Change

So....I have often been heard saying that I love change and that change is good and that things need to change. Carly = change = good. It has been a huge testament to my good friend Lisa (who also happens to be my hair stylist) that my hair hasn't changed a lot in the last year and a half. She has been persistent with me and challenging me to create change for my hair by not doing anything drastic to it like I used to. So I guess I maybe was still changing, it just took a little bit longer than usual!

Anyways!! Back to change and Carly. Yes, there is change ahead for me and my family. Sometime in February our family will be moving to start working with a youth ministry in Calgary, Alberta. Garth will likely move first and the boys and I will stay in PG until our house sells. Change? Royally! Excited? Yes! Nervous? A little bit. Not at the whole moving thing as Garth and I cannot really count how many times we've moved in our 16 years of marriage. I'm nervous about assimilating our family (mainly boys) into a new world for them. BUT.... the Lord has been calming my nerves and will continue to do so. Our church family was informed today so I now feel comfortable telling my blog world what is happening.

I am pro at packing up homes and boxes and lives. I've done it before and will do it again. The thing is I've never moved a business before! Not too sure how to do that one yet. But do not worry, if you've booked me for a wedding I'm still coming! I'll just call it a destination wedding now! Even if the destination doesn't include little umbrellas in my drink or sticking my toes in the sand while I shoot, it's still a different destination for me!

So if you have family or friends that need engagement, wedding or family photos in the Calgary area, please tell them about me and how awesome I am and how good I smell and how bright and white my teeth are and how luxurious my hair is (thanks again Lisa!!). Well you maybe don't need to tell them all those things about me, but let them know that I'm new to Calgary and would love to be their photographer!!

So I could be stressing out right now trying to figure out how to edit weddings, shoot weddings, get my house ready to sell, get my boys ready to move and pack a house all in 6 weeks, but I'm not. I'm focussing on my family and having a great time with them. And because my blog is much better when there are some photos here are a couple of shots of what I've been doing the last couple of days (or at least what I took photos of!)

Have a great new year.... check out the blog in the days ahead for my favorites of the previous year and for my first wedding of the year!!

The Christmas List

Christmas this year has crept up on our household, or at least it has for Garth and I and we are now finding ourselves scrambling to feel ready and prepared to celebrate properly. This month has been rather distracting for us and yet amidst all the activity, decisions and preparations our boys have reminded us about Christmas.


Our house isn't one that follows the whole Santa thing. Neither Garth or I grew up with it and never really felt the need to pass that along to our children, so there are no cookies out tonight and we won't be listening for Santa and his reindeer or wondering where he is in his deliveries for the night. We have had to remind our boys that other homes do follow the Santa thing and therefore have decreed that they not mention Santa's questionable ability to deliver toys to all children in the world in a 24 hour period. (Tysen actually stated yesterday that it was "totally creepy" and how on earth could anyone do that? - I know creepy is completely misused, but that seems to be his favorite word as of late).


So what will we do tonight? We will go to the Christmas Eve service at our church and spend some time in reflection on why Christmas is celebrated, sing songs celebrating Christ's birth, and gather with friends after the service. We'll come home and eat fried chicken, potato wedges with dip and share in some chocolate cheesecake and toffifee (my boys chose the menu!!), play some games, open a gift, read and pray together and after the boys are in bed I'll probably force Garth to watch White Christmas with me. All in all a great evening is ahead of us, we're not used to having our Christmas Eve to ourselves as we usually participate in our church's 3 services held each year so this is strange for us all!


Tomorrow morning will find us gathered in our living room to read the REAL Christmas story (no Santa's involved AT ALL!!), pray, turn on some Christmas music, eat cinnamon buns, drink eggnog or coffee if you're Garth and patiently watch each other open gifts - one at a time. It can be painful for the boys to wait their turn, but it definitely stretches out that time for us. We'll then get ready to head out to Houston to spend some time with family. It's a great time for us as we get to slow down a bit and play with our boys doing puzzles, sledding, playing street hockey and having a board game marathon or two or five.


I came across the boys Christmas wish lists the yesterday and discovered that they had made for me - it consisted of two things written in Rylen's quite amazingly legible printing. It said ring and purse. I've already tucked the list away in my special memento box, I found it rather sweet that they would think of me and write up a list to follow. I guess we'll see tomorrow if my list was filled or not. But honestly, the list being written was enough for me!


If I were to write my list it would be rather short I think as I feel blessed already. My Christmas list would contain no articles but rather just wishes for my family and friends:

1. That our faith in the Lord would continue to be stretched and grow.

2. For continued health for us all.

3. That this year ahead would be remembered fondly in spite of the bumps and changes that will occur.

4. That we would be bold and unashamed in where our hope is found.


And with that I wish you a very Merry Christmas, may you discover the true meaning behind it all. I celebrate and we should all be celebrating the fact that God came down to earth in the form of a baby with the sole intent to save us all in spite of ourselves. As one of my favorite Christmas songs says "How many greats have become the least for me? And how many Gods have poured out their hearts to romance a world that it torn all apart? How many fathers gave up their sons for me? Only one did that for me."


Only ONE did that for me - that's why I need to be celebrating.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaVc-Qqw6oA

Christmas Music is in my heart

You may not know this but I am a music lover.... I always have music playing in the background at my house except for those moments when I'm really needing quiet. My family has figured out that music will be present whether they like it or not but are still having a struggle with my need to play certain songs over and over. Why not play them more often? If I like and want to sing along loudly so be it.

I had the priviledge of hearing my good friend Lori sing a few weeks ago. I've heard her sing many many times before but this time was magical, it was the perfect key for her and with her being backed up by a duo and a choir and an orchestra completely topped it off! I don't often get emotional when listening to live music because it never sounds as good. But this instance it was perfect. Lori set me to tears as she was AMAZING!!!! So amazing that I went back to the next performance just to hear her again... and cry again!! Anyways, music is a big part of my life and I thought I'd share two of my Christmas favorites with you. They've been around for a couple years, but because they don't get played year round they are almost new again!

Both songs speak of the awe and wonder of Christmas and more importantly the reason behind why we SHOULD be celebrating. The busyness of what we think we need to accomplish and do in this month is CRAZY!!!! And it's hard to slow down and really focus on why this day even exists. It's not about the presents or the food or the people (all good things but).... it's about the baby. These songs speak about that. I hope you take the time to sit and listen to these and reflect.
Barlow Girl - Hallelujah - Light Has Come http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0LGYq5elsM

Downhere - How Many Kings?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaVc-Qqw6oA

Things are kind of chaotic around our home right now as I just finished another wedding edit and have another one to start and a wedding to shoot in just 11 days! Yipes! So the blog may feel it more than anything else. We are away for a couple of days so things will be thin here. But if you need to contact me about anything, either drop a comment or email me at gckoop@telus.net.

Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I'll be posting some of my favorites from 2009 later this next week but I'll leave you with one for right now that truly reflects the two little men in my house.

Eli and Kyla - Wedding

Saturday started off cold and blustery and I knew it was going to be an interesting day for a bride in her wedding dress. I knew Kyla wanted the best day ever and wouldn't let a little snow storm stop her or slow her down. Had we known in advance how much time she'd spend outside I would have suggested more outdoor shots!

You see, Eli and Kyla agreed to a first look session where they saw each other before the ceremony and started their day relaxed and getting some time to talk before the rush of the day took over. THAT WAS THE PLAN! They did have their first look, it started a little later than planned due to a communication issue where she was dropped off at the wrong entrace to our location. And because Kyla is a take charge kinda gal, she took off to look for Eli and I who at that time were patiently waiting for her taking individual groom photos. To make a long story short, Kyla showed up after walking around the location OUTSIDE to find an open door!! OUTSIDE!! Luckily she was wearing her Uggs and a cute coat and scarf! OUTSIDE!! Anyways, she took a moment in the elevator and then eagerly walked up to see her groom.

That could have set the tone for the day, but Kyla dealt with it and moved on.... moved on to making great memories with Eli. They are such a cute couple, I usually find myself at some point in the day asking the groom to whisper in the bride's ear just for a different shot, but no need to here, Eli was often whispering into Kyla's ear. I did find out one time what he whispered and had to laugh as it was not what I was expecting!

Anyways, I had a great day with these two and their families, the reception at Moxies was great and the ice cream topped off the day perfectly!

Thanks to Eli's suggestion we took some shots at a local hangout here A&A Burger Bar which totally suited their 50's theme! Thank you soooo much to Janet and the staff there for making it such a good time. If you are ever needing a great burger and frie combo or are craving a rootbeer milkshake or just need some candy check them out!

So here are some photos of the day, Kyla is a fashionista and I studied Vogue before her wedding to get some different stuff and I AM PLEASED!!!! I am sure you'll agree that they are a stunning couple, it was sooo easy!

Congratulations Eli and Kyla - I was honored to be able to share in your wedding day - I pray God's richest blessing on your marriage and family.

Here is some of the candy you'll find at A&A Burger Bar.

Sisters hanging out with their milkshakes.

Okay, so I'm IN LOVE with this photo!! Here is our Vogue fashionista in all her glory!!

What Irene Taught Me

My family travelled to Calgary two weeks ago to attend a funeral of a very dear woman. Her name was Irene and attending her funeral was a bit of a wake up for me. You see Irene was a great woman, a great friend, a loving wife and an amazing mom. Her accolades wouldn't be found in the newspaper or on the internet, but rather in her church, with her neighbors, her children, grandchildren and husband. She was awesome and the people she touched were wide and far, but the greatest impact she made was right in her home. She was a hostess with the mostess. You never went hungry at her house and you never were bored for long! She was known to play a mean game of horse around the basketball hoop and would jump into whatever game was being played. She was mischevious and was often involved in some sort of prank.


As Garth and I entered the foyer of the church for the funeral we were struck by the amount of photos gracing the walls. All of them were photos of Irene, playing games with her children when they were young, reading to her grandchildren, sitting around the campfire with her family and friends, taking hikes, quietly sitting in a chair reading her Bible. These photos weren't ones you'd find hanging up on someone's wall, but rather ones to grace a photo album or scrapbook... but they were so telling of who she was! And who was she? She loved her Lord and her family more than anything else and those photos spoke of that.


So what did that mean to me? I had some time to reflect as I watched the slide show play while we waited for the funeral to start and I started to tear up thinking on all the things that I have ahead of me that I might miss if I don't start making changes now. Changes that show and reflect what is truly important to me.

When I pass on to eternity I want my family to look back over photos and have great memories of who I was and what I did.... with them!!!

So in that thread I've made some changes around my house - I quit my job of 4 years working at Gold's Gym and Women Zone. As of Christmas day I am no longer employed by anyone other than my family and my photography clients. Just making this move has lifted a weight off my shoulders as I feel that I'll be able to give myself a little more freely to my family when they are home instead of trying to do other stuff while trying to be with them. So that is huge for me as it means that I'm letting go of a consistent reliable income and instead relying on God and in turn praying for more photography clients! So if you know of someone needing wedding photos or family photos or just because photos, pass on my blog link to them please!! I love referrals!!!


Secondly, I've become somewhat of a resounding gong in my house - "where's the point and shoot? Where is the point and shoot camera!!!!" And why am I asking that? There are literally NO photos of me in this house. Because I'm the one behind the camera there aren't very many of me infront of it! So if you hear me saying that, just grab yours and take one of me with whomever I'm with and email it to me please!! I want to be able to look back in years time and see photos of me WITH my friends and family not just my friends and family.


So on that note, I've ended this post with a photo that was taken last week of my boys and I as we are decorating the tree together. You may or may not see that I am a little teary, not too sure why but decorating the tree does it for me every year. I think the whole family hanging out ,some sort of sappy Christmas music in the background, the laughter of my 3 guys and the memories that each ornament holds for me brings me to tears. It's not a postcard photo but it's one I know I'll cherish forever.


So go take a photo of you with some of your loved ones and print them!! Don't just leave them on the computer or even worse just on your camera! Get them off there!


Have a good night.

How much does he love me?

Well, I did it.... again.... acting before I really think. I've been talking about getting a new body for months and months now. NO.... a new camera body.... do you think I need a new body? How would you know? I haven't gotten around to posting a photo of myself... yet... some Carly shots are in the works.

Anyways, back to the new body... a camera body... a D300 to be specific. So a photographer that I really admire had posted on his blog recently that he was selling his for a steal of a deal... I emailed him for details and he replied saying first come first served. So I emailed Garth about it and never heard back from him. Now you know that when someone doesn't reply to your email in a timely manner that is means they are ignoring you.... unless you're waiting for reply from me. I don't ignore people... usually!! So I didn't hear back from Garth so just kind of mentioned it in passing here and there. Well tonight while I was making supper I decided to see what they were going for on ebay. Low and behold an auction was ending in 20 minutes and it was for a great price.

So in my haste I decided to bid just to see how high the highest bid was. Entered a bid, outbid, entered another bid, outbid, entered another bid.... YOU ARE THE HIGHEST BIDDER! 15 minutes remaining...... 10 minutes remaining... uh oh!

"Uh..... Garth you need to come up here right away!!" So I explained to him what I'd done and he just sat down at the computer and watched it tick down. Not saying much the whole time. Meanwhile I'm making supper and thinking....."ooooooh he is upset!!"

You see we have a deal in our marriage that one does not make a purchase over $50 (ish) without talking to the other. Well there was no talking this time and believe me it was for more than 50 dollaaaaas!

Well, the bidding was over and I had won. Garth just turned to me and said "Merry Christmas Carly." I guess!...... MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY... and the list goes on!

So that is how much my husband loves me.... no cancelling the bid... no refusing to pay.... "how do you pay for this Carly... do you want me to do it?" Garth's love language is gifts (receiving them that is) and so I often find myself picking up some Toffifee or a magazine or some hockey cards on a whim (he loves this!!). My love language is not gifts, but tonight it sure is.

Thank you Garth.... you bought me my first Nikon that started all this wedding photography craziness and now you've just added to it again.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Here's a photo of my new body.... again... camera body people!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Sigh... I miss summer already!