In the kitchen...

So...I watch a lot of MasterChef.  It makes me feel like I want to do different things in the kitchen. Now...my idea of cooking and their idea are two totally different things. We are pretty basic around here.

I was with Jake at Trader Joe's. If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, I am heartbroken for you...seriously. I love that place! I try to buy something new every time I'm there. I am rarely disappointed. I decided to pick up some pizza dough and make a pizza for lunch. I thought Jake would enjoy it, and I'm looking for fun things to do with him before school starts next week.

I did struggle getting the dough to flatten. It's probably because we resorted to using our hands instead of breaking out the rolling pin. When will I ever learn? 

A friend told me to pre-bake the crust before adding the toppings. That helped.

I bought this sauce.  It was very yummy. Jake is picky about sauce, and he liked it, too.

This is my new favorite cheese. I sprinkle it on salads, use it to make white sauces, and used it on the pizza. It's delicious!

My side got a few extra toppings.

Jake actually asked me to make this pizza again sometime. Next time I'll break out the rolling pin.

Of course, a Trader Joe's trip would not be complete without a new dessert item.  Those register displays suck me in every time.

They are super soft and very tasty. Try eating one with a few chocolate chips. ;) 

Jake asked for a smoothie for his dessert.  Our version of a smoothie is super easy and very healthy. I use a half of a banana, vanilla greek yogurt, milk, frozen strawberries, and frozen blueberries. My Magic Bullet (LOVE!) mixes it up in seconds.

His eyes were closed while he was sucking it down. I spent a minute studying his gorgeous thick lashes.

I love the smoothie mustache.

Last week we went to the zoo with a friend and with sissy.  She knows exactly what to do. You have to hold on or he will go in when visiting with the stingrays.

The next two shots were taken by Jake. He asked for my iPhone, and I handed him my big camera. It was my back-up...not the professional.

I'm really proud of those! He did a great job focusing.

My dad watched him last weekend. I had two shoots, Kate was working, and Dan needed to be in his office on Saturday. Dad helped Jake organize his tackle box, and then they headed to a nearby lake. I called when I was on my way from the last shoot and met them there.

 Aren't the matching vests adorable? Jake's was his birthday gift from Papa and Mama.

He studied the process while Papa removed the hook from his little catch and was able to do the next one by himself!

Here is one more from Naomi's photo shoot.  I just love that hidden smile. She was teasing me. ;)  More soon!

What I'm working on tonight...

I love this family. :)  They became clients right after Sam was born, and we were together last weekend on his second birthday.

We are neighbors, so the boys are comfortable with me. That can be a good thing some of the time. Sometimes it's tricky when the photographer is too familiar. With this family, it's all good. :) 

Yes...mom always looks this relaxed and gorgeous. I don't know how she does it! She makes raising three boys look very easy.

Sometimes you have to do this...

to get this.

This next shot cracks me up.

The boys look like they were wondering what I was trying to do. ;)

Happy Birthday, Sam. Thank you, Drew and Nicholas! You were the greatest helpers!!

Coming up next....

I will show you more of sweet Naomi this week!

I tried to talk her out of it...

I tried to talk Jill out of a session with me. Funny, right?  Let's just say there's a little bit of a story here.  Jill contacted me to set up a session. She and her fiance were flying in from Italy where they live to see her parents here in St. Louis. They wanted engagement pictures and wanted to include her parents. How sweet is that!  Once Jill and Andrea arrived, there were some complications with their schedule. It was a possibility that Jill's parents were no longer going to be able to join us. Jill and Andrea were still going to try to keep their appointment if we moved it to later in their visit.

I started thinking about it. In fact after I spoke to Jill, I couldn't get my mind off her session!  Italy. Italy! It has to be an incredibly romantic place, right?  I can only imagine the architecture...the views! I decided that Jill should have her engagement pictures done in Italy. It only seemed right. I'm sure there are so many places there very special to them as a couple. So I contacted Jill again and tried to talk her out of a session with me. She reassured me that she really wanted her pictures done here...and she really loved my work and wanted to use Gigi Wagner Photography.  She explained that engagements are not viewed in Italy the way they are here. They just aren't a big deal there. So...we were on again. The best part was that Steve and Nancy, Jill's parents, were able to join us. It was a very special evening with four very special people.

I sigh every time I look at the above shot.

Last minute fun...

I feel like we did very little around our city this summer because of the extreme temperatures. We spent lots of time at the pool, but that was about it. We are making up for it in the last few weeks of summer vacation. Our weather has been very pleasant, and I've been trying to hit all the big spots with Jake. Last week our friends invited us to join them at a local museum . Charlie and Jake had a blast running around and making an unbelievable amount of noise.

Last week Jake learned how to ride his bike without the training wheels! You can see the video on Facebook. I haven't had a chance to upload it anywhere else yet.  I did manage to get a couple of iPhone shots during the process. I'm proud to say that I taught him all by myself. It's amazing how fast I can run while chasing my boy on his bike!

Jake found a lucky penny right before we started the training. He put it in his pocket, and that did the trick!

Dan and I took Izzy and Jake to a baseball game this weekend. It was a ridiculously long and kind of boring game. We left in the 14th inning!  I just snapped this one quickly on my iPhone.

Jake started soccer last week. I'm happy to say that he is really hustling this season! I think it clicked. There is such a big difference from last year.

We went with a friend to the zoo today. I have a bunch of shots to edit...including many taken by my guy.
I got this one on the iPhone after he took over my camera. This is a backup camera. I don't know if I would have handed over my d700!

He was in shock and beyond thrilled when I handed him my camera. He only asked for the iPhone to take some shots. I really hope I sparked a budding interest in photography in him. I'm going to print all of his shots and put them in a little album for him. I'm so excited!

I had a great senior session with Max recently. He plays water polo, so we had some fun with that, too!

Have a great senior year, Max!