grandma henriksen













I have the world's coolest grandmas. my maternal grandmother featured, is a 30yr old disguised as a 80 something yr old. she is bubbly, energetic and still can hike and garden (cross legged). My paternal grandmother is equally as young and is taking me to hawaii with her next week (need I say more?).

my grandma henriksen (maternal) is who this blog post is featuring. her and my grandfather bought this cabin when my mom was still a child. we grew up celebrating holidays there and having cousin sleepovers. we swung on the rope swing, played backwards checkers with my grandpa and searched for "brownies" in the forest. we all fought over who would get to sleep on the smooshiest bed in the attic and loved driving down the road swinging our legs from the back of an open car. sitting around the campfire we would give testimony's and sing family songs including the goodnight song, when we would sing goodnight to every person there by name (even if there were 50 people). my grandpa would cook us floating pancakes for breakfast and grandma would always serve cantaloupe and bacon. I love those memories.

so here is to one of my favorite women on earth. thank you for the notes and gifts under my pillow. thank you for the gold fish. thank you for figi, the pioneers and the prophets. thank you for the music boxes and the laundry shoot. thanks for the wall paper in the laundry room. thank you for letting me live with you that one summer. thanks for being my "other" during a rough time. thanks for giving me space when I needed it and hugs when I wanted to be close. thanks for the orangesicles. thanks for showing up in the PERFECT outfit when I told you to dress for the photo shoot in what you would normally wear to the cabin. thanks for loving me to the moon and back.

I love you too.

xxoo-
rachel

the truth comes out

I found this post on this blog today, and I know it's not completely photography related (although a camera was mentioned) but I wanted to pass it along. I couldn't have said it better myself!

[Sam said: TAMN, I'm currently searching for my eternal companion, and your post for your searching sisters was great, but I'm a searching BROTHER! How/where do I find a girl even half as awesome as you!? And once I find her, what do I do to make her mine?

Seriously, great Q! SO glad you asked bc seriously, your attractive level is like your BMI but of even MORE eternal consequence. Single brethren, print this and put it under your pillow ASAP.

Seven Fab Ways To Snag Your Own Me

  1. Law/biz/medical/dental school is a m-u-s-t. If you can't get into those, chiropractor school is an acceptable backup. Teaching slash writing slash being good at cars or whatever else is fine for a hobby but NOT a job if you wanna seal the deal.
  2. Gym it up. If you can't actually GO to the gym a lot, def talk about it tons, keep a gym bag visible in the back seat, and act sore a lot. Its impeerically proven and ladies know it: six pack now --> stake pres later.
  3. Bring your camera EVERYWHERE and take a gazillion variations of these same 2 awesome pics: shot of your armpit as you hold the camera out with you guys smiling, shot of your armpit as you hold the camera out with you guys faking a serious pout. If you want to be taken seriously as a suitor, these pics should be on facebook within 2-4 hours.
  4. mention your mish ONLY IN PASSING. Plz, plz, plz, canNOT emphasize this enough...teensy stories are best bc entire stories are TOTAL yawners...if you insist on telling them, make 'em short and chalkful of things like brute strength and leadership experience. If you weren't AP you're probably outta your league, but if nothing else, worse case scenario you can throw in something about your eagle.
  5. Lines should be both smooth and to the point. "You look hot" is good, "You ARE hot" is better. "I always wanted to date someone spiritual" is good, "You could totally be a GA wife" is better. "Want to go to Anthro?" is good, "I want to take you to Anthro" is better. Must I go on?
  6. Heard of the no-touchy-in-the-strike-zone rule? What the nineteen eighties! Now it's the swimsuit rule (meaning, don't touch where a swimsuit would be) so thanx to modest bikinis there's TONS more leeway, but, DEFINITELY still keep both feet on the ground.
  7. Bring a notebook to firesides. Not to USE, as you'll ideally be busy playing with long multi-colored tresses and/or back scratching, but just carrying it speaks volumes about you.}

colorado- august 2008













we had family reunion time with the porters in colorado springs and can I just say, colorado springs is great! small, but not too small. clean, but not too clean. old, but not too old. we hit some of the old stomping grounds... manitu (and the natural mineral water that is fizzy), garden of the gods and good quality time at gma and gpa porters house. We then left one porch swing to visit another in boulder. grant's uncle corky and aunt melanie welcomed us into their wonderland for a couple of nights. they are amazing artists and their home is a reflection of the amazingly creative heads they live in...so colorful and thoughtful. There was no mistaking who's home you were in. I loved it. I could have stayed for months.

baby pedicures






while I was in utah my sisters and I wanted to get pedicures. my 5 yr old niece heard us discussing this and really wanted to come because she had never had a pedicure (uh, yeah. you're 5!!) we all decided it would be super fun so we took both of our nieces with us. they seriously handled it like pros. I almost got teary eyed watching taylor from 4 chairs over...she was barely big enough to sit on the chair and dip her toes in the pedicure bath...but she WAS big enough. I want them to stay little. when they are little they write me notes, like this one faith wrote for me while she patiently waited for me to finish. oooohhh. melt my heart.

9/11

I made my last post not thinking, at that moment, what day we were remembering. I'm glad the city was on my mind.

two years after the attack, I packed 2 suitcases and moved there. my flight happened to be on september 11th. my mom cried. I moved to NYC without a job, without a place to live and I only knew 2 people. the first night I was there I sat in the rain on the metropolitan museums steps waiting for a phone call from somebody I was hoping would let me sleep on their couch. I loved that moment. everything was a question.

I was there a month before I moved there, working for my dad when the "blackout" happened. we were kicked out of the marriott marque in times square and slept on the street. my sister and I sat with thousands of strangers in the middle of a dark times square staring at the stars above. I think most people thought that would scare me away from wanting to move there. nope. the opposite happened. I feel in love. I don't think you can sleep on cigarette and gum covered asphalt in times square and not feel like you and the city are in it together.

a bunch of my friends agree that when you live in the city (and love it) it's like you're dating each other. I can go into this line of thinking more if you like....but when I moved, and didn't come back, it felt like a break up...and now I find myself love sick. It's a boyfriend I just can't get over.

we'll always have our sleepovers on my rooftop. always.

(here are some photos of the night of the blackout. courtesy of my first digital camera, the nikon coolpix. proof that my mom, sister and I actually slept on the street).




more ny..but never enough.







1- best cobb salad ever! deluxe diner, on broadway btwn 112th & 113th down a few blocks from colombia (don't mind the lens flare).
2- la esquina, where nick works. yummy mexican food. try the corn on the cob. you won't regret it.
3- jason. miss that guy. an amazing designer. works for MAC .
4- benny and nick after a long night. love the yellow light on subway cars.
5- the elevator up to the penthouse.
6- door art.
7- the peoples.

link to my blog

the question of using my images on my blog has come up a few times in the past couple of weeks. This is my take: if you want to "drag and drop" any of my copyrighted images from my blog to yours, I am fine with that AS LONG as you link the image to my blog. if you want to give me a little plug....a little free blog/website advertising, fine by me! just make sure you are giving me photo credit.

here is a recent example from a friend of mine that used my images and linked to my blog.

any questions? feel free to respond to this post or email me at rachel@rachelthurston.com.

thank you to all of those who support me and my photography. I would love to know who more of you are...so say hi and let me know what you like about this blog and what you may want to see/read more about.

norah

there are people in my life that helped me survive. sarah jane is one of those people. she was my "other" for the time I spent in the city. when I look at these photos of her newly formed family I can't help remembering all the late night conversations had where we shared the wonder at ever finding husbands or having children....would it ever happen? how? HOW? seeing her happiness is like an open ending to so many years of questions. I know her happiness will only grow.

I need more photos of this baby. her lips are seriously the cutest around.

love you bowen family.




it all started in harlem..

...with dating, falling, marrying, baby making and now parenting. one of my first memories with nikki was sitting in the "full moon" talking about life one 4th of july weekend (the same weekend matt and heath started canoodling). I knew she was smart, ambitious, genuine and somebody you could trust. cameron was the one who made witty films, had witty side remarks and was the man we compared all other men too, knowing he was the perfect example of a "good guy" (seriously one if the nicest people I have ever known). this is one couple I loved before they were a couple but after moving from NY I find myself feeling closer and closer to them as they include me in their life. I loved being there on their wedding day. I loved being there to hold and kiss their first born. I feel blessed to have them as friends.

I am excited for many more moments with your family. missing little john already.

xxoo-
rach




















little gems

camp is over. I came home and took a nap for 3 hrs and then proceeded to sleep from 9pm that night till 9am the next morning. I think I was tired.

yesterday I was happy to be home but still in a girls camp haze...missing their hugs and conversation. missing the spirit they had. missing all the great leaders I worked with. we did it! and now I think I will rest for the next few months.

I have a one track mind which involves catching up with posting past events. once I am caught up, more girls camp...

in the future

I will post more of...

the kelly family

madeline & mom

nellie & kent

grandma at the cabin

lisa & dave

I am off to girls camp till saturday. I feel like a horrible bad person for neglecting my blog and so many deserving people from seeing their photos. Believe me when I say it will be a welcome change to catch up on work when I am back saturday. Who knew I could miss photoshop?

until then...

today

today I fly to utah to see my sister (see photo) for the 1st time in a long time. this week I have some photo shoots, family time and another flight to colorado. next week I have more family time, a flight to LA and girls camp. I have SO much I want to post, photos of babies, NY, seattle, weddings etc.......where do people find the time? I can barely unpack my suitcase before I have to pack it again.

fingers crossed I make it through august.

mosiah 5:15

sorry I haven't been posting. I'm in a mad dash to finish up plans for girls camp. it's A LOT of work. just ordered dog tags for all the girls with this years scripture etc...kind of a boot camp theme. I hope they like them....we also ordered sweat headbands and wristbands for them to decorate. we're going to get their spirits into shape!

that reminds me...does anyone remember the "get in shape girl" stuff from the 80's? it was a workout tape complete with pink sweatbands. I was all about it. sometimes I really miss the 80's.