a thousand words.

"A picture paints a thousand words" is how the saying goes. Looking through the images from this morning's session with Caleb and his parents, I'm struck by the story that they tell.

"He's a bit shy at first," his mom told me. And he was.

But we got busy playing with his cars, which have names and personalities, by the way.

He told me all about them.

I had heard this almost four-year-old had been riding his bike since March.
He was eager to prove it!

He soon discovered that every time he stuck out his little tongue, I giggled.

So he did it several times. I giggled again when I looked at the pictures.

By now, he'd forgotten he was shy, and wanted to show me his room. So up the stairs we marched. Off came the sandals Mommy had just put on his feet, as he sat on his bed and told me about his special things.

We all laughed at Caleb's great jokes.

He rewarded us with some sweet, sweet smiles.

He had to step in his "house" to take a phone call.

And before we knew it, he was posing like a model!

We snuck in some family shots...

Baby Joshua on the way!

That's all for now...but certainly is not "the end."

Thanks Ryan, Megan, and Caleb for a fun morning!

three little boys and a hundred nine degrees.

Carson, Dylan, and Collin: two years and under.
Mollie and Todd: strollers loaded. everyone looking fine.
Photographer and her assistant: ready for fun.
Heat index: ridiculous. absolutely ridiculous.

Seriously, the heat index was 109 degrees (in the shade) today. We forged ahead and took a few family shots to get the boys used to the concept of "family pictures." But we were (literally) dripping in sweat before too long. Even with the heat, we managed to catch a few sweet images of these bright eyed boys. Stay tuned, because when it cools down to say under 90, we're going to meet again! Thanks for being flexible, Mollie and Todd!

 

baby fallon.

I am a "baby person." I love love love to snuggle their freshness and watch their little faces. I admit, that when I get to photograph a "teeny-tiny," my heart skips a beat.
I met Katie and Clint last night with their one-month-old baby Fallon. This little angel never made a peep and slept through her entire session. I only heard one little cry when Daddy was loading her into the stroller to head home! Her mommy supplied an entire wardrobe of headbands, which were soooo cute! But the real cuteness came from Fallon herself! Here's a sneak peek...

picture perfect.

day at the farm.

My dear friend Karen has lost both of her parents in the past couple of years. She has been making weekly trips to help her siblings sort through a lifetime of their belongings at the family farm. Labeled in her mom's perfect penmanship, boxes everywhere are filled with Wooters treasures and trinkets, documenting a life and marriage well lived. I knew Wayne and Evelyn. Not well...but you didn't have to know them well to know they were the best kind of folks...hardworking and hospitable, supportive and self-sacrificing, humble and loyal. The memories stored in the boxes are merely reminders of a legacy of faithfulness they leave behind.

Their upstairs hallway is adorned with family photographs...images of Karen, her brother Neal, and sister Brenda. Recently Karen called me and began, "I just realized Mom had eighth grade pictures taken of us. I need an eighth grade picture of Drew. Would you take it?" Her son Drew begins high school in a few short weeks, so we had to get this done quickly to make it an official eighth grade portrait!

Somehow, I don't remember exactly how, the idea surfaced to take Drew's pictures at the farm. Then the idea grew...since we'd already be there, why not take some shots of the farm itself? So we did! Karen led me around, sharing stories and pointing out the ordinary pieces of her childhood that have shaped her into an extraordinary woman (she would never say that, but it's true!). Mailboxes and swingsets, fences and water pumps, haystacks and rain gauges all collected by my camera so this family will always remember and treasure the simplicity and richness of their upbringing.

Needless to say, it was a splendid day. I feel like we just scratched the surface, so we're going back this fall. But for now, here's a sampling of our day at the farm...

Wayne's hats (some of them, at least)

Drew and Aaron

 I love the wrenches. They look like chimes!