Monday Confessions

MOnday has come again so quickly, the days are passing in blurs of taking care of kids, house, husband and myself. Our days as a family of four are truly numbered and we are not finding ourselves in the easiest of times. We are trying literally to take it one day at a time...so here goes for this week.

1. Kids and I are sick...awesome. At least the kids can get good meds, I can't because I am almost 38 wks prego!

2. I tried a Mc D's strawberry lemonade yesterday, a bit of a let down I must say. Not sure if there's a standard strawberry to lemonade ratio but mine definitely needed some more of the sweet strawberry to round out the tang of the lemon. I will give it a second shot though because I have a coupon for a free one :)

3. We bit the bullet and got a new (to us) stroller yesterday that will work for all 3 kids. We will look like a bus rolling through but if you haven't ever seen a Valco Runabout with the Joey seat..it's pretty cool!

4. I got to see Water for Elephants last week with a few girlfriends. I thought it was a great adaptation of the book, of course there were a few adjustments here and there to make it more "movie" worthy. I have to say, I liked Robert Pattinson as the lead Jacob and Reese Witherspoon as Marlena. They did a great job bringing the story to life!

5. Just for bragging rights, the nine month pregnant woman I am, snuck an entire Friendly's friend-z reeses cup ice cream into the movie theather in my purse. RPatz and reeses ice cream...what else is there?!

6. I had a few great yardsale finds this past weekend - the most exciting was a new desk chair for our home office. I had this cool old chair with "character" that was a curbside find that we have been using for years but it's getting tired. I scored a white Pottery Barn knock off office chair for $5! We put a cushion on it and no one will know the difference!

7. Speaking of curbside finds, I also got a free gently used changing table from a neighbor who was done with it. I absolutely love free! It also happened to match our cradle perfectly and fit into our room where we needed it to.

8. I am missing my dad, keep having the urge to give him a call or send him a text. I find myself reminded all the time lately of just how much he taught me. Even today, I was working on freshening up our "new to us" stroller and had to adjust the tires. The tires are like bike tires with quick releases...dad taught me all about that stuff so I was able to get the tires perfectly lined up and ready to go!

9. My husband revealed to me yesterday that there are two things he really despises - glitter and peeps. Go figure but I will be sure to avoid those around him! He also would never brag on himself but he just finished up a great website design project for an international missions group - New Harvest Missions International. You should not only check out his great design work but check out what Christian churches are up to in West Africa.

10. I am pretty much running on fumes these days...just taking it one thing at a time. Can't believe T3 (the baby) will be here so soon. In the midst of loss and chaos, we still have much to celebrate and be thankful for! Thanks again to all of you who have been supporting us through these trials!

What I said at my Dad's Funeral...

So it has taken me all week to be brave enough to post again about my father's passing. In preparation for sharing at his memorial service I wrote out what I wanted to say so that in case I could not do it on my own - someone else could read it for me. Thankfully between Dad & Jesus, I had the courage to make it through, even speaking off the page at times. I am proud of my brother as well for being able to speak & share so beautifully about my dad!

For those who were not there here is what I said...

I think a lot of times when someone passes away we are encouraged to think about the “big” moments of life and those memories and while I do have many of those that I am thankful for with my dad, the “small” moments are sticking with me now. Lets face it, our lives are full of a lot more “small” moments than big ones. What we do everyday shapes our families and lives. I have been thinking a lot about what it meant to have Mark as my dad. What it meant most of the time was that my brother and I were lucky enough to have a very present father, who was always around and part of our everyday lives. Just as much as I will remember him walking me down the aisle and dancing with me at my wedding – I will remember him walking through his vegetable garden with a cup of coffee in his hand or seeing him after school at the hardware store.  He taught us strong values of work ethic and responsibility. He was even ingenious when teaching us the value of money with our allowance – we got charged for our irresponsibilities like forgetting something we needed or not doing a job right. 

We were joking that as much of a hot-head as dad could be at times, it seemed he had an extra “dad patience” when teaching my brother and I things, like using tools or riding bikes.  He didn’t just want you to learn stuff either, he wanted you to inherit his passion for the subject…whatever it might be.  He was definitely a work hard, play hard type guy.  I was a little bit of a family let down when I informed him that I would be the first Frey not to drive a manual transmission vehicle, I claimed that we needed diversity. He laughed and thought I was lame but honored my wishes. He was very proud later when I started dating Matt because thank goodness he drove a Jeep and it was manual – the mark of a man. Driving and cars were always a big deal with dad. His driving was usually fast but he had two specific driving rules that we were to abide by that I still try to stick to -  1. Don’t scratch your truck and 2.  Aim for Daylight  - these are still good rules to live by :)

  That was something great about him, certainly no one could deny his passion for life. He was definitely always willing to try something at least once. I think of a time after a snowstorm that we were with my uncle & cousins and decided that my uncles little fishing boat would be the perfect “sled” to ride down a hill and into the frozen lake…we coined that adventure “snow boating” – why not?!  I remember him turning an old non-working riding mower into more of a little tractor to pull a trailer and taking all the kids in the neighborhood on a hayride. Or him stashing fireworks on the way home from a business trip in order to give the neighborhood a good show on fourth of July. Or the annual trek to choose the family Christmas tree out on a tree farm somewhere.. I think of him in his fleece lined jean jacket with his cowboy hat and orange saw….cigarette hanging out of his mouth and potentially a swear word or two was heard before the final cut of the tree.

 Many great memories were made when we had mountain land in PA where we would regularly sit around a fire and camp….he taught us there to be entertained by simple things & to always enjoy nature.  That was a place where we learned to mountain bike, canoe, hunt for things and he would even do things like whip up a sweet berry sauce for pancakes if we picked the berries. I have a huge love for the outdoors and “fresh air” as they say and I know it comes from spending so much time with dad – most of my memories of him are outside! Our yard was like an extension of his living room because he was always working on something. If not a wood working or house project or a car or something with my brother…he always had something going.

I don’t know how others spent their 21^st birthday but mine was a snow day – I spent it going to the DMV for that new license then heading to the shooting range to burn up some ammo with Dad – then we got lunch at stanley’s tavern where I had my obligatory alcoholic beverage. Some might find this odd but it stands out to me as a perfect way to celebrate with Dad. He was very proud of the natural shot I was and loved to take me – I even took the target home to my college roommates & hung it on the fridge – they needed to know I had accuracy :)

I also think of a day when I was in college, it was 7am and I was driving to my job at a local gym in Newark. I hit a bumpy patch in the road and then all of a sudden it sounded like I had a flowmaster on my truck…. I got to work & called dad to tell him what happened. His response was “girl,  I raised you, get under that truck and see, your muffler probably just needs reattaching” – he was right - it had split right at the catalytic converter. I walked next door to the gym where there was a dry cleaner, politely asked for  wire hanger – then proceeded to go back outside in the parking lot and magiver my muffler back together with the wire hanger – Dad stayed on the cell with me and I got it temporarily fixed enough to drive around and not sound like an indy car. And yes for the record, I do know what a lot of car terms are because of him.

I think the character traits that stand out is an honesty and loyalty – he was about as unpretentious as a man can get. He was always willing to help, was extremely loyal and sometimes brutally honest but you never had to question where he stood on a subject -  Even if it was just through his bumper stickers :)

 My brother and I were recently talking with Dad about a picture of him sitting on a donkey from when he was a kid …he then remarked “yeah, I have been dealing with Jackasses ever since”…he never lost his sense of humor even though life had gotten increasingly tough on him struggling with illness. Even just the other day at his house I saw & was reminded – he had an orange tag that looked like a hunting license that was made out to be an “official osama bin laden” hunting license. I am glad he was here long enough to see Osama gone!

Even in the more recent tough times, he still made efforts to be with family.  He couldn’t get up and run with the grandkids but he would put them on his lap when he could and definitely would slip them things from his oreo stash (Dean knew where it was :)  The last time I really got to spend with dad was a couple weeks ago celebrating his birthday – he was at the head of the table at Grandma’s house – I knew it took him such strength to even get there but I saw him giggling at the kids when Dean would fake burp and other such fine things we are teaching them. I am thankful to have had him for a father and thankful that he breathed his last few breaths with all of us by his side.

Here are some things that come when thinking about my dad… pretty quintessential american:

• ·      Levis – dark straight wash
• ·      Cowboy boots
• ·      Ray ban aviators
• ·      A big bowl of ice cream
• ·      A brown bronco – bought the same one twice
• ·      Guns, smith & wesson
• ·      Family
• ·      Tools & hardware
• ·      all things Ford
• ·      sweet smell of sawdust
• ·      classic rock, usually loud
• ·      working hard, sweat on the brow
• ·      old western movies and shows
• ·      good cooking (tex mex & chili)
• ·      gardener – master tomato grower
• ·      black coffee
• ·      Becks Beer in green bottle
• ·      Camel Cigarettes
• ·      BF Goodrich All Terrains
• ·      Long hair for most of my life
• ·      Eric Clapton
• ·      Riding bikes
• ·      Him teaching me stuff like how to check the oil or shoot a gun
• ·      Dallas Cowboys
• ·      Fanny pack – no its not cool, but when you’re packing heat no one questions it
• ·      Nascar Races
• ·      Flannel & western shirts
• ·      deep gravely voice
• ·      handwriting in all caps, kinda’ matched his voice
• ·      ability to fix everything!
• ·      I remember when he hated cell phones, he came a long way to even learning to text with me
• ·      Good socks, a life essential & annual Christmas joke
• ·      Driving go-karts
• ·      Long stride, hard to keep up with as a kid
• ·      Good sense of humor
• ·      Importance of self-sufficiency
• ·      Love America, question authority (government)
• ·     All his little sayings that I will forever hear in the back of my head
•        "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!"
• ·      “not on my shift”
• ·      “gas is on the right”
• ·      “don’t’ sweat the small stuff”

This picture is from the summer of 2007 when Dad was still well & very much himself, great memory!

Monday Reflections

Well today is a day that is hard to wrap my brain around. I am going to attempt to speak tonight at my father's funeral. It mostly still seems surreal and I am a bit on auto-pilot, but I am determined to honor the man that has been such a big part of my life. It's been probably like a lot of greif, such a mixed bag of emotions. And it's also strange because there's so many moments I just want to go hide in a corner and be upset alone...but life as a mommy and wife doesn't work that way. I have found my daily duties in life a good distraction but am also trying to find time just to greive. It's an interesting process of letting go and celebrating a life all at the same time. If you are the praying sort...feel free to pray for me this evening around 7pm Eastern time, I will be speaking around then. I will attempt a tribute to my dad another day this week on the blog after I collect my thoughts!

And I cannot say enough how THANKFUL I am for every single one of you who has already helped us in some way or is offering to do so! We have felt so loved, supported, and encouraged. Those of you that have been praying, we feel it. Baby number 3 seems to be staying put for now, which we are greatful for...although at 37 weeks...I am ready to meet this child!  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all for everything!

Monday Vacation Confessions

We all know the feeling when you pull into your driveway after a long drive home from vacation...it's a nice mixture of it's good to be home and an awful dread of "back to reality". Even the best vacations always come to an end!

1. Driving over 9 hours 9 months pregnant wasn't great but it was worth the destination! We loved where we got to stay in Emerald Isle, NC.

2. The house we stayed in was actually for sale, only $2.8 million - anyone want to spot me a loan? You can visit of course :) It was beach front, 6 bed/6bath, with a pool on a deck overlooking the ocean.

3. I only used my hairdryer once on vacation..I embrace my natural hair texture in that kind of humidity :)

4.My kids were up every day at 6:30am ready to start the fun! It definitely is a different kind of vacation with toddlers.

5. I pretty much ate a dilly bar from Dairy Queen every day at 3pm....and sometimes repeated at 9pm! I think the dilly bars by the pool had an extra yumminess to them!

6. I read two books, Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer and Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. (Yes you can read a couple books during naptime hours sitting by the pool). They were definitely both good beach/summer reads. Beachcombers was set in Nantucket and had some great poignant family dynamics. Safe Haven was much more of an intense -don't-want-to-put-down book with some twists and turns. As many of Nicholas Sparks books are, it was set in his native state of North Carolina. I always feel like I need to read one of his books when I am visiting an NC beach, just feels right!

7. I decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about Glee, so I borrowed season one from the library and asked my sis Ashley to get into watching it with me. Needless to say, we were sucked in right away and need to get our hands on season two! Lets hope the library has that one too...

8. We got to NC on the night before Easter, knowing we wouldn't be joining our church families to celebrate Easter we decided to do it a little differently this year. We watched the Passion of the Christ which I must say is extremely powerful. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it since I saw it in the theater years ago. I think it was the perfect way to remind me of Christ's sacrifice and truly contemplate Easter.

9. My kids absolutely loved every minute of being at the beach with the whole family. Our week was full of precious memories togeteher. I did take a good amount of pics and will post some soon. There were many moments when I found myself just watching and getting a little emotional because I know these memories are already fleeting. M & D are growing so fast. Sometimes when I take a snapshot I know that years down the road I will look at it with longing for these sweet days. (I remind myself of that when the terrible twos rear it's ugly head!). It was also precious to see them experiencing such great love from family - they have great relationships with their grandparents and aunts and uncles. It's wonderful to grow up in such a web of love and support!

10. Last but not least..I am having a baby in 26 days (if all goes according to plan)! holy cow! Coming home to that reality is even more of a wake up call than most post-vacation depressions. It's more like a post-vacation freak out to get ready for number three :) Just taking it one day at a time!

Dean LOVED the ocean, no fear at all (which of course made Mommy nervous!). Daddy loved having a mini-playmate at the beach. Matt even has a small surfboard he is saving to teach the kids on when they're ready :)

Macy loved walking on the sand but it took her some getting used to. I couldn't get enough of her cuteness and pretty much think she was the Coppertone baby come to life :)

For those who have wanted to see some belly pics, Matt offered to take a few our last night at the beach. 
It's funny, I love to take maternity photos but sort of shudder at the idea of getting them taken! Thanks Matt for making me feel pretty despite the triple chin :) 

How the heck to choose a Wedding Photographer?!

    Other than a spouse and rings, the photos last the longest from your wedding day! I joke with friends that your wedding day and honeymoon is really the best you will ever look! You will certainly not get any younger and most likely not any thinner… at least that’s the case for most of us!

    It is important how you go about choosing your wedding photographer. Unless you are one of the fortunate girls with an unlimited budget, I think a lot of brides start out thinking “What can I get for the least amount of money?” with almost every aspect of the wedding. I have to say, that’s probably the worst way to approach most things, especially photography.

    I personally went through this experience planning my own wedding, I got down to two photographers that I had met with and had personal references for. First guy was a gentleman who I knew would do “fine” and was inexpensive. As for number two his work was way more my style, current in wedding photography, and I could imagine treasuring the images he would create. He did cost 3 times the amount of the first guy but I have learned that “you always get what you pay for.” I didn’t want to walk away from my wedding with images I felt “blah” about….I wanted pictures to capture my day specifically to my own style and aesthetic. I also considered who I could imagine being my literal shadow on my wedding day and photographer number two fit the bill much better than number one.  Do not underestimate the importance of getting along with all of your vendors you choose for your big day, after all they are creating your wedding experience. With all that said, we chose to invest into the more expensive photographer and are so glad we did!

Here are some important things to consider when choosing –

1. Style is a great place to start. Start looking at photographers in your area and get a feeling for what types of images you are drawn to. What type of end result do you want when all is said and done? You cannot hire a JCPenney Portrait photographer to try to take Annie Leibowitz type images. This is just a research phase, where you learn what you like and don't stress about budget.
2. Reputation and references go hand in hand with researching style. Start asking friends who did their weddings. Ask if they were happy with not only photographer’s final product but their personality? Was he or she an asset to the day?  If you find a photographer that you love but no one you know has used him or her, feel free to ask him or her for a few references you could contact. Any photographer with professional services will be willing to give you a reference. I cannot tell you how many wedding photographer horror stories I have heard & witnessed but I will save those for another blog post!
3. Budget is of course essential to consider as you start to narrow down. You might love a photographer that starts at $10k but have a $2k budget, this is when you can get realistic about who might start to fit the bill. The average wedding photographer cost or package now in the US starts at $3k. There are certainly options under this, as mine even start below this point but please be realistic with your starting point. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Someone offering to do your entire wedding for $399 is definitely suspect...they might be extremely inexperienced and therefore unprepared for what might come on wedding day or they might turn up so-so images.
4. Product options are important once you narrow down who might fit your style, personality, and budget.  If you know you are only interested in buying the digital files, make sure that’s an option for you to purchase. Every photographer will have options, just make sure you can see some samples and you like what they offer. I know that I keep my product line fairly simple so if someone wants something very elaborate, I might not be their best fit.
5. Availability, of course you would need to find out who is available for your date so once you get narrowed down to a few, see who is even available! Due to my baby coming this summer, I had to say no to a lot of people unfortunately asking for weddings around my due date. More popular photographers book quickly as well as prime dates like Saturdays in June fill up quickly!

These five things are just a few suggestions on how to go about who to work with on your wedding day. I am making these suggestions in relationship to photography but they actually work fairly well with all the vendors you will choose for the day! Make sure you will love the people, love their work, and feel like they are worth the investment you are making in them, as well as being trustworthy to deliver!

Sweet Charlie

Sometimes expressions are weird like, "I could just eat you up," but then there are times they just make sense! I met my sweet new friend Charlie for a little spring photo shoot. When he showed up dapper in his little khakis and sailor sweater vest, I could literally...EAT HIM UP! His smiles, his cheeks, and his energy all made my job fun. Having two almost 2 years olds myself certainly helps me when meeting a new toddler, we have lots to talk about like Elmo, going on easter egg hunt,s and airplanes in the sky... you know... the good stuff! I had a lot of fun on a pretty spring day capturing this little boy's spirit. Charlie of course had his pretty mommy along for the adventure too and we of course managed to get some shots with her too!

Charlie and Mommy, she can look at these pictures when he leaves for his senior prom and doesn't even want to hug her in public anymore! :)

Love the tongue, I swear it always helps a person concentrate!

I mean REALLY? He probably gets away with everything because of this cheeky smile!

An airplane flew over head and it was major cause for excitement as we tried to spot it in the sky. 

Charlie decided he could stand to sit for a few more frames with Mommy included. 

He was glad to hear when we were almost done picture time...

Thanks Charlie and Melanie for making me remember why I love my job! 

For those of you who are still interested in booking a spring shoot, my schedule is tight but don't be afraid to inquire! emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com

Kickin' it with Kamee, NYC style

Spring sunshine, the energy of New York, and joining up with other creatives to go on a styled photo shoot...I literally had to pinch myself last Friday. When I originally heard about this workshop, I didn't know what April 15th would hold for me being between 7 & 8 months pregnant so I decided not try to sign up. I got introduced to the work of Kamee June Photography through my friend Rhonda. Well Rhonda heard some spots opened up and invited me along, boy am I glad she did! I knew that I might get tired after walking lots or have to make ridiculous amounts of potty stops but I was game as long as everyone else didn't mind having a prego along. The experience was even better than I imagined... getting to shoot all over the streets of NYC on a beautiful spring day while being inspired by all the creativity around me was such a refreshing change from my daily mommy life!

We were given a little story to go with our shoot... girl meets boy... girl and boy are supposed to be meeting up for special tryst...girl leaves apartment ready and beautiful ready to meet up with her love...heads to the train station...waits, waits, and waits some more....realizes boy isn't coming...heartbreak.

Special thanks to Kamee June for hosting the workshop, Katrina Kirk for styling and Gentry for modeling for us! both Kamee and Katrina have fun blogs you should check out after you look at mine :)

Enjoy the eye candy from the day! 

Gentry works it on the steps of a beautiful brownstone and I loved how this guy walked by at the perfect time with the perfect tie to play off Gentry's pretty blouse. 

Ahh youth and beauty! Only to be a college freshman again! This California girl has been braving the streets of NYC to get her education at NYU and I have to say she was a good sport with the chill in the air!

Loved her boots...

Great Styling by Kat...

The Famous Grand Central...

Loved how the light wrapped around her stiletto to create a perfect silhouette. 

Monday..time to confess

1. Totally just ate a hot dog with coke for lunch at Costco...hit the spot..remember don't judge me :)

2. Got a free $20 gift card today from target just for creating a baby registry!

3. Ants are attacking at our house, is this happening to anyone else?!

4. I had an amazing experience on Friday being a part of a workshop in NYC with Kamee June Photography. We had a model and stylist with us to create a fun atmosphere to photography on the NYC streets. If you haven't ever been to NYC in spring, you really should go! Trees were in bloom and everything was picturesque. Thanks to NYC Freshman, Gentry, for being our model and to Katrina Kirk for styling. It was a great day of shooting and friends! Plan to blog some shots from the shoot later this week for those who haven't already peeked on facebook!

5. I was suprised beyond belief yesterday when some friends threw me a baby shower for number 3! I REALLY was not expecting a thing because I am having 3 kids in two years and people were already SO generous when the twins came! I was SO TOUCHED and everything was beautiful - the theme of the shower was diapers, which was perfect because we will definitely need them with 3 booties in diapers at once! My awesome aunt tallied and we landed somewhere over 2100 diapers for our family! Thanks friends!

6. We are going on vaction Saturday, I have a ton of work to do but have vacation brain! It dawned on me this morning as I was peeling my eyes open that I now have to pack for this wonderful beach vacation. We are heading south with my hubby & his family for a last little getaway before baby arrives!

And on that note I am going to get back to other photography related tasks while the kids nap, I like to leave for a trip with all those loose ends tied up!

Beautiful Rockwood Wedding

Jon-Mikel and Jackie bonded over a love of the outdoors and sports, and the rest as they say, was history! When a bride chooses the end of March for her wedding date, she can hope for a gorgeous spring day but unfortunately there was still quite a winter chill in the air for this wedding day. That didn't stop this great bride and groom from braving the chill to get some outdoor portraits. All the details fell together perfectly for this Rockwood Mansion wedding event. As far as a place with charm and character, this is place defines that.     Jon-Mike and Jackie, thanks again for having me capture your day and congrats again!

(For those of you that follow regularly, forgive my growing pains on how to best display images on my blog. I am keeping it simple but still want to give the best viewing experience for you!)

Jackie made such a beautiful bride!

 Loved these florals but you know I am a sucker for a cala lily! I was also smitten with this gorgeous red antique chair that was perfect for some bridal shots!

I think this is one of my favs of the day!

Jon-Mikel worked it too!

This last shot was from my wingman for the day, Rhonda Bowman, who did a great job as second shooter!

Monday Confessions

Today I will have to keep it "like a midget made out of sugar" - short & sweet!

1. I am swamped in a good way this week, lots of editing and more shoots coming later in the week.

2. Most exciting?! I am going to be a park of workshop in NYC on Friday with the fabulous Kamee, check her out if you haven't! Great west coast photographer heading up a styled wedding shoot in NYC that I get to participate in along with a few friends...REALLY EXCITED! Just imagine me waddling through NYC for this opportunity...praying now for great weather!

3. Still a crazy mom trying to hold it all together. Smack in the middle of reading Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman. It's a good read so far, tying together scripture and discipline. Hope I can learn how to implement it well.

4. Finished Water for Elephants last week, really enjoyed it. There of course was some vulgarity but hey - it's a story about a carnival in the depression..what do you expect?! It had a lot of fun as well as drama...good read and I am ready to watch RPatz & Reese Witherspoon bring it alive on the big screen when it comes out!

5. I broke my own rule today and let my kids play in the sandbox at the park. I usually refer to it as the "litter box" but after trying to chase them in two directions and Dean taking a big spill off a high playground ladder I thought "hey, they might actually stay in the same place for 5 minutes if I let them play in the sand." It worked like a charm and they played for a good 15 to 20 minutes in there!! I was pretty excited about that and had to dump all the sand off them before putting them back in our cleanly vaccuumed swagger wagon :)

Like I said this morning, going to view this week's to-do list as opportunities to do what I love and make a difference...try not to look at everything as an obligation! Happy Monday friends!

Not too late to confess...

You didn't think I forgot did you?! Today was a gorgeous busy Monday so better late than never!

1. I became an aunt today! Trevor Owen-Elder Frey was born today at 11:27am. He was 8lbs and 20 inches long. I got there in time this afternoon to see his first bath and snuggle him a bit. So happy for my big brother & his new family! As much as "Auntie Em" could sound cheesy, I think it has a nice ring to it!

2. Definitely remembered today that it was free iced coffee Monday at Dunkin! French vanilla on the rocks, yum!

3. It was SOOO nice out! The kids and I did lots of outside things like the park, blowing bubbles with our new bubble wands from walmart, taking a walk in the neighborhood...it was super and did I mention that they watched less than 15 minutes of TV all day..this huge since this winter we were stuck in so much!

4. I am busy with editing and all kinds of good business stuff but I took a time-out for some sunshine on my deck while reading Water for Elephants, I am getting close to done!

5. We went to ChickFila kids night tonight on our way home from visiting the new baby. You can't beat free dinner, balloons, a clown and ice cream :) Again..don't mention the nutritional information.

6. I am learning a lot about parenting lately. It can be so joyful and also so stressful a the same time. Having a boy and a girl of the exact same age is interesting, they are so different. I am having to learn how to love, lead, teach, and discipline them. It's a challenge!

7. I am almost 32 weeks with number 3, can't believe in 8 short weeks we will have another little Troutman! really starting to wonder who is in there :)

8. Got to watch the movie Tanlged this weekend, I thought it was cute and my kids enjoyed it. A girl always loves a good fairy tale that ends happy!

9. Kids got to meet the Easter bunny at the mall...Dean loves bunnies and learned a few weeks ago that they "hop.'  As soon as he saw the large bunny at the mall he was screaming and pointing "Hop, Hop, Hop" and couldn't wait to get over there. Of course Easter has a very significant spiritual meaning in our home that really doesn't have to do with a bunny and our children will learn all about that with each passing year. I just enjoyed seeing them smile while encountering this larger than life bunny! Macy liked him a whole lot better when she wasn't on his lap :)

10. Easter Bunny Photo for your enterainment-

Monday Confessions

Remember those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, so I am not tossing any :) Here's a glimpse inside my glass house today...

1. Almost totally forgot about free iced coffee Monday with my little magical card to Dunkin Donuts, must fix this later today!

2. I let my kids run with sticks.

3. Went shopping at DSW this weekend with my mama (she was crowd control for the twins)... I got one pair of shoes for $34.98 and the other for FREE with my $20 coupon! Both are awesome shoes & both were off the clearance rack. I checked the original prices, got $130 worth of shoes for that $34.98 - don't hate on the coupons!

4. Putting clean sheets on a crib is hard enough, try with a  7 month prego belly...comical!

5. I have raised my voice today with my kids...working on that though. I really love when Dean now "tells on himself" - I hear him saying "no, no" when he's doing something he KNOWS he shouldn't...like when he ripped Macy's barette out of her hair and then shoved it in his mouth so I wouldn't see.

6. I used to love my dog, he was my favorite & first baby...now we are more like former best friends who still have to hang out in the same circle of friends but had a falling out. He looks at me longingly like "will you ever love me again"...it's sad really but I am busy keeping barrettes out of mouths!

7. NOT a fan of the Housewives of Miami - anyone with me on this? Just can't get into it.

8. I just started reading Water for Elephants last night, I will let you know how I like it. I hope to see the movie too but I don't know if I can handle Robert Pattinson as anyone other than Edward Cullen...we shall see! (**Jacob - I accidentally typed "Jacob Cullen" - you can tell who I have on the brain..haha)

9. Just got the  Passion album "Here for You" & the Hillsong United's "Aftermath"  -  I am digging both of them. If you need to pick up your spirit a bit, they will both turn your thoughts and hearts towards the things of God.

10. My husband and I had a huge debate yesterday (on the way to church of course) about the usage of helmets on small children. I, of course, as the mother agreed children should definitely wear helmets while riding bikes, skateboarding, and even probably sledding. My argument, why would you ever chance having a child with head trauma?! My husband's argument was something about the government intervening too much in our lives...come again honey?! Love you Matt :) Life's tough, our kids are wearing helmets!

First Day of Spring

After a long winter nothing sounds better than Spring!We got outside to enjoy a little fresh air and sunshine! The kids discovered that they absolutely loved skateboarding with Daddy!  I love a new beginning so here's a few shots to say, "Happy first day of Spring!" 

 

Baby Cayden Newborn Shoot

It's really not fair, some babies are just pretty! Don't tell his Daddy I used that word but Cayden is just a pretty baby! I arrived after he was happily fed the other day and he was wide awake and ready to check out my camera. I do have to say that photographing newborns is not for the faint at heart, they are about as cooperative as a toddler that you tell "no." It's just unpredictable but this little man was a champ while he hung out in his diaper just letting me document all his sweetness :) He is just a week old in this pictures and you can see all the lovely little newborn details...his mama will cry over these someday when he's a teenager and doesn't want to hug her in public! Love getting to photograph these tiny ones! Excuse the plethora of images but I just couldn't choose so enjoy!

 

 

I love me a bargain

So make fun of my coupons ALL you want, they don't call me "coupon queen" for nothing! Want to hear what coupons did for me today? Well lets see, free pair of underwear in Victoria's secret, 30 % off in Gap where I got Macy an adorable spring dress with bloomers for $6.70, a FREE Carters boys summer 2 peice outfit for Deano in JCPenney ($10 JCPenney Cash coupon from mi madre), $10 off in Yankee candle because I needed a new spring sent & a car jar for the swagger wagon... I about broke a sweat today wheeling the twin double trouble stroller around the mall snatching up my bargains. Yes, I did still spend money (some of you like to point that out, thanks Matt) but I was able to do a considerable amount more with the amount I did have. Stretching your dollars with a growing family is a must! And if you saw my twitter last night I am about to get free iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts every Monday from now until April 25th, now if that doesn't deserve the happy dance, what does?!

I won't bore you with my wicked skills at the grocery store or my latest obession with amazon mom but I will also advocate for my good recent craigslist experiences. Two of my recent craigslist purchases turned into "it's a small world party" because both different occasions revealed we have mutual friends. One girl is a neighbor of friends and sold me a lovely unopened box of Huggies Diapers for $10 (this is a $40 box of diaper people!) and then she booked a photo shoot with me - I LOVE IT! Yesterday I had a date to go look at little girls clothing in a nearby neighborhood only to reveal that the mom selling is a good friend of my good friend, we had just never met. I got some GREAT second hand clothes for Macy at a fraction of the price. If you saw her today in her little Nike track suit and pig tails you would never know her whole outfit cost me $3. :)

I say all this to encourage you to try to pinch a penny and find a deal on things that you already need to buy! That's the key...don't just buy to buy...only buy items that are already on your "need" list.

If you are needing any clothing, Gap/OldNavy/BananaRepublic are doing their Give & Get 30% off this weekend! Go here for the coupon! If you are heading to the movies, Regal Cinemas is doing a free small popcorn this weekend!  Coupons are your friend, friend!

News about Mini- Sessions

   So friends, I came to a tough realization this week. I am not super woman :) For those of you who might have already figured this out, thanks for letting me humbly come to this conclusion on my own! No really... I have some dissapointing news that I will not be offering mini sessions this spring. Here's why, I have a pretty solid calendar of regular shoots and 2 weddings between now and May 1. If you are following along with me, you know that I am almost 30 weeks pregnant and chasing my twin 20 month olds. We are also hoping to make an Easter week trip to North Carolina with the family before the baby comes. These factors do not really allow for spare time or extra energy so I am choosing to make the tough decision to honor the clients I already have booked and give them my full attention for now.

   I am still accepting a few more regular shoot slots on both Saturday April 9th and Saturday April 16th. April 16th I am shooting at University of Delaware's campus to catch all the gorgeous foliage in bloom and the always beautiful campus. If you are intersted, please shoot me an email, emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com.

I do hope to have more mini session shots either later in the summer or again in the fall. Thanks for understanding! I have a fun photo shoot coming up this weekend to support Children's Variety Network, fill you in on that later :)

Monday Confessions

1. I am right now eating a lunch of leftover tea sandwiches (Go Grandma!) from a baby shower for my soon to be nephew, can't wait to meet him! I am also letting the kids eat while watching a video on the little dvd player.. :)

2. I about had a coronary when I just filled up my gas tank today..even at Wawa prices it was $65 to fill up my swagger wagon. I realize that we are spoiled here in suburban America, I might need to start carpooling to the grocery store!

3. I heard this morning that they are discontinuing Captain Cruch cereal due to it's high sugar content?! FO' REAL?!! Capt' Crunch is a childhood favorite of mine & really...I mean what about Reeses Puffs or Cookie Crunch or the Mini Cinnabon Cereal? One of those HAS to have Capt Crunch beat!

4. I didn't get out of bed until almost 8am today, thanks daylight savings for confusing my children, at least it worked in my favor today.

5. Last week I went a little crazy and decided to redecorate a powder room that I have hated since we moved in over 4 years ago. It was sort of just half done and had no style to it at all! I mostly just shut the door so I didn't have to look at it. We got done the destruction, got one coat of paint on the wall, changed out the cabinet hardware and took down the old mirror and light fixture...then the busy weekend hit. It was ignored and I am going to work this week on getting to a finished project! Will try to post pics of before and after..don't wait to be impressed though, it's just a small spruce up :)

Welcome Cayden Marcus!

One of my closest friends had her first baby this morning! She rocked out labor in less than 6 hours (crazy lady) & a beautiful boy was born! Cayden Marcus was born at 7:09am, 7lbs 13 ozs and just gorgeous! I was trying to hold myself back and wait to visit tomorrow but I couldn't wait...went straight there this afternoon with the excuse to get some pictures of him within his first 24 hours! He is already so loved :) COngrats to Jasalyn & Marcus on their gorgeous son!

the Everyday

I have been once again challenged lately that I slack in taking pictures of my own family! I have also caught myself looking at sweet moments in my everyday life that I was like "wish I had my camera," which usually means we are up stairs and my camera is two flights of stairs down in the office area :) I was determined to overcome that this week and take some snapshots of my every day. I mostly have noticed just how much the twins are growing and changing every day, not to mention that in a few short months our family itself will change entirely! I think the key to these types of images is to really just capture moments and not focus too hard on photographic perfection, which I sometimes get caught up in...go figure!

One day I was checking out a blog I visit sometimes, girltalk, and I read about their 52Home project. I might have been emotional that day but this quote brought me to tears...

"Ordinary is where we all live most of the time. And yet our mundane, repetitive days are full of enduring work. Homes are being built. Families are being knit together. Little souls are being shaped for eternity. The tedious is, in fact, momentous—when done for the sake of Christ: “…so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10).

This truth can get lost in piles of laundry and dirty dishes. We need help to see the glory peaking out from behind the ordinary. Our hope is that you’ll see your own ordinary, yet glorious life in these pictures. That you’ll glimpse the faithfulness of God that undergirds his faithful ones. That you’ll see reflections of the eternal in the everyday." 

So I challenge myself with these words...yes I feel like I live a lot in the mundane but "little souls are being shaped for eternity" and (crying while writing this) "we need to help see the glory peaking out from behind the ordinary"... just so blessed to have the life that I have. 

Disclaimer: I felt brave to photograph anything in the chaos that is usually my bedroom so please disregard any messes, laundry or otherwise...

(Update: passed that glucose test with flying colors! The nurse asked me over the phone "Did you feel like you were going to die when you were leaving though?! Your blood sugar was very low"... well duh :) 

Monday Confessions

1. Today was the dreaded test for a pregnant lady..the glucose test, which involves drinking syrupy orange goop that tastes like a freeze pop gone wrong and then sitting for an hour before getting blood taken. Did I mention that you have to fast before this?! Yes, that might actually be the worst part - a starving pregnant woman.

2. While sitting for an hour in the doc office I was attempting to read a book but I couldn't get into it, instead I listened to the inner office gossip going on and pillaged the waiting room mags for the amazon diaper coupons. Yes, I know I am that serious about good coupons but hey - I left the 15% off baby depot because that would require tearing a page.

3. My husband and his father are contractors, so like most contactors they know the best place in town to get a hot, cheap, fast lunch and in our town..it's Costco. We have started making a weekly date to meet at Costco for lunch with the kids :) Hey 5 of us can eat for less than $10 and they've been there so much now they know my father-in-laws order!

4. I ordered some new sample books and albums last week that I am anxiously awaiting! It will be like Christmas when the FED Ex man arrives!

5. Oh and yes...after said glucose test this morning, I drove directly to Pure Bred Deli and got a hot egg & cheese on a bagel. Nothing like a breakfast sandwich to break the fast :)

6. I confess that I am not a huge matchy matchy person but this was in my inbox from gymboree today & I thought "I would love to photograph a family in these outfits!" Any takers for spring?!

Happy Monday friends!