Still here...

I am still here! We have again been pretty busy. I had a great session with a beautiful family Saturday morning, a GORGEOUS Senior session Sunday evening (biased, my little sister) and then another wonderfully beautiful Senior Session this morning. Needless to say, I have a lot of "work" to do! :)

Of course, I would have loved to have sat down this afternoon to dig into the editing, but I took the opportunity of this beautiful day to take the girls swimming. They had a blast, Bean was sleeping by 7:30 (rarity during the summer!!!) and Cakes, was in bed at the same time, didn't quite fall asleep until 9:00. That may have had something to do with her napping from 4:45-5:45...but she SO needed it!!! I tried waking her around 5:15 and you would have thought I woke a bear from hibernating!!! :) Can't complain though, she stayed in bed with a few books, I only made 3 short trips up to her (one to change her diaper, another for her to tell me she was sleepy) and she finally went to sleep. Beautiful! Now, if only every evening was that easy!!!!

I feel as though I have neglected my baby sessions from last week, and I wanted to post a few more of my favorites! I have BOTH of those sessions completed, so now I am free to move on to the next ones. To the "D" and "S" Families, here is another little peak if you check here before you get your proofs! :)

Enjoy!

A few shots...

From our mini-vaca...

The view of the lake from the cottage...

Our first night there, before the first plunge! (don't mind my crazy hair!!!)

Two little ones headed out to the raft...

And one suddenly disappeared...Cakes was too nervous and bailed out at the beach.

Bean swimming like a champion.
Cakes, watching the action...

Big Boy was a major thing for my girls. I am not sure why, we have one here locally, but we never go to it. We rarely eat out, and when we do it is usually Red Robin because it is loud and we don't feel like our kids will disrupt. Anyways, Bean couldn't wait to get a picture with Big Boy after dinner. Here you have it!
Posing just like him...
I have more putt-putt shots of the girls. It was their first time ever putt putting, and they both had fun. I kicked tail (we weren't really keeping score, but I kept it in my head for just T and me!!!!! ;)

Bean took this picture. The only one of T and me from this trip.

I love this next picture. Cakes woke up quite a bit earlier than Beans did on Wednesday morning. I was sleeping in the bed with both girls (they were up at 5 am, and by me laying there, they were able to fall back to sleep.) So when Cakes woke up, I sent her in to get Daddy. They chatted for awhile, and then I heard them get up because they were going to go feed the fish. This is the two of them walking out to the water. Cakes is such a daddy's girl, and is a spitting image of him! (He doesn't take credit for her sassy-ness...he says something has to come from me!)She was very excited, but the fish didn't like our bread! ;)

I was bummed as I was looking through the pictures that I didn't get a single shot of ANY of us kayaking. It was Cakies first time kayaking, Bean kayaked all by herself, and we made several family kayak trips around the lake. The time that Bean kayaked by herself, T was swimming next to her and we got to about the middle of the lake. We had decided to go on a family "tour" and instead of kayaking back to shore to load in from there, T decided he could manage to get in, guaranteeing Bean that she wouldn't fall in. I laughed VERY hard through the whole thing, and T kept his promise, Beany didn't fall in, not even a little splash on her! (They were close to tipping several times though!!!)

Another picture I missed (not really my fault) was Beans first ride on the jet-ski. She had refused several times, and while I was out on the water on a jet-ski and my sister was out on the other one with my niece, she decided she could do it. I came in and she hopped on! She was a little nervous at first, but I forgot to have T take a picture of her...bummed! Guess we will just have to go back to make sure we get some pictures of both of the missed events. Cakies almost got brave enough to ride, but each time she was about to hop on she freaked out. I guess she is only 2! :)

Alright, so there are a few...still have putt putt, and a full day of swimming and playing to post. My sister and her family came up on Wednesday and it was tons of fun!
Off to celebrate my nephew's TWO YEAR birthday!!!!!

Home...

Although it always feels good to be home, our relaxing mini-vacation was fabulous! We had SO much fun the past three days...so much, that we are hoping to do it again sometime in August...if we can! :) Hope to share some pictures this weekend of all the "firsts" for my kiddos! Have a great night!

Baby "D"

I wish I could share Baby D's name because it is so cute and so unique, unique in the good kind of way, but I have a thing with putting names on the internet. So you will just have to be creative and try to figure it out yourself. Anyways, this little guy is 6 months old, and is the son of a friend that I used to play softball with in high school. I have had the priviledge of shooting her sister while pregnant and then her niece, Baby "S" as a newbie.

I was very excited to do this session. I would get to see T, meet her husband D, and visit with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. S (Baby D's Grandparents) have been around in my life for quite sometime, and cheered me on during volleyball days and softball days from the time I was in Jr. High through High School. He helped me land a coaching position (or two) during college. Mrs. S, is as sweet as pie, and would do anything you asked of her, even if it would kill her, I swear!

I was very nervous about the day, as if anyone from around here recalls, the clouds were threatening, some rain had passed through, so the ground was soaked, the light outside was great, but inside wouldn't have worked out so well. I would have postponed but T and D live out of town, and were here for the weekend staying with "the parents". We decided to give it a try, worse case scenario, it wouldn't work out.

I arrived at 9;30, and was greeted by D, in p.j.'s eating his breakfast. I loved it! I knew from that moment that this was going to be a fun session! Then I saw Baby D, and my heart melted. I think the first thing I said was, "He is such a pretty baby!". I don't know if pretty is the best word to describe a little boy, but nothing else came to my mind. He has the cutest hair, looks as though it is styled, soft smooth peachy cheeks, and BEAUTIFUL blue eyes. I am such a sucker for the baby blues!!!!

After some visiting, we went on out to get the session moving. As we were walking through the grass D warned of the dog bombs, so beware. We got a few shots in but Baby D was sleepy...very sleepy! He was not liking the camera, was not liking sitting, so we decided that I would come back after his nap. At this point, I was keeping my fingers crossed that the weather would hold out!

So, homeward bound. I am less than 5 minutes from Mr. and Mrs. S's home where the session was taking place, and I smelled something "funny". I couldn't put my finger quite on it...I smelled my shirt thinking maybe it was the culprit, and then something in my head reminded me that I was kneeling on the ground. Oh yes. That was it. I knelt in a dog bomb! To the washer with those babies!!! So, I walked in from the garage, which happens to be our laundry room, and stripped the pants off. I then walked into the kitchen to greet my sweeties and husband sitting at the kitchen table. Cakies looks at me and says, "Mom, where you pants? Where you pants go?" She was totally confused! I didn't quite process the fact that I needed to answer that question, and then my husband says, "Didn't go so well huh? Was the light bad? And, where are your pants?" While my husband is asking those questions, Cakes the whole time is repeating, "Where you pants?" Ah, yes, the dog poop! I don't think Cakies understood quite what that meant, but it was funny none the less! :) By the way, Beans didn't seem too phased by me just being in my shirt. That somewhat scares me...maybe I should start instilling a little more modesty in our household!

So, I headed back after nap, the storms held off, the light was wonderful, and minus the humidity, it was a perfect day for a session. Oh yes, and during the nap, Mrs. S had Mr. S out mowing the lawn to make sure it was perfect for the pictures! Like I said, she would do anything for anyone! The yard was beautiful, beautiful flowers with so many colors...and so far the processed images are beautiful.

This ended up being an ENORMOUS post, but it was such a fun day! I had a great time catching up with the whole family, and oh yea, I even got some pictures of their dog (small pony) with the family! I love this "job" and love that it just keeps getting better as I go along.

Thank you to all of you for your cooperation and excitement for the session. You were so much fun to work with, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to catch up in person!

So, here are the much awaited sneak peeks...shame on any of you who skipped this e-nor-mo post and came straight to the goodies!!! ;)

"First" Session of the day...and this was about the happiest he gave us!

And then there was this...

T's great idea...love it...

Super Smiles at Grandpa...

Sleepy again...he wasn't really sleeping, but I think being snuggled on the blanket and being worn out from "traveling" all over the yard for pictures made this blink extra long.

So those are just a few quick ones. I am off to eat a bowl of oatmeal...nothing wrong with a prego lady that is hungry at midnight right?!?!?! :)

Baby B

I have two sessions that need some sneak peek posting. I only have Baby B's ready, so check back sometime soon. We have been very busy around here. From swimming, to birthday parties, to play dates, to photo sessions and numerous other fun events, I have gotten behind in my posting! Sorry! We will be out of town on a mini-vacation this week, so don't expect tons of postings this week either!!!! :)

I had tons of fun with the "D" family last Thursday. They are laid back, relaxed and just went with the flow. It was nice to hear, "This is so much better than going to a studio". That is one of my goals...to make capturing your child, family, pet (yep, even photographed a pet this weekend!) an easy and fun process. Baby "B" is 6 weeks old and Big Sister "S" is 6 years old. She was a total sweetheart that wanted to help with everything, and also be in as many pictures as possible! Too cute!

I will write more about the "S" family from Saturday...they too were a blast!

I will leave you with these sneak peeks, and then I am off to fix up a chair to use in my sessions. Good ol' Dad to the rescue for me! :)

Cute...Cute...Cute...

Beautiful 6 year old, "S"...she LOVES having her picture taken...it was very evident Thursday! :)




This is one of my favorites so far in editing this session. It is different than any that I have taken, and it turned out so darn sweet! I love the shadows and the cute little buns melt my heart!

Have a good night! :)

Looking Through Pictures...

I was trying to post these last night, but blogger was "acting up". So, I thought I would post them real quick today. These two sweeties are best friends and cousins. As I was looking through pics, I came across these two shots. The first one makes me laugh. These are the faces, movements and attitude that I usually get when I try to get their picture. G(niece) is a hoot, and Beans usually has her finger pointed in a disco dance move (below) or her muscle flexed.



So, I will take the above picture as long as they promise to give me one nice one...and below you will see...their love, their sweetness and their patience for me!
Hope you are having a great week.

Congrats...

To our good friends (Hubby's Best Friend) J and now FIANCE K! :) Engaged last night, and we couldn't be more excited! We are so happy for you guys, and have been busting at the seems to keep the big secret a secret! :) You are both wonderful people and deserve the happiness that you bring to each other! Love you both! :)

Baby Session Postponed...

Yesterday's baby session was postponed until Thursday, so if you are here looking to see that session, well, you will have to check back later this week!

So, instead I made a little slide show of snapshots of what we have been up to this summer. Somehow, I don't have any pics of Baby K...will have to make sure I get some the last half of summer! :)

• Hanging out with the "big" family
• Thunderstorms with a Beautiful Rainbow afterwards!!!! (hard to see in the picture though!)
  
• Goodbye parties for Uncle Lucas
• Baby Swan watching at the pond
• Ballet Recital...SO CUTE!!!!
• Playing with COUSINS...
  
• Ice Cream...and popsicles...
• Playing in our "pool"
• Swimming at the pond
• Visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Armstrong
• Playing at the park

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And many more things...that I didn't get pictures of yet! We still have so much summer left, and yet I feel like we have crammed so much in already! We are taking a small family vacation next week for a couple of days. Should be a fun time, barring the weather is cooperative! It will be nice to be out of the house for a couple of days to be able to just hang out with each other, and not feel like I should be doing "something" and just enjoy the moment that we are in at that time. :)

Hope you had a great weekend! Mrs. H, I know you check this often, it was WONDERFUL to see you and J and K last night for dinner! We have missed you, and hope to see you soon!

Baby J Slide Show

I am finished with editing Baby J's session. I just have to compile the CD, and it will then be ready for delivery! That will have to wait, because I am taking the girls swimming at the "pond". One of our favorite things to do! Here is a slide show of the majority of my favorites from the session! Hope you enjoy!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Ramblings...

Here are some of my thoughts from last night at 4:30 a.m. Don't ask, well you can, I changed a pull up, soothed a bad dream, changed sheets, and filled "juice" cups. Not sure why I was wide awake after all of that?!?!? :) So here are some things I was thinking!

1. My Beans loves her armpits scratched. It helps her fall asleep. Does anyone else find this weird? I love my hair played with, but forget the armpits!!!!

2. I need to take a picture of my house when it is picked up and cleaned (which is at least once a day), because during some point after cleaning, a tornado rips through my house. I figure, if I have a picture of a clean house, then I can remember what it is supposed to look like, share that with others who see my tornado of a living room, and relax and not worry about the toys scattered about.

3. Having toys on the floor is like having a good burglar alarm system. I know this because I stepped on them last night!

4. My girls love each other so much, and I LOVE watching their friendship develop. Bean was crying out before she fell asleep last night, which led to Cakies crying out too. I went to Cakes first..."Beany is scweamin'. She sad." How sweet...she was only crying because she knew her sister was upset.

5. Lastly, I love my husband. He is the sweetest, dearest man, and I can't put into words the love I have for him. Small example of his love for me...Last night, he played with my hair until I fell asleep!!!! The little things to make me happy! Love him.

Welcome Baby J...

I had so much fun with my sweet friends yesterday and their itty bitty little girl. The wrinkly skin, little belly button cord still attached, tiny little feet...she is precious! Check out all of her hair...it could have been braided if she would have went to term!!!! Congrats R and C! We love you guys lots and are so happy for you both! Here is a little sneak peek of Miss Baby J!

Proud Momma, and VERY alert Baby J...

I love the perspective of Dad's hands compared to her little body...


Adoring parents...



BUNS!!!!!





C...this is the one you fell in love with before I even left! The color one is cool also...but I know you love the black and whites!



Too precious for words...

The hair...

And of course, last but not least, my favorite...the piggy toes!!!!!

Another wonderful baby session on Saturday!!!! Can't wait! :)

Babies, Babies, Babies...

Had a baby session last Friday, one on Wednesday (the little baby girl who came FIVE weeks early!!!!), and another on Saturday! LOVE IT!!!!

Here is a little slide show for the "S" family from Friday's session. Beautiful...all of them!

(Blurriness of pictures in the slide show is due to the slide show...not the pictures...promise they are very crisp and clear! :) )

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Newborn Session and Beautiful 4 year old...

Today started out fabulous! I am so happy that the session was postponed from Monday to today, even though I would have loved to have captured this little guy at only 6 days old. The light today was so much better, especially since we were inside for the majority of the shots with the little newbie. The "S" family, was so wonderful! I truly can't say enough about how sweet, helpful, flexible and just flat out great they were! What a beautiful family you have!!!! Thanks for a great morning...and for putting up with me moving things about!

We went to the "pond" today to celebrate the 4th with "my big family" as Beanie refers to it, and had a great time there also. Cakes took a nap while we were there, but I think that was due to the fact that we didn't go to bed until midnight (I know, bad mom!) because we went to watch the fireworks in Sylvania. Beanie loved them, and couldn't stop talking about them. If you ask Cakies, you will get, "I no like them." "Dey Scare me." And those of you who know her, can picture the expression on her little face! We asked her several times today about them, just to see the reaction. Anyways, both girls wore themselves out swimming, running, digging and playing with their Aunts and Uncles. The big guys were able to play some corn hole, and food was delicious. Uncle Lucas leaves early Sunday morning, and we most likely won't be seeing him until his 2 week break in December. Keep him in your prayers as he embarks on this new journey...we will surely miss him!!!!

This is the first night in a LONG time that both girls were in bed before 9...and asleep too! :) So many parties, gatherings, and fun going on...the schedule became quite late...not what this Momma likes! Don't know why I crave schedule so much (an early bedtime one), but it helps my brain function!!!! With girls in bed, I had a little time to sit and work on a few of the images from today's session. I have been very antsy to get down here and get working...although it doesn't feel like work! Here are a few sneak peeks, and I am sure I will be posting more!!!! I have to admit, newborns are my FAVORITE to photo...I think I have said that before! ;)

Mr. G was such a sleepy little guy...on his best behavior the entire session.

You had to guess that there would be some sort of newborn piggies shot in the sneak peek!!! I always dig into these first!!!!!

Miss G has BEAUTIFUL blue eyes. They sparkled so brightly, and she is as cute as can be! She obviously loves her little brother, and I love both expressions of Mr. G and Miss G!

Doesn't this just make you smile?!?!?!? :) A Daddy's love for his little one...melts my heart every time.
Another one of the cutie...

That is all...going to watch a few fireworks from the deck on this cool summer evening! Check back for more sometime this weekend!

A Little News...

First of all, I have to say "Congrats" to one of my great friends, who gave birth to their little girl J yesterday. I am sure you will be seeing some pictures of her soon! Lady J was born 5 weeks early, but is a total champ. 6.8 lbs, and has a good set of lungs. She is expected to go home tomorrow with Mom. I am hoping to go tonight to get a quick glimpse of the sweet little lady that couldn't wait to meet her mom and dad!

On to the next topic. 8 short months ago today, as many of you know, was the start of a series of some rough days. Days that now, I know I wouldn't have lived through without God, my loving husband, and all of the friends and family that love us (many of you!). It was the day of our ultrasound for Baby T.R. The day we were supposed to find out if it was a boy or girl, a day I had been anticipating for several months.

As you know, the ultrasound was not so great, to say the least. The heart beat was there, but T.R. was only measuring a mere 14 weeks (I was 18.5 weeks), and only moved about once or twice. I now feel it was a simple blessing from God to let me see him alive and moving one last time before he passed. Emotions that I never felt started creeping in. Complete and utter sadness, and then the next day came. More sadness, as I knew later that afternoon that I was beginning to miscarry my little guy. More sadness came the next day, with our E.R visit and then delivering him. He was tinier than you can imagine, and so perfectly formed. All ten toes, fingers, eyes, mouth, nose...and his little boy part, making naming him so much easier. I am thankful that I got to hold him and see him, and although the tears still well up now, my heart has had lots of healing these past months, and I know it will continue to heal each day. God truly has been good to me, and I say that without hesitation.

So, as I write today, on the 8th month anniversary of the last time seeing my T.R. still living, I am very excited to tell you that we are expecting again. It is the little news that I wanted to share that has been growing inside of me. I am past the 12 week wait, where the most dangerous part of losing a baby comes, but still proceed with hesitation because I have been here before. I am due in early January, and although I have so many reservations with this pregnancy, I am in love with the little sprout growing inside of me. I heard the heartbeat again yesterday, always reassuring, and am counting down the days until my next appointment where I can hear it again.

T.R. has been a blessing in my life. I miss him completely, and often wonder what life would be like if he were here, and how it would have been wonderful for my little girls to have a little brother here on earth. Someday we will meet him, I do know.

So, that is the news. And, if you were hoping for a winter session in January, it will have to be postponed! :) Lots of rambling here today, hope it didn't bore you too much!