Pancakes, Painting, & Portrait Memories

So, I have this friend, well, really, I have this FAMILY of friends, who are up against some pretty tough stuff right now (please hop on over to #keirastrong to find out all about it and be praying for their family).  And when life deals you a rough blow, you have some choices to make.  Turn away, or stand strong and fight.  My friend, a feisty young red head named Keira, has decided she is going to fight, and her family, and tons of friends, are fighting right along with her.  And when you are in the midst of a fight like hers, holding tight to normal, everyday life is something you just have to do.  My friend, Keira's Mom Robin, immediately said yes when I suggested that we spend some time doing pictures.  I invite you to set aside a little time with this extraordinary family as they go through a typical Saturday morning of pancakes, painting, and some portrait memories.

The morning started sleepy eyed and lazy.  I find great significance in the little details like that specialty made plate for my friend and always love to include them in my images.  I love being able to reflect back on those little things we might easily forget, as well as remembering morning snuggles or our kids playing in their rooms.

 My friend and I had a good chuckle over the toe popping.  She said that since her daughter's diagnosis, that has become a regular routine for them.  And those beads on the table; oh those beads.  These are Keira's Beads of Courage.  Each color represents a different type of treatment she has received during her long journey.  It is a full mason jar and will continue to grow.  That jar, coupled with the image of her serious stance below, give you a glimpse into the strength this young lady has.

Since our families have been friends for a while, I love watching the girls do things together.  Often times, it includes my daughter and I love to watch how they work together and help each other.  And these ladies are such independent women in the making.  So much desire to do it without help and telling Mom to step back.  Oh how personalities shine!

 Something I love about this time of day is that each person comes into the story one at a time, just like any household.  It is neat to see the story slowly expand.

 It's also fun to see the groggy morning wash off and the silly come out.  We joked that some sort of argument would normally be had with a family of 5 kids.  To help out, Taran threw his hands in the air, breaking the room into laughter.

While Keira's silly was coming out, Caden's groggy was still washing off. Gotta love the disappointment over his sister making him a Mickey pancake when Pluto is his favorite.

But of course, cooking can't be all work. There has to be some fun and games, and face swap is a love of this family for sure! Always great laughs.

A little more play time with the girls, as Dad started stirring and joined in.  It was then time for the family painting!

My friend combined some great ideas on Pinterest to incorporate each person's hand print into one piece.  She also picked each person's favorite color to add the perfect touch.  The goal was to cover the entire canvas with hand prints, overlapping them to leave no white space.  When we first started, it was going to be one person at a time, but then all the kids were chomping at the bit and sort of jumped in!  It was amazing!

 I loved watching everyone find space to place their print and find a good balance with their colors.   It was a great team effort to see it come together.

I loved this moment.  Keira's favorite colors are pink and purple.  At the end, we needed to fill in some space and since the prints were wet, her pink print got mixed with purple.  It was the perfect filler.  And Mom's tattoo of Proverbs 31:25 ("She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come") was icing on the cake.

Once the painting was finished and left to dry, the girls convinced Mom that their hand prints should be a part of the deck.  "For the memories?", they begged.  Who says no to that?  After everyone else went in to wash their hands, Keira decided to paint her name as well.  Definitely the time to document life happening right before your eyes.

 Painting means clean up with assistance, which Momma is usually happy to chip in with.  Then it was time to change clothes and do some family portraits.  More time for Momma's help.

I so enjoyed this laughable moment with Keira.  Searching for shoes under her bed, way way under her bed!

If you have several girls in your house in one bathroom, you can appreciate this time.  These ladies rocked it though.

Keira was convinced that her lovely mom and sister needed no makeup, but when they were all finished, she changed her mind and put on her own bright pink lipstick.  Momma and I had a little laugh (boy was it bright!), and then she was told to take it off.  Needless to say, she was disappointed and took a moment to sit with Daddy.

Our final stop was some portrait time.  My friends shared that they had a Japanese maple in their front yard that had taken years of special care to bloom the way it has and they just adore it.  It was a must to do everyone's pictures there, and include their home as the backdrop.

 So much love in these moments too.  You have to adore the hand holding with the siblings.

And everyone deserves their own minute in the spotlight.  Especially since my friend and I have been talking for months about another project she wants to tackle with some pictures of her kiddos.

 The girls insisted on one final shot before Marissa left for work of everyone with the family dogs.  Everyone just sort of piled in and it turned out fantastic!  I am so glad they asked for it and Mom and Dad agreed!

We were all wrapped up and we stepped back inside to chat for a minute before saying our goodbyes.  As we finished talking, Robin realized the painting was probably ready to be finished, and I HAD to document that too!!!  Initially, Robin was going to finish it all alone, since the lettering was delicate and needed to be handled slowly with the paint.  However, as she started working, the family just jumped in and you can't stop that.  It was a great way to polish off our time.

One more for the road.  Love them so.

Until next time,

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

If you're a parent, you are well aware that not everything about parenting is pretty.  Some days, well, some days are just ugly.  They are long, hard, dirty, grumpy, force you to dig in your heels, and can down right bring you to tears.  So when one of those days came this week, the documentary photographer in me went for my camera, because these moments are just as important to me and our story as the bubbles-in-the-field-at-sunset moments.  While they are both real, the moments that have you in tears are more raw and hold an all important piece to who we are on the inside.  Building strength and independence requires some moments of grit and tears to remain determined enough to make your mark, even if it's over finishing your dinner.

 You see the size comparison between the remaining food and the crocodile tears, right?  And truth be told, I could have really cared less about her finishing her food.  She remained because she was playing while everyone else ate.  Of course, once everyone was gone to watch her show, that's when the tears set in.

 I didn't breathe a word to her.  I silently moved around her and shot.  This exchange lasted about ten minutes, and you can see that she quietly began to drink and take small bites on her own.  She then even started hiding, playing, and laughing with me and my camera.

Then, as soon as it had started, it was over.  She took her last bite and slowly slipped off her seat to go join the boys in watching her favorite super hero: a Super Girl who is her own strong and independent girl.

Until next time,

April 5-on-5: Spring in Bloom

Photography is a beautiful thing.  It can be such a blessing to forever capture moments and beauty that is fleeting and changing.  But let that sink it for a minute - it is captured FOREVER.  And sometimes, especially as a photographer, that simple fact can become overwhelming.  So, I decided a little while ago I was going to slow down and shoot less.  It has helped me to reconnect to the world around me.  My daughter and I sat outside earlier this week and played with bubbles - and I was simply present, even though a part of me was sort of wishing I was shooting.  I soaked in the laughter of my daughter and the sound of rustling leaves in the trees and the smell of blossoms in the air and enjoyed what God was doing.  For my 5-on-5, I wanted to shift my focus to the beauty of nature I noticed while I took a break - and went and took pictures of later (you didn't think I would break too long, did you?).  I believe nature is proof of how glorious God really is.

Our tulips are just beginning to come out and they are radiant.

Blooms from our Bradford pear tree a few weeks ago.

 The leaves that have replaced those blooms.

Amazing the detail that can be found ...

 on a tree this size.  Which in comparison to the world, is really nothing to talk about.

Something that is worth talking about is the rest of the extremely talented photographers in this circle.  Please make sure that you go full circle and see what Danielle is doing at Danielle Macinnes Photography.

And before you leave, what about you?  Are you in need of a break?  Why not take a pause, even if it is only for a day or a night?  Turn off the distractions, and just be present.  Take in the smells and sounds and feels that you might otherwise be missing.

Until next time,