Captain Hook and Peter Pan are not ones to back down from a good adventure, or a good playful taunt! These boys had a lot of fun with their storybook session. Have I mentioned how much I love creating fantasy? Bringing kid’s imagination to life is one of the very best parts of my job! Hook and Peter don’t usually cooperate as well as my two boys did, but they definitely had adventure on the brain. They were having sword fights with wildflower stems and showing off their finest jousting showmanship. Their “on guard”s and “gotcha!”s echoing in the breeze! Even in Pennsylvania, Never Never Land is only a wish away. Tinkerbell of course made an appearance here in the Poconos to jingle that reminder in Peter’s ear. That feisty fairy doesn’t want to be forgotten! Peter did seem to wonder who would be coming back with him to Never Land this time. There are Indians and pirates to engage! Forget Scranton, let’s head towards the second star to the right and straight on till morning.
“So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever in Never Never Land.” -Peter Pan
We’ve been studying the American Revolution this year, the patriots, and all of the other important people and events that shaped our country’s rich history. I am so thankful we have the opportunity to live in the northeastern part of the U.S. even if it is only for a couple of years. We have so many wonderful cities, rich with historical landmarks just within a few hours drive from us. This summer we took a road trip up to Boston. We hit up many of the typical tourist spots but this was one of my favorites, and the kid’s as well. It was the Edes print shop and chocolate store. The coolest thing about this place was that we had actually been learning (thanks to a neat video game we found on Pinterest) about the Edes family print shop. I had no idea that there was still actually a place in existence so I was very excited to see it. Even cooler is the fact that they are still printing copies of the Declaration of Indepenence on their original printing press. The adjoining chocolate store/factory.. whatever it actually is called was also pretty neat as well. You can see how they took cocoa powder to make hot chocolate and even sample a taste. Surprising to the kids, it was not that sweet as sugar was ofcourse very expensive during the Revolution. I definitely recommend taking a tour of these two little historical gems when you visit Boston!
A twinkle in her eyes, laughter on her tongue, this little girl is having fun turning one! If you’ve read my previous posts, you know how amazed I am by how much babies change and learn in the first year of life. I love, love, love capturing these milestones. When they get to the age when they are interacting with the world, exploring the earth, crawling, toddling, walking, you can see the glimmer in their gazes light up with wonder! While it is kind of challenging to photograph these newly on-the-go tots, the reward for the job is so nice. Check out baby girl’s glee in the top photo! She is a happy one. A happy “one” year old! She is perfectly surrounded with pink blossoms, a backdrop fit for this kind of princess. I love how nature just creates the most beautiful scenery. How can we not photograph outdoors all year round? Each season has something remarkable to offer, just like each season of life. I am so happy that I got to capture this season for this sweet heart!
I had to continue the beach series before summer comes to an end. You think I’m kidding, but temps in north eastern Pennsylvania are already threatening the 60s. We haven’t even made it to the pool one time! So again I will run to the memories my camera provides. I love how photography can instantly transport you to memories and inspire dreams. My baby girl is no stranger to dreams. She inspires many of my dreams and is such a joy to photograph! I love these images because they remind me of cotton candy. Silly, huh? Every time I look at them, I just can smell the sweetness in the air. The crisp, sweet, fresh beach air. I just want to lay on the sand and watch her dance around in the warmth of the sun, curls bouncing, laughter flowing, dress twirling. Let’s make a sand angel! Let’s run up the shore and let the waves tickle our toes! Let’s enjoy this day, baby girl, being silly and goofy, being you and me.
This is another image from the session I was able to capture of my boy on the beach. We were actually on vacation during these shots and I was itching for a change of scenery. I love beach shots. When we lived in North Carolina it was a little more available, but in here in Pennsylvania it is a treat to go to the shore. I haven’t visited many beaches up in the northern part of the country. It’s still a little odd to me that when people say “let’s go to the beach” they actually mean a lake. I want waves that are rolling in from a hard day’s work of ocean drifting, waves that were once traveled by dolphins and fish and sharks and whales. (Side note- why is it now grammatically correct to say fishes? What is wrong with using fish for singular and plural? Might as well just say fishies. That’s what it reminds me of. End note.) Of course there’s the Jersey shore; a part of me always wishes I could have visited the boardwalk in its prime decades ago. Nevertheless, we found great adventure at this beach. We were visiting family out west and for much of the trip, and I tried to step away from the camera to be more present with my kids. However, can you blame me for picking it up on this gorgeous evening? My boy. Standing so tall, busy with adventure, caught in a glance back to the group. Ah, vacation. The warmth of the setting sun mixed with the evening breeze. I’ll just stay in this memory a while longer.
New Jersey | North Carolina Beach Photographer
I admit, I am not the first one to dig my toes into the sand. In fact, I hate dirty feet. More like the feeling of dirty feet. If my feet feel dirty, all of me feels dirty. I just want to take a shower! When I found out my first child was a boy, I knew I had to start preparing myself for dirt ahead. You hear the stories about boys. We all do. Digging in flower pots, eating gravel at the playground, shoveling sand into diapers. Those kind of stories didn’t fit into my pre-mommy life. Somehow, though, starting with the first gleeful splash in the bath tub, my baby boy started changing my mind that a little dirt didn’t have to be a bad thing. A little mess could lead the way into grand adventure. That splash in the bath tub could be a dolphin coming to say hello to us in the ocean. The flower pot full of dirt could be hiding the royal prince’s long lost medal. The gravel at the playground could contain magic that floats us high in the sky. The sand at the beach could be the very sand that the pirate villains abandoned us on after they took off with our ship. How can those little boys dream up such big adventures? And how can a little mess be anything to fight against when I see the commitment to my imaginative boy’s fantasy? I am looking forward to summer days ahead, outside on the shoreline, or inside under the dining room table fort, catching glimpses of my children’s dreams.
Isn’t it amazing how much a baby goes through during their first year of life? When you stop to think about it, it is remarkable! Is there any other year that they accomplish so many new skills? In the span of about 19 months they go from a microscopic organism in their mommy’s tummy to taking their first breath out in the world, automatically programmed to drink new milk, then new foods, rolling over, sitting up, standing and walking. It is amazing the set of skills these babies accomplish with little coaxing from others- it is just the way God has created them!
Their life is full of whimsy. You can see the pride in their faces every time they master a new skill- ready with a smile and even a giggle. They are so persistent. Something in the minds of a pre-one year old insists that they don’t give up. Inevitably, they reach milestones. I’ve been tempted to wish that certain stages would freeze in time, but those sweet babies just keep growing and growing.
This little baby celebrated his first birthday with excitement! Oh, the places he will go! His little toothy grin, his belly chuckles, his elbow dimples, his pinchable thighs. The dreams of this boy are limitless! It is my hope that as he continues to grow and gather more skills, when he sees this photograph of his first birthday, he will feel the encouragement and possibility to pursue his God-given dreams… and that he pursues them with joy and imagination!
Happy first year, little guy!
Talking with moms over the years I have found that everyone has a “sweet spot” when it comes to their favorite age and stage of their children. Of course we love them during all the stages, but there seems to be a magic time in our children’s lives when things just work. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we have everything figured out during that stage or we can know exactly what they want, but things just mesh for a few days or weeks or if we are lucky, months.
I love the newborn stage. If you have had the opportunity to care for a newborn, your thoughts might be wandering to the sleepless nights (and days), the gooey neon poop, and the cries of gassiness. Yeah, honestly, I get overwhelmed with that, too. But shifting my perspective a little bit gives room to soak in this precious time. I am so thankful to have experienced the bond of being a nursing mother. There have been few other experiences in my life that point to the perfect provision of God than carrying, giving birth, and nursing my children. He truly equips mothers to sustain the life of their children. I love the moments of peace and surrender when my babies just rest in my arms, content at the breast. They are getting the nourishment they need for their bellies and their hearts, skin to skin with their mommy. God’s design is beautiful.
Here is a peek at a mother’s day session I was able to capture this year. This mom is so gorgeous. It is an honor to see her love for her child. The gaze they are sharing here is an example of the reason motherhood is so precious; that little face staring back at you as you pour out your love in caring for their needs. This sweet shot was taken during a nursing session, and it just reminds me how lucky I am to give other moms the opportunity to remember these moments that so quickly pass on as their babies change and grow swiftly in their first year of life.
So enjoy, beautiful mommy. Treasure your little one’s gaze and use this memory to nurture his heart with hope and unconditional love as he grows.
Back to the coffee pot I go this morning. Is it my first refill? My second? Oh whatever the number, I am just hoping that this next cup will energize me for the day. Or the morning. Or this next hour… heck these next few minutes! Morning inside my house can be rough, I am not going to lie. Sometimes I even feel begrudged that I am out of bed before I am ready (I love you, my precious babies, I do).
And then a thought crosses my mind as I catch a glimpse of this beautiful image. This image is like the energy I need each morning. The sunshine, my first sip of coffee. The sweet scent of dew, my refill. The fragrance of flowers, my second trip to the carafe. Each detail just wakes me up to the new day as I catch the energy of this sweet child of God anticipating the joy of the field she is lingering in. I find myself wanting to prance around the tall, soft blades of grass, breathing deeply the scent of spring! Oh Pennsylvania, today will be a good day!
When my first child was born, I bought one of those fill in the blank baby books that you recorded all the milestones and “firsts”. You know what I’m talking about: first outing, first tooth, first foods, first vacation, first explosive poopy diaper that had mommy running out of the grocery store with awkward yellow stains on her shirt (oh wait, not that one…). I started keeping up with it, but then eventually came to the conclusion that I had a pretty good memory and would probably remember all that without having to write it down. Several years later, several kids later, guess what? I DON’T REMEMBER!
Mommy, the moment’s are so fleeting! I want you to remember the way your child’s hair stood up in a Mohawk no matter how often you brushed it aside into a part. The way you smiled down at your sweet darling as she surrendered to your breast, her little fist wrapped confidently around your finger. The way those two little baby teeth poked through her gummy grin as she stared at you with ever-learning eyes. The tight grip around your neck as you spun in joyful circles round and round the living room just to hear that belly laugh one time more.
More importantly, I want your child to know the persistence with which you pursued her, the smile you gave her, the security she felt from your grasp, the lessons you helped her learn, the willingness you had to help her feel the bliss of pure fun! When your child is older, wouldn’t it be amazing to give her the opportunity to see the fullness of which you embraced motherhood?
This is my mission! I want you mommies in front of the camera! I want to capture how you relate with your kids, so you can both remember and discover all over again how your relationship began and evolved. I am offering you, yes YOU, Mom, the opportunity to capture the “now” moments. I am now booking Mother’s Day Minis. And, when you pin this to pinterest, you will be entered to win a free session. Pin it to win it!
