Is that Carter?

When I showed up to photograph Nancy & Matt and their two beautiful children, Kate Margaret and Carter, who are just a little under 1 year apart (yes, you read that right. Nancy is amazing!), I was shocked to see how much Carter had changed! Obviously, I expected he'd look quite different because I hadn't seen him since his newborn shoot. But I was shocked to see what a little man he'd become in just one year! So adorable and happy, happy, happy. And Kate Margaret, is such a sweet big sister, and a total doll! She always has the purest expressions... and the cutest outfits! :)

Photographing a 2 year old and a 1 year old at the same time... let's just say I broke a good sweat. And acted like a complete moron from time to time. But I loved every minute of it.

So be warned, as usual, I'm about to post a gazillion photos. :)























I think Nancy is so beautiful!









I love this shot...



This was Matt's toy when he was a little boy and now Carter and Kate Margaret love to play with it.

This moment lasted for about a half of a second and I'm so glad that I caught it! Carter posed like this himself! :)

Nancy & Matt love each other very much.

This totally depicts life at this stage to me... :)

Isn't this such a sweet moment? I'll end with a couple of my favorites of Nancy with little Kate Margaret.


Nancy & Matt, it was wonderful seeing you all again and thank you for inviting me to capture this precious season of life! You're a joy to be around.

Friendship

Four and a half years ago Josh and I met Kim and Ken. They were planning on volunteering in our church's youth group (that Josh was leading at the time), so we met for lunch to get to know one another. I was surprised at how similar Kim and I were just from the little bit I got to know about her at that lunch. She was an instant friend!
...and I just stole this picture from her blog. :)

Over the years I've been so blessed by her. She's very genuine, down to earth and kind. She's people focused, rather than task/time focused. She's thoughtful, always looking for ways to bless others and let them know they're valued and thought of. She thrives in environments that are hospitable, like herself. I've learned a lot from her about how to be a better friend.

We often laugh when we find we've done things exactly the same. We tend to have similar taste in everything, even which groceries we buy. One time Kim came over and we discovered we had the exact same glass jar with silver lid in our pantries with the exact same amount of sugar in them... and it was the same bulk, organic, raw sugar from the same store! I often say we're the same person just with different hair color. Seriously.

Well, Kim & Ken are moving to California tomorrow for a job change and I am so happy for them and sad all at the same time. I've said "don't go" and I've sized up her suitcase to see if one hot husband, 2 cute kids, a petite woman, and an affectionate cat can fit in it, and I don't think it's happening. Tonight we went over to their place to say goodbye. What do you know, Kim and I practically gave one another the same farewell gift. It was bound to happen since we have the same brain. :) I just couldn't hold the tears back as we all hugged goodbye at the door, though. It was too hard to face the reality that this was really the last time I'd leave their doorstep for a long time. Then we loaded our kids in the car and I cried on the drive home while Josh held my hand.

I am overjoyed at the peace they have in moving and for the reception they've already received where they're moving too. Their worth is seen!
...but I'm also selfishly sad for all I'll be losing on an "every day life" basis.

I'm going to miss dropping in and having a chai tea with Kim in her cozy home, chatting for hours while my kids play with her cups and kitchen utensils. I'll miss our spontaneous meetings at Starbucks and fun shopping trips, where we debate purchasing a single item for way too much time. :) I'm going to miss sharing a bowl of whirley pop (the amazing kettle corn they introduced us to) with her and Kenny in our living room, talking late into the night about all God's done in our lives. I'm going to miss her hugs hello as she says, "Hey Sister!" And I'm going to miss just getting to see her face to face, seeing that true, caring friend look in her eye. But, thankfully there's Skype, Facebook, Gmail, and airplanes. And tonight when Kim texted me, I remembered she's really just a text away no matter where she is.
I am grateful for God's sweet gift of friendship! And for friends like Kim in my life.

Could you say no to this face?

This is Kate Margaret, the beautiful girl in the photo below (last post). I'm still working on their family session, but I couldn't resist posting this little shot. Seriously, could you say no to this sweet face? :)

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend

Here's a little shot of Miss Kate, from this morning's photo shoot. Isn't her sweet white dress a perfect combo with those red boots? Her mom bought them for her before she was even born! And now they fit. :)

The colors are perfect for this Valentine's Day weekend.

Every good & perfect gift comes from above

When Ana contacted me a few weeks ago to set up their family shoot, I was really excited. She had told me that they had a son they adopted from Ethiopia and were pregnant with a baby, due in March. I didn't know her full story just then, because honestly, I was on a treadmill when I answered the phone to talk to her and I didn't want to give myself away and told her I'd give her a call later that day. :) lol

So when she emailed me her blog address later, I got to get a preview of their life before actually meeting them. I sat here in my living room reading about them (amazing people with beautiful hearts) and loved looking at their pictures. But two things made me cry. First, I cried when I read that Ana & Sam had suffered 6 miscarriages, with no reason why. My heart broke for them and the grieving I knew they had experienced. God has given them a huge heart for children, and so through His directing, they made the decision to adopt in 2008.

Second, I cried when I saw the photos of the orphanage nannies bringing their precious, precious son, Josiah, out to them and placing him in their arms! The pictures really are worth a thousand words. What an amazing gift. A family perfectly pieced together by God.

Since adopting Josiah, Ana's become pregnant again! They will welcome a baby girl into their family this March! I just think their story is amazing. And their gratefulness to God for all He's done and given them only makes it sweeter.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17













Oh my goodness, Josiah's sweet smile!







I loved this last photo.
Happy Friday & Happy Valentine's Day weekend!

God's perfect timing...

I cannot wait to share Ana & Sam's beautiful story with you, but I'm up too late, so for now I'll just share a few of Ana's maternity photos we took this weekend because I didn't want to wait to post them. :)
Isn't she gorgeous?!

Ana's heart is so beautiful. I've only known her for a couple weeks and I feel like she's an instant friend. God's timing is perfect, and it brings me so much joy to see the great things He's doing, and has done, in her life. More to come soon...

Every Day Life

So, in the evenings this week I've been working on our 2009 family album, and it's been really fun going through all of our "every day life" photos from last year. There are so many simple things that I never want to forget. Like Jude's favorite socks. Or these flips that Josh does with the kids. Or Selah's doll stroller that the kids take turns riding in (that I've had to repair several times). Or Jude's favorite Thomas books, the kid's love for destroying folded laundry, Selah's love for cleaning (thank you Grandma Janet!), digging in the backyard, berry picking, taking baths and the joy on the kid's faces when they get out and get wrapped up tight in a towel, and the kid's love for our cat, Noah. God's blessed Josh and me with these two precious people that we couldn't love more! I'm so thankful for every day moments. That's really where life is hidden.

p.s. This is my last collage for a while. I think I was just on a collage kick this past week! And it was fun. :)