Quick proofing break...

to show you some images of Katie that I took during a recent playdate at the Gardens. When I mention to everyone that Katie does NOT like participating in a session, please remember THESE images. Thanks!

Laughing at me because she knew I did not want her in full sun (harsh shadows on the face)

Running from me when I tried to get her to go back to the shade.

Looking at the fish (but hey, it's one I like!)


Instant motion as soon as she turned around...*sigh*


She's either thinking "Take that photo and I'm putting this rock in my mouth" or "Take that photo and I'm throwing this rock at the camera."


OH a CUTE one...too bad she was running away, turned to look, and I wasn't fast enough for perfect focus.


Pretty smile, will work well for a "head shot" portrait for the Grandparents...unfortunately I wanted the full length for the wall.


This one, she didn't run away, she looked at me (though did not smile), and gave me the full length I wanted...knowing she had her sippy cup and I was NOT going to allow it to be in anything but her scrapbook.



Yes, these are the BEST ones I got of her.

She melts my heart

As I'm going through our vacation photos, I found this one. Katie melts my heart. She's trying to become so independent lately, and she's testing those 2 year old limits and boundaries well. However, that smile she gives me reminds me how very much I love her. It also serves to get her out of trouble quite a bit as well.

Only a little late!

4th of July photos from our family. I'm sure that none of you procrastinate over photos from holidays and viewing them, getting them ready to print, and then even putting them in scrapbooks, right? Here's my little secret, I'm very behind on all my scrapbooks. So far behind that I'm looking at over 2 years of my personal photos stored on the hard-drive, stacked in envelopes, or *gasp* put in non-acid proof plastic baggies for sorting.



Yes, I'm that far behind.



So, I'm sure it's not surprising that it has taken me 2 weeks to even LOOK at the photos from July 4th holiday. Actually, I guess since I went to a workshop that weekend as well and I have looked and edited those images, I've actually looked at some. Just not ones of my boys!



But I finally did it! What else was I going to do while uploading orders to my lab? Okay, yes, I could be editing all those sessions I've had lately (and I'm working on those sneak peeks, but for now, I wanted to share my boys). :)



I don't think they had a good time, do you?!

Baseball Season 2007 is over!

and what a season it was. Business-wise I had a great time taking all the action shots (and yes I'm leaving those up for the teams for a little while longer).

I do not have releases on most of the players I photographed this year, but I will show off my son. He told us today that he was sad baseball was over, and he was going to miss it. I wonder if it is bad of me to be glad it was over. In the past 2 weeks we were at the ballfield every night but 2. He had a great season, and his team did GREAT. I'm extremely proud of them and all they accomplished this year.

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

I know I did, even if I slept in a tent the entire weekend! We went to the Smokey Mountains to camp, visit Dollywood, shop, and make memories. We did it all, made many many memories, and can you believe I took only a handful of pictures?! I kept meaning to take more, like one of our campsite, but I kept having too much fun playing with my kids.

It's only now, back at home, that I think of what I have not captured for our memories. Things like Samuel playing in the creek, JM playing basketball, putting up our tent, my youngest nephew swinging, my oldest nephew squirting my brother with a water gun. I did not get any photos of us at Dollywood either, no photos of us soaking wet after riding the water rides. None of Grandpa sitting with the little boys.

I do however have many memories in my mind. Memories such as Mitchell and Samuel talking on their Cheeto phone in some little kid silly language, then saying "Bye!" and eating it. LOL It really is one of the things you had to be there for I guess.

On Monday, as we were driving home and I saw the flags out on the interstate, I was reminded of how lucky we are to live somewhere where we have the freedoms to go camping, visit amusement parks, and enjoy each other. We have the freedoms to go tent camping, to laugh and play with our kids, and to take days off from work.

Sunday in Big Spring Park

In an effort to actually get that Easter picture of my boys, I took them after church this past Sunday to Big Spring Park. I had my normal 5 seconds with them cooperating, then I had a silly face photo, then they were off to feed those poor starving ducks. Because you know, Mom, those ducks have not been fed in ages and are absolutely starving! If they did not feed them, then those poor ducks were in danger of expiring.

Anyone who has ever been there to feed those ducks on a Sunday, knows that your bread crumbs are apt to sink to the bottom of the lake before those rather plump looking ducks make it over to eat even one morsel.

Here my boys are during their 5 seconds of cooperation!

Have you had fun this Spring?

WOW what a spring we've had! From beautiful March weather, to cold freezing April weather. I was so busy during Spring Break that I did not grab the chance to take portraits of my boys in their Easter finest. I thought, wrongly as it turned out, that I could grab a shot of them Easter morning in their shorts and short-sleeves. Can you believe how cold it was? Instead of my vision, I ended up with lovely images of them hunting Easter eggs in their winter coats! Of course I could not convince my two boys to do anything but Star Wars eggs. Poor Yoda lost an ear in the bush, and we never did find it.

Thanks to all my clients who were flexible with rescheduling due to weather and freezing temps! You all are the best.

I am loving this baseball season so far, all the chances to see the little kids through the big kids playing baseball. I find myself cheering for the kids while taking the action photos. I have so much fun at the games, and I hope the kids love the images I take of them. My only wish is that I had an even bigger lens!

Many faces of Samuel

We spent some time playing as a family at the greenway recently, and Samuel actually wanted me to take pictures of him. Well, of his different faces. He loves to chimp (that's looking at the photo on the back of the camera) and keeps requesting more. Then, when we get home, he begs and begs for me to put them on the computer so he can see them. I make up a slideshow and he sits at the computer and giggles.

Here are some of my favorite faces:

Karate!

I started my two boys in Karate this year, and they are loving it! I can highly recommend Triad Martial Arts on University/US 72 and Slaughter Road. They currently have 1st month free for youth students, no contracts, and competitive rates. If you homeschool, this dojo has classes during the early afternoon.

If you want more information, please contact me!

I'm such a softie!

Really I am. I'm a pushover when kids get their feelings hurt and have huge crocodile tears streaming out of their eyes. My youngest experienced a first recently, the first time big brother and Daddy got to do something and he was too young to go on that super exciting charter bus. I tried explaining to him that the bus ride really is not all that great, but to his 4 year old eyes, that big bus was almost as good as Disney World.

The tears were streaming down, and I asked if he wanted to talk to Daddy. He sure did. I was trying to tell myself it was because he missed Daddy, but I think he was sad he was not on the bus. My little guy did sound sufficiently pitiful though telling Daddy "bye" on the phone.

Sufficiently enough to get a new game from Target, and new shoes, and if he'd worked it a little harder he probably would have gotten a toy (but I held firm and did NOT go down that aisle). So, tonight, he had the honor of playing the new Cars game FIRST! Plus he got to be player number 1. Both of these are a big deal as the 8 year old seems to always want to be in charge. Imagine that.

What did this do for me? Well, it allowed me to have some good time to work on photos and editing. This past week I took some photos of a Kindergarten class and I am making a poster of them. These wonderful little kids made letters of the alphabet for me. Since 2 of the little girls were absent that day, the teacher and I left a few letters that they could make out and I will be going back after spring break to finish up the letters. I have decided though that I either need to do the photos earlier in the year, or get a tall ladder! These kids are much taller than I expected.

If I can get permission from their parents, I will share the poster with you all. I hope it will turn out as precious as I envision!

Disney Slideshow

This is for personal use, and I thought you all might enjoy seeing it.

Just a few from Disney

Just a couple from our trip to Disney, and I really have so many more images to go through. I am hoping to get a slideshow ready for my family, but I will share here if you are interested.

Samuel pulled out the maps tonight and pointed to Star Tours and told me that we needed to go back. Then, when he found the Magic Kingdom map, he exclaimed, "Oh WOW! It's the real kingdom!" He is such a cutie sometimes. Another thing, when did JM get to be so BIG?!