It seems that every time I meet a new family, I fall in love with them. This family was no exception. The love, respect, and friendship they had was apparent from the moment they arrived. I am so excited to get to watch them grow and document their big (and little) moments.
Whenever we went to my grandparents or my great grandmother's house you would find me curled up in the corner sorting through boxes of old pictures. I loved to stare at those pictures and make up stories about all of those people I didn't know. That hard working men, the glamorous women in red lipstick and fur collars, the smiling kids in metal wagons and newsboy caps all captivated me for hours. Even today, I still head straight for the boxes of old photos when I visit an antique store.
I have been playing with the idea of doing 1930's style photo shoots with my kids and then on Pinterest I saw a photo that a mother had taken of her little girl wearing her mom's wedding dress. She said she would use that photo for her daughter's wedding day. Today I decided to try to get vintage style photos of Abby in my wedding dress to show at her wedding one day.
For the last photo she asked if she could show some attitude. Ha! A pre-teen? Attitude? Un.Heard.Of. I had to include her version of attitude:
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Baby Bella has the coolest parents. At the time of her mother's maternity shoot, they had not yet choosen a name for this sweet little girl. They had it narrowed down, but had not picked the final name yet. They had the coolest way of picking her name! They put their two choices into enevelopes. Each envelope was paired up with a lit candle. They let the candles burn down to see which candle would last the longest and chose the name from the candle that lasted. How cool is that??? It's thoughtful, symbolic, original....one of those things I wish I had thought of!!!!
Bella is going to have one fantastic life with these wonderful parents. I'm so honored that I get to be a very tiny part of it:)
It was a beautiful day (sunny, high of 70...sigh) so my dad decided to take out my very first bed and hang it between 2 trees. My very first bed happened to be a hammock. My parents set it up near their bed and attached a bit of rope. Each time I cried, my mom would pull the rope and rock me. Between the tight snuggle of the hammock and the rocking, I was a great little sleeper.
This hammock is the very same hammock that I slept in. I can't believe how long it has held up...it's pretty old for a hammock and still in perfect condition. The kids played and relaxed in it for hours.
They are all so great about taking photos for me...then this happens:
I love our lazy summer nights just hanging out on the back deck doing NOTHING!
Summer is such a busy time if you have kids home from school, isn't it? The school year is busy too, but summer is just a different kind of busy that revolves around keeping the kids entertained and wearing them out. I struggle with trying to balance fun, activity, rest time while still trying to get them to do a few academic things at home...well, only one month of summer left and we have done 'school work' exactly one time! Sigh.
Since Amy and I (and many of you out there) spend so much time at the library and book stores during summer, we decided 'books' might be a great theme:
Amy:
I chose "books" because our life seems to revolve a bit around books lately. We spend lots of time at the library and Barns & Noble. My 7 year old is obsessed with books...reading them, collecting them, starting them all and taking forever to finish them! And my 4 year old loves books too, but in different ways. He loves Star Wars and Batman books, books about animals, and anything funny! He more likes to look at the books and talk about them! Either way, I'm so happy my kids have a love for books. I didn't enjoy reading until I was an adult. So to have them enjoy it now makes my mommy heart swell. :)
Me:
My kids love to load up our 'book bag' at the library and then come home and spread out on the floor with blankets, pillows, and all of their books. I love their expressions when they open up their treasures
We have been having a pretty difficult month around here at the Smith house. Nothing major, but just many things out of our control. I have been feeling pretty down. I suppose my sweet sister, Jessica, in law thought she should do something about that. I'm so humbled and happy that she did.
This afternoon I opened the front door and saw a big long box on my front porch with my name on it! SQUEAL! Know what's better than a present? A present 'just because'. Jessica has been very giving and thoughtful since I met her when she was just a young girl. She gave me an adorable Winnie the Pooh watch a few weeks after we met. Now she is a wife and mom of my 2 adorable nephews and is still just as thoughtful. She remembers birthdays, anniversaries, and send presents 'just because'....I am terrible at remembering birthdays.
Notice 2 new additions to my family???
Jessica sent me a mini rainbow umbrella I can carry in my purse or camera bag. I can use it for my tiny clients :)...the she sent me her big sister...the mother of all rainbow umbrellas with 3 times as many colors as the original umbrella....oh, the possibilities!!!!!
Jessica, thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!! You made my month! I can't wait to use them in my sessions and just use them on a gloomy day...hope it rains soon!
I know I have said it a million times. I know my husband and kids and friends hear about it every time I finish a session....I LOVE my clients. I know I have said this before too...I hate calling them my clients and would rather call them my friends. They invite me into their homes or to their family events and treat me like an old friend or one of the family. They tell me their funny stories, joke with me, and we always end with a big hug. I LOVE my clients.
Kim and Rob, thank you so much for trusting me to capture this most special day. You knew from the beginning that I am not experienced at wedding photography, yet, you still showed amazing trust having me there. Thank you for being so awesome and fun and caring. Thank you for sharing your day with me.
This is too cute. I caught this family member playing with the bubbles before the ceremony:
This little baby ran towards me and made this adorable "excited to see you face" whenever she saw me. At first I thought I was so special until I realized she did that to everyone she met. So adorable!
Do they look tired or what?????
That's better! Sweet girls.
It was a sweet sit down lunch reception. Kim and Rob are just so cute.
Before the ceremony, they spotted a turtle in the woods. They promised their daugher that they would have a turtle hunt after the ceremony. It was so cute to see dad in his tux and mom in her gown, hunting for a turtle.
Thank you again, for letting me be a part of your amazing day!
I just wanted to show you a sneak preview of the beautiful wedding I shot this weekend. My two absolute favorite parts of any wedding I have ever been to are 1) the look on the groom's face the first time he sees his bride and 2) The smile on the bride's face the first time they walk back down the aisle as husband and wife....so I had to show them today.
More to come soon....
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