sunflower fields...forever...

i took my girlies and my camera out to a field full of wild sunflowers.

*****

Francie & Rachel :)

meet Francie and Rachel.

we met Francie by chance.

we were looking at RV's and as we were leaving we saw a sign for an open house.

let me tell you...

life in a first floor apartment when you are 14 months pregnant...

is not exactly a fun life!

the people above us practiced their bowling skills every night...

ugh. i shutter just at the thought of it!

anyhow, the house she was showing wasn't exactly in our budget.

however, a week or two later, we signed the papers for our current house...

and then...after barely moving in, Francie watched BrookLynn for us while we went to the hospital to meet Aislinn!

met by chance...or maybe on purpose??

anyhow, Francie is EASILY one of the sweetest people I have ever met.

and, we all adore miss Rachel!

she has the sweetest freckles and the happiest smile!

easily one of my favorite pictures ever.

the purpose of this shoot was to take some realtor photos of Francie...

Francie Braithwaite, Realtor, the Franklin Group.

but, because Rachel came along,

I was able to get some sweet mommy and daughter loves :)

*****

Long Time No Blog....

It's been awhile since my last Blog...

between traveling back and forth to Washington,

 (in a miniature, fuel efficient car, jammed packed with four humans, a dog and luggage)

dropping my camera and nearly losing my salvation,

saying farewell to Grandpa Jack,

sending BrookLynn off to first grade...

it's been a busy month!

The good news is...

we got to spend time with family and friends...

we didn't have to spend a lot on airplane tickets...

my camera survived (RIP kit lens)...

Grandpa Jack is square dancing with Grandma Ann 

(and shining his bright whites alongside Jesus)...

BrookLynn LOVES school...

and I think I just took a breath!

Phew :)

Here are a few snap-shots of these busy times...

a little 'timer' action with papa and granny
(george and ginny too!)

more 'timer' action with great-papa

self portrait with great grandma!

fournier, binder, espana and lingen family!

a familiar sight. potty break.

I don't think another sock would even fit!

Honoring Grandpa Jack and his service for this Great Country.

my beautiful girls.

my camera snapped this picture on it's way down to the ground : /

BrookLynn's First Day of First Grade.

it's been an exhausting few weeks...

and I'm ready to start shooting again :)

who wants to go first???

*****

I can't publish this post just yet.

you see...

Brody has been more than supportive...

and he's coming along way too!

gone are the days of just taking pictures...

he's startin' to get artsy fartsy...

photo by Brody Binder

see what I mean??

I might have to buy him a camera and put him to work one of these days :)

*****

Jessica's Baby Bump...and pickles :)

meet Jessica.

she is pregnant with her very first baby...

the word on the street is that it's a boy!

here is her teeny, tiny baby bump!

her baby bump disappeared when she laid down...

she's like a pregnant super model...

awh...a baby belly and a teddy bear...

PICKLES!

pickle juice!

I set this one up while Jessica was changing.
when she caught me she said...
"that is SOOOO me!."

*****

this was my very first maternity shoot.

Jessica was awesome.

I wasn't sure how it would all go down, 

but...

it was fun, the weather was awesome,

and i love, love the end results.

thanks Jessica for being my first baby mama!

*****

Carter & Winter. the sweetest little couple that I ever did see :)

cute little girl.

cute little boy.

girl likes boy.

boy likes girl.

Carter with Flowers.

do you think she knows?

these two make me smile.

awh.

sweet little secrets that only a 6 year old could possibly understand :)

winter & carter.

*****

Front Street

so, after the impromptu Binder Shoot,

we made it down to front street and watched the sailboats.

i really have no clue what they were doing out there...

all the boats seemed to be doing their own things to us spectators...

sailboats!
this was the view from front street for 4-5 days.

Papa, Uncle Larry and the Girls.
Photography by Brody Binder.

my sweets.

brook was sitting on the dock when a boat and its crew passed behind her.

miss Aisy.

Great Grandpa LOVES watching the sailboats every year.
he got all bundled up and watched from the porch.
photography by Brody Binder.

Impromptu Binder Family Photo Shoot :)

we were gathered around getting ready to head down to

 Front Street in Coupeville 

to watch the sailboat races.

next thing I knew, 

everyone was gathered on the front lawn and they were

 BEGGING

 to be photographed.

here are the results...

My new most favorite picture :)
It's My All American Girl, Aislinn.

This is MY family.
These are the faces I live and breathe for everyday.

My girls LOVE their papa Dave.
He is one of the bestest grandpa's I know...
(next to my daddy of course:)

While Brody and I went on our first, REAL Honeymoon,
Papa and Uncle Larry came to Utah to hang out with the girlies.
Papa and Uncle Larry were exhausted by the time we got back...
but the girls loved every minute of it!
And, this is a classical image that we see every time these four are together!

And, this is a True Binder Family Photo!

*****

I do have time available for another photography session in the Tacoma Area

on Friday, August 13th. 

I'd love to shoot you :)

Send me an email

 @ 

kjla14@gmail.com

OR

call for info :)

801.661.5592

2 legit, 2 legit to quit... :)

"Do you have a business?" is a question I have been getting a lot lately.

I typically smile and say... "not yet, but soon."

The reply I get soon thereafter, "well, what's stopping you?"

Again, I smile and this time I say... "I don't consider myself LEGIT yet."

Then they usually scrunch up their face and say..."why?"

*****

So, I've been thinking? Why don't I consider myself 'Legit?'

Maybe I really do, but perhaps I'm afraid to admit it.

BINGO. thats it.

I've been afraid of the possibilities.

I've been afraid to get my feet off of the ground and fly.

The confident girl turns out to be afraid of herself. Thats crazy!

As I shake my head in dis-belief...I know now, more than ever, that I am ready to take the leap of faith...for myself.

Ready or not...here I go!!!

Today as I swallow hard with a smile plastered on my face, I know that I have some pretty fearless supporters that have continued to support me even when I was ready to walk away.

And for this, I dedicate today to all of you encouraging, loving and patient people who have been there since day one. You guys rock. I couldn't be at this point in my life without you!

In your honor I am going to offer up a pretty awesome deal.

Its called the THANK YOU deal :)

Here's the deal.

1. Find my Facebook Fan Page and become a fan:

kaethejo binder photography

2. Be among the first 5 people to book an hour and a half session with me.

offer good for one household at your location of choice between north salt lake and brigham city.

3. You will get an hour of me :)

(that's pretty awesome right there, and that's not even all of it!)

a cd of 10 high resolution images with copyrights

a photobook of 20 edited images of your choice from the shoot to show off!

4. total cost of the thank you deal is $100.00.

Thank You.

KaetheJo Binder

if you need more people in the shoot, each additional household is $20 with this offer only.

each additional image is $10 with this offer only.

Zoe :)

this is Zoe.

she is the granddaughter of my most favorite Utah photographer.

being Jon's granddaughter, she is quite the skilled model.

here's a few pics i snapped of her in Jon's backyard.

Land of The Free, Because of the Brave

this isn't a photo blog post. hang in there for me though, okay :) just something I wanted to say ;) Happy Independence Day everyone :)

Seven years ago today...I walked off of a chartered aircraft as a 21 year old girl. I spent a few days in Kuwait city...seeing the sights...and sweltering. The first evening I was there, I was greeted with a temperature reading of 126 degrees! Oh, it was awful! A few days later, with kevlar and a helmet, I walked onto a C-17 and walked off of it in Baghdad, Iraq. Camping out with my new found family, we cooked dinner (MRE's) and shared stories of home. A few days later, off to Kirkuk, Iraq. This time, our limo was a hot, cramped, smelly C-130. My wing commander called his baby the 'Four Fans of Freedom'...I would call it the very first airplane that I nearly lost my lunch in. Thankfully, I didn't...but it was very close.

I spent the rest of the year in Iraq. I grew more than I knew was possible. I saw and witnessed things that I wish I hadn't...however, I do believe...that every thing happens for a reason and through every experience we experience, we become who we are today. And, I left Iraq and went home as a 21 year old woman. Strong. Confident. KaetheJo.

I was asked today if I missed being a part of the military.

I had to think about it.

I know the things I don't miss. I do not miss wearing combat boots every day of my life. I don't miss twisting my hair up in a tight bun everyday that always gave me killer headaches. I don't miss 'playing war'...wearing a gas mask and searching the surroundings of a building for pieces of paper that said "BOMB" or finding a person with a sticky note saying "broken leg or intestines are outside of body cavity (you think I am joking. I am not joking) and then having to act out that I was washing all of the toxin's off of my body. I don't miss spending every other weekend at work waiting for ONE F-16 to come home from a class that he had to take that week and couldn't come home til Saturday...not to mention...every time, like clock work...the single seater F-16 would give us a return time like he was delivering furniture or installing cable. Without fail...he'd be home anywhere from 10 am to 7 pm. They ALWAYS gave us high hopes...the management would say, "as soon as he lands, you can go home." Good thing we got to go home after he landed. It was usually right around 8:14 pm. So, we sat there ALLLLLL day...and this Captain would conveniently leave his TDY location at 6pm. I also hardly miss going to change of command ceremonies. Those were the worst. Some guy, whom you never met, is relinquishing his command. Of what? I didn't know. Nor did the poor guy next to me. And, again, without fail...it was the hottest day of the month. There we all were. Standing at attention. In the Hot, Hot sun. Sweat drips starting at you neck and ending up being collected at the top of your socks. Each of them had to thank everyone from their wives all the way down to their first grade teacher. People would start passing out left and right. Sometimes, I'd envy them thinking..."I should just fall flat on my face...at least I wont have to stand here for another hour." And I DEFINITELY don't miss training all 15 of the trainees everyday. Its nice to sit back and work and enjoy work...

Now, don't worry. That wasn't my answer. Not even close. But, I paused as I calculated my thoughts. On one hand, I couldn't wait to take off my BDU's, blousing straps, boots and let my hair free. But on the other hand...every time the honor guard presented the colors, every time some not so great of a singer Staff Sergeant would sing the National Anthem or the shots of a 21 gun salute echoed in the air and seeing a flag handed over to a widowed spouse or to a parent whose 19 year old son died in Iraq...there was something inside that sent chills through my body...and maybe even a few tears down my face.

Do I miss the Military? Do I miss being a part of something great? Do I miss faithfully putting on that uniform everyday and knowing that I had a purpose. Do I miss putting on those 'dorky' and 'horribly un-flattering' dress blues? Do I miss going to the clothing store to buy new medals to attach them to those dorky dress blues that I just mentioned? Do I miss the camaraderie? Do I miss the built in family? Do I miss knowing that just about anyone would do just about anything for you because of what each of you represented? Do I miss the military discount at Sonic and Maurices?

You can bet your life I do!

I am so proud that I was in the United States Air Force. I am so thankful for the experiences that I took away from the military. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would. Without a doubt.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn. I am just reflecting on something that I was able to be a part of. I am happy that I was able to represent this great nation. I am happy that I was able to make those sacrifices and be a part of history!

And now, as the rest of the United States celebrates today (utah celebrated yesterday), I know that there are days to recognize and thank the people who are making those sacrifices for now...I personally believe...we should be thanking them everyday. Because truly...

We Live in the Land of the Free....

Because of the Brave.

Thank you to all you guys making the sacrifice today and tomorrow and the next day. Without you, perhaps we wouldn't be so free!

Thanks,

Kaethe

here's a picture of me that was taken in the Summer of 2003.

Freedom Air Base, Kirkuk, Iraq.