As my first image of 2010, yes, I know this isn’t the greatest.  In fact I just picked up my iPhone & snapped it quickly before the moment passed.  (Maybe I should sleep with my SLR next to my bed from now on!)  This is my firstborn, Emma.  We took her to her cousin’s house last night so the girls could play while we adults played games & enjoyed some New Year’s Eve festivities downstairs.  She was so excited to go because Josh told her that when she went to sleep she would be in Mackinzie’s bed & when she woke up she would be in her own bed!  And that’s the truth…that’s exactly how it happened!  I just love that I have been blessed at this time in my life to be able to stay at home with my darlings, have a husband who works hard so it can be that way, & still have a small photo business as my creative outlet.  God has been so good to our family.  That is why I share this photo – it is just a reminder to me of how wonderful life is in these tiny little moments.

I hope that sharing an image a day will become one of my New “You” Resolutions for 2010 (more on why I call it that another day).  I’ve been following Tasra Mar’s journey of 365 images in 365 days & have been really inspired & spoken to through her honesty, bravery, & consistency.  I thought I would model what I know to be successful.  So, in following along her path, I’ve:  1) Taken an image  2) Read a page in my camera manual and  3) viewed another photographer’s work.

For point number 3 I visited Amy Wenzel’s site & happened upon her post “10 Tips for a Sharper Image” – GO. READ. IT. NOW.  Besides all the personally trying times she’s going through currently, she has an inner strength that will encourage you as well.

Now I’m off to pace the house a thousand times, check my camera bag two thousand times, & change my clothes three thousand times for Mandy & Kelvin’s Wedding this afternoon.  Happy New Year!

Yesterday my oldest daughter turned four!  It’s hard to believe that four short years ago she was born!  And, it’s even harder to believe how much she’s changed!  She’s gone from a helpless infant, to a semi-independant four-year-old.  I hardly ever take a group of photos just dedicated to my children, so Emma & I decided to do just that yesterday for her birthday.  She donned her prettiest dress (that still fits…barely!), put in her favorite hair clip, and we went out front and snapped away.  I feel very luck to even have gotten as many photos of her as I did.  Since I’ve been taking her photo for four years now, she has a low tolerance for my camera.  Here is Emma Rose on her fourth birthday!

Thanks to Cousin Jennifer to playing with Emma during her “photo session” and helping her smile.  And thanks to our neighbors, Jack & Colleen, for unknowingly letting us use your stone garden…it makes the loveliest backdrop!  (You should visit Jack’s nursery if you want some awesome landscaping too!)

Happy Birthday, my love Emma!

I am very excited about some upcoming photo sessions this Valentine’s Day weekend. While I wait for those, I thought I’d share with you two of my little loves: Emma & Brooke. As I mentioned before, Emma has started saying, “I’m bored,” and “This is boring!” And there’s only so much I can do with another child to cart around in this colder than cold weather (except today…it’s unseasonably warm and we’re loving it!). I decided that little Brooke might be old enough to handle Play-Do now without eating it. I was kind of right…she only ate a little bit. Oh, well! Here they are playing play-do while I amuse myself with my camera.

Emma cutting

Dora in the mud

Cutting Dora out of the mud