Today, many of us will pause for a Moment of Silence in remembrance of the horrific blast that shook downtown Bozeman one year ago today, killing one and destroying several businesses including LillyLu, the children’s boutique with which I had been affiliated for over 8 years. Only days before, I photographed their Springtime window display which featured one of my fine art canvas prints. It would be the last photo ever taken of LillyLu at 223 East Main Street…
Following the explosion, firefighters worked for days to extinguish the flames. Anything that was sprayed froze in an eerie otherworldly fashion given the freezing temps. Snow continued to fall. The clean up was delayed. Main Street remained closed. Imagine my shock when Sheryl Sanders, LillyLu’s owner called me one month later to tell me she had found my fine art canvas print that was last displayed in her window, lying upside-down in the street. Eerie as it was to have a ’souvenir’ of this tragic event returned to me, I can’t seem to bring myself to dispose of it. Probably because it survived while a beautiful young woman did not.
Today, I will take pause, pray and remember…

I put a shout out on the blog just about a month ago as well as on our Senior facebook page letting friends and fans know that our 2011 Senior Spokesmodel Search had begun. I was not prepared for what would happen next. Applications came in from all over the state! Now I was looking for Spokesmodels from as far as Billings and Butte, but they came from as far west as Missoula, from as far east as Sidney and from as far north as Havre! This is what my husband calls a “high-class problem.”
The applicants (Class of 2011) are incredible and I’m going to have a really hard time making the selections and then figuring out how on earth I’ll get all these 2011 Senior Spokesmodel sessions done in a month’s time! I can’t wait to meet, photograph and introduce you to the fabulous Senior Spokesmodels of 2011!
I’ve been photographing sweet Ava of Bozeman since she was just a wee little baby! And now…in what feels like the blink of an eye, she’s a big little girl and a delight as the cover child of Montana Parent Magazine’s March issue. Why do they have to grow up so fast?

As usual, this issue is full of great information for parents and suggestions for fun things to do, but since we’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this month, I thought I’d let you know that I found a delicious looking traditional recipe on page 6 of the magazine’s digital version. Definitely going to be whipping this meal up on March 17th. Thanks, Laura!
I think just about everybody is on facebook now! It’s been a year for me and I love that I’ve been able to reconnect with so many long lost friends in addition to meeting so many new ones! It’s also so incredibly easy to communicate and stay in touch…so I wanted to be sure y’all knew that I have fan pages for each segment of my portrait business. If you’re not already a fan, then by all means, become one…as Facebook is often the first place I announce breaking news, special offerings and info you just plain won’t want to miss!
That hair, those lips, those tiny little fingers…for some reason, this image has a calming effect on me. Sweet baby Drew is just heavenly…

by Susann
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