Ethan - 3 weeks

Sorry we haven't posted any new pics of Ethan - uh, things have been a little crazy around our house. I think I could photograph him all the time - I find myself just watching him sleep and feeling the joy and amazement that comes with the miracle of a new life. He is so precious and so fun to photograph. So get used to seeing him grace the pages of our blog.

Several people have said that Ethan looks like my dad, his Gramps. I can definitely see it when he sleeps. Sure wish they could have met.

Ain't that the truth!

My favorite...

So I knew that as soon as we posted the maternity pictures of Marcia, Ethan was going to make his appearance and steal the show! What a blessed event we had here in our little home. Marcia labored for about 3.5 hours, just barely giving our midwife, Julianne, time to drive over from Paonia - about 2 hrs away! When the pushing began, we moved Marcia to the tub that was setup in the corner of our bedroom. Within minutes, Ethan's head was out and another push and he was in her arms! We already knew Ethan was a special little guy, but adding to that, he was born still encased within the amniotic sac, or 'in the veil' as it is commonly called. Apparently this is quite a rare occurrance, happening once in about 50,000 births! Big brothers Nick and Lucas were there to greet the little guy as well as Grammy and our dear friend and professional photographer, Jenni Fautsko of Luminance Photography in Carbondale. Thank you Jenni for beautifully documenting our amazing evening! A special thank you to our wonderful midwife Julianne Guy of 'Full Circle Midwifery Care' (970) 527-8566 who was just amazing through the whole experience...thank you! The miracle of life is so beautiful to behold and to partake in - thank you to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the gift of this little child, may He bless him always. Ethan Rae Villarreal was born at 7:42pm on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008. He weighed 8lbs 2oz and was 20 inches long. Everyone agrees, he is just gorgeous!

These are the images of serenity and beauty that embody my dearest wife and the journey she has embarked upon to bring into our family another precious life - I am supremely proud of her for so many reasons! Born and raised in these breathtaking Colorado mountains, taught to flyfish on creeks just like this one, Marcia is definitely at home in these surroundings and surely a more fitting location for these images cannot be found. The raw power and majesty of God's creation surrounds the luminescent figure of this beautiful woman surrounding the miracle of our tiny creation within her womb...may God bless them both! -gv

Sue and Paul

Sue and Paul had a beautiful wedding ceremony against the Rocky Mountains in Vail on June 28, 2008. Hannah was a precious flower girl! The day was perfect - we had nice clouds for their formal portraits at the Betty Ford Gardens and also during the ceremony. Photographers love that kind of light! Sue and Paul - thank you so much for letting us be a part of your most special day. It was surely a priviledge.

They did the neatest thing with these "Blessing Stones". They were rocks that Hannah had collected and each guest was given one when they entered the wedding site. They were asked to wish a special blessing to Sue and Paul. The stones were collected and they will be part of the decor in their house. What a neat idea!

Renee and Kevin

We had the wonderful privilege of photographing Renee and Kevin's wedding at CRMS on June 21st. What a beautiful day it was! Renee looked fabulous, and Kevin looked happier than ever. You can just tell these two are really in love. We had such a great time sharing in their special day. Oh, and these two could dance like nobody's business! A couple that dances together, stays together...