Archive for February, 2014
I had a couple of clients who originally had sessions scheduled in Texas last year, both of them ended up in Virginia so I decided to make a trip back to my motherland to handle those sessions for them and of course, to show my kiddos where I grew up and visit with dear family.
I was a little worried when I saw my window of travel for this trip…it was late November and fall–my absolute FAVORITE season and one of the things I miss most about Virginia–would typically long be over by this time. Oh, no. What a fabulous surprise when we showed up to the most incredible weather and beautiful foliage my kids had ever seen. I think they could have played in the leaves for hours and hours. They absolutely LOVED it!!! And so did I. So much so, I can’t deny that we may have toyed around with the idea of moving to Virginia. Of course, with my little nieces on the way (both my sister and the girls are recovering well from the TTTS laser ablation, by the way!!!) we couldn’t *really* move away, but it was nice to fantasize.
Anyway, I realized that I haven’t blogged Karen’s session (who is a photographer in Maryland, herself!) and that’s sad because I REALLY LOVED it! Her family was a blast and those girls made the session so much fun. And Karen’s smile…is that not the most contagious smile you’ve ever seen? I felt very lucky to get to work in such amazing fall colors with perfect shooting weather on the grounds of the National Cathedral that day! It was actually our second visit to the landmark…we ended up going there are first day in D.C. not knowing that we would be shooting there later. I thought my kids would find it a little boring, but we were all quite surprised that everyone was excited to go back! Beautiful building, amazing gardens, and a perfect experience all around! Thank you so much, Karen, for trusting me with this job and I truly did have an incredible evening with you guys!
I will admit I was a little nervous when her mom booked her senior portraits with me. It wasn’t all that long ago when I did her sister’s high school senior pictures and as these girls are very different from one another, I wanted to make certain we did a session that was very much aligned with her personality and her unique talents and abilities. I was elated leaving her session in downtown Austin that morning because I *knew* we did just that. She nailed it and she was so wonderful to bring her own vision to the session, helping me show her personality through her pictures. Couldn’t resist that last one…the minute she held her guitars up like this, her big sis started doing the little cartoon voices for the “angel” and “devil” guitars and we cracked up!!
It’s good to pass the time in the hospital right now with putting together blog posts featuring adorable little babies. Like this lil’ nugget for example. He was such an angel the whole session and I adored his great array of fun expressions. He might not be good at poker, but he could very well become an actor! Still lovin’ this one of him and his mommy, too.
Note: If you haven’t been following, I am currently with family in Houston to help provide support to my sister and her babies. Please understand if I am not able to return e-mails or phone calls quickly. Right now, time is pretty limited and I squeeze in a few things here and there. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and very happy, happy thoughts. I think they must be doing something 🙂
So, I had to drive out to Houston tonight to be with my baby sister. Looks like she (and the babies) will have to have the surgery tomorrow. The next several days (weeks) are going to be such a test of patience and will. I pray that these doctors will perform with exceptional skill and love tomorrow.
I have no idea when I will be back in town and I will do my best to get in touch with everyone I need to as soon as I can. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding and prayers.
From my sister’s page:
“Asking for prayers…today’s ultrasound showed the TTTS is progressing and the need for surgery is upon us. The babies and I will undergo a fetalscopic laser ablation procedure tomorrow morning. There is a lot of study supporting the success of this procedure, however there is a laundry list of complications and risks. I beg each of you from the bottom of my heart to please say a prayer for all of us. As the mom, I fear for my sweet babies’ lives but I have to stay positive and I know and trust in the goodness and mercy of our God. Thank you to everyone for your constant support and love. It has sure helped us to get through these last few weeks and get to a much more ideal position to undergo this procedure.”