The Reports of my Death are Greatly Exaggerated!

Ok, well maybe not my death. lol Just my moving back to Cali. I'm still here in Texas and I will run into someone and they will ask me if I am here visiting. I just have to chuckle because I have never left. Thought I should explain because I'm asked almost daily did you move yet?  Why not? What are you doing now? etc. lol

Yes, it's true we did try and move back to Cali. We looked online for 6 months and took four trips back to Sonoma County to look at houses. There is just no inventory and we couldn't find a house to meet our needs. It's pretty tough when we both work out of the house. Or, maybe we are just too spoiled with the big beautiful houses in Texas. Maybe, we are indeed Texans now? Maybe God's plan wasn't done with us in Texas?  Though, I really thought it was time to move home. I cried for a month when we realized it just wasn't going to work out. I'm especially heart broken that I can't be close to my mom. That thought still brings tears to my eyes.  I love you Mom!

My Cali Clients are pretty mad at me too. They thought I was coming home. Sorry I jumped the gun telling everyone. I miss you all very much.

And I'm sorry I'm not going to see my favorite sports teams broadcast on TV every week.  We are back to traveling to the local sports bar to watch the SF Giants and 49ers. Go GIANTS and NINERS!

My mom has been asking me to post pictures of our house. Well, here are a few. We custom built this house and it is near and dear to our hearts.

Side view of front of house. 

I'm really going to miss my studio space...

...and office!

Our "Zen" Spot. We love to start our day each morning by drinking our tea
in these chairs and enjoying the waterfall, the view, and the birds chirping.

Our "comfy" spot.

I know what you are thinking. Wait, I thought you said you weren't moving so why am I talking about missing my house? Well, in the meantime we got several really good offers on our house so we thought we might as well downsize. The two of us don't really need all that space and yard work.

Our wonderful Broker, Tina Leigh Meeker, found us this great home in Rockwall. She is the best! We have never felt so well taken care of before when listing our home. I'm not exaggerating when I say SHE IS THE BEST! :-)

It's a "Green" house across the street from hiking trails, walkable to downtown and close to the lake.  So excited for this new phase in our life's. A simpler, easier lifestyle.  And, I'm 12 minutes from my BBF Liddie!

Our new home! No all that property isn't ours. Luckily! Remember simpler.

Our new Zen spot.

We close tomorrow. Wish us luck with our move. I'll post pics of our new home when we get settled. Can't wait to share. Yep, we are supposed to stay in Texas. You Texans are some the nicest, sweetest people I know. I love my Texan friends.

Happy 22nd Birthday to my Sweet Girl, Cate.

I can't believe my sweet girl is 22 today. Happy Birthday, Cate Sarganis Fritz.

I especially can't believe we are empty nesters. Really, it feels like my kids should be 14 and 16 but they are all grown up!   I'm so happy I have recorded their lives over the years. It brings such joy to me, my hubby and the family to see their progress in life and how much they have changed.

Luckily for me Cate loves to be photographed, so I photographed her quite often. She is my muse. Some of my favorite images I've ever taken are of her when we were playing around with the ever so talented make up artists, Randee Strand and Amber Lynn.

22nd Birthday Portrait (C)2012 ksf

20th Birthday Portrait (C) 2010 ksf / Amber Lynn MUAH

19th Birthday Portrait (C)2009 ksf / Randee Strand MUA / Sonia Trevino Hair

Can you see a big difference from 19 years old to 20? I sure can.

18th Birthday Portrait (C) 2008 Emily Rusk 

Cate modeled for many photographers and this fabulous image was captured by the talented Emily Rusk. Now you can really see a difference. She looks so young.

14th Birthday Portrait with all of her cousins and brother (C)2004 ksf

Played the Wicked Witch of the West in the Jr. High Play (C) 2003 ksf

Even when she was 13 she knew she wanted to be an actress. I know I'm a proud mom, but she did an amazing job. That wicked laugh, well, was wicked.

2005 I wonder where she got that kissy face from?

Yes, she was starting to show that star quality even back then.

8 months old. (C) 1991 ksf

This was one of my favorite images of her.  I enlarged it to a 20x24 to display in our home. Can you believe I took both of my kids portraits every month for their first two years? I wish the images were digital back then. I would have them on my computer to show you more. (I took a copy of a wallet with my iphone lol)

Thank you for going down memory lane with me. Please don't let your babies grow up to be "Iphone babies"! Snapping images with your camera is fine, but every several years please spend the time and energy to capture what only a professional photographer can. It's important to record their childhood. You won't regret it.

God Speed Cate on your new adventures in Cali. We miss you so much already.