I know!  I know!  It was weeks ago but I can’t believe how busy this summer is.  There is so much going on and so much to share.  But I just wanted to get some of these posted.  I think I’ve told you before but  I totally have the coolest neighborhood around.  I swear that I when I come home I feel like I’ve stepped back in to the twilight zone.  This neighborhood is like how all neighborhoods should be. We get together all the time and there are so many kids.  Summer is the best in the “hood”.  If the weather is good everyone is outside then everyone is in the front, hanging out, and watching the kids.  This summer the big thing has been to play kick the can at night.  I started it with the kids and they love it when we can play.

One of the greatest things all year is our annual Fourth of July block party.  We have so much fun and each year it has been a little different.  (We’ve only had two).  But none the less.  Here are some highlights of the big day and I have a couple more to add.  Especially one of Flamingo.  He scared my neighbor girl to death we he took off in the car.  The other highlight is the Fire Department stopped by, let the kids hop in the truck, and then they sprayed all the kids in the street with the big hose on top.  It was a riot.  Other great things you’ll see is the decorated bikes, dad race on kids bikes, etc.  All very Norman Rockwell but memories that will last for everyone for a special childhood.  We are just so blessed with our neighbors.  God Bless America and the freedom we’ve been given.

Here’s a picture of my niece Kimber and I.  It is fun to have family around especially when almost everyone lives back in Michigan.  Last check out the sign over our door.  My neighborhood got them all at the dollar store.  Do you see why they cost a dollar?

Annie and Jon started their new life together at Los Gatos Presbytarian. It was a beautiful ceremony held at a church with historial family significance. Annie had the most amazing dress. It had the greatest train and veil. It was so large she arrived at the church in a limo bus. I had never seen the limo bus and I had to admit it was really nice. After watching brides and bridesmaids try to crawl in to a regular limo this was really comfortable, fantastic, roomy, and very classy inside. It really made it comfortable.

After the wedding the couple finished the celebration at Cinnabar golf course with family and friends. To see more of their day click here.

I just love this picture of the two of them walking out the church. Later, Iasked if they had planned that because it was just to funny. They said “no.”

Then last but not least Flamingo made his move. I turned around heard laughing and at this point I have to say I wasn’t surprised of found him there. I just can’t figure out how he’s getting to these weddings.

Here are a list of their vendors:

Flowers Heavenly Blossoms

Cake A Piece of Cake

Invitations JAX at Santana Row

DJ Music Now

Cinnabar Golf Club Monique Young

Dresses Elegant Lace

I can finally check this one off my to do list of life.  I’ve always wanted to see Sting in concert and seeing him with the Police last night was just a bonus.  We had so much fun and it was a great concert.  I love summer concerts, sitting on the grass, etc.  Sting still looks fantastic and sounds amazing.  You know their good when they sound as good live as on your radio.  One of the things that struck me about the whole concert was STINGs bass.  I swear it is his original bass and the only one he has played. It was so worn and rubbed down it was cool.  Now that I”ve seen him I would go again in a heartbeat.  There are many concerts I go to liked them, but after I’ve seen them I wouldn’t care if I saw them again.  Here are some of artist that I’ve seen that I would see again :U2, Billy Joel, James Taylor, and then Sting bada Bing.  I know this probably tells you my genre of music but these kinds now how to put on a show.  There are other people I’d go to see just because I hear there shows are amazing!

Finally! After months of  preperation, agonizing over which images to pick, how to design, and all the little bugs that need to be figured out it is finally up.  I”m so excited to unveil the new jill johnson weddings site. I can’t wait to hear from all of you on what you think.  There is still a couple of things to do that are in the making but I love what is up now. Plus, I’ll be adding to the highlight real in the gallery.  Keep coming back because over the next couple of months the blog will be updated, and hopefully the jill johnson photography site will be up hosting all the fun new portraits.

I love spending time with the Kliewer girls.  In fact, I photographed their mom and dad just a little over 4 years ago.  In fact, Shannon their mom, wore my pearl earrings on her wedding day.  She forgot hers in LA and had nothing to wear.  But I love to follow the lives of my bride and grooms and to photograph how their family changes and grows.  For the Kliewers their party of two changed to party of 5 really quick.  Look at the photos of their precious girls by clicking on the link here.  It was a wild a crazy hour but we had a lot of fun.

It was so much fun!  Crystal’s husband threw her a fantastic birthday party at the Warehouse of Asiel Designs.

Of course Flamingo made his normal rounds.  Just check to see all the fun!  It’s exhausting keeping up with the famous Flamingo!

Ok first of all I can’t believe he did this.  I’m off to my romantic interlude with my husband for our anniversary and guess who snuck in to my suitcase.  I couldn’t believe he snuck in there.  I told him no way jose.  This was my day and he wasn’t horning in.  Eric was busy with his conference so I let him come with me to check out a site I’ve been wanting to photograph in Vegas.  After that I put him right back in the suitcase and locked it.  There was no way was he going to be part of that night.

Besides that I love this location and can’t wait to shoot there.  If anyone wants to do a destination engagement or trash the dress this could be a fun and great place. :)  Hint! hint! any takers.

I just had my 13th anniversary and it was great to actually  have 24 hours with my husband Alone!  He had a conference in Vegas and I was able to meet up with him for a night.  We had such a great time.  We couldn’t remember the last time we had been alone together.  No one else. No kids, friends, etc.  It is times like this that you really remember why you married this person.

We decided to go to dinner and a show.  We went to the Wynn hotel and I was just amazed.  I loved this hotel and I swear if I could of decorated a hotel, I would of decorated it like this.  It was so fun, bright and whimsical.  I loved everything about it except how much it would of cost to gamble there. I think you would have to be Steve Wynn or someone who just had a lot of money to burn.  Luckily, we were there for dinner and to go and see Spamalot.

We had dinner at the Country Club Grille and I can’t praise it enough.  We haven’t had a meal like this in so long.  It was just amazing.  My husband spoils me with his grilling and he has ruined going to steak houses for most of our friends and family.  But he admitted that the Filet special we had he couldn’t do.  It was lightly breaded and encrusted with truffles then broiled quickly to give the outside a crunchiness.  Then it was surrounded by a cognac truffle oil.  On top of that it was served with this cream corn and bacon that was out of this world.  It sounds plain but that was my favorite part of the meal.  We had them take everything when were done except the corn dish.  I must of picked at it for a good 15 minutes while we waited for the check.  There was a couple of other things like the scallops dish, and the potato dish but one of my favorites was the cheese fondue we started with excellent.  It was served with this extra crunchy asiago breadsticks.  Amazing! I sat their and laughed at us because we were actually making hmmmm and aaaah sounds with every bite.  We ate so much there was no way was there room for dessert.

Then we were off to see Monty Python’s Spamalot the musical.  I had to admit I was expecting it to be lol, knee slapping funny the whole way.  It wasn’t but it was very cute and it was very entertaining.  My husband loved it which was the whole reason we went.  After that we had time to go and get some gelato.  I looooooove ice cream! So it was the perfect ending to a fantastic night!

Just wanted to show a little bit from the vacation.  We had a great time as always with our good friends the Ackley’s. This vacation is always the best way to start off summer vacation.  One of the things I love to do while in Cabo is to go to the glass factory. ( The other thing is to purchase blankets on the beach.  My friends think I have an addiction.)  This year was Aidan’s turn to go and to see how they make the glass.  He was fascinated as I thought he would be but unlike other years, this year we were given the chance to blow our own glass.  It really is an amazing process. I just love watching them form these blobs in to something. 

It had been a couple of years since we had been to Cabo but my favorite restaurant was still there.  If you are ever in Cabo I always recommend going to Peacocks.  They have the greatest food and the best atmosphere in Cabo.  I just love it.  My girlfriend can’t wait to have their bruschetta and I always look forward to their fish with a old fashion mustard sauce.  I never ate fish until I visited this restaurant years ago.  I’m still very picky about fish but this is still one of the best fish dishes I’ve ever had.

The other thing that was fun is Friday night before we left they had two weddings at the resort.  What a great place for a ceremony.  It was fun to just sit and watch a wedding.  I missed the first one but I had the oppurtunity to enjoy the one on the beach.  The next morning I had the oppurtunity to sit next to the bride at breakfast.  I had a great time talking with her about her day.

Here is just a cute photo of the boys on one of my favorite beaches.

Ok like I mentioned earlier I’m not sure how I’m going to keep up with Flamingo.  He may just have to start doing his own post soon.  I just can’t keep up with him or sometimes even find him.  Look what he did before we left for Mexico.  First thing is he went to a party over at Tanja Lippert’s house.  Again, he needs to learn some party behavior.  But like usual you could always find him with a lady.  He hung out with Gabrielle of Gabrielle’s Bridal, Jen of Jen’s Cakes, and Jennifer Skog. He was also seen with Dave from A Video Reflection.  I also left this party by myself.  He ended up on my lawn with a friend a couple of mornings later.  I’ll have to update the photo for you when I get it.  He won’t tell me where he was, and no one has told me he gave him a ride home. 

 Just a week before he dissappeared on me at our monthly Pug meeting. We had guest speaker ShootQ there.  He made his appearance and then just vanished. No note, no phone, nothing until a couple of days later I get a text from my friend Mike Steelman  Flamingo decided to take a trip with him.  He had quite an adventure and saw a bunch of new things.  Guess where he was?