welcome to the journal

Why an in-home photo session? I’m giving you 5 reasons why a #lifestyle session in your home is right for you. There is a time and place for in-home lifestyle sessions, just as there is a time for a studio or a random outdoor location. Whichever is the best option for your family is the best option to me. I would love to guide you through all the pros and cons and build the perfect photo session for your family.

I remember being pregnant with our firstborn, Payton. As a new mom to be, I had no idea what was truly needed in my bag for the hospital and what would just sit in my bag, unused. So I packed…a lot…and used about 1/3 of it.

When you’re expecting you receive so much advice. So. Much. Advice. Some of it good, some of it – well let’s just say some of it was, “not as good.” Advice from your doctor, your mom, you mother in law, your friends – and occasionally strangers on the street.

I scoured the internet for checklists (I’m a list kinda gal), and settled on the checklist found in my What To Expect When You’re Expecting book. This checklist covers everything, and is super comprehensive. If you decide to pack everything that the lists on the internet say you need, be prepared to put it all in an extra big suitcase! If you’re a chronic over-packer like me, you’ll have a full suitcase no matter what 🙂

Hadley had graduated from All God’s Children preschool the night before these pictures, so this was a sweet opportunity to celebrate that milestone. Milestone sessions don’t stop just because your child turns one – there are all sorts of reasons to celebrate your child(ren) with a photo session. My own 14 year old son is getting a milestone session of his own soon (whether he likes it or not haha!), because he just finished 8th grade and will be entering high school next fall. Another client is planning a session with her daughter who is learning to play the violin.

Today marks the start of summer, and that has me thinking about all sorts of things. I caught myself lamenting about what kind of mom I am opposed to what kind of mom I thought I would be before I had kids. The difference is night and day, although I got one thing right. I was going to be a Martha Stewart/Pinterest master mom, doing all sorts of crafts with the kiddos and baking all the time, blah blah blah.

As long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by rainbows, and now my daughter is too. I remember seeing my first double rainbows over the mountain tops in Wyoming while visiting family. I love running outside after a storm with Mackenzie searching for the rainbow. At our wedding, my dad and I danced to What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong – I wonder if she’ll choose the same song to dance with her daddy someday. Rainbows symbolize peace, hope and promises made by God. Who doesn’t love a rainbow!!??