Mason is One!

I can hardly believe it, but Mason is ONE!!    When I first met Mason, he was just a few days old. His parents chose my Watch Me Grow Package, so I knew I would have two more opportunities to photograph this beautiful baby after his newborn session.

When I came back for his six month session,  I could not get enough of his sweet cheeks and bright
eyes.

 
Now... a year has passed... and this handsome little guy has grown into a big one year old.
 
  He is on the verge of walking and every day he is discovering something new that he can do.
 
The day I visited, he was playing with apples in the leaves.  He would squaaaaat down,which in itself is an adorable thing to watch.
 
Then he would pick up an apple (inspect the stem and leaves)... throw it... and smile while mom and dad would pick them up for him.  He has his parents trained well already! LOL!



We had a great time playing outside and we were blessed with a beautiful fall day.  When we went inside, I was thrilled to find out that Mason's mom had a cake for him in honor of his first birthday... she had some other fun props too!


How cute is that!  I just loved the letters! And so did Mason!


Hey!  Who took off with my "O"!  And, where did your clothes go young man!


After the letters were no longer entertaining... we brought out the cake.  YUMMY!  Chocolate mousse!  Who needs a high chair?  Who needs to cut it?  Who needs a fork?  Just dive right in, Mason!



I literally had cake on my camera after the cake drum solo... it was hilarious!
 
Oops.. I think you missed a little bite there... Oh wait, nope... you got it... right off your tummy!




Okay... it is time to go clean up now!



What a fun time!  It was such a great day and thank you to Mason's family for allowing me to be a part of his first year!

Give Thanks For Family

Just a year ago there was a a couple dreaming of a family.  All the paper work had been completed... the classes had been taken... the car seat and crib were ready, and it was time to wait.  Time to wait to be chosen.  Time to wait to be given the gift of a child.  Time to wait to become a family. Time to wait for a dream to be realized.

Then the phone rings and they hear the voice on the line say, "We have a baby for you. You have been chosen to be the adoptive parents of a little boy."  Can you even imaging receiving that phone call?  What an amazing thing... what an amazing gift!  Then imagine if you heard the caller's next words, "...and he was born today.  Can you come now for your son?"

Over night you are a mom... over night you are a dad... over night, you have your dream, and you have your family!  This family has so much to be thankful for.  I was honored meet the family behind this story and and take photos of their family now that their son is 1 year old.  I am grateful to them for giving me a gentle reminder of some of the things about FAMILY I am  thankful for this year. 

I am thankful for the security that a child feels with a parent.

I am thankful for kiddos and bright eyes.

I am thankful for the joy that a young child brings to parents.

I am thankful for mothers.

I am thankful for young and inquisitive minds that are always exploring.

I am thankful for big smiles and new teeth.

I am thankful for fathers.

I am thankful for faithful friends (even when that friend is a teddy bear).

I am thankful for family.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Second Grade Buddy

My second grader has a buddy.... a buddy she has known since she was 4 years old.  To a 7 and 1/2 year old, that is a lifetime!  It has been fun to watch these two buddies grow up! It was an honor for me to have a holiday portrait session with Abby and her parents.   This is Abby...

 I love Abby! She is spunky...

She is sweet...

She is so darn cute....

And her parents adore her... 

Last spring our family had our photos taken by my friend and fellow photographer... Connie Riggio.  I had everything just the way I wanted it... the clothes...the locations... it was perfect.  At the end of our session, I brought out some huge colorful suckers for my girls.  Their eyes lit up and they were thrilled!  They had a ball with them, and we got some really fun images too!  I thought it would be fun to try this with Abby too...

It worked! The sucker was a complete hit... I now carry these in my camera bag for all of my sessions! If nothing else... they are great tools for bribery! I have never claimed to be above bribery!! 

Thanks Abby for a fun afternoon!  I am looking forward to watching you grow through out the years!