Good Friends

Last weekend I finally got to photograph some dear friends of ours and their beautiful girls! Svein and I worked together years ago, back when he and Heather had just met. Shawn and I weren't married yet--we weren't even engaged! We all became good friends and spent many SuperBowls, Gator Games and other fun times together. Eventually, Svein and Heather were married, then Shawn and I married, then Svein and Heather had AnnaBeth, we had Brayden, then Bella came along... (you can imagine the number of maternity items that were passes back and forth) WHEW! We've been busy, but have still kept in touch. In fact, no matter how much time passes in between our visits, we always pick right back up where we started. I LOVE that! So when Heather asked me to photograph her family, I was more than happy to do so. We met in Town of Tioga in the beautiful gardens. It was the perfect spot for their photos. I took some of family shots, then the girls changed into their Easter dresses for some more formal pictures. These are some of my favorites. I just love the girls' expressions!

Lifesaver Club

Have you ever experienced the feeling that you would do WHATEVER it takes to help a friend? That's how we all feel about Susan. For those of you who don't know, I work at my church (Trinity United Methodist) on the Children's Ministries Team (CMT). We are so blessed to have each other and are more friends than co-workers. We love working together and have such a strong team. We each contribute our unique talents and characteristics to better our ministry for the children and families of Trinity and our community. Yes, I'm proud. I know this is not common--loving your job and your co-workers--but it's how we are. Susan is a VITAL part of that. Without her, we wouldn't tick. So when she mentioned that Shands(where her father has been for weeks) was in need for blood, we didn't hesistate to donate. They need ALL types of blood, but types A and O most of all. The CMT has only A and O. Coincidence?

We marched in like we were on a mission... some of us felt a little better about it than others, but we were all determined to accomplish our task, faint or not. Gail and I had given blood many times before. Susan and Aubrey hadn't EVER given before. In fact, Aubrey doesn't even like the "B word." But she went! If you've even given blood before, you know that they ask you a gazillion questions about medication, illness, etc. And they ask you in a little curtained off area to maintain privacy. What was so funny was that we could tell when one of us was asked "Have you even been in prison or jail?" or "Have you ever been with a prostitute?" You would hear a giggle through the curtain...some laughing WAY more than others. (You know who you are! lol) So we answered all the questions, had our blood pressure taken (mine was 100/60 -- woo-hoo!), and our fingers pricked for our hemoglobin. After that, we were directed over to the "donation area" and sat in lounge chairs. I commented how they should be serving pina coladas because I felt like I was at the beach with the way the chair reclined. But there weren't any. Oh well...

Aubrey was to my left, Susan was across from me, and Gail was to my right. For those of you who know us, it was no surprise that we were not the least bit quiet--laughing, still joking about being in prison and basically keeping the amateur donors in good spirits. It was Aubrey's turn and she was such a trooper! She wanted to cry, but didn't. And to make her feel better, the women running the joint even covered her arm with a papertowel so she wouldn't see the needle and out a bag of ice behind her neck. But she never fainted!

It was my turn. My veins are trouble. They are practically invisible and the phlebotomists always go between each of my arms to determine which one is the best. When they finally select the one, they have to use a special needle and bag to make it work. It takes twice as long for me to donate than normal people. But we got it working and I was on my way. Gail was next and I think she was done before me--even though she didn't start until after. She's a pro and made all of us look like pansies. ;)

Susan was last. When it was her turn, they immediately reclined her all the way, put ice behind her neck and said it would go fast because she has "pipes for veins." It did and she was great.

All in all, I think we accomplished two things... we donated blood in her father's honor and entertained the LifeSouth staff more than anyone else they had seen that day. We love making impressions! :)

Here's the picture of the Lifesaver Club... all of us in our matching shirts we wore with pride. We love you, Susan and are so glad we made a difference together!


















The Lifesaver Club: Susan, Gail, Me and Aubrey

My Baby is 3

Every spring, the sounds and smells remind me of being pregnant with Brayden. Although I had A LOT of extra fluid and bloating and endured early contractions months before he was due, I absolutely adored being pregnant. Knowing that a little miracle was growing inside of me, and I could feel him move, was just the best feeling in the world. My little miracle turned 3 this past Saturday.

Brayden loves anything farm. The animals, machines, everything! So what better theme for a little boy's birthday party than a farm-inspired party? Exactly! Grandma and Pa (my parents) live outside Gainesville on 10 acres--the property which he refers to as The Farm. So we obviously had to hold the party out there! Pa hooked up his old Ford tractor to a trailer and filled it with hay, a friend from church brought her animals out for the children to see, and we fed carrots to the horses in the pasture behind my parents. Everyone had such a wonderful time and most importantly, so did the Birthday Boy. He got to feed a baby cow, blow out candles, open presents and be with his friends! I mean, what more can you ask for?



Thanks Mom and Roxanne for sharing a few of your pics for the slideshow!

6 hours too many

***BEWARE! The following post is pure VENTING and has absolutely nothing to do with my family, friends or FABULOUS clients. Also note that if you are a Science Lover, this may not be the post for you to read. However, should you choose to read further, please know that this in no way reflects my view toward scientists. I'm stating that I am NOT one... it's not in my chemistry (ooh... I like how I used a scientific word there! Yay Me!)***

OK... so I just finished looking online at eSanta Fe... and I'm not happy.

Right after I graduated high school (Go Cats!) I started going to Santa Fe Community College and was working toward my AA Degree. I used to want to be a teacher, so I started out with Early Childhood Development as my focus. Later, I changed it to Business. Two and a half years later, and 3 hours short of my AA, I decided to take a short break. At that point I was burned out and needed some time away. Okay... hindsight is always 20/20 and looking back, I should have just finished that last stupid class and graduated. The problem was that it was a science class I had to take and I am SOOOOOO NOT INTERESTED in science! I DESPISE talk of atoms, algae and scientific equations. I'm an artist... give me a camera, a good novel, a blank sheet of paper.... NOT a pair of safety goggles and bunson burner (don't even ask me how I know what a bunson burner is... that totally came out of nowhere). And to be perfectly honest, I just wasn't (and am still not) a degree-driven individual. I was looking forward to being a wife and a mommy. I knew that I wasn't going to get a gazillion degrees under my belt and never saw myself as some corporate career-woman. So any type of math or science class that could hold me back from getting this degree wasn't a big deal to me. Can anyone relate? (BTW... if you absolutely LOVE science or math, more power to you. I'm not knocking you at all. In fact, I totally admire you for being able to make sense out of that stuff. My head just has a much harder time doing that.)

So, I logged on to eSanta Fe to see where I stand and what science *cringe* class I need to graduate. I am thinking that I can take something cool, like a class on nutrition. Nope. No chance. It has to be Biology or something in that area. So NOT cool. So I continue to scroll down the page to see what classes I did take and see that there's not only ONE class I need to complete my AA, but TWO! Hello???? Where did you come from??? Evidently, the Anthropology class I took is now considered an elective or something because they are saying that I need another Social Sciences class. WHA?????? My plan was to whip this class out over the summer and be done with it. Now I have to take TWO??? That's just wrong. I'm so bummed.

Why can't all the classes be based around photography? My ideal class lineup would be something like this....

ENGLISH
TYN1101 Thank You Notes to Clients (how to write that perfect note to help your clients know just how much you love them)
BW1201 Blog Writing (expressing your thoughts through blogging)
WC1102 Website Composition (compose your website to reflect who you are and what your business is all about)

MATHEMATICS
INV1101 Determining Your Investment List (calculating the perfect portrait packages)
MGS1201 Mathematical Goal Setting (Determine the number of sessions to hold to meet your financial goals for the year)

HUMANITIES (this one would be easy!)
ARH1000 Art Appreciation
ARH2050 Art History
ARH1001 Art Fundamentals

NATURAL SCIENCE
NLT1001 Natural Lighting Techniques (taking adavantage of natural light during outdoor shoots)
ODP1201 Outdoor Photography Concepts

SOCIAL SCIENCE
WTC1201 Working with Toddlers and Children
DGP1102 Dealing With Grumpy People
CSP2501 Communication Skills for Photographers (How to make clients give you a true smile)


There you go! I'd have my degree in no time! In addition to all the great photography and computer classes I would immediately take, I could actually make these others count toward the AA! SIGN ME UP!

Lucky 7

I had been on a blind date before... it was just like you've heard before... nothing in common, I was taller than him, no sparks, etc. etc. etc. Would this one be any different? I hoped so.

My roommate in college, Chrissy, was working at UF with Peggy. Peggy had moved here from the Outer Banks shortly after her daughter (Dawna) and her family moved here from Virginia. Shawn was next. The town they lived in up in North Carolina was a small one--only busy during the spring and summer--a vacation spot. There wasn't much of a future there for Shawn and Gainesville seemed like the place he should move (according to his mother and sister). So Shawn came down to spend Christmas of 1995 with his family here in Gainesville. Peggy had told Chrissy how much she wanted him to move here. Hmmm... Chrissy's roommate was currently single. Why not fix them up on a blind date? Would this one be any different? YES!

Shawn and I met on January 7, 1996 in his mom's apartment in NW Gainesville. There was just something about him. We went to El Indio for lunch and I showed him around Gainesville. After our Tour of Gainesville, I called him up (after agonizing, "Should I call him? Will it look bad? What if he doesn't like me!"). I invited him to go to the movies with me that night to see Jumanji. We went. I loved it. There was just something about him.

Fast forward 5 years and 2 months... March 9, 2001... it's our wedding day! YES! A blind date can really turn into something wonderful! And I just knew it before I met him. You know that song, "I knew I loved you before I met you..." Okay... it's totally cheesy, but I totally felt that way! It was God. Those things are completely "God-things." So there we were, getting married and vowing to spend the rest of our lives together... for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health... and we have! No... these past seven years haven't been perfect... but they have given us so many memories.

I look back on the time in our little townhome and remember that teeny kitchen, the guests who stayed in our extra bedroom, our sweet neighbors. It was so small, but so full of love! And when we bought the house we're in now, I look back at when we were renovating it (GUTTING it because it needed so much help)... eating chicken tenders and hawaiian rolls and drinking cold beer on the livingroom floor--no carpet--just us on the floor with a little step stool as our table. Listening to the radio as we painted and talking about our day. It took three months to get that place in move-in condition. Three months of going there every night after work, spending long weekends working in the yard and bagging hundreds of bags of leaves. But I LOVE that time! And then, when we finally were able to bring Brayden home after a week of being in NICU, and showing him his nursery--all the time and love we had put into making it just perfect for him. These are the days I will remember forever and ever.

So yes, we've experienced our vows and know that it's not always better, richer, and healthier. But the moments that have brought us to today make it all worth while. And I am so happy to be here. Today. I have a Maya Angelou card framed in our bathroom that just makes me smile every time I read it... "In all the world there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world there is no love for you like mine." That's us... so perfect and so meant for each other. Yes, there are days I want to strangle him, or just leave the house for the day because he and Brayden won't lay off each other. But you know, I wouldn't be who I am today without those days. Each moment and experience shapes us. God wants that. He knows that's meant for us. And although I have no idea why I deal with certain things over and over again (can't he just keep his diaper on or potty train?!?!?!?), I know He knows. And me knowing that puts me at ease. I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be and I am so grateful to have this man as my husband and the father of my child. I love climbing in bed and knowing he's right there next to me. I love hearing his keys in the door and the sound of our son saying, "Daddy's here!" I love it. I can't wait to look back on this time of our lives and reminisce about the diaper battles or the never-ending struggles with trying to have grass in our yard. Until then, I'll celebrate today and who we are and what we've become because of each other. :)

This year, we had a fabulous anniversary. We woke up and spent a leisurely morning drinking our coffee and playing with Brayden. We took him over to Peggy's house to spend the day with her and his cousins, Blake and Ashton. From there we headed over to Spa Royale for a couple's massage and facial. OH! MY! GOODNESS! It was Heaven! (AND, in the middle of the massage, Pachabel's Canon came on--the song my bridesmaids and flower girls walked down the aisle to! How perfect was that?) Neil was my Massage Therapist and I must say that it was the best massage I've ever had! And then Mary (my dear friend who battled train crashes and toilet paper explosions to get to our reception -- another story, another blog) gave me one of her fabulous facials. Mary owns Spa Royale and has developed the BEST spa! If you haven't been there, you MUST BOOK AN APPOINTMENT TODAY! Besides having an amazing staff and a gorgeous and relaxing facility, they are the only spa in town that is open on Sunday! Seriously... you must go. Take your spouse/signifant other and do the couple's massage. It's simply the best!

(Shawn, Mary and Me at Spa Royale... Look how tired we looked... we were ready for a serious nap after all that pampering. Plus, I had absolutely NO makeup on after my facial. So I was looking special!)

After the spa, we had lunch at Macaroni Grill. Check out the special stone Shawn saw while we were there! We then went to Down to Earth for me to pick out my new Trollbeads bracelet! I got the B and S initial beads and a gorgeous glass bead. If you haven't been there, you HAVE TO GO! Gina is the owner and has become a dear friend. Plus, a portion of her proceeds go toward medical research about her son's condition (Phoenix's story is displayed in the store). Her shop is located right outside of Belk. Tell her I sent you!





























Needless to say... we had a wonderful anniversary. It was so nice to spend some quality time together. I love you, honey! :)

New Photog Friends!

A couple weeks ago, Dane Sanders--an amazing photographer and mentor--hosted a Q&A on his blog via UStream. He was live through video and was able to read and answer the questions we submitted through his blog. It was really cool and so informative! So I'm on there, thinking I'm probably the only photographer from Gainesville. So Dane is reading our comments, and answering our questions, and asks me where I'm from. I say Gainesville, FL... next thing I know, another photographer says THEY are from Gainesville too! I'm thinking, that's so cool! I wonder who it is! Before I know it, there are not only two of us, but FOUR of us! We all exchange emails and plan to be in touch. So I email all of the other ladies, saying how cool it was that we met on this international video session, and that we'll have to get together. Cindy, one of the other photogs, and I started talking about meeting for lunch. We decide the day and then try to determine where to meet. Because neither of us wanted the other to have to go too much out of their way, we start telling each other the area in which we live. We figure we can meet somewhere in between. If we had done that, we would have met in the middle of a road in my neighborhood. YEP... that is the kicker! SHE LIVES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD--ONE STREET AWAY!!! How crazy is that? But I know in my heart that it wasn't coincidence... it's been in God's plan all along. Cindy, Kara, Laurel and I were supposed to meet. This kind of thing doesn't just happen. And how cool to be part of something... something that I hope will be so much more. I am gaining so much knowledge and inspiration through a group of photographers in California... Dane Sanders, David Jay, [b]ecker, Jasmine Star and Jessica Claire... a group of photographers who have made a point to be a mentor to new photographers, helping them learn from the mistakes they made when they first started out. How cool would that be to be that for someone else in the future?? I feel like I have such a long way to go before I can even compare to them, but WOW! What an awesome goal. They really are a great group of pros. I know... I probably sound like a photo groupy, but I feel like I know them through their blogs and can see how genuine they really are. I can't wait to actually meet them some day. And thank them in person for all they are doing for the "little people" in this business. =)

Back to the story... Once we realized where we lived, we started to realize even more about each other... like how she was the woman who met David Jay in Tampa at Imaging USA (click here for the story) and bought him and Allie breakfast. So I write DJ and tell him the story of our meeting, Cindy writes Dane and tells him the story, DJ then tells Dane the story, Dane tells Cindy that I told DJ the story, and then Dane realized how our little circle connected and emailed me... Anyway, it was crazy. So he asked us to give him info on the group... names, websites, etc. and LOOK! We're on his blog!!!

So we had dinner at Macaroni Grill Wednesday night (Laurel, we missed you!) and talked about all sorts of stuff--definitely looking forward to getting together again! That's us in the pic (L to R... Me, Cindy (CU4 Photos) and Kara (Kara Pennington Photography). I can feel it...this is the start of something fabulous!!!

Sweet Baby Brady

After Amber's session, I headed over to Debbie's house to photograph her adorable little boys. Aiden is big brother to Brady, a sweet baby boy who just turned 2-months old. But Brady hasn't had the typical life of a 2-month old. Just a couple weeks after being born, Brady went through open-heart surgery. His parents knew before he was born that surgery would take place soon after birth, but can you imagine how hard that must have been for them? But he is a little trooper and pulled through like a champ! He is such a strong little boy, as is his family, and I am just so happy to know them. I photographed Debbie's maternity session late last year and then took a few of Brady in the hospital before his surgery. What a journey to go on -- and I'm so honored they asked me to document it! (Note... I'm working on something with all of the sessions... keep checking back to see!) They are all so sweet and blessed to have each other As you will will see below, he is doing great! And so lucky to have Aiden as his big brother. They love each other so much -- you can see it already.






























































Look at how Brady tilts his head back so he can see Aiden!




















He's such a good big brother










































Love those dark eyes


















This one is so sweet... he's looking up at his daddy


















little piggies


















They are so sweet sleeping


















Same, but in black and white


















In this picture, we had him laying on his changing table on top of a blanket that has his name on it with "Spirited One" embroidered underneath. He kept sticking his little foot out further and further, so I had to take a picture of it. I mean, they are just such cute toesies!!!

The Gator Graduate

This past Saturday, I had the super-fun job of photographing my neice, Amber, for her Senior Portraits -- University of Florida Senior, that is! We're working on something really cute for her graduation invitations--something very fun and unique--just like her! We headed to campus and hit several spots, including the stadium and Lake Alice. Here are some of my favorites from the day...

The Gator Graduate on Florida Field



















































Pretty girl...


























I absolutely LOVE this one! Doesn't she have such beautiful eyes?

























Amber will probably kill me for putting this one on my blog, but it's just so funny! And too bad... I'm her aunt. She can't get too mad at me, right? =)