The rain was coming down hard, but it didn't really matter. Simone and Martin's sprits couldn't be dampened.

All day my assistant Jen and I kept raving about how great these two are. Simone is silly, Martin is romantic, they make each other laugh and seem to touch every time they are close to each other.

They celebrate their differences and discuss with animation the things they have in common.

Despite living in different provinces they are obviously totally and completely together.

Thanks Simone and Martin, your day was perfect!

When I moved from the big city I didn't know about a lot of things - no need to admit them all in one swoop, but I will confess one of them is farming.

So, shotly after arriving in the Comox Valley, I, for a reason I can't recollect, found myself at Eatmore Sprouts - it was like arriving on another planet and began the opening of my eyes to connecting with where my food came from.

I thought it was so cool that sprouts grew near me, it was like I had never thought about it.

Christine, my office manager, often buys them and pops them in the fridge. Which I appreciate when I make my otherwise dull, and not very healthy cheese sandwich.

They are kind of fun to play with as well.

Oban's session was a long time coming. For one reason or another, sickness, bad weather, and so on, re-scheduling kept happening.

By the time we met for the session Oban's mom and I were like old friends and I was really looking forward to the session.

Toddler boys are always busy, however, what really struck me about Oban was that he moved with this lovely grace, busy grace of course.

There were lots of shots to choose from but I love these close up ones - stunning little fella!

I always leave my camera out until I am out the door, because sometimes as I am saying goodbye moments like these happen.

My pals Robin and Ken over at Our Big Earth, along with some fabulous partners have spearhead the first annual 30 day Eat Local Challenge.

We are blessed here in the Comox Valley to have a plethora of food producers - award winning cheese, peppers, sausages, bison,  wine, bear, bread, won-tons, veggies, (even wasabi,) and so much more. Between the Farmer's Market, Brambles, buying direct, and the supportive grocery stores likes Thrifty's all off this is very accesable.

The 30 day Eat Local Challenge is about doing your best to eat locally produced food - just doing your best.

My family is on board for embracing it.

We are going to make an effort while in the grocery store to spend more time noticing where our food is coming from, to drive out to our local  producers, we are going to notice the food we eat and talk about where it comes from. This has already spurred interesting conversations, about what it means to get our food from China instead of from the farmer down the street. The kids are digging it!

We won't be 100% but we will definitely be trying, learning and most likely appreciating the food on our table more.

As part of the 30 Day Eat Local Challenge there are various events around the community, a film fest, restaurant spotlights and food producer tours. The kids are pumped to see where their food comes from. We frequent the farmer's market and they can't wait to see where some of these people work.

Robin and I get together and come up with ideas, we feed of each other and it can be dangerous.

Thus, the 30 days of local food photography challenge.

I am going to post 30 days of local food photography. One a day. Will I make it - not sure?

But it doesn't hurt to try.

So I am rolling it out on Day 1 with Prontissima Paprika and Oregano Pasta - one of my fave local offerings.

It looks like there is a new Prontissima Pasta blog - with recipes - check it out!

"Um yah, hello, my name is Westin and I am super adorable and totally charmed the photographer and rocked my session. My mom is also awesome."

Thanks Westin and Roberta, I heart you both.

If you don't know about Y.A.N.A. scroll down to my last post.

As part of my Y.A.N.A. day of shooting I had a few special visitors pop into the studio to create some photos that will be used in Advertising the Century Ride.

Thanks to Anita from Y.A.N.A and Peter from the Comox Valley Record Newspaper (the Record is also a sponsor for the event)  for putting this together and the busy folks who took time out of their day to come and be photographed to help promote the ride.

The Century Ride is a 100 mile bike ride.The ride will be happening on Sunday, September 13. The ride is divided into 3 separate loops and the riders are welcome to do all or part of the course. It's not a race. It's about community coming together for a common cause. In the spirit of community and along with our philosophy of families helping families, a family ride has been added this year. The family ride is 5 1/2 kms through Comox that children and families are encouraged to do together. Riders are encouraged to collect pledges and all of the money raised will go YANA.  For more information call Anita at the YANA office 890-0343 or contact us through the websitewww.yanacomoxvalley.com or through Black'sCycle (a huge sponsor of the event) 339-7011 or visit their websitewww.blackscycle.ca

Meet a few of the riders:

Janine Tiller, Nick Holatko, Anita Brassard, Erin Halichuk from the Record, Bert Heeringa from Canadian Tire and Dave Proctor from Remax.

If you are a regular blog reader you will know that Y.A.N.A. is close to my heart and you will know why. If not, read on:

Y.A.N.A (You are not alone) is a local organization that helps families in the Comox Valley cope with the financial burden of having to travel outside of the Valley for medical treatment for their children.  Y.A.N.A operates four lovely appartement close to Chilcren's Hospital in Vancouver but will also help fund other accomodations and provides support in other areas as well.

About four years ago, I picked up the phone and called Y.A.N.A as I wanted to get involved. I had reached a point in my business and life where I wanted to step up how I contributed. Y.A.N.A was an orginization that I kept hearing about, I was toubhed by how many of my clients had used their services. I picked up the phone and called them. 

Two weeks later I called them back.

I wasn't available to help anymore.

My then, four year-old step-daughter had just been daignosed with leukemia. Suddenly, Y.A.N.A took on a whole different meaning in my life.

That was about three years ago. After her diagnosis Maggie and John lived in a Y.A.N.A. appartement for quite some time. I am not sure what this time in their life would have looked like without the Y.A.N.A. apartment. The apartment was an important place for them, a place to rest, escape, breath - a place to receive phone calls, make dinner, have visitors.

A year ago one of our other daughters needed medical support at Children's Hospital and once again there we were in a Y.A.N.A. apartement.

Of course, both times the aparment wa a blessing, we are not sure where we would have stayed otherwise. But what struck us, is that it meant so much more than the logistics.

When you are being supported by Y.A.N.A, and you are out of the community, the community is with you. A beuatiful thing people!!

Did you know that Y.A.N.A is one of a kind, this amazing charity does not exist in other communities (yet!)

Here are a few other local children that have been supported by Y.A.N.A.

Zac:

Ethan and Livea:

Ryder:

Carter:

Justin:

A beautiful way to end my day, with Gabrielle:

Faye +Savannah + rain + ice cream =

Hello new favorite children's photo -

Hello little sister sitting in beautiful light and gorgeous cheeks

These are part of a series I am doing with Benino Gelato. If you have been into the downtown location recently you will see a recent "ice-cream shoot" and we will be doing the same in their comox location.

Yes

Anyday

Now

A yana blog post will appear

It has been a busy week of shooting, next week brings office time and more blogging.

I couldn't have it any better. The wedding clients I work with are just the nicest people - case in point, Jen and Matt.

They are both smart, funny, very warm and full of personality. They created the most spectacular event for their friends and family, which says so much about who they are. Most of the guests were here from out of town and Jen and Matt wanted to them to have an amazing time and wanted to spend as much time with them as possible during the wedding day.
I am confident that everyone, myself included, was wowed by the weekend they hosted. A welcome bbq on friday, a stunning local for the ceremony and appies, followed by a reception at Crown Isle Resorts - this set the tone for a very memorable and meaningful weekend of which I felt honored to be part of.

The I am not going to cry hand motion

And of course the cry