Capturing Families
Capturing New Life
Capturing Seniors
Capturing Love
Capturing Weddings
Posted on November 22, 2011
{Jackson, TN maternity photography}
You can’t choose your family. But sometimes you get blessed by whose in it. I married into a great family. I married into a great extended family. I have been embraced by both the immediate family and extended family and feel as though I’ve always been a part of them, even though I haven’t. Rachel is my husbands cousin. Now she’s my cousin (well, like 9 years ago anyway). Since Greg and I have been married Rachel has lived in India, Colorado and now is back in St. Louis. I was honored when Rachel and Matt asked me to photograph their wedding…back in the film days…and now they are getting ready to welcome their third child (first girl) into their family.
Rachel and I took all five of our kids to the St. Louis zoo the weekend I took the kids there alone. We had fun walking around with the kids, riding the carousel, the train, seeing some animals and an attempted two extra mini photo shoots. I talked to Rachel about doing some maternity photos and although she wasn’t too keen on the idea I was talking to her about how important I think they are and how her daughter will treasure those photos when she gets older. I haven’t had many photos taken of me with my kids so I asked if Rachel wouldn’t mind taking a few. So we swapped a few minutes and by few I really mean like 2 to 4 minutes and not much longer. The kids were more interested in seeing the tigers than getting their photo taken. But these kids know their moms and know that if they just cooperate for a few minutes they get to be done sooner…plus a snack reward doesn’t hurt either. Jordan was not in the mood to be photographed and Xavier can move so fast that I’m impressed that I even captured him! Rachel and I both agreed that if all we got was one (maybe two) photos then we’d be happy. I got a few that I love and wanted to share them here.
Thanks Rachel for taking some photos of me and my kids. Thanks also for allowing me to capture you and your sweet boys and your beautiful baby bump!! Can’t wait to meet that sweet little girl…your boys are going to LOVE her!!!
| Send this post to a friend
| Leave a Comment 
Posted on November 18, 2011
On Monday morning Rachel and I took the 5 kids to the St. Louis Zoo. I love the St. Louis Zoo and it’s been a while since I’ve been there. We live about an hour from the closest zoo so we go whenever we get the chance. Rachel and I had ulterior motives besides wearing the kids out…we were both hoping to get some photos of us with our kids. Love it when I can swap photo shoots! It would have been awesome to have Greg around so we could have gotten a photo for the Christmas card but that will have to come later! I got a few cute shots of Rachel interacting with her two sweet boys but those boys gave me a run for my money and didn’t want to see my camera at all! Rachel is also expecting a sweet baby girl on Valentine’s Day so I’m hoping that she’ll allow me the honor of photographing her and that sweet baby bump at Christmas.
We got to the zoo and went straight for the carousel since it’s free during the first hour that the zoo is open. Micah LOVED it. He kept telling me that his tiger was running so fast and was winning the race. We got to see lots of animals and had a good time taking some photos, eating some snacks and having lunch at the zoo as well. I cannot wait till we can go back to the zoo with Rachel and the boys again! (and the new little girl as well)
Xavier and Micah loved checking out all the monkeys and orangutans.
Naomi, Micah, Jordan and Xavier
and then we added Hannah to the mix…she didn’t sit still very long!
Such a cute little guy…even when he sticks his tongue out at me!
Sweet girl without her fake, posed smile!
Xavier and Micah are new best friends. They LOVED playing with each other and I still hear Micah asking to play with Xavier every day. It’s fun to have a cousin (or second cousin) who is exactly six months older than you (I have one!!). I can’t wait to watch these little guys grow up together and be good friends!!
Rachel handed out some snacks after the kids “cooperated” for some photos with mom and we realized we’ve got all the ages covered.
Hannah (1), Jordan (2), Micah (3), Xavier (4) and Naomi (5).
Just to prvove that we did see some animals too!
Some more snacks before the train ride!
And there is that sweet little man again.
This was a blind shot, I just held the camera out and hoped for the best. Can’t believe that I actually got Hannah in focus!
Another blind shot just trying to capture the children and their excitment! They loved the train ride.
I hope to share some photos of Rachel with the boys…very soon!
| Send this post to a friend
| Leave a Comment
Posted on November 17, 2011
I had no part in decorating, cooking, baking, or preparing for this amazing Dr. Seuss baby shower. I simply attended the party and took some photographs because it was such a well planned and beautiful party. I thought maybe some of you out there who may be planning a party sometime soon could use some ideas that the amazing Rachel and Katie used to make this super cute Dr. Seuss baby shower come to life. I am so glad that I was brave enough to take the kids to St. Louis by myself so that the girls and I could attend Jamie’s baby shower and so that we could see our family and some friends. Jon and Jamie are decorating baby boys nursery with a Dr. Seuss theme so it was appropriate that the shower had the same theme. Here are some of the details from this great baby shower!
Rachel made this great ABC print to hang in the little guys room.
And one quick photo of Hannah with her great Aunt Bonnie and Naomi with great grandma. It was so good to see them!
Posted on November 16, 2011
On Saturday, we were invited to Sara Grace’s 5th birthday party. Sara Grace LOVES horses, so she was thrilled when her mom found out she could have a horseback riding birthday party. We all went to Natchez Trace State Park where the kids were able to ride a horse and play outside for bit. Naomi and Micah LOVED riding the horses and Hannah had a good time just being outside and around other people. We were so glad that we were able to be with Sara Grace to help celebrate her birthday!
We drove to a different part of the state park for lunch and gift opening. It was a great party and we were so happy to help Sara Grace celebrate her 5th birthday.
| Send this post to a friend
| Leave a Comment
Posted on November 10, 2011
I love to do things myself…to find a way to re-purpose old, outdated items into something new and useful. My mom had this mirror at her house and when they were downsizing and moving out of their house she asked if I would like it. She told me that I couldn’t really use it as a mirror because there’s a big “stain” in the middle of the mirror. I told her that I could find a purpose for it. I had visions of using it as an end table and some other ideas popped into my head. But once the ideas for Hannah’s room started coming together I knew exactly what I was going to do with this old mirror. I was going to make a chalkboard for Hannah’s room.
I got the supplies I would need…some chalkboard paint and some spray paint and got to work. I started by taping the outisde of the mirror (which is a cheap plastic) and painting the chalkboard paint directly onto the mirror. This did not work. The paint kept peeling off the mirror. So, I decided to do it the other way. I sprayed the whole mirror with the greeen spray paint, then covered the outside part while I painted the mirror part with the chalkboard paint. The chalkboard paint had no problem sticking to the spray paint.
So learn from my lesson and don’t try to paint chalkboard paint (or acrylic paint for that matter) directly onto the mirror, it won’t stick. I gave the mirror about three coats of chalkboard paint before I called it good. When the chalkboard paint was dry I covered the whole thing with chalk and then erased it to get it ready for regular use. 
See the big “stain” in the middle of the mirror? Couldn’t get it off at all…not sure what it really was.
I used tin foil to cover the part I wanted to stay green…this didn’t work too well so I decided to just paint it carefully. The black chalkboard paint isn’t perfect but it doesn’t bother me.
And the finished product.
I can’t wait to write messages to Hannah as she grows older and can actually read what is written!
