October 5-on-5: Big Girl Bike

A few years ago, while at soccer practice for my son, I saw what seemed to be a toddler riding a two wheeled bike without training wheels!  With some serious admiration on my face, I approached the parent to find out more.  I learned that the bike was specially designed without pedals for new bike riders.  Instead of training wheels, it teaches them to find that balance on their own by gliding.  I was sold on the idea and later thought that when our girl was to the stage of learning to ride a big girl bike, that would be our route.

But, as a cheap-o Mom, when I came upon a second hand princess bike at a garage sale for $7, I had to snag it up.  I had hopes that my husband would be able to take the pedals off and it would work the same.  So, our girl had her first try recently.  My husband was able to remove those pedals and she walked along the driveway and sidewalk at a snail's pace.  But, I would still say it was a success!

She eventually understood that the point was to push the bike and lift her feet while it rolled, but it took a few tries.

 And to prove it - we even had a few falls, which was all par for the course.  She didn't love the falls, but she did love that doll getting to have a ride along, and checked on her often.  Such a good little Momma.

And just like all good Mommas, she was very protective of her girl, wanting to make sure to shield her from the paparazzi.  Ha ha!!

Ready to hop?  Go check out my very talented friend, Jenny Bowers, Southern Michigan documentary photographer.  I know you'll love her work as much as I do!!

Until next time,

September 5-on-5: Learning New Games

When I tell people that there are 8 1/2 years between my children (yes, you read that right, eight and a half years), I usually get a bit of a shocked look.  I often laugh and agree with their shock and tell them that it was God's design and not mine.  And while I wouldn't have chosen it before experiencing it, the truth is that I have been loving it for a while now.  My son is a fabulous brother and natural teacher.  I could not imagine him to be a better helper for his sister (most days - ha ha).  And since our family enjoys playing games together, it seemed very fitting that my son would be the one to teach my daughter to play her first game.

I recently found a few old board games buried in the basement, which included the classic Chutes and Ladders, and brought them upstairs.  My son had a great time teaching, and my daughter loved the individual attention she got from her big brother.

She was very good about listening to her instructions and finding out about how the game ran.  My son used the pieces to show her how they would count, move, chute and slide.

 One of the biggest challenges of playing the game was working the spinner.  It took a little bit, but eventually our girl got it down with ease.  And of course, learning those numbers and counting them out is an important part of playing a game.

 In the end, our son did a great job of teaching his little sister a new game.  So much so, that by the end, it was easy for her to show HIM just how to do things.

I will continue to soak this up as long as I can.  I know the time will fly.

So, it's time to hop to the next blog.  I sincerely hope you take the time to make the circle back to me because the other photographers in our circle are pretty fantastic.  Go check out Carol Zanarotti - Fotografa de famila em São Paulo.

Until next time,

A Stop on The Journey Home - Lake Erie

Aahhh the journey home.  I love vacation, don't get me wrong.  But long hours in the car with children is enough to drive you a little mad.  There's something about sharing air and the same confined space for hours ... and hours ... and hours on end that makes you love your own space and air so much more.

Since a portion of our drive was very close to Lake Erie, it was an easy decision to stop when an accident backed us up and had us detour off.  It was nice to get out of the car, stretch our legs and breathe some fresh air.

I love watching my kids play.  Their young hearts love to explore and experience new things.  As a Mom, that is always the neat part about watching them grow!  My boys have had a long love of rock skipping.  It is a pretty fun Father-Son tradition.  Now that our girl has gotten a little bigger, she has jumped on board as well.

 It was so sweet to see her searching for rocks.  At the same time, I was holding my breath every time she squated down for her find.  And not to be confused with the boys, she is still a little dainty and is not a real fan of dirty hands (or anything really).

While documenting our daily life is what really makes my heart sing, I will forever love God's creation in nature.  I love the details and the curves of the land and the way it all flows together.  No matter what I photograph, I do it in hopes that when I look back, my memory will be flooded with textures and sounds and smells from that time.

 And feels.  All the feels from when I see little hands stretched out to be cleaned or big arms flinging rocks through the air with our son.  The deep down, soulful feels.

Until next time,

Just a Country Drive

So, after visiting Horseshoe Falls the previous day, Aaron ended up getting sick that evening with what we think was possibly heat stroke.  Since we knew we had a 12 hour car ride ahead of us soon, my husband thought it would be best to at least try and explore a little via car to see how his body responded to travel.  We took a short drive up the Niagara River and remained close enough to the hotel that we could turn around and head back if needed.  It seemed to be a good middle ground and it was pretty neat to see the water that feeds the monster we had been visiting all week.

 We stopped a few times to get another view of the river, but mostly just enjoyed the drive, the air conditioning, and the chance to relax.  After our close travels, Aaron seemed to be doing ok, so Jason had a second stop up his sleeve.  We drove out to New York and attempted to find the Grand Canyon of the East.  Our drive was one neither my husband nor I anticipated, with farm land for several hours, and wind turbines that covered land for as far as you could see.  We agreed that neither of us had ever had such a back roads experience before, which is saying a lot for a girl from Ohio.

 We eventually reached our destination and it was certainly a beautiful piece of God's country.  From high points to deep valleys, the view was simply spectacular!

I always have a soft spot for light streaming through trees.  It tugs at my soul every time and reminds me of the great ways God has created and works in His world.  And when you add in my peeps, I love it even more.

After a long day of riding, it was time to make our way back to the hotel at Niagara for our last night.  Before we left, I wanted to get one last set of everything at night.  My original plan was to go to the top of our 22 story hotel, but I am sure no one will have a hard time believing that it wasn't accessible.  So instead, I got to step out onto a small balcony on the 15th floor restaurant and get a few shots. 

It sure was a lovely view over the city we had been exploring for a week.  Hopefully you enjoyed seeing it as much as we enjoyed experiencing it.  We have one final stop from our journey home to share with you from our trip.  I can't wait!

Until next time,

Horseshoe Falls

Since all of the falls are so enormous, there are a variety of places and ways to get a good look at each one.  While the boys (and I) enjoyed our first voyage to get close up to the American Falls, it was the second one that was my favorite by far - seeing the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side up close.

A great day of exploring starts with a good breakfast.  My son is such a great brother, encouraging his sister to eat up and helping her do so.  They are a hoot.

Because of the shape of the Horseshoe falls, you can get a different perspective there than you can at the American Falls.  I loved that I wasn't getting soaked (don't worry, I still got plenty wet), and could get a full view of the falls (and even a peek at the American Falls).

And even though you got a full view, you were close enough to see some pretty awesome details.  And just FEEL the power of the water.  Still the rushing sound echoes in my ears.  Unbelievable.  We were also able to go behind the falls in tunnels and look out holes where you could almost touch the water, but needless to say, those pictures were, well, rushing water over holes in tunnels.  And not exciting.

My peeps.  And the first rainbow we really saw with the falls.  And that one of my girl drying her hands.  She suddenly seemed so grown up.

And of course one final look over the falls, as we knew our trip was coming to an end soon.  Only a couple more stops.

Until next time,

Up Close and Personal at Niagara

After a day of exploring Niagara, it was time to get a closer up view of the falls.  We started with a boat trip on the Maid of the Mist.  The boat takes you (and 500 other people) along the side of the American Falls and then right up to the Horseshoe Falls.

As you can tell, one of the biggest challenges to taking pictures when you get up this close is, well, that you are up this close and the mist is intense (and covers everything).  It was a good encouragement to shoot fast and embrace the experience.

Once off the boat, we got our first chance to walk alongside the American Falls on the path you see below.  The moss covered so much of what you saw and was a beautiful and unexpected touch.

We moved on to the other side of the falls and explored the Cave of the Winds.  Because of how close the path is to the falls, the wooden decking is taken down every November to avoid the harsh winter and rebuilt EVERY spring.  Crazy.  But, clearly worth it, as we waited in 90 degree heat for almost two hours.

This was definitely the closest we got to the water, where at only half way up, the falls literally flow over your feet.  Our girl was NOT a fan, so she and I stayed behind while the boys went to the top.  From what I hear, it was AWE-SOME.

After some drying out, we hitched a ride on the trolley where our girl spent some time waving at anyone she saw and enjoying being just like Daniel Tiger.  And then when we found a carnival, where our son was bound and determined that he knew the secret to climbing the suspended rope ladder.  He definitely made it farther than I would have.



Our night was capped off with ice cream (it WAS vacation after all) and watching some fireworks over the falls.  Sometimes the view of your people though is far better than any fireworks in the world.

 What a sight - fireworks over Niagara Falls.  Only a few more days before our return trip.  I can't wait to share the rest!

Until next time,

August 5-on-5: Daddy's Shoes

It's hard to believe that our 5-on-5 blog circle has just completed its first year!  If you are unfamiliar with blog circles, it is group of like minded people (in this case, documentary photographers) that link their blog posts together to give their followers a chance to see work similar to what they do.  We are excited to welcome on some fabulous new photographers to our circle, so whether this is your 1st time circling through the blogs or your 13th, make sure to click the link at the end of each post until you come back to the photographer you originally started with.  And feel free to browse around their blogs, go find (and follow) some new photographers on social media and leave us some notes of love!  We documentary photographers love finding people who "get" us and the style we shoot.  Now, onto my story!

Recently, my family went on vacation to Niagara Falls.  Like any good vacation, we had some time just chilling in the hotel room.  One particular morning, our girl decided she needed to do the obligatory wearing of Daddy's shoes - as well as tying them herself.  She was so adorable in them, I just couldn't resist a few shots.  It took me back to the days of my now 11 year old doing the same thing.  Be still my heart.  Her stance was so perfect.  Big shoes = big steps, right?  That little personality too - biting that bottom lip because she was unsure if she still might be in trouble.

OH those laces.  Those sweet, adorable "tied" laces.  She is well on her way to being officially too big.

 Once over the fear of being in trouble, the proud stance came.  So clearly excited about all she had accomplished.

And then finally a little overwhelmed by the idea of the big steps, it became important to focus on her feet.  Melt my heart.

Time to circle on!  Check out the work of amazing Maryland lifestyle family photographer, Jennifer Krafchik of Jennifer K Photography!  I know you will love it!

Until next time, 

We Have Arrived!

After travelling for 12 hours over the course of two days, and taking a 4 hour stop to gawk at an Air Force collection to make your head spin, the fact that you have finally reached your destination is a lot to take hold of.  For our first full day in Niagara, we decided to simply explore.  Since we stayed in Canada, we were able to have a great view of all 3 falls.  As we walked the path, it was both mind boggling and jaw dropping to simply see them in person.  Every time we came to an opening, it seemed that would be the best view - and then we would walk more and change our minds.  It was truly incredible.

The falls you see below are the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls (the small ones to the right).  Visitors are able to cross over bridges to see different parts of the falls, including being able to walk right along side the falls - if you look closely in a few photos, you can see people in ponchos along the sides.

 The American Falls were diverted through a cofferdam in 1969 to study the effects of erosion and consider removal of some of the massive amount of rocks you see at the bottom.  Due to time and money, the rocks were left, and I love the piece of interest and texture it adds to the scene.

 Eighty-five percent of the water from the Niagara River flows over the Horseshoe Falls you see here.  While all the falls have their own immense piece, the Horseshoe Falls are definitely more powerful.  From the crazy height of the mist, to the roaring sound of the water, there is little argument that these falls have a bigger impact.

 Along with all of this, is the opportunity to ride a boat right up to the falls.  There are so many boats, trying to get a picture of the falls without one in it is a delicate timing dance.

 Our peeps certainly had a good time seeing the falls from different angles and feeling the mist as we stood on the sides, along with all the other visitors to the Falls.  We even had some fun as we went singing songs from church and playing under a huge hanging tree (that acted more like a fort).

And the new selfie stick - which my husband dubbed the "Family Pic Stick" - it went everywhere with us.  I laughed, but forced my husband to include me in his iphoneography.  At least I'll end up in someone's pictures.  HA!

Our final exploration was a walk across the Rainbow Bridge to the US where we were able to see the rapids more up close.  I felt like they were a little misleading, knowing what was at the end, but beautiful none the less.

And walking across the bridge means a walk back post sunset, which was pretty cool.  Next stop?  Getting up close and personal with those falls!

Until next time,

Let the Vacation Fun Begin!

So, I don't know about you, but I look forward to vacation just about all year long.  A chance to get away.  A chance to see new things.  A chance to explore new places.  And maybe a chance to relax - although not always.  As we considered our destination this year, we originally planned on the Grand Canyon, but as the time drew closer, we decided we might be better off to give Emma a few more years and find something else grand to see.  So we decided instead that we would hit Niagara Falls!  We had a few stops along the route that we wanted to hit, but our first one wasn't even on the radar.  However, since my dad is a huge golf lover, my husband thought the home of the world's largest golf tee (in Casey, IL) seemed like something too big to pass up.  See what I did there.  ;-)

As you can see, Casey is home to many big things!  We only stopped long enough to find the World's Largest golf tee, rocking chair, and wind chime, but the town also has the world's largest crochet & knitting needles, along with a list of other large sized items!  It was a welcome stop along the way.

Since we drove, we decided our first official destination would be an overnight stop in Dayton, OH so that Aaron could see the Air Force Museum.  All the years I lived in Ohio and I never even knew it was there.  I won't lie, it was hard being in my home state (only an hour from my hometown) and not call anyone to catch up, but with a tight schedule, it was a sad necessity.

The Air Force Museum did NOT disappoint!  With four full hangars of U.S. Air Force planes, and mannequins setting the scene for almost every one, it was like being taken back in time.

Our first stop was the hangar dedicated to WWII.  Since my grandfather earned a purple heart during the war for saving his crew when their plane crashed, it was important to me that I find the plane he flew in, a B-26.

His position was that of a tail gunner, shooting from the back of the plane.  It was surreal to look at something so immense and think that my grandfather flew in this and saved the lives of the men on board, all while having the job of shooting down the enemy.

With four hangers at the museum, each one has it's own purpose and time period.  Since Ohio is the "Birthplace of Aviation", as well as the birthplace of Orville Wright, it only makes sense that there would be a section dedicated to the early years of flight.

The shear size of these planes is just amazing.  Thinking about the work many of them did to fight for and defend our country in their years in the air was just mind boggling to me.

The magnitude of these planes is crazy hard to comprehend.  I know it is hard to see, but my peeps are in that image above, front and center (Emma is on Jason's shoulders).  Crazy.

And this bad boy - well, he's something.  Stealthy and dark and unlike anything else you would find in the hangars.  Truly unbelievable.  My boys (especially the tall one) were definitely star struck.

When you have small children, and are in a place where climbing inside the cockpit of an Air Force fighter is allowed and encouraged, you - just - MUST.  My son was definitely in awe, but our girl seemed to have her own interest that was equally intense.

Something else that was pretty intense was keeping us all happy.  Finding a way for my boys to explore and gawk, me to photograph, and keep my daughter entertained (and safe) was certainly challenging.  So when a large opening came in one of the hangars, and she begged to spin in her dress, I caved.  Follow that up with some brotherly affection and you just can't pass on it.

And then.  Then came the comedic highlight of the morning: a flight simulator where my son took the simulation to the next level.  While the other boys on the ride faced forward the entire ride, my son was following, reacting to, and attempting to reach out and touch everything - the whole time.  It.  Was.  Awesome.  I still get the biggest smile on my face just looking at the pictures.

The next stop was the Presidential Gallery, where four former Air Force One planes were suited with protective plexi-glass and were open for the public to walk through.  It was a literal walk through history seeing the technological advances through the years.  Within the planes, eight former presidents had conducted business for the free world and it was incredible to try and wrap your mind around.

A few final shots of some fun things on our way out, including that enormous and beautiful quilt my mother would be in awe of.  With so many amazing aviation marvels to see and experience at the museum, it was difficult to pull ourselves away, but we knew we had more great things to get to and explore.

And reach our final destination we did.  Hello Niagara!  Last shot of the night (around midnight) out our hotel balcony door.  What a sight!  And I can't wait to show you more!

Until next time,

First Haircut

I will never forget Aaron's first hair cut - mostly because there are pictures.  One before and one after.  The before: a smiling, happy, slightly shaggy one year old.  After: a crying, devastated, clean cut one year old.  He had the cutest little smile and animal hair cut apron on.  And he had no idea what was about to happen.

Emma, on the other hand, at almost 3 and half, has a much better chance at understanding what is going on.  She has watched her dad and brother both get numerous hair cuts in our bathroom and even got to witness me get an impromptu cut by one of our close friends, Robin.  And it was at that time that Robin let me know that our girl's hair really needed to be cut (and since she is a previous hair dresser, I knew she was right).  She said that her uneven length before ever having it cut was a tell tale sign that it was past time.  And while I can (mostly) place the blame on my husband for the first 3 years without a cut, certainly the last almost 6 months have definitely been the Momma dragging her heels.

Our girl was all in though.  There was nothing about the hair cut that was worrisome or scary to her.  She knew just where we were going and what was going to happen and was even looking forward to it!

 Once in, you could tell there was a tiny bit of hesitation - mostly because of the response of the children around her.  She was pretty sure she was in safe hands, but wasn't so sure about the kiddos' responses on either side.

 Even though Frozen was on for her enjoyment, you could tell that her eyes were really on the mirror in front of her - and I get it.  Whether because of being unsure or excited, keeping a close eye on things sure made sense.


Before we knew it, we were all done, and got a braid with butterfly clips to finish it off.

So, pretty painless.  No tears.  No devastation.  And a styling big girl to boot.  First hair cut checked off the list - and one more way our kids are growing up too fast.

Until next time,

Chalk Drawings

Ahh summer.  Days of hula hooping, sprinkler playing, and sidewalk chalk drawings.  The things that remind us that playing in the cool of the shade or the heat of the sun are both welcome pieces of what summer is all about.  And when your littlest one has been begging you to draw pictures of "our familee" and has started describing in detail the things she is adding, that is something you have to hold on to.

Little Ms. Independent right here.  I have no idea where she gets it from (wink, wink), but she sure has grown comfortable in her role.  (Side note - no worries about the shelf being pulled over - it is screwed into the wall behind.)

 After very little begging from my daughter, my son joined in.  She wanted him to help build the house for the family.  The teacher in him kept asking her about the number and things he should include.  I love that in looking at these, I can hear his voice asking her questions.

 Lots of collaboration to their project.  Necessities on the list included clothing and hair for each family member, rooms in our house, and our family pets (all 5 of our fish).  Their concentration was pretty intense and adorable.

As they drew, our daughter would look to the house for inspiration.  She added windows, doors, a car, and her brother gave her a street for the car to drive on.  It really was amazing to see and hear her little imagination working at a pretty quick pace.

 Brother got tired, but sister was going strong with the wind tossing her hair around.  I loved her determination and ability to shut out the world.  And that little mark of blue chalk across her cheek was the best.

I feel like my son's big lip above is a piece of how I feel watching them together.  I know they have to grow up, but man, why so fast?  It all makes me even more thankful that I can freeze these times forever.

Until next time,