here are some photos of the interesting old mansion and us as ski bums.

Work, Work, Work

2009-05-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here we are being Entrepreneurs! I quit my graphic design job for BYU Athletics in February and I've been a full-time photographer ever since! Here are photos of our booths at two genealogy conferences recently. For one conference we traveled down to St. George. It was a pretty long ordeal. We left later than we'd planned and ended up getting in at 2 in the morning. There was still lots to do to prepare so we stayed up all night finishing the details. At 6 am when we left for the convention center, Tal asked me to grab a pillow and blanket. Why? So that he could sleep under the table when the booth wasn't busy! Genius! I think I slept more than he did. It was tricky though. You had to be careful not to come out from under the table when there was someone looking at the booth, lest you frighten them with your mysterious and groggy appearance. It was hard work but we had a blast!

SAN FRANCISCO

2009-03-04T10:26:00.001-08:00

As summer approaches again I am thinking back to our internship last summer in San Francisco. We had such a blast! Here are some photos of our favrite places we visited.

MEMORABLE MEALS

2009-03-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

I love documenting meals. As I clicked through my photo archive I found a little collection of food photos to share. In the mix are (in order from top to dottom) Halloween cupcakes we made at the Ranch, "Vegan Still Life" from San Francisco, Christmas dinner for the Johanna and Talmage Wagstaff Family, Grandpa Lou's Birthday Cake, Thanksgiving Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's, and the photos from the Seder feast Aunt Jana and Uncle Andy put on last Passover .

BACHELORS IN FINE ARTS

2009-03-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

I Graduated in Augst 2008 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Photography from BYU. I also minored in Business Management (Which ended up being a really good idea). I almost misssed the ceremony altogether. I woke up about 10 minutes before the program started, rushed there without doing my hair and slipped into the back just before the curtain opened. I thought it was a fitting end to my hectic college career. On top of it all, I didn't know I was graduating Magna Cum Laude and when my professor congratulated me I was severely confused. I think at that point he considered petitioning the honor. At any rate, here I am celebrating with the Wags and the Lees. It meant a lot to have everyone come.

WE'VE BEEN INTO COSTUMES LATELY

2009-03-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

COSTUMES #3 & 4

Pictured to the left are the costumes we put together for a vintage Christmas party with my work friends. You may recognize them from our Christmas card this December. Tal and I have a goal to produce a themed christmas card every year. Thus far we've done "Have a rad Christmas" (2007) and "Merry Christmas from the 50's" (2008). As you can see the cards also serve as shameless self promotion for my business. I love being an entrepreneur!

MORE COSTUMES

2009-03-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

COSTUME #2

Here we are this past Halloween. Tal is a snorkeler, I am a fairy princess. We went to Thanksgiving Point to a corn maze.

AND MORE COSTUMES

2009-03-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

MR. and MRS. MONTGOMERY MONEY
We've been dressing up a lot recently. Here are our costumes for a Murder Mystery with some friends in Provo. I had tons of fun putting together our costumes. Tal was not involved. Despite the fact that I duct-taped my hat together in the car on the way there, we were voted best dressed! However, Talmage ended up being the killer, quite a scandal. I know you're all wondering where I got that awesome pipe for Tal, or should I say, Mr. Money. Mostly everything I scrounged up between my house and Tal's parents, but the pipe and top hat were new recruits.

INTRODUCTIONS

2009-03-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

OUR HABITAT
I'm so excited to finally be starting our blog. I've wanted to do this for a long time and kept photographing things with the intent of posting them on my nonexistent blog, so now I have a lot of back tracking to do. Let's start with introductions, this is our apartment. It's one of five apartments in a house built in or before the 1920's. During the Great Depression it was split up into apartments and since college students love to live in ridiculous conditions, to this day they've never needed to convert it back. My opinion of the house teeters constanty between scary/mangy and cool. A few things I do like are pictured. We have two very awesome pedestal sinks, the one pictured is in the kitchen. Also, please take a moment to admire the linoleum. Nice huh? Orange would've been my pick too. Who doesn't love an orange floor? Always a good choice. I do really love all the glass panneled cabinetry built into the kitchen though. Pictured is my favorite cubbord, with my wedding china and pewter. Also pictured is the window seat in our front room. This room is my favorite in the apartment (mind you, there aren't many choices). Between the hardwood flooring and Ikea flower decals on the walls, I think this space most closely resembles the apartment I wish I had. :) I also really love the glass door handles throughout the house.