We had decided on a particular location for their photo session, but I was yearning to try something new. I’ve been so tired of the dull, lifeless, brown grass thanks to the cold temps and drought conditions. We needed life. We needed color. And so I asked the kind folks at Green ‘n Growing if they would allow us to come in for a few to shoot in their store. They could not have been more kind and accommodating and the greenhouse and plant life were so very beautiful. It’s actually one of my eldest’s favorite garden stores (when he’s shopping for plants and trees to attract butterflies). Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area!

But, I owe most of this to a beautiful family willing to try something new ;-). That little girl couldn’t have been more joyful and more pleasant to work with. She absolutely sparkles and it’s quite obvious that her parents are enamored with her, too. The bubble pics were my fav, of course. In fact, there’s another one posted HERE if you want to see.

…I can’t even begin to tell you how refreshing it was to get to work on this session today. That little girl up there is crazy, super loved and her warmth and energy and charm is 100x more palatable in person than even in these pics. She might just take after her mommy  just a wee bit ;-). Two other favs HERE and HERE.

Those of you who follow my blog, facebook, or Instagram know that this past week+ has been very trying for my family. I am getting back into the swing of things with work, but it’s taking some time and will continue to do so. Thank you so much to my clients and friends for being incredibly understanding. Thank you to Kelly here for being so amazingly patient waiting on her images. I’m normally a stickler for deadlines and timeframes, but even the best planning can’t stand up to life’s challenges sometimes. I feel amazingly blessed to have experienced so much love from my clients and the online community and my photographer friends.

Many of you have been asking about how you can help regarding my brother-in-law. We are currently working on a project that I hope to launch on Monday that might give you that opportunity AND you could probably score a last-minute holiday gift if needed. I don’t want to say much more because there are so many facets yet to be worked out, but please, check back Monday afternoon to see what we’ve come up with. And thank  you a million times again.

Her vision for their engagement pictures was perfectly clear to me…we were speaking the same language. And it was as if the sun and the light and the beautiful weather spoke it, too.

*Someone* had a birth day today ;-). I’ll give you a hint…you can’t really see him in these pics ;-). I found that to be incredibly convenient because this someone + his family happen to be the models for the in-home newborn photo session demonstration at the first January workshop! There are two–yes, only TWO–openings left for the Austin lifestyle photography workshops in 2013. I do not have any more Austin workshops on the calendar at this time, so please don’t miss out if this is something you’ve been thinking about attending. You’ll need to complete the contact form on that page to get the dates, pricing, and other details.

Meanwhile, I’ll just wait around here until I can get my hands on him for his newborn session part A in the next week or two ;-).

Here’s why Weight Watchers has been so easy for me: toddlers ;-). Seriously, the last time we were together, they weren’t nearly so speedy. This session totally reminded me of my days chasing after my older boys when they were this age (19 mos apart). It’s like oil and water…you set them down and they repel and go in opposite directions, LOL. So, I’d like to thank these beauties for keeping me on my toes and earning me those extra activity points. And again, what is it with kids and being upside down that makes them so gleefully happy??? Go figure.

I am originally from VA and I gotta say, man I miss fall and the foliage up there. So, I tend to get just a teensy bit excited when we have some semblance of fall here in TX, like these stunning golden leaves. We were actually wrapping up the session when the wind picked up and swirled these leaves all over the place. It was so magical…I wish you could have been there to dance in them with us.

FYI: We only have a few openings left for the 2nd Annual Holiday Mini Sessions! Wow! That’s amazing! So looking forward to starting these next week!

Her mommy knew that this little beauty would be *very* excited to have a tent set up at her session. We didn’t realize, however, that she would never want to get out of it which made picture-taking a wee bit challenging. We eventually were able to coax her out of her tent  and gosh, I find myself just smiling right along with these images!!! So fortunate to have known her since she was a baby. In fact, our very first session together was in this park just 3 years ago…

I just loved the way mom’s dress popped against the deep greens and golds in this session. And her children were amazing…they basically did every single thing asked of them. A miracle!!!!

P.S. Do you see what I see in this pic?

Everything about this session was giggles, sparkles, wonder, and true family contentment. I don’t think we could have had a more perfect session if we tried and it was so much fun getting to know and work with this family. There’s one pic up there that should be viewed larger, by the way.

Speaking of sparkles, you may have seen my little teaser the other day: well, we’ve been hard at work creating the set for the 2nd annual Pinkle Toes Holiday Mini sessions!!! These kids-only minis will be held starting at the end of this month at Gro Boutique and the mini + one file is FREE when you book a full session with me for 2013!! If you’d like all the details, please let me know and stay tuned to the blog and Facebook where I’ll be posting more sneak peeks of this year’s magical set. Last year, these sessions filled very quickly, so don’t miss out.

Can’t think of anything better to do than to document the pregnancy and their time together while still a family of 3. Goodness, their little boy is beautiful and I cannot wait to meet his baby sister in a few weeks! That wildflower field was a total fluke find, by the way. I actually took a wrong turn going to our meeting spot and happened to spy it behind a car wash, if you can believe it!