Pet Face

We don't actually have a pet, but this shot always makes me laugh. It's just priceless. We were visiting family in Montana who live on a ranch and there are animals everywhere. Mac is an animal lover and was dying to get his hands on this kitten. You can see the love was not mutual. Every time I see this, I can't help but laugh out loud.

Feet (and a tiny little adorable face)

I wasn't planning to enter the challenge this week, but one of my dear FB friends reminded me of this photo of my kids that I absolutely love. The lighting was terrible and I was just messing around one night trying to get that sort of cliche but loveable shot of feet over the edge of the bed. The reason I love this one is that they are posed in a way that makes it so clear to me which feet belong to which child. Also, I can't resist that sweet little baby face peeking up over the edge. One of my all time faves!

bust a gut

I haven't logged on here forever! I just had to enter this pic of Mac in the i heart faces "Bust a gut" challenge this week. One of my favorite shots of him.

Hands

I have been thinking of ways to rekindle my affair with blogging. Something new is in the works, but in the meantime, I heart faces challenge this week is hands. I actually had a few different pics I thought of, but decided to go with this one. My daughter Charlotte is obsessed with monkey bars and rings, anything she can swing on really. Getting blisters and calluses is something of a badge of honor for these little ones. She begged me to photograph her callused hands. I like the softness of the background in this shot.

IHF entry

Touch of sun. I decided to go less with sun flare and more with that last touch of sun before it goes down for the night.

someday I will...

update my blog regularly instead of just occasionally dropping by for the i heart faces weekly challenge! And honestly? I thought that there was a weekly challenge called "Summer fun" and I automatically thought of this lovely image of Charlotte on our trip to Montana. She was exploring all around the lake where we were camped and she just turned to look at me and light was so perfect and it just came together. magical. BUT, I just noticed that there is a community challenge instead, so there you go. I've updated my blog with a vacation photo.

White

White? Hmmm... I didn't really have anything that just screamed white, but I love this shot of E, AND she happens to be wearing white. Also, her skin looks pretty white too...

The Eyes!

This week's theme at i heart faces is "Beautiful Eyes". What an amazing coincidence, as I had this little guy over for a visit yesterday. Couldn't resist snapping a few shots. These eyes? Untouched!

Friendship

Hello Blog. Yes, I do exist. I apologize for many weeks of neglect. I'll try to do better, but maybe not until the kids are back in school.
Of course I couldn't pass up "Friendship" as a topic for the i heart faces challenge this week. This is perhaps the most important part of life and I love the chance to celebrate it.

This image just jumped out at me because I love how 3 little girls just get up and spontaneously dance in the middle of a parade. Is there ever an appropriate time to do this with friends as an adult?



This topic is timely too because my little girl's first best friend is moving to Arizona and we are talking a lot about friendship these days and how important it is in our lives.

Props

While I like props in photography in general, I haven't really used them much. Lately I've had some fun trying some different ideas I've had, so I was happy to see the them at IHF this weeks was "props"



Evelyn and I playing around with a cheap paper umbrella from "Hobby Lobby".

I plan to get busy revamping my blog sometime soon. I've really learned a lot lately and have been feeling inspired to do something. Now if I could just find the time...

Independence Day

I have more to share of the kids but thought I'd just share this for now.


Updated to add Charlotte:


And Evelyn:

And my darling Mac! Grandma bought this m&m dispenser at a garage sale because she thought the kids would like it. She was right. Mac was fascinated and the whole weekend I would find him just like this.

i heart faces "Whimsy"

The theme this week is "whimsy". This is tough word to define but I interpreted as "playful". The girls insisted on having a front yard lemonade sale. While they only made $3.00, everyone had a great time! Especially baby brother who pretty much ate their profit in cookies.

i heart faces

The theme this week is "Let's hear it for the boys". So without further ado, I present to you my 19 year old nephew Garrett. He was just standing there talking to some people. Inadvertently looking like Jake Ryan (remember "Sixteen Candles"? This is the same car that Jake Ryan was cruising around town in) so casually leaning on his shiny red Porsche. I got the shot, and he had no idea I even took it.

this makes me happy.

Just when I think these kids will never stop fighting, I catch a glimpse of what they mean to each other. (oh yes, that is Snoqualmie falls in the background. I found the children more amazing to photograph:)

i heart faces "From a Distance"

While at first it made me think of a Bette Midler song, I instantly knew which photo I wanted to use. I just took it last weekend. Perfect timing!

Excuses...

OK, I'm not going to make excuses about why I've been neglecting my poor little blog. Maybe just one. Life has been all sorts of chaotic around here. The girls are on a bedtime strike and this, above all else, takes away from my blogging time. By the time they are snuggled into their beds, I am so exhausted that I can't think about anything but sleeping myself.
So, without further ado, I give to you: I Heart Faces "Dream Big" workshop!!! Amazing experience. I think the photo shoot day was my favorite part. They set up 3 different shoots for us.

I felt like I was shooting for an Anthropologie catalogue or something:)

The beautiful Lauren:







I'll be back later to post the other sessions. I have an appt. with the trainer at the gym. I think I'd rather sit here and blog, but I must go.

Black and White

Just messing around...

A Slice of Life

Haha, I wrote all of this below and realized that I was a day too late. So I will not enter this in the i heart faces challenge. I'll post it anyway.

There are so many photos I thought about entering in the "i heart faces" photo challenge. Yesterday I was trying my best to get some shots of Evelyn during her ballet class. This involved shooting through a window covered by a filmy curtain. Something about the girls, barely able to be seen through this haze, sitting in a circle chatting spoke to me. Truly a "slice of life". So maybe you'll have to squint to get a good look...
(Evelyn is the one whose back is to the camera:)

Sweet Family!

I took some photographs of this beautiful family over the weekend. I've just begun the editing but I'm in love with their photos! Seriously beautiful children, and sweet too.
Mom, hope you like the few I post here. There are lots more, these are just some of my early favorites.
Love this expression!

And they said he wouldn't cooperate! I've got tons of great shots of him!


And I just love this next one: I have included the black and white and color here because I like them both.


Thanks so much for letting me practice on you, it was a blast!

and my middle child

Evelyn. Can be surprisingly polite. Comic relief. Intense emotions. Peacekeeper. Love her spunk. Just something special about her.





Coming up next...(you guessed it) My firstborn!

just a sweet little boy to brighten your day

Mac. 3rd child, most flexible, happiest. Loves trucks and cars. Has mastered a few Thai words/phrases (thank you Thai au pair!) Wish all my children were 3rd children. (ok, not really. They are all amazingly unique and I love that!)

What I've been up to lately

I attended a fun workshop where we got to shoot a few Mom/Baby pairs in different lighting conditions. I learned so much!

And a couple of my own littles.
MacGregor!!

and sweet Miss Charlotte




Looking forward to dry weather (highly unlikely) so I can begin some fun weekend photo shoots. Big change may be in the air around my home. More to come (no. not pregnant.)