Rebecca, Ryan & Allie

These people are dear friends of ours, so they can't chew me out for posting their session SO late (at this point, I'm certain they want to!).
I swore it was going to post this tonight, if it was the last thing I did. SO here I am, at 2:05 in the morning, FINALLY posting their session. Thanks for being patient guys and acting like it was no big deal, even though you probably want to hurt me for making you wait this long.








See you soon!

I still have a couple sessions to blog (believe it or not), so I'll be back soon. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Finally!

I'm so late in posting these pictures of these gorgeous (should be models), sweet kids. Thank you Traci for your patience!
I am done shooting for the year, but still feel like I have a mountain of work waiting for me. My days are spent wondering if I should blog, post galleries, design a Christmas card, send an order, box and wrap prints, go to the post office, eat, shower, or answer emails. And in between I'm asking a two-year-old if she needs to pee every 30 minutes (potty training is so overrated). Anyway, all that to say that I am sorry I'm slow lately. It probably seems like I am sitting on my butt, when in actuality, my butt is actually becoming a part of my chair. And my computer sent me a text message that said he was sick of staring at my unkempt face all day. :)

Meet the sweet Holden-Bache kids.
Savannah, 11

Skylar, 10
(I know what you're thinking, "That's what 10 and 11 look like now?!?!"

Sage, 6
Hunter, 2
They are gorgeous, right?







Yes buddy, that's a long drop if you fall!
Such a pretty family!
Thank you all for such a fun, easy session! Loved seeing all your different little personalities and getting to know you!

Remember those beautiful Bednarz children from the mini session? Well in case that post left you wondering how the heck you get such cute kids, I will let you in on a little secret. It's helpful to start with parents who look like this:
I'm so very behind on posting, but had the chance to meet last week with the whole family for a fun, easy session in the park.


I promise I have not touched these eyes up! They really are that blue!






As you can see, the dogs were really into me. :)
Thank you Bednarz gang! SO glad I met you all. And big thanks for being so patient waiting for your sneak peek.

The Lynn Family

Oh the Lynn family. I guess since they were super duper easy last year to shoot, little man thought he would give me a run for my money this time around! (Could also have something to do with the fact that he's two this year...) :)
I always feel badly when a shoot doesn't go just as the parent's hoped for, but I feel especially bad when the family drives from Charlotte. So, we worked and worked and tricked and tricked and pretty sure we all needed a drink after we were done (actually dad and I fantasized about it out loud-lucky for him he was getting on a plane 1st class and childless so I'm sure he had one or two!) but we ended up with some great shots in the end. And gray hair. :)

He looks innocent enough, right?



When all else fails, wedge a kid in a tree.
Griffin was a doll and made me do a little less chasing.







THANK YOU LYNN's for being so patient and for working so hard! I so appreciate the trip to the Triad and look forward to seeing you all again.

Fall Fun!

Seems I photograph this family (that is like family to us) about every season. This time we took full advantage of the fall foliage!
Aren't the all pretty sitting in the middle of the street?


The always gorgeous Caroline

And let's not forget that this sweet boy is going to be my son-in-law someday. Whether he and Ella James like it or not! :)



Maggie on the left, Harley on the right. Both completely uninterested in a family photo opportunity.




Love you guys! Happy Birthday Friday Annetta!!!

The Santomauro Gang

These gorgeous people are the sweet folks behind that little slice of heaven on New Garden St. in Greensboro. They were super fun to shoot, not to mention about as cute as they could be.
Here are some of my favorites from the day.








Isn't that about the cutest toothless grin you've ever seen?




Thank you all for such an easy afternoon! Loved meeting you all!

The Holcomb Family

I am so behind, y'all. These sweet folks have been waiting ever so patiently for their sneak peek, so without further ado, I give you the Holcombs.
Ella; almost 2.
Matthew; 6 months.
I could eat her. No really, I could. She's tiny.
How cute is that hat on him?







Thank you Holcombs! See you guys soon!

Brendie & TJ

The Garner Kids

Good grief these kids are cute! Hadn't seen them in a year, but they were the same as I remembered. Somehow I knew that their mom would pack some cute hats. ;) Last year she brought tons for me to choose from.




LOVE!

Thank you guys! You were awesome. Glad I got to see you again.

That's it for the minis! Stay tuned for lots more full sessions though. Is it Christmas yet???

Katie, Leah & Emma

These little ladies were some of my first subjects ever and it has been fun watching them grow.
Emma
LeahKatie and some peppermints. :)






Thanks for always being so easy girls! See you next time!

Emma & Co.

She was a little shy at first, but warmed up much faster than her mom and I thought she would.
A little game of peek-a-boo may or may not have helped with that.
Family pictures like this are nice...
...but I love these.



After an unfortunate fall in the gravel, Emma needed a little cheering up! Good thing mama came prepared!

Thanks you Luke, Kelly & Emma! Glad to see you three again and happy that E's surgery went well this week.

The Kupiec Family!

I hadn't seen this family since this time last year, but they were the same sweet, shy beautiful kids I remembered.




People are loving the "blurry parent" pictures. :)
Thank you Kupiecs! See you next time!

Alrighty, I'm off to the grocery store (is there anything worse than that chore?!?). Our fridge/freezer went out and we lost everything and I can live off microwave popcorn no more. Be back tonight with more mini recaps! After I replenish the 3 containers of dill relish I had to toss. I can't help it- I love a pickle...

Pete, Molly, Izzy & Drew

I know I'm blogging out of order, but my mind is being pulled in 12 different directions. Back to mini session posting tomorrow. Promise.
So I'm not gonna lie... I was nervous to shoot this family again. Their shoot last year is still one of my faves, and I was worried this one wouldn't live up to it. WRONG. They are still the same fun-loving, sweet, easy-going people so we got another round of great pictures of them all being themselves. They are so dang easy to photograph and I'm so grateful that the love they have pours out into the pictures.

Thanks so much for just being yourselves guys! Had a great time once again!

Does everything look all pixelated on your screens, people? I feel like the color and quality is getting the shaft when I upload to the blog. Is it just my computer or can anyone else see what I'm talking about? I want a new blog so bad, but oh the time that would take...

Heath is a Big Brother...

...and baby Chase is delicious.


This makes me teary. How sweet are they?






Favorite, I think.
Congratulations Heath, Bill and Kristen! The Schwankes could not be happier for your new little family. Our love to you all.

The Bednarz Kids

In this season of repeat clients, this cute trio managed to squeeze into the mini sessions after another family had to cancel. When they first showed up I asked mom if maybe she could try next time to bring me three kids with prettier eyes. I mean really... check these kids out!



Mom wanted to focus on the babe since as the third child, she doesn't have as many pictures.

Couldn't you just eat her up?!?!

Thank you Nancy for sharing your cutie pies with me for a while. I'm so glad it worked out!

Merry Christmas from the Alberts

Saturday was the make-up day for the families who were rained out a couple weeks ago during the mini session. I had Dara's help again, but we met early to snap a few of her family before the crazy day got started. She really only wanted this first picture (after she saw the Bovender family on the blog), but we managed a few more. :)




You'll be seeing lots of this frame...
Anna Gray, you sneaky little gal!
More soon! I am swamped and feel like I got hit by a bus. Taking pictures all weekend is way more physical than you'd think. :)

Oh the Cuteness...

This little lady is cuteness times 10! And her parents are justifiably enamored with her.
Her daddy contacted me a while back wanting to book a session as a surprise for Mom's birthday! I'm always a little nervous when people do that. I mean, what if Katie opened her card and thought "Damn, I really wanted those fluffy socks from Target." But, thankfully Katie was excited! I know because I ran into her in Charleston, SC (where I was vacationing and Katie celebrating her birthday!) just after he had given her the gift! What are the chances of that???
Meredith was a little shy when I first photographed her this summer (and for the first 4 minutes of our shoot today), but mostly smiles today!


Isn't she a doll baby? I realize I'm a little biased because there is something about her that really, really reminds me of Ella James, but I still think she's so darn edible!
And her mom dresses her so cute!

Meredith got to break in my new purple chair. :)



And finally, I had to show this of her tongue- she stuck it out at me more times than I could count.
Thank you Meredith, Darrin & Katie! I loved spending my morning with you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!

Okay, y'all I'm off to be well rested for the 11 families I'm photographing this weekend. Gulp. If you don't here from my by Monday, send a search party...

The Loflin Family

It had been a full year since I saw these sweet folks and I had nearly forgotten how dang fun they are! The parents are the nicest. I mean the nicest and the boys are a hoot! Last year I'm pretty sure they would have rather been shot in the foot than take pictures. This year, Jacob was forming his own poses and kicking his brother out of "his shot." :)
Aren't they just cute and happy or what?
Love this. Feeling very black and white tonight- so unusual for me.




You see where those boys got their looks?





Thank you Loflins! You are the best.
P.S. Can anyone help us identify this poor creature that kept trying to sneak into the Loflin's pictures? I have never seen a duck/turkey/alien thing quite like it. I felt so sorry for the bum-winged little homely guy.

Happy 30th!

So that last post probably seemed a little one-sided, but I actually have two awesome parents! My dad flew to NC for the tail end of my mom's trip and we had a fun Halloween weekend.
I bet you never would have guessed that half of me came from a blue-eyed blond, would you? Now we know where Ella James gets it.

If they look uncomfortable it's because they're butts aren't used to sitting on the ground on the side of the road in North Carolina, but rather the back of a motorcycle. They've put over 6,000 miles on this year alone!

Happy 30th anniversary Mom and Dad! Glad you came together all those years ago. I love you both!

I want my Mommy!

My mom just flew back to New Mexico after helping me survive these last few weeks while life has been crazy. Although "helping me" might be the understatement of the year. I can't even explain what a support she was, how grateful I am and how much I'm going to miss her.
Imagine waking up every morning when you want (because your mom is already up with your toddler), then having any breakfast you want offered to you, while you work uninterrupted (except when she asks you to lift your feet up while she mops under you), then loads your car with props before you leave for a shoot, has dinner waiting for you when you return, feeds and bathes your child while you eat rest and maybe nap, unloads your car and repacks it for the next shoot, reminds you to charge your camera batteries and then stays up with you till the wee hours of the morning making you hot chocolate and cookies and pulling an extra chair into your office to sit over your shoulder telling you how awesome you are and how proud she is while you edit. Can you imagine that? That's been my life these days. I have not cooked a meal, lifted a rag, or done much in the way of caring for a child since my mom arrived (okay, I did change two diapers!). We got a new dishwasher installed the day she got here and she literally had to teach me how to use it before she left today. :) And she only kicked me of my computer a few times and that was so she could comment on my blog...
The phrase I'm going to miss you doesn't even begin to cut it. I have the best mom is the whole wide world.
I could write on and on about all the big stuff she did, but it's really the little things that mattered. I just opened my desk drawer to find this:


Once a mom, always a mom, I guess. Even when your separated by 1,856 miles...
I love you mom and can't thank you enough for keeping me sane this month. Hurry back, okay? Ella James is already asking for Dee Dee.