Blakely…gorgeous blue eyes, adorable kissable lips and full of personality. This sweet girl has done a lot of growing since she was last in front of my camera for her newborn session…

When we sat her down in the grass she was a little unsure…but quickly warmed up and let that personality shine

We drove to a nearby wheat field of her Daddy’s and got some pictures especially for him…

We found this random field of flowers on the way and made sure to stop when we were going back…Gorgeous!

Brittany, Thank you for asking me to capture these for you :) XoXo

As a Momma of three little girls close in age, I have found that nap time is really the best (sometimes the only time) I can really get anything done.

Perfect example; Kennedy just now walked in here as I typed that first sentence and said “Momma, your invited to a party!” I told her that I’d come when I get done, and she said “Okay, I’ll be back to pick you up when we are ready for you.” Which means that she and Bristol will work hard setting up the perfect little tea party in their room, Tenley will mess it up at least 4 times and they will yell “Tenley! NO!” and re-do it. Then expect me to “Come fast! Before Tenley messes it up again!” And when I walk in I may, or may not, find Tenley being held hostage on a bed so she can’t get to the party spread out on the floor… I can already hear “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” blaring from their Fisher Price Ipod player. There is gonna be a party ya’ll

So, knowing these interruptions will most certainly happen… and don’t get me wrong, this is not a compliant, merely making a statement. Though some days, I admit, it is a complaint! But on those days I try to back up, take a good look and remind myself that these interruptions are most definitely a blessing and simply enjoy each and every moment… I mean really, who doesn’t want to snack on fake fruit and plastic pie while listening to “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”?
But, we also have the “fighting over a toy” and other not-so-pleasant interruptions, and those are typically the ones that have me sighing a huge sigh and thinking “will I ever get anything done?!”

Now, back to the point; Knowing all this, I try to lay them all down at the same time for naps in the afternoon. First, I get Kennedy and Bristol settled down. Then I give Tenley a bottle and lay her down. Then, that moment when all is quite, and I am slinking down the hallway heading to my computer to actually get something done. Through the house, quite as a mouse, and suddenly…I slam into some random toy that is laying on the floor. You know, the kind that when it is touched it makes all kinds of noise? We even have one that laughs, and as cute and adorable as that laughing toy is, there is NO ’off” button! What? Who even makes a toy that does not have an ‘off’ button? Apparently someone who has never tried to get three kids asleep at the same time.

So I frantically stuff it under a pillow till it finally stops, or if it is a better designed toy - such as one with an ‘off’ button - I quickly turn it off. Then I stand completely still and hope…hope…hope…that I didn’t wake any sleeping girls.

Most of the time all is good and I continue on with my work. And by the time they wake up I am ready to head outside and eat a popsicle with them.

The water table is a huge it. I love it as much as the kids! (Thanks Aunt Tressa) But Tenley does think she is supposed to climb in it!

Happy Monday!

The day we got together for Liam’s cake smash was cold and windy. But, this little cutie did so good. Besides refusing to wear his cute birthday hat for more than 2 seconds

Julie, thanks for working with me on another cute shoot!

Meghan married her true love this past Saturday, so I am happy to share some of my favorite images from her bridal session now…and over-sharing might be a better statement. Because really, I am sharing a ton of pictures from her session! But, the fact that it is late, and I adore bridal sessions… those two together makes it hard to choose… which explains the overload of pictures tonight

I don’t get to shoot too many bridal sessions since I do not currently shoot weddings. But I have lucked up lately and been able to shoot two! (you can see Kristen’s bridal session HERE) and really, I do love love love to have a gorgeous bride in her wedding gown in front of my camera. Really.

Meghan worked hard to find just the right locations for her session…and boy did she deliver! This field of wild flowers was so amazing. It felt un-real just walking through it.

(You can see Meghan and Dustin’s engagement session HERE)

This settee belonged to Meghan’s great-Grandmother…

I love it when people have fun in front of my camera, and Meghan did. She would randomly jump up in the air or do something silly…these two images make me laugh… this first one makes me think of a scene from the Titanic. Haha!

Meghan, Thank You for asking me to do these for you… much love and happiness as you begin your married life XoXo

Last week, after feeling like we’d been on the run and a little too busy for awhile, I said I wanted to just be at home with my girls. Hold them when they asked me too, read stories, play…and just be. (Of course I had a pile of other things on my ‘list’ that included work )
One afternoon I was sitting outside with them when Kennedy ran inside and came back out dressed up in one if their ‘Princess’ dresses. I realized it had been awhile since I’d seen her wearing one, and also realized that soon, she may not be interested in them anymore. So, in a moment of I-wanna-capture-her-as-she-is-right-now-in-this-moment I ran in and grabbed my camera.

Little Sister joined in too…and soon they were just swirling and jumping and doing their thing….with Tenley right in there with them doing her thing…and that is why I love these pictures.

Real life moments…captured.

Happy Monday!

Truth is, I don’t consider myself a ‘Newborn Photographer’. I don’t have a studio (one day, maybe…for now, it is simply a dream ) and I don’t have all the props, heaters, blankets, backdrops and other things that newborn photographers tend to have. I have not mastered the art of posing a newborn just perfectly, and I sure don’t have the editing skills it takes to pull off some of those amazing shots that newborn photographers get!  (my hat is off to all you Newborn Photographers!) I do, however, love to go and capture newborn’s in their homes. In their Momma’s arms, on a bed, with siblings… and even set up a few posed shots.

Tina, (a photographer herself), contacted me to take her sweet baby boy’s newborn pictures back in March. Be warned, this is one precious little baby, it is possible you could get baby fever just looking at him.  And Tina had some great props for me to use too…

Love these shots with the big brother leaning on his Mom…

I adore this next shot… I could not decide which I liked better, color or B&W….

We got the whole family together for a picture at the end of the session…

Tina, thank you for asking me to do these for you

These three girls.
Or Mom, or Mommy… I hear it a few hundred times a day (not sure if that is an exaggeration or not..)
“Moooom! She won’t get off my bike!”
“Momma, I need to tell you somfin important…I love you.”
“Mommy, can we have a snack?”
“Mom, where are we going?”
“Momma, what are you doing?”
“Mommy! I need to peepee!”
“Mooooom! Look what Tenley did!”
“Momma, when is Daddy coming home?”
“Mom, how do you do that?”
“Mommy, we found a frog!”
“Mom, watch this!”
“Mommy, do I look pretty?”

Being a Momma is the best, hardest and most important job I have ever had. I love my girls and feel so incredibly blessed to have them.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you Momma’s out there! I hope your day is wonderful

Kennedy, Bristol and Tenley… I sure love you.

…there is going to be a wedding!

That is what Kristen (bride, and my new Sister-in-law) would say when asked about the weather for her wedding day. And yes, she was asked a lot! They had planned an outdoor wedding – ceremony and reception -  filled with fun outdoor games and activities, a burger bar with every topping you can imagine eating on a burger, and a popcorn stand with all sorts of fun toppings.

All this took place at my parents house, and up to the day of the wedding we worked on making everything look just right…and each day was sunny, but we watched the forecast knowing they were calling for rain.

It held off till right before the ceremony, and then, it rained. A good steady rain.

But, it did not dampen the spirit of the day. The umbrella’s came out, and the wedding continued. And two people in love began a new chapter in their lives together. I even saw a few games being played several hours later when the rain stopped… I didn’t take many pictures (due to the rain mostly, but also because I wanted to simply wanted enjoy the wedding and company) but I did take some pictures

Molly was their wedding photographer, she seriously did an amazing job and didn’t mind getting wet to capture their day, you can see her blog post here…

Before the wedding I wandered around taking a few pictures…

Kristen’s Aunt made the cake and did an awesome job!

Kennedy was the flower girl and loved hanging out with the ‘big’ girls watching them get ready

Kristen looked absolutely gorgeous…

I think the umbrella’s add a unique charm…

My Dad stood up at one point to hold an umbrella for the bridesmaids

The one shot that I was asked to get was Russ seeing Kristen for the first time (Molly would be shooting Kristen as she came down the aisle) Thankfully, I got it

My Dad was sitting right in front of me, and when I noticed the rain on his suit I had to get that shot too

MARRIED!

From the minute Kristen asked Kennedy to be her flower girl it was all the talk and excitement around here…Kennedy was so excited. Till the night before. At the rehearsal she was suddenly nervous and I wasn’t sure she’d even do it. But, she made quick friends with the ring bearer (Cam, Kristen’s cousin’s adorable little boy) and together they did fabulous

Fast forward to the bouquet toss… Kristen’s MawMaw is a hoot! She and my Sister, Tressa Ann, had some fun with it

Rain or Shine…they had a wedding. And it was wonderful.

Thanks for looking!

My baby turns one year old today. As I type this I look at the clock to see that it is 12:01 a.m. Everyone is in bed sleeping, I am sitting here looking through pictures that take me back to one year ago. That special time when we welcomed our 3rd baby girl.

I feel my eyes fill with tears. Happy ones, of course. There is just something so wonderful and fleeting about those first days, weeks, of having a new baby. Oh, it’s hard. The healing, the hormones, the night-time feedings, the changes in day-to-day life as we adapt to having a baby to care for 24-7. But, it is also beautiful and wonderful and truly a blessing. Hearing “It’s a girl!” at the time of birth (we didn’t find out the gender of any of our girls - and I LOVE that moment of finding out when they are born!), seeing them for the first time, feeling the weight of their little body as they are placed in my arms, the soft baby skin, those first cries, the way they look at you…oh, yes…it is beautiful.

As I sit here tonight, I go back and remember these firsts, these feelings, these special times. And I wonder, how did it all go by so fast?! How did my Tenley go from a tiny little baby in my arms to an adorable climb-on-the-dishwasher-every-time-it-opens little girl?!

It goes by fast… and having a ‘good’ baby seems to make it go by even faster! (Tenley has been a very good baby…but I have experienced the ‘cry-all-the-time’ baby too!)

I have come to love the pictures taken at the hospital with each of our girls…even the ones of me looking awful! (my hubs is very good at grabbing the camera and snapping pictures…) Here are a few of Tenley as a newborn, and then in the past few weeks.

She weighed in at a healthy 9 pounds, 6 ounces when she was born

one of my very favorite pictures…

Tenley, Happy Happy Birthday sweet girl. We are so totally in love with you!