I'm so glad you found my site! I'm a 40 year old who has finally figured out what she wants to be when she grows up! Raising teenagers makes you face your reality in some terrifying and beautiful ways. I am a mother to my stepson, Teagan, and my three children, Zachary, Alex, and Evie. Teagan is 16 and will be a junior in high school this fall. He has been in my life since he was a month old. My husband of 16 years, Brian, met his mother in February of 2007, one time. Then we met in October, Teagan was born in November and I met him in early December of that same year. It hasn't always been easy, but it's always been amazing. He is a great kid, and his mom is a wonderful woman too. I am his Emmy. My own three, Zach, will be 15 at the end of July (9th grade) , Alex, 13 (8th grade) and Evie, 9, will be in 4th grade this fall. Zach is autistic and he has tested my parenting abilities (lack thereof) on a daily basis since he entered this world. He is a big reason for my chasing my passions. But I have Alex to thank for that ultimately. We were playing a conversation game where we ask questions that help us open up to each other more. Best $20 bucks I've spent in a long time. A couple cards, lead to great conversations with your teenagers who traditionally only seem to ask for money and a ride somewhere! One of the questions "Do you have any regrets? Would you change it if you could?" I answered, that no, I don't really regret anything- everything happens for a reason. But if I could change anything? I regret not taking more risks when I was younger. I wish I hadn't been so much of a wallflower and stepped out of my boundaries now and then. Nothing too wild, but I was very tame- always taking the safe route and the tried and true path. I took the road very well travelled when I wish I had taken the less beaten path. I wish I would have gone to a 4 year college for my degree in interior design instead of the 2 year degree in business administration and financial services that took me 3 years (I worked full time as I went) to obtain. The conversation turned to my hopes that he would actually test his boundaries a little because we grow and learn when facing challenges and getting out of our comfort zones. Fast forward a month and I was struggling to find a new job. I lost mine (due to my need to be a mom over being a commercial loan processor and my employer didn't agree with that decision.) It's summer and I'm home with my 3 kids. Alex asks me again, "Why don't you take a risk and do something extraordinary." Out of the mouths of babes, right? I have always tinkered with photography and take my own shots of my kids every spring and fall. I also love landscape photography. Architecture excites me too. I decided "If not now, when?" At my age, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving it a shot and taking that shot. I named my page "My Mountain Blue" because I absolutely fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains of TN, GA, NC, and VA. I love the Appalachians. Being born and raised in Iowa, I know the hidden gems of my own state, but my heart lies in those mountains and I hope to move there someday. If you enjoy wildlife, flowers, sunsets, sunrises, mountains, and the landscapes of Iowa, you've found the right place. Occasionally you will find parts of my family in some photos as well. I hope you find something you love within my work. I'll continue to try to put myself out there and take more risks!