Monday Confessions

What type of morning am I having you ask? I have one sick child that will need to pay a visit to the doctor. I am going on little sleep and less patience. Have already done the breakfast round and two loads of laundry, along with a load in the dishwasher. And really, HOW IS IT OCTOBER already?!

1. I confess I broke out the play pen and trapped my 16 month old. He is into EVERYTHING and a hazzard to himself. I broke down after he tossed everything out of the tupperware cabinet, had attempts at the toilet and went over to the car keys to continually hit the "unlock" button as I heard my van beeping outside...it was time for the pack n play!

2. What's wrong with this picture?! Once Max had a special place to play, the twins needed to join! 

3. Whenever we have to deal with the doc's office, I am always tempted to lose patience because it's never quick or easy....but I remind myself to be thankful. We are BLESSED to have access to medical care and insurance. As a mom, I don't have to fret over losing my child to a treatable condition because I have the privilege of going to the doctor!

4. I am not quite reaching domestic goddess status but I will say I had a huge discovery this week. Do you have towels or clothing that is getting a musty smell from storage or a damp space? I experienced this and learned that you just need to wash them in warm water with a cup of baking soda, miraculous! Takes smells away! Try it!

5. We have truly been too busy lately and I hate that. I don't like the feeling of saying no to family and friends for fun things because I have said yes to too many work things. Don't get me wrong, what I get to do for a living is a privelege but it still can take away from my family. This has led me to a hard decision, I will not be doing any family photo shoots this Decemeber. I want to have time to be with not just my kiddos but other extended family and friends. I want to celebrate life a little more with my tribe as 2012 draws to a quick close. Thanks for your understanding in this my friends and clients!

6. Along those same lines, I am committed to making memories with my family as I watch my kids grow all too fast. I also have a nephew that is just about 8 weeks older than Max that we would like to make some more time for. We had a fun family adventure on Saturday along with a few friends to the pumpkin patch! I am a 30 year old woman and never remember wandering out into the pumpkin patch to pick my own pumpkin. We got to do that with our kiddos and nephew on Saturday and it was priceless! What are you all planning to do this fall to make memories? Here's a family snapshot with my fam, my bro and nephew!

 7. Yesterday in church I was challenged by a verse that I think was meant for my current season. "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." James 1:19. I could chew on this for days....

Ok friends, I have two kids that stripped naked while writing this post and are now riding around on their hippity hops in the buff! The other child is screaming bloody murder from the play pen....it's going to be that kind of day! I would give you a hug if I were with you and say "carry on warrior" - we can do it friends!

Beautiful Bellevue Wedding

They have known each other most of their lives but their slight age difference left them in different circles in high school and beyond. They thankfully reconnected through mutual friends and had lots in common. They are a great couple and have been planning this beautiful day at the Bellevue Mansion for over a year. Although there was one mishap of a missing wedding cake, everything else was fairy tale perfect!

It has been fun for me to have excuses to hang out with them again because Erin was a high school friend of mine. I always love getting to be a part of a couple's wedding day and this was no exception, in fact I enjoyed myself tons! This type of wedding is great for me as a photographer because I am already familiar with the people. You then throw in the fact that it was one of the most gorgeous days this whole month along with the beautiful setting and details, it was fun for me all the way around. Prepare yourselves for this epic blog post! I trust that your eyes won't get tired :)

Groom getting prepped...

Bride's jewelry...

Pretty bride and her pretty mom...

This wedding day had a great timeline, allowing for pictures before the ceremony. We were able to do a "first look" with the bride and groom seeing each other for the first time. I caught a few of the beautiful bride on our way....


Groom waiting...

Here comes the pretty bride...

I will neither confirm nor deny that our tough military groom shed a few tears...

I love both of these so I will include them both, but usually I prefer an image to live permanently in either color or black and white. These are so similar but both wonderful in my opinion!

A personal favorite from the day...

Another fav of mine...

Bride waiting for the ceremony and peeking as guests came..

The bride and her daddy...love it

Ceremony time!

 

first dance as Mr. & Mrs. 

Happy weekend friends! Eat some Halloween Oreos and get in the spirit...October is almost here!

Embrace Photo Checklist

I came across this on the almighty Pinterest. Even as a photographer, I can be guilty of trying to only photography the "pretty" parts of life and forgetting the "everyday." I love this list because it's things to photograph with your kids that are way more of your daily life. So moms, grab your iphones or point and shoots and go to town! I am going to print this list off and get working on it!

(Sorry I don't have the original source to credit.)

Monday Confessions, Outlet Shopping and Tim Tebow

I did something a little crazy today...took all three kids dress shopping with me today. My hubby is in a good friend's wedding in a few weekends so I was starting to stress. Our schedule is pretty packed so I had a great thought that today was a pretty day and we would just take a ride down to Queenstown, MD to see what's in their J.Crew Outlet.

1. Here's how we surived...bribing with rides in the "rocky cars" and snacks :)

Flinstone's anyone?!

Ice Cream truck!

 

And yes Max got to ride too but I didn't trust him to let go to take any pictures!

2. There were chaotic moments but this girl got a beautiful J. Crew black dress that was originally $138.00. I paid $41.97 and it will hopefully be as cute as I imagine it accessorized. Yes, I even wheeled the triple stroller into the dressing room. You gotta' do what you gotta' do!

3. We also used our coupon for a free Chick Fila breakfast entree on the way there. It was free chicken minis all around  and it made kids (&momma happy)!

4. My husband has been getting told in public all the time "You look like Tim Tebow." Agree or disagree?

(Don't kill me honey - he has no idea I whipped this up)

5. Semi-home made chicken pot pie for dinner here folks. What's at your house?

6. I am bad with using the dryer. I don't always pay attention and sometimes shrink things. Anyone else? I am constantly doing five people's laundry and don't always pay attention to details! Oops...

7. SO excited that there's new Hawaii 5 - 0 tonight and a slew of other new shows this week! I dare say I will be tuning in to Grey's Anatomy to see who lives and dies. What are you looking forward to friends?!

8. A huge prayer in my life right now is to learn contentment. I have always struggled with a striving and sometimes restless spirit. It's a great gift if you consider it makes me a worker, a doer, a dream chaser....but it's not so good for the patiently waiting parts of life. I praying to learn to be content with who I am, what God has given me and to attempt to use it all to his best glory. Apostle Paul says in one of his letters "I have learned what it is to be content..." Praying that I am learning this too! 

9. Twins officially start preschool tomorrow. We had open house last week and they haven't stopped talking about it. As much as I have looked forward to this step, I have also found myself looking back. Life is a gift and it passes us so quickly, try to find moments to treasure today even if it's in between diaper changes, disciplining or a traffic jam. 

10. Did you see my latest couple to make it in to Delaware Bride? Congrats to Autumn and Rob, your wedding was great! 

Have to run friends, have a great week!

Monday Confessions

Definitely a case of the Mondays going on over here. I am coming off a wedding weekend, which you photographers know is both wonderful and exhausting. My hubs has started a new job that's six days a week again and we are slow to readjust. We feel a little bit more like tag team wrestlers than husband and wife, but we know it's just another full season! What did you friends do this weekend?

1. We dealt with sick kids. It was mostly a sneaky fever that kept coming and going with a sore throat. Thankfully today no one has fever and all three kids at least ate some kind of breakfast. It's a sign we are moving in the right direction!

2. I just planted my kids in front of Curious George to get 5 minutes productivity.

3. I am putting off the twins first dentist appointment. I keep delaying. I am not sure if it's because it's just hard to schedule another thing or if I don't want to deal with all the explanations. I vow to try to get it scheduled by the end of the week!

4. I did get those Teaberry skinny jeans from AE and wore them yesterday. I have to say, glad I went a size bigger because I needed the space in the "skinny" cut :) Glad I took the chance though, I think they're cute.

5. Preschool open house is this week, it's getting closer! I am holding out hope that preschool will help some of my feelings of insanity with three kids 3 and under in the house every day. Maybe I have delusions of grandeur but I am really praying it helps us a bit! It's been hard to keep people engaged, happy and not wanting to wreck each other's day.

6. The wedding this past Saturday was gorgeous...everything, including the gorgeous 70 degrees and sunshine weather, made the day perfect! Here's a sneak peek of the beautiful bridal gown!

7. There is a list of other "to-do's" I have been putting off that I need to tackle. It's tough when you feel like you are just in "survival mode" because of busyness, you use every waking moment to stay afloat - much less get ahead. I have felt like this so I am saying no to anything else photography related this fall. I want to keep the clients happy that have already hired me and I want to keep some sanity.  I was just reading an article about how it's really a lie that Mom's can truly do it all. In other cultures and former eras, mothers had the help of live in family members, etc. We really place such high expectations on ourselves, it's no wonder we have "mom guilt." We are left thinking we just aren't good enough if we can't do it all. I say, choose what matters every day. If your day ends with dishes in the sink and you just can't muster the energy to do them, it's OK. Tomorrow is a fresh start! I think this is equally a struggle for all moms, whether working in or out of the home or both!

8. I have been reading a truly deep and encouraging book by Nancy Guthrie called Holding onto Hope. Her story is amazing but what is truly amazing is how she points us towards God. One line that is sticking in my brain is "Bitterness is ultimately blaming God for the circumstances of our lives." Make you uncomfortable? Me too, but that's because it's true. "We might not say we blame God outright, but we become bitter." What things are you holding onto today that really need to let go of? Are you blaming God? I am SO convicted over this right now! 

9. My Pumpkin Spice Dunkin Donut K Cups are my best friend this week :)

(As I am trying to finish writing this I hear a plethora of toys being dumped upstairs....afraid what I am going to walk out to)

Have a great week and give me a holler if you are in the same boat trying to keep it all together :)

Monday Confessions, a Day late!

I have to say, I am thankful for seasons in life. Not just seasons in weather, although this week that has been WONDERFUL already. I am much happier when not sweating! I am also thankful for the seasons of life that usher us in to new times and experiences. Sometimes it can be hard because maybe it was a season of friendship that came to an end or maybe it's a season of trials for you. There are these tough seasons that can make us so much more thankful for the ones that are full of life's sunshine! Even as I write this, a college friend lost her dad this week to a cancer battle and the sweet family on the previous blog post had their baby girl weeks early (everyone is doing well)! Seasons, seasons....Sorry if that was a little too philosophical for you but it has been on my mind...as have many other things!

I know it's a day late but here goes this week's confessions...

1. I am embracing the season changes. Trying hard not to rush it (I don't have pumpkins up YET) but just enjoying it for what it is with my pumpkin bread and spicy candle burning. I keep joking about counting the days to preschool (and I am) but I am also so aware of how quickly life passes us by. I want to enjoy the time with these kids and the laughs they give me before they start spending so much time away from mama.

2. I confess I couldn't stifle a laugh today when Dean rounded up a bunch of toys in a trash bag and told me, "Mom this is junk." I tried not to laugh but said "there are good toys in there that you would be sad if they were gone." Dean then proceeded to tell me that this is what Andy did to his toys in Toy Story 3. I chatted with him about how the toys were sad to be in the trash bag so we better take ours out :)

3. Along with the Toy Story 3 obsession, Dean and Macy asked me this afternoon to play cowboys. I went into the basement abyss and dug out the Woody and Jessie costumes along with the stick horses. You would've thought I hung the moon! They had a blast playing and informed me that they 1. Needed Boots and 2. This is what they want to be for Halloween (should I even bother with the other costumes I was working on?) Seriously, how cute are these two?! And for the record, these stick horses were mine and my brothers as kids :) Love it!

4. I have a sewing machine that has yet to be out of the box and I am dying over this. First, my sweet Grandma got it for me when my second hand one was toast.  Second, my mom did teach me basic sweing as a kid but I forget a lot. I don't have a lot of patience sometimes which doesn't go well with sewing. I have had no time to dabble with the machine yet and it makes me feel a little less like a good mom who sews Halloween costumes and other such sweet childhood things. Pinterest taunts me. 

5. I am secretly wishing up a list of things I will do while the twins go to preschool...then I am secretly brought back to reality when my almost 16 month-old dives into the toilet or the dog bowl yet another time. He will probably have something to say about me thinking I will become a craft/project/decorating Goddess during preschool hours. I will most likely have to do business things, grocery shop with one kid, clean, or go for a run during those times. I can dream though can't I?! What fall crafts are you whipping up?!

6. AND speaking of toilets, our powder room toilet betrayed me today after Matt had already gone to work. I really can't in good conscience describe the scene I came upon this morning when I went to help Macy potty in there. Lets just say it required a plunger and me holding my gag reflex. If you ever think my life looks glamourous....just rememebr I am elbow deep in poo at least once a day or more! 

7. I confess I need to say no more. This is a skill I thought I was good at but it seems to creep into hiding at times. I am booked as I really can handle from now until the first weekend in November. If you were interested in a fall photo session, it would have to be after then, thanks friends! 

8. I colored my own hair Sunday night. I had gotten to that place where the highlights were a bit too bright and I just wanted to warm them up slightly without covering them entirely. I am happy with the results, it's a nice warm color to embrace fall and let the summer tan fade (tear). I trimmed my own bangs too. I have to say, I LOVE my hair stylist but I do occasionally have to take matters into my own hands for quick, budget solutions. 

(forgive the flourescent bathroom glow)

9. I was priveleged over the weekend to attend Women of Faith conference in Philadelphia. It was definitely fun to go with friends but I have to say there were a lot of moving speakers. You definitely can't beat singing Good Morning with Mandisa,  that is for sure but the speakers that came after were so real and authentic. Christine Caine brought a passionate conversation about getting off your bottom and doing something in the world. She has an amazing story of redemption and in fact, her book Undaunted is available today. Her personality was right up my alley and seriously, how do you NOT love a lady over 40 in lime green skinny jeans with an Australian accent telling you to love Jesus more passionately?! I had to stand in line to meet this lady!

 

And let me tell you, I was pretty excited to be close by to this music star. This blurry iphone shot is Amy Grant!

I was also very struck by Brenda Warner's, wife of NFL star Kurt Warner, story. If you need a good read, pick up her book which shares it more in depth. Mine is on it's way from Amazon as we speak! I need to stand up and listen to any lady who is a former US Marine, looks like a beauty queen, is a cancer survivor and has 7 children, including one with severe special needs after a tragic accident. Her story had so much heart and with it, so much hope! 

10. Two final things,

1. I am sitting here seriously considering getting in my car and going to the CHick Fila Drive Thru for a warm chocolate chip cookie. Have you had them?! Ridiculously good!

2. I put on a song by Robyn and broke into a literal dance party in my room right around confession number 5. It got the blood pumping and kept me going :)

Have a great week friends!!!

Hudson Family

The baby trend continues! I have loved being able to document expectant mothers and their sweet families these past few weeks. This session came a couple Fridays ago when the weather gave us a slight break. I enjoyed being with these old college friends and their sweet little Mr. L, who is almost two. They are excitedly awaiting the arrival of a baby girl next month. We thouroughly enjoyed our session and I look forward to seeing how baby girl adds to the precious family! Happy viewing friends!

Love these with the belly...

Makes me smile every time...

Mr. L saw an airplane!

Pretty mama...

He wanted to fly like the plane!

Love Mr. L's face as they read about "baby sister" :)

Love this idea...The quote is John 1:16 "From the fullness of His grace, we have received one blessing after another."

More pretty mama...

Mr. L couldn't stay away from mommy any longer, he knows his days as the "only" are numbered, so he ran in for some snuggles and who could resist him?!

And a final sweet one of mom and dad...

Monday Confessions, Labor Day

I have to say, my hubby let me lay in bed today while he got up with the kids. Bless him!! It was a great extra time of rest for me that I obviously really needed. So Labor Day 2012, what are your plans today? The rain might be putting a damper on our picnic and pool plans but we shall see. 

1. Labor Day was created to celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers (I am hearing lots of politically charged comments in my head about the current value of hard work in our country but I will leave them in my head). Labor Day also now is also a huge retail holiday, due to people being off and it is apparently now only second to the Black Friday shopping phenomenon! I contributed with a little trip to the mall yesterday :) 

2. Labor Day is  also the symbolic end of the summer. I really do hope some fall-like weather comes soon! In high society, Labor Day is (or was) considered the last day of the year when it is fashionable to wear white or seersucker (in case you are in the company of high society soon....I, on the other hand, think the white jeans can stick around a little longer :)

3. In the course of a week, I myself ate an entire HALF GALLON of Edy's special edition smores ice cream. I was the only one eating it but it kept calling my name from the freezer night and day. I would eat a small bowl with one of my kids spoons to make it last longer (old diet trick).....but in the course of 7 days, I had eaten it all myself?!

4. It brought me to the conclusion that my booty might look like the one on Cinderella's evil step sister if I keep going in this direction....I won't be buying ice cream at the grocery store this week!

5. At that trip to the mall yesterday I had an interesting interaction with a 20 year old about a jeans purchase. Said tewnty year-old was probably about a size 4 and 6ft tall, wondering why I didn't want to try on the skinny jeans too in the dressing room at American Eagle (whole store was 40% off)? I was trying to gently tell her with my eyes that she shouldn't mess with a 30 year old who has had three kids, because I needed to stick with the style that worked for my body type! I humored her though because I was in a really good mood when the smaller size actually fit. Let me tell you though ladies, the "skinny kick" style isn't for most. Those had to go! I ended up going with a nice dark wash slim boot if you must know but the interactions in the dressing room were priceless.

6. My heart also lusted after the teaberry colored jeans but I refrained for feeling that I would look like someone impersonating a college student....I liked them though. Your thoughts my mama friends? Things you stay away from style wise? Or maybe it's just more about pulling it off with confidence...

7. We started watching Breaking Bad on Netflix this weekend. I have tweeted about it a few times but I am both intrigued and disturbed by this show! I cannot figure out how it is already in season five with the plot but it makes me want to watch some more to see what happens. At the same time, it's full of drugs, violence and all sorts of other maladies. I have been told to stick with it by a few....so we will see!

8. I just finally uploaded some photos from our trip to the carnival at the end of July. I sometimes laugh when people say Macy is a mini of me, because I don't always see it. I know we have blonde hair and blue eyes but I guess I just see her as her own person. She is naturally a whole lot sweeter than me :) This picture made me see what others see though :)

All in all it was a great summer! We got to the beach two different days, did a couple different carnivals, the Please Touch Museum, Philly Zoo, Ikea, Pump it Up....we packed in the fun! The preschool count down is 22 days :) Have a great Labor Day my friends! Enjoy your rest!

Neighbors and friends...

Our story began when we bought our first house, Andy And Stef were our neighbors. We became fast friends and enjoyed hanging out. Life progressed like it has a way of doing and they eventually moved but that didn't (thankfully) end our friendship. It has gotten harder to get together with 5 kids between us but we won't give up! I have had the honor of photographing them the last two summers for their annual family portraits. I love getting to be a part of capturing their family's memories! Their kiddos are precious and were great sports when we met up for this shoot at UD. This was another one of those sessions that had literally been rescheduled 3 times due to the crazy rain/storm/wind weather we have had this summer. Enjoy friends!

Such a cute family, right?!

Watch out preschool ladies...

Miss P is cute and saucy!

Loved these flowers...

Kids wanted to climb in this awesome tree so thankfully mom and dad said "go for it!"

 She's almost two, can you tell? :)

Could just squeeze all her cuteness!

It all started with these two great people :)

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Monday Confessions, back to school

     Nothing says Monday like pulling an entire roll of toilet paper from the toilet because your preschooler thought that was a good idea or like taking your toddler out of the dog's water bowl for the third time. These are the times that I want to pull my hair out, but there are other moments as well. I watched Dean sit still and get his "back to school" hair cut today, although preschool doesn't start until late Sept. I was imagining all the fun he will have (trouble he will get into) as I looked on. I watched Max transform a bit today because he is cutting molars and with all the other changes, his haircut made him so much more of a boy than a baby. Parenting is a crazy ride of emotions isn't it?! So here goes, I confess...

1. I took all three kids to Ikea Baltimore on Friday and it went better than I expected. Twins got to go play in Smalland for an hour - GOD BLESS IKEA. I walked around with Max, chose a few fresh throw pillows and a new rug to spice up the living room. I honestly could've gotten nothing and been very happy. Who says you shouldn't drive over an hour each way to get free babysitting?! We even ate lunch there in the cafeteria, which was also a great experience even with kiddos. I think next time, I will go on a Tuesday when kids eat free :)

2. I am SO READY for fall...I think I am just tired of being HOT. When you have to put three kids in and out of the car with carseats on a daily basis, you know what I mean. I never leave the house without being covered in sweat and I am OVER IT. I also love the fall season, so much about it I adore! 

3. I am currently reading The Thirteenth Tale,  and am only a little bit in but it's good so far. It was recommended by a book club I am loosely a part of and thought I should take a stab at it! Will let you know how it goes :)

4. I have to say, Pinterest is great for ideas but 99% of them I don't try in real life. I do, however, try a lot of the recipes! Some I have tried lately to success are Chicken Roll ups (yummy and easy), Cinnamon Bun Cake (delish) and the crock pot maccaroni has become a favorite around our house! I love it too because I literally use the recipes right off my phone and never lose them in a drawer :) What are some good recent recipes you've tried? 

5. Speaking of food, What's for dinner tonight at your house friends? I have class tonight so I am thinking a yummy easy version of "breakfast for dinner" with a quiche, fruit salad and biscuits. Kids usually like it so I can cross my fingers there won't be the usual dinner stand off.

6. And yes, I mentioned class! It's my first class of the semester tonight, ready to meet the students I will journey with for 16 weeks. Hoping there are some real creatives, dreamers, and doers in the bunch!

7. Did I mention that my town is getting it's own Chick Fila and it opens in 3 days!! Not sure who is more excited, me or the kids?! 

8. So speaking of Pinterest and fall, what crafts are you thinking about doing friends? Any ones you've been dying to try? I am already thinking about a fall mantel. Just ready for the seasons to change! (Did I mention our PAINFULLY large electricity bill last month too? Hoping Autumn is kind to us!)

9. Along the lines of Max growing, I packed up his bottles on Friday :( He's exactly 15 months old today! He was down to a night bottle and I knew I needed to give it up before it became an issue even more. I think it's harder on me than it is him. He did ask for "ba-ba" but I gave him his cup instead. Hope he transitions well!

10. Over and over I keep learning the lesson to be thankful.... Days can be hard, moments can be trying or even long seasons of life can have you feel like you're struggling, but moment by moment there are ALWAYS things to Praise God for and be thankful. A good friend got great news today that her precious son is coming home from the NICU (he has been there over 4 weeks). It reminds me to continually be thankful and look for moment to step outside my own little world. 

Here are some pictures of the kids from last weekend cruising their tricycles (cutest motorcylce gang I ever saw :)

He's secure in his manhood and Captain America shirt, he can ride the pink trike!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!!

Baby number four! (not for me :)

A sweet friend has baby number four on the way and decided it would be a fun time to do a little family/maternity session. We got a beautiful night last week with reasonable temperatures and a pretty sunset to make this happen! They are waiting to be surprised so all we know is there is a sweet little sibling baking in the oven and due out next month :) Enjoy!

Cute Big Brothers...

Sweet soon-to-be big sister...

Mom and Dad!

A favorite of mine...

Love this one with the boys hands on the "new baby" - it's all a suprise :)

Love this happy ending...

Baby in the belly!

It's always fun for me to photograph a couple anticipating a baby on the way, but it's especially fun when it was one of my wedding couples. I have known Devon and TC for years now, they are precious people. They were on of my pretty weddings a couple summers ago and needless to say, I was so excited when Devon contacted me for maternity and newborn photos. They have shared that they know they are having a girl and are naming her Harper. I know they will be wonderful parents and we had a great time shooting this sunset session! All the best to you Devon, TC and baby Harper!

Also, as a total photographer side note....there has been a ton of talk lately about cliches in photography. I totally agree that there are so many things that are "overdone" these days and certain ones make me cringe. I try to avoid them, sometimes even when a client requests them. Please notice, you have NEVER and WILL NEVER see a selective color image on my site (when everything is black and white except one thing in color). If you want that, I am not the photographer for you.

There are trendy things in art, just like in life. You never want to be the person who holds onto that trend for too long (think 80's perm and huge bangs...just not good!). I know things like sunsets, fields, props, etc are all the rage...but hey, sunset has ALWAYS been a beautiful thing to photograph. Pretty outdoor settings make WAY better backdrops than vinyl, my friends. A lot of "trends" these days aren't really trends at all, they are staples in the history of natural light photography.

I decided recently that even if you are approaching shoots in a similar fashion or style (which is hopefully your own personal style), it's ok to approach them that way because every couple has their OWN story. You are always telling a new story with each couple. Even in the case of this shoot, this is a couple I have photographed before but it's a NEW part of their story, the beginning of parenthood. As I approach each shoot, although some things I will approach in a familiar way, I will remind myself I am telling the client's story in a fresh way. The client is what is unique! Stepping off soap box now.... Enjoy the shoot!

Pretty mommy-to-be!

I thought that this was so sweet...they brought some of the bedtime stories they hope to read to Harper. It was perfect practice for bedtime reading and made for sweet pictures!

Love this one, Devon's sister made the inital for Harper's room!

 

 

Love this one and I think it makes for a happy ending...or really a beginning! Beginning of parenthood :)

Monday Confessions

Nothing says Monday morning like having to clean poop off a rug before 7 am or realizing ants decided to attack in your kitchen... It's only 8am and I have already been dealing with things like this!

The hubs was sick last week and yep, you guessed it...I had it by Saturday night. No fun but thank goodness for NyQuil to at least get some rest!

I feel if I were to make "confessions" today, it wouldn't be nice things. You know the old saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" I am weak in my tiredness and not feeling well and having already dealt with so much this morning.  

I will leave myself and you with some wisdom on how to approach the day,

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
  in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5 - 6

Have a great week everyone!

Check back later this week for photo features :)

And if you missed the wedding of Alexis & Mike, it's getting lots of fun features. Today it's Delaware Online

My Fun Family

My grandfather turned 73 last week (alhtough he doesn't look it) and he has long been known for inner comedian. He told me what he wanted for his birthday is to finally get a good picture on the beach with his pretty wife before they "decay anymore." Mommom and Poppop, as they are affectionately known to all us grandkids and great grandkids, have been living in Lewes at the beach for nearly a decade already. They "retired" down there only to keep working :) I love it though, it says something about work ethic that kids these days just don't get. They still enjoy fishing, hanging out with friends and who am I kidding, they probably have more of a social life than me! Well anyway, Poppop wanted to do a fun take on the Ma & Pa in the classic American Gothic painting. He wanted "American Beach Gothic" - I told you, inner comedian :) We had a good time this last weekend creating this image and I have a feeling it's definitely a peice for posterity! Happy Wednesday friends!

And of course, I couldn't have my grandparents there with my kids and not attempt a picture! Just so you know, it's like my camera makes me invisble to my kids - they suddenly can't hear or see me. They ignore any requests I holler from behind it so this was the best we had...even with bribing with Dairy Queen Dilly Bars :) Hey, ice cream always motivates me!

Featured in Rustic Wedding Chic

So thankful for wonderful clients who put their heart and soul into their weddings! Alexis and Mike got married this past May at the Elkton Tea Barn and it was choc full of wonderful details. Today it was freatured on Rustic Wedding Chic blog, "the wedding blog of choice for brides planning a rustic or country wedding." Head over to Rustic Wedding Chic to check out full post!

Monday Confessions

These Mondays come faster and faster as the summer draws to a close! I start teaching again in two weeks...it's hitting me, back to school!!!

1. This morning's fun activity was teaching the twins how to use safety scissors. I gave them scrap paper and told them to have at it. They loved it and it actually kept their attention for half an hour. To my great pleasure the only thing that got cut was the paper! It was a miracle, no clothing, hair, or other unsuspecting items got cut up! I am counting the days until they go to preschool :)

2. I am beginning to wonder if it would be cheaper to purchase, house and feed a cow than it would be to keep buying milk in the quantities we need it for 3 small kids?!

3. Although thoughts of back to school give me mixed feelings of joy and depression...I love school supplies! It's always fun to get those fresh notebooks and new pens. I am such a dork :)

4. I was going through some bloodwork for something I am being tested for and found out among other things, that my cholestrol was a point high. I was shocked?! Who me?! It can't be! I better put down the eggs and pick up the oatmeal for a while :)

5. I read the book Stolen Woman by Kimberly Rae, it's the beginning of a great trilogy. It's an interesting story about a Christian girl who was adopted to the US from Bangladesh. It's her journey to India and beyond. I don't want to give too much away but I definitely enjoyed it and am in the middle of book two. It's very based in Christianity, which was a fresh perspective for me when reading a novel. There's lots of suspense as she discovers the horrors of human trafficking and desperately tries to help. Pick it up if you need a good end-of-summer read!

6. I am sort of blind without my contacts and the hubs is also. We were talking about Lasik one day, curious if it was worth it? Any of you out there been through it? Pros or cons? It would be nice to be free of glasses and contacts! Our poor kids have no chance!

7. I have great clients and just want to say so. I got a wonderful email over the weekend from one of my recent engagement shoot's bride-to-be. It was such an encouragement to know that someone appreciated not only my work, but my demeanor while working with them and the creativity I put into it. This leads me to say, if you have something nice to say to someone - you should! They might need the words of encouragement that day :)

8. I am going to be a busy lady in the next few months (as if I have been on vacation the last few, haha!). I am just putting it out there so that if anything starts to slip with blogging, etc you will know why! I have to keep my family first for us all to survive and then business/teaching come a close second. Thanks for understanding as I consistently work on prioritizing in my life!

9. Have you seen the Thirty One bags?! I know they have been around for a while and a friend gave me one last year at my baby shower. I loved it and am thinking about ordering some more. What are your favorite uses for them ladies? I am thinking about some of the huge organizers for kids stuff and even camera gear.

10. Take a moment to stop and smell the roses somewhere along the way today...gratitude helps us all with contenment and joy. I am learning this day by day my friends!

Here's a sneak of a quick session I did with my kids during the past week... (And aren't the outfits precious? Check out Sew Adorable Too on fb & etsy.com)

Have a great week! 

Christine and Jack, crazy fun shoot!

I love getting to meet new people, it's a great perk of my job. Christine contacted me a few weeks ago in hopes of setting up an engagement shoot. She had written in her initial email, "What really drew me to contact you was not only your photos but all of the kind words others had said about you." I was instantly humbled because here was a potential client who not only liked my work but was drawn to me as a person, she took the time to check out my website and about me. This was starting our relationship off on a great foot and of course as soon as I met Christine and Jack in person, it was all good. Besides being adorable, Christine is very sweet and bubbly and I could see why Jack took a liking to her the first time they met. He confessed to "falling fast" for her, as they shared their story with me during our shoot. 

I also have to say that I love being a natural light photographer. This shoot was FULL of lighting/weather surprises as you will see and nothing was artificially lit. I don't have anything against artificial light and sometimes need it, but there ain't nothing prettier than a gorgeous evening glow...or in this case a wicked thunderstorm to go with it! All the best to Christine and Jack, so much fun meeting you!

(And of course, I definitely want to thank all of my previous clients for writing kind words section of my website!)

Outfit number one...just getting warmed up!

Outfit Change...sun is going down....

Christine totally has an inner-super model...she works it well!

And then the storm rolled in...I was loving every minute of the crazy! This sweet couple just rolled with it too and had a blast, despite the wickedness rolling in over our heads. I secretly think Christine talked to the weather gods in order to coordinate their outfits with the awesome colors of storm clouds :)

We took this one for mom with a more formal pose but somehow I hope that this image gets looked at some day by their grandkids. I absolutely love it!

Last shot of the evening and a great way to end..the thunder and lightning were so close we thought we better take cover!

Nikki & Danny, Engagement contest winners!

Remember their story from our Love Is In the Air Contest earlier this year? They met when they were 15, but it wasn't happily ever after. Nikki wasn't officially allowed to date yet but they snuck in a friendly double-movie "date" at her house. Nikki's mom, clad in her flannel duck PJ's caught them smooching on the porch and according to Nikki, "my mom first and middle named me while Danny took off running into the snow." Fast forward lots of time, up and downs, and here we are today with them happily engaged and looking forward to a 2014 wedding date! 

Thanks to all of you, the readers of the blog who chose this couple for me to capture. We literally had to reschedule 3 different times due to the crazy summer/stormy weather we have had this year. It was either 110 degrees or thunder and lightning. It was fine with me though because the Sunday evening we finally met up for the shoot, it was nice and breezy (or at least felt that way without the intense heat!) Danny apparently was joking that every time we rescheduled that he had more time to practice his "America's next top model eyes," but it ain't no joke....he definitely had the eyes down! I really genuinely enjoyed being around these two and capturing their love! Enjoy the epic post friends and start thinking of who you want to see enter the contest next February?!

 

There's those Top Model eyes..

Monday Confessions

Do you feeel Like Monday comes too fast? Wishing the weekends could slow down...

1. Fall Mini Sessions are currently SOLD OUT! Thanks for the response on this and if you were hoping to get a mini session this fall, please feel free to shoot me an email about it. I am currently booked for weekends but would consider a few select weekday shoots for those of you that were hoping to get in on the fun!

2. Parenting has been throwing me for so many loops, I feel like I am living on a carnival ride. Here's a quote that gave me pause today..."Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.  ~Robert Fulghum" This is humbling because I can try to say all the right things, but what they see me DO leaves the biggest impression!

3. With potty training, did any of you other parents start having the crack-o-dawn wake up call when they started staying dry overnight? We have been up at 5:30am like clockwork to go potty but they're doing pretty good with staying dry overnight. I am so not nice at that hour though...my poor kids. (See quote number 2, I am in trouble)

4. We took the kids to the beach for the day yesterday. Our conversations when considering this go like this:

Me, "It's August, we have only been to the beach one other day this summer." Hubs, "but it's so much work with the kids." Me, "honey, everything with the kids is an intense amount of work. If we went by that, we would never leave the house." I have to say, it was a whirlwind getting out the house after breakfast but it was worth it! At least two beach days under our belt this summer :)

It was great because between last time we went and now, Max has started walking. He loved the freedom to cruise around and check out the beach!

 5. Who are some of your Olympic favorites? I have loved watching all different sorts of events and even the kids have taken a liking to it. Dean keeps asking me when swimming will be on again :) There's something fun about watching the best of the best compete.  I think it's certainly a nice little escape from all the current political drama around the world too, just fun to see the athletes meet in one place to perform what they have been training all their lives to do! (In case you missed it on twitter, Dean wants to play professional hockey when he grows up. He told me this while watching Olympics and then Macy piped up saying she wanted to grow up to play hopscotch :)

6. I feel like I am always cleaning something that will inevitable get messed up as soon as I turn around. Anyone else feel like this? Sometimes I get why people live in dirty houses, cleaning can feel pointless with kids :) Before 7am yesterday we had a milk "situation" with the twins and today before 9am I had already cleaned up a hair spray/nail polish issue that arose when Dean was going to the bathroom "all by his self."

I have some engagement sessions to blog this week, lets hope I can be efficient and kids take good naps! Seriously, lets hear it for all moms...my hat is off to ALL of you! I don't know how we all do it and stay sane...or maybe I am slipping into insanity and don't know it yet?!

Have a great week!

Mini-Sessions are here!

Hey friends, details below on how to get in on Fall Mini-sessions! As you will see, it's a limited time/place and first come, first serve. Please email me with your request and I will let you know of available time slots. If the demand is high, I will consider adding a date. Thanks friends and future clients!