…when it kind of looks like summer. But I know so many of you love fall when it gets chilly and rainy. At any rate, fall is here to stay, and this little yellow leaf is a sign of things to come.

Tara is one of those few kindred spirit people I know. I always feel like we could spend hours talking about life, though we never really do due to different schedules and four little people between the two of us. If I was to guess, I’d say a lot of people feel this way about Tara—she’s just a genuinely wonderful gal.

Suffice to say I was thrilled to get to photograph the Mackrills this year. Ava, Olivia and Rowan are such a fun and diverse group of kiddos, I knew I’d end up with great shots of them! What I didn’t know was how often I’d smile and laugh while editing this shoot. Enjoy!

I’m going through a few photos, sifting and editing images from July for my sister-in-law Chelsea. We had a great visit with her and Roots, her fiance, and my nephew, who was neatly housed in Chelsea’s pregnant tummy at the time.

It’s kind of crazy how fast life changes, isn’t it? We had no idea that Baby Tafari would make his entrance into the world in August and not in October. Certainly Chelsea and Roots had no idea of the intimacy they’d soon develop with a Phoenix hospital, and for sure none of us back here had any idea of how many times we’d be petitioning God for a safe delivery and a healthy baby.

I love that I got a few shots of Chels and Roots prior to Tafari’s arrival. And I love that God heard our prayers and protected both mom and baby in recent months. From what I hear, little Tafari is now tipping the scales at over 4lb and he’s doing better all the time. It’s remarkable how well he’s doing—we are so grateful! I can’t wait to snuggle him in person.

This morning I took a friend’s son to school while his mom and big sister attended an orthodontist’s appointment. I hadn’t spent time with this kiddo at all recently and I marveled at how much he’s matured in the last year. Only in third grade, he’s already sounding so smart and knowledgeable—and both Livia and I enjoyed having him with us in the normally hairy before-school hours. Turns out he was just the motivation we needed to look like cool, calm, collected normal people this morning.

In the hustle and bustle of life—of school and work and extracurricular activities and foster care training and, oh yeah, trying to sell a house—I wonder if I’ve forgotten something very important: my friends’ kids.

I was once a part of a group of women that got it right. They loved each other’s kids incredibly. By example they showed me how to love someone else’s children. We had a long-running Bible study/accountability group; it lasted for almost a decade. If you walked into a room of these ladies, they’d always reach for your baby. And what an amazing blessing that was to me, to have someone who would love my child when I was really tired of dealing with teething and drool and poop, etc. Because we studied the bible and held each other accountable to God’s call in our lives (or at least we tried to), we knew each other really well. Which meant we knew each other’s kids well. Talk to a mom and you’ll eventually learn about her children! I was the godmother to one friend’s children and, in pre-Liv days, bought a pack-n-play just so another friend’s babies could sleep or nap over at my house. We celebrated each birthday with excitement. We threw each other baby showers when a new arrival was expected. Or, in my case, they threw me a baby shower once we had adopted and brought Livia home. I could go on and on, but the point remains that these gals taught me how to care for each other’s children.

Life does get to moving at a fast pace—that’s not just an excuse. I live in different circles from many friends these days; I have an elementary school kid while they still have little ones at home. Still, I think it just means we have to work harder to make time for one another, to make time to get to know each other’s kids. Maybe it requires a bit more creativity, a little less “me time” and a little more reaching out.

Older folks say these growing up years go pretty fast. I want to soak up this precious time, for me and my friends, before it shoots right past me.

I am a strong *day* person. You know how folks always ask whether you’re a morning person or a night owl? My answer is “neither.” I can’t string together a rational statement past 10:00pm and, as Jeremy knows well, I don’t want to look at a bill or sign a check after 8. I’m not an uber early riser either. But daylight does me good, and once Livia is off to school, I love using the mornings productively.

After some general house-tidying, I push open the blinds, open my laptop, attend to a few details, and get to work on photography or writing. The clock ticks away in the corner, my husband’s chair creaks and rolls up in his office, and Shiloh leisurely rolls over in the rays of sunshine that land on his cozy bed.

Today I am editing a wonderful family photo shoot that sometimes makes me laugh out loud. Think you can guess who these cute little legs belong to?

I came around the farmhouse after the ceremony and found the newlyweds on the porch, taking in a few brief moments for themselves. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a bride as confident and happy and absolutely relaxed as Jenny. My brother is a lucky man indeed.

Congratulations, Andrew and Jenny! We love you guys.

Back of my neck getting dirt and gritty… And yet, we’re still playing outside, absorbing the sun’s hot rays and loving summer.

I highly recommend Superhero help for all your common household chores. Recycling becomes RECYCLING! when a Superhero is involved.