i am so excited to share this session. what a wonderful time it was capturing this family together. the sun was dreamy, their outfits were just perfectly precious and they were all a breeze to work with. i had not seen tori (the mother) in years. she and i went to high school together and have been in touch via facebook and email for a while. it was such a delight to spend the afternoon with her family. tori, i can't wait for your next visit when we can get the kids all together to play and we can spend some more time catching up . i hope you love your preview.. 
i can still remember the afternoon i met crecia at the park. she had just found out she was pregnant with number two and had an adorable son who was almost 18 months. i would soon find out i was also pregnant (with number three) and we would have our girls weeks apart. our friendship came at a wonderful time and we have so many fun memories together. we were blessed to share so many loves...our families, the Lord, crafting, sewing...the list could go on. it was a sad day when they moved from NC to FL....but a happy reunion this December when they got to visit us here in our hometown in FL. it was such a wonderful time seeing the entire family. during their week stay, we were able to get some pictures of their adorable family of four. it isn't hard to see the love that encompasses this family. i hope you enjoy this preview of our morning together....
"be happy for this moment. this moment is your life."-omar khayyam
this is the last week of project 52 with my current group of friends. its amazing to think we've been doing this for 50 weeks together. and what an awesome time it has been. our group got off to a late start last year, so we are acutally 2 weeks short of a full year. next week i iwill begin my 2nd year of project 52 with a new group and new themes...i am so excited!!
this final theme was : remember and reflect..what is something you want to do differently in 2012?
as i remember and reflect on 2011....it isn't so much on anything i want to change. but really, how much i wish i could stay right here in this moment. i can remember last year this time. my husband had been deployed four months and we had atleast five months left apart. we knew we would be moving duty stations, but not sure where the Lord would take us. we had been praying about homeschooling our children but the answer was not clear. i can almost feel the uncertainty my life was filled with as i reflect on last year. and i can tell you, my faith in God grew more and more as i let Him lead us and prayed we would take the right paths in all aspects of our life.
now a year later...i am basking in the feeling of having our family complete. yes, my husband is busy traveling a lot but he is home most of the time. we have closed on our home in the town my husband and i grew up in and are raising our children with both sets of grandparents and cousins all around them. we have our children at home daily; learning together and sharing our days as a family. life is fairly simple and good and i just thank God for all of this. as i reflect on 2011 it was certainly a year filled with many decisions and much change. it was a time of growth for me spiritually and personally. and my hope for 2012 is to enjoy each and every moment spent with my husband, our children, and our families, because its simply what really matters...
our house now sits on this quiet lake. there isn't a day that i don't wake up and look out the windows or sit on the back porch and think how grateful i am to be home. when i saw the kids playing at the lake this afternoon, it reminded me of the way i feel right now as the new year begins. they are so peaceful and so content...
head on over to my friends lucy's blog, Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer and see what she remembers about 2011...
what a special week this is as we get ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior. we are quickly wrapping up this project and i will miss my group of girls as the new year begins. some of us will continue on together and some of us will start new groups. but it has been such a special time getting to know one another in this unique way. as you may guess this week's theme is Christmas. the Christmas season always comes fourth with so many traditions. some we have started and some we have continued on from our own childhood. it is such a special time of the year i treasure and enjoy so much.
for me one of the favorite things i love to do is make Christmas cookies. there isn't a year that goes by that we don't do this once or twice or even more times. my husband and i were blessed to grow up together as friends and i can even remember him being part of this tradition of mine as a child. he'd show up at our house and join right in the fun. this week we got the cousins together that live right here on our street. mimi was even able to help us decorate our yummy treats. it was such fun to hear the kids squeal with pleasure and delight as they made their creations!! i tried to capture all of the wonderful expressions!! i hope yall have a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year!!!
now head over to the blog of Lynn, of Bugsmom Photogrphy, NJ and see what she has captured this week...
last week i shared a post on three beautiful cousins in their Christmas dresses. while i was there taking their pictures, i was also able to capture baby laura in her Christening gown. she is so precious with her gorgeous red hair and beautiful blue eyes. and she has the sweetest giggles and smiles. 
as i look at these images i can only imagine the fun these cousins will all have as they grow up together all so close in age. the love and true adoration for one another really shines through. BUT i have to admit i was a bit nervous when their nanny called to schedule this session; a 4 month old, a 21 month old (who just happens to be my niece), and a 2 year old. i believe we certainly captured each of these girls at this fun time in their life...
"the days are so long, but the years are so short" -excerpt from the happiness project
as a mother to three young children i realize that our days are often times much too busy. and within our days there is always some sort of "to do" list..even if it is just laundry, dishes, pick up the mess, repeat. but i never want our days together to be just a to do list. and i certainly don't want to remember them as that. i want to remember the little moments of my children's childhood. i want to remember us together and enjoying our days. these moments aren't always beautiful pictures but they are the memories i know i will cherish the most. and yes, i love capturing those frame worthy moments but i don't want to forget all those times in between. one day i know i will long to look back and see what "every day life" looked like...with all its imperfections that equal together to make it just perfect.
so without further ado, i am very excited to introduce you to a new project i am starting. once again i am partnering up with some fabulous ladies from the bloom forum. this project started on the forum as an idea of shannon harrison of jack and ruby studios. after she started this project with her initial group of 10 photographers, other groups of 10 have followed. you can read more about what inspired her to do this here. when i saw this idea, i was immediately drawn to it and could not wait to get started.
the plan is to pick one day from the month and shoot an image every hour (or close to it) with no theme or structure. on the 10th of every month, we’ll post our 10 images that tell the story of our day. some months we may showcase more than ten images, from more than 1 day, from more or less than ten hours, but these images will be a reflection of our day to day life each month. please join me for this fun journey.
what was CUTE RED ELF up to last night? the first to wake up...always. gorgeous morning. a beautiful mess. my refreshing moment. orange trees in our yard. the orange paint brings memories of a fun night and a missed friend. daddy is home from bahrain..three hours and he's off to virginia. being two can be very hard. off to pick a tree. a daily occurence. ready for the Christmas pageant with mimi and popi. letter to santa. 2 asleep 1 awake. goodnight. 
i encourage you to head over to ElizabethJanephoto and see what 10 she has captured...
it's week 47 of project 52. this week's theme is magic: what is magical to you? full of amazement and wonder?? with it being the Christmas season, i couldn't help but think of the little elf friend, known fondly at our house as CUTE RED ELF, who came to visit a couple weeks ago. i thought of the magic and excitement he brings to our three children. every morning they bound out of bed to see where CUTE RED ELF is and what he is up to. i love to hear their giggles and squeals each day. it makes me smile just thinking about it. this leads me to think about the whole Christmas season and the magical feelings that surround it. there really is something so special about the weeks that lead up to this glorious day. and when i think about the meaning of Christmas and the gift we were all given as Christ was born this day....it is quite an amazing and wonderful feeling!
please continue with our blog circle and see what magic Nancy Schumacher has captured....
i cannot believe how busy i have been the past two months. i am so grateful for all the wonderful families i have captured. this was my first holiday season sharing this passion of mine with other families and it was such fun! i was so happy when my friend Jen contacted me to photograph her family of four. and i have to admit..they all made it so easy. the girls were a breeze to work with. jen and her husband matt have been special friends of ours for sometime, but since moving home i have been especially grateful for their friendship. they have such a loving family and their girls have been wonderful friends to my children as well. you will see they are all naturals behind the camera...
i was so excited for this session friday night. i was introduced to maria a few years ago when she ordered big sister shirts from me for her two girls before her son was born. through the years we have emailed and have gotten to know each other even more through facebook. she is also passionate about photography and quite talented herself! when she contacted me early in the fall to say they would be driving through our town and would like to schedule a shoot i was beyond thrilled. i would finally get to meet my internet pal face to face. it was wonderful...the entire family is beautiful and such a breeze to be around. i cannot wait to get together again and let our kids all run wild. thank you for this special afternoon. i hope you enjoy these sweet memories of your beyond gorgeous family...
this week our theme for project 52 is: comfort-when you think of this word what first comes to mind? a favorite sweat shirt? your bed? the warmth of a hug? i have to admit, this week's photos aren't what i had in mind at first..but another week flew right on by and i want to stay true to not missing a week on this project yet. comfort, what do i think of?? i think of my cozy bed, or a fire, or movie night under a fuzzy blanket, yummy foods...all of these things bring me comfort. hugs from loved ones, i love yous from my sweet three babies. there's so much comfort all over my house; there really is. but this week i captured my three lovies making banana bread. there's something comfy about all baking together and what better comfort food than some homemade bread?
now head on over to the blog of Lynn, Bugsmom Photography, NJ and see where she finds comfort?
i had the pleasure of spending the morning with these cute boys and their super sweet parents. it was such fun to watch these kiddos in action as i've seen many pictures of them via the internet the past few years on facebook. their daddy was another family friend of ours growing up...and it is really cool to see him as a dad. i believe he and his wife liz are both super funny, neat parents to hang out with! hopefully now that we are back in town we will see more of this sweet family. enjoy this peak into our walk around the gardens at Bok...
welcome to this week's project 52. i hope you all had a blessed thanksgiving with those you love. our theme this week is thankful: what are you thankful for? WHO are you thankful for? we've been reflecting a lot recently here at home about the many blessings in our lives. the kids created turkeys and added feathers each day; listing what they were thankful for. i feel so grateful this year first off to have my husband home. last year was the first time in our twelve years of marriage that he was gone for all of the holidays. it was such a lonely time having him away and made me really just appreciate being together. i am so thankful for him and all he does to provide for our family, which enables me to stay home and be here for our children. we are so blessed to have three amazing, healthy, and happy babies. i could list so many things i have to be thankful for; so many people. BUT when i really reflect on this year...i just can't express what it feels like to be home again. to have my siblings and parents all living within walking distance together. to have all the cousins running in our yard together. to see each other for pancakes on saturdays or other simple family gatherings. or just to drive by and wave as i see my mom out walking her dog, or sister n law getting the mail...the list just goes on. this is a dream i once had....that is now a reality. and i thank God for this time because it is such a special gift. i am so thankful that HE has brought us all back here in His own way.....
continue with our blog circle and see what Linsey Stuckey, Houston TX photographer has captured this week!
those of you that follow my blog, know i am a lover of the "golden hour"....i honestly can be driving down the road and see the sun about to set and imagine sessions amidst its beauty. light is so magical at different points of the day but i do love this special hour before the sun disappears for the day. this leads me to this ever so lovely session i had with caitlin and chad. as i edited these pictures i fell in love with each of them. i had such fun with these two. honestly, i don't think many husbands are ever gung ho to get on camera. but chad was such a great sport and was willing for anything i had in mind. his love for caitlin throughout the shoot was very evident to me and seeing these just make me smile. i hope you guys enjoy them and will always remember this special phase in your life together. yall are truly a blessed pair...
i am excited to share this session with you. i had such fun photographing these three amazing children for my friend heather. i love being back home and getting to photograph children of friends i have known most of my life. heather and i grew up together in church and i was really excited when she contacted me about doing these. i've always heard wonderful things about her family but had not had the chance to really get to know her children. they were as sweet as they are beautiful!! they made my job so easy and were just amazing to capture behind my lens! heather, i hope you enjoy these pictures of your sweet babies; you should be one proud mama..
it's so exciting to think we have almost spent an entire year together doing this project! i will definitely be participating in another one of these next year, as it has been such fun and a great creative boost many weeks. i am so grateful to the bloom forum and all i have learned since joining this amazing group of ladies. its not often that you find people so willing to share and offer advice. now for this week's theme. this week's theme was soft: something soft. i imagine the ladies in our group will come up with some wonderful images...(maybe even a baby or two). this week my images are with a new blanket i got for my birthday. my sister n law was so sweet to find it for me....she thought it would be good for photo shoots, but so far we have been using it for snuggling. it is wonderfully soft.
Now head over to the blog of Amy Ames of Holly Springs NC, and see what soft image she has captured. I know you will love it!!
this weekend i was once again reminded of the joys of being back in my hometown. i was able to capture this family whom has been like family to me forever. rob and i grew up together and our parents were the best of friends as long as i can remember. (actually they were the best of friends long before i was even born). they have always been at birthday parties, Christening, holidays and other family events. i had such fun capturing these memories for them. i was able to have a little time with the girls while mama finished getting ready and i had a wonderful time chatting and shooting. i hope you all enjoy these and treasure them for years to come...
last week i was excited to get to visit with an old friend after almost 10 years. suzanne and i met back in the day when our dogs were our babies and life was certainly not as full as it is now. it was so wonderful to catch up with her during this photo session with her girls..and afterwards at our house while the children spent the afternoon playing at the lake. i hope you had a wonderful trip to florida...please call us next trip down. it was great fun! i hope you enjoy the pictures i got of your beautiful daughters. they were truly a delight to capture...
another week of 2011 has flown past by. i simply cannot believe the Christmas season is upon us. it seems like just yesterday i was celebrating the time change and the "longer" summer days....this week's theme for project 52 is very special as we observe veteran's day. veterans: is there a veteran in your family? what do these veterans mean to you? how do you say thank you? as most of you know my husband has served in the USMC for almost eighteen years. we have been married for twelve of these years. he returned home in May from an almost ten month deployment which feels so fresh still in many ways. we are savoring the time with him home. our children adore their daddy and i must say i am so proud of him. he serves our country so selflessly. he has had to miss so many milestones in our childrens' lives, special occassions, holidays..the list goes on. but when he is home he always puts us first....and it shows in all he does. this week's pictures are of our five year old. it has been such a blessing seeing their relationship grow and strengthen during the time my husband has been home. he adores his daddy and looks up to him in many ways. in his five short years of life he has experienced three deployments plus many other times of separation due to training and work ups. i am grateful to all the families who endure so much for our country...and thankful that we can be a part of such a wonderful group of people.
now don't forget to head on over to the blog of Lynn, Bugsmom Photography, NJ, and see what image she has chosen this week.
i cannot believe you are turning five. where have the years gone? i know i say this every year but they fly by way too fast. you are our dear middle child; our only son. you have such a special place in our heart and i hope you will always feel our love for you. i cannot imagine our family being complete without you. you are so full of love and life. so full of emotion and energy. you make us all laugh and giggle and remember to not take life too seriously. you put your all into everything you do. this year we started pre-k with you and i am your teacher. it has enabled me to see a new side of you as well. i am proud of your eagerness to learn and unwillingness to ever give up. cars and lightening mcqueen are still your passion but you have entered into the world of legos this year (cars legos of course). you have such fun playing with your daddy and i am so thankful for the bond i have seen grow between you. you have had to tell your daddy goodbye numerous times during your short life (3 of which were seven or more months)....but your love for him has only grown more and more. i love that you still want me to cuddle you to sleep and come find me in the middle of the night most nights. i know one day i will miss these moments. you adore your big sister and are always eager to play with her but also very competitive with her. you do not like to lose. you are so tender with baby sissy and my heart always smiles when you come running to tell her good morning or good night. you are so thoughtful and loving. thank you for being the most amazing son. for filling this spot in our life that only you could. bubby, we love you to the moon and back!
