• Sharing a few pics of my birthday buddy(our birthdays are 5 days apart). He turned 5 on the 22nd. I think I’m done making cakes for awhile because my husband and Olivia are birthday buddies too (April 19th and April 20th). That’s 4 cakes over the course of a month. I think Nate liked the one on one time we had for his photos because we just chatted and played Simon Says while we took his pictures. I’ve certainly been posting more pics of my family than I usually do, but that’s who I’ve been photographing all spring.
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    Sharing a few pics of my birthday buddy(our birthdays are 5 days apart). He turned 5 on the 22nd. I think I’m done making cakes for awhile because my husband and Olivia are birthday buddies too (April 19th and April 20th). That’s 4 cakes over the course of a month. I think Nate liked the one on one time we had for his photos because we just chatted and played Simon Says while we took his pictures. I’ve certainly been posting more pics of my family than I usually do, but that’s who I’ve been photographing all spring.
  • Birthday Photo session complete. I think about my clients whenever I am preparing for our family photos. I know how you feel when you tell your children what to wear and all the conversations that surround it. Surprisingly this one went off better than usual, other than a last minute dress change for my daughter, and I was fine with that because both outfits worked. My youngest son actually loves wearing neck ties on the daily (and they usually don’t match the rest of the ensembles he puts together) so he willingly wears a collar shirt and anything else I request. Normally we go on location, but it sure was nice to step out the front door and take pictures right there. I think the kids were more amenable to that anyway. But believe me, I’ve been getting three kids ready for photos a few times a year for several years, and I know that things can be crazy. My husband was fine with being the photographer for these, as this meant he didn’t have to be in the photos. Dads are worse than the kids sometimes, am I right? Ha ha! If you don’t fall into that category, photographers love you, dads! You are a rare gem if you love having your photo taken, or at least can pretend that you do. 😉. I selected a few favorites, and don’t miss my 4th honorary furry child, Abigo. Abigo is a special koala in our home. He insisted on being in the photos too. 😁 I actually had to take THREE photos of just Abigo and I. Nate made sure that he heard the shutter button click three times! He didn’t fall for the initial pretend camera clicks that my husband made. He knew the sound of the shutter and so we obliged. That was pretty funny. I definitely think compromise works the best to obtain cooperation. Just go for a few silly pictures with a stuffed animal, or do what makes the kids happy and they will be satisfied and listen better to what you ask of them. It only takes a few seconds to incorporate their ideas. My 4 year old (almost 5) is in the preschool age goofy face stage. It’s very typical for this age to have a silly smile, or make crazy faces the ENTIRE session. I let him get the sillies out, and then we say funny things to find...(continued in comments)...
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    Birthday Photo session complete. I think about my clients whenever I am preparing for our family photos. I know how you feel when you tell your children what to wear and all the conversations that surround it. Surprisingly this one went off better than usual, other than a last minute dress change for my daughter, and I was fine with that because both outfits worked. My youngest son actually loves wearing neck ties on the daily (and they usually don’t match the rest of the ensembles he puts together) so he willingly wears a collar shirt and anything else I request. Normally we go on location, but it sure was nice to step out the front door and take pictures right there. I think the kids were more amenable to that anyway. But believe me, I’ve been getting three kids ready for photos a few times a year for several years, and I know that things can be crazy. My husband was fine with being the photographer for these, as this meant he didn’t have to be in the photos. Dads are worse than the kids sometimes, am I right? Ha ha! If you don’t fall into that category, photographers love you, dads! You are a rare gem if you love having your photo taken, or at least can pretend that you do. 😉. I selected a few favorites, and don’t miss my 4th honorary furry child, Abigo. Abigo is a special koala in our home. He insisted on being in the photos too. 😁 I actually had to take THREE photos of just Abigo and I. Nate made sure that he heard the shutter button click three times! He didn’t fall for the initial pretend camera clicks that my husband made. He knew the sound of the shutter and so we obliged. That was pretty funny. I definitely think compromise works the best to obtain cooperation. Just go for a few silly pictures with a stuffed animal, or do what makes the kids happy and they will be satisfied and listen better to what you ask of them. It only takes a few seconds to incorporate their ideas. My 4 year old (almost 5) is in the preschool age goofy face stage. It’s very typical for this age to have a silly smile, or make crazy faces the ENTIRE session. I let him get the sillies out, and then we say funny things to find...(continued in comments)...
  • Today is my birthday and so far it’s going pretty well. My husband made me breakfast and I’m about to go for a run. Later today I plan to do something I haven’t done in two months...wear pants that aren’t yoga or sweatpants. And I am also going to put on makeup. Why? Because I am going to have photos taken with my kids. I’m not going to make my husband dress up though because he’s going to be holding the camera this time, instead of me setting up the tripod. It’s a lot easier to have a photoshoot if I’m not both the photographer and posing for the photos. Normally I spend quite some time coordinating outfits, but since that’s a challenge these days, I’ve found some outfits already in our closets. I was supposed to do the photos yesterday evening but then I wasn’t in the mood to dress up. 😂 So by me telling you all that I’m actually going to take photos today, it is holding me accountable. Hopefully it won’t rain. I’ll let you know how they turn out. Wish me luck!
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    Today is my birthday and so far it’s going pretty well. My husband made me breakfast and I’m about to go for a run. Later today I plan to do something I haven’t done in two months...wear pants that aren’t yoga or sweatpants. And I am also going to put on makeup. Why? Because I am going to have photos taken with my kids. I’m not going to make my husband dress up though because he’s going to be holding the camera this time, instead of me setting up the tripod. It’s a lot easier to have a photoshoot if I’m not both the photographer and posing for the photos. Normally I spend quite some time coordinating outfits, but since that’s a challenge these days, I’ve found some outfits already in our closets. I was supposed to do the photos yesterday evening but then I wasn’t in the mood to dress up. 😂 So by me telling you all that I’m actually going to take photos today, it is holding me accountable. Hopefully it won’t rain. I’ll let you know how they turn out. Wish me luck!
  • Happy Mother’s Day.
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    Happy Mother’s Day.
  • A favorite from almost 2 years ago. My littles all have curls. My middle has this one huge curl that sometimes appears on top of his head if his hair dries a certain way. I call it my “favorite curl.”
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    A favorite from almost 2 years ago. My littles all have curls. My middle has this one huge curl that sometimes appears on top of his head if his hair dries a certain way. I call it my “favorite curl.”
  • This is my oldest baby on her birthday over a week ago. It was so nice to take a few pictures in our neighborhood. I wonder if eventually it will feel like part of March and the month of April almost didn’t exist when we look back on these times. We are making the most of it with our family, but as I’m sure everyone can relate, it feels different. I am finding joy in the little things each day, but sometimes when I first wake up I quickly remember that life isn’t the same as it once was. And that feels sad. But I am grateful for what I do have in my life, and I’m trying to focus on what I can do instead of what I can’t. So I have really been using this time to work on my other art projects. I’ve had more quality time with my family of 5 together since we’re all home 24/7. I’ve also been spending most of my days assisting my children with their distance learning. Our school teachers have been working hard to maintain learning since schools closed, and I know that continuity has been good for my kids. They also do live teaching lessons which help them stay connected. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this time. When the time comes, I will be contacting all of my clients that had to reschedule so we can make some new memories.
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    This is my oldest baby on her birthday over a week ago. It was so nice to take a few pictures in our neighborhood. I wonder if eventually it will feel like part of March and the month of April almost didn’t exist when we look back on these times. We are making the most of it with our family, but as I’m sure everyone can relate, it feels different. I am finding joy in the little things each day, but sometimes when I first wake up I quickly remember that life isn’t the same as it once was. And that feels sad. But I am grateful for what I do have in my life, and I’m trying to focus on what I can do instead of what I can’t. So I have really been using this time to work on my other art projects. I’ve had more quality time with my family of 5 together since we’re all home 24/7. I’ve also been spending most of my days assisting my children with their distance learning. Our school teachers have been working hard to maintain learning since schools closed, and I know that continuity has been good for my kids. They also do live teaching lessons which help them stay connected. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this time. When the time comes, I will be contacting all of my clients that had to reschedule so we can make some new memories.
  • One of my favorite crafts is creating newborn and baby headbands. I use sheer fabrics, beads, burlap, and lace trim to create pretty flower designs. My designs come together organically, so I add elements as I go along. And it is important to have a nice wooden stick or something to press with when using hot glue. My home photography studio is missing all the babies. These things will all still be here when we get to photograph babies again. 😊. Speaking of babies, my oldest baby turns 11 years old today. I still imagine her newborn face when I see her doing her school work, playing piano, or doing just about anything. I remember so vividly the moment I first saw her face. It was such a happy moment when she looked right at me with her big blue eyes and chubby cheeks. I thought, “Yes! She has awesome cheeks! I can’t wait to kiss them.” ❤️
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    One of my favorite crafts is creating newborn and baby headbands. I use sheer fabrics, beads, burlap, and lace trim to create pretty flower designs. My designs come together organically, so I add elements as I go along. And it is important to have a nice wooden stick or something to press with when using hot glue. My home photography studio is missing all the babies. These things will all still be here when we get to photograph babies again. 😊. Speaking of babies, my oldest baby turns 11 years old today. I still imagine her newborn face when I see her doing her school work, playing piano, or doing just about anything. I remember so vividly the moment I first saw her face. It was such a happy moment when she looked right at me with her big blue eyes and chubby cheeks. I thought, “Yes! She has awesome cheeks! I can’t wait to kiss them.” ❤️
  • I took this one year photo in February and this little cutie’s mom brought some Easter items to use in some of the portraits.
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    I took this one year photo in February and this little cutie’s mom brought some Easter items to use in some of the portraits.
  • I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last photo session. Surprisingly, we feel like the days go by quickly with 3 kids in our house as we have been staying home. Though many days are full of emotions knowing what is going on in the world, we try to keep a sense of normalcy for our kids. They are handling it well, and I’m thankful for that. This maternity session is on my blog. Although I am not currently scheduling photo sessions, when it is safe to do so, I’ll be happy to begin again. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.
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    I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last photo session. Surprisingly, we feel like the days go by quickly with 3 kids in our house as we have been staying home. Though many days are full of emotions knowing what is going on in the world, we try to keep a sense of normalcy for our kids. They are handling it well, and I’m thankful for that. This maternity session is on my blog. Although I am not currently scheduling photo sessions, when it is safe to do so, I’ll be happy to begin again. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.
  • A sweet memory from April last year at the Sherwood Gardens. These three are my everything. Their cute giggles give me hope for when our country recovers from this difficult time. We’ve been staying at home for over two weeks, and I have to say they have been wonderful overall. They’ve been playing nicely together and getting along really well (except for that one altercation over who gets to sit on the new swing that I ordered so we’d have three instead of just two.) Keeping up with distance learning has been a challenge. We started out with a few subjects, but now we have all of them and it is overwhelming making sure all three of my kids are staying on track. I know it will take some time for us all to get adjusted. Since I’m not photographing clients for now, I’m taking some time to work on my artwork. I have a few aspirations for creating fonts and illustrations to sell online. I might have an Etsy shop in my future. I just have to carve out some time to complete these projects, as most of my day is devoted to my kids and their schoolwork. Much of the day I am thinking about all of the nurses, doctors, and staff who care for those who are sick. Those healthcare professionals are so amazing. My sister, is one of them. I pray for their health everyday and no words can describe how incredible they are for taking care of others. I get teary eyed every time I think of them. If you are out there helping others, thank you for blessing us with your altruism. ❤️❤️❤️
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    A sweet memory from April last year at the Sherwood Gardens. These three are my everything. Their cute giggles give me hope for when our country recovers from this difficult time. We’ve been staying at home for over two weeks, and I have to say they have been wonderful overall. They’ve been playing nicely together and getting along really well (except for that one altercation over who gets to sit on the new swing that I ordered so we’d have three instead of just two.) Keeping up with distance learning has been a challenge. We started out with a few subjects, but now we have all of them and it is overwhelming making sure all three of my kids are staying on track. I know it will take some time for us all to get adjusted. Since I’m not photographing clients for now, I’m taking some time to work on my artwork. I have a few aspirations for creating fonts and illustrations to sell online. I might have an Etsy shop in my future. I just have to carve out some time to complete these projects, as most of my day is devoted to my kids and their schoolwork. Much of the day I am thinking about all of the nurses, doctors, and staff who care for those who are sick. Those healthcare professionals are so amazing. My sister, is one of them. I pray for their health everyday and no words can describe how incredible they are for taking care of others. I get teary eyed every time I think of them. If you are out there helping others, thank you for blessing us with your altruism. ❤️❤️❤️