Monday Confessions, season of Advent

     As we have begun the season of Advent, I thought I might point you to some resources that I enjoy and that will hopefully enhance our ability to focus on what is important in this Christmas season. Advent is described as the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. In this season of Christmas, we are awaiting the arrival of Christ. It's SO easy to get lost in all the other events, traditions and busyness. I am determined this year to try to keep my head and my heart in the right place. I have already had moments where it just seemed like a bit too much on my plate, but then I remember that I really don't want to miss it.

I read a post yesterday that wrote, "And as Advent begins, Luke comes to us, as a kind of a holy ghost of Christmas past, bidding us to lay aside for the moment our Christmas lists, leave the half-trimmed tree, pause the holiday movie, dry our hands from washing the cookie pans, and follow him." That excerpt really spoke to me because while all those things are good thing, we don't want to miss the main thing!  (To read the whole post, go to Prepare Him Room) 

1.  Desiring God is also offering a free ebook, Good News of Great Joy,  with advent devotional if you're interested in reading something daily up until christmas, 

2. I also usually find a lot of encouragement from the Finding Joy blog by Rachel Martin. She wrote a post about "letting them see you smile" and it really resonated with me. 

3. Another option I enjoy is She Reads Truth, which will also be starting a daily advent reading with scripture. Here's the first one from yesterday from the series Born is the King.

 4. And if you do find yourself entire overwhelmed and ready to quit....just read Momastery by Gelnnon Melton. I laughed hysterically reading this  post on Facebook, "

PLEASE TELL ME that your children fight so incessantly and relentlessly and obnoxiously that every once in a while it’s Sunday morning and you hear yourself yelling: I AM DONE. I DON’T CARE. NO ONE CARES. YOU ARE MAKING ME INSANE- ER. I APPARENTLY DID NOT RAISE YOU RIGHT BUT IT’S TOO LATE NOW SO HERE IS WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS THAT NO ONE IN THIS HOUSE IS GOING TO SAY ANY WORDS FOR TWO HOURS. NO ONE IS EVEN GOING TO COUGH OR CLEAR THEIR THROAT OR DROP ANYTHING. ALSO: DON’T LOOK AT EACH OTHER. PRETEND YOU LIVE HERE ALONE. I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT’S WHAT I DO ALL DAY AND IT IS GREAT FUN.
And so your children stop mid-fight and they freeze and they stare at you with wide terrified eyes and you look back at them and then you look deep inside and: OH JOY OF JOYS: you find no guilt. Just not one teeny drop of guilt. You feel happy. You feel victorious. Vindicated. And you nod your insane head up and down and you look at your gifts from God and you say:

YEAH. That’s what I THOUGHT. What’s up NOW, Meltons? What’s up NOW?

And you walk away and you brew some tea and you pretend to live alone and it is so, so lovely.

Happy Sunday and We Belong To Each Other and Love Wins and All That Jazz. Everything in moderation: especially family togetherness. 

We Will Survive,
G"

     In case you're wondering, I won't necessarily be doing all of these but I am trying to choose to challenge myself to less social media and more intentional reading this month. One thing I love is that you can look at all of these online, so if you're waiting in the doctors office or sitting in the car pool line, redeem a few moments of meaning for yourself and read one on your phone. 

   So in other news, it's Monday after Thanksgiving weekend. We are probably all feeling a little more "fluffy" than we did before the weekend. I confess that I need to get back on track. I am getting back after it with workouts and cleaning up my eating. It's always hard this time of year but when you have goals to hit, it's important to make smart choices. Wish me luck that I can make it through a workout, all 4 kids are still home today :) 

Have a great Monday friends!

Saturday Sneak Peek

I've been editing away over here and loving this session of a pretty mama with her girls. I adore the touches of red to kick off the holiday season! Full blog post coming soon and have a beautiful weekend!

The H Family

  Hello friends, I am desperately behind in blogging everything I have been photographing this fall! I am challenging myself to get on it over the next few weeks. So feasible right with the dawn of the holiday season? Oh well, I love to challenge myself :)

I hope you enjoy this adorable family we captured on a beautiful fall morning! We met earlier this year when I photographed Megan's brothers wedding. It was so fun to see them again and enjoy a family session together. Isn't their little man so handsome?! Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Monday Confessions on gratitude

      I hope that this isn't just white noise in a sea of gratitude posts but I think it's very important to all take a minute to reflect this week. I have to be honest, I have gotten a lot of comments lately like "you seem to handle the kids and business well." Please my friends, do not be fooled! I am already feeling the weight of today with work, phone calls to insurance and various other unglamorous mom tasks. If I have learned anything in my 33 years thus far, it's that with most blessings come huge responsibilities. My four children are my biggest blessings, but also my biggest and most exhausting responsibilities. The fact that I am an American woman who can own and operate my own business based of the college degree I earned at a university are all HUGE blessings. These things I take for granted are unimaginable in other countries in the world. The fact that I OWN property and AM NOT someone else's property are all still novel ideas across the globe! With that being said, my home, car, business and everything else can bless the socks off of me and wear me out at the same time!

   There is no super mom cape over here...sometimes I just have to lower the standards if I am honest. Some days it's about the business, some days it's about the house or the kids or my husband but RARELY can I do a great job at all of them. I am challenging myself though in this holiday season to slow down and soak it in. All the things that have to get done or that keep me awake at night (this is a whole different problem!) will in fact get done somehow and I need to not be frazzled in the meantime. I need to be present with my family and take a few minutes to meditate on my faith this season. 

 To be honest, my church has been on a generosity journey over the last 8 weeks that has really influenced my thinking. We've listened to sermons on gratitude, been challenged to think about how we use our own resources and as a church, have given away $55K over the last week in our town. One huge thing last week was that every adult over age 18 in attendance was handed an envelope with $20 in it and challenged to meet a need. Can I just say that it took having that $20 in my pocket last week to really SEE people? I found myself praying for even simple trips to the grocery store to see where God might be working. It's amazing what having an intention to meet a need will allow you to experience. So many stories poured in of people truly in need who got the $20 while others just were a blessing to someone who needed it that day! (My $20 story was short and sweet with a Starbucks barista!) We even collected and delivered 80 turkeys yesterday to a local food bank that was praying for someone to provide turkeys!

  I hope you too can find some peace and slow down this season to really see people. See the people around you that you love, as well as those in your community who might not feel like they matter. As you find challenges in your days, just look for the good! I am going to be challenged in the same way this week and have in fact already been forced to look for the good in this Monday morning :) (I mean don't you love spending 18 minutes on a phone call with your insurance provider when you've been billed in error? See the good: I have insurance and access to health care. That's how this is going down this week!) 

Monday Confessions, Patriotic thoughts

         Hello friends, I write to you this morning with many things on my mind. This time last Monday I was in New York City after almost missing my early morning train! I had the good fortune to be able to visit with a dear old friend while she was on the East coast. We also made my maiden voyage to Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. I cannot say how moving that it was, even as an adult to see these things in person. After the events of Friday night, it means even more to me that I so recently got to celebrate the importance of having France as an ally in this world and having the French as fellow supporters of liberty. 

1. I confess that I did not know the Statue of Liberty is only as thick as two copper pennies. She looks like such a solid form but she is indeed hollow. I also confess that I did not know that Gustave Eiffel played such a big role in the creation of the statue. 

2. Going through Ellis Island was also a moving experience. It was touching to think of people carrying all they had on their backs or in trunks to begin a new life in an uncertain world. I had the chance to chat with my 87 year old grandma on Friday and she was telling me how her grandparents came through Ellis Island as children from Germany. Each generation we are removed from that type of history and so it's important to have these conversations. 

3. I confess that yesterday afternoon the hubby, brothers in law, and I went to the shooting range.  When you have four kids, you take what you can get in the form of a 'date." I haven't been trap shooting in a while and it sounded like fun. Putting some ammo down range is actually a great time and the weather was perfect for the outdoor range. It's always good to have a little friendly competition among family too ;)

4. Also, at the aforementioned gun range, I got to chatting with a Vietnam Veteran. I thanked him and asked him a bit about his time of service (which can be a touchy thing but I think it's important to recognize such a pivotal time in a man's life). I was pleasantly surprised that he actually remembered those years fondly. Of course war is never fun, but he reminisced about being a paratrooper in the special forces and jumping from planes. He said, "I don't want this to come out wrong but I was truly glad to serve that time." He spent 18 months in Vietnam. Especially with Veteran's day last week, if you haven't taken a moment to thank a veteran, don't miss out! You might be blessed to hear their story. 

5. I am praying for Paris along with the world. Something you might not know is that my parents are quite fond of Paris and spend time there at least a couple times a year. It scares me to think that they could've easily been in a place where they were in danger. The reality is though, the world in which we live is unstable and bad things happen all over the place. I am thankful though for a very stable faith and unchanging God. 

   I didn't necessarily start out to write a patriot post, but I believe in these times in which we are living, we need more people to believe in the greatness of America. We are essentially a country made entirely from immigrants, hard work and a vision of what could be with a democratic, free market society. I will leave you with this thought from Mark Twain, "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." 

A mama and her boys!

    What can I say? There is always something special about photographing a mother and her sons! This session was autumn perfection with the leaves turning and a slight chill in the air. I love some of the connections we got between mother and son, as well as between brothers. I confess I did ask them at one point if they ever wrestled and who won....they immediately had to demonstrate :) Not to mention, these are some precious boys! Don't you just want to reach out and squeeze their cheeks?!

Monday Confessions

So I guess I was in a whirl of crazy last Monday and never go to post! Forgive me! Now it's already Halloween week and the year 2016 is knocking on our door...How can this be?! I know I sound like an old lady but these days I also feel like one! 

SO since it's Halloween week, I will make some confessions with that in mind...

1. I confess that Reese's Cups are my favorite candy! I confess that I definitely steal them from my kiddos bags! 

2. I confess that I am NOT a big scary movie fan. I actually don't think I slept for days when I got talked into watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre  in college one time! I just can't handle it....

3. If you're looking for a cute "halloween" book for kids, we love Room on the Broom. It's a cute story about a witch making room on her broom for new friends and in the end, they come to her rescue! Someone else told me about it last year and not only do we enjoy it, I believe Netflix has the short movie of it for viewing as well! 

4. I confess that I don't have anything to dress up as this year. Last year I went out with my kids at a "cow girl" - this year I will just look like "tired mom with a baby answering the door." 

5. I have been listening to Jenny & Tyler's new album, Of This I am Sure, and I love it! Their sound is great and I find myself singing the songs. There's a maturity to this album as they grow in life and music. If you like singer/songrwriter music, definitely grab this new album!

6. I confess it was strange to go to a wedding as an actual guest this past weekend. The hubs and I just got to enjoy celebrating with friends! I confess, that I didn't even take a camera! My iPhone 6 was all I had to capture anything and it suited me just fine. I think sometimes we just need to sit back and live the moments! Congrats to Ryan & Lauren! (It was also a fun wedding with some friends from the past as well as the present :)  As for my dress....Anthropolgie sale rack for the win!

Here's to Monday with no free coffee because the Eagles lost...sad day my friends! Have a great week! 

Life after baby, a vulnerable post

    First I need to thank my friend Stephanie of Luminosity for taking this after church on Sunday! It was a beautiful day and nice to capture the day that Benjamin was dedicated to the Lord. This family photo has gotten a lot of sweet comments in life and online from friends and family. It also kind of lets me take a deep breath and look at why I am so exhausted every day :) We never really see ourselves in these moments because we as moms are usually rushing through them. (I am even wearing a baby now while I attempt to type this and counting down the minutes until I have to put him back in the car seat to go get the preschooler.)

    You see, I look at this photo and all I can see is my heaviness. Although I did the best to disguise my body, I see it in my face. The struggle is real mamas. I am in danger of missing the blessings because I only see myself as heavy right now. I even get messages from other mamas trying to schedule their photo sessions saying, "I want to lose more baby weight to take these photos." I GET IT. If you follow my story at all, my fitness after kids was hard won. I have always been athletic but carrying twins and then another in less than 2 years took a toll on my physically and here I am again after number 4. I am here to tell you all that it's OK. It's OK if you are the mom that can't put her jeans back on after 4 weeks. I will be praying to have my real jeans back on by Benjamin's first birthday! This is why I even endeavored into health coaching in the first place. I am here WITH YOU. I struggle with the same things but I KNOW that persistence and hard work do get results. Despite what some may tell you, magical wraps or potions won't really get the job done for the long term. If they did, we would all do them. 

   I have to tell you that I follow a girl on instagram that had a baby via c-section the same week as Benjamin and I WANT TO PUNCH HER IN THE FACE (too much?!) :) But really, she was running 4 miles after like 6 weeks and just yesterday posted that her baby girl slept 8 hours?! Well, my sweet 12 week old didn't get that sleep memo! And you know what, if I can run two miles it's a good day. I am bone weary tired. It's the kind of tired that hurts. Everything just hurts. Don't get me wrong, I know that mothering and caring for four precious children is a GIFT. It's a gift that comes with a lot of responsibility though.

  Here's the hard truth, all we get is now my friends! My smaller jeans don't even go over my thighs but my kids are healthy. I tried to put on a shirt yesterday that the arms wouldn't even go through, but I fall into bed with a (tired) smile at the end of each day. I even dreamt last night that I was in a world of girls shopping for extra smalls and I couldn't find any extra larges! I wanted to cry in my dream. I know though, it's all about perspective. I am doing my best to take my journey back to a healthier weight for myself as a daily adventure. I am taking it one day at time with healthy choices. If you want help on your own journey to fitness, feel free to connect with me! I love accountability and I will be in your corner to tell you that you can do it too! (emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com) 

For real ladies...at my heaviest, I weighed MORE than my 6' 3' husband....I get it. I have been there. I know it just takes one foot in front of the other in the right direction! Off to get that preschooler now...and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Monday Confessions

    Well another Monday is upon us, although for many it's a holiday! Thank you Christopher Columbus for this one! I have all four kiddos home today and have had them all since Thursday after school! Can you sense me smiling from where you are?! Actually, I can't complain one bit. It was a beautiful weekend and I got caught up on a lot while having some family time as well. 

Yesterday was a beautiful day full of family! It started with dedicating our sweet Benjamin in church. In our denomination we commit to raise the child with the knowledge and love of the Lord until he makes his own decision for baptism. We had a lot of family join and support us yesterday as we made this commitment, as well as our church family. Later in the afternoon, we went to the pumpkin patch! Our kids love this annual tradition!

Here's a shot of mommy & Ben! (Extra points if you can spy daddy in the photo) ALL PHOTOS are credited to Matthew Troutman

So after a very full weekend, I am going to attempt to pick up the house a bit today even with the kids in it! Nonsense I know...

Just a few confessions for you today.

1. I confess that I got my FREE Dunkin Donuts coffee first thing this morning (Thank you Philadelphia Eagles!) and hit the grocery store before most of the world was even up! Feels good to get things going. 

2. I confess that math games homework at 8am should really require a second cup of coffee :)

3. Remember how I got hooked into watching Parenthood? I am in the middle of season 4! I am already dreading when I finish the series and have to say goodbye to the Bravermans! Why are there not more family shows like this on TV?! I have needed tissues almost every episode this season!

4. I am reading Hands Free Life, and like it's predecessor the Hands Free Mama, it's convicting. Just good to remind myself of how to filter through priorities in these very hectic days of raising babies and searching for meaning in it all. I am definitely guilty of distracted living and I want to try to make changes while I can! I don't want my kids to grow up thinking I didn't have time for them or everything else took precedence over them. I confess I really struggle with trying to always be productive and sometimes just miss the moments!

5. I confess that I love to cook in fall! I have been on a "no spending" journey this month (that's a whole different blog post!) so I have been challenged to cook with ingredients in my freezer and pantry. I have to say though it has truly opened my eyes to how much I think I need to "run to the store" but there are other foods I should be using up first! Last week I made a yummy easy corn chowder recipe and what is better than soup in the fall?! Yummy! Share your favorite fall recipe with me!

Have a great week everyone! 

A Sweet 6 months Session

     Life has a way of speeding past us doesn't it? I remember chatting with a mama friend about doing a newborn session and then she said, "we might just wait until he's 6 months for a session." Can I just say that I think that was the best decision ever?! I know those newborn days are sweet but I swear when I say this, the 6 months age is one of my favorite! The personality of the child starts to come through but they cannot yet escape you :) I enjoyed this 6 month session immensely because precious baby J could actually interact with me! I am way more into clients I can interact with, nothing against sweet sleeping newborns. What's not to love about the adorable world travel nursery as well?! I confess I also struggled to choose what to share so hopefully his mama & daddy don't mind me sharing so many! 

 Such a beautiful family!

For some reason this little series of images with daddy are my faves...

A personal fave!

Fall Wedding Sneak Peek

    Just a quick sneak peek from the beautiful fall wedding I photographed over the weekend here in Delaware. It was held the the lovely Montchanin Inn & Spa. We were battling winds and rain, but the time we had for photos went just perfectly!  Congrats to Amanda & Andy who are flying off to their honeymoon today!  (If you need a good restaurant suggestion in the area, Krazy Kats did all the food and it was amazing! When I tell you I never loved a brussell sprout in my life...they changed my opinion on them! Delish!)

Monday Confessions, it's October!

    My dear inter web friends, it's October! Part of me is so happy for this time of year but the other part of me is saying, how on earth can this year be coming to a rapid conclusion?! I love this quote to sum up how I feel a bit....

October also happens to represent a lot of awareness for different groups! So instead of my regular confessions today, I want to make you aware of a group that mean something to me. 

  October is Down Syndrome Awareness month, which is a time to dispel myths about the lives of many living with Down Syndrome. I admittedly did not know much about DS until a few years ago, some of our very best friends had a son born with it. I had other casual friends with kids with DS but I didn't get to spend enough time with them to truly learn. I have learned so much about what this syndrome does mean and what it does not mean through knowing Maddex.

    I don't think I can really roll it all up into one blog post honestly, but I know our little friend Maddex (& his many other friends with DS) have taught our family how to love without reserve. He has shown us that different doesn't at all mean "bad." He has shown us not to underestimate him one bit! He has shown us that perseverance pays off. He has shown us that even if you have to work a little harder for something, you can still achieve it!! 

Here's a photo from the beach this summer with Dex Man waving on the far right...

If you want to learn more about Down Syndrome or give to the cause, the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware is a great place to start! 

The J Family

   Hello friends! I honestly did not mean to miss blogging for an entire month but I have to be honest about priorities these days. Obviously my business is a priority but going on shoots and servicing clients is first. Blogging is a great way for me to share what I have been up to but it sometimes falls lower on the list and at the end of the day, I just don't get to it! I have missed it though and I will surely have some confessions next week! One of my recent shoots is the adorable J family! I have been honored to photograph them over the last 4 years each fall and document the growth of their children. I love seeing the changes in the kids and things like missing teeth and special manicures just make my day when photographing families! It certainly reminds me to treasure each season with our family because these days are fleeting! 

Do you not LOVE this toothy grin?!

She's such a beauty...Her daddy might need to make a plan to keep the boys away!

   On another note, I feel as though I am in a huge season of growth. Not only has my family and responsibility expanded again, but I am in a personal season of growth. Part of this season of growth is in my creativity and my photographic process. I am pushing myself creatively and trying not get stuck in a creative rut. Part of being a photographer can be that you find a "system" that might work for you but once it feels to familiar or easy, it doesn't feed your creative side as much. I am prayerful that my season of growth spills into my work and is evident! 

Monday Confessions, Labor Day

     Here's to the American work force and celebrating labor day! I am definitely thankful for a little more family time today as we head into the busy fall season full of school, photography and life in general! As always, I have had a few things rolling around in my brain that I need to confess this week...

1. As much as I love America, I think the U.S. has a current epidemic of lack of respect. I see this seeping in everywhere and it bothers me. Since when do we not respect our police force or public workers? Since when do we not respect laws? Even this morning I saw an awful video on the news where two high school football players completely blindsided and tackled a referee at their football game because they didn't like the calls. Let me say, I grew up with a dad that was very much "question authority" but he also would always have said, "respect authority."  We might not always like what those in authority have to say or what they do (and there are those who abuse it, which is a different conversation) but I do think we need to do an assessment of how we treat each other. This lack of respect can be dangerous if left unchecked! 

2. I am super bummed that Tim Tebow is done before he got started on the Eagles! I was so excited to watch him play in Philly and thought it might even give me some added interest to watch. Why Philly why?!

3. Parenthood. Where have I been?! I am super late to the party but bless Amazon Prime for allowing me to watch this touching show in consecutive episodes. I think though that the timing of watching it now has been good for me. I have been home a lot so it gives me something to check out now and then when feeding the baby. I know it's just a tv show but it has encouraged me that you can raise four kids to grow up to be each other's best friends. I pray for that in the long run with my family!

4. I am reading Through the Gates of Splendor, which is the tale of 5 missionaries in the 50s who went to share the gospel in the Jungle in Ecuador. I basically keep finding myself reading incredulously that people would be so motivated by love to want to share the gospel so badly. In general, most of us struggle with being inconvenienced or giving up comfort. These missionaries gave up everything and in fact, persued a tribe that were openly known as killers. I mean you had me at jungle heat with no air-conditioning, snakes and giant bugs....you throw in a tribe of killers with spears and I am pretty sure I will bow out. I was just reading a chapter where one of the wives was 7 months pregnant and walking into the jungle with a machete...Don't even get me started on contemplating having an infant in those circumstances. (The movie End of the Spear was based on this true story) 

5. Did you know the Power Rangers are in their 22 season and my kids love this weird show?! The bad guys are so odd and it still seems a bit cheesy but they can't get enough! This "team" of rangers is the Dino Charge edition. They even had the Red Ranger come to their birthday party this summer! I guess you never know which shows will last and be popular?! 

As for photography, I have a stack of personal editing to get to but anticipating a busy fall season! I still have select September and October availability if you're interested in a session! emily@ emilytroutmanphoto.com   

And for those of you wondering...yes I am surviving with a 6 week old but some days aren't cute :) Have a great week! 

Monday Confessions, Late Edition

Hello friends. I have been wanting to write all day but every time I would try to start, something would happen (and even the writing of this has been interrupted multiple times). I am being consistently reminded that life with a newborn is so inconsistent! I should also mention that I am running on very little sleep, so if anything is incoherent then you know why! I definitely didn't want to miss my chance to confess today, so here goes...

1. I confess that my family ate ice cream for dinner last night. We were swimming  and I just said "hey, who wants to go get ice cream for dinner?!" Dean replied with, "you're joking, right mom?" I wasn't kidding though. I heard a friend who did this once a summer and the kids always loved it. We went to Somerset Farm in Bear, DE and it was DELISH! (I did have the kids eat a bowl of cereal too when they got home because I didn't want them to starve). I think it's important to lighten up once in a while from the norm and do something fun! And hey, no one complained!

2. My sister in law got married on Saturday. It's one of those things that you hear about, plan and wait for but it comes and goes so quickly! It was fun to see the wedding through my kids eyes because they adored being a part of it all. They were even "playing wedding" the next day. For me it was a nice time to take a step back and see all that I have to be thankful for!

Congrats Ashley & Kenny, I know you're enjoying Barbados right now! (I am green with envy!)

I know that I am biased but these are beautiful children...

3. I confess that I just got my first large box of Pumpkin Spice K-Cups and actually drank the first one today! I know we are kicking off a heat wave here in the northeast but I am mentally ready for fall! 

4. If you haven't seen the new Jim Gaffigan show on TV Land, you're missing out. We watched the episodes last week and my husband laughed so hard he was in tears! It helps that we now have 4 kids so a lot of his family life jokes were hilarious to us. Do yourself a favor and watch it tonight! 

5. I confess we have been majorly touched by the generosity of friends recently. We have friends that are so good to us! Just today a friend stopped by on her way out of town to bless me with a hug, a hello and generous gift card for dinner out! How loved are we?! I am constantly reminded that we have some wonderful friends and we don't deserve all their goodness!!

6. Our extended family is at the beach this week in NC and I confess that I wish we were too. Don't get me wrong, we were invited but our kids start school this week! There's nothing we love more as a family than being beach bums for vacation! 

7. I finished up Jen Hatmaker's For the Love last week and I was sad when it was over! The topics meandered a bit but I enjoyed that. It was easy to pick up and put down. It had me laughing, it had me crying and other feelings in between.

It definitely drove home the point to me that my time with my kids in the house is limited and I want to make the most of it! I don't want to squander our time but I also don't want to pressure the heck out of myself to try to create some unrealistically magical childhood. It's important to let kids learn from life. I read the book with a pencil and I underlined so much! I think I could stand reading it again on a regular basis. I think a review of this book might merit it's own blog post another day! 

8. I have two FIRST GRADERS in the house!! How is that possible?! Come Wednesday morning I will be one part sappy crying and another part happy cheering them on! I do love embracing the next season for each kid as time rolls on past us! 

9. I confess that I think a part of parenthood is imparting your musical tastes or at least your musical knowledges on your kids. I got many a lesson on Eric Clapton in the back seat of a Bronco in my child hood. We know have been enjoying our kids picking up on different music that we listen to. I had to smile today as my kids were upstairs playing and I could hear Macy singing a Mumford and Sons song. It also makes me realize just how much the kids so easily absorb so I guess we better make sure it's good stuff! 

10. And just to round it out to ten...I confess that I am looking forward to pumpkin donut munchkins at Dunkin Donuts. Don't judge, they're delicious! 

Monday Confessions, Life with baby number 4

        Hey friends! We have made it through the first couple weeks of life with baby number four. It has had many delightful moments but also some trying ones. It has certainly been a transition period for all of us, but that being said, we ADORE Benjamin! He has already added so much to our family and we feel complete!

   I definitely have had some things to confess as I mull over the last couple weeks...

1.    I have become very aware of my own phone addiction. It's strange how only having an iPhone for couple years has become such a part of my daily life. It definitely has so many advantages but my eyes have been opened lately to how dependent I have become on it. Sometimes this reliance on my phone can be dangerous (like in the car) which I am majorly changing. Nothing is really worth it...cue the recent AT&T commercial with the mom wrecking the car posting a photo of her daughter. It also infiltrates our lives more than we know....when I have my 4 & 6 Year olds playing and I hear them saying "put that on Facebook" or "lets get on YouTube" - I know something needs to change. Do any of you do phone free hours or just check it at certain times? (I struggle with needing social media for business but I digress...)

2.    One thing we have been dealing with among our kids is learning to respect each others things. I think 99% of their altercations come about from the kids either taking, touching or fighting over things. I think that there are certain special things that the kids can control if others touch or not, but there are so many toys or things that are just community property as far as I am concerned. How do some of you deal with this among siblings? I am not all about refereeing the kids all the time but some good guidelines to help them to learn to respect each other and their things would be nice. 

3.    I have some favorite websites that I visit often, which I confess is sometimes more often than I should! One of these favorite websites though is 6pm.com. If you haven't already heard of this site, you need to go! It's all name brand items, sometimes last year's version (who cares?!) but it's always free shipping. The prices are usually great prices as well, especially on things like North Face or Under Armour. 

4. Matt and I celebrate our ninth anniversary this week! Really not sure how that's at all possible?!

From our honeymoon in Dominican Republic: (Were we ever that young and thin?!) 

5. I confess I love cooking shows, but I think I would love cooking even more too if someone else was doing all the dishes! Am I right?! Being home with the baby the last few weeks, I have logged too many hours on Food Network but it's getting me some ideas to cook for the fall. Mostly though, it just makes me hungry when watching and I have been bad at snacking! :( My current favorite shows are still Pioneer Woman and Trisha Yearwood. They both make recipes that I might actually be able to recreate! 

6. All this food talk leads me to my next confession, I am really wrestling with the post-baby body. This is nothing new for me and I mostly just preach to myself that healthy babies are TRULY miracles, so me having to lose some weight isn't the end of the world. I think I am maybe wrestling with unrealistic expectations. I thought that with being in better shape and having worked out into my last trimester, that I wouldn't have a big baby belly. Well friends, not so. The good news is though I am starting to clean up my eating (it's gotten way off track in survival mode) and I can't wait to be cleared for exercise again in September! Taking my own advice on this one and giving myself grace...but also making a plan!

7. I am going to be in a wedding in a few weekends and I am thinking over what to do with my hair. It's August so I am thinking of getting it up. Have any favorite up-do styles you love that I need to see?!

8. Anyone else bummed on all these celebrity couple divorce announcements? I was saddened by Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner but then TOTALLY shocked by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale. People, you've been married over a decade...can't we work it out?! I realize that I know none of these people personally but it just seems sad that they've been married a good, long time and have kiddos involved. All I have to say is that if Faith & Tim ever announce a split..there's no hope!  (sarcastic but kind of true right?!) 

9. I am now booking photo sessions for fall!! It's my favorite season to photograph outdoors! Ok, I like all the different seasons but it's hard to beat autumn. I am running a special that includes your favorite 3 digital files with your photo session fee (if you book your session by August 31, session can happen any time between now and end of year). Contact me for availability, emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com

10. I am going to attempt to make some "clean treats" this afternoon to start back on track! (I didn't want to end on an odd number today :) Favorite clean treats?!

Have a great week my friends!! 

Monday Confessions, Baby Week!!

       Hello my internet friends, sorry I have been MIA the last couple Mondays. I had the very best intentions of blogging but you know how that can go. The good news is that I have been fitting in family, baby preparations and wrapping up photo sessions from this first half of summer in order to be ready for baby's arrival this Friday! Yes, I know…THIS FRIDAY. Not possible right?! I assure you it is and I am counting down. I am most certainly in that space of being aware of what is coming but also anxious to meet this little man. So what has been going on that I need to confess you ask?

1. I confess even at 9 months pregnant, I am not beyond flattery. At a friends baby shower last weekend her sweet cousin said to me, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Malin Ackerman?" After I stopped laughing like a school girl, I thanked her for making my day! I will take that compliment and run with it for months…. Maybe it was just a really good hair day!

This is Malin…

And I currently look like this…haha…one of these is not like the other?! 

2. This leads me to my next confession though, I was NOT going to do any maternity photos this time around. It seems so crazy coming from a photographer right? Well I struggle with all the same things other mamas do about bodies and babies and image, etc. It was a sweet photographer friend, Christina Vance, that caught me at the right moment and I had a change of heart. Boy am I glad that I did have that change of heart or I would've missed out on getting some beautiful images of baby boy still in my belly! (I would also probably have to explain later to child number 4 why he had no photos like his brothers and sister!)  If you are in need of a maternity or newborn photographer in the next but while I am on maternity leave, please feel free to contact Christina and tell her I sent you! 

3. I confess that I cannot WAIT to get back into my fitness routine. The last 8 weeks have really prevented me from doing much other than taking care of my kiddos, house, work and some walking. I have literally been having dreams of running and burpees….I know, that might be cause for questioning my sanity. But if you know me, you know that exercise has become a form of sanity for me in recent years so I will behave myself and wait until I am cleared for exercise but you better believe when the time comes, I will be ready! I might huff and puff but I will be thankful for the body that allowed me to bring another life into the world and not beat myself up! One day at a time… (Shaun T's new CIZE program releases today! Let me know if you want in on the dance party!!)

4. Last week I heard a great quote, "your children are not your vanity project." I am sorry I already forget to give credit for that but it has really got me thinking. The author was saying that it's OK if kids want to go out in rain boots or mismatched clothing, they're kids! We do not need to extend our own vanity to them on a daily basis. This has been a bit freeing for me. I will obviously enforce mama's authority for certain venues or situations but if you see my kid running around in tall Batman socks when it's 90 degrees, please know that's because he chose them! 

5. My 3 kids are all swimming in the deep end without assistance!!! This is a big summer for us! It has been so exciting to watch them all blossom in the pool and just have a blast in general when it comes to swimming. Last week they started asking how to dive…we might need to find a swim team in their future!

6. I recently finished up reading Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies.  I enjoyed the read very much. It was easy to get into, and also to pick up and put down, which are essentials for me at this point. It was a sometimes funny insight into the world of kindergarten parents but also shined a bit of light on domestic violence. Domestic violence really can hide behind a variety of closed doors. 

7. We had a little special treat and got to escape to the beach this weekend to spend time together, as well as with some family and friends. I am so thankful that I feel like we have packed in so much this summer together as a family! Is there anything better than reading a book in a chair while your kids happily play?! The hubby caught a shark though…and I REALLY don't know how I feel about that?! Where was it's big mama shark?!!!

8. This morning's verse in my devotional, Savor, had perfect timing! "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 I might find myself clinging to that truth a lot in the weeks to come! 

Well my friends, it might be a few weeks before you hear from me on the blog but please follow on Instagram or Facebook to hear baby updates or momentary insanity confessions :) Say a prayer for us for our delivery on Friday morning!

Sweet Summertime

    It's been a whirlwind of a summer already and I am ALWAYS excited when a family contacts me to inquire about getting a photo session. Liz dropped me a note one morning and said, "I was interested in getting our family pictures taken. Just the 5 of us. Didn't think [the place] at the mall could capture some moments like you could." I love this and take it to heart. When a family contacts me to get photos, it's not just for the pretty pictures, but to truly capture the family as they are in this season of their lives! 

   I mean, have you seen any cuter boys?! I think that Liz & Pete will have to unhook their phone from the wall in their teenage years!! Thankful for a pretty summer morning that worked out to get this session in! 

I love this sweetness of a mama with her boys…

This kiddo is all adventure…

See what I mean about these boys all together? So adorable!!

Love the cheekiness here…it's showing that personality!

Beautiful June Wedding, White Clay Creek Country Club

     You truly never know what life will throw at you and being a wedding photographer, my life (especially my summers) can be planned a year in advance due to wedding season. Imagine my surprise last fall when I found out I was expecting a baby in mid-summer and had to think through how I could work my weddings! Thankfully the dates have worked out and I have had amazing couples to work with. This early June wedding was an absolutely beautiful day! Although the wedding took place exactly one mile from the Beau Biden funeral services, there were none of the snags we anticipated!

    Ashley & Ryan have such a fun and natural chemistry together. I enjoyed capturing their day and being with their family and guests! Enjoy these selected images from their big day!

Ceremony: St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Wilmington, DE

Reception: White Clay Creek Country Club, Newark, DE

The Power of Kind Words

     I have been giving some thought lately on all the information we are bombarded with on a daily basis. We are constantly being told things and shown things, both in our daily interactions with family as well as media input. I don't need to even start to think of how social media impacts us (I am sure entire books are being written on this subject). The news has been so hard to swallow lately, with all sorts of horrible things happening as well as just societal changes constantly taking place. I understand that we cannot live in a world of consistent comfort or complacency, because we would never move forward.

It's in these times though that I realize the absolute power and beauty in KIND words. Kind words can change your day and even your life over the long run. As a photographer, we are usually quick to only hear critiques of our work or pricing, etc from people. In general, it can be daunting to run a business and deal with keeping clients happy. In the midst of wedding season, I just got a beautiful note from a bride who was celebrating her first anniversary. I share this not as a prideful thing, but as an encouragement. When you have something nice to tell someone else, you should!

Here's what my bride had to say, "Just a note as we come close to our one year anniversary to say how much I appreciate your attention to detail. We are at a wedding where the photographer took 1 picture of every moment THATS IT! Never met a wedding photographer who got it perfect shot the first time every time." 

Humbly I admit, I definitely don't always get it perfect every time but I am glad she saw it this way! As a business owner, there's nothing I can do better than to make my clients happy and hope that they will refer me to others. I have learned countless things after over 10 years in business and mostly I beat myself up when I realize I could be doing it differently…better…or compare too much to others. It can be hard to keep going, but then you get a note like this. These kind words remind me of why I do what I do. I captured a wedding day for ONE couple that will never forget it!

If you didn't catch this on Facebook, here's what I am working on this week…