A Surprise for Dad

I loved this photo shoot. These boys are a blast!!! They have been friends of my oldest son since the youngest and my son were in Kindergarten together (they are in middle school now, so I will only threaten with those Kindergarten pictures). So needless to say our families have been friends for years, so we were relaxed in their backyard (newly decorated with some beautiful stonework) playing with the dog and snapping some pictures here and there. They were doing this photo shoot for a Christmas gift for their dad. So we had to keep the shoot a secret. And I coached my children to keep it a secret even as they stood up on Christmas eve as a family to light the advent wreath. Did we do it???? Was he surprised??? I know he will love the picture. These boys are so photogenic. We were a little chilly, but had so much fun just playing around - you can tell these guys are so much fun to be with. THANKS for the Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls - they were awesome. I haven't eaten one of those in years - I enjoyed every bite. You guys rock! Hope you had a GREAT Christmas!

The Bond between Boys and their Dog.

My first memory of this photo shoot was how cold it was. We hurried to the barn and started our photos there, just to get out of the wind. These guys were all great troopers to take off their jackets, get a few pictures and then warm up a little and go again. Despite the cold wind hitting us, we really had a great time. I just love this family, so we had a blast at this park together regardless of the weather. And Buster (the dog) is the little puppy on my website with the tennis ball. He is getting so big and he loves those boys so much. There is nothing more special than the bond between boys and their dog. Their picture with Buster is my favorite - every time that I see it, I catch myself smiling. That is unconditional love.

God's Gift

I am playing catch up now posting my pictures that I took for families for the holidays. This family has been friends of ours for years. Our youngest boys were friends in preschool and through their friendship our families became friends. This was such a fun shoot. I was in their home and met their new dog, Buddy. Buddy is only 1 year old and we were fast friends (with puppy kisses and all) right up to the point that I pulled out my camera. I am still working to get back into his good graces.

As I left this photo shoot, I felt peace and happiness like no other. Their son several years ago had an unknown medical condition that reacted to some medication and his heart stopped (3 times actually) and through great medical teams (you can see his advertisements for WakeMed) and through the power of prayer, he is here today and doing wonderful. And I felt so blessed to be there that day in their home taking pictures of that family that I been down on my knees praying for and had my whole family (and their Sunday School class) thousands of miles away from here praying for. You realize that God has a plan for each of us and through Him, we do his work on earth. Each day is a gift and each child is a gift and every family/friend is a gift from God. This season I am so thankful for all the gifts that God has given me and I am thankful for this wonderful friendship and the joy to come into their home and photograph their family and share that time this holiday season with them.

Boys will be Boys

My friends contacted me about doing some pictures for Christmas cards, so with all boys in tow including one of mine (yes, that makes 7 boys all together) we took off the the local park. These boys looked like they are clothing models and just popped right off the page of the catalog. So, our objective was to get these pictures done before they got grass stains all over their knees. Yeah, we did it! Our youngest boys have been friends since birth and even though I haven't known their moms my whole life, it seems like our friendship has been for a lifetime. So, at the request of the boys they wanted me to bring my son so they could play a little when they were done with pictures. Many pictures are trying to get my son out of them or have him jumping behind me - he also will refer to himself as my photo assistant (that includes carrying some props for me and then playing) So we all had a great time visiting and catching up and letting the boys play after we finished the photo session, that was until we got too cold. I also designed their Christmas cards - they turned out awesome - - - I can't wait for them to come in!!!

Family Christmas Photos

I was so excited to do this family's Christmas pictures this year. It is great to have friends that become your clients. It was so nice to go to their home and it felt like a visit with a few photos thrown in. They are a beautiful family, so it was easy to get some really great pictures of them. The dog even showed off his trick with his cookie on his nose and then he would flip it up and catch it. We had fun and were able to get some good pictures. Merry Christmas!