Burgers, Bliss and our 5th..

I have officially been married for 5 years!! I'm very sad to say that I don't have any pictures of our anniversary this year..That's kinda Jason and I's M.O..we are horrible at taking pictures with each other. We have the very best of intentions..yet, we don't have a point and shoot camera to fit in my purse, and we don't always want to lug around the big camera with us. I am totally "Forgetful Lucy" and would probably leave the camera on the roof of the car while buckling the kids in. Trust me..cell phones, purses, coffee mugs...just about everything has flown off the roof of my car on the freeway due to my absent mind:) Anyways.. Jason surprised me this last week by taking me to San Francisco for the night. He had to tell me about it before he would have liked, because he needed help squaring away a babysitter for the munchkins:) A little shout out to Bri and her mom for driving down from Lodi to stay at Casa de Maxwell SO last minute..making our little anniversary possible.THANK YOU SO MUCH!! We love you both, and are sooo grateful!! Jason and I stayed at a swanky little Hotel in the city called "The CLIFT Hotel". It was so modern and beautiful....and we hadn't gotten away together in ages, so it was much needed. We had planned to go to "HOUSTON'S" for dinner, since its our "anniversary restaurant". A little back round on that: For our first anniversary, we ended up flying to Miami Florida really last minute...not for our anniversary primarily..but because the last round of auditions for "PROJECT RUNWAY" - the first season, were being held there, and I had already missed all the other auditions in California and closer states:) So feeling a bit spontaneous, we decided to go...I didn't make the cut for the show, BUT we had an incredible time while we were there..just by luck on our anniversary night we passed "HOUSTONS" steakhouse..it was overlooking the Marina, right on the water, and looked oh-so romantic. For anyone who has been to a HOUSTONS, you know that almost all the walls in the restaurant are windows, so it has amazing views of whatever city you are in. For any of you who know me, you know that I am totally "the salad girl" when we go out. It is pretty much safe to say that I will order a salad 99% of the time. So to see me order an enormously large BBQ burger in a fancy dress in a nice restaurant, is very out of character for me. That first night at HOUSTONS is what started the tradition of "Ashley's Anniversary Burger".I guess that Miami heat just brought out the carnivore in me:)It has become the one night that I don't care about calories or a clean face. I would pretty much pay anything for one of their burgers..they are something you will literally dream about. Yeah...they are that good. Jason and I made a deal that every year on our anniversary, we would go to a different HOUSTONS in a different city..one year we went to the one in L.A..and the last 3 years we have celebrated in the City..it's hard to migrate much farther than that with kids:) Hopefully next year we can go somewhere farther since Hayden will be bigger..So anyways..this year I ordered my burger as always..Jason had BBQ ribs.( he had total food envy when he tasted my burger:) We had so much fun just sharing food, conversation and even moments of silence...which isn't a bad thing when you have 2 kids. Silence is wonderful sometimes...and I think that a true sign that you are with the right person, and that you are comfortable with them, is that you can have prolonged moments of silence..and it's not awkward, or weird..you can just "BE" together, and that is enough. It was GREAT. Then we went and watched the new "HULK" movie at the Metron..sexy huh?? We stayed out late..slept in late..ate Breakfast at "STACKS" there in the City.. (you know we are die hard fans for the one here in Campbell..we are stacks HO's..we take everyone there!!) We spent the rest of the day taking pictures for a project I am working on right now..and then headed home..It was so unexpected to get away so last minute, and so needed. Jason and I have come so far together in these last 5 years....hope when we are 50 we will have traveled the world..celebrating each year together.....one burger at a time:)

Jehn and Mikes Wedding!

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Summertime..and the livin's EZ..

What started as an afternoon with the slip and slide..apparently turned out to be a fashion show with little miss sunshine here. Any of you who know Kyla, know her to be quite the character. You hear us call her "Bunsies" cuz if she can help it, she is running around without clothes. So naturally, this girl LOOOVES the summer, when a swimsuit is the acceptable dress code for day to day wear. I caught a few precious picture of her as she was coming out her bedroom to the backyard. She has these new red curtains from IKEA, which she is UBER proud of. First thing when my friends come to the door, she says "do you want to see my curtains???" (I'm like, please say YES, or you will break her heart:) I'm sensing a little interior designer in her perhaps?? Anyways she is pictured here doing her "SASSY" pose (hands on hips-big grin).,it started the first day I put her in a seersucker pink skirt and pigtails when she was around 2..It was like she was understanding what it means to be feminine for the first time or something..she just started doing the pose..and she likes to bust it out every now and then. Days like today make me me so glad I get to work from home and be with the kids..and c'mon..who doesn't like summer? Iced coffee anyone?

The Cover Family..

Today I had the pleasure of photographing my dear friend Cori, and her beautiful little family. Cori's Recent addition, Jonah was our lead model for the day:) As a gift at Cori's baby shower for Jonah, I gave her 2 photo sessions to redeem at a later time. The first was for "Prego Pics" and the second was for a photo shoot when Jonah was a couple months. I told her to bring the whole fam for todays shoot..because kids are only little once you know?..and its not every day you get the chance to take a few family portraits that don't include sitting on the floor of your own living room with spit up and sippy cups adorning the photo:) We went to the Ranch..of course..I just can't stray away from that place..the lighting is just always perfect for me!! I had so much fun with them, it's hard to think this is my job..to play in the hay with adorable kids, and capture some of the sweetest moments ever. There were seriously 200 pictures..I just posted a few that made me smile:) Yay Covers! Love you guys!

Fathers Day..

I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon this last week!AHH! We are still in the process of fully unpacking all of our things here at our new house..( WHICH WE LOVVVE!) and the kids and hubby have both been sick this last week, so I have been soo exhausted...I normally have a few hours at night to myself once Jason and the kids are in bed to journal, blog, return emails..wash the millions of dishes..whatever..but I haven't had the energy to do anything but sleep. So I will try to get some new posts in whenever I can:) Yesterday was fathers day,..Jason and I have this joke that we never do anything but stay at home for lifes Holidays and occasions. We have great intentions, but sometimes we spend the whole day sitting on the couch pondering what to do..we aren't the greatest at planning ahead:) Yesterday I already had made plans to meet up with my friend Jehn Krug in Seascape, to check out her wedding site for next weekend. I'm so excited, I felt so inspired checking out spots to shoot with her and her fiance Mike:) The pictures are going to be so fun, I can't wait:) I dragged Jason and the kids with me, so at least we could all be together..ok, so they sat in the hot car for an hour..but We got to go to Capitola when Jehn and I were done in Seascape. We had a fun, low key time just watching surfers and sea gulls, while Kyla put her feet in the sand..we got some goodies from a cute hole in the wall coffee shop, where I had a banana latte frappe..so weird...and the best oatmeal toffee cookie Jason and I have ever had. Then we got "Tandoori Oven" take out once we got over the hill..one of our favorite places to eat in the world..and just enjoyed our little gang before bedtime..It was a simple yet perfect day..here is the picture I put on the front of Jason's fathers day card, I thought it was precious:)

A Beckam Of My Own..

That David Beckam. He's all the rage these days. I can't decide if his charm is because he is a phenomenal soccer player, or because he is such a family guy..or both. OK or maybe because he is a little easy on the eyes:) but who notices that right?? :) Jason gets to see him play the San Jose Earthquakes next weekend. I'm so jealous..I can't go because I'm photographing a wedding that day. I think secretly Jason wants to go for the mere chance he might see that POSH little wife of his, Victoria, sporting her Jimmy Choo's in one of the luxury boxes. No, in all honesty, my husband has recently been involved in a love affair with soccer. Growing up he played practically every sport, and snowboarded and biked every mountain in America..but never played soccer. It wasn't until last year that he joined a soccer league with one of our dear friends Alex..and he has been in love with the sport ever since. Lets just say, that for his birthday this year, instead of making him a crazy cool card or album (like I do for every occasion in a calender year), I bought him an authentic Earthquakes Jersey..... Best $90. bucks I have ever spent on that boy, and was worth every penny when I saw the surprised look on his face when he opened it. It was like the kid in "The Christmas Story" opening the Red Ryder bb gun. It was that good. And I have to tell you, he looks pretty sexy wearing it..and that's coming from a girl who thinks that sports jerseys for fashion are ULTRA LAME. He changed my mind about that one really quick. (but for the record, you will never see me wearing anyones team jersey....that is reserved for wearing in high shool when you're dating a jock:)
Anyways...yesterday I got to actually WATCH Jason play soccer, uninterrupted, for the first time this whole year. I normally have both kids with me, so I am more fixated on making sure Kyla isn't running into the street, or stealing another players Gatorade. She was with Grandma this week, so Hayden and I got to Marvel at the athleticism of daddy:) I always hear stories about how he was a great athlete in High School and college, but never got to see it first hand. So it was so fun for me to sit back and watch him play, and just realize how talented he is. He is so cute playing soccer, because he just loves it so much. It makes me adore him that much more. A hot athlete, kickin butt on the field, giving his wife and baby kisses at halftime, who I get to take home with me at the end of the game?? Who needs a celebrity athlete to dream about at night..David Beckam WHO????