Simply Craig

Thanksgiving morning started a little differently than I had planned. The boys were up early and headed to the soccer field to play football with friends from our ward. Technically, I probably should have stayed home preparing dinner... But instead, I grabbed my camera and followed them. I'm so glad I did. A steady rain the night before had left the field full of giant mud puddles, and both the  big  boys and the  little  boys thought that was the best Thanksgiving gift they could have asked for. There was football, plenty of slipping and sliding, and more mud than grass by the end of the morning. Judging by the smiles in these pictures, I'd say they had the time of their lives. Eventually I left the boys to their fun and headed home, where my sister, Kelli, and I began preparing our Thanksgiving feast. Before long, the muddy football players wandered in, hungry and ready to eat. We gathered around the table, grateful for good food, family, and another Thanksgiving t...

We had recently found a new home for our boxer, so I think little Britley decided it was time to start looking for a new pet of her own. She proudly came to me, absolutely squirming with delight, holding her newest little friend... A fly. She had even given it a name:  FLYDO. When I heard her talking to it, I quietly grabbed my camera to capture the moment. Then I heard her sweetly singing to her new pet, "I'm sorry I pulled off your wings... I just didn't want you to fly away." Oh, my heart. A few days later she came to me with another question. "Mom, why are flies scared of you?" Trying not to laugh, I replied, "Hmm... I don't know. Maybe because you pull their wings off! I'd be scared of you too!" Then I gently explained that flies spread germs and diseases and are much better off flying around outside than becoming pets. Not long after that came another one of Britley's wonderful questions. "Mom, why do mosquitoes poke you with...

As we were getting into the car Saturday night after picking up my camera from the repair shop, Brandon noticed a business card he had picked up earlier that day while taking the boys to a gun shop. He looked over at me and asked, "What would need to occur for you to want your own gun and learn to shoot?" Without missing a beat, I smiled and said, "Oh... I already shoot, baby!" Then I did what any photographer would do. I  pointed ,  aimed , and  fired away . My favorite targets just happened to be the ones sitting right in front of me—my kids. I even shoot moving targets, and I'd say my aim is pretty accurate. Capturing genuine smiles, silly expressions, and fleeting moments takes a lot of practice! That's about as close as I'm ever going to get to a firing device. Give me a camera over anything else any day. The shots I love most don't make noise—they preserve memories. And these little faces? They're my favorite subjects, every single time. ...

Britley 06 07 08 Breeley 06 07 08 Dawson 06 07 08 Wesley 06 07 08 Nathan 06 07 08 declined a costume this year It's amazing how a simple Halloween costume can become a snapshot of an entire season of life. Looking back through these photos, I realized that costumes do more than capture who the kids wanted to be for one night—they quietly record how much they've grown from year to year. Britley 2006:  Fairy Princess 2007:  Butterfly 2008:  Butterfly Breeley 2006:  Kitty Cat 2007:  Tinker Bell 2008:  Butterfly Dawson 2006:  Batman 2007:  Pirate 2008:  Skeleton Wesley 2006:  Ninja Warrior 2007:  Motocross Rider 2008:  Pirate Nathan 2006:  Ninja Warrior 2007:  Movie character (complete with a sword!) 2008:  Declined a costume... I suppose he had reached the age where Halloween costumes just weren't his thing anymore. Time has a way of slipping by so quietly. One year they're excitedly choosing costumes months in...