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!!!!!!