Most of you probably know that I’ve struggled with living in this since we moved in – about 16 years ago.
There are so many reasons behind why I didn’t and don’t want to be here – BUT – this kitchen is no longer one of them!
It’s SO MUCH BRIGHTER!! And it feels SO MUCH BIGGER even though it really is smaller – we put these boards right on top of the old ceiling.
THAT SINK!!! It’s the sink DREAMS are made of!
Now our kitchen is finished throughout!!
It’s my favorite room in the house!!
I spent a few minutes before my mini senior session taking a few shots of the GORGEOUS snowfall!
Do you love winter!?
I do NOT! But it IS gorgeous!!
Last year we took a photo of ALL the kids together – so I made sure to recreate it again this year!!
Do you remember the photo from last year!?
Grace has certainly changed the most!!
I really don’t love winter. Or even like it. Not even a little bit.
BUT. I DO love taking photos in winter. And OF winter!
I’ve got two people on call for SNOWY sessions!
I would be perfectly happy with a very early spring – but we all know that won’t happen!
AND I need some more snow for PRETTY pictures!!
When the sun starts setting earlier – I need to be with you beautiful people before Jared gets out of work.
Jared’s parents live right next door & while they are still here and not traveling the winter away – they keep the boys for us.
She LOVES the silhouette shots and had been asking to fit them in somewhere – but my late fall schedule was completely packed!!
Unfortunately – someone had to cancel because their son was pretty sick and needed to recuperate.
So I scheduled a silhouette session for them!
She had asked if I would bring the boys along – I had planned to surprise them anyway!!
It’s a BIRD!! It’s a PLANE!!
I LOVE THAT ONE!!
OHHH!! THAT ONE TOO!!
He wasn’t scolding him – but it sure looked like he was!!
I LOVE THAT ONE TOO!!
THAT ONE!!!!
SWOON!!!
They said – can you get a picture of us fighting!?
BROTHERS!!!
THANK YOU for watching those sweet boys while I take photos of beautiful people!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!
Mara got her turn with Grace too!
GAH!!! THAT HANDSOME HUBBY & THAT GORGEOUS BABY GIRL!!
We went looking for caterpillars but didn’t find any – Aiden wanted a picture in the field!
THIS MADE ME LAUGH SO HARD!!!
Aiden & Enoch wanted to take pictures of ME!!
THAT SWEET FACE!!!
I ran inside to grab that sweet girl – because I NEEDED some photos of her in the flowers!!
MY FAVORITE SHOTS!!!
ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!!!
Enoch needed a turn with Grace too!!
Did you know that I wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic and NEVER photograph people – unless they were in those remote places that Nat Geo sent me to!?
NOW – ALL I do is photograph people. Babies. Toddlers. Kiddos. Families. Seniors. Engagements. Weddings. And then it starts all over again!!
AND I WOULDN’T CHANGE ONE THING!!!!
On Friday we had a fire and fireworks with our friends and then on Saturday we celebrated Jared’s birthday with our family and friends – and THEN on Sunday we had lunch AND dinner with said friends!
It was a GLORIOUS weekend!!
EVERYBODY wants a turn with that sweet baby!!
Grace LOVES Fitzy’s face – I mean – who wouldn’t!?
She also LOVES grabbing handfuls of his hair!!
And I LOVE taking pictures of the scene instead of interfering!
She KNOWS that she’s got everyone wrapped around her finger!
I had a session Sunday night – and I wasn’t sure if I would make it back home in time to grab my camera – so again – I brought it with me!
And am SO GLAD THAT I DID!!! Because we ALL need pictures of us just hanging out – doing our every day things – because we will forget.
That beautiful friend of mine and her beautiful baby girl – they NEEDED these moments captured!!
Last week we met up with my friend Megan at our FAVORITE place in Mansfield to have our family photos taken!!
When I get them ALL back – I’ll show you!
But here are a couple – just because!!
This might be my FAVORITE picture of us – EVER!!! This is my favorite spot on the creek – and that’s my favorite guy!!
When we started – I told Megan I wanted mostly all lifestyle shots of us just exploring the creek – like we’ve done SO MANY days this summer!
But I did want one of all of us looking at the camera – THIS IS PERFECT!!
And THIS ONE!!! This is EXACTLY what I had envisioned in my head!
It’s SO VERY hard to NOT take your own family photos – and while I ALWAYS love our photos with Megan – this year – they were AMAZING – exactly what I envisioned!!
And I’ve only seen a handful of shots!
After our photos we went to dinner – ICE CREAM!!
Those boys – those amazing miracles!
Did you know that I never buy clothes for family photos!?
Typically I pick my outfit and then Jared picks his around that. And then I go through the clothes for the boys and pick out something that will compliment the colors we have!!
The boys are OBSESSED with basketball right now and I found these REAL basketball jerseys on clearance at WAL*MART and they LOVE them.
So when they asked if they could wear them for family photos – ABSOLUTELY!! Because that’s how I want our family captured – REAL.
After ice cream we went to Mara’s for a little fire and some fireworks to celebrate Becca’s birthday a little late and Jared’s birthday a little early!
This is the first time my kids have ever really SEEN fireworks! When Fitzy was little – we took him but they were too loud and he never wanted to see them after that!
MOM – LOOK!!! I’M DOCTOR STRANGE!!
That Mara – WE LOVE HER!!!
Get together with your people. As often as you can. I promise you – it will make ALL the difference!!
Becca and her baby Grace – you MUST make sure to grab that little girl before Becca does – because you will NEVER get her after she grabs her!!
Did you know that I LOVE grainy photos!? They’re my favorite!!
I am SO glad that I thought to grab my camera before we left!!
We showed up a little early for Missy’s session – so I took advantage of having my camera with me!
I LOVE coming to the playground and chasing your kids around – getting them in action – the BEST way to shoot – in my opinion!
We met up with Sierra and her kiddos for ice cream – and I took advantage of having ALL our kids together!!
8 – 3 – 8 – 10 – 6 months – 5 – 7 – 5!!
This mom thing – it’s not easy – and having a tribe – it helps SO MUCH!!!
Missy and I were close and we knew Sierra – but one day about two years ago – Sierra told me she wanted to make an effort to get to know Missy & I better – she needed a few 3 AM friends and she was hoping Missy and I might be those friends. And sometimes it’s hard to bring someone else into a close relationship – and people ask how we manage it.
We try. We make an effort. We are CRAZY busy – we all work – we all have family and other friends we spend time with – we sat down to try and figure out a time we could all have a sleepover for a weekend – and it was OCTOBER 26th before 2 of us said YES – we are FREE!! But the third wasn’t – so we said – let’s come back to this later. But sometimes it’s – hey – wanna do dinner NOW!? What are you doing in an hour!? We help each other. We encourage each other. We love each other and every kid in that picture – I love them. Missy loves them. Sierra loves them.
I love that our kids love each other. That this big group of kids – do they argue!? Yep. But do they love each other!? ABSOLUTELY!!!
I love you guys – SO MUCH!!!
