Published!! Yeah!

Wow!! What a weekend!! I try to update my blog a least every other day....but as you can see that didn't quite happen!!
Here is what my past couple days have looked like...don't worry it won't bore you!! lol!
On Thursday I headed over to my friend Mark's house to record a documentary that he is putting together for school...It's all about the work behind wedding photography! The reason I am a photographer is because I don't like to be in front of the camera...but for this I had to do it for a couple hours!! It was so funny because at first I just couldn't even answer any of his questions cause I just kept laughing! But after awhile I got the hang of it:) Can't wait to see it!
On Friday morning we woke up to hearing tons of helicopters over our house!! We walked outside and found out that there had been two major accidents!!! Both less than a 1/2 mile from each other, one was fatal!!:( It was so strange to see cause we looked up one street and there are all these police cars and the same looking down the other way..plus helicopters in the air it looked like a war zone! Man!
Yesterday we shot an engagement session in the morning and then headed right over to a wedding in the afternoon!! It was long but sooo much fun!!! Slideshows coming hopefully tomorrow!!
And the other day we were at the bookstore and we picked up this super popular christian music magazine called CCM... We were looking through it and what do you know!! Two of my pictures were in it!! I'm so excited!! This is my first, bigger more poplular published work!! The pictures are the two circle ones above!:) Yeah!

My long lost cousins.....

...well not really...but it feels like it sometimes!! haha!!
Barlowgirl!! They are doing INCREDIBLE!! I was just reading their "news" section on their website(which is where I get all my news now...along with everyone else..lol) and it is amazing all the things they are doing in the upcoming months!!
Coming out with a book; headlining their own tour, for the first time!!; re-releasing their second cd; and filming a music video; and there is plenty more!! It is awesome the things God has been able to do in their life because they are willing!!
If you haven't heard their music you can get it on itunes or in basically any store!!!:) Check it out!!

....life before computers?? What did we do?

Our internet went down today....which was such an awesome thing!! I've realized the past couple weeks that work and play on the computer can totally take over your life!! Especially as a digital photographer...
So I decided to join a 12 step program!!
Step 1-11: Get off the computer
Step 12: Have fun and be creative in other things!! Haha!!
So today I went out shopping!!!! Woohoo! I haven't done that in a long time so it was great!! Plus having a friend with makes it all the more fun!!
So the moral of the story...too much of anything isn't good:) Get off your seat and have fun, change the world, and remember to check your e-mail!;)

Ps...I just found the picture above, I took it awhile ago(not really sure why??), it is of my "studio/business" ....this is why I shoot weddings:) haha!

Better together!!

Here is the slideshow from the other day that I promised!
**Click Here**
These two were one of the funnest couple I've ever shot...I could do this everyday!!

True blondes....

So I just got back from an INCREDIBLE weekend in Michigan!! It was sooooo much fun!! We drove up there in the morning, shot the engagements for about 6 hours...(sorry this is not my normal package...hehe), went on the craziest plane ride ever!! We thought we were going to die....Joy's fiance is training to be a pilot so the instructor came up with us and pulled some of his tricks...something called a 0G?(aka zero gravity)!!! Joy and I were just screaming bloody murder in the back while the guys up front were laughing hysterically!! They then faked that something was wrong with the plane, turned the engines down, and did a nose dive!!! Ahh!!! It was incredible!!(now I can laugh about it...;)hehe!!
On the way home today Joy and I were just having a great time laughing, talking, and listening to music(while I was driving...her car)! I was in cruise control and all of a sudden I felt a kick...and Joy is like "Oh no!! We forgot to get gas!!!" Ahh!! I look at the gas gage and it is WAY below empty!! We just burst out laughing!...and then started praying that we would make it to a gas station!! Well we ALMOST did...about a half a mile away from one! But we just laughed the whole way! It was awesome! We both felt like such dorks but realized that we now have the funniest memory to remember this trip by!!
Ps...I'll get their slideshow up probably tomorrow!!:)

Happily ever after...almost...:)

Tomorrow I am leaving bright and early for Michigan...
My friend Joy and I are going up there for the weekend to do her and her fiance, Pete's, engagement pictures!!! I am sooooooo excited!!! I am so happy for these two, beyond words!! Their whole relationship is such a testimony! Whenever I find that right person I want to do it just like them!! It's incredible!
Pete is studying to be a missionary pilot, so we are going to the airport where he is training to do the photoshoot and then he is also going to take us up for a ride! Can't wait!
The picture of them, above, is from this past weekends wedding:)

...and you thought our family was big!!

Today I am going to pick up my grandma Teresa from the airport.
She is flying in from the Dominican Republic where she's been for the past 6 months!!
She is incredible!! She is 78 and here are only some of her accomplishments:
She went to St. Mary's College to get her MRS degree...because she wanted to marry a Notre Dame man! Her and my grandpa Daniel Barlow met on a blind date. They decided that they were going to get married, before they did they both decided that they wanted to change the world!! But..they thought if just the two of them tried to do it, it would take a long time!! So they decided to have and raise 12 leaders to do it with them!! Wow!! What a vision!! They got married and had 11 kids and there was a 3 year break...they were concerned they wouldn't hit there goal so they considered adopting!!! Then they had another one..but my Grandpa goes "Well that was supposed to be 12 boys!!" so they went on to have 2 more kids for a total of 14 children! Nine boys and five girls!! My grandparents trained the kids up to be very strong leaders, they ALL graduated college, and are all making huge differences in this world!! Just from one vision! Both of my grandparents were heavily involved in the startup of a new kind of thought process called Value Engineering(finding different cheaper ways to accomplish projects) and my grandma was the first woman to be a certified Value Engineer! Together they saved the government over a billion dollars!!
My grandpa passed away about 8 years ago and my grandma now is a traveler!! She goes around the country visiting all her children and grandchildren, she also goes to the Dominican Republic 6 months out of the year to live with my aunt and do mission work!! It's awesome!!
Here's the count: 14 kids(actually 13, one passed away..), 34 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren! She is one amazing woman!! I can't wait to see her!:)
PS. I can't believe I don't have a picture on my computer of her!!!! Yikes!!

Life Lived!

"Don't be one of those souls who says, 'If only I had my life to live over.' Live your life in such a way that once is enough."
-Walter Cunningham

Friendship...

I've been thinking today about friendships and what keeps people together and what separates them....
I think the key to friendship is forgiveness!! One of the biggest things people deal with is taking offense and letting it stay with them..:( I have found the easiest way to really enjoy your life is to let things go!!! It's amazing how freeing things can be when you just let them go and know that not everyone is perfect and that you've hurt people too:) I also forget things like that really easily...so I think that helps a little bit..lol!
Also, true friendship is not seeing what you can take from the other person but what you can share with them! I think all of our relationships would so improve if we actually thought of the other person and seeing their perspective over our own:)
Just a thought:)
Amazing book to read that shares some of these principles is "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
PS. No I'm not in a fight or anything(cause that would totally defeat the purpose of this post!!)...just some thinking that I've been doing lately....:)

"So kiss me.."

I just got back from an incredible wedding that we did in Naperville! The couple, Tammy and Gary, is one of our LONG time friends and so AMAZING for each other!! Their story just blows you away! We had a blast and the weather was incredible!! It was supposed to big time rain today...but God is GOOD!!!:)
Here is the **slideshow** from the wedding. The groomsmen were the FUNNEST ever!! We got some of the funniest shots!! Maybe they'll be on my website along with the other new slideshows coming up:)
...oh yeah...sorry for all the song titles...this quote was just sooooo fitting for this wedding!;)

If God made you, he's in love with me!

The other day we alll had to get out of the house to give my mom a break so we went to the park...because we are huge dorks we decided to do a photoshoot instead of playing at the playground!! lol!! And...who needs a 20d when you have a sd500 that puts out killer shots like this!! haha!!



Ok..this is my first time posting a slideshow on my blog...hopefully it works...
BTW- this incredible slideshow program is called Showit Web
Check it out!!!

JuliAnna Therese Barlow

Well....my parents have come to a decision for the baby's name!!!! And I love it because I got to pick out the first name:) JuliAnna Therese! She is already getting so big and CUTE!!! Here is the slideshow ! Also...Olivia picked out a name too... Video "Schlyce Package"? I didn't really get it..but she apparentely really liked it!! LOL!!

Also here is a great e-mail my cousin Jessie sent JuliAnna:

April 11, 2006

Dear JuliAnna Therese Barlow:

As the Vice President of MNAT ("Middle Name after Teresa") club, I'd like to welcome you as our newest member. Our other fine members include:Teresa (Founder...better known as Grandma)Annie (President..."El Presidente"),Gemma (Secretary...but we prefer "Wicked Awesome Secretary")Hannah (Treasurer) "Cuz we treasure her"As Veep, it's my job to deem you fit for entry. I've seen your picture....you're gorgeous (like the rest of us!) And seeing as you're already 8 lbs, 6 oz, 20 inches, and the youngest of 7, I can tell that you're gonna kick some serious tail in this world (like the rest of us!) YOU'RE IN!!!! I now christen thee "Sargeant at Arms"Can't wait to meet you Sarge!!!

Jessica Therese Schell

? Barlow!

Well...yet another Barlowgirl was born!! As you can see she is already singing!
After alot of waiting and praying, my mom had the baby at 1:39am this morning!! Coming in at 8lbs. 6oz and 20in. long:) She is sooooo adorable and right when she came out we were all like "she looks like John(one of my brothers..)!!" It is hysterical!!....of course a pretty version! The doctor said it was like a picture perfect birth!! Thank God!! Actually the reason it has taken me awhile to get pics up is because I was waiting on my parents until they name her...but they are still trying to figure it out:)!! lol! I decided to post a couple and then when they actually come up with a name I'll post more with a slideshow!! Any name ideas????
I like Teagan Lily, Julianna Elise or Annie(she has red curly hair)...but my dad doesn't seem to like those.... So I guess the possible name is Anna Terese!! ......Soon to be announced!!!
PS. Actually they were thinking of Sarah...cause they ran out of names so they thought just to start over...!!!;) LOL!!

The Barlow Bunch!

We just found out that my mom is in labor!!:) She is having a little girl....name is yet to be decided! Here is a little picture that we put together awhile ago to announce that my mom was pregnant!:) Super old pics...but I love it!! My mom is having a home birth(her 7th!!) so were all just kinda relaxing and the nurse just got here!! So we could have a baby ANY time!!:)
So exciting!!!

Babies Babies everywhere!

I did a little photoshoot for Lily Simone yesterday! She is our friends little baby that I took some pictures of right after she was born...in an earlier post:) She is already getting so big and it's just been two weeks!! She is soooo ardorable....so we couldn't help but get some really sweet shots of her and her mommy:) As I've said before my website in the next couple weeks is going to be updated with all new slideshows and this will be one of them...so keep a look out!
I just got home tonight from Chicago....my friend Rebecca and I and a couple of her dance friends all went to see a pre-viewing of the movie "Take the Lead." It was awesome!! So good!! I'm not even a dancer and I really enjoyed it!
Well my mom just woke up with strong contractions...so maybe this is it!!! ahh!!:)

Last but not least!!

The next assistant highlight is Mark Collins! When I first met Mark he had a little point and shoot that he tried to pimp out as much as possible but now he has the most killer camera bag filled with all the best gear...(he has more than me...lol)!!! Oh..did I mention he is a awesome photographer too!! Mark keeps me up to date with all the things that I have to buy and the newest technology! He also has helped me a ton on my website:) Check out his >website<>blog< Well my mom is about ready to pop!! So I'll keep you all up do date on what's going on!!:)

Where's the Panda Express?!!!!

We all headed downtown Chicago yesterday for our first Sarah Anne Photography photoshoot/training session! It was awesome!!! So much fun! We were trying to also do a Simple Photo Minute but it didn't work out that great as you can see here...>SPM that will never be published because..I laugh WAY too much for anything to ever be serious!! haha!!

So the next assistant highlight is Jacob Preedin! Jake actually had his camera surgically attached to his body! LOL!! How I knew that I should bring him on is I always saw him with a camera and once I saw some of his shots I was like "Dude your totally hired!" haha! He is also one of the funniest guys ever!! So he will be the official comedian/2nd shooter at the weddings!! To see some of his shots check out his >Blog<:)
Here is a great pic of Jake that we shot yesterday at the photoshoot:) The guys not only had to work on shooting models but also being in front of the camera too!!

If God lives inside of us, like everyone says, I hope he likes enchiladas, cause that's all he's gonna get!!

I decided that in the next couple weeks I'm going to do highlights on my assistants and introduce them to everyone:) So the first feature is my brother Andrew! He is my website builder, slideshow maker, bag holder, bodyguard(to ward off drunk groomsmen!), ect. He actually has his own business too: Barlow Computers and he is amazing at what he does!! He has done several websites for people and is great! He also is the apparently the president of the "sexy club"(don't ask me what that means..) at our church....and all the members this past sunday wanted me to do a little photoshoot for them prooving how hot they are.... so here is his blog with his pictures from it:)...lol!! Andrew will be coming with me to a couple different weddings this year!! I can't wait!:)
-the above title is a Alyssa Barlow's favorite quote.....I LOVE IT!!