A True Kansas-Citian

For as long I can remember, I've had a hard time choking down any type of BBQ. BBQ chicken, ribs, pulled meat sandwiches...you name it...I avoided it. About a month ago, I attended a wedding vendors meet and mingle where there were plenty of door prizes being handed out. I never win anything...ever. Well wouldn't ya know! My number was called out. I'd won a bottle of BBQ sauce and a shaker of Rib rub. Wow. This was gonna collect some serious dust at our house.


Fast forward two weeks. We attended the annual Grill Masters BBQ Competition at our church. Door prizes were being raffled off and this "girl who never wins anything" bought a ticket. And I won. Not one bottle of sauce. Not two bottles of sauce. But four bottles of sauce and rub and various grilling paraphernalia! As Tyler and I stared at all the smoky flavored goodness sitting on our counter, we couldn't help but wonder if the Lord was jokingly telling us that we'd started the wrong type of business.

I am happy to report that after sampling various charred (and oh so tasty) meats at the Grill Masters, as well as gobbling down my first ever Burnt Ends Sandwich...I have been converted. Tyler about sent our van off the road when I asked for BBQ for lunch last weekend. He's a happy boy! I now know what BBQ can be (and what it shouldn't be), and I am happy to know I am now a true Kansas-Citian. 


What's your favorite BBQ joint??? Favorite menu item???

Totally Worth It

This is the sunrise Sarah, Andy, and I rolled out of bed to catch for their engagement pictures this past Saturday. I'm so glad I did.

(This was barely touched in post processing - God is just that good)

Rain Puddles, Paper Cranes, and a Swing Set

It was September 14, 2002. I had just returned from a two day volleyball tournament and logged into msn messenger from my dorm room. bluephase21 was logged in. Finally. I'd waited about a month for us to be online at the same time. Then I did it. I initiated a conversation. I don't remember what we talked about. I just remember ending it with, "Well, I'm headed to Java if you want to join me."

Sweet Peter|6 months

It's been a month since I did my sweet baby's 6 month portraits (he was actually almost 7mos). He's almost 8 months old now and on the move! He's crawling and pulling himself up. His older brother was walking by the time he was 10 months old. I think he may be gearing up to follow in big brother's steps. I can't believe that his first year is more than half way over! This pictures is such a great depiction of how smiley he is. How could you not love this little porker???

Birthday Flowers

I love daisies. Every time I see one, I always hear Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail..."Daisies are such a happy flower" (At least I think that's what she says. ;)

Last Monday was my birthday. The big 2-6. Okay. Yeah. I know. 26 isn't that big of a deal, but Tyler always knows just how to make me feel special on my b-day. This is just one element of a fabulous day I had with my boys.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Moments like these...|Kansas City Photographer

...are exactly why I picked up a camera in the first place.

Clearing the dust|Kansas City Photographer

Hey everyone! For all of you who follow diligently, I'm sure you've notice I've taken a bit of a blogging break. Quite honestly, things have just been too crazy and it's had to take a back seat to...well...life. Let's see, what has been going on in the Van Slyke home???

Fun in the sun|Children's Photography|Shawnee KS

Little Aaron turned 1 year this past Saturday. His mom and dad had planned a beach themed party. Unfortunately, everyone in the metro woke up to some pretty serious rain that morning. No fear! The sun finally decided to pop his head out and give Aaron the perfect weather for his first pool party. The kids had a blast! Happy Birthday, Aaron!

The birthday boy...

The cutest red-head on the block, Levi...

My little True-bug...







What a cutie Jett is...



Aaron's big sister, Sophie...



My Peter. I love him!



Aaron's daddy showing the kids how it's done!



Truett's hair is so thick. Note the water drops that wouldn't be absorbed.





I love this picture. It looks like Carolyn (Aaron's mommy) is bowling with Truett...





Little Levi...



My Bug is starting to look so much like his daddy!



Jett on the left, cutie pie Luke on the right.

A sand castle cake!




I think this picture speaks for itself.

In the nude...figuratively speaking

I use Photoshop Lightroom a lot. I mean A LOT. It's a fantastic tool. However, I really want to discipline myself in fully understanding my camera. I've been working on adjusting my settings to get the best shot from the start. This obviously isn't possible in every circumstance. However, my goal in this photography journey is to be a photographer...not a photoshopographer. These photos are completely unedited (with the exception of the watermark). I think they turned out pretty well. 

Happy Accidents

I love it when shots like this end up on my camera. I think it's pretty cool.

Sweet Peter

A Walk to the Park

Tyler and I have been talking a lot about personal tastes in photography. I think this picture is a pretty good example of how Tyler and I see things differently. Take the vignetting for instance. I love it. I think it helps direct the eye to the clouds - my "subject". Some photographers would be highly disappointed when they saw that their lens created this "old-timey" feel. While it certainly doesn't work for every shot - I really like it here. One other element we disagree on in the series of shots I took on the way to the park is the light poles. They drive him nuts. He prefers his shots to be as clutter-free as possible. While I tend to agree with him the majority of the time, I don't mind the "clutter" in this shot because it shows exactly what I want it to...we're walking in the 'burbs. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery???

Introducing

His very first white Christmas

My Other Half

How could I not post a face like this?

Playing Nicely

Always greener on the other side ... so he thinks

Autumn beauty

No Autumn colors. Just Autumn light.

New toy box???

I love catching moments like these.