Reminders

My sixth anniversary is coming up in about 2 weeks. I can't believe its been that long, but some days it seems like its been much longer. Don't judge...anyone who is married has "those days". ;)

As many weddings as I've been shooting recently its been a nice reminder of all the sweet wedding/newlywed memories. I still remember it so vividly, and it brings back all those warm fuzzies each time I shoot a wedding.

I'm a cryer. (Is that a word?) And I have to confess a few times, watching a newly married couple, its hard to be professional and not tear up. I mean, who wants a weepy photog?

But seriously, as we inch up on 6 years, I'm grateful for the opportunity to be reminded so frequently of the vows we made, and the love we share. I hope that the next 60 are even better.

  

The first shot is for Trendy Treehouse, Second for Sweet Shot.

Playing Favorites

I know they say you're not supposed to have favorites, but I must confess. I have one. A favorite client that is. He smiles like its his job, I've never seen him cry, and the biggest tragedy during one of our shoots was eating a flower.

He's pretty handsome, huh? And he turned the big "1" this month. Its been fun watching him grow this last year. Happy birthday, Garrett! You make my job pretty easy...but don't tell anybody. ;)

In the Genes

I have been able to do a lot of "practicing" with photography on various family members. It's always fun to take pictures of family...people that you know really well and are comfortable with. Also people who don't care when you show up to a shoot in your gym shorts and complain about the bugs and heat. ;)

I got to do another family session with one of my cousins. I seem to have no end to gorgeous cousins. They really make me look like a better photographer than I am because they are so stinkin' good looking. :) I also took some shots of her little girl, who is a couple of months younger than my Tizzy. They seem to like each other, I guess.

I realized yesterday (Thursday afternoon) on the way to this shoot, that I'll have done four session by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around. While I love shooting, and am very excited, I think I'll have a DSLR hangover come Monday. But like I said, it's a good problem to have, and I'm grateful for all the people who trust me with their faces. ;)

It's Time

You might need to buy a couch when:

Just a little scene from our living room. The kids are loving the open space, but I'm feeling pretty silly sitting on the floor/coffee table whenever we want to watch TV. We sold our last couch because it was ridiculously ugly. But I haven't found a couch I'm in love with yet, so we are couchless.

Any recommendations on where to find a great couch are welcome! I'm not even sure where to start.

Lost and Found

I've felt so disconnected since the move. Kind of lost. None of my stuff is where I expect it to be, my house doesn't smell quite right yet, (You know how you move, and your house doesn't smell familiar) and I haven't had much time for photography other than the necessary. (Wedding shooting, editing, etc...nothing just for me.)

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our new place, and the location, so much. I'm just not used to it yet. I love that the kids love it, and that they yell "bye, new house!" whenever we go somewhere. They love playing in the little fenced in backyard, and I love that they can't get out of it. It's really pretty out there, and I don't worry that they can get into too much trouble.

I think it helped yesterday when I just stopped putting things away, stopped scrubbing (it's not dirty, but it's like I feel like I needed to scrub the last tenant completely out of the house before I felt comfortable. Is that weird? Someone please tell me no...) and went outside with my little guy and my camera. It definitely felt like home, and felt like I'd found a little relaxation and that "I'm home" feeling.

I think it's just something that's so much a part of our daily lives. The kids playing, me taking pictures. It made us all feel a bit more back to normal. Even down to the "mom, stop taking my pich-ugg", which is Merrick for picture. ;)

Second shot for Perceptive Perspective &YouCapture, Third for Sweet Shot, Last for Trendy Treehouse

Blue Angels and Grumpy Kids

Yesterday we had the chance to go to an airshow, or rather, sit on a hill near an airshow, and watch the Blue Angels perform. I had actually seen them before, when I was a little bit younger, but it's always fun to watch your kids get to see things for the first time.

They did spend a good part of the performance with their hands over their ears, but they seemed pretty impressed by the airplanes. Well, mostly the noise, and the smoke they left behind, but still. It was good to drown out Tirzah's constant stream of crying and whining for a bit while listening to the jet noise. It was really hot outside, and we'd been sitting there awhile, so I'll give her a bit of a break. Even though our hill-sitting neighbors seemed to try to discretely move farther away from her sound barrier.

Merrick was also pretty convinced that he could scream loud enough to make the airplanes stop, and if he couldn't get them to stop, then surely Spiderman could. Not sure if he was just trying ot show the planes who was boss, or if he really wanted them to stop. I think it was the latter, because he was a bit upset when they did finally land. I guess establishing your territory starts young with the man children.

Tirzah, while impressed with the planes and all that, was more impressed with my sister's new dog, and with the cheez-its and muffins my mom brought with her. To each her own, I guess. ;)

  

Check out more shots at Paper Heart Camera 

(The last shot is my pick for this week)

A Family Thing

Photography is something that I've been doing since high school. Not seriously, but I've always been interested. People started asking for sessions about a year ago, and then weddings. Its been a whirlwind of learning and finding myself behind the lens.

Even more recently several (as in 3 of  the 4) of my sisters and I have started shooting weddings together. We had our first wedding we were shooting together last weekend. It was so much fun, and the girls did great. I'm really impressed with how fast they are learning.

The couple was so much fun to shoot. So happy, in-love, and totally laid back. I feel like we hit the wedding jackpot they were so awesome. Wishing them the best in their new life together!

We have several more weddings scheduled this summer, and are looking to get busy. :) Seriously though, if you know anybody in our area getting married we're your man, uh, sisters. Shameless plug, but hey, we'd love to do it. Check out our website if you have a second! We'd love a visit. Happy wedding season everybody!

All of Creation

All of creation sing with me now, lift up your voice and lay your burden down.

And all of creation sing with me now, fill up the heavens let his glory resound.

The reason we breathe is to sing of his glory / Mercy Me

New Material

As I'm writing this, we are "settling" into our new house. These pictures I took of Merrick last week will probably be the last from our old place. I'm not sure that I'll really miss it, but I may change my mind after I wrestle Tirzah off the stairs a few more times. (NEED a baby gate again)

I'm happy to be here, finally not moving things back and forth. Now the unpacking begins...which I'm not dreading nearly like I was the actual packing. (My apologies about the complaining I probably did)

I'm sure you can expect lots of new angles, new memories, and new stories from over here. Hopefully none about Tirzah falling down the stairs...again.

  

The first shot is for Sweet Shot, Second is for Shutter Love, Third is for Perceptive Perspectives

Thorny

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses. / Alphonse Karr

Today, as we are making the official move. You can just picture me, stressed out, chewing my nails, herding children, and dropping things on my toes. I am going to do my best to remember and live by that quote. This move is something that I think is going to be a blessing to our family. We'll finally have more space, and be closer to so many things. Sure, the moving isn't fun, but it's just the thorn on the rose.

Friends and Family

Tis the season for graduations. I remember when I graduated from college. What a great feeling. You feel so free. Ready to start "real life" and be done with those crazy classes and exams, professors and huge workloads. Funny thing is, looking back on it I think I realize how much free time I actually had. Full time student is definitely a lighter load than full time mommy. ;)

But still, I enjoyed working, and now I definitely enjoy being a SAHM, except for the occasional day where no one naps, colors the wall with Sharpie, or pukes all over me. Some of my days off I even get to do things like this photo shoot. A family session planned in honor of the youngest brother's graduation.

The three brothers acted like they were great friends, and joked on each other the entire session. It made for a great atmosphere, and showed me how much fun this family, and group of friends, have together. Congratulations to all the recent graduates!

Check out more shots at The Paper Mama

(The second shot is my pick for this week)

What day is it?

I feel like I haven't blogged in awhile, even though in reality it's only been a couple of days. The reason? We've been doing lots of this:

And then more of this:

We are in the middle of moving week, and I can barely keep the kids from swimming in buckets of paint and eating the boxes I'm packing things in, much less blog. But here's to next Monday, when we are officially "moved", and I can relax. I mean, unpack. ;)

It's a bird...

...it's a plane. It's SuperMom? I think super is in the eye of the beholder, and when Merrick tells me "Mom, you're cute!", or Tirzah says "yuv yoooo mommy", I think that's about as super as it gets. I may leave piles of unwashed dishes sitting for too long, and occasionally refuse to fix dinner, and have a mood swing or two...hundred, but they love me.

And good grief, I love them. I know that sometimes people view motherhood as what you do when you're done doing what you've always wanted to do. After you've had your job, made money, traveled all around, lived it up, etc. (And sure, being a mom isn't for everybody, and may not be possible for everybody. I am not saying it is by any means.) But for me, being a mom is that "what I want to do". It's the sweet spot. The photographer gig is nice, but it doesn't hug me with dirty sticky little fingers at the end of a long day. It doesn't look in my eyes and say "mom, i wuv you". It wasn't the face I prayed over, and anticipated seeing for 37 and 40 weeks. When they were just little pink lines on a pregnancy test, they were already so embedded in my heart that it was impossible to imagine life before them.

I'm blessed to be doing what I love. Motherhood isn't for the faint of heart. Anyone who is a mom, or even wants to be a mom, knows that. You spend your day (or dream of spending it) wiping boogers and butts, bent over picking up toys, fixing countless cups of juice and singing ridiculous songs about trains and backpacks. Getting no sleep and often going broke for the sake of diapers and baby food. But it teaches you that there are people more important in the world than yourself. And one of my favorite things about being a mom, is that it's taught me that if I love these little people so much with my imperfect heart...imagine how much better my Father loves them, and me?

Thanks to all the girls out there who give so much because they love so much. Happy Mother's Day!

Corny

Ok, so I do not like corn. I don't mind it so much off the cob. But on the cob it gets stuck in your teeth, it gets on your face, and don't even mention the trauma of being in high school and not being able to even eat the stuff because you have braces. For four years. I married into a family of corn eaters, however. Well, I married a guy who likes it, and so do his offpsring.

I tried to eat it, I really did. But in the end the kids literally were fighting over the ear of corn that I didn't want to eat. (Although I covered it up like I was being all sweet sharing my corn with them) I know, I shouldn't discriminate between the yellow and the green veggies (is corn even a veggie...I mean, what is it?) and I definitely make them eat the green ones.

If Billy didn't like it so much I think this would be one of those foods that my kids would get to college and ask in the dining hall, "Hey, what is that stuff? We never ate that at home." ;)

Check out more shots at The Paper Mama 

(The second shot is my pick for this week)

New Memories

We are full on into the moving process now. I'm not even a fan of packing for a trip, much less for a move. But at the same time I love how moving helps you simplify and get rid of things you don't need, and also leads you to find things with special memories attached that you haven't seen in awhile.



This next few weeks are going to be fun, busy, stressful, and bittersweet all at the same time. I'm ready to move now, set down my roots in a new place (that really isn't too far from home now). I'll miss this place where we've made so many memories, but I'm sure we'll waste no time filling the new place with them.

The Real Reason

I think as far as weather and climate, ol' VA is a pretty stable location. We've never had to deal with severe weather, we get to enjoy a variety of seasons (although we all know I prefer the hot one), and there aren't any crazy predators wandering around other than my children.

It makes me grateful that all this severe weather we've been hearing of around the world (tornados, earthquakes, tsunamis) really doesn't affect us that often. Sure we had a couple of tornados here last week, but that's not the norm. I really can't wrap my mind around what these people are going through, and I kind of feel guilty for that. We are here, safe so much of the time, that I often take it for granted.

I think that I've been made aware of the fact that just because I'm not directly affected by this weather, doesn't really mean it doesn't affect me. People around the world have lost homes, or more importantly, people they love. As another human, as a follower of Christ, I'm called to "bear another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2). So, even if my family is safe, and my house is still standing, I now realize the reason for that probably isn't where I live. The reason is so that I can take in someone who may not have been so fortunate.

First shot is my pick for Trendy Treehouse, Second is my pick for Sweet Shot, and Third is for Perceptive Perspectives.

Just another manic...

(Everybody now!) ...MONDAY. I feel like I've been doing this a lot lately...this saying "ohmygosh I'm so busy". So I'll try not to say it again. But, finally I can give more details about all our "changes" around here. My husband has a new job as a Director of Operations with a local Chick-Fil-A, so that's the reason for our big (as in 25 minute) move! We are very excited about this move, as it will simplify our crazy schedule, allow him to have a single job, and free up more time for us as a family, and also more time for stuff like this: (photoshoots, hobbies, sleeping...ok, maybe not sleeping. Who does that?)

We are really going to miss the students/people we've worked with these last three years or so. Both my babies were born while at this church, practically raised in the nursery and in the gymnasium where we spend so much time with the students. (Both of these girls who I did a shoot with last weekend were/are students as well as family) It's going to be so...weird. But an exciting kind of weird. Which is, I guess, the best kind of weird you can get.

Here's to changes, and to all the people who have prayed/loved/hugged/helped us to where we are right now, and are supporting us as we see what God has next for us.