Happy Engagment!

As a wedding photographer I am in the position to see a bride at her best and sometime her worse!! I have learned so much about "the big day" as I try to tell a story with my images. What I haven't been able to do as much as I want is to hear the beginning of the story. Tonight I was touched by one couple's courageous determination to continue to live life to it's fullest after so many set backs. I think sometimes we take for granted that our dad will be there to walk us down the isle, our brother will be our best man, or sister will be our maid of honor. Life is sometimes cut so short, but the desire to continue is such an awesome step of Faith. I will pray for continues strength as you plan this big day with spectators both here and looking down from above. Thank you again for inviting me into your world. You all are so strong, and you are such an inspiration.

Slower Pace... it is possible..look for bugs with a little boy!!!

Another fun little session. Thank you so much Brody for showing me a new way to look at trees, dirt and bugs. Seeing life threw a 2 year olds eyes is a whole new world. It is a huge world...they hear an airplane and it lights up their face, they see a bug fly by and it makes there moment... I love how simplistic their life is, so easy, so enjoyable. Stopping and seeing what rocks a little boys world pushed me to a slower pace, I love the fact that I can slow down. Thank you little Brody for welcoming me into your world. And to you Cayden, you are the BEST big brother ever. I could have never done it with out you. You are the best back pack carrier and the best reflector holder ever!!! Thank you Heidi for sharing your boys with me!

Take time to appreciate the dirt

Can you believe that my little man is becoming a big man?! Little Phin turned 8 months old. So my family got out to some highly infested bug sanctuary to do another session. I am so blessed. While I was trying to keep Mariana out of my light, keep my husband holding the reflector correctly and balance where I was telling him to put Phinley, I learned a little lesson. Well maybe a big lesson. Being a photographer I have been blessed with the capability to produce perfect images, some that have some times been good enough for a billboard. Last night my work road and motherhood road crossed paths.
I was working so hard to get the perfect 8 months shot of Phin-man, Mariana was helping, but defiantly was not dressed for the occasion! Mariana had food slopped down her shirt, hair not brushed and no pretty (bow)....those are must have for pictures right. Nope, I learned that her perfect little face will only be this little today, her little messed up dirty shirt, not matching shoes will only work for today. One day she may insist that she match, have expensive brand name clothes, and refuse to help me with her little brother's pictures. She just wanted to help me, make my picture better, make her brother smile, and all the while I didn't take the time to compliment that. I was more worried about the perfect shot. Pictures are meant to tell a story. So my lesson last night and today is, let them, don't gussy them up to be something they are not. Let the dirty face ones make the cut, let the miss matched shoes make the cut, let the kicking, screaming ones be part of the story you are telling. Little Phin is bowing his head in these, that one is my favorite, he had had enough. Man what it must be like to be a photographer's child huh!!!!! Thank you Lord for always finding a way to help me see life how You want me to see it. Thank you for showing me those little pockets of joy that I miss most of the time because I am too busy to see them, I think from now on my motto will not be, "take time to smell the flowers" but "take time to appreciate the dirt" Well there you go, I am real, I am a mom, and I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands, but what I do have I love to allow my kids to make me a better person.

Sydney Update

The birth I posted a couple of weeks ago of baby Sydney is now updated!! Here she is, a little cleaner, bigger and so sweet. She is loved by big sister and brother...hats off to mom...3 babies under 3!! Thank you Lord for our little blessings, and for patience. My latest prayer has been for endurance, it seems like motherhood is one big race, and needing endurance has been huge to me. Thank you again for giving me the honor or photographing such an amazing time of your babies life. I feel so blessed. Birth announcements are coming!!!

little natalie

Thank you so much little Natalie for another amazing session. Just a couple of fun shots from Natalie's flower patch session. Natalie is one of my clients that I have been photographing since birth. I am so blessed to be able to share these mile stones with so many beautiful children. Thank you so much for your commitment to your children to make sure that they get what the first child gets!! That is a hard commitment to make. Suggestions to all, just schedule ahead, put it in the calender and schedule around it, and make it happen.

I am crazy busy, so thank you all for your patience with call backs and emails that you get at midnight, I know some times those emails that I type that late are a little scketchy. Home front is doing well, little Phin-man is turning into a big Phin man, he got his first tooth yesterday, started crawling 3 days before that, and is just adding so much to our lives. I am takeling home made baby food, and it is going well, any suggestions or good recipes are always welcome.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful sister today...

Happy camping to our family, we will be leaving Sunday on our first camping trip....talk to you all when I return, if I come home in one piece, I will probablly be one big fat mesquito bite, but I am trying it. I think as long as there is good food, fun people and family, it can't be that bad.

Have a good weekend

little natalie

opps last one

I didn't have room for the birthday picture...HAPPY 1ST BIRHTDAY PIPER!!!!!!

Goldie is in the house!!!

Well, I am always looking for different, stand-outish, fun new things to photograph with and on....meet my newest, her name is Goldie!! She is an 1800th century...or so they told me... couch and chair, I love it, thank you so much little Piper for being my little . I feel so blessed to be able to share this new addition with you all. It is a fun new little toy in the Amy Lawrence Photography world... it took some talking into, some times husbands just don't see the value in these kinds of purchases... But us wives have to stick together huh!!! So grab your browns, golds and yellows and come on in!!

Also, isn't little Piper's mom so talented, she made both the floral hair band, tu-tu and birthday hat in these pictures. You have have given your daughter such a memory by making these precious little gifts. Thank you for sharing them with me. Piper's mom has offered them to me, I plan to learn how to make all and share with you... look for those items when I get a couple of extra minutes that I am feeling crafty with!!

Can I just say how blessed I feel to call so many of you not only my clients but my friends. I am so grateful to share stories of babies, spit up, reflux.. you name it with you. I am just so blessed to get a dose of reality, friendship, and creativity every time I step behind the camera. Thank you all who share your little ones lives with me. I am honored to do what I do.

If any one else has a fun crafty idea I would love for you to share that with me. What an amazing gift we can give our child... a home made, heart made gift. Thank you all for welcoming Goldie to the studio, I will keep you all posted of all of her potential and possibilities!!!

God Bless all....

First Christmas Card

I have just completed my first Christmas Card. Congratulations to the Schroeder family for officially being on top of things!!! I am booking up already for Christmas sessions, so let me know if you need in my planner before I book up!!! It sounds so crazy to be saying that in July, I feel like I am still recovering from last season!

My best friend is having a baby

One of the hardest things about growing up is having your old friends move away. I am so blessed to have a network of friends, I think I can go to any state and find a long lost friend... even if they don't want to claim me!!!! It breaks my heart to think I can not offer my big fat hugs kisses and of course pictures on a daily basis, but here is what we were able to get at one of my best friend's shower. Thanks Nikki-knikki! You are beautiful and I am so grateful that I was able to share part of your pregnancy with you. I read this somewhere, I don't remember where, but It will always stick with me. "Pregnancy is that time in your life when you can sit, relax, and be amazinlgy productive all at the same time." So you go , you just sit, I will be praying for you, skinny ankels, good epidural, fast recovery, and good night sleep. Dave thank you for loving my best friend like she deserves! Keep up the good work. Love you all.....

New additions...

We have a new little addition, and I am so grateful to have shared yet another birth with a little miracle baby. Sydney Ryan was born at 4:18, 6 lb 6 oz. I love love love photographing births. I feel so honored being able to capture the look on mama's face as she pushes so hard, then finally gets to meet her little blessing. Thank you Lord again and again for allowing me into that chapter of parents lives. Thank you to all of you who trust me with such an important event. And to all the doctors who allow me to be there. I will try to keep all of my births updated as they come. To anyone who is interested call me and I will explain how it all works. God bless you little Sydney, welcome to our world.

My Vacation Chapter

I think it is so funny to me that some of my clients think that I am able to get all these amazing pictures of my kids when I go on vacation and just in general, but I always reassure them that I have to bribe, threaten, some one always ends up crying, but in the end I do get what I give to all of my clients, a peek into my children's lives at this stage of their life! While I was away I was able to get caught up on some editing, and just enjoyed being away with my children and my family. I have to tell you how truly blessed I am to be able to do that. Thank you all for your business that allows me to go away, and for your patience while I was away. I gotta tell you there is nothing like being on vacation with your extended family. I woke up every morning with a 3 year olds foot in my face and at one point my little Phin man had rolled off of his cot and had gotten stuck under our bed, but that is the fun stories that we are building for our children's memories.
While away I also re-discovered something I already knew. My mom passed down her "CLEAN" trait to my sister and some how I got missed!! My mom and my sister have more neatness in the two of them than I have in my little pinky, so one would be doing our laundry and the other would be on the dishes before I could even finish my food. I woke up every morning to my family's yesterday's clothes washed and folded and put neatly into a little pile on my dresser, does it get any better than that! That is what I call vacation. So needless to say, we had an amazing time, I think I am ready to go again. Mariana tubed for the first time, and Phin man played in the sand and got his first taste of lake water and sea weed... yucky! I am so grateful to do what I do, have what I have, and I pray everyday that the Lord shows me more ways to show my gratitude for all that I am blessed with. Thank you all for your part that you play in my life book. I am an adventure, and thank you for being part of it. God bless all..