Recent photography tries.

I've taken pictures for a few family and friends in the last couple months just for fun.  I know I'm still learning, but I'm learning well?  Here's a few of my recent favorites.

7 years.

It's so cliche, but I can hardly believe I have a seven year old child.  I can vividly remember the events of the day leading up to the night that she was born.  It seems like just yesterday that a whirlwind of chaos ensued and an emergency cesarean was performed to save this child's life.  She was born into the world, perhaps unready to face it as she cried every waking moment for weeks.  Our lives changed that day, but each day we have with her, the blessings of having her just become more and more plentiful. 

She is truly a wonderful individual.  She strives within herself to be the very best that she can be.  She sees in black and white, with no gray in between.  Obedient to her parents, her teachers, her beliefs, and most importantly, her Father in Heaven.  A born leader, she is a shining example to all she comes in contact with.  She is a reader, a swimmer, and a gymnast.  She loves to ride her bike, but only while wearing a dress or skirt. 

Seen by two little boys as a sister, she is loving and nurturing.  She is their role model and they want to be just like her.  She plays their games and they play hers.  She helps feed them, dress them, potty them, and even parent them at times.  She holds their small hands as we cross the street and kisses them goodnight each and every night.  She reads them bedtime stories and helps them write love notes to their grateful parents.

As a daughter, she wants to do everything right.  Disciplining her is a fragile subject as it only takes a look to crush her little soul.  She is attached at the hip to her mother and separation is sometimes a traumatic event.  She loves to be cuddled in bed and still loves a good bedtime chapter to be read to her.  She is grateful for all that she is given and regularly thanks us for the service and gifts she receives. 

Each child comes to earth with their own personality and are so different, but I am so grateful for this one.  I make it my goal to tell her each and every day how lucky I am to be her mother, to be able to keep her forever.  Miss Roundabout, I love you and Happy Birthday sweetie!

{Family} pictures!

I'm still learning the ins and outs of photographing, using my new camera, and photoshop.  I *think* I'm getting better each time!

My friend, Rebecca, wanted some family pictures taken for her and she asked me.  Her boys are cute and I just love J's blue, blue eyes!

Anybody else willing to gamble on me?!  

This is fun for me!

Almost a rose.

It almost looks like a rose until you look close and see that really it's not.  No thorns either.  And a very prolific bloomer, which makes it all the better.  Welcome to our home, Camilia.

Fancy, fancy.

I saw this dress at Target a couple months ago and bought it well before Easter...the cashier mocked me.  But wait before you laugh; when I checked a few weeks before Easter, her size was gone!  Look who's laughing now! 

Little Miss Fancy Pants was sporting this for Easter.  100% decked out in her pink.  Just click those pink heels to see a prissy, but wonderfully sweet little girl.

Pictures.

So...while I was visiting my friend Katie last week, I attempted some Easter pictures with her kids.  Only they didn't turn out.  I'm not good at getting crying kids to look my way with a smile on their face. :)  Here's the only one I like...really.

And this one is such a cute idea.  And Katie made the Easter egg herself!

My little brother.

Craig is the youngest of the four, only by coincidence that he wasn't the firstborn of the twins.  But by some 48 seconds or so, he is the youngest.  He and his beautiful wife, Heidi, came for a vacation, blessed their new baby, and let me hold my newest nephew, Ethan!  And...they let me practice photographing them!

They, too, chose the big, red barn that my sister chose as her photo locale.  It's a historic part of all of our childhood.  Used to be the tobacco barn my grandfather used in farming, but now it's just sittin' pretty.

 

  

  

  

  

 

Bay-Bee a.k.a. Blankie

 

 The attachment continues to grow more and more everyday.  

He now can say "Bay-Bee" for Blankie 

which is somehow different than "bee-bee" for baby.

Pushing into Spring...

In the dead of January's antics, a little color poking through the soil brightens the bone-chilled soul. 

What should have bloomed by Christmas had stunted growth and is now showing it's beauty at a more appreciated time.  Come on, Spring!

Trying my hand.

I'm a family picture fanatic. I love having our family pictures to look back on. I love seeing how my children are growing up and changing. But, my sister has never really had the drive to drag the family to a photo shoot. And thus, she has no family pictures in their 9 years of marriage. I nag her about it often.

When she heard that I had a new camera, she asked if I would try to take some family pictures this weekend for the upcoming holidays. I agreed although I have no experience and have a relatively small knowledge-base. I think I gave it a pretty good shot for my first time shooting wiggly children with shifty eyes.