the c family | family session @ jetton park

I don't know about you, but I'm not really keen on getting my picture taken. Maybe that's one of the reasons I ended up behind the lens: to decrease my chances of being in front of it!

I think a lot of people feel a little insecure about having family pictures made. There are always tons of excuses:
"I need to lose some weight first!"
"I don't know what we'll wear."
"Let's just do pictures of the kids."
"I don't really like those fake smiles."
And those are just *MY* excuses!

Which is why I feel so honored when a family comes to me to have a full family session. I know just how hard it can be to take that step to even schedule the session, let alone pick out what to wear, and then convince everyone else in the family to cooperate!

When AnnMarie contacted me to schedule her family's session, I knew it would be a special one. She has a great attention to detail, and her kids are a lot of fun. When we were chatting about what they should wear, I suggested she check out my Pinterest board with family photo color palette ideas and wardrobe suggestions. She decided to go with a classic gray, black and white palette with denim, and boy did she knock it out of the park! This family does not look "matchy," but no one can deny they go together!

We decided to head down to Jetton Park on Lake Norman since it offers such a wide variety of environments to take pictures. We started off around this great climbing tree to try to take advantage of the little bit of fall foliage that was starting to show its colors. After a little bit of discussion between the kids over who would get to use my yellow chair, it was decided that E would get to stand on it for the group picture, but G would get to sit in it for pictures with his dad.

I love this picture! I took one where everyone was looking at the camera with great expressions, but this one? Where they're all sort of joking with each other, and laughing, and being a family? This is the one that speaks to my heart.

There's a gorgeous covered walkway at the park, complete with fabulous, aged sliding doors, not to mention a gorgeous, architecturally interesting opening. I couldn't resist grouping the guys together for a little fun. G was such a ham! Things started off a little stiff, but then I asked him to show me his best "super model" pose. Oh man! He just RAN with that one! He started striking pose after pose, and cracking himself (and all of us!) up at the same time.

Next, it was time for a "family line-up" along those amazing doors. Want to know which one has the stinkiest feet? Well, I'll never tell!

For good measure, we popped over to the swing for a few small groupings. And yes, I got an amazing picture of E and J laughing into the camera, but this one? With her little impish smile directed up to his big brother, pre-teen face (he was trying SO hard to be serious here)? This is the one that gave me a glimpse into their relationship. She looks up to him and adores him, and even though he thinks he may be too cool to show blatant affection, he can't resist her. Sigh.

We had some more fun with the swings, and then walked over to the "beach" where there used to be Lake (the water is so low right now) for a few more family group pictures. And then, I decided to get artsy...

Be afraid. Be very afraid!

I explained what I was envisioning for these last few shots: C and AnnMarie having a sweet kiss while autumn leaves gently fell around them.

Sounds romantic, right?

So the kids gather up armfuls of leaves, mom and dad have a little kiss, and....

WHAP!

A huge clump of leaves and pine needles smacks them right in the face!

I swear I had asked the kids to throw the leaves UP into the air to fall OVER their parents, not to throw them AT their parents. But kids will be kids, eh?

Once again, we all dissolved in laughter as we tried again (and again, and again, and again...) to get the image I had envisioned.

And just look at those love birds! After over 16 years of marriage, they've still got it. ;)

Thank you so much for letting me into your lives!

Heading for Home

There's a reason why Ryan is almost always the lead-off hitter.

Not only can he hit, or wait for the walk,

But once he gets on base, he is F.A.S.T.

And, yes, he made it all the way home. Again.

Girls Will Be...

girls. But in my world, being a girl means that the best way to pass an afternoon while your brother is playing baseball is by making mud pies, er, castles...

Tiny Dancers

After nearly a year of instruction and practice, the girls are ready to show off their skills at the school's dance recital.

The Fort.

Some day the wooded areas of my yard will be beautifully maintained and landscaped.

They will have paths and maybe benches and perhaps little rock walls.

Oh! And pinestraw covering all the messy stuff. Not that there will be any messy stuff because all of the big sticks and branches and stones will be gone (because they're going to be maintained, you know...)

Some day they will not have forts popping up everywhere I turn.

And that will make me kind of sad.

Let's Flip!

Over the past few years we've tried enrolling the girls in a variety of sports-related activities:
T-ball? Hated it.

Basketball? Um, no thanks.

Dance? It's okay, but not our favorite.

Tumbling? LOVE IT! And I mean L.O.V.E. it! Their little, strong, bendy bodies are just made for this stuff.

They just turned 7 and they're doing back walkovers!

Next year they want to leave the dance school tumbling program and move to a school that focuses entirely on tumbling.

Maroon and White: Spring Game in Blacksburg

It's hard not to be a Hokie fan in our house! But we've been hesitant to take the girls to a football game yet. After all, it's not cheap, and who wants to spend the game listening to whining?

Kevin and I have been tossing around the idea of going to the Spring game this year. When the morning of the game dawned with gorgeous weather, we decided the time had come to take the whole family up to Blacksburg.

So far, so good! Apparently they've decided that tailgating is fun.

The guys enjoyed watching the warm ups and seeing some of the famous football alumni down on the field.

The girls' favorite part were the snacks, especially the lemon ices, but in between snacking they took turns sitting on daddy's lap.

After the game, the field was open for the fans to come down and get autographs from the players.

{ETA: you know the guy who lost the tip of his thumb during a game this fall and just kept on playing? THIS is that guy! How cool that I got his picture and his autograph!}
The lines for Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams were so long! I stood with the girls at one end of the field and collected signatures on Ryan's and Kevin's baseball hats while the boys waited in line to hopefully get one of the "big" autographs.

The autograph session was formally over, but Ryan Williams hung out a little longer. Our Ryan wormed his way towards the front of the line with his VT jersey and a sharpie (it was his #34 jersey, Ryan Williams' number). We stood back and hoped for the best...

When Ryan emerged from the crowd, his grin told the story!

Dessert for Dinner? It must be April First!

Life can be so serious. And as parents the weight of teaching our children about healthy eating can be daunting.

Thank goodness for the fun of creating family traditions! A few years ago I decided to throw my kids a curve ball and surprise them with dessert for dinner on April Fool's Day. The delight they felt when they came in and saw a table laden with doughnuts and cookies and other treats didn't come close to what I was feeling about their reaction.

They had forgotten about my little "trick" by the next April, and so I got to experience their surprise a second time. Now this little break from our normal routine is anticipated and has become a family tradition. And Kev and I have fun coming up with new ways to inject a little bit of surprise.

This year? We decided on an ice cream sundae bar.

And they were thoroughly delighted.

Double the Luck?

Finding a four-leaf clover is lucky, right? So what does that make a SIX-leaf one? I didn't believe Ryan at first when he said he'd found a 6-leaf clover--I thought he had just stuck two regular ones together, sort of an early April Fool's joke, but no. It's the real deal!

Knocking off the Cobwebs

Ours is a baseball family. Okay, that's not entirely true, because Ryan also plays basketball, and there is a lot of time devoted to college football and golf by those with y-chromosomes in our crew. But the sport that will always hold a special spot in our lives is the game of the boys of summer.

Kevin played baseball throughout his childhood, and we fell in love listening to the Orioles on the radio, eating ice cream in his El Camino. When we had a son, there was little question that he would be introduced to the game. And when something is taught with the love and enthusiasm that my husband has, one can't help loving it too.

He has coached all of Ryan's teams, starting when he was just a tiny four-year-old playing T-ball. And now parents actually ask to get their sons on his team. He's the kind of coach that inspires kids to strive to be their best. And he not only teaches the "hows" of the game's skills, but also the "whys." I might be a little proud of him... (you think??!!)

This year he has two more dads who have volunteered to be assistant coaches.

Tonight was the first practice of the regular season, and the excitement was hard to miss. But this is just the beginning for our season which will extend well into the end of July thanks to the challenge and All-Star league tournaments that Ryan participates in too.

Ryan is a good pitcher, a really good hitter, an excellent center fielder, and an outstanding base runner (brag much, Anne?). There's a reason that he's the lead-off hitter on every team, and his nickname is "Wheels" because he rolls around the bases so fast.

I've always enjoyed watching him play ball, but over the past few years, as the kids' skills have increased it has become downright exciting. I can't wait to see what this season will bring.

Boys Will be Boys - {Capture the Flag}

My house runneth over with nerf-gun bullets. Every place I look there is bound to be at least one of those bright orange sticks lying around. Not only is Ryan obsessed with them, his sisters gladly join in the nerf wars around the house.

Parents are not safe from being ambushed either. But now the weather is nice outside. And I have moved the nerf wars to the great outdoors.

The boys in the neighborhood are having a great time joining in the nerf madness, and the game has morphed into capture the flag.

Kevin is often commenting that perhaps the kids are old enough to take down the play set (which I am not even remotely ready to accept). Now, thanks to this newest game, I can point to the fact that it is still being regularly used by even the older kids...

Even the most camera shy will allow me to stalk them during capture the flag.

The shouts and laughter as the kids play actively outside fill my heart with gladness! I love that they are having so much fun just being kids.

And I really love that the nerf bullets are now raining down outside for the next few months...

Growing Up {POTD}

We tend to measure our children's growing up by the big milestones: first smile, rolling over, crawling, walking, talking, potty training, etc. But so often the tiny moments in their lives that represent maturing are lost on us.

Today my girls have asked to please have more "grown up" panties. With flowers on them. Or peace signs. Or polka dots. Or days of the week. Or just, gulp, plain.

So while I rejoiced the day(s) that we moved from diapers to big girl pants, today I'm feeling a little sad to leave those days of princesses and care bears behind.

Shoot. Dribble. Defense!

I can remember when watching one of Ryan's basketball games was tedious, at best.

When the scores never made it into the double digits.

But now our kdis are learning how to set up screens and picks and get around defenders. Not to mention how to run a great defense (our team has led the league in defense this year).

Oh, and those single digit scores? Ryan has gotten into the double digits in points on his own a few times!

Basketball has become in a word: Exciting.

Shall We Dance?

Our elementary school began having a father daughter dance last year, and it was such a success that it is now an annual thing. Pappy had been wanting to come visit and watch some of Ryan's basketball games, and this seemed like a perfect weekend for him to come and do something special with all his grandkids.

The girls were excited to have two escorts! They rarely want to wear dresses anymore, and it was so enjoyable getting them all dolled up. And what is a dance without pictures?

I DO like them, Sam I am!

I have always remembered Dr. Seuss's birthday a few days too late to have a fun and silly celebration of our favorite author. This year, the girls' first grade classes had pajama days and pancake parties to celebrate so I got my act together to do something at dinner.

Ryan knew about my plans, and was excited to join in the silliness. Thing 1 and Thing 2 were so surprised! Thing 2 dug in to her green eggs without hesitation, but not Thing 1 which wasn't too big of a surprise since she doesn't like them when they're yellow either!

Twenty Tiny Toes

A picture can relay so much information about its subjects. For instance, when I look at these little toes I see:

1. Katy's personality shining through with her choice to paint her toes lots of different colors. In a pattern.
2. Livie's love of order with a single color choice (and her current favorite color is blue).
3. Katy's toes are sticking straight out, with confidence, and she's having a hard time keeping them still (see that one big toe that's in mid-tap?).
4. Livie's little toes look a little shy, curling back and under just the tiniest bit.
5. Katy's feet are shaped a lot like mine (and my mom's, and my sister's, and my maternal grandmother's): kind of wide at the front, and narrow at the heel. But she got lucky with nice toe nails that just beg to be painted (mine are really itty bitty teeny tiny).
6. Livie's feet are shaped a lot like her daddy's (and his mom's): somewhat narrow at the top and more narrow at the heel, and her first 3 toes are all even in height. She also got lucky with those fabulous toe nails!

And this is what I love about photography. That so much information be captured, and preserved, at the touch of a button.

Lunch on the Deck. In February. No Jackets Required!

I may have mentioned that I really enjoy winter in North Carolina before, but the sentiment bears repeating! It's February. And we've definitely had some cold days, and even a little snow.

But today? Today is gorgeous. And when the girls asked to have lunch outside, I simply had to oblige.

Our pal Syd spends a fair amount of time playing with my girls. Let's just say that the path between our homes is well-worn in both directions!

I'm sure there will be more cold days ahead, but we will take these spring-like days any time God chooses to give them to us! (Have I mentioned that I am in love with this 50mm lens? So glad I went ahead and got the 1.4 f-stop...)

Loyal Fans?

As the younger sisters of an athlete, the girls have logged lots of hours in gymnasiums "watching" basketball games and practices. Thank goodness for these little game pads that I found in Wal-Mart this year! They love to play the boxes game where you connect the dots and try to make as many boxes as possible, and these pre-printed sheets are wonderful!


They also regularly raid my purse for gum, mints or lollipops. And this is my Picture of the Day (POTD) for my current project 365.



Will the Real Livie-lu Please Stand Up?

Everyone who meets Livie thinks that she is shy. They think that she is very quiet. And to be fair, that is the way she acts around people she doesn't know very well. It's also the way she acts at school, because the thought of getting in trouble for her behavior is not something she can handle.

It takes her a long time to show her true self to people, particularly adults. She needs to know a grown up for a while. Like years. And folks are always amazed when they get to meet the Livie we live with for the first time!

You see, she is a complete ray of sunshine in our home (except when she's not, and then she is rather whiney...). There is very little about her that is quiet.  And she has an amazing, dry sense of humor. She is forever making us laugh!

Oh, and she is nothing like her brother when the camera comes out... Then she really turns on the charm and begs me to take her picture! We always get such a kick out of looking back at outtakes from group photo sessions that she's a part of because her facial expression is so animated, and it changes in every. single. shot.

So while we're thankful that she is well-behaved at school. And it is probably a good thing that she is wary around strangers (even if she's known them for a year). We always look forward to the moment that she decides to introduce her true self.

Hitting the Neighborhood Slopes

The hills in our neighborhood may not be really high...

but they sure are fast!

And they are REALLY fun!

And they are absolutely filled with kids.

And are definitely filled with laughter. 

I don't think anyone could tell you how many times each kid went down and then climbed back up the hill. 

Sometimes there were unexpected endings (aka crashes) into a garage... 

And not everyone has full winter gear, since it is generally not needed.

They rode down the hill in every combination you can imagine... 

The only really consistant thing was the laughing! 

We did figure out that these plastic toboggans were the fastest.

But we didn't have very many, so the boys came up with their own solution--just pile on, and hang on tight!

Love those little pink cheeks! And yes, she does own a hat, but it was really rather warm (relatively speaking, of course). 

And eventually the grown-up folk just couldn't resist giving the slopes a slide too!