Hello! It’s been way to long since I’ve been here on this space. I have really neglected it for….oh….8 or nine months now. Yikes!  Honestly, a few months ago I didn’t get around to paying my renewal fee for this blog and then had to make the decision to let it go (it was gone, but I had the option to pay to get the backup restored) or, pay the $100+ dollars to get it restored. I slept on it a few days. Considering I don’t use it often, and I really don’t feel like I get a lot of traffic here anymore, I didn’t want to pay the money to have it restored. But then, there are SO many personal posts that I love. And quite honestly, so many client posts that I love too. Truly, all the posts feel special in some way. I know it sounds cliché, but really, each post feels like a bit of my vision and heart poured into the photos. And each person who has gotten in front of my camera I am so grateful for. I love looking back on posts and seeing how I’ve changed, how I’ve grown, and how I am still the same.
This post is an all time favorite, I love reading it just to remember how I love ‘seeing’ things around me. How I love taking it all in, even when I don’t capture it on camera.

There is a quote by Elliott Erwitt that I love;
“Photography is an art of observation.
It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

For the last, I don’t know, maybe two years I haven’t been shooting as much as I once did. It feels like a good season though. All in God’s perfect timing. I have struggled a bit with the “oh I wish people were asking me to shoot more!” but that’s my ego talking. To be completely honest, this time of slowing down with my photography has felt so good. I am raising for daughters, and currently homeschooling two of them. I am busy (who isn’t these days?!). And I have this deep sense that being home with them is the most important, the very best thing, that I can do. The more I can focus on them, the more that I can pour into our home, the more I can talk to them and read them books and just be…the better I feel.

Now, with all that being said, I still crave that creative outlet that photography gives me. I just want to be careful that it doesn’t become a burden instead of an outlet. And in the fall season last year, I did take on more that I should have. It’s hard to say “no” but I am getting better at it.

 I am also trying hard to be more true to my style of shooting. I love lifestyle sessions, keeping my images ‘real’, and in home sessions are a favorite. I love birth photography and I still love bridal sessions! (still not shooting weddings, but thank you to every single bride who has asked me!)

I will leave you with this photo, recently taken at an in-home family session. It is out-of-focus, yet it speaks to me. You can see the happiness and joy in the blur. It kind of represents what I feel like these tender years of motherhood are; a blur of happiness and joy, mixed with hard moments too. But oh, how that joy and happiness shines through…..

Zoe and Finn, and their parents, were a joy to have in front of my camera. And their backyard was the perfect backdrop for the session

I haven’t been super busy shooting lately. I didn’t exactly plan it that way, but it just kind of happened… And honestly, I’ve enjoyed the break. However, with that being said, I am always grateful for each and every person who reaches out and asks me to capture them with my camera. Truly grateful. I love the creative outlet, and getting paid for doing something I am passionate about, I definitely love that too!

So, to each and every person who has gotten in front of my camera, thank you. So much. I have a lot of sessions that have never made it to the blog over the past year+… So I am posting some favorite’s here, and there are more to come. No sense in not sharing this goodness

Going through a file of photos that I haven’t ever blogged (it’s a lot!) and noticing what I am drawn too, and what I’m not. Trying to hone in on what I want to shoot more of, and what inspires me. Trying to look at my photo’s and learn from them. Not the easiest process and sometimes painful. But, I think it gets me closer to getting the kind of images that I want to get.

One year Birthday sessions are always a favorite! Norah, when she turned one – a little more than a year ago

I just went through my folders of photo’s, and pulled out wayyyyy  more than I intended to. But life lately…it’s been so sweet. And busy.

Summer fun.
Bathing suites.
Baby sister holding.
Dress up.
Bikes.
Watermelon.
Beach.
Sweet newborn goodness.
Dirt piles and more dirt at the new house site.

If you made it to the end of this post — fist bump! Just call me an over-sharer Thanks for looking!

On June 21, 2015 we welcomed Cora Aniston. Baby girl #4 for us! We are completely and totally in love. And while life has been extra busy lately (we brought her home from the hospital, closed on our construction loan and began building our new home all in the same day!) I feel like I have really just soaked up all her newborn sweetness. This stage passes so quickly, and I think I realize that now, and I am learning to just truly soak it all up. Sit, hold, kiss, snuggle, repeat.

I have also found that the hospital pictures are always my favorites. It’s such a special time, and often a blur while it’s all happening. I absolutely love looking back on the photo’s and just remembering and reliving the moments…  I really didn’t want Stu to have to worry with taking pictures this time, and instead just enjoy (and I didn’t want to worry about making sure he had the settings on the camera right, etc.) So I asked my friend Molly to document the birth, and our families meeting her for the first time. Now I want to tell all the Momma’s out there to hire a photographer for this special time! It’s SO worth it!!!

I chose just a few photo’s to share here… (it’s still a lot, even though it’s only a few compared to what all I have!) But I feel like these few tell the story - the story of Cora’s birth - pretty well. I get all teary and goo-goo-happy when I look at these, and I know I will forever treasure them.

My family started a tradition when we had Kennedy… we haven’t ever found out the gender of our babies before they are born, so while waiting out in the waiting room while I am in labor, our family guesses gender and size and everyone puts in a dollar. The person whose guess is the closest (gender then size) wins the money. The winner gave the money to Kennedy as a gift, and it just sort of stuck after that. Now, everyone still guesses and gives a dollar, but they always give the money to the baby. And we do it for all the babies in our families now, and I just love it! Here, my sister is writing down everyone’s guess and collecting the money…

Molly stepped out while I gave birth (the doctor only allowed 3 people in the room, and I didn’t want to send our Mom’s out) she told me that while the hall’s were quite and empty, and the baby crib waited outside our door, she could hear the excitement in the room… it just seems so surreal and makes this photo a little extra special to me.

She came back in and captured candid moments of everything after Cora was born…

Our girls, and the grandparents coming in to meet her – and find out boy or girl!

They wanted a boy, but the look on their faces proves that they are totally happy with this precious little sister of theirs.

These next two photo’s are absolutely priceless to me. I am in love.

Thank you Molly! Again and again for capturing these photo’s for us!!!

Now, we had my camera too (of course) and this is a few that we took at the hospital and the days following….
First, Stu insisted on taking a quick picture as soon as we got to the hospital (which honestly, I love him for it. There was a time he tried to take my picture while in labor and I was SO annoyed! But I’ve learned that I really love having these to look back on ) So here I am. On my due date, at the hospital, in between contractions, looking huge. She ended up weighing 9 pounds, 11ounces.

Thanks for looking

I just found these photo’s in my ‘blog’ folder and decided to share

We took a few days and went to the Mountains with my Grandparents this past October. Just me, my hubs, kids, and them.

I feel all teary just looking at these pictures! Maybe it’s because we are now just ten days away from our due date with Baby #4 and at this time, we had not shared our news yet… Maybe it’s because I adore my grandparents and look up to them in so many ways. The fact that Poppa has come through cancer, and MawMaw has a hip that hurts her a lot, but they don’t allow those things to get in the way of adventure. They hiked through the woods with us and we had the best time. They laughed at us (well, Poppa did, MawMaw was probably more concerned!) when their van easily made it up the steep hills to the cabin and ours literally rolled backwards down the hill THREE TIMES (4th time was the charm and I was ready to just walk up at that point). Maybe I am all teary because my girls look like they’ve grown and changed SO much since these were taken! And it was only back in October!

Anyway, I love these. I love my husband in a baseball cap and flannel shirt. I love my girls snuggled in jammies. I love MawMaw’s biscuits. I love our time together.

5 kids and their animals… I captured a few shots of ‘farm life’ for my cousin awhile back, and I love how these turned out!

Thanks for asking me to do these Paulette!

Ginny and her family have welcomed their sweet baby boy since this session, and we’ve also done an at-home session, so you will get to ‘meet’ him soon
Still playing catch-up from last years sessions!

Thank you Ginny, for asking me to capture this special time in your lives…

Finally sharing this fun fall session with Blakely and her Momma from last year! Pumpkins, the River, pretty light and an adorable little girl – it’s all here!   Enjoy

Brittany, as always….thank you!!! I always love having ya’ll in front of my camera