Monday, May 31, 2010

Project 365 - Day 151. In Memory Of | Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Photographer

Today is obviously a day to remember.

In a special way, I'm also remembering one of Heaven's newest angels, baby M. who was born into eternal life this morning.   My thoughts and prayers are with her family tonight.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Project 365 - Day 150. The Replacement | Delafield Childrens Photographer

After my turn in the tent last night, we decided it was time to end the camping expedition for this weekend. In order to distract the kids from the missing tent, we set up the new plunge-pool in the back yard.  It worked and everyone enjoyed a nice swim to cool off before heading to sleep in their own beds tonight.  

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Project 365 - Day 149. Growing | Delafield Childrens Photographer

So far, it's been a great Memorial Day weekend.  We had an impromptu campfire party last night in the driveway before Rob and the kids (sans Emma) camped out.   Normally I'm the camper and I did have to do the tent set up on my own but with Emma still a bit sick and not sleeping well through the night, I got the indoor sleep duty.

Today we had a big shopping trip for some remodeling at our rental property and then spent the afternoon enjoying the beautiful day.  The girls helped me clear out our two garden areas and I then planted our tomato and pepper plants with Lilly's help.  It occurred to me that this summer might be a bit easier now that the kids are becoming bigger helpers and Emma loves to be outside so, even though I have to keep a close eye on her, she's generally pretty happy to just be out.  She even helped me with the weeding today!

We grilled out both nights which is such a great thing in my mind (even though I'm the griller) and we are all just generally getting into the summer swing.  Yey!   Now we're looking ahead to parties the next couple of days.    Ahhh....perfect.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Project 365 - Day 147. Rules Shmules - A Sneak Peek | Germantown Newborn Photographer

It's gospel in newborn photography, truly, that the session MUST take place within the first 14 days of babies life...really the first 10 days is best and the sooner the better.   Why?  Because newborn babies sleep A LOT and they're also very curly in the early days so easier to maneuver and get into lots of cozy, cute poses.   It's the rule and you won't find many photographers who stray from this.

Well...rules shmules!   Today I had the wonderful honor of photographing this GORGEOUS little newborn girl and (gasp) she was born on May 4th!  That's right, people...she's over 3 weeks old!   But, hey...life happens and it's where we were so we went with it and you know what?!   That little sweetie slept the entire session.  She let me move her, put hats and headbands on her, and only opened her eyes for about 30 seconds at the end so I could get a really quick shot of her eyes.   Her skin was flawless and everything about her was dreamy.   I loved every minute of it!!!   Thanks for sharing your beautiful new daughter with me, Jenny!   Enjoy your sneak peek...






Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Project 365 - Day 146. Picnic Pics | Delafield Children's Photographer

Today was Clare's last day of preschool for the year.  She's pretty disappointed, I must say.  Poor girl is stuck at home with me every day now.  :-)

To celebrate the end of year, All God's Children had a family picnic at the start of class.  It was beautiful out and a nice time.  Unfortunately, not great pics of my own kids today but I did have a bit of fun with a couple of the other little beauties sitting next to us....




Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Project 365 - Day 145. Cooking it Up

I had a great opportunity tonight....a cooking class at Ceriello's Fine Foods in Delafield.   It was a really fun night with a group of great women and delicious food.  Perfect.

I learned a lot and had a delicious meal with some terrific gals....what could be better?!   Oh yeah...wine.   Well, we had that too.  

Project 365 - Day 141 - 143. The SPActacular Lost Days

My first break away from all the kids in almost 4 years warranted a break from facebook and the computer!  And good thing since my iPhone was even on vacation in our wooded retreat.  As we drove in I received a call that was quickly dropped and that was it.  By the time I was back in service range on Sunday the battery was dead.  Destiny, I'd say.

So here's just a few pics from my weekend away with my great friend Kim at the gorgeous Sundara Spa.   It turns out the don't actually allow cameras there so I had to limit my shots but you get the idea....










Monday, May 24, 2010

Project 365 - Day 144 (I think). Welcome Home

I'll post a few pics separately of my lost days from the weekend.

When I left on Friday, I told all the kids that I would be home when they woke up on Monday.  The truth was that we were planning to be back right around 6 but since that's a hectic time in our house, I decided I would probably be more relaxed if I just waited an hour and came home after everyone was in bed and the chaos had settled.  But since I didn't have cell service while I was away and hadn't spoken to anyone since Friday at lunchtime, I was looking forward to getting my good night hugs in and came straight home at 6.

Today was a nice day catching up with the kids.  It was only a weekend and basically everything is the same as it was on Friday.

That is with the notable exception of Emma!   That little girls vocabulary is growing every day and over the weekend she began saying a super important word...."Emma."   She says it very clearly and even in response to "What's your name?"   SO CUTE!!!!   She's also just started putting words together so I woke this morning to a "No Mommy" (No is a new word too) and to a "Daddy potty wee-wee".      That girl is brilliant and I adore her to no end.    The other three are pretty spectacular too.   :-)  It's good to be home.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Project 365 - Day 140. Half Way There | Delafield Lifestyle Photography

Today was a milestone.  Not for me, exactly...but for my beloved Toyota Sienna.  It turned 100,000 miles.

I am not and have never been a "car person."   My favorite car ever was my Jeep Wrangler but it was obviously not very practical so had it's down sides but was fun for a couple of years.  Rob and I share our lack of interest in cars and therefore just chose cars that were economical and made sense for us.

Before kids I absolutely SWORE that I would NEVER be caught driving a minivan.  I just couldn't imagine that being the best choice for anyone.  I mean, really....even someone who doesn't get excited about cars can get more excited about an SUV with a third row than a minivan.  

Imagine my surprise when I was internet car hunting from England before we returned back to the states with our nearly one-year-old Corey and I actually got a tad bit EXCITED about a Sienna.?  I test drove all the mini-vans but I was already sold on Toyota and to this day, it is the BEST car I have ever owned.   It just makes my life easier and if a car can do that, I'm all for it!!   I have no interest in an upgrade, no interest in a newer model, no interest in that "new car smell"....I want to get every last mile out of this baby and I figure I'm only about half way there!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Project 365 - Day 139. Spring Sing | Delafield Children's Photography

Today was Clare's first time performing in front of an audience.  Well, unless you count her standing on top of upside down storage bins in our basement singing to the rest of the family.  But since I don't count those...today was her first.  She's one of the youngest kids at the school so I was prepared to cut her a bit of slack, but she did great.  She had a couple of songs that she belted out and kept right up with and a couple others that didn't seem to interest her so she just stood there and hung out till those were done.  I consider any showing that doesn't involve tears a huge success so I was completely pleased!

After the show, Clare came to sit with me, Corey and Lilly and said "Now I have to do my Spring Sing on the stage."   :-)  I think she was a bit disappointed to learn that her "stage" was just her taped name on the carpet in front of all these chairs.  I guess that Talent Show last week set her expectations to lights and microphones.  Poor girl.

Here she is "sticking her back to someone else's back" in Sticky, Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Project 365 - Day 138. Kiss YOUR Brain | Hartland Children's Photography

Today was one of those rare days that I got to go into the kids' school.  I LOVE having a big family but one of the definite drawbacks is that I'm not able to be as involved with Corey's and Lilly's activities/classes as I would like to be.  But when I get asked to take photos, well I can't say no to that!   So, today with the help of a great friend and neighbor who watched the little girls, I was able to go in and take some quick snaps of a couple of the Kindergarten classes with their wonderful teachers.

After we finished, Lilly asked if I would stay a bit longer so I did.  I sat down and listened to several of the kids read their Journal entries for the day.  What smart kids!!  Next they talked about word similarities like...if we know how to spell "spot" then we know how to spell "plot".  Next, they had a little dance (as you do in the middle of the day) and then went on the internet to find a recipe for the bread they were about to make.  

I was in awe.  Seriously...the internet wasn't even a vision when I was in Kindergarten and now these kids watch on the Smart Board as Mrs. Atilano Google Searches with their help.  Amazing!   What was most impressive to me though??   Mrs. Atilano.  She has a way of talking to those kids that is so sweet and respectful.  When reviewing their journals, she would find a word that the kids attempted and ask the class what sounds they were using.  Frequently the word was misspelled but she had an awesome way of making it a learning while congratulating them on their efforts because they picked another sound that would have worked.   Those kids have learned so much this year and not the least of which is confidence.

Another great thing Mrs. Atilano does is tell the kids to "kiss your brain" when they do something good.  They then kiss their finger and touch it to their forehead.  It's adorable!   Well, Mrs. Atilano...I'm your biggest fan and I think you should DEFINITELY Kiss Your Brain!  

Monday, May 17, 2010

Project 365 - Day 137. Leaving it to the Pros | Delafield Children's Photography

I'm excited about how much I've learned about photography over the past several years.  I spend A LOT of time reading about photography, participating in photography forums, studying for my certification and, obviously, taking pictures.   My confidence has grown tremendously.  I used to be a nervous wreck after each session until I could upload my shots and confirm that I had a few that would work.  Now I just find it hard to "cull" (or weed out) to get the selection down to a manageable number for my families to view.

That confidence goes right out the window when it comes to flowers though.   I'm pretty clueless on the whole macro thing and really avoid taking shots of flowers (with the exception of the occasional bouquet that my Dad sends me).  Today I decided to give it a whirl, though.  I love, love, love the smell of lilacs and my only complaint is that they don't last long enough.  I figure they're so pretty that it would be hard to have a BAD photo of them.  

Sunday, May 16, 2010

{i heart faces} challenge - "Faces & Flowers"

It's been a hectic couple of weeks so I've had to skip my {i heart faces} competitions lately but I'm happy to be back!

This weeks challenge is about flowers and faces.   This is a simple shot but I've always loved the pop of color from that flower and, of course, the beautiful smile on this little sweeties face.  Nothing fancy but a shot I really like.



Check out more flowers and faces at:


Project 365 - Day 136. Bike Rider Corey | Delafield Children's Photography

Because we live at the top of a hill, we haven't tried teaching Corey to ride a bike the past couple of years.  He's 7 1/2 now though and we didn't want him to go another summer without knowing how so Rob took him up to the local school parking lot this morning.  30 minutes later they were back and Corey had done 3 laps around the lot!   We've been back a couple more times and he's done great!  I'm so proud of him!

Sadly, he doesn't share our excitement.  He says he's not going to tell his friends because he thinks they'll tease him that he didn't already know how to ride his bike.   :-(    Oh well...we're having a private family celebration today....just us and our blog followers.









Saturday, May 15, 2010

Project 365 - Day 135. Sneak Peek of my new BFF | Delafield Children's Photography

I'm off for a date night but wanted to post a quick sneak peek of my FIRST BFF!!!    I had a great time playing with you, Z, and am so happy that I'll be lining your families home with more beautiful photos of you and your big sister!   Thanks for everything, Laura!   Enjoy your sneak peek!






Friday, May 14, 2010

Project 365 - Day 134. Out 'N About | Hartland Children's Photography

Finally a warmer day!  We celebrated this evening by taking the kids into Hartland for the Out 'N About activities.  We had a nice time just walking the streets, snacking on treats, and getting to do some fun activities like face painting, painting medallions, and a scavenger hunt.  The best part for the kids was running into so many of their friends and classmates.  It was a real community event and very nice.


Thursday, May 13, 2010

Project 365 - Day 133. Reflections | Delafield Children's Photography

So, I was trying to think of what to take my photo of today when I remembered that one of the photography forums I just joined has a weekly challenge and this weeks theme was "Reflections".


I thought for about 30 seconds while Emma was on my lap flipping through a book and then remembered this book...one of Emma's favorites because it ends with the best reflection around!!!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Project 365 - Day 132. Blossoms | Delafield Family Photography

Back on a cold morning in early December, Corey and Lilly boarded the bus and Clare asked me, "Why can't I go to school?"   I started to answer that it was because she was 2 and too young when I recalled hearing that the preschool Corey and Lilly went to was now accepting younger kids.  A half hour later I was on the phone with the Director and the next Monday she was a student at All God's Children Preschool.

We were both very excited.  When Corey and Lilly were young, we had lots of activities and playgroups.  Clare and Emma didn't have that.  Clare really didn't know any kids her own age and rarely interacted with kids aside from her brother and sisters.  I was quite nervous to send her off but she's really loved every minute of it.  She's still a bit shy there but has come into her own A LOT!  I love to peek in at her in her classroom when she doesn't know I'm there.  Next week she'll be doing her first school performance and I can't wait!!  Lilly was the star of the show when she did the same spring sing 3 years ago and, as witnessed last week, she still loves the spotlight.  I can't wait to see how Clare's personality shines through.  Regardless, I know that sending her there has been a blessing in so many ways and watching her blossom is definitely one of them.