TUTU Time!

For Christmas, my daughter received the magnificent gift of dress-up clothes from her great grandma. She is in love with her new trunk full of fashion and tonight we decided to debut her new extravagant ensembles.... I realize tonight, that my darling baby is going to be 3 years old one month from tomorrow. Already I am teary-eyed over my beauty playing dress-up like a "big-girl" would do. I look forward to the many years ahead of watching her grow and change before my eyes, and I couldn't be luckier than to be able to capture it all through my camera lens... SO many blessings these days.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspiration....

 

Here are some of Vintage Design Co. Best bouquets from 2009! Check out their website for some fabulous inspiration!
http://www.vintagedesigncompany.com/eecore/index.php?/site/

The Portland Zoo...

Today the weather was beautiful! A balmy 40 degrees and sunny... which in my family means "Let's head to the zoo!" We all bundled up and headed to the zoo. Once we arrived, the 10 degree temperature difference didn't persuade us to head back home... we had come prepared. On went the hats, gloves, coats, and blankets.... and away we went!

We have a season pass to the zoo, so this is not a new experience for our little clan, but still fun just the same. You can't beat a free day at the zoo right? Today's trip was special as it was the first time we braved the Lorikeet Landing exhibit featuring some gorgeous birds. Nevaeh was a not too sure about all the action and she decided right off the bat that they were "pirate parrots". All in all, it was a fun day, full of laughs and camera clicks. Here are some images from the afternoon...

 

 

 

 

My cute hubby made a friend...

Just for fun....

Because Christmas is over and soon our tree will be packed away with the rest of the holiday hoopla, and because my house is a wreck and I REALLY don't want to clean it,  I thought I would take some silly shots of my daughter this evening instead of attempting to tackle the 15 loads of laundry I need to get done. She has been in a silly mood for days, which means lots of giggles and smiles. Tonight she was a prize ham, as she tried to make her sippy cup "disappear" by throwing a napkin over it, yelling abracadabra, then yanking off the napkin to say TA-DA! Needless to say, it was more than entertaining and definitely roused the camera from its shelf.

I can't believe that she will be 3 in a little over a month. Where has the time gone?? Long gone is the baby we brought home from the hospital. Instead, she appears before me as a beautiful little girl, full of life and discovering so many new things. She shocks both my husband and I by what she knows and what she remembers. Her little heart is growing in its love for Jesus as well, and nightly I get tears in my eyes as she recites her own prayers at just two years of age. It is such a gift being Nevaeh's mommy. So many blessings to be thankful for this Christmas.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I am curious as to what kind of snazzy loot you scored this year!! Please comment with what you got for Christmas this year!

*PS: I got an awesome coffee maker that grinds and brews.... incredible coffee to say the least!

 

Christmas Day Festivities...

Merry Christmas! I hope that everyone had a wonderful day celebrating with their loved ones. We had a great day filled with laughter, gift wrap, turkey, and bows galore. Here are a few shots from the day.... Enjoy!

Now that is turkey perfection! Yes, I must say, I am the MASTER...

 

I LOVE this shot. It totally captures the child innocence of Christmas.

 

 

even my parents tuned in for the festivities!

Christmas Eve... a time to remember....

Tonight was a very special night for me as I witnessed my darling daughter get assigned her second role as a character in the nativity story during our church service this evening. At almost three years old, she is really getting into participating in group activities. I watched as her gleaming, excited eyes clutched her assignment card in her tiny hand. "I be an angel now mommy?" she says, as she looks up at me with a beaming smile. Literally, my hearts melts, right there in the pew. How could I ever live without this little girl and how in the world do I deserve the honor and privilege of being her mommy? I am so blessed... so very blessed, and moments like this one are what keep me moving on through life.

As some of you know, we lost our son in July. My placenta ruptured unexpectedly at 28 weeks pregnant which forced me into having  to have an emergency c-section. The nurses and the doctor all had tears in their eyes as they bustled around my bed preparing me for an insanely rushed surgery. "You are so lucky you came in..." was all they kept saying. I could have bled out and been dead in a matter of minutes... that will rattle you to your core... Quickly I am rushed into the operating room. I lay flat on my back, looking up into lights as bright as 3 suns. Tears cloud my eyes and blue hospital drape grazes my lips. My nose twitches as oxygen is forced through my upturned nostrils and tubes graze the back of my ears. My out stretched arms resemble those of Christ’s on the cross; strapped down unable to move leaving my body to its full vulnerability. My body shudders in the silent clanging of metal surgical instruments and I awaken from my sea of anxiety to my own gut wrenching cries as my son is plucked from my womb behind my shrouded eyes. Each sob is a nail driven through my hands as I lay suffering my own cross. I am left for the whole world to see, arms outstretched and my gut open and bleeding on the table.

Our son, Leo Anthony Maynard, was born July 20th 2009, weighing 1lb 13 oz. After 30 hours of precious life, he passed away due to a brain bleed. In less than 2 days, our life stopped. How do you come back from loosing a child? I was numb for the first 2 weeks... probably a combination of grief and pain meds. I came home to an empty nursery and a lifetime of expectations lost. I was prepared to hunker down for months and months, allowing the grief to take over. But then, I came back to reality.... I have a daughter and a husband to care for. I have 300+ raw images to edit of my son.... and 150 more from the NILMDTS photographer to go through... I had to get back on my feet.

So here is the kicker... you loose a baby, and are healing from major surgery, and you have 2 weddings to photograph in less than 4 weeks! These are not your average weddings either, these are the "break-out" weddings, the ones that start your portfolio and get your "name" on the map. I knew at only a month out, there was no way I could leave my brides hanging. So, I pulled up my boot straps and shot the weddings. As I desperately prayed for a clear mind and an open heart, and the ability to capture the true love and essence of my couples, I shot away. Now, let me be honest here, I was scared to death that in my mental sate I wouldn't be able to produce an image worthy of gracing my 24" iMac screen. But guess what.... I made it happen... by His grace, I made it happen.

I knocked out 2 incredible weddings in the darkest moments of my life. If anything this year, I have realized that I have a lot to live for, and that questioning my own talent is ridiculous. Despite my limited experience photographing weddings, I can confidently say that I can handle whatever is thrown at me. By the Grace of God, I have been blessed with an amazing talent, and I am thrilled to be able to share it with the world.

So tonight, as I gazed at my beautiful daughter, I thanked God for everything this year. For the precious moments I had with my son, for the opportunity to show myself to the photographic world, for my incredible family and friends, and for my husband who has stuck by me through it all. I am excited for the new year... who knows what the future holds. I just know that the more I trust in Him, the more clear my path becomes.

Thank you to my readers... I am blessed to have you. Merry Christmas everyone and Cheers to the New Year!

 

Gingerbread baby.....

Nevaeh had a blast tonight helping daddy make a gingerbread house. She really wanted to eat those candies... :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 Tips for Finding Your Routine With Kids

20 Tips for Finding Your Routine With Kids

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Pictures from Minnesota...

For the past 12 days, I have been in Minnesota visiting my parents. Our trip was wonderful even though we endured many days in negative temperatures. I fell in love with the town of International Falls, MN. The community was a breath of fresh air. If you love small town charm and vintage village themes, then this is definitely  a destinations spot for you. The town is famous for hunting large game, fishing, snowmobiling, and many other winter and summer activities. To learn more about the town and the fun things they offer, CLICK HERE

Here is just a smattering of pictures from the trip. Enjoy!