Happy Anniversary Caylon & Alan!

Caylon and Alan have an anniversary coming this September! I hope they have the best ever! They gave me the priveledge of shooting my first big wedding. Their trust and confidence mean the world to me. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

If you didn't go, you missed a very uniquely beautiful event. They were married at Indian Bluff in Nebo overlooking our infamous Catahoula Lake so the setting was one of a kind. What gorgeous flowers too...green ones that I think were called Bells of Ireland mixed with green orchids and woodsy eucalyptus and moss with berries. Mix that with a group of great people and you have a wonderful time. It was beautiful.

Happy first anniversary and thank you, Caylon and Alan!

Love you!

Back to School in LaSalle Parish

Construction on the new building for Jena High School has begun...well, they've removed the ruined part of the school and are preparing to rebuild. I suppose the actual construction is not underway yet.

This photo was taken shortly after the fire that destroyed the main building. It gives me a strange feeling to see my Alma Mater gone and know that something totally different will take its place. I have many memories attached to the old building just like everyone else that roamed the halls of JHS! When I was little I loved to look through the yearbooks and see what was going on at JHS and who was doing what! When I was finally old enough to go there myself I had a ball with my friends. We spent quite a bit of time decorating for dances, painting the casket, the road and the wall. I worked on the annual staff as well and will never forget my times there. We were there sneaking around to paint the road before it was "legal!" I'll never forget the night we did it...Doty, Jennifer, Stacy, Cindy, Linda, Denise...I'm not sure who was there...but I remember sneaking a bucket of Seafoam Green paint from Nana's that was left over from painting her house. Don't ask me how I remember the color, for some crazy reason Seafoam Green just stuck in my head! Some of us went in Jennifer's new car and I kept getting scared that we'd spill some in it! We had a ball, I'm sure we weren't as sneaky as we thought we were... I remember hiding behind the bushes in the front of the school with Denise each time a car would come and giggling our heads off with our hearts pounding! The people passing by probably thought, "Gah...I guess they think they hidden over there!" Anyhow, we weren't too color coordinated with the road. Picture Seafoam Green giant footprints with the words "'84, say no more!" Yeah, you gotta laugh! Hey, but we get points for being creative! Our wall and the casket looked great to us! We used Pink Floyd's "The Wall" as our theme.

My wish for the students there this year and into the future is that their memories be as good and as special to them as mine are to me. Sure, there were some not so great ones, but for the most part, when I think of my friends and teachers there, I smile! To all of them...I think of you often! Get in touch!

My Cait is a Senior!

I can hardly believe my Cait is a senior!


Starting this month, we will record her senior year in pictures. I thought I'd start by using her as the star of my first formal ad!

Let's get those senior bookings going! Seniors are so much fun to be around. Each one is so different from the last! I love the way each personality reveals itself!
Watch for more posts of Caitie's senior year! This should be fun!

Helping High School Football

I recently started helping with our local high school football team. I will try to keep this short...RIGHT ! Anyway....so I am a graduate of Jena in 2005. I played football all four years of high school. I have always felt like I should give back what I learned in my four years. So, recently our school got a new head football coach. He was a coach previously when I was there, but he had moved off to start a new program elsewhere. So when I went by to welcome him back and catch up on how his family was I made the comment, "If you need any help this season give me a call." Well, right then I didn't realize what I had just said. So anyway, YES...they needed a little more help than what I was thinking at the time. They needed some volunteer coaches. Well, I don't know if I would call myself a coach....but I do get a team shirt. I have been helping for the last two (2) weeks and didn't realize how much I miss being out there on that ol'practice field. So anyway, that just put my schedule in OVERDRIVE and booked up most of my evenings and every Friday night. I can't wait till our first scrimmage next Friday Night in Vidalia.....Come and watch, should be pretty interesting ! For now this is Blake Phillips signing off !!!!!!!

Find Your Inner M&M!

Meet our M&M family!

Go turn yourself into an M & M using the link below!

http://www.becomeanmm.com/

Yes, I know this is pretty juvenile! But it sure was fun. You can go to the following website and create a charicature of yourself as an m&m.

So....how'd I do? Gotta have that coffee and "teachery" look. Don't forget the sandals!

Fish on "Death Row" Gets Last Meal

Not to make light of a serious subject...but I couldn't help myself.

You know how fish stories go! They sound unbelieveable and usually grow the more they are told...sometimes they even turn into urban legends! But, I've got proof! Wait, maybe the urban legend I'm referring to is actually about a pet alligator that got flushed away...anyhow, I digress...sorry :0).

The other day my daughter, Caitie, and her cousin, Beau, were fishing in her grandparents' pond. They caught several bream and four bass. They had the fish waiting on "Death Row" in the traditional bucket full of pond water. Plans were to eat them for supper.

To their surprise, when they began cleaning them they discovered that the largest bass had decided to have his last meal on the spot! He had begun to swallow not the smallest fish in the bucket! He succeeded in making decent progress when I assume he choked to death! Nah, I don't know if he choked or not, but it sure looked like it!

I assure you this fish tale is true. They didn't force that fish into the other one's mouth!

May the fish RIP!

Pray for Those in Minneapolis, Minnesota

I am saddened and thankful all at once. I pray for the people that were on the Mississippi River Bridge and their families and friends. I am thankful that my cousin, Karen, and her family are all ok. They cross that bridge often and in fact, had crossed it today sometime before the collapse. My mind whirled for the short time that I wondered about their safety. I cannot begin to imagine the terror and concern that many are experiencing right now.

This blog entry is to request your prayers for the people in that area. At the same time, please give thanksgiving that my extended family there is well.

Karen, Brian, Laura and Melissa, we love you and are glad you are safe.

Considering Offering High Quality Jewelry

These are just a few of the jewelry items that I am referring to in the poll to your left. They are of the highest quality and come in sterling sliver, 14kt, with precious and semi-precious stones. They are water proof and sealed to last a lifetime. I thought this might help me get better input from you! I really like them and think I'm going to take the plunge!

They offer so many items and as a big thank you to my photography clients, I could offer a nice little discount! Hey, maybe they could become part of my senior, baby, and wedding packages!

Feedback, please?

Lake Hamilton, Arkansas

Our family recently visited Hot Springs, Arkansas. We had the pleasure of staying at Five Points Resort on beautiful Lake Hamilton. It was really nice. It seemed as if we were far out of town and deep in the woods when actually we were quite close to the historic downtown district.

"FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH"

I don't know who this couple is by name, but they tugged at my heartstrings. I felt a little guilty, but could not seem to keep my eyes off of them. They were wrapping warm towels dipped in the therapeutic waters from the springs around one another's feet. It was, to me, a very touching moment. They were very friendly and told us about the "other side" by The Arlington that had cool water.

"BIRD ISLAND"

As we cruised around the huge lake at dusk we stumbled upon this tiny island loaded with birds roosting for the evening. We tried not to get so close that we would disturb them, but it sure was tempting!

"TIMELESS BEAUTY"
This was in a room at Fordyce Bath House that ladies used to dress and rest in after their spa treatments. The light was so soft and added a dreaminess to our glimpses into the past. I absolutely love old things. They seem to speak to my heart and my imagination. I could just imagine the lady that might have worn this.

"MEN"

This was in the men's section of Fordyce Bath House. There was a lovely stained glass skylight directly above it. I'll add pictures of it if I get a few spare moments.

"PERFECT END TO A PERFECT DAY"

The sunsets on the lake were better than any movie! This is my Uncle Tommy on our way back from dinner at Fisherman's Wharf. It was great. Thanks, Uncle Tommy, for treating us all to such a nice supper!

"LUCKY FISHERMAN...GIRL"

Speaking of fishing, my kids had a ball doing just that!

"FRONT PORCH"

This was the lovely view "up" from our front porch! I drank my coffee there each morning and listened to the sounds of the lake and the birds.