Category Archives: Children
She called me late Thursday afternoon. I wouldn’t have answered since it was after business hours, but the area code wasn’t local. I thought maybe it was a lab calling with questions to an order. Instead it was this sweet mama. She’d wanted to know if I had any sessions available over the weekend. Normally, I probably wouldn’t have, but with this dreadful stifling heat, my schedule was a bit free. They could only do it this weekend because they were going back home. “What? You don’t live here? You just googled photographers and found me and want to book me?” I don’t know if those words came out of my mouth, but they definitely were running through my head.
You see, it’s very rare that someone calls Thursday to book a session for Sunday; even rarer that they are from a city 4.5 hours away. Sometimes I need to be pinched to realize that I really get to do this awesome job that I love so much 
So Sunday came, and we met in the park. Mom and dad booked me for a purpose: the Crystal Charity Ball’s annual Children’s Book. I hadn’t really heard about this book but when they told me about it, how could I not look into it? The Crystal Charity Ball is an amazing charity that has donated over 90 million dollars to children’s charities around the Dallas area for over 50 years. Amazing! If you’d like to find out more about how you can contribute or just find more information about this charity, simply click this link!
Anyhow, I know you’ve been waiting, mama! Here’s your sneak peek!
There’s this crazy thing that happens when you listen to people’s stories, when you sit and pray for them, when you open yourself up to them. They do the same thing for you.
I met Karen through a friend sometime last year. She’s one of the sweetest gals with the biggest of hearts. A large part of her heart is filled with her passion and love for her neice and nephew. When I first met Karen, it was the beginning of a long journey that she had ahead of her. Lot’s of questions, lot’s of fears and a whole lot of love. For many reasons I won’t go into now, Karen and her husband have adopted them (legally) into their immediate family.
The joy and love these kiddos have in their new family is amazing to witness.
I know so many people recently who have chosen adoption and I think it’s an amazing thing when you open yourself up to taking in another child who isn’t yours by blood. My friend Lisa is starting up an adoption ministry over at the Met. It’s brand new and exciting and a Christian ministry for people with questions about adopting children. If you’re interested in finding out more information, please visit this link (the ministry is called HAVEN)! You can also contact Lisa by phone at (832) 454-6302.
They wanted it. I wanted it. The last month or so has been a bit exhausting. As soon as we got back from Dallas, the countdown was on. They were so bored and ready to do something. I even overheard the older one tell the younger that he couldn’t wait to go back to school. I wrote that one down in the book.
They were up at 6:30 this morning, did their morning routine, made their own lunches and were ready to go by 7:15. I don’t even know if I was up by then, to be honest with you.
And, like last year, here are our 1st day of school photos!
One of the many things I get to witness during a photo session is a parent’s great love for their kiddos. One of the other things I get to witness is a parent’s hope – plea- cry – that the photos will turn out okay.
The ages from 12 months to 3 years are the hardest to photograph. Kids are moving. Kids are experimenting, learning, soaking it all in. They are determined and they are curious and when you add all of these things together and take them out to an open area where they are not confined to one little space…watch out. Because, really, you can’t reason with them. They want what they want and often we are not able to communicate with them and let them know that if they just sit still for 2 minutes, it could all be over…I speak as a mama/photographer whose own children…far past the ages of 1-3… will hardly sit still for me to take just one little snap. I feel your pain.
But, the crazy thing is, while you’re panic-ing, and stressed out. While you’re running around trying to get them to smile, some sort of magic just happens in between all of those moments that you can’t recognize or see.
It looks a little something like this:
