Family Time

Canon 5D Mark ll,100 2.8 macro, 4.0 aperture, 1/50th shutter speed, 800 ISO, 500EX ll flash off camera bouncing off ceiling at 1/2 power

It was pure joy spending time with Brandon and Kimmie McCormick’s family tonight. You may remember sweet Ever’s post that I did in October. She was born 8 weeks early, carried here by the prayers of friends and family. She is precious and doing so well. A miracle baby. Her sister Storie is just as lovely and so very sweet. I got lots of Storie hugs and butterfly kisses tonight as she brought out the menagerie of stuffed animals she has in her room, each with a name and a history. They are a beautiful and fun family. She even stopped to pray for one of them who has a boo-boo on his leg. So much love in this little family. I am grateful for my time with them.

Here are a few more images of the wonderful McCormick family. Blessings on this day 345 of my 365 project. (20 days to go!)

Psalm 126:2,3 ~”Then we laughed with our mouths, and we sang with our tongues. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad.” New Living Translation

Giggles

Mommy Love

Daddy Hugs

Sweet Sisters

Storie, Full of Life

Looking up at the Light

See Storie Fly

Silly Daddy

Sweet Expressions

Pile of Joy

Precious

Cherished

Happy Family

Classic Christmas

Sweet Siblings

Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L, 3.5 aperture, 1/80 shutter speed, 400 ISO

I love these kids.  I have been photographing my friend Kelly’s boys since her youngest son Ethan was a baby. Every year we have endeavored to gather this group of boys and pray I could get at least one shot before they tumbled off wrestling or climbed the nearest tree. We laugh that it has always been an adventure getting their annual Christmas photo done. I love them dearly. They are brilliant and funny, and so very sweet.

This year, baby Emily came into the group. You may remember her from her blog that she helped out with over the summer when she came over to swim in our pool. She has so much personality, this little baby girl. If the boys were a rock band before, now they have their lead singer. She was born for this starring role in the life of the Anderson family. Everyone is all about Emily. It is easy to see why.

If you haven’t seen Emily’s blog from the summer, you simply must take a peek at it here.

Happy Sunday. Get some rest.

Raspberry Beret

Sweet Brother

Loved

Star

Silly

Everyone Make Your Funny Face

Beautiful

Miss Personality

Home

Canon 5D Mark ll, 70-200 2.8L,  120mm focal length, 3.5 aperture,  1/160 shutter, 400 ISO

This Chinese baby boy will melt your heart. His name is Sam, or Samuel, which means “God has heard”.  Erin and Andy let his name resonate to the bottom of their spirits every time they call him or hear it spoken. God did hear their cry for a child to love. They found him after much prayer and longing through Lifeline Children’s Services, a Christian adoption agency committed to placing children who need homes with loving families. Andy and Erin are that and so much more. They cannot take their eyes or hearts away from their treasure, their Samuel. They know that God has heard not only their cries, but the cries of a baby boy who needed a family of his own.

Happy

Three Make a Family

This is a treasured, happy little boy. He is deeply loved and cherished by his parents. You can hear it in his laughter. And beautiful, so beautiful, this boy. How could they not love him? His eyes sparkle when his daddy throws him in the air or when his mommy sneaks kisses from his cherubic skin.  He is adored, grafted into a new heritage, a home woven and washed in the love of Christ. Sam is a blessed boy.

Isn’t this our story too? It is the Great Story. The one that runs through every amazing story we have ever heard. A great and noble King risks everything and fights a wicked nemesis to rescue those He loves. We are taken in, rescued from death, and given a new name. It is the stuff fairy-tales are made of. Rescued from hopelessness, we become the sons and daughters of a great King. We are brought in, given the finest robes, and a feast is set before us. We are honored, treasured, fought-for, loved. We are given a new bloodline, a royal heritage, and an eternal home that no one can take away from us.

Sam’s story is our story and it is beautiful.

Blessings to you, happy happy boy. You are esteemed and loved and we are glad.

Galations 4:6-7 ~”But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.”

Treasured

Wrapped in Love

Lifted

Embraced

Five Generations of Beautiful

Canon 5D Mark ll 24-70 2.8L, 3.5 aperture, 1/100 shutter, 200 ISO

I had the honor and privilege of photographing five beautiful women today. Five generations of amazing women. Christy Martin, who is a fabulous photographer, asked me to do this shoot for her. Christy has quite a remarkable story. She grew up on the same street her whole life. The same street on which her great grandfather built a church. The same street on which her great grandmother, her grandmother and her mom all still reside. I felt like I was walking on sacred ground just getting out of my car and stepping onto the driveway. What a heritage she has to pass down to her daughter, Rayna. This is family of gorgeous women!

I had the joy of capturing Granny, Grandma Annette, Christy’s mother Connie, Christy , and of course little Rayna. They are all so genuine and kind. I wanted to stay on the front porch and chat into the evening with them.

I discovered that if I wanted to get Granny smiling and talking, all I needed to do was ask her about her family. She has raised four children and nine grandchildren. I lost count of the great grandchildren. She teared up telling me how much she deeply loves them. I wanted to put down my camera and listen for awhile. She is a remarkable woman, with much love in her heart. I hope to see her again sometime soon.

Here are just a few I captured of them. I hope I did them justice.

Psalm 112:1,2 ~ “Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.”

Surrounding Rayna

Holding Onto Time

Two of a Kind

So Much Love

Heritage

Funny Faces

Gorgeous Girls

Beautiful Christy

Giggling Together

Walking in the Light

I love this little family. They are near and dear to my heart. Cynthia is a dancer on my dance team at 12 Stone Church, but more importantly a very good friend. Mike and Cynthia  are both wonderful people and parents to their boys, Michael and Hayden. I was able to be present at Hayden’s birth last year, so he will always have a special place in my heart. I remember seeing his sweet little face, fresh on this side of eternity, quickly covered in kisses by his adoring parents, grandmother, aunts and uncles. Now he is throwing a baseball and riding a pony with his big brother.

Family life is so sweet. I am so grateful to be invited into the lives of the wonderful families I get to photograph. May the Lord bless you, Kelly family, this year and every year after. Love you!

I absolutely adore this family. They were one of my first family’s that I photographed when I decided to shoot professionally. Lyndsey, their princess, is so much fun. If you could just bottle her laughter alone and sell it, you would be a millionaire. I could hardly hold my composure listening to and watching her giggle. She is such a happy child.

I appreciate Mike and Deborah so much. We had to move their appointment several times due to scheduling conflicts on my end, and they were always so patient. We had a wonderful shoot together. It was worth the wait! Mike even held a Grandaddy Long Leg spider up over my head to make Lyndsey giggle. Quite a sacrifice considering the spider left his “scent” on Mike’s fingers. Sorry Mike! Oh, and thanks for not dropping him on my head!

Bless you, Trinidads!

Here are some sweet pictures of our time together.

This is Olivia. She accompanied her daddy who is a friend of mine to help with a recent photo shoot. At the end of the shoot, I asked her if I could take a few photos of her with her pretty flower in her hair. She agreed, but was very shy. I love her innocence and sweetness she so easily portrays here. Isn’t she stunning? Love the one of her with her daddy at the bottom too!

Have a great week! I am off to Colorado for a nice vacation with my own family. Can’t wait!

I had to do more than one favorite photo this week, because there were so many I loved in this shoot! These are my friend Linda’s beautiful kids and I loved these shots!!! So sweet.

I love looking through my archives for favorite photos. Each set brings back a world of memories and experiences not only with my family, but my clients as well.

This one of the Shogren Family is very special to me. I love this family!  They are so warm and encouraging to be around. Karen mentors young women and is on the prayer team at our church, and you can always find Dan smiling and working with the parking  lot team. I always feel loved when I am around them.

I adore this picture of them  as they are being encircled with their now mostly grown children. All of them are also wonderful, each of them in their own way. This image just says “family” to me.  We need more of this! May the heritage they have created continue for generations to come.