stay anchored. reach for the stars.

standing and playing

2012-01-19T20:56:00.000-08:00

clara has learned to pull up on everytghing... not a day goes by that we aren't fighting over books and why they are on a shelf and not the floor... and why she cant climb into the bathtub without mommys help... oh, our little mermaid :)

the "cheese" picture??? yeah, well, what?? not all 10 month olds pose for photos? this week you discovered your shadow baby bear... and played with it haha you amaze me daily.

va beach aquarium

2012-01-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

va aquarium was lots of fun. :) theres a beautiful nature trail between the two buildings and it was a freakishly warm day outside so we had a nice walk, ate lunch outside and took some photos... yeah, she's 10 months old and knows to look at the camera, even when there isnt someone holding it... hence the camera remote photos :) we couldnt get enough of these turtles... she loved them and i dont know if i have ever been that close to one that huge... so cool!

10 months

2012-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

happy 10 months on earth, my little baby bear :) you are crawling, cruisin and teething... no walking and still no teeth (please please please stop biting things you shouldn't like mommys power cord and your crib!)

no news is good news?

2012-01-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

phew.. been so busy lately that i have hardly posted.... well, these are the two looks i get when i try to photograoh.... a blurry "leave me alone i'm busy look" or the "no no no, not again" hahah..

Outside.

2012-01-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Well, it's finally here... I think it will be too cold to spend much more time in the Radio Flyer this year, but... Clara got pulled around the yard a bit yesterday and loved it... and of course... mom had to take some photos of her all bundled up :) There's just something adorable about a baby in a bunting to me, I can't help it! :) While Daddy cleaned out the garage and put away Christmas stuff, we made him pose for a photo too.. :) Only a few more weeks before Daddy leaves for deployment, so Clara has to get in all the hugs she can!!

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

We welcomed 2012 by sleeping... but, Kris got to come home early so that was nice, got a 2012 kiss at like 1 am. But, all in all, we had a great day together. I made my annual New Years Day dinner, as usual, of Collards, Ham, Black Eyed Peas, etc. to honor my Grandmother and her Southern Traditions. We just did it a day after everyone else. Which, as many military families are familiar with, you have to do at pretty much every holiday unless you're really lucky. Birthdays and Christmas and yes, even New Years, has to be celebrated whenever you're together because, let's face it, a celebration just isn't right when you're missing someone you love. I've been pretty familiar with this concept all of my life. With divorced parents and my grandmother and my godmothers, it has always been that you celebrate when you're together.... and, I LOVE this about my family. "Hey, you're home....let's have dinner" and yeah, it may only be a "bucket of chicken" or a spaghetti dinner and it may be an all out seafood feast or sushi, but, dinner has ALWAYS and will always be a gathering. No matter how many people you can gather together around the table, you squeeze in, touching elbows and laugh and talk and eat. This.... is family. Whether you are blood or just met or known each other your entire life, family is important.

This year I added another Southern favorite to our dinner.. Red Velvet Cake, but I made a twist and made... Red Velvet Cake Whoopie Pies. :) YUM! They're not the best to look at, but they're tasty! :)

Hope everyone is having a great New Year. Although with this new year brings another deployment, we are welcoming another year closer to retirement too. positive positive... :)

Our xmas

2011-12-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

because of all of our traveling, we had to celebrate our xmas early. . . so, we spent the morning acting like it was xmas morning. :) it was goo dto teach Clara what presents were and what she was supposed to do with them.

Clara's Radio FLyer and Elmo :)

2011-12-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Clara's first Christmas was a long day, we headed to the Eastern Shore to celebrate with Kris's parents... Clara's Great Aunt Pam got her a Radio Flyer but her mean Momma (sorry baby) wouldn't let her go for a ride outside since she was sick. . . but we did the next morning.. and got to use her new bunting too. :) yay! She looks something like the kid on CHristmas Story, but, it's seriously the best thing ever.

Clara was a little scared until she got to ride with Elmo. :)

Baby's first xmas morning

2011-12-29T18:57:00.000-08:00

At my Dad's house, it's a tradition to have a big Christmas breakfast. The whole family gathers and eats breakfast before they part ways and head to where they have to go to visit others. Well, this was Clara's first breakfast and the poor girl was sick... so, no pancakes for her :( We did let her play with it for a little bit though.

Sidenote: All these presents weren't for her... I just thought it was funny with her sitting in the middle of all of them.

Ravens xmas eve

2011-12-29T18:41:00.000-08:00

We were so lucky to get seats to the Ravens game that were 4 rows from the field :) It is a really fun experience to sit that close to everything, it felt like I was shooting photos of a high school game!

Fake Peas and Measuring cups.

2011-12-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, that's all it takes to entertain a 9 month old. She crawls after anything on the floor, so I place things under the counters and edge of tables so that she "finds" them.

xmas

2011-12-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Christmas photos of the RIley's :) They were fun to work with, as usual. I cannot wait to watch these little ones grow up alongside mine.

we love cheesy Christmas :)

Gramma's grass

2011-12-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

A visit to Gramma's house... always brings us one guarantee.... new outifts! Clara was so happy Momma was putting her into the grass to play! :) It's so nice to be outside in short sleeves in December... ah, Georgia... :)

2011-12-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

Well, she's done it... and there's no stopping her now. On Thanksgiving, CLara started pulling herself up, but she was still crawling backwards. We just couldn't believe she hadn't gone forward. So, we visited a friend in Charleston whose baby was crawling everywhere. The next day, Clara decides she's going to try it out. By a few days later, she has it mastered. Here's our baby girl's first step into true independence.. we love you, baby girl, get out htere and do what you do best.... make us smile :)

sometimes ya need a break

2011-12-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

no, i mean, seriously.... a break.... :)

twins and twins and boy and girl...

2011-12-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

...yeah, this is how I spent my Sunday afternoon... two sets of twins, plus another boy and another girl. Well, Ashley you've got your hands full!!!! It's crazy to me to even think about running a household like this, while working full time as a nurse and picking up 24 hour shifts on the weekends... seriously? what a hectic life. Thanks for spending the afternoon with me and helping me capture the love your little family holds. What a fun shoot, these kids had me laughing the whole time,

2 and a half year olds.

2011-12-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

It's pretty fun photographing little ones, you never know what you may end up doing to get them to enjoy having their photos taken. When I showed up to take family-esque photos of Alison and her son, I had no idea what I was in for. This little guy was so full of energy... perhaps we should pick a non-park setting for the next shoot of a little guy like Owen. But, we still got some cute results...

Katie & Andrew

2011-12-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

I love this beautiful couple. I'm so glad I was able to photograph them while I was down in Georgia. Had to wait til after the holidays to post their family photo. So, here it is :) Hope everyone had a beautiful holiday!

Katie's boys were so funny about picking out their clothes for the shoot... Oh, teenagers... love that silly stage!

Santa...

2011-12-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

Second xmas picture with Santa :) Clara was so good... as usual :) hahah too funnY!

Halsey

2011-12-07T18:17:00.001-08:00

What a beautiful little girl I had the privilege of photographing :) She was so cute and the same age as my baby girl, so it was so great, 8 months is a perfect age for photos. They are sitting upright but not moving around yet.. what a fun little shoot. And I loved her little sweater :)

The Soon-to-be Quiggles

2011-12-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

I've known Jenny for a while and was so happy that she asked me to be a part of her beautiful engagement... :) We did some photos and I was able to capture some of their love... wow. The way they look at each other is just magnificent... love you guys, so glad I could capture a bit of your love! PS... isn't Ava the cutest puppy ever :) Love her!

Huebner Family

2011-12-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

What a cute little family :) I had such a great time photographing them. :) And, how sweet is little Delaney? What a gorgeous little girl! Thanks for spending a nice Saturday morning with me.

ENter too! I'm trying to win!

2011-11-30T12:04:00.001-08:00

they're doing a Canon camera give a way.. I think I deserve it!! :)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T10:11:00.001-08:00

Kris' idea was to put Clara on the table with the turkey... and I'm not too sure who's idea it was to give her the leg... but, she loved checking out all the new things and was infatuated with the green leafy stuff (kale) That's my girl! :)

clara's first time eating Sand!

2011-11-27T18:40:00.001-08:00

it's been a while since I had such a busy day of doing nothing with myself and the baby.... today was one, and it was great! WE went to the beach for baby bear's first time of crawling in the sand.... it was hilarious, and then when we came home she napped for almost 2 hours and then i was able to go to dinner with my friend Abby after running around to different places getting some things she needs for the underway.... phew. here's some of me and the girls at the beach :)

Crazy hair

2011-11-23T20:45:00.001-08:00

Dear Clara of the Future...

I promise that Mommy and Daddy did NOT style your hair like this... you're naturally this awesome to have a mohawk at the ripe ole age of 8 months.

Bedtime routine

2011-11-23T20:37:00.001-08:00

Wanna put yourself in a scary situation? Try photographing a baby in a bathtub on their level... :)

Every night that Daddy is home from work, he bathes Clara and reads to her, we will miss these moments while he's deployed... aren't they the cutest? :)

Cheesy Christmas Photos

2011-11-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

So, I figured since I have done a few family's Christmas photos, that I would try to do a few of our own... which, if anyone has seen our past year's card, normally turns out pretty hilarious. I think last year we skipped it because we were so busy with the shower, but... we try to make the most ridiculous cheesy card possible.

So, this year, having a baby seems like it would be super easy to be cheesy... the verdict is still out... I mean, she's cute, and that kinda ruins it... I sat her next to the grinch and she hugged it and smiled.. Next to the Christmas tree??? nope, she wants to eat the candy cane (that's from her Daddy) Not even too sure what she's doing with her penguin.... looks like she's trying to pose for a cheesy photobooth shot, which, could work i guess... argh...Well, we will try again and post more soon.

November Afternoon-sneak peek

2011-11-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

At times, when you're photographing kids, you just have to roll with the punches :) These beautiful girls were so sweet and smiled and laughed and we had a good time rolling around in the grass together. I adored these little ones so much. Another important part of portraits are easy going families. I normally only sneak peek one photo, but these few moments with these girls were so endearing, I couldn't help it. What a beautiful family, and great way to spend a November afternoon. More to come.

Beautiful girl(s).

2011-11-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

Kris and I have not up to this point bought the baby anything more than a toy or something here and there. So, we went on a little shopping spree the other day and bought her a few new things for winter/fall season. I'm pretty happy with them :) She got a bunch of warm stuff, and I must say, having sleeves on her arms really confuses her at times. Well, I wanted to photograph her but was squeaking a toy, so luna was very interested, so.... up on the bed she jumped and I said... what a better time than to snap a photo of my girls... aren't they cute??? well, I'm a bit biased I suppose.

the other photo if of my baby's toes... i'm not attracted to toes in any way... in fact, feet kinda gross me out (may be my heightened sense of smell) but for now... my baby's toes are my slight obsession. Every time I see them I can't help but grab them and love on them and smile...

Our baby girl is getting sooo big! Still no crawling, except backwards, and lemme tel you, she can MOVE!... we need one of those beepers for her, cause she's always bumping into everything around the house.

I seriously just can't get enough of her, she's the best.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

We decided to stay home and pass out candy for Halloween. So, our friend Abby came and helped and we watched as the kids ran around. Next year will be your turn, baby girl... but for this year, we needed to stay in (cause mommy and daddy would have ended up eating all your candy by ourselves!)

So, we bundled up and got you ready for the cold and headed out to the porch to watch the trick or treaters, and gave you a treat of your own! :) (Note: She didn't eat a snickers bar... we just let her chew on it for a while, and she actually loved it!)

Clara and Grammy and Poppop

2011-10-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yay! Grammy and Poppop came for a visit! We got to hang out, eat seafood and I grabbed a few photos before they left! I'm so glad they could come down to visit for a bit, cause we won't get to see them again until the holidays. It's hard living only a few hours but just not having the time to go see them with Kris's schedule. Clara is so lucky to have three sets of Grandparents (especially since she has lots of aunts and uncles and adopted family :)

Tinkerbell and pumpkins.

2011-10-28T19:54:00.001-07:00

So, I have been working off and on for weeks on our "family" costumes... hopefully I will be able to post a photo of us in them ugh.... we have awesome costumes... but, here's the baby's.... she is tinkerbell. and a quite cute one, if I may say so myself.

Our costume party was cancelled due to the rain, so, we had to find something to do tonight... so, we carved our pumpkins. It's pretty obvious which pumpkins are which, Kris did a Ravens one, and I did one based around my favorite children's book "The Giving Tree"... pretty successful.

Look, Ma! I've got hair!

2011-10-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

she's so funny with her fake crawling, backwards every time one of these days!

Our daily life...

2011-10-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

...so, sometimes I feel like everyone thinks our photos on the blog are always planned out and set up of the baby... and some are, but most are just our everyday lives. And this was just a day when she was so happy I wanted to capture it forever (pretty much 90% of my child's life consists fo laughing and making me and Kris laugh and then she laughs and we all do it until we are out of breath...) oh my goodness our family is by far the cutest dang thing ever.

Pumpkin and a Pumkin

2011-10-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

Took the pumpkin to the pumpkin patch today. We were worried people could think she looked like a boy in her black skeleton onesie... so, we added the hat :) Cutest pumpkin around ,if you ask me! :)

Clara's new Swing

2011-10-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Clara loved the swing at the park, so we got her one for the backyard :) Nothing like having a sidekick while you hang out the laundry :) We love getting our Vitamin D.

Hugs for Caterpillar

2011-10-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

So, we said we would take random pictures with a big stuffed animal, and Grammy bought Clara this gigantic caterpillar. So, I posted a picture with her crying in the center of it. But, now, she loves it. She hugs and kisses it every time I get it out. It's one of those toys that every little girl sees and wants but, she actually has one. (a bit spoiled, we know :))

seven months of amazing-ness

2011-10-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is already 7 months! Wow... she's growing up so fast. Right now, since she's teething, everyday I am wishing it were closer to the time when she isn't in pain anymore... wow. I just hate for her to be unhappy :( Seeing her this way is so depressing.

So, here's to you, our beautiful baby girl, who can sit upright without help and is beginning to do baby push ups and uses her pointer finger and thumb to grasp now... wow, milestones abound, but so many many more.. she is absolutely amazing.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours had a dinner party and we all carved pumpkins.. it was a great time. Here's a group shot and a photo of mine and Kris's pumpkins... we had a good time designing and creating..(even though i was ridiculed for being a "professional artist") plus it gave me an excuse to make Chocolate Lava cake in the crock pot... YUM!

sometimes it is a great feeling reverting back to childhood... even if you have a child yourself...

What are YOU going to be for Halloween?

Megan and Byrne Klay

2011-10-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

So, I have known these lovely folks for a long time now... wow, it really has been a long time. And, I just stumbled upon them in a smoky bar in Charleston, SC some friends of mine were going and I said, "Sure" and there they were.... two of the most musically talented and hard-working people I have ever met... wow.

So, I set out to make friends, and did... through photos first, but then gaining a friendship. It's pretty awesome that I have photographed them in SC, in a studio, in Arlington and DC AND now in Norfolk.. what a great opportunity to be a large part of such a great thing. So, during this shoot, which we wanted different than others, we decided to shoot at night. So, here is one shot from a series, and I promised I wouldn't post anymore until they received them, so, here's the shot that I'm pretty sure got the cops called on us... and the same shot of what I saw as I was shooting and what it looks like cropped in, which they wanted some close ups for promos, etc. but I liked doing more atsy type shots.

Sorry, Norfolk police, for bothering you at 11 pm from "flash-complaints" coming from driving cars... umm.. and thanks for being so understanding.

check them out:
meganjean.net

Congrats Elizabeth and Joel!

2011-10-13T19:15:00.001-07:00

I met them a while back and from Arlington to Dc to Alexandria, even in Norfolk some, we dinnered and chatted and shared many great moments. It was so great knowing them together as a couple, an engaged couple and now as husband and wife. You guys are great! Love you, and congratulations!

almost 7 months!

2011-10-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

i cannot believe how much my baby bear is growing.... she's crazy cute :) and almost mobile! watch out world!

Shoot for good

2011-10-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Shoot for Good is a Hampton Roads area photo project. Basically, anyone can contribute by posting a photo of something they saw during the day of people doing good in the community. Papa Mama and baby bear, set out to find something good.... also, to find bits and pieces of our Halloween costumes.

Check out Shoot for good here: www.ShootForGood.org
Also, the church sale I shot photos of are of the "Noblewomen" which is a nonprofit group "The Noblemen mission is to identify and perform Noble Deeds for great local kids who are in need of help"
www.TheNoblemen.org

Good deeds, happening all around you, you just have to find them...

meanwhile, Clara watched us get ready laughing at us.

ahhh yes, and the crazy collection of cats... well, that goes without saying, doesn't it??

My husband and baby

2011-10-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't trade anything in the world for my relationship with my baby and husband. Kris and I have always been very good at adapting to our surroundings and taking the positive outlook, but yesterday was hilarious. "What are we going to do today" turned into... going to the mall and wandering around aimlessly for 5 hours. Yep, and then target.

But, we got a lot accomplished. Wedding presents for a friend, we decided (finally) on halloween costumes as a family, Kris bought a jacket, I bought some new jeans, and baby bear got spoiled with all kinds of things. So, these car things are all over the mall and Kris and I thought they were hilarious. :) We also got to take Clara to her favorite place in the world.. the pet store :) Oh the videos from her laughing hysterically for at least ahalf hour straight.... they will be treasured forever.

So... don't let the "what are we going to do today?" blues stop you from having fun... there's always something to do... trust me :)

Sweet Darlings

2011-10-07T09:16:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay. So I was suckered into buying these guys cause of their name.. I guess the marketing ploys have worked. Either way, they were TASTY :) I just baked them along with a batch of carrot baby food I was making and added a bit of brown sugar... yum! They were like a dessert!

pinkies out.

2011-10-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

On any given day, I can see this as I walkthrough my living room... pinkies out! :) She cracks me up with this :) Aww,... cutie pie. I feel like it's moments like these that I have to document so I can remember them! She's amazing.

forget about sitting still

2011-10-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

my baby girl is almost too big for "mommy will put you down right here, and you'll be here when I get back" time. :) She's very mobile and hardly will sit still... oh, and time on her back? you can forget it... :) hopefully crawling will come soon, right now she slides around....backwards... :)

this is an older post/photo... revisited

williamsburg

2011-10-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

williamsburg pictures from last week with gramma....it was rainy but we tried to have a good time anyway :)

Daddy made Clara wear a bonnet the whole time hahah but she didnt mind too much.

teething

2011-09-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

in the midst of her teething today, which, i might add, ISNT fun... she's not grumpy all the time but she's just cranky.. it's like on the edge... she's happy one second and then she freaks out. . . so, i decided to go where she loves it... outside. So, we went outside and today, makr it on your calendars, our baby girl picked her first flowers :) many more days I'm sure she will pick some flowers for Momma.

some inspiration.

2011-09-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

So, when I was studying in Charleston, I was inspired by a few different people... I met the most amazing people there, actually, it's strange how when you get to a certain point in your life you just start weeding out those who you just don't need around you anymore... not sure why I thought of all of them today.. but, I guess they're all stepping stones on my way to Virginia.. I dunno.

So, I've been looking on Pinterest... such a great waste of time, but also, such a great way to grab some inspiration.

and... here's a few things that I found.

cute sayings, awesome photo of a dog and some brightly colored birds.... why? because this is the way my mind works.... beauty. i love you

Clara on the front porch

2011-09-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

our little girl is growing up so fast! :) Our typical 7 o'clock front porch time has become a time for her to sit alone!!! She's growing up so fast!

pretty in pink

2011-09-26T06:35:00.002-07:00

Pretty girl in pink! :) It was on this day I discovered she could almost sit up on her own! :) Woot!

2011-09-26T06:35:00.001-07:00

Our little girl and her beautiful eyes.... sometimes it's not where

you are or what you're doing, but who you're with..... we were just out for some Pho... and our little girl was so pretty just sitting there taking in everything the world has to offer... she doesn't miss a beat!

2011-09-26T06:09:00.001-07:00

So, I haven't been updating lately... and I'm sorry. I got "told" by my Mom while she

was here on a visit.... it's been a little hectic, we made a trip to Maryland and then when we returned, my mom got here. But... Kris works a 36 hour shift every four days... so I'm not going to say I will post everyday, but I will try....and at the least I will post a blog post while he is working.ALSO>..My blog is about to change... back to what it was before... things I see, inspiration, colors I may like...etc. I read a fellw blogger and watched her inspiration of work and how she gets ideas from her everyday life for her paintings. Since it is cooling down now outside, I'm going to try to clean out the garage a bit and attempt to get back into painting, crafting, etc. It's something I have been seriously missing in my life... like, a lot...So, yes, there will still be baby photos (of course!) and yes, you'll still find ridiculous photos, like this one of my Ravens family :) But, you will also be seing lots of different things that I think up on (hopefully) a daily basis.C'mon Olive Oil... it's time we had a chat. :)

Clara attempts to crawl

2011-09-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

I love her little determined look when she gets down and lifts herself up... she lets out a big sigh and grunts too... it's hilarious. I guess it's really hard work being a baby... I mean, I'm sure she has nightmares about crawling... as I guess I should too.

what's for dinner

2011-09-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start cooking at home a lot more... so, I decided to do some research online, and plan an entire week of meals... yum.

tonight??? Grilled Pizza!! Yum!
Pizza dough, fire roasted tomatoes, asiago/mozzarella/parmesan cheese, mushrooms, ham and green peppers. . .
what's in the side burner? oh, balsamic reduction (too stinky for the house) to put onto mozzarella and fresh basil salad :) YUM

fun with baby bear

2011-09-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

Even when he feeds her, Clara doesn't take Kris seriously... some may say it is a bad thing, but honestly... we use it to our advantage... you're crying.... oh wait, here's daddy... he will always make you laugh.

Enterprise picnic

2011-09-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Clara is sporty in her little chair that Grammy bought her... we were watching Daddy play softball at the USS Enterprise picnic... it was lots of fun in the sun.

Clara and her feet... new discovery

2011-09-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Have you seen my feet? They're my favorite thing these days.... quite possibly the best ever...

Baby Vans shoes

2011-09-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

Our very dear friend Bethany's little girl sent Clara her shoes because she wasn't able to wear them. turns out, I think Clara will be too big for them by the time she is walking too :( but, nonetheless, she got to wear them!

Kris dressed Clara and walked out and had her all dolled up... he's such a great Daddy!

Bananas for Baby

2011-09-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life it's moments like these that you wish you could capture forever.... and I did.

I have been making Clara's baby food and I bought 30+ pounds of bananas for $3 and, lemme tell you... CLara was HAPPY! She loves bananas!

such a blur.

2011-09-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

It's all a blur... by the time she grows up, her life will be a blur to us, time goes by so fast!

hurricane Irene

2011-08-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

We sat in our house watching the hurricane go by... so much drama and planning and freaking out that people did and all we did was lose power for 2 days....everyone worried about us, since we are only .5 miles from the beach, but... the worst part was losing power and not being able to go outside. so, when it calmed down, we took Clara outside for a bit and she was soooo happy! That child LOVEs to be outside!! notice in the background our yard covered in leaves... it was at least three times this much before the end of the storm... lots of yardwork to be had by all.

so.. in our hot sticky house... we kept Clara cool by leaving her in as little clothes as possible. It makes me laugh that she is just like her dad, they could be happy running around in their underwear if I let them.

Sophie the giraffe

2011-08-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Clara loves this Sophie the giraffe. If you know of anyone that has a baby, this is the greatest gift ever! She teethes on it and plays with it, and it squeaks... she's in love with Sophie.

Happy 50th birthday, Sophie!

check outt heir website : Sophie the Giraffe. It's a french tradition for the Grndmother to get one for her new baby... Clara has two Sophies, one from each one. and she LOVES this thing...

Clara and her g parents.

2011-08-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Clara and her Mee-Maw and PopPop. They came to visit and we all hung out for a weekend. Us girls went shopping and got her a new toy. She was very excited about it. :)

mornings.

2011-08-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

sometimes, we don't want to get out of bed. this morning, it was even harder. I celebrated my 28th birthday's eve by waking up late and cuddling with my family in bed. seriously... does it get any better than this?

this was the view I had for my birthday brunch :)

2011-08-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

sometimes you think about where you've been in life, where you're going and every once in a while you're able to capture exactly where you are. Well, at this moment... this was my life... summed up in a photograph, here it is. husband, baby, the hecticness of my surroundings but, most importantly, in all the loudness and rumble of the restaurant, there we are with a certain silence within us. these are the things that truly matter. and so, I celebrated, a day early because I'm convinced the Navy doesn't want Kris to ever spend my birthday with me, with a mimosa, my baby, my husband and a calm day of spending our life together... in the moment.

The Chambers Family

2011-08-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

A while back I was featured in Troopswap.com. It's an online coupon-buying website that features members' businesses of Hampton Roads who have served in or are families to member of the military community.Half of the profit goes to the Wounded Warriors Project. My feature didn't sell too many, but I'm hoping to gain a few references in this area through them. Here is one of the families that I did for the coupon. I couldn't get enough of them, this family was so cute with their three little ones.. Lots of fun, and finally we got a little cooler of weather for the shoot. Thanks, Chambers' family for supporting the Wounded Warriors Project and for spending a Saturday morning in the park with me! It's hard to pick just a few to show on my blog!

Photo Booths

2011-08-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Kris and I are such suckers for these photo booths... they make us laugh so hard, and we just love getting them. So, on our trip to the mall, this was Clara's first photo booth experience! Although, it's kind of funny because she was very confused in the first photo, until she saw herself on the screen and then she was very excited and smiling :) There's not a day that goes by that I don't love my little girl and my husband more than ever. moments like these you don't trade for the world.

outside time with Daddy

2011-08-06T20:45:00.001-07:00

yes, my 4.5 month old poses for the camera :)

The Pier.

2011-08-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

We went out to the Ocean View Fishing Pier for a nice little relaxing time and I took Olive Oil along for the trip. It was beautiful up there, I could have stayed there all night long.

Baby pool time

2011-08-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

I'm going to reshoot these... she wasn't feeling it.. But, here's a little glimpse. I think that Kris had a better time than Clara did. :)

I'll stop the world and melt with you.

2011-08-03T16:25:00.001-07:00

Sometimes when clara falls asleep in Kris's arms... it's like she melts. The world stops for a few minutes and he just stares at her. I will be in the other room and walk in and he just sitting there watching her and it's like he is stuck and doesn't wanna move her. Because... really, who wants to move a sleeping baby??? Not US!!

mi vida loca

2011-08-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

some outtakes from the cupcake shoot... :) welcome to my crazy life.

Clara+Luna+Cupcake

2011-08-03T16:19:00.002-07:00

I got it in my head that I wanted this photograph... after many many attempts and a lot of outtakes... we got one that I like :) I might make a collage of the outtakes because they are too funny

more naps.

2011-08-03T16:19:00.001-07:00

The second half of leave the whole family got sick... :( so... more naps were to be had by all (except the photographer.)

clara and dancer

2011-08-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

We are convinced that Clara thinks she is a dog. While visiting my parents house in Maryland for a few days, Dancer, their Chesapeake Bay Retriever was infatuated with every noise she made. Clara is very vocal, so Dancer was intrigued. We thought this was too funny, some of these are taken by Kris who finally took out my camera after five days of her being in the case!! yes, five days is a lonnnggg time!... everyone needs a vacation sometimes.

Clara watches her dog constantly, she will track her down from across the room, it was funny to see her interact with other dogs the same way.

love-seat

2011-08-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

One of many naps Clara took with Daddy while he was on leave. This is their spot, cuddled up on the loveseat. I guess they cal it a loveseat for this very reason... true love.

Diapers and Daddy's jeans

2011-08-03T16:13:00.001-07:00

How do you know Daddy is home? Well, just check the clothesline... you'll see for yourself! :) diapers and jeans...

Clara's grumpy day.

2011-08-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

After Kris went back to work, Clara was super sad without her Daddy, so Mommy went for a walk with the jogging stroller... Clara screamed for about two blocks and then she passed out... :) I couldn't help but take a photo of her.

Daddy feeds Clara for the first time.

2011-08-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

After a 6 month deployment, getting two weeks off to spend with his baby daughter, Kris and Clara spent a lot of time snuggling, eating and laughing together... this is one of the first times she was fed real food, bananas and cereal... and the first time thst Daddy fed her :) they are so cute together it should be illegal.

Couldn't be Happier

2011-07-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

So, Kris came home from deployment and since then I must admit, I've been slacking in the photo department. I suppose when you spend 6 months without your best friend, it's hard to take time away to photograph, edit and post. But, they're coming everyone, they're coming. Today we are going to try to get s bunch of stuff done around the house, which loosely translated means I'll probably get sidetracked and work on something else. :)

So, here's one of my favorite photos (taken by my Father-in-law) from the pier and another one of my favorites of my babies in front of our home.

Today I will photograph more... promise.

Welcome Home Daddy!

2011-07-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

We were so happy that the 15th of July finally came and Daddy came home from deployment. I'm going to post more photos soon from this wonderful day, but for now, here's a snapshot of us.

And also, my favorite picture of my loves. :) they're the best.

Daddy's Girls

2011-07-21T20:31:00.001-07:00

I'm honestly not sure which one of these beautiful girls are more excited for Daddy to come home! :)

Vivian and Audrey Revisited...

2011-07-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to editing and sending off the pictures of the twins :) These are my two favorite photos of them :) I know I posted them as a montage previously. But, these are just little glimpses into their beautiful little personalities. I just love how two beings born at the same exact time and having the same basic genetic make up can become so different in looks and personalities :)

Justin and Tara's engagement

2011-07-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

I know I posted their photos a while back, but I'm finally getting around to re-visiting them and getting it sent out. It has been a month since I have edited and gotten photos out to everyone that I took. So... here's one of them that I found a favorite.

Sometimes, two things need to happen with a photo session.. First off, the fact that you need to revisit what youve taken, at times I go back and find that the ones I chose are not necessarily the best ones at first... but going back to them you find a new love for ones, like this one, with an off moment of this beautiful couple just being in love and laughing and having fun... you never know! also, knowing that your favorites may not be the ones that others like either.. this is why I prefer to take lots, edit lots, and give everything to my clients! Lots of choices!

Baby Bear's almost 4 months!

2011-07-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Times have changed in my little one's lifetime... and she's only almost 4 months. Friday she gets the best present of all for her 4 month birthday :) She gets to meet her Daddy... it's going to be awesome to have him home. She will definitely not be the only one who is excited!

Tonight before I gave her a bath, I realized I've been so busy with photographing everyone else that I haven't taken too many shots of her. So, I threw her on the bed, made a complete fool of myself, and she laughed and I shot away... But, I wanted to compare it to the first one, taken less than a week after she came into this world... man, I think she's gotten a little more personality now, don't you think? Happy almost 4 months little baby bear... you amaze me more and more every day.

The beautiful twins: Vivian and Audrey!

2011-07-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Vivian and Audrey... They are amazing little girls :) SUCH personality, these little girls! Mom and Dad have their hands full with these girls! I have so many I couldn't decide what to post! I'll post more very soon, but the Bear is a little jealous right now!

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

I plan on taking some more photos of my lil firecracker, but for now these will have to do... she got to put her feet in the rivah... meet her great great Uncle and Aunt and her Great Aunt.. and all her cousins!! she had a good time, even if she was a lil cranky. :)

Clara's Cereal

2011-07-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

My little girl has so much personality... I guess she gets it from her Daddy!

The Farm Trip-The Budds Fam!

2011-06-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

I was super excited to meet Clara's new friend, Heyward James while I was in Charleston. :) His little scowl is the cutest thing ever!

Tara and Justin

2011-06-21T19:41:00.001-07:00

Sneak Peek of Tara and Justin's engagement photos... they are super cute together! :) It was pretty easy getting a great shot of them! I will post more tomorrow, I've had a long HOT day.... it's crazy in GA!!

a moment in time.

2011-06-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you go through all these crazy set ups and ideas for photoshoots and none of them ever turn out.. but there are times when just the right moment really helps you capture that "AWW" moment. Well, my baby girl's hair is gone from the sides and her little mohawk will soon grow into long curly hair, but for now, this is a moment in time we must remember. As she lays on Momma's bed and so inquisitively stares at my camera, she reminds me... capture and take in these moments because, they will not last forever.

I love you baby girl.

Clara at the beach

2011-06-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't been updating lately, because I've been trying desperately to stay busy and not sit at home on my computer. Quite honestly I have been trying to stay away from the couch and my computer because I'm slowly counting down the days before Daddy Bear gets home!

Sara and I took everyone to the beach and here's a few of my favorite ones.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

First Father's Day we spent father-less... But, I shouldn't say it that way... Clara is lucky to have a great Daddy... and, even from thousands of miles away, he is more supportive than most fathers who get to see their babies everyday. He's interested in what she's doing, loving and caring and super supportive. What more can a girl ask for in a husband, a father and a best friend? We Love You Baby. Happy Father's Day!

Nags head-Bodie Island Lighthouse

2011-06-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

Clara loved her new cousins! :) We hung out in Nags Head for almost a week with Uncle Keith and Aunt Nichole and the boys. :) it was cute watching all the kids interact together.. :) she loved all of them!

We went out to Bodie Lighthouse to take photos but the bugs were so bad that I had about 30 seconds to grab a couple shots... then we had to get back in the car... it was awful! :(

Memorial Day Sailor girl!

2011-06-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day! :) Thanks Auntie Nichole for my new sailor girl dress! :)

Clara in the dirt

2011-05-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Whenever we get dressed up to go anywhere, Debbie was always putting us in front of trees or flowers or somewhere with the right coloring to show up in the photos... So, we got used to it quickly. I think this is what helps me when I'm finding a location for a photo. After we attended Deanna's wedding, I figured since we were all dressed up, we should take a few photos. Again, this dress was a hand me down from one of my friends, and Natalie wanted Clara to wear it. So... we put it on her and she looked pretty darn cute :) And, then Mommy threw her into the dirt under a tree to photograph her! :)

I was so proud of my little girl though! She got her foot in the dirt and curled up her toes into it! :) Kris said it's the "true southern girl coming out in her"... So, here it is! My little girl's first time in the dirt!

Natalie and Clara

2011-05-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

When I moved to Arlington, I found a place on craigslist... I set up and arranged everything with the roommate of which I was replacing. So, I only had met my actual roommate over the phone. Yes, it was odd, yes I was a little nervous whether it would turn out or not, but it did... and through living there for a year, I got a great friendship out of the mix. Natalie has been my "husband" for a lot of the time that Kris has been gone. In fact, I have probably lived with her longer in total than I lived with Kris. I used to lean in the doorway of her bedroom before bed and we would laugh and talk and debate about all kinds of things. Sometimes we would disagree, but every conversation we had usually ended up with a smile and a great time. And through our conversations I have learned lots of things about religions, ways of the world I didn't know about, I even went to a friends birthday party where every person that was there sang Happy Birthday in another language...
Not many people can say that about a friend, roommate or their "husband"... guess I really lucked out.