It’s always, always, always a TREAT to see Kate! During our walks, she always finds lots of fun treasures laying on the ground AND helps me find pretty spots for photos! (The second photo was totally HER idea! She climbed up and the tree, arranged her legs all-cute-like and smiled!)
Thank you, Paul & Kristy! I’m getting very attached to Kate and your family. So, I’m always SO appreciate each time I get a text from you asking me to save you a spot!
I have to admit…
Right before sending the “First to Know” email to my clients in Georgia about my upcoming visit back, I got VERY nervous that no one would be interested. However, I got the BIGGEST smile on my face when, very shortly after pressing ‘send‘, I received a text message from Marcy. She told me to reserve Friday for her, she’d make anything work and would travel wherever she needed to. Wow! Talk about MAKING my DAY! Not only did I deeply appreciate Marcy’s loyalty, but I’ve developed a very special relationship with this family over the years that makes our sessions together a TREAT for ME!
Since I’d already done a few Lifestyle Sessions at their home over the years (and a GREAT, GREAT birthday party), I thought it would be the PERFECT place for this session as well!
Thank you again, Robbie and Marcy! I loved catching-up with Tinsley and spending time with you all!
On a side-note, my other Georgia-spots filled-up very, very quickly. (So much that I wasn’t able to offer any sessions online!) If you’d also like to be one of the first to know about future sessions or specials, please comment, call or text!
I love observing kids.
Each week as Ruthie and I squat down on the floor outside the school cafeteria and wait for Ross or Rayna’s class to make their way towards the lunch room, I LOVE watching all the other kids walk by us. It’s so interesting, even at such young ages, to notice all the different personalities of the children who pass by.
Ruthie waves and smiles at all of them and each child’s response is so different. Some (probably the ones with younger siblings at home) will simply look away. Others (trying to still follow the rules) will give a polite smile back. But if you want to see Ruthie REALLY light-up, there’s always a few kids (possibly the extroverts, rule-breakers or leaders) who will skip out of line to come over and give Ruthie a high-five or say hello!
But my FAVORITE KID to observe is Rayna…
While most kids play at the water park, Rayna stops to observe the structure and wants to know how it was built.
As most little girls sing the princess songs and plays dress-up, Rayna’s much happier observing a butterfly or climbing a tree.
If she notices that we’re driving down an old dirt road, you’d BETTER believe she’ll let her car window down where she can look out the window and let the breeze blow through her hair.
Speaking of HAIR… She says she’s never cutting it!
Within the first few days of moving, Rayna has been observing all the different colors and types of wild flowers in fields across NW Arkansas. So I thought it would be fun to grab the blue tin watering can my dad just mailed her and take her on a flower-picking adventure!
These were all collected on the side of old, dirt roads close to our house! Aren’t they pretty? I thought she did a GREAT job!
I’m so, so, so happy I was able to photograph Dana’s family a few days before leaving Georgia. As always, it was a TREAT!
My ONLY regret (and I’ve thought about this about a hundred times since our session) is that I did NOT flip my Nikon over to video-mode and record Peyton and her dad singing the SWEETEST lullaby to Hunter. Great voices together… special song… very sweet stuff!
I wish I could have gotten these to you just a few days after our session in Georgia, but it’s no lie that I still have a ‘defected‘ toilet seat sitting in my driveway of our new house! (Yes, it’s been a little crazy since we left Georgia. But, I’ll post more on that later!)
In any case, Happy Birthday, Dana! I hope to continue to watch your kids grow-up when I return back to Georgia each year!
My last ‘official‘ session before we start our new adventure…
Couldn’t think of a better place to be than playing with Hayden, Harper and their newest family member…
Thank you, Melissa and Chau!
I always love photographing your family, but, being at your home and just letting the kids play is ALWAYS my favorite!
Ever tried to remember your FIRST memory?
When my sister asked me that question a few weeks ago, I told her about one of my first memories of making ‘mud pies’ in my grandparent’s front yard as they sat in their swing under their big tree.
Thirty years later, I found myself sitting (on the same swing… under the same big tree… in front of that same house) watching my own kids playing (in the SAME spot…on the SAME land) where I have SO many childhood memories. 
The definition of ‘bittersweet’ was very evident that day.
I am certainly looking forward to having my favorite person all to myself and the kids having their dad home each night, but, I can’t help but already start to miss all the incredible memories and people who have, for as long as I remember, always lived on this road..
It’s not just my grandparents that we like to visit and are going to miss… 
Ruthie wanted me to ride her on the go-cart, but she only lasted a few minutes before she crawled up in my lap and went to sleep…
My friend and wonderful photographer, Mary Anne, also photographed our 5 Generations here… Take a look!
On the walls of Hadley’s beautiful home are lots of photos that tell her parent’s story…
There’s a photograph of an empty beach with “Will You Marry Me?” written in the sand.
But, more importantly to a little girl who loves to dress-up, there’s photos of her mom in a dress WAY fancier than all the others Hadley is use to playing dress-up in.
So, it’s no wonder that she asked her mom if she could wear HER special dress!
And like any great mom, Trina said yes!
Before photographing their family (which I’ll be posting soon!), I got to capture sweet Hadley prancing all around the house (and yard) in her new, favorite dress!
