As a photographer I greatly enjoy going back through my monthly archives of the year. It is a visual diary of not only my life but also the many important events that I am asked to capture. To send this year on its way I've put together a few of my favorites from each month. I hope you each have had memorable moments, minutes of pure joy and a persistent feeling of peace. I love that photography lets me remember all the important times I've had each year. I hope you have those memories as well.

January

The first month of the year tends to be a stay inside type of month. However in January I had the great honor of volunteering with my twins' 5th grade class for a week at Potter Park Zoo. I participated in animal observations, classroom activities, lessons and lunch time. I also scuttled kids back and forth to the restroom and between activities. I really appreciated getting to know the kids in this classroom as well as the twins' teacher, Mrs. Mahon.

This photo was one of my favorites! My husband's office is in the basement and while he was working a deer came up to the window to munch on our bushes. He texted me to come see. When I got there with my camera I tried to get a good photo of him. He was hiding behind the bushes and I couldn't get a good shot. Then my husband's phone rang and the deer's head shot up and he looked right into the window. The moment lasted for about 3 seconds before the deer moved on. This was one of the shots I got.

February

In February my family took a road trip to meet up with our grandson who lives in Indiana. We met at Benton Harbor to have dinner at a local pizza joint. We also took a bit of time to explore the beach there. It's amazing how much sand gets moved around by winter. We found benches at the park that were completely covered by the sand.

March

In March we celebrated the 4th birthday of our grandson Trenton. He stayed with us for a week. It's always a joy to have him with us. During one of our play times we went outside to blow bubbles. As he played I noticed the really cool reflections in the bubbles. I ran inside and got my camera.

April

For the twins' spring break we decided to drive to Florida to visit with my sister and mom who had moved there the year before. It was nice seeing their new homes. Between my husband and I we have a large chunk of family in the state. We were able to visit all of them with stops in Middleburg, Mt. Dora, Apopka and Stuart. We also took day trips to St. Augustine and Jacksonville. It was in St. Augustine that I took this sweet picture of my daughter in the waves.

The day before we left Stuart we found out that my childhood friend (who also lives in Lansing, MI) was visiting family in Stuart. We met up at Hobe Sound beach to watch the sunset.

May

As a photographer in Michigan our season doesn't usually kick off until spring arrives. Mine started out with a wonderful senior photo shoot. One of my packages is a 3-season shoot where the client can have a photo session in each season of their choice. This client specifically asked for spring, summer and fall. We made a quick trip up to Uncle John's Cider Mill north of St. John's and had a beautiful apple blossom shoot there. This was my favorite from that shoot.

Earlier this year I also was commissioned by Riverwalk Theatre to be their official photographer for all of their productions. In May I shot the publicity photos of RENT. We traveled throughout REO Town and took various photos of the cast. This photo was my favorite from the shoot. As we walked by the REO TOWN sign at the corner of Washington and Main some of the cast stated that it was too bad it doesn't spell RENT. I realized that it did have all the letters to spell out RENT. I had the cast pose by the needed letters and using a little bit of photoshop magic I put this image together.

June

On our way home from Florida in April an email came in on my phone stating the very sad news that one of the twins' classmates had died over vacation. She had been very sick but the news was very hard on us all. I had gotten to know this little girl quite well during my volunteering with the class. We attended the funeral dressed in our requested attire of pink, red or purple, which were Sarah's favorite colors. Each attendee was given a plastic candle with a light that lit in a specific color or if the last selection was picked flowed through all the colors of the rainbow. With lights aglow we cried through prayers, practiced piano songs, a mother's sweet words, a teacher's compassionate remembrance and at the end dancing. With tears in my eyes I watched in wonder as the mom orchestrated all the children to go to the front and dance to Sarah's favorite songs. Afterwards we joined the family to dine on all of Sarah's favorite foods: Cheetos, pink cupcakes, pizza and chips.

Near the end of the school year Mrs. Mahon announced that the class would be planting a pink flowering tree for Sarah. This picture was of my daughter and her friend who took me out to see Sarah's tree. I can't wait to go back to see it bloom.

July

One of my requests for a senior portrait was a sunset shot with the words SENIOR visible. I wasn't sure this would work but was very happy with the results. We shot this on Granger Meadows sledding hill.

We love living in Michigan. There are so many adventures to go on! Last summer we found out that a Viking ship was making its way around the Great Lakes. We hopped in the car and made our way to South Haven where the ship was docked for the weekend. Although it was exciting to see it, we found playing at the pier much more interesting. Since I hadn't really planned to play at the beach we didn't have any suits with us. However my kids found a way to play anyway.

August

My daughter has become one of my favorite subjects. Whenever I have need of marketing material or practice for a style I can count on her to help out. This was a shot I took for my "lifestyles" marketing. I liked the shot so much I had a print made and it's hanging on my wall now.

With Riverwalk Theatre I was scheduled to shoot the publicity shots for GREASE. I'd gotten an email earlier from the director laying out his plan to go to multiple locations for the shoot. He had quite the vision! We first met up at Fleetwood Diner which has a very retro look. This photo was taken there. We then drove to Sexton High School for some shots there. You can find more images in this blog I wrote earlier.

September

A good friend of mine works very hard to make the world better, and I am not surprised that her sons do so as well. This year her son celebrated his 4th Dog Olympics with all the proceeds helping his aunt who was diagnosed with cancer. This morning event brings together pups from all over the Lansing area to compete in dog activities. There's usually some great sponsors like Preuss Pets, Anabelle's and Southside Animal Hospital involved too. The photo above is from the costume competition.

October

In October I had quite a few fall photography sessions. One specifically was this young lady. Her daddy was really wanting good photos of her that showed her true nature. We did a quick session at Francis Park. He loved all the images and had a hard time picking his selection. That's the greatest compliment I can get!

I also had one of my best friends come to me to photograph her son's senior portraits. I've known her since we were 5 years old! It's hard to believe her son is finishing his final year of high school. We planned out a nice hour long session in Old Town. This area allows for multiple styles without walking too far.

November

I found myself shooting a lot in November, from gorgeous autumn colors,

to beautiful sunrises.

On the 6th we celebrated the twins' 11th birthday down at the gallery in REO Town with friends and family. All the kids had a great time with our "maker-faire" theme.

November 11 was the one year anniversary of my grandma's passing. It had been quite a year for me with my mom moving to Florida and the loss of my grandmother. While I stood looking out the window I noticed this cardinal starring at me. A few months ago my best friends from growing up had lost their mom and had mentioned there was a cardinal outside the window at the hospice when she took her final breath. Given also that it's my mom's favorite bird, I felt a wave of hope and peace pass over me as I watched this little bird out my window.

December

In December I embraced family. As my family dynamic changes almost monthly, I really concentrate on enjoying and celebrating the moments we have. Recently my grandson and his mom moved in with us. We are enjoying their presence in our home. Last spring we rejoiced at the possible addition of a new grand baby with our other son, only to have our hearts broken with loss. The ebb and flow, the gain and loss, seems so real lately. I have learned to truly celebrate what I have now; to love with all my heart those that love me. Family is such a blessing.

As we finish off 2016 I am excited about what may come and what new adventures we may have. I hope we treasure up all these moments and hold them close to our hearts.

Happy New Year
Ariniko