A forever love.

My parents met in a sandbox in Hamburg, Germany when they were 5 years old. (Their parents were friends and so the two played together when her family came up to visit from Bueckeburg). I don't know if it was love at first sight then, but when they met again years later, it was...for my dad anyway. My mom had been sent to Hamburg to work in a big fancy hotel as a cook when she was 16. When she and a boy she was dating would go for a walk at Planten und Blomen, a huge park across the street from my dad's family apartment on An der Verbindungsbahn, he'd peek his head out the rooftop window and spy on her. Even while she dated another, my dad unfailingly promised her he'd always take care of her. Eventually his persistence paid off and my mom fell in love with the tall skinny man wearing cowboy boots who dreamed of coming to America.
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My dad landed a job in Toronto, Canada that he hoped would bring him closer to his dream. He saved up for 8 months to earn enough money to fly my mother over. It was during this time, they wrote each other love letters, a collection my mother still has to this day. My father asked his brother, Karl Heinz, a boxer, to watch over my mother in his absence and he did. And she waited...

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Fifty years ago today, my parents walked hand-in-hand through the snow to the clergyman's office in Toronto to get married. Two witnesses were in attendance. When I first ever saw these wedding pictures, I asked my mother why?...why was she wearing a black dress on her wedding day and she replied simply, "It was the best dress I had."
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Toronto 1958

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It was a simple wedding and a simple reception, and even 50 years later, my parents opted to keep their Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration small and intimate. Along with my mom's beloved sister, Brigitte and her husband, Horst, who flew over from Germany for the occasion, they drove up the California coast to Seattle, to celebrate along with my mom's best friend, Anne. My mother is spending the day preparing a delicious dinner.

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So, Mammi & Papa...

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Tonight, as you all raise your champagne glasses and toast 50 wonderful years together, remember that we are with you in spirit. That we love you very much and are so proud to have parents that share a forever love...

Four little feet...

When Doug and I were first married and living in a beachfront condo in Marina del Rey, California, my sister's boys who live in Phoenix came to spend a night with us. The next morning, I awoke to the sound of little feet tapping against the slate floor as they ran from the guest bedroom to the balcony so they could see the ocean.

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The following morning I awoke and began crying..."What's wrong, baby?", Doug asked. I miss Wesley & York, I told him... (Oh, how I longed for the sound of little feet the first thing in the morning...):

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Nine years ago today, my dream came true, when our beautiful twins, Sam & Larissa were born. It was a wild ride for sure...making our way down the snowy mountain from Sky Ranch to the hospital only to find myself in an ambulance moments later on my way to the airport for a Medi-flight to Great Falls and then another ambulance to Benefis Healthcare. Learning upon arrival that our daughter was in fetal distress and being told the twins would need to be born NOW. Born 6 weeks early by C-Section, Larissa weighed in at 4.3 lbs and Sam at 4.7 lbs....tiny, tiny, tiny...

We spent the next 2 weeks, including Christmas, in Great Falls, making trips from our hotel room back & forth to the NICU 3-4 times a day for feedings, diaper changes and snuggle time. Oh, what a happy day it was when we were finally able to take our babies home, breathing monitors and all, on New Years Eve 1999...(remember Y2K???).

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Of course it would take another year or two to hear the sound of little feet tapping against the floor in the morning...and now they are NINE! The last of the single-digit birthdays!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM & LARISSA!!!...my favorite boy and my favorite girl in the whole wide world...I love you beyond words. And no matter what size shoe you wear, I will always cherish your little feet...

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Love, Mom

Frosty and cccccccold....

It's going to be mighty chilly tonight with an Arctic blast covering two thirds of the nation. Here in Bozeman and Livingston, blustery northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph...combined with temps falling to below zero tonight are going to create wind chill temps of 30 to 40 degrees below zero!!! YIKES!!

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As if it isn't cold enough already...Here is my boy, Sam after coming in from feeding the horses and goats this morning after a trek on foot to the barn during during 20 below temps. I couldn't resist snapping a photo after seeing his hair frozen "a la Farrah Fawcett" to his hat and frost on his gorgeous eyelashes. And yes, those are ice crystals that formed on his black balaclava...

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Stay warm everybody!

A Gift of Love...times TWO!

I have just learned of a wonderful grass-roots movement begun by Pennsylvania photographer Kristen Kalp called Giving is Awesome which is quickly turning into an international gift giving phenomenon. Nearly 450 photographers in at least 8 countries are participating. The ultimate goal?...to give away $1 million in custom photography! Its a simple effort by photographers worldwide to give back to their communities and in particular, to worthy families and individuals. Having always been a firm believer in giving back, I am signing on...

Living in the Bozeman Pass, equidistant from both Bozeman and Livingston, and being involved in both communities, I am giving away not one, but two gifts valued at $1500 each to include a custom fine art photo session, a personalized session album to include up to 60 images, a dvd slideshow, and a 20x30 fine art canvas print. One winner will be selected from Gallatin County and one from Park County.

Here's how it goes:

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom portrait photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You may not know them personally, but perhaps you've heard about them or read about them.

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I would like to know who they are and I'd like to give them the chance to experience custom fine art photography...$1,500 worth, to be exact....a gift of love that will be treasured for years to come.

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The Rules:

You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services.

The nominee must reside in either Gallatin County or Park County. Tell me who you know or have heard about, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both you and your nominee.

You must email me the full story (please limit to one page if possible) to info@susannsaarelphotography.com. All entries must be received by December 22nd. A panel of judges will decide which family or individual in each county is most deserving.

The winners will be announced on Christmas Eve!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Susann

**To view the latest Map of Awesome, showing all participating photographers, click here.**

'Tis the Season ~ Our Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

It's tradition here at Sky Ranch to break out the Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving and "deck the halls" while listening, singing and dancing to Christmas music all day long, stopping only to eat Thanksgiving leftovers...

That same weekend with nightfall and a snowstorm looming on the horizon, we decided to hurry and get our tree before the snow got any deeper. So here is our Annual Christmas Tree Hunt...finally documented in photos...and, if you're interested in seeing a few more photos...a slideshow.

Doug and I put up the tree and he strung the lights. This is the first year the twins decorated the entire tree by themselves, getting up on ladders to reach the top of the 13 foot tree.

We're ready for Santa and any other pop in guests!

Montana Parent Magazine...December Cover Child!

Beautiful Lila graces the cover of this months' Montana Parent Magazine. Wearing a festive holiday sweater from exclusive children's boutique, LillyLu in downtown Bozeman, Lila was a shoe-in as the cover child with her mischievous smile and ultra-blonde hair blowing in the wind...

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You won't want to miss this issue's Holiday Events & Winter Fun Guide which includes a ton of exciting things to do in December including all the Christmas Strolls from Livingston to Three Forks, opening night of "A Christmas Carol" at the newly refurbished Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, performances of The Nutcracker Ballet at the Willson Auditorium (in which Lila, above, has a part!), opening day at Bridger Bowl Ski Area and Holiday Candlelight Tours of the Lewis & Clark Caverns!!! Oooooo...THAT sounds really cool!

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It's going to be a busy month!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

It's not often I ask clients to be here shortly after sunrise (7:29 a.m.!) for their photo session, but since Maria just came home from college the night before and the family was heading out to Bigfork for the Thanksgiving Holiday the next afternoon, the morning (that ONE morning) was it...and what a beautiful morning it was! Warm (ok...30 degrees, but that's warm in Montana!) and not a stitch of wind!

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What better backdrop for a Holiday portrait than the snow-capped Bridgers...
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Rikka, Henry and Maria...home for the Holidays!

The Absaroka's don't make a bad backdrop either!...Heck, this family looks great in front of any mountain range!

And to think we were all done by 8:45 a.m.! Thanks Kate & Mark for making the trek up to the ranch and so early too! Hope you had a great Holiday!!!