Two Weeks...

I have been a bit absent from blogging, this I know. I have been a bit absent in general it feels. Two weeks ago today, my brother in law and my beautiful sister at just 21 weeks pregnant, said goodbye to their precious baby girl, Lillian Christine. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that my sister would have to feel and share the pain of losing a little baby. The similarities of our situations are unreal, and I could go into great detail, but I just can't tonight. She birthed her sweet baby, and all who were there got to hold her in our arms. Yes, she was already with Jesus, but I feel blessed in holding her. I know I have many, many, many prayer warriors out there, so if you will continue to pray for her and her family it would mean the world to me.

My sister asked for me to bring my camera that day, and of course I did. I got several beautiful images of love...but I don't feel I can share them...at least not yet. I do want to remind you of the beautiful organization NILMDTS and ask that if you feel so compelled, send a donation. There are so many families that face such terrible loss and so many that benefit from this organization. I am not a "photographer" for them, but I am a supporter. I am on the edge as to whether I can really do this as a photographer...because it rips my heart to shreds...but I am hoping to apply and hoping to be accepted by them sometime in the near future.

I do have a beautiful family session to post. I have been doing it a little backwards compared to normal. I have been so adamant about getting sessions to clients quickly for Christmas cards and other reasons, that the blogging part has been coming after galleries are completed.

That is all for tonight. Hugs to all of you readers out there!

I haven't shared...

...this adorable family with you quite yet. Their electric blue eyes are captivating, and I had a fabulous session with them...

...my favorite one from the session...

Have a great week...

Blog Catch Up

I have been busy bustin' booty getting mini-sessions completed, regular sessions completed so clients can get pictures and cards, and then add in the three kids, Thanksgiving festivities, decorating for Christmas inside and out, and a few other things in life...and...well...it adds up to a lack in blogging.

So, I want to catch up two sessions that missed out on sneak peeks because I wanted to get the session completed as fast as I could.

Here they are...

Miss A and Mr. A...two super sweet little ones, with brilliant blue eyes...

Mr. J...one year old...last seen on here when he was just a wee one...

Also, please stay tuned...we will be doing the "cans for comments" again this year, and very soon, I will be posting my Christmas Card...loving it completely right now...just have to send it in for the prints!!! :)

Now, back to a little bit of rapid editing...or playing with my kiddos...hmmmmm...

The last of the mini-sessions....

So, here are the rest of the mini-session sneak peeks...thanks for being so patient Z and A family!

This little one is adorable, and as sweet as can be! He searched for bugs and birds and ran around exactly like a 2 year old is supposed to in a session! His momma is expecting bambino #2 and she is adorable also! And then J, what can I say...he is flat out the kindest gentleman ever. It was so good to see all of you and catch up, and I am excited for your new arrival, to well, arrive! :)

Aren't they such a cute couple?

"Where is the baby?"

Looking at bugs...

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I love this family! I grew up with the mom's little brother's and sister's (was coached by a sister, took pictures of her nephew...yea, there are tons of connections between us!), taught at the same school as the dad, and together they have created this beautiful family...7 gorgeous kids! Thanks "A" family for coming out and putting up with the crowd! It was great to see all of you, and hang out for just a bit! Enjoy your peeks...

The youngest of Snow White's little friends! ;)

So much to do...but at least I am caught up on mini-session sneaks!

Two from Sunday Mini-Sessions...

Two more super cute families came to the park last Sunday for mini-sessions. The park was PACKED to say the least. It reminded me of college days driving around searching for a parking spot...thanks to the families who made it and for making it a great day!

There are TWO more families to come yet, but this is it for the night for me! :) Mini-sessions were so much fun...I had a wonderful time catching up with all of you and meeting a few new! Thanks for your patience! :)








(For some reason, these are not coming out as clear on blogger right now...hmmmm...any smarties out there that have any suggestions?!?!?!)

The Rest of Saturday Mini-sessions...

Here are the rest of last Saturday's mini-sessions...I am short on time, so the peeks will have to be enough for now...the rest of the sneek peaks from mini-sessions on last Sunday will be up soon!

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A couple of cuties...

...that met me at the park last weekend for mini-sessions! Aren't these two kids just beautiful? It was fun to see them, and most fun to see them jumping in the leaves at the end of their time! Thanks L for bringing your cuties out! Hope you enjoy your sneak peek...

...lovin' this hat and jacket!

...many, many, many more session sneak peeks to come... :)

Check out...

...this modern day miracle of God's awesomeness...

I follow this blog daily, and several times a day when they are in "crisis" mode. God is absolutely awe inspiring...I think you will enjoy!

MckMama

Newbie #2

I have been loving the little newbie sessions recently! This little princess, P, was a snoozey little one, once she fell asleep. So precious. So tiny. So wanted to keep her and send her momma on her way! ;) Congrats, M and B...we are so happy for you, and thanks for letting me capture her littleness for you!

Hanging out in Momma's arms...

love this one...

love these little piggies...

...precious...

...so tiny...

Caught up on sneak peeks...now back to editing like a crazy lady! October is a busy, busy, busy month...and also November...but I love it!

Newbie #1

Mr. B, you have seen him on here before, is a BIG BROTHER! (I will say again...love repeat clients!)
Baby K was born just a few weeks ago, and is a super cutie. Oh, I love newborns, and capturing their littleness while they are still so sleepy and still so little! B is such a sweet big brother, and I loved the couple that I was able to get of the two boys together. D and J, thanks for having me, and I was so happy that the weather men were COMPLETELY wrong about the weather for the day! Turned out beautiful! Here are a few peeks...





Still more sessions to come...

The "B" Family...

Can't say how much I love this family and how lucky I am to be a part of them! They are Tom's Aunt and Uncle and cousins. They are a fun group, with lots of laughs. My cheeks usually hurt from laughing whenever we are at a family gathering. There is always a good time to be had when the "B" family is around!

And, they were complete troopers for this session...well, all but one of you, but I will not name any names! ;)

It was cold and nasty out, with bouts of rain. With a group this large, indoors would not work well. Rescheduling wouldn't work either, because one of the sweet couples drove in from Chicago...I was going to MAKE IT WORK!!! And we did!

Here are the two that started it all...Tom's Aunt K and Uncle R...

I am laughing right now that I didn't pick a shot of their six "kids" to post...just the grandkids...sorry! And then here are the by products of their by product...nine grandkids!

J and B...you guys made the cut!!! Don't tell, but J, you are my favorite cousin! LOL! :)

Fun group, fun afternoon...thanks "C" for setting it all up! I had a great time with all of you as usual! :)

More sneak peeks from sessions to come...but I need to go to bed now...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Learned Something New...

This beautiful session was a re-do session. Well, I am not sure I can call it a re-do, if the first time I didn't get one single picture taken. Two weekends ago, on the freezing cold, gloomy, drizzly Saturday morning, we were off for a fun family session. There were only a few sprinkles, and being outdoors, the light would work out just fine! So, we drove to the most beautiful location. Gorgeous yellow leaved trees (please don't ask what kind of trees...not my strong suit...I only take pictures!), with a winding path. The trees made a canopy of yellow.

Fast forward.

Position family under beautiful canopy of trees, squat down and aim, fire...no fire. Nothing. I looked at my camera, like what in the world??? So, I jumped to the assumption that it was my battery. It showed that it was still half full, and I hadn't charged the night before, because we had just moved in the that night and I had NO CLUE where the charger was. I was confident that the battery would be good. Well, at that point, my stomach sank and my confidence fell even further. Two kids, 5 and almost 3, all ready to go in the cold, and the camera lady's camera wasn't working.

Seriously?

Almost in tears, and on the verge of puking, I ask "A" if there is a local store that we could go find a battery. Hopping into "the" car, I then had another sinking feeling. I couldn't buy a battery, my wallet was in the van...I took the car to the session because Tom needed the van with the car seats.

"Ummmmmm, "A", I don't have my wallet. Do you want to buy the battery, and I will pay you back?" Have I mentioned that "A" is THANKFULLY a dear friend that I used to teach with. Yea. I can't imagine feeling any worse, and thankfully she was so gracious.

We drove to the local mall. Store, to store, to store...no such luck. Not a battery for my sweet camera (at this point, I didn't realize it wasn't my battery, so I am thankful now that we didn't purchase one!) We drive back to the location to let the little ones and her husband know that we had no such luck.

We set up a time for the next day. Yes, if you are wanting to know, she got a free session! So if you want a free session, pray that I screw something up! LOL! Anyways, I pull out of there and call Tom...and the tears started flowing. Ugh...it was an awful feeling. And, I knew that I needed to get home to charge the battery to make sure it would last for the afternoon session.

Home. Charged battery. Pepped myself back up. Unpacked a couple of the gazillion boxes piled high in my house to distract me from wallowing in my guilt, and sadness. Packed back up to head to the next session. Before pulling out of the neighborhood, I had a weird feeling that I needed to just check my camera. Pull it out of the bag, and it is displaying the same thing "CHA" and not taking a picture. Stomach instantly sick. So, I pull over, call a friend to borrow her camera, and while doing that, I look in my own manual to see what in the world is going on. Well, I found out...the memory card wasn't being read correctly. All I had to do was pop it out and pop it back in and I was good to go.

Seriously?

I ruined my morning session because I assumed it was the battery, and all that time I just needed to pop the card out and back in again? For real? I have to say, I was a bit relieved in knowing it wasn't my battery, but totally irritated that I didn't think to check my manual first.

Lesson learned. Check my manual. And, I guess I didn't know everything about my camera like I had thought!

So, anyways, Sunday we squeezed the session in...same location...but the weather was beautiful. You will see from the pictures that the sun was glowing through the beautiful yellow leaves, giving the pictures a warm beautiful color. Love it. It worked out.

And, all things do work out...just not always as we plan. His plan is always better, even when we may not see why. In this case, I could see why...other times, not so much...but that is okay, because I know it is all what He has planned. And, when I remember to surrender my control and let Him take the wheel...all is well!

Thanks for taking the time to read, and for always checking in! I don't know who always is reading, but I feel like here and there, I get to share a bit of myself and my fun, crazy, never dull life!

To the "E" family...THANK YOU!!!! Thanks for coming back out the next day...getting all ready again, and making it a fun time!

I love this one...

...and I am a sucker for these shots too...almost as much as I am for feet!

Miss A...almost 3! (Look how old she is getting....)

Mr. N...the big brother...and big Kindergartener!

Love these expressions!

Two Years...

...and still missing him...

Forever Loving You...

Overdue Sneak Peeks...

How come the saying "my plate is full" is more of a negative thing, and yet a "cup that overfloweth's" is a great thing? And, is it possible to have both at the same time? My plate right now can't fit another morsel on it, and yet I am over filled with love and joy. We are back in our OWN home, but it is a disaster with many things to be done...boxes to be unpacked, things to be put away and sorted. It is fabulous though to be in our house. It looks great, all except the laundry room, which is yet to be finished, and which leads me to have to outsource my laundry...well, at least take it somewhere else to do it myself! :) My plate is full with house items, with my beautiful children, with sessions coming out of my ears, with editing coming out of my ears, eyes and nose, and with all of those full things on my plate...life is good. God is good. And we just keep plugging along each day! So, all of that to ask for some forgiveness in the delay of this sneak peek. And also to warn that I may be just a tad late on getting sessions completed and out to you. Forgive me now please! Also, if I am a bit forgetful, please don't hesitate to gently remind me...I take no offense in the kind reminders of phone calls or emails! :) Alright, with out further ado, here are the sneak peeks from a week ago!

Miss B...smiley, sweet and such kissable cheeks....

...love this expression...

...so much so that I had to turn it to black and white!

Bedford Senior...Mr. J.
He was a delight to spend the afternoon with last week. It was perfect weather, perfect lighting, and it was so fun to get to know him a bit! I have watched him from afar, well sort of afar. I have watched him from the seats in Bedford's auditorium, and I was entertained by his talent a couple years back in the musical Grease. He is a great kid, with great aspirations, and I have no doubt he will be a success. J, here are a few for you to look at now! :)

Now, back to my kids...who are awake, home from school and needing my attention! More session sneak peeks to come...had a busy weekend!

The "P" Family...

This beautiful family graced these pages about a year ago. They are gorgeous. All of them. Gorgeous. Not only that, but they are so sweet too! M is a great friend of mine, with kids all around the same ages...and I don't get to see her nearly enough! C, the 5 year old, made me a super cool picture and gave it to me as soon as we met. How cool is that? It is now hanging on my fridge, well, I shouldn't say my fridge...it is on my in-law's fridge, but hoping that it will be transferred and be on MY fridge sometime this coming weekend!!!!!!

Back to this fabo fam! They are sweet, cooperative, laid back and I had a ton of fun following them around, and capturing them in action. A, the middle little lady, reminds me of my Cakies SO SO SO much! Did I mention that at all, M? Only like 100 times! LOL! She is so stinkin' cute! And, baby R, who no longer is a baby, has beautiful baby blue eyes and chomped away at his apple a good portion of the session. He was so darn content when he got his apple..."Um, "M", can you come teach my kids to like apples...skin and all...mine only want candy!"

Some other funnies from the day...tons of goose poop, which we called "Doose Poop" because that is how A pronounced it! :) And, then, at our last "stop" a dead mouse was found. "A" took a picture of it...she wanted to take a picture, so I said "sure, what do you want to take a picture of?"..."the dead mouse!"...so we did! I will spare you on here...but I will send it to you M! LOL!

Alright, it is getting late, and I needn't continue babbling...so here are the last sneak peeks for the night...

Warning...there might be quite a few... ;)

Baby R, joining in the fun with the frog...

She has unbelievable eyelashes...such a pretty little thing...

Getting so big, so handsome...

Loving the soft light in this one...

Have you ever laughed so hard...

...that it knocked you right over??? hehehehe!

I love his laugh in this one...awwww...just remembering how I got to hold him when he was just days old, still in the hospital...where did the years go????

This may be ranking in as a top favorite EVER! I told you she reminded me of my Cakies... Miss A, here, is in a time out. Head in her hand, covering her face from the camera because I was too mean and couldn't just leave the little one alone, sitting in the beautiful pile of leaves...love this one!

The adorable family...

Two Little Sweeties...

So, you have seen one of these cutie pies on here before! It is my little niece, K. She is almost two...which is unbelievable to me! This session was of her and her cousin H. My sister-in-law had purchased a session for her mom for her birthday...and she cashed in on Saturday! :) It was chilly, chilly, chilly...but at least it wasn't rainy, rainy, rainy like it had been all last week, right? This was a session on the move, and I had to be fast....but so far, I am quite pleased with the results! Little ones are fun to chase, fun to try to get to smile (poor H was not up to par...bad night of sleep and not feeling his best), and challenging to try to get a little eye contact...they make you work for sure! Thanks for putting up with the chilly air and breeze...you were all troopers, and I think it totally paid off!

Here are a few...

...Miss K...

Meet Mr. H...

...walking with Grammy...

...love this one...

...K was being a little turkey in this one, and H wasn't too thrilled...but I loved the result!

One more to go for the night...and I still won't be caught up with sneak peeks! :)

Perrysburg Senior

This session Saturday morning was COLD, was BEAUTIFUL and was FUN! I don't think I have laughed so much in a session ever! Miss E, a Senior at Perrysburg, and her wonderful parents were a blast. My dad works with "M" (the dad) and he was a hoot! He hunted down the perfect spots, full of color and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. How often does a dad 1. attend a senior session with his child and 2. help to find the best spots in the park?!?!?!? He also did a great job providing some artificial shade when needed! "T", the momma, was an absolute delight also, traipsing around the park with us and also helping with whatever was needed (carrying my camera bag, and my dreaded box!) The laughter from all three still brings a smile to my face! Thank you so much "N" family for all of the fun on that beautiful sunny morning!

Now, enjoy a few sneak peeks...

...awesome light, incredible color, fabulous girl...

...I love the smile on this one...

...big ND fans, can you believe I still like them?!?!?!? ;)

...this is one of my faves for sure...

More to come in moments...lots of posting tonight!

November 7th Mini-Sessions...

Update: All spots are filled...I may open another spot if there is demand for it! :)

Fall Mini-Sessions are back...and going quickly...only 4 0 spots left!

• When: November 7th
• Where: Location TBD...can't quite decide where I want them this time...so many good spots!
• What: $25 session fee, 20 minute session, 10-15 proofs in an online gallery to order prints from
• Who: Up to (and no more than please) 7 kids/people/animals (total) per session! :)
• Times Slots Remaining: 10:00 , 10:30 , 11:00 , 1:00

***Please be on time so we can keep the day moving and so we don't have to shorten your session time!***

My beautiful family...

Yep, I said it. I think my little family is beautiful! My kids are so darn cute...biased, I know! ;)

I was determined to get a fall session in with my own kiddos this year. I missed out last year, so I made sure to actually "schedule" a session time with my own little ones! LOL! We went to the park not far from here and just hung out. The light was beautiful and got better as the night went on. We played soccer, laughed, snuggled and I took pictures! We found a beautiful spot in the woods that had the most perfect lighting...and made my little girls eyes just twinkle!

Here are a few...there are tons, so to pick was difficult!

This was toward's the end of our time there...this was the perfect light I was referring too...just well...perfect!

In the woods, with just the perfect amount of light shining through...

Did I mention how cooperative my kids actually were?!?!?!? I got several pictures with everyone at least looking...I didn't even care if there were smiles! :)

These were also in the woods...

Well, I am headed out to take a run on the glorious fall Sunday. It is the first run in two weeks, so I am expecting it to be a little tough...but none the less, it will feel great! Hope you are staying warm and enjoying the colors and fall where ever you are!

Hook 'Em Horns...

That was the greeting that I was given from this super cute little 3 year old. This adorable family was visiting family here in the area, all the way from Texas...and I had the absolute pleasure of photographing them this morning. As Mr. B got out of the car, he gave me a HUGE hug...totally melted me!!!!

It was quite chilly this morning...Mr. B was actually shivering when we first started. Of course, they most like aren't used to these chilly temps that we have been having! It was, though, a gorgeous fall morning. The rain that has been over us for about the last two weeks has gone away and the SUNSHINE (it does exist!) was out for a good chunk of the day today! M, thanks for getting in touch and allowing me the opportunity this morning to get to know your beautiful family and capturing some moments for all of you.

Miss G...loved this little one's spunk today! Reminded me so much of my Cakies!

Mr. B...smiley and handsome from the get go!

When I snapped this one, I knew it was going to be one of my favorites! I love her expression, I love the light and I love how her hair is sweeping across her face...so precious!


Still a bit chilly... :)

Well, since it is late...quite late. And, my Geebers is still awake (well, awake for the past 45 minutes, he did go to bed at 8:15...he just sometimes likes to have a play date with me in the middle of the night...sweet of him, don't you think?!?!?!?!?!), I am going to get off of here and hope to post some of the pictures I took of my own kiddos today, tomorrow! They turned out beautiful...but I am a little biased! ;)

Mr. M is One...

...Well, he will be soon! :) This little man, Mr. M, is a super cutie! He wasn't that great of a fan of me or my camera at first, but once I got out my rocker, he was a super smiler!!!! Thanks to Bennett's Orchard in Whiteford, MI for a great location and letting us move and use all of your fun stuff! K and M, hope you enjoy the sneak peek! You have a super cute little family and an adorable little M!

Standing on the rocker...

...beautiful blue eyes...

...happy clapper...


...he wasn't so thrilled in this one, but he is still looking pretty darn cute!

Have a great weekend!

Mr. N - Bedford Senior Session...

So, this senior session was probably the coldest and dreariest day possible, but we totally made work! The location was absolutely fabulous, thanks Bedford Hills Golf Club! There were super cool rocks, great holes on the water, cool barn, great brick...and more! I was so geeked when I showed up for the session. The original plan was to just get some shots on the course, and move on to other locations around town...but it was a one stop deal!

Mr. N was a total trooper that morning. It was cold. Very cold. It was misty at first, and well, then it flat out was raining! He worked with me through it all, and I am super pleased with the results so far! I laughed a little thinking that if this was a girl session we would have cancelled!!! It was great to meet you N and I am so glad that I also got to meet you K (the momma!) in person. You are so sweet, and I had fun riding around in the golf cart with you! Oh yes...thanks so much for grabbing my "box" for me...I forgot it everywhere we went...including when I left! LOL!

Love the red barn...

He has the prettiest smile...

See the wet cement...and wet brick...it seriously rained...hard!

Of course, headshots are still yet to come for Mr. N...as we are STILL not in our house! But, there is an end in site. We are moving in hopefully October 22nd...and all of our items should be moved in by then also, and then our clothes come October 23rd. Thankful for our current living conditions, but O-SO (anyone out there that watches Disney, you know OSO also!) ready to be back in our own home.

Well, keeping my fingers crossed that this beautiful rain we have had for about 2 weeks now will clear up for a fun family session tomorrow...AND, I literally scheduled out a time block for a session with my kids...so you will have to come back and check out how big my little man has gotten!

Little Kiddos...

This session was last Monday, I know, late in posting, but better late than never! It is quite redundant to say "we had a busy week" because I don't know when we don't have a busy week. But it seemed like this past week flew by! We are still not in our house, but are thankful to be staying in my in-law's condo while they are in FL. It has become our home. As long as we are all together, there will always be a home. It is looking like another couple of weeks before we are in, and it won't be finished at that point. Our laundry room isn't allowed to be touched until the "investigation" is complete...long, long, long story! :)

Enough about me...on to the adorable kiddos that I got to meet and capture! Their grandma had contacted me quite some time ago asking me to do a session of her cute grandkids whenever they came into town next. Well, I am so thankful that it worked out. It was a gloomy day, in fact had been a very rainy morning up until shortly before the session, but it did hold off for the session itself. The grandmother's yard was beautiful. Benches, swings, flowers, more flowers, small pond, cool stones, archways...I am keeping that location in mind for future sessions...and she had already so graciously offered that to me...too sweet! So here is just a peak...again...

Love his pretty brown eyes...

Ummmm...for some reason blogger decided this picture should be vertical...anyone want to help me out and let me know how to fix it?!?!?!?! Either way...still adorable!


Love this one...

I also love this one too. He was collecting flags from around the yard, and I had asked him to show me them...

While I am here posting...fall session are booking super duper fast. October weekends are pretty much gone, but if you need a session during the week, I should be able to squeeze it in! November is also starting to book...with another mini-session date on November 7th. If you missed the first one, be sure to stay tuned for the details!

Alright, back to my little guy...have a beautiful Sunday!

Out of town...

...with my sisters and mom, and this gorgeous little man! My sister, Kiersten, took these today. I love them. I love them because I rarely get the chance to be on this side of the camera with one of my kids...isn't he adorable? He is sleeping right next to me as I type, and those of you who know the craziness of our life the past several weeks know that I should quit typing on here and get some rest...and so I will! Have a great weekend!

Mini-Session Sneak Peeks...

This past Saturday was gorgeous, and I had so much fun running around like a crazy lady taking pictures of all of these families and kiddos! It was fun catching up with old clients and new ones! If you missed out on this great deal, I am going to be having another mini-session sometime late October early November...just haven't picked the date yet! Enjoy the fun shots!

The L Family...

Love the lighting on this one!

This family is lucky they were so cute...otherwise I might have refused their session due to their attire!!! ;) Go Blue!

One of my favorites...this little lady has been coming to me since she was inside her momma's tummy...she is such a beautiful little lady!

It was great to meet this fun family! Thanks for coming all the way down here for your session...your kiddos D and Z are so sweet! :)

Miss O's expressions were killing me! So serious, and oh so sweet!

Miss A and Mr. E - What can I say...I "heart" these two kiddos!

Although these cuties are posted last, they were actually my first of the day! They traipsed through the wet grass and bugs with me, and were total troopers! Love both of these shots of them all together!

Have a great week!