Family Fun! {McKinney, Frisco Photographer}

I had so much fun with this precious family the other night.  It was hot hot hot but they just kept on going until we got the pictures we wanted.  I was dismayed to find that my favorite secret wildflower field had been mowed down, but it worked anyway without the flowers...and there were certainly less critters.  These girls were simply adorable and I reaaly enjoyed my time with them!

I Love My Bear! {McKinney, Allen Photographer}

Meet Mr. A.  He is 15 months old and FULL of energy. I learned several things about Mr. A yesterday. First...he doesn't like to sit in grass (well...it is pretty itchy sometimes), he doesn't like to remain in one place too long (who does at that age?), and he LOVES his little bear. Probably two thirds of the pictures I took had Mr. Bear in there somewhere. But, you know what? That endeared him to me. My precious youngest son is now 7 years old and he has had his lovie dog named "Poochie" since he was in the crib. If we ever lose Poochie I don't think he will sleep again for the rest of his life. I just loved watching Mr. A cling to his bear and I love that his mom allowed me to take the pictures with him in them. I promise...when he is 10 or 12 she will look back at those pictures and be so glad the bear was in them. Oh...I learned one more thing about Mr. A: he LOVES his mommie!

Long Awaited and Much Loved!

I had the honor of photographing the 7 day old baby of some old and dear friends.  This precious little one was long awaited and long prayed for.  I remember talking with his mommy many years ago when she decided to try for a baby and then the many years in between when it seemed at times that hope was fading fast.  And yet...here he is and he is BEAUTIFUL.  He did NOT want to sleep and his mommy was starting to stress (lack of sleep will do that to you), but I have patience due to two kids of my own and we waited him out.  We didn't get many sleepy pictures or cuddled up in a ball pictures as he had a mind of his own, but we got some beautiful ones. Here are just a few....

Sweet, Sweet Baby {McKinney, Frisco Photographer}

I had the best day today - I got to spend a couple of hours with Mr. L!  He is 7 days old today and as yummy as they come.  Once he got fast asleep, we had the best time playing with him and putting him in the positions we wanted.  I will say though, that even in his sleep, he didn't want his hands messed with.  I tried and tried to prop them up, but he was determined that his hands belonged to him alone.  So...meet Mr. L.  Couldn't you just eat him up??!!!

Dancing through the Fields!{McKinney, Frisco Photographer}

I just realized it has been a month since I last made a blog post.  The end of school, our family vacation, and some personal family issues have all conspired to overwhelm me.  I have many sessions to catch up on and blog.  I find that I tend to promise to catch up and then I never seem to get it done.  I will promise to try and catch up this time!

I had to start with this session.  Cheryl is a praise dancer and is the national coordinator of the International Christian Dance Fellowship for the United States.  She needed some updated pictures.  I suggested that we take them in my favorite hidden field.  I was captivated by these pictures and had to share.  I have to say I think this was one of my favorite sessions to date.  It was fun and creative - in spite of the numerous chigger bites I ended up with from laying down in the wildflowers!




And now a little vintage treatment just for fun....

Senior Beauty!

I had the opportunity to photograph an amazingly beautiful young woman this week for her senior pictures.  I met Miss "B" when she was only 8 years old and we moved in next door.  Now she is 18 and graduating from high school.  It is hard to believe the years have passed so quickly.  Slammed does not even begin to describe my week and I haven't had a chance to even begin processing her photos.  However, there were two pictures that I knew when I took them I would love them.  I found them and edited them quickly to give her a sneak peak. Wow! I see a model in the making here!

Weekly Word

Have you ever been in a situation that you knew would change your life?  You can experience it with another person and they may not be impacted, but for you, you know you will never be the same.  That happened to me this morning and is the basis for the scripture I chose for this week.

I was at the school volunteering in my 1st grader's class.  An announcement came on to lock down the school.  We quickly locked the doors, closed the blinds, got the children on the floor against the wall with their heads down and arms over their heads.  This was NOT a drill.  Even as I type these words I feel the emotion of that moment again.  I looked at my precious, beautiful, and innocent child and wondered what the next moments would bring.  I knew in my head that this was probably nothing, but the nagging thought is still there that it was for some reason.  Word came that the McKinney Police Department ordered the lockdown for safety for something that was going on near the school. 

As we sat there for about 15 minutes in silence, my thoughts were all over the place.  I prayed fervently for safety.  I also discovered something about myself that I had wondered about for years.  We always say we will lay down our lives for our children.  I had always wondered what I would do if put in that situation.  Would the instinct to save my children prevail or self preservation?  I always assumed I would save my children, but what if I didn't.  (I know, I know...it seems stupid but it has been a tormenting thought for years).  Well...now I know.  As I sat there wondering, waiting, and praying, I was also planning how I could angle my body to cover the most children if a gunmen came into the classroom.  There was no hesitation.  My only thought was how to shield the most kids. 

I also struggled with the separation from my older son hunkered down in another classroom.  I could only pray for him that he was not fearful and that God would protect him.

As it turned out, the threat was some kids shooting off air soft guns near the school (they were not kids from our school).  Everyone was safe and class went back to normal.  I did not go back to normal, however.  I am profoundly changed.  I am deeply aware of the thin thread of life. I knew it before, but am reminded again that we are not guaranteed another breath.  I know that God protects me and my family, but I also know that His protection may not take the form that I want it to.  I am thankful that this was "nothing", and I am thankful for the reminder that each day and each breath is a gift from God.  I want to grab my boys and hold on tight and never let go, but I know that is not possible (nor would they let me do it - there is too much to do to hug mom!)  In my heart; however, I will hold them tight.  I will remember that editing photos because a client wants their pictures can wait an hour or two until they go to bed.  I will remember that while the socks in the living room annoy me, at least I have the ones that took off those socks alive and well in the next room.  I will remember that the muddy footprints tracked across my wood floor are signs of life - two little lives that I love and adore and could never live without.
Most of all, I will remember that I have a God in heaven who watches over me and takes care of me.  He is faithful to me even when I am not faithful to Him.  And He enables me to do what He calls me to do, even when I am afraid and have no strength. 

So...the weekly word is Phillipians 4:19.  The broken down fence almost completely consumed by the nature around it reminds me that while it is weak and seems to be failing, it is still holding up and serving it's purpose.  Blessings this week!



Thank you to Myssy Thompson and Julie Kuehn for both sending in this scripture.  Please don't forget to share this with your friends.  The person whose scripture with my picture gets the most comments will get an 8x10 of their weekly word from me. 

Aimee