The Precious One who Made Me a Mother

My sweet, sweet Emma... seven years ago she entered our lives and changed EVERYTHING-- for the better. She has been such a source or pride and joy for us in these seven years. She has a heart for Jesus and cares about those around her, yet still manages to make us laugh with her developing sense of sarcasm. :) (Wonder where on earth she gets that?) Emma has done so well in school and excels in most areas she turns her attention to. 2nd grade is up next! Emma, happy seventh birthday... you are such a blessing to all of us. We love you!!!

She Always Makes Me Smile

Well, another year has passed (in March, but who's counting!) in the life of my baby girl. Kelsey is now five years old, and it kind of hurts my heart to think about how quickly her life is passing before my eyes! I can hardly believe that Kindergarten is almost here. To say that she is a joy is to make a complete understatement. She is so full of life (and WORDS!!!) and has such a heart for others. She is a gentle spirit who loves to laugh and make others laugh. I am so proud to call her mine! (Although I do share her with her daddy and several other family members.) Kelsey, happy 5th! You are the joy of our lives.

"To the Least of These..."

Matthew 25:45 reminds us as Christians that we are called to minister to all people, including those who might not be able to appreciate us or even be aware of our ministry. However, it does not mention the earthly blessing that comes from this type of ministry. Royal Family Kids Camp is a yearly endeavor that our church, South Cleveland Church of God, hosts in the month of June. The mission of RFKC is to provide positive memories for children in the foster care system who have suffered from abandonment, abuse, or neglect. This week is one of the most dear to me in the whole year and I was so blessed to get to serve as camp photographer for a second year in a row. I can't post most pictures due to privacy issues, but I do have a few that might tell a piece of the story...

Generations of Blessings

It's going to take some catching up, but I do have some sessions to update postings on. A few of them are a few months later, but at least they are going to be up, right? :)

First of all, I did a very special session on Mother's Day of my own family. My girls are lucky enough to have not only an amazing mother (ha, ha!!!), but also a Granna whom they adore as much as any one human can adore another, and a Grandmother (yes, their Great Grandmother) they love with everything in them. Add to that mix their Aunt Natalie, who will always and forever be "the fun one", and on my side alone my girls have more love than anyone could expect. (Think Mom's at the bottom of this totem pole of adoration? You would be correct.) :)

We don't have pictures of the other side on here, but they also were able to know, for many years, their Grandma (Great Grandmother on Kraig's side). Kelsey still will sigh and say, "I miss Grandma." Then they have this Nana... and boy do they LOVE going to Nana's in West Virginia!!!! And how many kids do you know with not one, not two, but THREE wonderful aunts on Daddy's side? Aunt Angela is the cuddler, Aunt Jeena is the one they laugh with and talk to, and Aunt Kay is the one to go to for help in sneaking candy, sweets, or Coke.

We are truly blessed with Mothers (and grandmothers and great-grandmothers and aunts) in our family and we love each and every one of them.

Forever Begins in June....

Saturday was such a gorgeous afternoon! Sunshine, breeze, and a couple who is about to embark on a lifelong journey together... does it get any better? I am going to be privileged to photography Matthew and Amy's wedding in June, so today we did their engagement pictures. They were such good sports about everything I asked them to do. It was such a pleasure to hang out with them and I am so excited about their big day!!! Hope you enjoy your peak, guys!!!

Beautiful Boy(s)

Today was one of those days when I was reminded why I love this little side job of mine! I was so excited when Margaret called me to take some pictures of this darling boy and... his new baby brother!!! Introducing Mr. Luke! What a beautiful baby boy, four weeks old today. And big brother Knox could not be more helpful and sweet. I had such a fun afternoon with this wonderful family and I am SOOO glad I got to take Luke's "new family" pictures! :) Thanks for calling me again, guys, and I look forward to more sessions with you in the future.

Cousins Make the Best Friends!

You might remember this handsome guy from this past fall. I had a great (cold!) day photographing Matthew in the fall and was really excited when his mom called about taking some pictures of him and his two beautiful cousins, Alexandria and Grace. Though it was much warmer today, we still had the same color skies as the last session with Matthew! However, we did get some beautiful pictures and they were so much fun to hang out with. Mandee, I hope you love them and Aimee, it was so nice to meet you today! Thanks so much, guys!

Speaking on Civility

I got an honor a few weeks ago that not many will ever get in life... I was able to go listen to Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, writer, scholar, and humanitarian. He was speaking in a lecture series at Vanderbilt University on civility. It truly meant as much to me to hear him as anyone else on this earth. To me, his face tells the story of a thousand lifetimes.

Disney's Got Nothin' on THIS Place!

My happiest place on earth is NOT Disney World, but rather Washington, D.C.. I love everything about the city... the fact that you can walk anywhere, the sunsets, the memorials to the giants of our past and the hope of our future, the homage that is paid to those who fight and serve our country, the beauty of Old Glory snapping in the wind, the masses of people who come to revel in our freedoms and blessings. I love to go to Washington with groups of people and alone... I love to walk through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum so that generations of people to come will Never Forget... I love to see the cherry blossoms around the Jefferson Memorial in the afternoons... I love to move quietly through Arlington National Cemetery and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice...I love to see the city through the eyes of those who have never seen it... I love to stand where Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous speech and reflect on our far we have come... I love to visit that great symbol of our nation's leadership, the White House... I love to remember how blessed I am to live in a country where I am free to worship as I wish, to work a job I love, and to raise a family I adore.