This post isn’t meant to get you down, or make you sad.  It’s meant to show you the real-life moments that happen.  Yes, I know you always get to see the best, and most happy, and most lovely of all the images I take.  Did ya think I’d show you the bad ones?  Of course not!  But I did want to share with you some super cute, and super sad faces I got from Kate this past weekend.

We went out on one of the hottest, most humid, most sunny afternoons.  And darn it, Kate wanted some milk!  And she wasn’t going to be persuaded otherwise!  We gave her yogurt bites, Skittles, funny dances, silly songs, and her mommy even gave her kisses…but she would have none of it!  She wasn’t going to smile until she got some milk.

I’m blogging this to show you that life may not always be smiles, and that’s okay.  We all want some milk once in a while and it’s alright not to smile until we get it.  So, go get what you are longing for and then smile.

Little Paul is the adorable son of my long-time friend Gina and her wonderful husband “Big” Paul.  I have to admit I was sad when Paul married Gina and took her away from us all the way up to New Jersey.  But, he has made her happy, and she him, so what more can I ask for my dear friend?  Well, they have been blessed this year with a wonderful little baby boy.  I first met him when he was about 2 weeks old and now he’s magically 8 months!  It seems like it happened over night!  So when Gina told me she’d be down this month, I had to snap some more recent photos of this little guy!

There were so many great photos to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down to just these 15.  Paul started out the afternoon almost trying NOT to smile at me.  It was really weird, almost like he knew I was there to get him smiling, so he wasn’t going to do it.  Ha!  What a little stinker!  But as soon as his daddy came out, he was all smiles!  He was so wonderful!

Here’s Paul…

I thought this was going to be the only expression he would give me all afternoon!

Well, it seems that photography season is in full swing.  I started my week with Mark & Jill’s engagment, and then yesterday I photographed the ever adorable Clara, and on Saturday I’ll get to witness Kate & Joey exchange vows as they commit their lives to one another.  (Not to mention the engagements for the next two Sundays, the family sessions coming up, and yada yada ya….)  But I’d like to pause and let you see how much little Clara has grown.

I first met Clara about 3 months ago when she was just a little thang, and she has blossomed and changed so much in such a short time.  She can smile, coo, kick the toys hanging from her play mat, and even produce the pouty lip!  It’s so amazing how children grow and change so quickly.

Clara was a real trooper, too.  When I arrived yesterday she was finishing up a morning bottle and then we put her through about 4 outfits, 2 head bands, one flower pot, and one beach towel…and she took it beautifully, all while looking good at the same time!  Here is little Clara…

Relaxing in the flower pot.

The famous “lip.”

Clara’s first headband of the day.

On to the bathing suit.

And these are my favorite series.  I can’t get enough of that headband!

And lastly, Clara’s tutu!

Okay, let me first preface this blog post by saying these are not Bethany’s online dating profile pictures…puh-leez!  She doesn’t need any of that.  However, if she meets her dream man due in some part to my post, she’ll be obligated to hire me as her photographer for every future life event.

I forced Bethany to let me take her out (after we got killa haircuts!) and get some photos for her upcoming missions trip to China.  I don’t know much about what her trip is about, except is about spreading Jesus and teaching English…what more is there?  She’ll be starting a blog soon and I’ll be sure to update you on that.

What I DO know is that Bethany is probably one of my most difficult photography subject.  Just kidding!  It was a little challenging though because Bethany has this weird trait:  She can’t NOT smile!  She just can’t do it.  If you try to get anything but a smile, she doesn’t look like Bethany.  So, in order to get a “natural” smile, I had to just be super funny and make her laugh a lot.  And to punish me, Bethany made me get my picture taken at the end…but we’ll save those photos for later.

So Bethany, my dear, I had a blast with you yesterday.  I enjoyed every minute of every little silly story I shared to make you giggle.  Our entire family will really miss you and everything we share…Settlers, Rock Band, LOST, Heavy Weights, WH?AT, and so much more!

Enough already before I cry….here’s Bethany!

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!