I Heart Faces Photo Challenge| Framed

My 5 babies

My children drive me nuts A LOT but I love them more then anything in the world. It's not always easy to get a good shot of all 5 of them and it makes me giddy when I get a shot like this. 

 This is the first time I have entered in an iheartfaces challenge, so hopefully I did this right :)www.iheartfaces.com  http://www.iheartfaces.com/2013/03/photo-challenge-framed/ 


alone in a crowded room....

I knew walking into my grandparents house was going to be difficult knowing my grandma wouldn't be there.

I stepped in and first I saw her empty bed, save for her faithful dog Tasha, in the living room, then her empty chair by the dining room table.
Even with all those family members packed in that small house, it felt empty.

I looked over at my grandpa and for a brief moment the roughness of his face softened as I saw him glance at the vacant chair where His June had sat beside him all those years. He looked all alone in that crowded room...... Nearly 57 years they were married. They built their own home and raised 4 children together.
My grandma was a survivor, she survived her parents passing, her brothers. She lost a son to drowning and a daughter by the hands of crazed man.
She also beat breast cancer. She was a fighter and she really LIVED her life.
Grandma, you loved greatly and you were greatly loved. We will miss you Grandma..... and we will take care of Grandpa for you.

"Tell me a story" she would say

The smell of fresh homemade cinnamon buns, a little giggle and that warm greeting "What yas been doin?" from her .... and a "well" & a grunt from the man of the house.

That's what walking into my grandma and grandpas home has been like my whole life.

My Grandma is so sweet and I never heard her speak an ill word about anyone. She is the grandmas house that you love to visit and hate to leave. I was so lucky that we lived just a walk down the trail from the them since my little sister was born & we moved into the the house they built from the ground up back in the day.

I always remember when I was little & Grandma would talk to the babies she would say "Tell me a story" and she would wait for them to coo at her. and being little I young I would say "Gramma they cant talk, they're babies!" and she would say :Listen they have alot to say!' and she would say to them, "Tell me some more" and I would just laugh at the thought of it!.

Then when I grew up and had kids of my own I found myself saying to them "Tell me a story" out of instinct & memories of my grandma would always come to mind, every time I would look in my babies eyes and listen to all they had to tell me.

Usually we lived away from Home, meaning Michigan and every time we would come back & grandma would meet my babies she would always smile and ask for their story & my heart would warm as I watched them talk.

The first time Grandma met my Jack he was just a few months old and he was being alittle fussy. She asked to hold him and he cuddled down in her shoulder and went right to sleep. I said "you have the touch grandma' and she just giggled and said "Well, I guess so!"

She met my newest right away because he was born here in Mi and every time we visit she always says He is getting to big! Lately he is alittle to heavy for her arms but still she asks for him & I just say let me know when hes to heavy And Again she asks for his story.

My Grandma is not doing very well this week. We all went to visit with her the other day. and she heard us and saw us in her mirror and motioned t come and she asked for the kids she she could tell them Hi. It didn't hit me until I saw her frail body and her weak face.

Well little Jack saw her steps for her dog Tasha next to her bed & decided this was his perch to keep watch over grandma. He sat there and would glance over to check on her for half an hour or more. Once in awhile he would climb down and walk around the room and stop & tell everyone in his 2 1/2 year old voice "Grandmas not feeling well" then he would climb back up.

Last night I was hit with this panic that I didn't have any pictures of me and my grandma, I knew I have some of her and my kids but anyone who knows me knows how important pictures are to me, I have always been the one running around with a camera when we are all together. So I went and searched the attic & I found more then I remembered.

One story I cant believe I forgot until I saw the pictures. Every time my son Ethan was small & we visited Grandma & Grandpa he would run in climb up to the counter and grab a red apple & carry it to Grandma & say "Grandma I want a red apple with no peel please" and wait for her to peel it and he was happy as can be.... I cant believe I forgot that.

I love how pictures can capture memories we have forgotten and as soon as we see them the memories come flooding back. I have another picture that has hung on my wall in black and white for years of my oldest daughter with grandma standing behind her holding her little hands trying to teach her to knit. I'm so glad I captured that moment.

Please don't let little memories pass thinking oh that was trivial or Ill remember. pick up your camera and capture it. Life is to short. Take pictures and let them "tell your Story" for generations to come...

I love you Grandma

New Babies

I have recently had the joy of photographing some sweet newborns.

My first offical newborn shoot was for an old friend from High School that facebook help me reconnect with. Emilys baby boy was 13 days old when we got together. This photo shoot helped me realize how hard newborn photographers work! Little Ian did NOT want to sleep... and when he started to go to sleep he wouldn't let mama put him down. I think that shoot lasted about 5 hours but I did get some really great pictures and alot of experience!

So when Emily referred me to a coworker that was about to deliver I felt alittle more confident. Sarahs baby was alittle younger so I think that helped me get more sleepy poses but little 9 day old Jacob made me work hard too! It took a long time to get him to want to sleep, so I had to hide moms hands in a few shots because he too didn't want mom to go far. This shoot also last around 5 hours. 

 { I need to take this time to thank my husband for taking care of our 4 kids at home while I was at my photo shoots <3 } 

 

 

Getting Photo Props as gifts....

My Family has started to notice that whenever we go to a store I see everything as a potential photo prop. I think 'Would a newborn fit in that?' or 'Thats cute how could I use it in a photo!'

So for Valentines Day my husband bought me an adorable teacup flower pot that I used in a recent newborn shoot.

I saw this cute fringe blanket at the store and since it was on clearance I had to buy it :)

Tomorrow is my birthday so my mom told my aunt that I wanted something from Target for a photo so she gave me gift card and I found this Awesome basket on sale!

....Now I just need to come up with some more holidays as an excuse to get more props! :)

My Jack Jack

Jack is my 22 month old. He is such a ham when I take pictures of him. He is about to be a big brother, oh the fun that lies ahead!