“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” - Ferris, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off  Sunday evening I arrived home from my first trip ever to NYC. I’ve always wanted to go, it has always been a bit of a dream of mine to see NYC.  Well, I’m not going to even begin to try to explain to you all exactly how I felt there because it is all beyond words. I will say I have never felt so alive and in awe of everything. I took time to smell the roses, take it all in and enjoy everything I could that NYC had to offer. Here are a few images, more to come.         Thanks NYC for making me feel so alive! 

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Just a heads up. I will be heading to NYC this morning until the 21st so most calls and emails will be returned Monday the 22nd.  I will have limited access to the internet so feel free to still send emails and I will do my best to respond quickly. Have a great weekend!

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So, we have been keeping busy this summer finding little projects here and there to work on together with the kids.  Last week we decided to use some of the scrap wood we had around and make a sign post with the kids for the backyard.  The kids helped painting and Dillon helped writing some of the signs. We made sure to include the directions for the grandparent’s homes. Calvin chose to make his sign point to the trash can and Dillon was adamant about making his point towards Obama’s new residence.  I think it turned out pretty cute in the end.  The next project in line, making a little vegetable garden in the backyard!  

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 If you’re only looking at the world right-side up, you’re not seeing all its beauty. Look at the world through the eyes of a child, it’s more exciting that way . . . and fun!  

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Looking for some yummies to make with the kids this summer? Try these yummy pudding pops! My kiddos made these the other day and enjoyed every bit of making and eating them.   

• You Will Need:  
• 8-10 oreos
• small box of chocolate pudding ( 3.9oz )
• container of cool whip
• 2.5 cups of milk
• popsicle sticks
• small drinking cups ( like the little ones for the bathroom )
• To Make:
• put oreos in a ziplock bag and let kids crush with a rolling pin
• in a bowl have the kids mix the pudding and milk with a whisk
• mix in the oreos
• fold in the cool whip
• have kids spoon in pudding into cups almost full
• place a popsicle stick in the middle of the pudding mix
• freeze for at-least 5 hours
• to loosen from the cup run under luke warm water and chocolate pudding pop will "pop" out
• side note: I drew silly pictures on the popsicle sticks and my kids thought it was the best

More Summer Fun Ideas to Come, Stay Tuned

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Thank you to those who have served and do still serve our country. Thank you to the families too! Today I took one of my children with me to the cemetery to explain about memorial day, too see the flags all up for those who served and the many people who came to visit. It was truly a great trip and amazing to me to see how intrigued my little four year old was by it all. When we arrived home he told me before getting out of the car, ” Mom, I made a wish. Wanna know what I wished for? I wished that all the butterflies were free and all the people who fight for our country are not hurt and are safe. “ I agree!      ” It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. ”  - George S. Patton Jr.

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What’s an Arizona session in the summer if it doesn’t involve water? I had a great time during this session the other day and loved when the girls mom mentioned having the girls in the pool too.  The idea ran through my head when I saw the pool but I’m never sure what everyone is game for. I love when we get to go for something different than just the posed session. The girls had a great time playing in the water and I enjoyed capturing it. Here are a few images from our session of the girls ( who are sweet as can be, full of life and happiness ), mom and dad and of course good ‘ol Annie and Tex, the two labs. Annie and Tex made sure I wasn’t leaving this session dry!       

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” In summer, the song sings itself. “ - William Carlos Williams To think we have already hit 101 degrees out here in good ‘ol AZ . Summer at our house always calls for the big water-slide ( images to come later this summer ) water balloons, snow cones, water gun fights, and good ‘ol boat rides ( wheel barrel ). Here are some images from the boys first taking on the heat.          If anyone wants to have a backyard play-date session for their kids, lets do it! Kids are always happy playing in their backyard whether they’re in the sprinklers, pool, slip in slide or just playing hide and seek. I’m always up for a playful session like this. It’s so fun to get them in the moment, laughing and smiling. 

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Ok, so you will find that I will occasionally be putting out these, ” do you have what I’m looking for ” notes. These give me the chance to photograph an idea I’ve had running through my head and for you to benefit if chosen! Remember you have to enter for a chance to be chosen so don’t just sit there!Now, here’s what I’m looking for:An old school car, a fun car, something colorful or rusty. I like character! If you or someone you know has such a vehicle and I choose you, I will give you a complimentary photo session with the vehicle included in some of course, and in return for a signed model release you will get a complimentary session and some images. If the vehicle doesn’t move, but you live in town, no worries, I can come to you. If the vehicle is a friends then tell them to send in an image so they might win a chance for the session or let them allow you to take images with their car. First off, the vehicle I’ve been really wanting to get images of a kiddo with, family, couple or individual would be a VW bus. Oh yes, gotta love the VW bus! But really, would love to get some with any old classic car, doesn’t have to be a fancy, and shiny looking. While I love colorful, I love rusty too .If you have a cool vehicle that has charm, character, or simply you love for one reason or another go ahead, let me see it, tell me about it!**To be entered just send an image of the vehicle to me at:leah@leahsimmersphotography.complease enter in the subject line: I HAVE A COOL CAR!Act quick! I will have this open for a couple weeks.

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” Yes fellas, if you look up happiness in the dictionary, you’ll find a bunch of words that describe how I feel.” - Earl Sinclair, Dinosaurs can’t go wrong with snow cones on a HOT Arizona day:    We decided to give little Ollie his first taste of cotton candy ( or as Dillon used to call it, a hairy lollipop ) at the fair. When he first had a sample at the fair he threw it to the floor.  By the time we made it home he had a change of heart and was all over it! By looking at this, can you tell what happens after the last image? Oh yes, he spewed, ralphed, threw up, however you want to put it. Warning, cotton candy and strawberry milk don’t mix well on ones tummy.  

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