i’ve said it once  and i will say it again…i am beyond honored to be able to photograph this issue!  it’s such a fun experience.  i enjoyed meeting a bunch of fun new people!!  can’t wait to see the issue.  it comes out may 1st, don’t forget to pick one up!!  in the meantime, here is a super sneaky peek for you all.  enjoy!!

had such a fun time with this little sweetie!  i was just in love with her hair.  could you die??!!  on top of all of those sweet curls, her personality was just as adorable…makes my job SUPER easy!!   enjoy your sneak peek!!

for all the mild weather we have been having, this last week has been pretty chilly!  i’m not complaining but, of course, this week, i had two outdoor sessions scheduled.  as you can see, these little darlings had no issue with the cold.  in fact, miss d actually stopped as we were going in to make a quick snow angel sans her snowsuit, mittens, hats, etc.   way too cute for words!!  they were just so happy to be outside and i just adored my time spent with them!  enjoy your sneak peek!

so, two days ago, i decided i would spend the next day following my littlest monkey around with the camera.  this is the first time i have done this with any of the kids.  but, oh this baby, this toddler, he is a wild child.  surely he is the wildest of the three and there would definitely be some silly pictures to show.  but, a funny thing happened that day- he was on his very best behavior!!  hehe!  other than some normal toddler behavior he did nothing to drive me crazy.  call it a “freebie”- if you will.  something else happened the day i decided to take on this little project, i read this blog http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html .   first one friend posted it on facebook, then another, then i did- and mama, after mama expressed their gratitude for the knowledge that they were not alone.  i will be the first to admit that i go to bed a minimum of 5 out of 7 nights a week and think i rushed the day away counting down the minutes to bedtime or until my husband comes home to give me 5 minutes to myself.  just 5 minutes!!  does that mean i don’t enjoy or love my life?  of course not!  it is exhausting though and there rarely are moments of time long enough to stop and think about how wonderful it actually is.  so, thank you to glennon melton for that comforting post and to these little glimpses into my sweet e’s day that always remind me how much i love my life (drool, tantrums, and all!!).

tonight i did something it seems i rarely do anymore.  i took pictures of two of my boys doing nothing more than being little boys partaking in a normal every day routine.  yes, i do take pictures of them at birthday parties, school functions and when they are being forced to model for me.  but i just, quite frankly, find myself a little burned out most of the time and i have to make a deliberate effort to take my camera with me to the aforementioned  activities.

today was different though.  today, i took the camera out during bath time.  no, i didn’t ask them to look at me and i didn’t worry about the mess in the bathroom.  i just let my boys play and i captured it.  and, let me tell you it felt so good.

some of the pictures are a little soft.  it doesn’t matter though.  these are my boys (well, two of them, at least).  i will always remember how much they loved bath time and i will always look back on these images and grin ear to ear at the sight of them.

ps- yes, there is a bit of a focus on little e.  there are a couple of reasons for that.  1. j really didn’t want the camera in his face and i was trying not to turn this into a typical photoshoot and 2. right now, this is e’s favorite time of day and i really want to make sure i remember that.

i am thinking 2012 is going to be a year full of inspiration and greatness all courtesy of three little men in my life.  happy new year to you all!!

phew!!  that was a lot of pics.  for those of you that made it through them all, thanks a bunch!!  i just couldn’t bring myself to crop them.  after all,  i did have my mama goggles on!!

here it is: the deal of the month!!  book a SNOW session in to take place in january, you will get a FREE 10×20 storyboard!  so, get all bundled up and grab your sled and snowman kit and let’s have some fun!!!!!

this is the way i spent black friday morning and i wouldn’t have it any other way!!  this was a great group of kids, super sweet and ready to play.  but it was also the biggest group of kids i have ever photographed- 14 kids!!!  what an awesome treasure for their grandmother though.  thanks so much for letting me take your family’s pictures.  enjoy your sneak peek.

and one more because i thought it was way too cute….

had a great time friday with this family.  thanks so much for letting me play with you.  enjoy your sneak peek!!

the weather has been so strange the last couple of weeks that i am surprised i managed to squeeze this session in!  so glad i did though.  what a little doll!  didn’t make an unhappy peep once during the session.  enjoy your sneak peek!!!

they grow up too quickly.  three years old and already shaving!  ;-)