It has been a very long time since we have posted something on our blog just for kicks.  Well, here you have it!  The busy wedding season has come to a close for us and we have finally had a chance to catch up on life a little bit!  We had a blast this year with all of our Colorado and Montana couples.  We truly can’t thank you enough!  We do have a few weddings sprinkled throughout the winter, so keep an eye out for those.  In other news, Roy and I are heading to Southeast Asia in November for vacation… and we will have our cameras with us (obvi).  I hope to post a few photos during our trip.  We can’t wait!  And thirdly (just to catch you up on the latest),  we will be opening up a studio in Whitefish, Montana next month!  We are heading there to ski for the winter and we are so excited!  I put a link (above) on here so you can check it out- it may just be the most beautiful place on earth… and it turns into a winter wonderland all winter long.  Time to get cozy!

We have been loving fall here in Colorado.  It doesn’t get much prettier than seeing the aspens change during this season.

I took this the other day up on Kenosha Pass.  My friend Kerinsa and I went to look for some changing aspens… and I’d say we hit the jack pot!

 

What a trip!  Roy and I returned from Costa Rica about two weeks ago and we had the best time.  It was an experience that you just want to do over and over again- and we hope to!  We had the opportunity to help build a home for a family down in the Sarapiqui region of Costa Rica.  Roy works for a travel company that does this sort of project about one to two times a year.  We knew we wanted to jump in and do one, especially after hearing from my parents (who went last year and again this year)saying what an unforgettable time they had.

I took a majority of the photos at the home building site which is where we spent most of our time.  The Costa Rican family who was getting the house worked right alongside of us all week- it was so special!  We did a lot of cement-mixing, hammering 2×4’s, laying bricks, putting up stucco and painting.  We stopped frequently for coconut water breaks, accompanied by fresh pineapple and oranges.  Everyday for lunch we went to a local farm and enjoyed the freshest Costa Rican food prepared in an outdoor kitchen.  It was a refreshing week- in every way!

The view from our hotel the first night- overlooking San Jose, Costa Rica.

Andreas (left) received a brand new house by the end of the week.  The two boys on the right are in the family that received a new house last year.  They came over and helped out at the job site- and also chopped some coconuts for us!

 

 

Our wonderful chef who prepared delicious meals for us all week.  My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it.

We went on a tour of the farm and our first stop was at the cocoa trees.  Those little slimy beans eventually turn into cocoa!  Crazy, right?!

Martin, the machete extraordinaire, slicing up some sugar cane.

Aaron was a joy!  He was so pumped for his new home and was a great helper around the worksite.

Meet Louis.  This contractor would jump around on the 2×4’s like he was playing hopscotch.  He was an amazing worker.

Town of Rio Frio.

Isai, one of the boys who received a new home last year.  He dominated me at a little juggling face-off. :)

A home building site provides the perfect environment for a mud fight!

My mom and Aaron on the “Move that bus!” day.

Aaron and I.  We could not get enough of this kid. :)

When we were about 95% completed with the house, we helped the family move their furniture in.

Saray, a 17-year-old, telling everyone where to put the furniture in her new home.

A group of high schoolers from Texas helped us on the last couple of days.

When we were all finished, the family expressed their thanks.

It was such a special couple of hours.  I really struggled with taking my camera down from my face and taking it all in as a ‘normal person’ instead of a photographer.

On Saturday Roy and I are headed to Costa Rica for some fun in the sun, as well as doing some mission work.  Roy works for a travel company that takes groups of kids on trips around the world and lucky me I get to join him from time to time!  This week we are going down to help build a Costa Rican family a new home, which is one of the Global Doing Good projects.  It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but I have been in the gym lately getting my arms in shape for some major shoveling action! :) I already have my camera packed and I will definitely be sharing some images when I get back!  About 2 years ago we we were down in Costa Rica- so I thought I would share a few images from that trip. Enjoy. 

Apparently Roy thinks he stands a chance against these kids… in sandals!

Roy and I spent last weekend up in Whitefish, Montana, a place that is oh-so-majestic.  My good friend Michael puts it this way, “You know the town that lives inside of those snow globes? That town is Whitefish.” It’s true, too. The snow doesn’t stop falling and it has one of the cutest downtowns I have ever seen.  We saw a lot of great friends along the way, celebrated the 80’s (Courtney, of 114-west.com, throws the best parties), shredded some deep powder for 3 days, and ate the tastiest buffalo chicken wrap at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake (great wedding venue, by the way).

Thanks to all our friends up in Northwest Montana for such a great weekend!  ‘Till next time….

For more fun photos and to find out the latest happenings around Brooke Peterson Photography, follow me on instagram – @brookepphoto

 

This morning I am featuring some of the coolest dudes around- Josiah & Michael Hughes, from Whitefish, Montana. They were my husband’s roommates in college, and since then we have truly built a top tier friendship with them.  This weekend Roy and I are jetted up to the ‘Fish to hangout, ski and relax.  We have a great friend and photographer that takes amazing images of the Hughes brothers on the mountain, Noah Couser Photography.  Check these guys out!  As you can see, they shred pow pretty much all day long!  We hope to get in on the action this weekend.  Stay tuned.

Thanks Noah for letting me feature a couple of your images!