fike love...

OH the indescribable beauty in this family. blythe exudes exquisite, lovely, warm things and her L O V E for her family pours out, spills over to anyone who is fortunate enough to breathe the air beside her. i walked away blessed... and loving my children more...just by seeing the way she loves. it was so evident what quiet extraordinary strength kirby carries for his family. this shoot changed pieces in me.

the picture of blythe with mary's little feet peeking behind hers is probably one of my most favorite pictures ever. to me all i see is how a parent stands before their child, how a parent protects, offers security and brings a comfort like no one else. there is power in the way she is shielding her baby just by standing there...

thank you fike's for allowing me to breathe your air...

i never...

i always cringe when someone says 'i never (fill in the blank)'...until i realized that i am one of those people who say that and i needed to admit to myself that even though i may not say it out loud it does not make it untrue. i rarely let people into the archives of my health...rarely show the depth of my weaknesses and I NEVER share this kind of stuff... so here are a few pictures in all my Lyme's glory on a normal day...

little cowgirl...

it is always such a sweet privilege to photograph someone who you have known forever and when you meet up with them to photograph their baby its as if no time has passed and you are suddenly back in annual class in 11th grade..

me...

I am a wife and I am a mom. This year I choose to do this better than I ever have before…to intentionally do things that tend to get put by the way side…to purposefully LOVE. I have this fear that things will become routine in a way that suddenly my children are in school and my husband has gray hair and we are still greeting each other the same way…still having the same dinner conversations…still bickering about REALLY DUMB stuff. So, I choose with my whole heart to live in a way that begs to be treated differently…to be silly and crazy and spontaneous in the times when the lazy side of me wants to simply get things done…but what is the joy in that life? Where is the days when your kids look back and remember that one time when their mom let them dance on the table…or that time we camped in the living room…or that time my wife and kids greeted me in the driveway with a banner and noise makers…this is how I want to live…to be exhausted at the end of the day because I loved ALL the way…I cooked with my whole heart…I tucked in with my whole heart…there is so much more beauty and flavor in a life lived like that. I choose that.

baby noah...a little peak.

i have a thing for sun flare...a romance really. if i could use it in every shoot i would. :) it makes me feel all warm inside. this little sneak peak is from a recent newborn shoot. i had such a wonderful afternoon with baby noah and his family...

family love

So much fun meeting this sweet family...

i love...

her little hands so much. pudgy little fingers full of possibilities...