There are all of these in-between stages with your children as they grow. I've gone through several myself with my girls. This is one of those moments where she's not quite a baby anymore, but not quite a toddler yet either. These moments where she relies solely on you to take care of her, but she's also starting to explore her independence. These are the moments, those in-between moments, that need documented just as much as all the milestones.
Last year I had every intention of blogging my sessions more thoughout the year. Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but I did a real bang up job on that. Though I may not have followed through so well last year, I’m also a believer that it’s never too late to revisit past intentions. So, consider this your forewarning of many more sessions from last year to come!
It’s so hard to believe that this session was done close to a year ago. It was such an honor to get to follow along with this family through their pregnancy journey. I was lucky enough to capture their maternity, hospital stay, and then we followed up with this session once they were settled in at home.
I love in-home sessions for a few reasons. There is the obvious that we are no longer at the mercy of mother nature, no need to reschedule if there is bad weather. I think the thing that I love most though about in-home sessions is the comfort and intimacy that comes along with them. It’s almost an immediate ease into the session that creates just a nice, relaxed, and easy vibe. It’s always a privilege to me when a family invites me into their home.
Please enjoy!
xoxo,
M
"I think the first step towards making your dreams come true is allowing yourself the freedom to dream in the first place." ~Me
How many times do we put limits on our ability to dream? Do you tell yourself things like, "That will never happen," or "I'll would never be able to do that," or "That's just a crazy idea," or "I'll never be able to afford..."? The list of negative or impossibles could go on. I know I sure do. At least I used to tell myself those things a lot more than I do now. I think the first step towards making your dreams come true is allowing yourself the freedom to dream in the first place.
I was able live out one of my dreams last month and it only happened because I allowed myself to dream. I didn't shut it down or turn it away. I spoke into the universe (or in this case to my husband). I told him that I wanted to travel to Hawaii, to attend a workshop, hosted by the amazing Stormy Solis. The stars literally aligned and I got signed up just at the right moment because the spots that were available went fast. I also managed to snag one of the cheapest airfares I've seen to Hawaii shortly after booking.
So first off, to me Hawaii is one of these far away magical place that is almost like a fantasy to me. A place that you say you would love to visit someday but it just never happens. I think we all have a list of places like that. Mine also include Iceland, Greece and Ireland. My husband and I have done a little traveling together outside the US, but these places still seem almost out of reach. While Hawaii will still always be a magical fantasy place to me...it now feels less far away and more within reach. So much more within reach that I definitely plan to go back, next time with my family and for a longer period of time.
Second, I never even thought I would ever take trip like this on my own. I mean, I'm a mom. I'm a wife. I've never traveled farther than an hour and a half west to visit some friends and family. How could I spend this kind of money on myself? It seems so selfish. I had forgetten that once, I used to just be me, Maranda. And guess...I kind of think I'm worth it. Not in a caulky kind of way, but in a way that we need remember that we are worthy of doing things for ourself that make us happy. Also, remembering that it doesn't make us selfish to want to do things for ourselves and sometimes it's even necessary for us to be better for those we love. I may not give myself a paycheck each month, but I work hard at what I do. I love what I do and try to pour my heart into my work.
Third, I needed this trip. I needed it for my soul. I needed that feeling of empowerment. That feeling of "I just did this thing! And not only did I just do this thing, I did it on my own!" I can't even begin to describe how much this trip has filled me up. It's been pretty incredible. The last couple years I've found myself in a weird mental space and I've had to work pretty hard to find my way back. I battled anxiety and maybe even borderline depression. I spent most of last year fighting my way through that. I started therapy and eventually added some medication. I even challenged myself to be more vulnerable with sharing more of that side of myself, rather than pretending I was doing okay or had my life all together. I could not think of a better way to start off my 2018.
There is something else that came from this dream coming true. I created images that I had only ever hoped to someday be able to make. I look at these and I am just overwhelmed by so many emotions. The feelings of wonder, joy and excitement that come with expecting another child. Spending time laughing and dancing with your loved ones and just holding on for dear life after experiencing a pretty traumatic life scare. I feel a sense of adventure, playfulness and strength that came from my time with a mama and her boys. And then there is love, comfort and peace. It was pretty overwhelming once their galleries were all put together and ready to send to them. I had a whole other dream come to life from this trip!
One of the things we learn as photographers is to always pay attention to the light. Photography if broken down into the prefix "photo" and suffix "graphy" in many languages translates to; to write, draw or the field of study of light. We use the light that we see to create and image and to capture that. All 4 of these sessions may have had incredible natural light to work with, but I feel more than anything, it was the light that came from within these people that we worked with and captured that weekend. That to me is one of the most important lights in the world and something we should all look to see.
The thing I'm learning about dreams, is that there are no limits to what we can dream up. Yes, there are certain realities that we may need to face. We have to learn to keep our feet on the ground. There may need to be sacrifices made and to make those dreams a reality it requires work. Hard work. It may also takes time. A lot times things don't happen over night. Often it will require coming up with plan, putting it to action, being patience, and even saving up. The hard work, the patience, and the sacrifices are usually so worth it.
Another thing that I'm learning about dreams, is that once one dream comes true, you start to dream more. And when your dreams do come true, take the time to honor and appreciate it. Maybe even let yourself shed a few tears of happiness and be damn proud of what you have accomplished!
This, my friends, is Stormy. This is the woman who opened up her heart and shared so much more that just her knowledge with us that weekend. I'm so honored to be able to call her a mentor now, as well as a friend. If you don't follow along with her work, you should. It's phenomenal, so full of love and emotion. She's a true storyteller and one of the most sincere humans I have met. She's the kind of person that will leave you a better person than you were prior to meeting her.
There are so many monumental moments in each and every one of our lives. Most of those monumental moments begin with our firsts. First steps. First day of school. First love. First day of college. First day at your new career. The first time you realize that the person you are in love with is also the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Your wedding day. The day you find out you are expecting.
The first child comes with so many emotions. None of them are the exact same for anyone. Most of them are full of fun and excitement. Envisioning what your child will look like. Trying to imagine which characteristics of yours they will inherit. Planning of the nursery. Coming up with a list of names. But you have also not been through this before so there is definitely a sense of unknown involved as well. Then comes the waiting. Waiting for the day when they will actually make their first appearance into this world.
Thank you, you two, for inviting me in to help you document this first in your life.
Our family has been so lucky to have this girl living next door to us. Our girls love and adore her. They love when she gets to come babysit and they love it even more when they wrangle her in to just hanging out and playing. It's so hard for me to comprehend that she is a senior this year.
I was able to photographer this beautiful child for her One Year Session last month, just before her birthday. We ended up having an absolute gorgeous Nebraska night with some amazing light and colors that were just one the verge of changing for fall.
This girl had such a sweet and mellow personality and was just full of observation. Such a fun part about this age is that they are still just taking every little bit in. From the touch of the grass, to the feel of the rocks, to finding leaves and flowers.
Even though this session was all about her, I can't help myself and always have to grab just a few images of her and her mama getting some snuggles in! Big brother even made a cameo towards the end.
Back in August I met up with this family for the 3rd time to capture their family photos. It's not only fun to see their family grow throughout the years, because I would get to see that regardless, but to see my own growth as I take their images each time.
I've know Sierra since I moved to York in middle school. There was a period after high school where we didn't keep in touch, but it is so amazing how life works out and how someone re-enters your life and becomes such an important part of it. We have go to see each others families grow. We get to celebrate birthdays together. We make each other laugh...though I'm pretty sure that Sierra is the one that keeps us laughing. We get to do life together.
I'm almost positive that Sierra was the first person I ever mentioned the idea of pursuing photography too. She didn't laugh at me or tell me I was crazy or that I had really no clue what I was doing at the time. She told me that is was awesome and she supported me. And she continues to support me to this day. Having those people in your life is important. The people that believe in you before you are really ready to believe in yourself. If you have one of those people in your life...hold tight to them. And also, make sure they know it! Like maybe write a blog about it or something ;)
Okay this sweet little guy has given me puppy fever! Serious puppy fever! Sweet little Zeus seems to be the perfect fit for this family. Jenny just kept saying, "Am I crazy? I mean who gets a dog the same day they have their family photos scheduled!" I say more people should do it that way! They now will forever have images of them getting to know one another. It was so fun to watch Gavin just in total bliss as he fell in love with Zeus. It was also pretty fun to watch him and his mom fight over who's turn it was to hold him. And can I also say what a sigh of relief it was for me to see what an incredible relationship this mother and son have with each other. Middle school years can be tough and it can be tough on that parent/child relationship. I often wonder what the dynamic of my relationship will be with my girls as they hit this age. Seeing these two together gives me such hope that I can have that kind of relationship as well. Thank you for letting me snuggle your pup and I'm sure my hubs thanks you for the puppy fever I now have!
It overjoys my heart when a family asks me to encapsulate their family in photos...and then it about makes my heart burst open when they add that they would like your help announcing their pregnancy! You know you have captured something special when you look back at the photographs you have taken for someone and you smile and you laugh and you cry and then you smile some more. Congratulations {B} Family! We are beyond excited for you!
It's hard to believe that it's been just over 2 years since I had my last senior session and man, did I have so much fun with Maddie's! This girl was so sweet and so beautiful. She even had a furry friend that made an appearance...her new rabbit, Willow. Is that not the most perfect name for that adorable little bunny? Maddie was also such a great sport with trying out some things I've been wanting to incorporate into a session as well! Wishing you the best of luck on your senior year, Maddie!
Have you ever had those people in your life that have just been there for almost as long as you can remember? This family is one of those for me. They have been there since the beginning of what is now my family and so many of my memories and stories of how our families started are intertwined. We've laughed together, we've cried together, we've been there for the bad times and for the really, really great ones too. We've had so many unforgettable times together. It's so fun for me to get to capture my friends and their families as they grow and it is always an honor that they have asked me to do that for them.
Once again, Nebraska blessed us with one of her beautiful evenings for this Mommy & Me session. I love getting to follow friends and family through their journeys as their own family grows. I was lucky enough to photograph this mama for an in-home maternity session literally the day before this little beauty made her way into the world...about 5 1/2 weeks early.
I love this age. So sweet and shy to start with usually clinging for dear life to mom, slowly getting comfortable and gaining the confidence to explore more. Eventually moving into the independent, let me do it myself stage, which sometimes lead to tears when they don't get to do it themselves. There is so much joy, so much personality, and so much love that comes with this age! I'm so happy that I got to capture a little of it for these two. When you mix gorgeous light, bubbles, books & strawberries, it the perfect recipe for a great session!
This post is a long time past due! It's been over a month since I've seen this gorgeous family. I've been friends with these two since I first met my husband. We've camped together. We've tailgated together. We've been a part of each others weddings. We've welcomed each others kids into the world. We've celebrated birthdays. Ashley and I used to work together, before she left to pursue her dream of starting her own business...which has been such a successful venture for her. Although we may not see each other as much as we used to, these two will always be some of those people that no matter how much time goes by, you can always pick up where you left off and go from there.
I love getting to take families to places they have never been to explore. It adds an extra element of surprise and adventure to their photos. Seeing kids light up when they get to play in the water. To walk down stream a bit to see where it leads. I think anytime you can add a waterfall to your session, it adds magic. You would never be able to tell that just a a couple days earlier this place was drenched in downfall causing the river to almost look like chocolate milk. This was the first day the rain had let up. The sun came out and was able to dry this place up beautifully.
I hope you enjoy looking through these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!
No! I did not hire models for this session, but it sure looks like I did! I got the take a walk in the woods with this beautiful 7 year old and her gorgeous mama! Not a single one of us could deliver a joke, which that in itself left us laughing hysterically. I learned that Jen may not exactly be a Master Chef when if comes to cooking, but if you ask Rylee her favorite thing about her mom, it's her cooking. I loved getting to capture sweet looks at one another that normally might of by unnoticed. Those looks that say, "I love you," without one word ever needing to be spoken. I feel like I was able to witness a lot of what the relationship between this mama and daughter consists of...being able to laugh together, have fun together, get a little dirty and adventure together, and I got to witness a crazy amount of love and respect for each other.
I believe God places particular people in your life to teach you specific lessons. God definitely gave me this little girl to remind that I can't control everything and to let go and let loose. When we had our first daughter, Kinley, I thought she was just like me, and to a certain degree, she is. She is more like the person I am today. It's when this little girl came along that my mom reminded me that Rowan is more like the girl that I used to be when I was younger.
She's very daring and brave. My heart has finally learned to quit skipping a beat when I see her climbed up high on something. She's been climbing onto things since the moment she could walk. I remember walking into the living room to find her standing on a table just shortly after she turned one. We had to ditch her crib earlier than planned because she's would climb up onto the top and jump down at 18 months. Her feel still hit the floor with such a force every morning when she wakes up.
She's the kid you will find exploring the depths of a puddle or finding out how squishy the mud is. She makes sure that we don't step on ants or walk on any cracks. She likes to stop and smell flowers and loves to pick them for me. She's a bit of a pack rat and you never know what you are going to find hiding in the nooks and crannies of her room. She's always talking about what her next adventure will be and is constantly making sure her suitcase is packed and ready to go. Someday she will live in a hotel or on a boat or on an island and somedays it's the tree in our front yard. And speaking of talking...she loves to do that...A LOT!
She's the mostly likely to be a blur in photos because she's on the move so much...or she's just trying to avoid them. She's already boy crazy and talks about marrying a little boy she met at the park one time. She's funny and witty and amazes us with some of the things that come out of her mouth. She looks like her dad and to say she is obsessed with me would be an understatment.
I would be lying if I said this last year at home has been easy on me. I've found myself in a weird place and having a hard time. But sitting down right now and reflecting on it and my time with her and her sister, this last year has been a lesson and one that I'm still learning and trying to figure out. I may not always enjoy or appreciate every single one of my days at home, but I do know that when I look back on my life, I will not have one regret about my decision to stay at home.
it's the wild one's that will set you free. -k.a.
One of the best compliment that I could receive is hearing that I have been requested to do photos for a family. Every time. By the kids. 10 minutes into your session. That reassures me that I'm doing exactly what I set out to do...give mom, dad and the kids a fun experience. This family was absolutely amazing. I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a little nervous ahead of time because this is the largest family I have ever photographed. All of that changed though, the second the car doors opened and the kids started coming out. There was so much personality to capture...sweet, silly, funny, shy, spunky, outgoing, playful, curious, helpful. Mostly tough, there was a lot of love and a lot of laughter! I walked away from this session with a full heart and I can't wait until the next time I get to hang out with this family again!
I know we all have those moments where you look at your child and suddenly they're older than they were the day before. I mean, I know that sounds pretty obvious. We all are older than the day previous, but when you are parent, it's like one day you wake up and time has managed to slip through your fingers once again. It plays tricks on you, time does. One day you are holding your precious baby girl for the very first time and then you blink and her first full year of school is almost over and you stand there dumbfounded and wondering where the next blink will land you.
This girl is sweet and gentle and kind and caring and social...so, so social! I get asked on the daily when we are going to someone's house or when someone can come over on a play date. She loves people. She's pretty outgoing and I love and admire that about her. She's also very intelligent, and so far learning has come pretty natural to her. She can also be very determined when something doesn't come naturally. I remember at the beginning of the school year she wanted so badly to get all the way across the monkey bars. She tried and tried so hard, every day after school. Before long she was gliding across them with such ease and skipping two at a time. She loves school and is not looking forward to school coming to an end.
She will still hold my hand in public. From time to time she will get jealous of how much time her sister gets to spend with me now, which usually results in a mommy/daughter date shortly thereafter. She still cuddles up to me when we have family movie night. She likes it when I sing her songs and scratch her back right before bed. Her laugh is almost the exact same as her very first one, it just has a little older sound to it. She believes in magic and looks for fairies in trees. When I look at her, really look at her, it brings tears to my eyes because I blinked. And she grew up a little more.
I sure do miss working with this beautiful gal, but I love still getting together for lunches, coffee dates, the occasional tailgate since then. I also love it when I get to spend the most gorgeous evening in March with her and her boys adventuring. Having only girls, spending time with them gave me a small glimpse into what being a boy mom is like.
Sometimes you have to do things that you know will feed your soul even if it seems a little crazy at the time. For me that was driving the girls out to Colorado for 2 nights over Kinley's spring break. Two nights may not seem worth it to most, to spend over 14 hours in the car with both girls by myself, but I knew it was exactly what we needed. Kinley had just gotten over another random fever/illness, we had been cooped up in the house for a few days already, and I knew I wasn't going to survive another day, let alone 3, of "What are we going to do now?," "What can we do that's fun?," "What are we going to do that's special?," "Can we go somewhere?," "Can we do another craft?," "Can we, can we, Mom, Mom, Mom." I love my girls dearly, but there is only so much entertaining that I have in me.
So, kind of last minute, we packed up the car and we made the drive out to the Colorado to go visit my brother and his family. It had been awhile and the girls needed to see their cousins and I need to see my brother and my sister-in-law, whom to me, she's never been much of an in-law...just my sister. Our girls so far have been rockstar travelers which helped this mama out a lot! We were knocking on their door by early afternoon and surprising my sweet little niece who had no clue that we were coming. How many of you don't tell your kids things because you don't want to get their hopes up in case things fall through or you maybe don't want them to ask every 20 minutes when it's going to happen?
It may have a been a quick trip, but boy did we do our best not to waste a minute while we were there. We spent the first evening just catching up and letting the kids play. There may have been a pretty epic dance party in the kitchen that night too!
In the morning we headed to the Denver Zoo and spent a good chunk of our day there. We got to see baby Dobby...you know that baby giraffe no one knew about while they were waiting for April to have her baby. By the way...has April had hers yet?! No. Huh? Of course the biggest hit was the electronic dinosaur. Seems appropriate that we go to the zoo to see animals and their favorite thing is not something that is even alive. Ha! We managed to be there on the opening of their new tiger exhibit which was pretty cool. We ended our time at the zoo with a bite to eat, with one of the best chicken teriyaki rice bowls I've ever had, ice cream, an elephant show, and with Rowan getting bit by one of the geese that crowd the lunch tables.
When we left we decided to drive the highway up to Boulder so the kids could get a nap in. It's such a peaceful drive on the highway from Denver to Boulder, with a gorgeous view of the mountains to the west. After the kiddos had a decent nap it was back to the house for a fairy craft with mason jars, tissue paper, glitter Mod Podge, battery tea lights, stickers and rhinestones...so many rhinestones! The girls love looking for fairies with their Auntie and cousin and it's become a really fun tradition for them to do together.
If that wasn't already enough for one day, Kinley talked us into walking to the park after supper just as the sun was going down. That night after the kids went to bed it was so good to just sit and talk life with my brother and his wife. Her and I even squeezed in a mama craft after my brother called it a night.
The next morning was kind of a blur getting myself and the girls ready, packing all our stuff up, loading up the car, and trying to make sure we didn't forget anything. We had planned to leave there shortly after lunch. All it took was one comment about how we should have drove up to the mountains on our nap time drive the day before and it was decided that lunch needed to take place in Estes before we headed out. As much as I was excited about our spontaneous drive up into the mountains...I was nervous too. James had always been with me and did the driving whenever we went up into the mountains.
The nerves soon went away when we were on the road and the closer we got to the mountains, the more my heart was filled with peace. That peace continued to fill my heart as we drove up the mountain to the point that my heart was no longer being able to hold it all in and that peace poured out of my eyes and down my cheeks. I don't know if I'll ever fully be able to put into words the feeling that comes over me when we drive through such majestic beauty, but I don't think it's supposed to be put into words. I think that is one of those things in life that you just have to feel and that can never be explained.
After a quick bite, we of course had to find a "mountian" to climb. Trying to explain that we were already in the mountains was easier said than done. We were able to find a little spot behind the shoppes of Estes that the girls could easily climb. Of course the moms had to climbs up to rescue a couple little goats that couldn't make their way back down. My brother even surprised us and had left work to come join us and to say our goodbyes.
Once again, my girls were champs and with only one pit stop to use the bathrooms, eat, and fuel up, we were home in 8 hours. It always feels so, so good to be home after a trip and we were all excited to see James, but I think a piece of my always stays behind in those mountains...waiting to call me again!
So I had big plans to try and shoot a day in the life of my time at home on the anniversary of my last day of work which was two years ago. Well, that day came and went, much like most of my days do now. Life at home has not always been what I thought it was going to be and I'll be honest, staying home at times has been really, really hard on me.
I miss being alone in the car on the drive to and from work and having time in my own head. I miss, at times, having coworkers to bounce ideas off of, having someone to collaborate with and to just plain talk to throughout the day. I miss my Friday afternoon shopping and errand running before picking the girls up from daycare. Let's be honest though, not having that Friday afternoon to shop has probably helped make up the gap of our household salary after leaving my job! I miss seeing the look on their faces when I picked them up from daycare and hearing the excitement in their voices when they would yell, "MOMMY!"
While I miss so many of those things, there is so much that I have gained from staying home. I love how attached my sweet little Ro has gotten to me. I love hearing her talk and listening to her crazy, random stories, and boy can that girl talk! I love being able to take Kinley to school and pick her up every day. I love getting to be the first person to hear about her day. I also love the days when we meet her at school for lunch. I love having a little more time to focus on photography. I love getting to explore my more creative side with my girls as we color, paint and draw together. I love that most days I can have supper ready to go by the time my hubs gets home so we have more time in the evening to spend together as a family.
Somedays the things that I miss take over how I feel and somedays the things that I love do and I've decided that's okay. Today the love wins and these are a just a few reasons why...
