Life Thru the Macro: Traditions...

The sweet man that married Nate and I gave us quite a wonderful list of marital advice; I wished that we could have written everything down. One thing in particular has stuck in my mind: he told us that now is the time for us to start writing our own "books"... with our own traditions, memories, mistakes, travels, friends, etc.

I thought that this was fantastic advice and Nate and I have had a blast making up our own traditions [pina coladas with Thanksgiving Dinner] and combining our favorite traditions from each of our families. One that has stuck, coming from Nate's side of the family, is to have what they call, the 'Jerusalem Dinner' Christmas Eve. Since Nate and I were in Mexico on Christmas Eve, we had our Jerusalem Dinner right when we got home. It consists of foods that we assume would have been eaten by those in the Middle East during Christ's life. Our favorite items include: Naan bread [or Pita], crackers with assorted cheeses [Havarti, Gouda, Goat], Humus, Olives, Tapinade, Dried Fruits, Figs, Dates, Nuts [Cashews, Pistachios, Almonds] and Grape Juice.

This is one of Nate's favorite meals of the year. It really helps us remember the meaning of Christmas. I LOVE traditions in general... they seem to help us define our family culture and bind us together in beliefs, customs and memories.

Life Thru the Macro: Home Sweet Home...

As displayed above, Nate and I took this trip to Mexico FULL THROTTLE. Nate is shown in one of his classic photo 'poses' on the streets of Old Puerto Vallarta on one of our exploits of the city. It was vintage... it was classy... It was full of smells, sights, sounds ALL unique to this tiny corner of Mexico. We LOVED this little city. Both Nate and I are preparing to give a FULL accounting [both photographic and otherwise] of our holiday. So, stay tuned for more!

There is one thing to say about travelling, however: No matter where you have been or what you have experienced, coming home is oh, so SWEET.

Life Thru the Macro: Viva Mexico y Feliz Navidad!!

As I speak, Nate and I are en route to spending our first Christmas together out of the country. It won't be the first time for either of us, but it is always strange to spend Christmas in a hot tropical paradise when we are both used to the WHITE of snow with carolers, hot apple cider and warm fleece pajamas. Instead we are trading all of that for the beach, sunshine, virgin pina coladas and the chance to shoot a gorgeous couple in love. Nate posted the engagement shoot of Dominic & Dorys a couple weeks ago, and it is for their wedding that we are heading to Guadalajara and then on to Puerto Vallarta. Normally, I am a very adept traveler but I'm a little nervous how this prego belly is going to affect my naps on the plane or our adventures when we get to our destination.

We will let you know!!

In the airport!

Life Thru the Macro: BSU Broncos...

Anyone who considers themselves even moderate followers of sports knows what went down a couple weeks ago with the game between the Boise State Bronco's and the University of Nevada. Even I, being the least devoted 'sports enthusiast' imaginable, felt the blow that night. Nate was in shock... speechless. After a 23 game winning streak, we lost the game in overtime by a missed field goal.

Despite the dark and depressing atmosphere, I was SO proud to hear from THE most invested and devoted BSU fanatic, these words: "We can't win 'em all... but we'll get 'em next year." When I began this 'column' I said that I would give you an insight into our lives, and BSU football has definitely become a VERY integral part of Nate's life.... he has even considered 'Bronco' as a baby name. But when talking about LIFE, our lives specifically, I found that idiom most appropriate:

"We can't win 'em all... but we'll get 'em next year."

Life Thru the Macro: Beaters Made for Lickin'...

My family has a tradition to go around the Thanksgiving Dinner table and say the things that we are most grateful for. MANY have accused that tradition of being 'tacky' and I must admit that in my youth I did my fair share of griping and groaning. But nonetheless, I am proud to say that due to the small amount of maturity that I have gained since leaving my parents home, I can now see the wisdom in my Mom's insistence of this tradition. As such, Nate and I wanted to share a few of the things that enrich our lives and for which we are truely grateful.

We are grateful for the unwavering support of our families.

We are grateful for a world SO BEAUTIFUL it is worth exploring.

We are grateful for modern technology and that it allows us to connect with YOU.

We are grateful for the world and culture of Photography- how it enriches our lives, provides for our family and that it lifts, challenges, intrigues and inspires Nate.

We are grateful for our little one... that he's healthy so far, that his heart is beating strong and that we love him so much already.

We are grateful for the free country in which we live that allows us the pursuit of our dreams and passions... that allows us the freedom of our faith.

We are grateful for the knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father and His mindfulness of every aspect of our lives.

We are grateful for the healthy bodies that both Nate and I take for granted, but that allow us to swim, ski, run, hug, work and dance.

We are grateful for the small things in life that awe us and make us smile: a warm breeze, a sunset, chocolate covered cherries, freshly fallen snow, dancing, laughter and music.

We are ETERNALLY grateful for each other; that we can be unconditionally loving as we witness each others lives.

And finally, we are grateful for beaters that are made for lickin'... that after cooking for hours and hours on Thanksgiving Day, that we could sit back and watch the enjoyment of our little niece Julia as she found delight in the 'sweetness' of life.

Life Thru the Macro: Photographing the Photographer...

... is MUCH harder than you might think. Nate's Mom can firmly attest to the fact that she has been driven to tears on an occassion or two when trying to photograph her handsome, though VERY uncooperative sons. This is what I get when I attempt to photograph my handsome, though uncooperative husband:

Hopefully our son will not adopt his Daddy's antics with the camera! ; ) Shout out to Victoria de Martigny who inspired me to write this post... thanks for letting me steal YOUR idea!!

Life Thru the Macro: Things NOT To Say about Your Pregnant Wife...

"It's the craziest thing... but I swear EVERY single day now, she's just getting bigger and bigger."

We ALL had a good laugh at that one, especially me, because it's SO TRUE. Aside from that one verbal slip-up, Nate has been taking care of me fantastically. Last night he tucked me into bed with EVERY single pillow we own and gave me a foot rub. He even tried to brush my teeth for me [not recommended: I was laughing so hard we got toothpaste everywhere]. This little boy inside sure is lucky, if Nate is HALF the father to our kids as he is a husband to me.

*P.S. Nate JUST said this and we both laughed so hard that I had to add it: "No, no I was just kidding. Don't pick it up for me. That'd be like asking Goliath to touch his toes." ; )

Life Thru the Macro: Insights into Our Kitchen...

Aside from photography, Nate's other passion in life is food [except when he's alone]. To his tastebuds, EVERYTHING is "the most delicious thing" he has ever tasted. No matter if he burns his tongue on the first bite, he can't slow down enough to avoid burning himself on the second. Despite Nate's enthusiasm for my cooking, at times I've been tempted to take offense when he plainly states: "This isn't quite as good as my Mom's", but I know that with most 'Perkes Family' recipes, I'll never quite live up to that standard. I've accepted that fact, however, so: sorry Nate, but no matter what I do to them, I think my chicken enchiladas will forever be 'soggy'.

There is a particular recipe, however, that I have enjoyed attempting to 'perfect', although perfection is still just out of my reach. This is Nate's favorite cake in the world: The Ring of Coconut Chocolate Bundt Cake. I thought I might give you all an insight into our kitchen and every single one of Nate's birthdays:

He likes it so much, I can't even keep him out of the batter.

Here's to crispier enchiladas and many more 'rings of coconut' in the future!! You can find the recipe here.

Life Thru the Macro: All a Matter of Opinion...

Sexy picture, I think, although I MOST definitely have a biased opinion. Some people LOVE that lumberjack, rugged look, and sometimes I do. Nate says it makes him feel more sophisticated. Personally, when I give him a kiss on the cheek, I prefer to ACTUALLY kiss his cheek as opposed to the prickly pear that his cheek becomes when he hasn't shaved in a few days. But, heck, it's all a matter of opinion.

Nate recently received a brutally critical comment from an observer that, in summary, accused Nate of 'being transparent'... among many other things. While taking MUCH more offense than Nate did to such an abrasive accusation, I later thought: 'That guy is absolutely correct.' Nate DOES wear his heart on his sleeve and he has nothing to hide. He IS transparent, thank goodness, because like ANY woman, I might be a bit more "cryptic" than I intend to be. With Nate, what you see is what you get, and what you get is enthusiasm, life, energy, laughter, ingenuity...

Whether "being transparent" is actually a criticism or a compliment, I don't know, but I think it's all just a matter of opinion.

Life Thru the Macro: The Wind and the 'BAM'...

My first introduction to using a 'reflector' was on our engagement shoot 3 years ago with Nate's Mom who ALSO happens to be an amazing photographer. It was a cold and cloudy day in February and we were on the beach in NH. In our family, this so-called 'reflector' had been christened with the name 'BAM' because of how it POPS wide open every time you take it out of its case. Nate's Dad was acting as 'assistant' that day and had us ROLLING with laughter at his antics with 'the bam', making it nearly impossible to get a good picture of us since we were cackling and guffawing so unabashedly, as featured here:

This past week, Nate and I spent some time in Aruba photographing the wedding of our dear friends, Nicole and Faruk. I found the situations similar [on the beach, windy, cloudy with tricky lighting] and yet reversed since THIS TIME I was the one with 'the BAM'. We were under a ridiculous time crunch, racing the sun before it set and so Nate was having me use the diffusor to get some images with the flash. Let me remind you, we were on the beach, and the wind was totally taking advantage of me as I tried to maneuver the flash and my 'sail' [a.k.a. the BAM]. Nate kept having to remind me to 'reposition', and 'hold my arms higher... and higher' and 'hold it steady' and 'keep the flash straight', and EVEN 'let's try pointing it at the couple'. My realization is that I need to work out my triceps.... and biceps... and shoulders... and probably my forearms as well. Perhaps I simply need to practice my ENTIRE Statue of Liberty pose; that should get me conditioned for the next 'windy' event.

*Stay tuned: Nate will be posting the rest of his amazing images about this amazing couple and location very soon. After viewing his post, you just might find yourself singing: "Aruba, Jamaica... oooohhh, I want to take ya!"

Life Thru the Macro: Dream Together...

In the depths of delectability, half way through my tub of 'Imagine Whirled Peace' Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, I found this:

Nate was sleeping at the moment [yes, that might have been a pregnant woman's confession to sneaking midnight delicacies], so as opposed to sharing that moment with him, I shared it with his D3S.

One of Nate's GREATEST talents in life is that... he dreams, and when he does, he dreams BIG and so enthusiastically that you can't help but dream WITH him.

So far, our life is greater than we could have ever dreamed or fabricated collectively OR individually. Who would have thought that such a realization would come in the form of 504 calories? Bliss is pricey, but that is what I experienced that night in that particular tub of "Whirled Peace".

Life Thru the Macro: Take One for the Team...

Much of my involvement in Nate's photography, until recently, has strictly been audience based. I observe and critique, with my very inexperienced eye, the work that he brings home everyday and strive to be the BEST cheerleader imaginable [even though I am not one for mini skirts or backflips]. While Nate was in Seattle with Jasmine Star doing the CreativeLive EVENT, I literally got to be in the audience to watch him every day, almost all day. At times I felt a little helpless, trapped on one end of the cyber universe, while he was on the other. There was ONE particular morning, when everyone had arrived early and was setting up the venue for the workshop. The cameras were live, but the class was not going to begin for another 45 mins. I thought I'd give him a little jingle to let him know I was there, cheering him on and wishing him luck [without ACTUALLY saying 'good luck', because according to Nate thats 'bad luck']. This little clip from Modern Family, our new favorite sitcom, pretty much sums up our phone call.

That's right. I definitely busted my husband screening my call on a LIVE internet broadcast!! More than being offended, it made me laugh... A LOT. I love him and I admire his talent and passion for photography. I would do anything to support him and I plan to do so.... even if I get put on the back burner every once in a while.

I'll take one for the team.

Life Thru the Macro: 65+ Years from Now...

More often than not, I don't know what I want... whether it be what to wear or what to order or what to watch; I can be very indecisive. But after a VERY stressful last week, I knew exactly what I wanted, and that was to spend all day yesterday in Benson, UT at Nate's grandparent's farm.

Nate and I spent the day being pampered by his adoring and adorable Grandmother. She fed us, wrapped us in blankets, encouraged us to nap and could divine our every need and wish. After we did take her up on a nap, we took a walk around the farm at sunset.... I collected a couple handfuls of fresh raspberries and Nate collected a beautiful assortment of images.

For dinner that evening, Grandma served us the epitome of "hometown cookin' ": roast beef and potatoes, corn on the cob from the garden and WARM ROLLS with homemade raspberry jam. No exaggeration, I think Nate ate a WHOLE dozen all by himself.

More often than not, I STILL don't know what I want, but in the quiet peace, contentment and tranquility of that afternoon, I knew EXACTLY what I will want 65+ years from now: to be hand in hand with Nate, serving him a dozen warm rolls, fresh from the oven, smothered with homemade raspberry jam.

Introducing: Life Thru the Macro...

Throughout a young girls life, she receives more than enough advice, from reliable and unreliable sources alike, on who she should marry before she makes her final decision on 'the one'. While looking at a series of pictures that I found of Nate, a few pieces of that long forgotten advice came to mind:

'well grounded'...

'stable'...

'both feet on the ground'...

'down to earth'...

Grandma's favorite idiom might have been 'get your head out of the clouds,' but I prefer living my life with someone whose limits, dreams and goals well surpass the 'clouds' and even the stars.

It seems daily, I find myself MORE and MORE involved in the world of Nate's photography. For a long time now, Nate has been trying to get me to do a 'column', if you will, on his blog that would showcase a more intimate view of the details of our lives. Being his wife and best friend, I hope to show the side of Nate that I see on a daily basis. There is much more to him than can be seen strictly through the pictures that he takes. My view is the reverse of yours... I experience him first and his pictures second, while in juxtaposition, his blog uses his images as an expressionistic vehicle to represent himself, but that is not strictly who he is.

So here begins a Monday tradition: once a week I hope to create a link between what you see and what I see, even if my job is showing the gritty details. But honestly, sometimes only a Macro lens can make something as imperfect as our lives, look so beautiful.