One step at a time up the stairs.  Sparkie the wonder mutt would take one or two steps and then pause.  Take two more steps, and pause.  One step, another, until she reached the top.  My dog’s getting older and she may not be around in a few years.  Turns out she went all the way upstairs to get a stuffed animal in hopes to coerce me to play a little chase around the house.  It’s a game we play where I tell her to give me the stuffed animal and she runs around the table hiding from me.  I could never catch her a few years ago, she was so fast.  Today it’s quite easy to catch her, but I let her get away a few times to keep the game going.  It sounds like the house is coming down when we play this game.  Think about it.  Here’s this grown man running around the dining room table pounding his feet on the floor chasing a dog all for a stuffed animal.  I’m sure it’s quite funny from an outsiders perspective.

She’s sitting right next to me as I type this occasionally letting her eyes divert up to me to check and see if I’m ready to play.  The stuffed animal sits on the floor right next to her mouth in case I try and go for it.

I think it’s time to play chase the stuffed animal with Sparkie.  Here I go……

What makes us rich? If you could define wealth, would it be the possession of Money, nice things, extravagant vacations? What drives us to think that those things are what makes us rich? How did we get here? I remember my years as a camp counselor worrying more about having a good time and enjoying the world around me. It didn’t matter that our clothes didn’t match or that we sat in the dirt all day. What we looked like was second to sharing fun and good times with the people around us. I considered myself rich when I was floating down the river in a canoe and looking at the bright blue sky. I considered myself rich singing songs around the campfire. I was alive, I was free, I was happy, and I was rich.

Today I consider myself rich when I sit at the dinner table with my family and we talk about our day. I consider myself rich when I can look across that table and see my daughter smiling at something that made her laugh. Or when I see my bride grinning from something one of the boys said. I consider myself rich every day of my life not for the things that I have or the clothes that I wear, but for the family and friends that I have around me.

These times are tough for everyone and I hope that what really makes us rich can carry us through the financial times to make us wealthy in many more ways. What makes you rich?

On Friday, the Lake Orion Dragons played host to Rochester Adams in this pre-playoff matchup. The game was back and forth score wise and a pleasure to be on the field photographing it. Ultimately the Dragons triumphed with a 23 to 13 victory. Enjoy these photos, and you can [View all of the photos from the Lake Orion Vs Rochester Adams Football game here]

Last weekend we enjoyed a wonderful fall lifestyle photo session at Oakhurst Golf and Country Club. We began the session near the clubhouse where there is a mini pine forest just ripe for a family portrait.

Next we took the golf cart to hole number 7 (the signature hole.)

While we waited for some golfers to finish the hole I found this cute snapshot.  He so wanted to drive the cart.

We got some great photos of the family at the signature hole in and around the sand trap, but while we were there this deer wanted a part of the action.

We had a great time driving around this beautiful course and discovering the photographic opportunities that this location has to offer.  Everywhere we turned I saw another photo worth taking and I can’t wait for the family to see the rest of what was captured.

I began the editing process of the photos from Heather and Jessie’s wedding, and I had not seen the shots my wife (the most amazing second shooter) had taken. When I came across this shot I just had to share it with you. While I was working with the bridal party, Julie was entertaining the ring bearer and captured him in all his glory. He was quite the ham for the camera and performed his duties very well that day.