The Hiester Family in a nutshell - a big one, like a coconut or something

We are a family of a whole bunch of random people, thrown together in one small house, who all happen to look alike. Each member of our family was hand-picked by God... that's the only explanation for the saga that is our family. Here's the story from the beginning... My husband, Todd, was married before me. His wife's name was Carrie, and together they had 3 kids: Tyler, Kurstin & Elissa. Todd's parents were divorced and his mother remarried. Her new husband, Don, had 2 small children: Ally & Wesley. Their natural mother was killed in a car accident when they were 8 & 11. One year later, they lost their dad and Todd and Carrie took them into their home. 6 months after Ally & Wesley were added to the household, Carrie died of cancer at age 26. Her own children were 3, 6 & 9 and Ally & Wesley were 10 & 13. And Todd was alone with them. Think Lord of the Flies. So when I fell in love with Todd, I got these 5 kids as a bonus. We married about a year and a half into our relationship, with the kids as our wedding party. We made it all official with an adoption lawyer and lots of money, ensuring that we are LEGALLY their parents. They even had to take oaths saying they would perform the duties of sons and daughters, which I think means I have someone to change my diapers when the time comes! After 2 years of marriage we added Robben Carey to the mix. And now we've welcomed Livi Claire...the seventh, and final, Hiester kid (unless, of course, God has other plans). Todd and I are 37 and 35, respectively, and our kids range in age from 1 to 21. It's great because we're cool and always the youngest in a crowd of high school parents.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

...As Promised

Who'da thunk it? Here I am, a mere 30 minutes after returning home, uploading pictures to the blog! Something strange and foreign is happening! Well, with all the comments from my faithful followers, not to mention the shout-outs I received on Facebook, how could I let you all down? Let me apologize in advance. You are not about to see the pictures of Yosemite that you are familiar with. Not only is familiar boring, we also didn't go all the way into the park where one would find these majestic beings such as Half Dome and Yosemite Falls... I chose to photograph the little things, which, after all, is where the joy is found :)

On the way up there, Todd took a little detour, not because he knew we'd find some amazing photo ops, but because there were some killer hills that I think he managed to actually make the Yukon fly off of, causing me to scream like a little girl. However, when we rounded a bend, we both recognized the scene for what it was. He slammed on the breaks and veered off the road (luckily into a turn-out) and I hopped out, camera in hand.

Todd took this one :) (above)

How's this for an award-winning shot? I got this one this morning at breakfast. It's looking outside, with the reflection from the fireplace in the window!

I have always wanted to go on horse-drawn sleigh... I still do. They're closed right now because there isn't enough snow :( I asked them to strap some wheels onto the bottom of the sleigh, but it was a no-go. The incident sorta reminds me of the time in college when my girlfriends and I went to the LA Zoo when it was raining. The animals, being smarter than we were, had all sought shelter. Crystal, my roommate, had never seen an elephant in person, but all she got out of the visit was a picture of herself drenched to the bone, standing by the sign for the elephants!

On the way home we stopped in Oakhurst at a little cafe we enjoy (remember, Lyndsay?), and then went to a really cute little antique-like store. It's called "Vintage Chic" and it was full of old/artsy stuff. It was so cute and creative. The following are pictures I took in the boutique. The photo above is a sign shop next door.

I love this picture! I want this to be the cover of my book. Now that I have the cover, I'll have to write the book :)

Which one is your favorite?
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 10, 2010 at 7:30 AM

    Its really hard to pick-it's like looking into a box of sees candy and deciding which one to eat first! :0) If I have to pick, I love the signs picture! But I love them all! Can't wait to hire you for my family portraits-you are so talented!

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  2. Amy SchlueterJanuary 10, 2010 at 11:35 PM

    My favorite is the typewriter!! and the flame one is supper cool!!

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  3. LyndsayJanuary 12, 2010 at 6:30 AM

    All I have to say is when do we get to see more???? I would have to say my favorite is..... the first one of the tree, I really like the story leading up to it as well. I hope that the photos keep coming, I look forward to seeing more!

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