Photo Update

We spent Thanksgiving with family in South Dakota. It was really nice and relaxing.

I took the opportunity to snap a few shots.

Thanks Tim and Dawn and Nash for a great holiday.

Callen and his cousins Nash and Fin

Our Family

November 2009

Photography Kit!

Fellow photographers . . . Just wanted you to know about a new kit by Davina Fear. She puts out some of the most incredible tools to make your life easier and your photography business run smooth! Enjoy!

Check out the new "GET YOUR LIFE BACK" kit!

http://davina.squarespace.com/journal/2009/11/18/get-your-life-back-kit.html

Callen and his buddy Max

We've been locked in our house now for weeks. Callen was sick with the H1N1 flu. Mark caught it. Our house was NOT a happy place for about two weeks.

The weather gave us a little break last week so we took advantage of that and one of the last days that the Center Grove Orchard was open for this fall season. We invited our friend Max (and his mom Jenna) to go with us. It was good to be outside!

Heintz Family Preview

Here are the much anticipated (at least by Heidi and James!) Heintz family photo previews! Enjoy!

Sweet sisters!

Boys need their room to roam!

LOVE IT!

Slackin' at updatin'

Yeah, it has been awhile since a Stenberg family update. So sorry.

Seems like we've been busy. But when I look at our lives, I have a hard time seeing

what we've been busy doing. Mark is leading our connection group. I'm leading a Bible study at church. Mark is still busy in the concrete world. I'm lending a hand with some family ministry stuff at Cornerstone AND pursuing photography AND training for a 5K.

God is HARD at work in us right now. He is chiseling away and making us

beautiful all over again. But don't you know that hard stone feels that chisel?

Callen is great. 15 months this past weekend. Growing. Climbing.

Talking more and more and more.

He's figured out the "b" sound now

and says many words:

"mama" sometimes he just says "mom"

and "dada" sometimes he just says "dad"

"uh oh"

"nana" banana

"NaaNaa" Naomi, his sweet girlfriend

"caka" cracker

"baby"

"all done" He signs this one and almost says the words

"pappaw" Mandy's dad

"poppa" Jerry T

and almost "meme" Mandy's mom

He is also working on "grandma" Mark's mom

All in all life is good for the Stenbergs. How are you?

Well . . . we did the drawing for the FREE session with mandybee photography!

And we learned a lesson in the process.

ALWAYS check the batteries in the video camera before starting a cool idea.

Watch:

Really!? He pulled out one name. It was perfect. And just as I

was about to tell the "world" who the winner was . . . the red

light on the camera went out. No kidding.

I was left with a dilema:

Reshoot and simply say the same name no matter who he pulled OR

just put this silly video online and tell you that the winner is:

JEN LEE!

So I imagine in the coming weeks

you'll see some pics of Mr. Abram!

Congrats Jen!

Enter to Win a MandyBee Photography Session!

In your last family photo, is your now middle school daughter still in diapers?

Need some fun engagement photos to use at your upcoming wedding?

Seniors - time to get those classic shots for mom and dad AND the yearbook?

If you fit in any of the categories above or would just like some great photos, then keep reading!

Enter this contest to win a free session from MandyBee Photography!

This is a $75 value.

Drawing to be held Friday, September 18.

Complete the following listed activities and receive the number of entries per activity:

1 entry) Visit www.mandybeephotograhy.com and email Mandy via the "contact us" button.

1 entry) In that email, comment on your favorite home page slideshow image from the website.

2 entries) Refer a friend to MandyBee Photography. Make sure they mention your name!

3 entries) If that friend books a session, you'll get your name in the hat THREE more times!

1 entry) Check out the photos on this blog from the Love Affair Workshop. Leave a comment on that blog entry.

1 entry) Post a witty or thought provoking comment on Mandy's Facebook wall. Make sure you mention this contest.

I'll keep track of all your entries. This could be really fun!

The winner will be posted here on the blog as soon as we draw on Friday, Sept 18.

Now, happy clicking!

Date Night: Iowa State Fair

Mark and I spent our date night at the Iowa State Fair on Monday. Callen hung out with gal pal Naomi and her awesome family. Here are a few pics from the fun.

This mama llama had a seriously bad hair day.

Mark and the winning GIANT pumpkin.

Just for fun . . . i know, i should have folded my hands.

On the sky lift

Callen with his state fair prize - a Winnie the Pooh won at the Water Gun game.
I LOVE that game!

Love Affair Workshop photo shoot pics

On Wednesday of the Love Affair workshop, we were sent out in groups of 4 with fabulous models (thanks to Brandi Howard and her design team!). Here are some of my favorites . . .

I learned so much! And met some incredibly talented women.

Atlanta

I'm in Atlanta for Love Affair Workshop. Today was a big day. I learned that I'm not like anyone else. I am who I am. I am the photographer that I am supposed to be. I don't need to compare. I don't need to be like anyone else. I so need to learn lots more about my "craft." There are so many things I don't know. But I can learn. I can practice.

The photos are from the trip so far . . . mostly the fabulous W hotel.

Kelly Moore Clark is one of the teachers of the workshop. It has been fun to see

her in her element!

Brandi Howard is here too! She works with Kelly.

It has been good. More to come.

A visit to a BAPTIST church

Hello friends. I am traveling this weekend and week. I'm in the Atlanta area visiting friends this weekend and then here Monday-Friday morning for a photography workshop. This morning I had the joy of visiting a VERY LARGE Baptist church here in the Atlanta area. And boy oh boy did it bring back some serious memories.

You see, Cornerstone Church of Ames is NOTHING like anything I grew up attending. My Baptist roots just don't translate to the corn fields of Iowa. So Cornerstone does what it takes (and what God asks of them!) to be a light in the Midwest.

That said, I love Cornerstone.

But this morning, I experienced LOTS of things that I have not experienced for quite some time. Things I saw and heard that were sweet memories:
1) "Please stand in honor of the reading of God's Word"
2) a choir
3) a sermon with a LOT of alliteration for the points (3 points and a poem!)
4) An offering plate being passed, complete with the "special song" for offertory
5) Offering envelopes in the seat back in front of me
6) Lots and lots of ladies in their "Sunday best"

Some things I had NEVER seen before:
1) Valet parking for PRESCHOOL families! OH MY WORD. LOVED IT!
2) An auditorium that seats about a gazillion people (maybe like 5000)

It was a great worship experience.

I'm headed to the photography workshop tomorrow. Here's hoping that I really am a good student and learn a lot. Big kudos to my mom and Jerry for hanging with Mr. Callen this week while Mark's at work and I'm gone. Callen's getting some good Meme time!

Father and son
First Kayak Trip
Clear Lake, Iowa
July 4, 2009

First Birthday Bash

Randomness

Here are some pics of Callen. More to come soon with a BIG BIRTHDAY BASH just a few weeks away!


On the boat with Stenberg cousins, Memorial Day



Lake Family!



Elijah, Callen, Noah, Elliot, and Hattie




SWEET FACE!

Pics from May

Callen and I at Reiman Gardens, Mother's Day

Callen at Tulip Time in Pella, IA

Callen with friends at Pella Tulip Time . . . Naomi and Max

Callen and his sweet girl . . . Naomi

Love Affair Workshop

Many of my faithful readers already know that at the end of May I will be done with my job at Cornerstone Church. After six years of incredible ministry and personal challenge, God has given me a new job - Callen's mom! Mark and I have known all along that when we had two kids, I would stay home. Nope, not making any announcement here . . . it just seemed like it was the right time now rather than waiting.

If you are a long time reader, you also know that I've dabbled in photography for quite some time. I sort of fell into it by accident. Then it became something I enjoyed doing as a creative, on the side outlet. I don't know that I am really any good at it . . . that's where the LOVE AFFAIR WORKSHOP comes in.

In July I am traveling to Atlanta, GA, for a week of intense training AND intense fun! Four fabulous ladies (one of whom I have known since she was in elementary school!) host this event for women only, and from what I understand, it is much more about personal growth and understanding and balance than it is about photography. Don't get me wrong, I will come away knowing more about photography than even I possibly can dream about. But I am so looking forward to really getting it - a new passion for this "hobby," a clearer picture of what MandyBee Photography should look like, and some definition of even the real viability of photography as extra income for our family.

They are also hosting a scholarship contest, hence this post. They will enter names in a raffle for each task attendees accomplish. Here's hoping that the name that comes out of that hat is mine!

I'll leave you with a pic of two of the sweetest boy on earth . . .

On the Move

Callen is on the move.

Sunshine and first touches of grass!

Beautiful sunshine day in Iowa, tulips in our backyard

First time to actually feel the grass.