The Girls

Sisters of those oh-so-cute kiddos featured yesterday. I could take pictures of the oldest all. day. long. It's just so fun to take photos of someone who loves having their photo taken! Of course the little ones were fun in a whole different way ... there were some crazy shenanigans going on to get the real giggles out of the youngest.













Loved being with you girls!

The Boys

A few weeks ago these handsome boys ... (and their cute sisters who will be featured tomorrow!) came for a quickie visit and some pictures. They braved some COLD temps to get these photos done. But they were all champs and stuck with it even with the wind making their eyes water ...






They were rewarded for their cooperation under less-than-pleasant conditions with plenty of lego-building and light-saber fighting the rest of the afternoon!

Daily Ritual

But wait ... the ones I really wanted are ...




Um ... actually ... I'm feeling kind of polka-dottish ...


All in the course of 6 minutes. I don't even want to imagine what it's going to be like when she's a teenager ... or what will happen when she outgrows size 5.

I challenge you.

Your challenge

should you choose to accept it
{take a deep breath}

is to go to your computer

find all those digital photos
and {are you ready for this?}

And then ... take those piles of photos ...

... and DO something with them. Put them in an album. Scrapbook. Make a collage and hang it up. Even organize them in a nice photo box. Anything! The options are limitless.

I spent all Sunday afternoon putting pictures in photo albums (you can find the kind I use here) and had so much fun walking down memory lane. The photos aren't perfect. But they aren't supposed to be. They are snapshots. Little snippets of our lives. And I am so happy that I have them. Not just stuck in a folder on the computer, but in an album that I can flip through to my heart's content. I still have quite a few more pictures that I need to go through (I had to run to the store first thing Monday morning to buy two more albums!) ... and probably at least 1000 more to print ... but I'm determined to get caught up.

Do you accept the challenge? Feel free to leave a comment as a sign of your commitment! Who knows, maybe I'll follow up on you to make sure you really do it :).

Snow Day(s)

We have been in the middle of snow, snow, no snow, more snow, done with snow. School schedule was crazy sporadic last week ~ late starts, two snow days, and then by Friday everything had melted. The kids were quite disappointed to discover it was a regular day. Saturday and Sunday all that snow came back and then some. And by Monday? The rain had washed it all away. Still a chance for some snowflakes to drift down today. We're just trying to roll with it and enjoy each day as it comes. Here are a few captures from our snow-filled days!

Ten tiny stripey toes

I love
these socks.
those toes.
that baby girl.

Brixton

My kids have over 50 FIRST cousins. Yes, you read that right. In fact, 58 with 2 more on the way. So that should help explain why I take pictures of so many nieces and nephews ... in fact just this last weekend I took pictures of 7 of them that I hope to share on the blog before too long. But first I better share these pictures I took way back in December to document the 2nd birthday of this nephew of mine. So they are a few months old ... but better late than never, right?

This little guy is absolutely obsessed with trains, so we had to pull some out for him to play with ...

... and then of course he wouldn't let them go ...

We finally got him excited about doing a little "happy dance". Here he is showing off some moves!

You sure are a handsome kiddo! I am so lucky to be your aunt.

Feeling Sorry ...

... for my poor little flowers.

I don't think they were expecting this ...



It reminds me of a poem I learned when I was young:

Devan

There are the pictures that I take and then there are the images not captured by my camera, but that replay in my head. Memories of laughing during a session, interesting facts learned about my clients as we walk and talk together, seeing locations through another's eyes, the inevitable goofy things that I do ... I love how people let me be part of their lives for just an hour and how quickly that hour can translate into a new friendship.

There are many memories playing through my head of the experience I had with Devan as we got together for his senior pictures. We talked about his upcoming birthday several times. About his uncanny ability with numbers. I saw his joy as we revisited one of his favorite childhood spots. In many ways Devan is a typical teenager ~ checking his cell phone during our session, headphones in his ears, passionate about video games ... but he is also very different as well, as he has a high-functioning form of autism. It made my job challenging in ways, especially as I tried to help Devan pose and yet look casual at the same time ... but so rewarding as well, as I got to get a glimpse of what a remarkable person he is. I feel so grateful that his parents gave me the opportunity to take his senior pictures and spend an afternoon with them.

I came home from Devan's session and immediately called one of my sisters, who also has a son on the autism spectrum, and made her promise to get senior pictures of my nephew someday. And of course I hope that I will be the one to take them.










My favorite "uncaptured image" of Devan? The memory of him in my home, when he came with his parents for his image presentation appointment. He sat down at the piano and wowed me with his ability ... and entertained my boys with a fabulous rendition of the Star Wars theme song. He played several songs while at my home and I could have listened to several more. He definitely has an amazing gift and I am so grateful he shared it with me!

"T" on Tuesday

I failed to do a "mine on Monday" post ~ blame it on the no-school day ... or the fact that we had visitors all weekend ... or the book I am engrossed in right now (The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. SO good!). So I'll post one of mine on Tuesday. Perfect, really, as he goes by "T" in our household. So hence, "T" on Tuesday. This is my little guy. He provides so much *JOY* in our house. Truly a happy, energetic kid.

This picture wasn't planned or posed ~ he was simply playing in his sister's room, beautiful natural light was streaming through the window, and he looked up ... the closet door behind him turned out to be a high-key background. Love when I can capture what is "real": quickly, spontaneously, and without any of that "prep" work ...

And the words describing my little guy? Inspired by one of the best Christmas gifts ever received, a poem by my oldest, put together in a similar fashion by his 2nd-grade teacher.

Love you, little guy!