My Love

She started Kindergarten earlier this month and is already on her way to being a "big" girl. And though every parent feels this way about his or her child, I just have to say what an honor it is to know her. She is loving, generous, and plain old fun to be around. These were taken in August during the last bit of summer, which started late around here. But at least it came.

I am hoping to post more sessions from the summer and can't believe that fall is here -- catching up is clearly not my strong suit at the moment!

Summertime

Summer is finally showing some signs of sticking around after a crazy drizzly Spring. It also means I've been home with the kiddos with little time to blog. I hope to catch up later this month... I've met some wonderful families. In the meantime, here are a few of my own when the sun came out. Happy Fourth!

Sweet Paradise

It's been a while since we went on a real family vacation -- the kind with sandy beaches and palm trees. It was really good to us! We hung with longtime friends, we walked, we chilled. Here's a quick glimpse, and for any photo enthusiasts out there, I decided to pack a bit lighter. All shots (with the exception of one) were taken with my Rebel XTi and 50 mm 1.4 lens.

At the grounds of where we stayed:

The diffused morning light with our lovelies:

The water...

And sweet life.

Missing it now but forever wanting to keep that Aloha state of mind.

New Ornament Cards

Honestly, I am not one to get holiday cards done this early, but I made an exception this year when I saw ornament cards making their debut. These are available at Tiny Prints, and they offer a nice new spin on the traditional photo card. Hopefully I will be receiving a few of these from friends myself. Such a cute idea.

For other awesome designs, check out Design Aglow. It's mainly for photographers, but my friend Tangie is offering five of their designs, so if you're interested, drop me a line and I'll see what she can do!

Here are some of the other pics my husband and I liked - including outtakes - that didn't make the final cut, but ones that we'll be happy to have in years to come. Like all other parents, taking pictures of my own kids is NOT always easy. I take 50 snaps to get "one." They whine. They do the fake smile. And I will have to pay them soon. Just get out there and do it... because it's them, and they're yours (at least until they're 18).