Lauren & Baby Honeywell

The Moreheads moved from The Grand last month. I had a lot of nostalgia as I photographed the scene and recalled all the years of living next door. I took one last moment on the front porch steps where we spent countless hours watching park activity (“It’s not rubber-necking if you’re on your front porch”) and surveying our little ones as they played. But it was hard to be sad—afterall we left the neighborhood a year ago and now my friends were moving to a house that better served their growing family’s needs.

Congrats on the new home, Jason and Renae! May you make many wonderful memories in this new space.

My adorable nephew Noah turns four. Love him.

It was my joy to meet up with the Vogel family several weeks ago for a photo session. Watching Amy and Conrad delight in their wonderful little guy is incredibly satisfying. We prayed and hoped for this child for a long time before he landed in their arms—and he is wonderful! A new walker, Zane charmed me as he explored his world.

Thanks for spending time with me on a sunny April morning, Vogels! Let’s do this every time you visit Nebraska.

Floral arrangement by Chelsea Tredway

Staying at home most of the day on a bee-u-tiful Saturday afternoon was unacceptable. I got the itch to go out and accidentally managed to drop in the camera store a minute before closing time. I’ll save that outing for sometime next week. Livia and I also ran into my friend Jill, her mom and her three little ones—a fun, unexpected surprise! After that we went to Holmes Lake, shared some dinner and played. Liv’s version of playing involved lots and lots of swinging. My child could swing for hours it seems. My version of playing involved my new little point-and-shoot. We’re still in that getting-to-know-you phase, but I feel like we’ll be a fine match.

So far I’ve discovered the Canon Powershot SX210 IS is adorable and teeny, has a lovely wide angle that comes in handy for landscape shots and it will satisfy my macro desires until I can afford a lens for my dSLRs. I can set it to Manual and then manipulate aperture and shutter speeds to my liking. There are a lot of funny little settings—kids and pets? faux tilt-shift? fireworks anyone?—and I plan to monkey with those as well. This little guy will never replace the incredible precision and clarity of my Nikon D2x, but that’s not what I’m asking it to do. I want it to submit to my photographic will and to sit nicely in my bag when I travel. I think it’ll suit me just fine.

I posted on Facebook yesterday that Livia got a gorgeous floral arrangement delivered to her at school. I explained to her 2nd grade teacher that my daughter is blessed to have a talented aunt as a florist!

Here are a few more images of the bouquet—including the green flower that is the coolest and most interesting carnation I’ve ever seen. Note this shot is taken looking down into the arrangement.

Something else to note is that I snapped the photos with a new-to-me camera: a Canon Powershot SX210 IS. Purchased from a friend, the price point was just right while the features I desired were there (namely the ability to shoot in Manual mode). I’ve long wanted a camera to toss in my purse, something I could easily travel with. My professional workhorse—the Nikon D2x—is a giant among cameras and I protect him with my life. No purse-traveling for him. ;)

Livia wanted to buy them for me.
I wanted to buy them for me, too.
It was a win-win situation.

Well-played, Target roses. You have filled my kitchen with beauty this week.

Last fall, just before the Wittmanns welcomed their super cute and precious little foster son, I shot their family portraits. I always have a great time with the Wittmanns because they are fun and sassy and always keep me entertained. I’m pretty much breathless by the end of our time together after chasing down four kiddos!

I’ve said this before—and truly, I’m not just selling myself here—family portraits are almost invaluable. You will use and appreciate your images for years to come, and you will always look back and cherish the sweet times you had together. It is my philosophy to capture kids being kids. I will not force or coerce your children to smile and pose and be happy, and this informs the way we’ll go about our time together. I also have limited shooting hours this year as we’re taking in foster children, so really, if you want to hire me, message me soon and let’s get something on the 2013 calendar.