“Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well.”
-George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
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The school year is ending quickly and I’ve been taking advantage of my last few weeks without kids, meeting up with some friends, before the summer officially begins to swing. I am planning to take full advantage of this summer as I can see the faint glimpse of ending childhood in our home already. They are growing so fast.
This photo was taken on a hike up in Half Moon Bay (one of my all time favorite little towns in the Bay Area). It was a beautiful sunny day, and a nice hike with my friend and her sweet puppy. Taken with my 24-70mm f2.8 lens (this is my go-to lens, it is almost always on my camera), there are just a few slight edges that are in focus.
Happy Tuesday!
:)
–r
Posted in Musings, newborns, children, families, personal, photographers, four quarters equal one whole, sneak peekThrough My Lens
OH – Mexico!
We spent February break in Mexico and had such an amazing time. Sightseeing. Snorkeling. Swimming in the ocean. Eating street tacos and guacamole. Barbecues on the beach. Zip Lining. Swimming in caves. Running in the early morning. Dinner in town square. Gelato in the hot sun. Bike riding through the ruins. Hiking to the top of the pyramid. Here are just a few of my favorite photos (I spent a lot of time without camera this trip and enjoyed just being there in the moment.):
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It’s funny, how when things aren’t right around here, I don’t feel whole.
I guess that’s why I’ve been avoiding my blog over the last few months. I had some things I needed to work through. And I’m starting to feel whole again.
Let me start this post off by saying how much I love my family. I mean, some days, I really dread the drudgery of being a stay-at-home mom. And I roll my eyes at all the lame middle-school humor. And sometimes I wish I was doing something (ANYTHING) else. But when it boils down to it. I chose this life, because I can’t imagine living it any other way. I really mean that. I can’t imagine living it ANY OTHER WAY. And someday I will miss these crazy kids of mine. And until that day, I want to be here, with them.
“Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated?”
-David Bader
If you’ve been following my blog/life for any amount of time, you’ve seen that quote like, a bazillion times before. I love it because it reminds me to put down the phone, turn off the computer and really pay attention to the people that are sitting right in front of me, right now. OH – how I love my family. In spite of all the annoyances, the work, and the trouble. I love them down to my very center.
The funny thing is, how I feel about my kids doesn’t even resemble how I feel about my husband. My husband is everything to me. Without him, my world would fall apart. I can’t imagine today without him, let alone a whole lifetime. With him, I can make it through anything. We take the world on together, each and every day. We laugh together, we dream together, we plan our future together. My life and my heart are completely intertwined with his. And I love the journey of growing old together – not because I like getting old! But because our love changes as we get older. It deepens and enriches. It becomes more than a crush, more than a feeling, it becomes babies being born, and car crashes, and trips to the ER, and cancer scares, and prayers said together. It becomes the triumph of making it through a hard year. It becomes the joy of seeing your child succeed at something really hard. It becomes the quiet moments, the heartfelt talks, the ocean waves, the sunrise. And the love grows beyond anything you could ever imagine when love first knocked on that first date at the haunted forest so long ago.
:)
–r
I’m slowly coming out of hibernation. And I’ve started to get quite a few inquiries regarding sessions, so I wanted to let you know that:
YES! I’m still shooting!
I am currently scheduling sessions for weekday mornings. I have 1 opening left in May, and am scheduling in June and beyond.
Here is my current pricing:
Sweet and Simple Session – Session Fee is $200.
The Sweet and Simple Session is for 1-2 children. (additional children can be added for $25 per child) These sessions generally last 1 – 1 1/2 hrs.
Sweet and Simple Digital Session – Session Fee is $525
($200 due at booking, the remainder due at the time of your session. In order to be eligible for this price, you must book a digital session.)
The Sweet and Simple Digital Session is just like The Sweet and Simple Session, PLUS includes a CD with all edited images from your session complete with a signed copyright release. This is a $725 value.
Itty Bitty Session – Session Fee is $250.
Newborn Sessions generally last 3 – 4 hours. This allows time for diaper changes, feeding, playing and hopefully some sleeping!
Itty Bitty Digital Session – Session Fee is $575
($250 due at booking, the remainder due at the time of your session. In order to be eligible for this price, you must book a digital session.)
The Itty Bitty Digital Session is just like the Itty Bitty Session, PLUS includes a CD with all edited images from your session complete with a signed copyright release. This is a $775 value.
The session fee is required at the time of booking to reserve your spot on my calendar and includes my time and talent.
Your images will be edited with an eye for color and artistic impact.
2-3 weeks after your session, your images will be posted in an online gallery, you should expect to see 25-30 amazing images from each session.
You will have 2 weeks from that time to place your print order.
I am still scheduling limited family sessions, please inquire for details and pricing. Again, all sessions are currently being booked for weekday mornings.
Happy Thursday!
:)
–r
“Everything has it’s beauty, but not everyone sees it.”
-Confucius
Oh how I love the secret whispers of spring. Yesterday I saw buds on my apple trees and my heart did a flip. Something about the beauty of buds, the small twitches of new life, just speaks to me. I could spend hours combing the hillsides, peering into the grass looking for new little sprouts, tiny blossoms, and all the newness that spring brings.
Go out and enjoy this beautiful day.
I dare you.
:)
–r
Posted in Musings, newborns, children, families, personal, photographers, four quarters equal one whole, sneak peekPersonal, newborns, children, families, personal, photographers, four quarters equal one whole, sneak peekUncategorized
December
“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if
you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
–Marilyn Monroe
I’ve had this picture for so long, and just couldn’t find the words to go with it (thanks Dad, for another great picture!).
Here goes:
I love the magical feeling of Christmastime. I love the excitement in the air. And I love the moment it gives us to reflect on Christ’s birth.
Interestingly enough, this year did not feel like Christmas at all. We did all of the Christmasy things – the parties and the gifts and the natvities. We gave gifts to neighbors and we sang carols at church. We read the Christmas story in the scriptures. We even had a little visit from Milton. And Christmas came and went, and we put the tree up and we took it down. And still, it didn’t feel like Christmas. The only explanation we can come up with is, that last year was such an “un”year, with it’s “un”vacations and “un”summer, maybe it seeped into an “un”Christmas too. Not to say that we had a terrible December, no we enjoyed our time, but it just didn’t feeeeeeeel like Christmas.
The big event (besides Christmas, of course!) was Jordan’s play. OH how she loved the play! And she dressed in her skunk costume with her little black nose. And that first night she said her part in such a very small voice that I’m sure no one heard her, but me. (if you missed the story of her being cast as the skunk, read here) And Miss Skye talked with her, and I talked with her – and encouraged her to make people laugh with her line! And so the next night, she said it a little bit louder and with a little more courage, and she got some laughs! And she also got a little smile on that cute little face of hers. And for all of the rest of the performances she said her line without being ashamed of it. And for that, I was so proud of her. She came so far from that day of tears, when she was cast as a skunk. Thank you Miss Skye, for teaching my little girl to be confident and courageous.
The the thing that made me laugh the hardest this December, happened so unexpectedly. The day after Christmas, we took a short trip down to Universal Studios. We had fun riding the rides and seeing how some of the special effects in movies are made (I love the reality check that happens at a place like Universal). But the funniest thing happened one night at dinner – I chose the restaurant – a Brazilian Steak House. I love a good steak, so it was a no brainer – take me to the place that has STEAK in the name. Yum. And as we were enjoying our dinner, the music gets really loud and the “entertainment” comes out, scantily clad in thongs and a little more than pasties on top. And then they started shaking and grinding and my two little kids, with their wide eyes, had front row seats. My eyes darted around – checking the door to see if there is some sort of XX next to the signage – but no – no warning that scantily clad women would be coming out and shaking everything in front of our kids! So what to do??? We just laughed really hard – because really? I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, and have the kids think it was a big deal (plus, I wasn’t finished eating the steak). And then the girls asked the kids to do dance, and they flushed and stared at the floor and emphatically said “no.” And then they asked Daniel to dance, and I think he said, “no,” but really, no words were coming out of his mouth, I think he actually blushed (however, I don’t think he was looking at the floor . . . !). And so we laughed and we laughed for days. In fact, I’m laughing now – and hoping I didn’t ruin my kids with my passion for steak.
Our lives have really settled down since the craziness of last year – Daniel comes home at regular hours. And with my schedule slower, I have more time and energy to focus on the kids and the home. It feels nice, but at times a little slow. I will be grateful when things warm up outside so I can plant my garden and enjoy my outdoor hobbies.
One thought that continues to cross my mind, is how much I am enjoying the person I am right now. I guess maybe it comes to mind as I watch my kids struggle with their genetic and age appropriate insecurities. I remember, so well, how it feels to want people to love you and accept you, so badly. And to feel like you’re never quite right. At this stage in my life, I frankly don’t care. I am who I am. If you let me, I will be an amazing friend. But I have my ups and downs. I am a little high maintenance. And I will need to lean on you once in awhile. I am not cool. I am awkward. And sometimes I say the wrong things. But I like who I am becoming. So take it or leave it, I am who I am. And because of that, I feel free. I wonder how you teach that to kids?
:)
–r
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Diane - Beautiful!