Hello "A" Family! | Bristol, NH Photography

Last year I met up with this family and we attempted to do an outdoor photo session. Knowing it would be a little chilly we set out to take some wonderful fall family photos. We froze. It was so unexpectedly cold and windy we snapped a few before the stuff dripping from the kids noses (and mine) froze, it's much easier to wipe in liquid form. While we had some nice ones and plenty for the intended purposes we decided to meet again this summer and a few weeks ago it finally happened.

Addie agreed to cooperate in the family shots and do a few "poses" if I let her snap a few shots with my camera ;D Now, you might not be able to notice Teagan's footwear in the photo above, but surely you'll notice it in the one below. I have an older brother and grew up playing with legos, GI Joes, and Transformers. This must be what happens when you have an older sister..... too cute! How can you not have cute kids with parent's like these? Many thanks guys! I had a great time hanging out and am so glad we didn't freeze this time!

The Beginning of Summer (2012)

A little over two months ago I posted about my daughter turning nine. As if that milestone was not enough to swallow, she has just finished third grade and is officially heading into the fourth grade. A rather large transition, one that I hope will be smooth. Until we reach that stepping stone, summer is here to wrap us in warm sunny days and happy memories of outdoor adventures. Already we have visited the Squam Lakes Science Center, hiked a few local littles, enjoyed dinner outside, spent and afternoon on the boat (all inclusive of fishing lessons with yours truly), went out for ice cream (and agreed it counted as dinner), and have almost finished the book we are reading (Ida B.). There is so much ahead of us we can barely contain our excitement. We are looking forward to more visits to the Science Center, more hikes, a trip to Canobie with our fellow Girl Scouts, Christmas in July (injury and incident free - we hope!), more boating and fishing, day trips, and watching our plants grow. For now, it is nice to stop and capture Emma at this point, and of course, we will have to do it again at the end of the summer to see how it has changed her (well, her, us, and our relationship....). Happy summer everyone!

 

Sunday Special: Home Made Soft Pretzels

I have loved soft pretzels for as long as I can remember. I used to get really excited when I was younger and we would go to one of those big wholesale warehouses (I think back then we had Pace and then Sam's Club and THEN BJ's) and cash out. I would keep my gaze fixated on the magical wheel of giant pretzels. We would buy the frozen ones you can heat in the microwave, but they aren't really much to speak of. Then when I was a teenager I would go to the good old Belknap "mall" and hit up the pretzel place there. Even better than that, I worked at the bookstore in that mall for a while and would get either pretzels or pretzel sandwiches there and then I would be able to have pretzels AND be in a bookstore. It was THE best. Yup. Now however, I don't come across too many opportunities to eat giant soft pretzels. I rarely make it down to any of the larger malls and the one in the Belknap Mall is long gone. A few weeks ago I had quite the craving for one, but decided against trying to choke down one of those microwave ones. Instead, I found a recipe in my bread maker book and gave it a whirl. Emma and I had a blast making these (even when I played "Roll Out" by Ludacris as we rolled the dough, which my daughter pointed out was a horribly inappropriate song, worsened by my impressive dance moves - it rocked, and questionable lyrics aside, the song kicks butt). They were delicious and far better than many I have had. I think next time I might make some rolls so I can use them for sandwiches! It is comforting to know I am not the only one mesmerized by the bread maker :)

Siblings: Gavin and Gabby | VT Child Photographer

These two kiddos hold a very special place in my heart, they are our niece and nephew. We don't get to see them as often as we'd like, but we all try to get together as often as we can so we don't miss too much growing up! We happened to be together over the holiday weekend for a family wedding (which will be blogged very soon!), so I took advantage of the time together and the extra gear and did some summer portraits. ♥ these kids!

See you guys soon! Miss you tons!

Ayla: One Year | NH Child Photographer

One year. A huge milestone. I can still remember when our dear friends told us they were expecting. They are just some of the most caring and wonderful people I know and it was such an exciting time. When Ayla was born her mother insisted I take her newborn photos. I couldn't quite understand it then, but she believed in me and had far more confidence in my abilities than I did. So, I took Ayla's newborn photos to see what it would be like to try my hand in portrait photography. I fell in love. With Ayla, and with with the idea of photographing people. I had no idea it was something I would soon be doing more and more in the next few months. In the past year Ayla has continued to be one of my biggest stars (let's face it, I get to photograph some of the cutest kids EVER), and her parents remain some of my biggest supporters. This is one family that I just look up to and adore constantly. There is so much love and happiness that I am a little envious of how easy they make life look. I simply cannot explain what this family means to me and how happy I am for them. I hope to photograph them for many, many years as they grow together. So silly! 

A hardcore game of peek-a-boo with the curtains to start the morning......
  Is that not the cutest leg you have ever seen? Who knew one leg could be so cute? A LEEEEEGGGGG........ Seriously. The cutest.

NH Photographers Blog Circle | "Mothers' Day"

Happy Mothers' Day moms, grandmoms, aunts, friends, and anyone who fits into any sort of "mom" role (single dads, if you are playing both roles this means you too!).

This month's blog party is appropriately themed "Mothers' Day". I struggled with this one (believe it or not). I did not even want to attempt to do mother/daughter photos of my daughter and myself. Getting one of us to look normal (no deer-in-the-headlights looks or scowling faces) is a challenge. Getting two of us in the same photo, at the same time, looking normal: mission impossible. So is parenting though. It is the easiest and most challenging thing in the world to do. I see mother's out there that magically fit into that role and have since the day the were born. They were MEANT to be moms. I see so many mothers out there carry themselves with grace and seem to get everything right. I am NOT one of those mothers. Oh how I wish I were. I make mistakes. I don't know how to do this. I have days where I feel all of my energy is maxed out and that I might be failing miserably as a parent. I have been given those looks in stores when Emma was young and would cry or throw fits and I had to simply let it ride out and essentially ignore her while I raced to finish up whatever shopping I could before someone called some sort of authority on us. It isn't all a trip downhill with no breaks however. Sometimes, I feel like I have gotten through. Like Emma has HEARD me. Or I have heard her. For instance, after her birthday celebration, she came to say goodnight to me and gave me a big heartfelt hug as she said "Mom, I have something to say to you; Thank you for making my birthday so special to me. I had such a wonderful time with just you and Dad having a picnic, shopping, eating cupcakes, and driving around". It meant so much to me that something so simple could make her feel so good. I have to be doing at least a little something right here. And so, I continue believing, that somehow, I am not a complete failure and I might just be better at this mom thing than I think.

This afternoon I managed to capture the (almost) impossible capture. Topped only by a few fantastic photos that Meg Hamilton of Rodeo and Co. Photography took at my wedding of Emma and I that I just adore to pieces (I think you know the ones Meg!). Here they are, and it surprisingly did not take us nearly as long (I suppose because I wanted it to be over even more than she did!).

Happy Mothers' Day! Be sure to head on over to Erika Follansbee's blog to see what she came up with! Thanks for visiting!

Happy Ninth Birthday to my Daughter

It's hard to believe she will be nine in just a few days (I would have posted on her birthday, but I just could not wait!). And, like every other parent, I just cannot believe how fast she has grown up on me! There are just way to many memories. From her first few days (which included me moving into my first apartment of my own, just Emma and myself.....) to where we are today.... a happy family of three with crazy chaotic schedules and a shared addiction to technology (video games for them, all things on the computer for me). Looking back I see not only how much she has grown up, but how much I have as well. Many of you might know that I started out as a brand new mom at the very young age of twenty. I had no clue what I was doing, but I was determined to do it with no help, until she started crying. Then I relied on my own mother to assure me that no matter what, I was still doing a pretty good job. Here we are nine years later and I am still relying on that same assurance from my own mother that I have not ruined Emma's life yet (though, Emma has made the claim several times in the past year that I have, or at least ruined her day....).

 As it seems, so much has happened over the years, but moments like these just stick out in my head..... Changing my very first diaper ever.... yes, it was Emma's. Bringing her home from the hospital. And having her meet Bronson (who was insanely jealous, but learned to share me....) Being so tired that after I dressed her when she was only a few days old it was very clear that I put both legs into one pant leg. Poor Emma..... Throwing caution to the wind and leaving her with her very loving uncle who was brave enough to watch her while I ran to the store to pick up diapers because I suddenly realized we were out.... or so I thought ;) Watching her spit up as my brother held her like and airplane over his own head..... if I wasn't laughing so hard I may have felt the need to vomit myself..... Taking her with me to work at J & M and then never finding a sitter for her (best 7 years.... can't thank them enough for allowing me to be with her every day even though I was not a stay at home mother....) Her first words, steps, and stair climb...... Getting out of the shower to find that she had learned how to open the refrigerator (with the lock on it) and had discovered what fun lies in a carton of eggs. The day she met Aaron.... and her sand filled shorts. A day he says he will never EVER forget. Her first day of kindergarten (a day of highs and lows for me........ I was so that mom that was crying..... I don't even think I went to work that day.....). Kindergarten graduation. Her first entrance into an art show. Crying on the last day of first grade (her, and then me). Singing the Emma song to her every night for almost a year. The many times she has taken care of me when I have been sick (which is usually because she was sick first, but still...) Her true laugh.... And very recently..... her log-roll style tumble into the trench in our field. Though she wasn't injured (which I so would have broken something if I had been the one to fall) she admitted that was her most embarrassing moment ever. Swooping in to make her feel better I shared MANY stories of my own "oops" moments that surely topped that one. No, I'm not going to share those here ;) Happy birthay Emma! Thanks for all the fantastic memories you have taken part in over the past nine years. I am looking forward to so many more!

Terran at 9 Months | Vermont, Family Portraits

Here we are, another blog post about another fantastic family! I feel as though my posts have all too often been introduced with the same phrase "I had the pleasure of meeting...." and well, it is so true. I have yet to photograph a family that I didn't want to be sure I kept in touch with because they were just plain awesome and today's post is no exception. Allison contacted me through a mutual friend that I did some photos for back in December. When I met Allison in March I could totally see how the two were able to make a connection, they are both awesome amazing ladies and they have the cutest kiddos right about the same age. Terran was right about nine months at the time we were able to meet up for some photos and he was just too much fun. Though a bit chilly we spent the morning outside (always ok by me, I love the fresh air!). I spent some time chatting with Mom while we hung out for a nice casual session. She explained to me about a baby blessing they had recently attended for a friend and it sounded really interesting (and like something I would totally want to photograph.... hint, hint to anyone that may be doing something along those lines.....). We swapped stories of life as mom's and stories as professionals in the medical world (she's in OT), and it reminded me that the world I left behind was not one that I didn't like, but just one that wasn't quite right for me. Yes, I do miss it. I'm always impressed by those that were made to be in that world though, and those that truly love it. Go Allison! Always impressed by people who manage to rock lives as professionals and amazing parents....... and she just ADORES her son beyond my abilities to describe it. Which is easy to do because he is way too cute and curious. I had a great time meeting, chatting, and photographing (and of course, playing peek-a-boo with Terran!) you both. Many thanks to another awesome family! Oh! We can't forget about Smiles, the intensely ferocious pup.... well, ok..... more like loud until you get out of your car kind of pup :) Hey, he looks like a dog I know pretty well, don't you think so Renee?