Evelyn Laws.

Yes, it's after midnight. Yes, we bought a DOG. Yes, I have lost it. Yes, I love him!

  And boy does he look like a Franklin, doesn't he?  And yeah...hey guys....I'm trying to pretend in a very nonchalant, cool, and collected way that we bought a D-O-G.  Just trying to throw it in there with all of the other greatness and mundane-ness that is my life that getting a dog is just another obligitory task that gets done when no one is looking. Can I get a witness?  PUHLEEZZZZ.  The rug got pulled out from under me gang.  Way under.

Totally unplanned (like everything else in my life it seems. heehee.), and unexpected, and overwhemingly UNPREPARED.   But again, what's new.  And I have to say.......I love the little guy.  He's a Soft Coated, Irish Wheaton Terrier.  VERY soft. And very lovable. Doesn't seem very Irish.  Or Wheaton-ish. Whatever THAT is. And seems very smart and in to the children. From the start.

  I have no idea how I'll find the time to take care of yet another little "thing" but gosh dang it, what's ONE MORE "thing" to take care of right?  When your daughter looks at you and says, "Mom, I'll be poor and give up my big slumber party for my birthday if you let me have Franklin!" it's kinda hard to say NO.  Especially when her birthday is next week and Santa did write a note telling her that even though she didn't get a real puppy for Christmas he would make sure we got her just the right one for her 8th birthday.  And there you have it.
We have a dog.  Or rather, I HAVE A DOG.  Because, you know......I'm the one taking care of him. Good thing he's as stinkin' cute as he is huh?

Yesterday morning sealed the deal for me as I'm slowly letting this sync in (mentally) that we really bought a dog, she says while we are riding to school with Franklin on her lap......"Mom, my life feels so different because of Franklin.  And our house....it seems so different too."  What do you mean by different Lily?  Like better?

"OH YEAH....MY LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER NOW THAT I HAVE HIM."

Sold.  To the mom with the dirty 4runner and late bills.   And really cute kids. ;)

Sorry for the snapshots gang but just had to create a post dedicated to our new little guy!  More later on my Vegas trip and my session with the adorabel Morette Family this past weekend.

Turkey Sandwiches, Bike Riding, and Las Vegas Baby!

 

Now that I've returned from my Vegas trip and still have the bear of the BLOG riding on my shoulders from my last "balance, refocus, and get stuff done" post, I thought I should regroup and come back to the playing field. Wink, wink.  The Wedding and Portrait Photographers Convention is held every year about this time in Las Vegas and this was my first year attending.  Emmy came along and what a BLAST we had together! Geezzzz....we literally had to make the most of every second of the 48 hours that we were there.  And I think we did.  Well, we tried, at least!

With great effort from my online friends at Becker's B School, Chris and Allie Bartelski of THE REASON in Atlanta, we got the opportunity to go to the Neon Boneyard for a totally rockin' photo experience...... ready with hot little models for some fun bridal GLAM fotos. 

 

Windy and very chilly, those poor girls (and gents!) stuck it out and we all walked away with some amazing images that helped to spark the creative fuse we sometimes let die in the midst of LIFE.

I must admit though, for being as open and out there as most of you know me to be, I was very reserved on this trip.  Very observant and VERY overwhelmed.  And noticeable TIRED.  (photo courtesy of Shelby Schultz of Shelby-Studios in Peoria, Illinois)

A trip the night before to New Orleans to meet some friends and their little guy, along with having to REpack my bags at the hotel.....didn't make for an early turn in to be ready for the 8am flight to Sin City. But looking at the face below, you will see that my stop off in the Quarter was WELL WORTH it for this face! He is the son of one of my dearest friends, who is also my daughter's God father.....or PARRAIN, as we like to say.  I was so hoping to have met him before now but with them living in San Diego it's been real hard to connect.  I swear I could have just sucked the cheeks off of his face!

I had been hoping to do a French Quarter photo shoot with he, Daryl, and Kelly but didn't make it in time, so was left with hotel lobby shots.  But WOW did they turn out great.  Next time, little KC....next time your Aunty's gonna get some REAL photos of your precious FACE!  Meeting Emmy at the hotel just short of midnight, the excitement that we were both actually leaving our children behind to do this together inhibited our ability to sleep much. Not to mention we would be losing 2 hours on the trip.  Flight was bumby. I was nervous.  But it all worked out. See below for the return flight, in case you were wondering why my nerves go crazy when I fly. ;)

Arriving at the Convention was........CRAZY.  There are so many photographers in one place which made it all so interesting and intimidating and thrilling, all at the same time.  We met some awesome photog friends and wished that we had more time to really visit and get to know a few of them.  Next year, I say....next year!

If I had decided to leave my children for the whole week, I could have gotten so much more out of EVERYTHING there is to offer that week.  But....my kids come first.  So I figured 2 days would wet our palettes enough to make next year a perfectly planned trip that we would know more about how to actually plan for!

 

But, planning can be a little overated, don't you think? HeeHee.

So, on to the Turkey Sandwiches.  Yes, he is eating them. And loves them. You do not understand how fabulous and reassuring and exciting it is to know that my son, who just over a year ago was still eating baby food, is now eating Turkey Sandwiches.  Every day there are little miracles. Remember??  A medley, a GUMBO of little miracles that pop up almost every day for me.  A revelation, a light bulb, an idea that finally realizes itself, a new food he will eat, a new bike she will ride, a new concept that he "gets".....it's all there. Popping up and surprising me at every corner.  Just like the bills....just popping up everywhere!!  Oh, I crack myself up sometime. Not really. All the time is more like it.

going to pick up Lily at school....will finish my post tonight! if you've read it up until this point, check back later...more fun fotos to come!

OK...I'm back. It's 10pm, but I'm back. Now, on to bikes.  About 3 weeks ago, Lily told her daddy that she in fact, NEVER wanted to learn how to ride a bike.  She also never wanted to learn how to play soccer because.....she "Wasn't that kind of girl."  Whew, thank goodness for that huh? (big joke, my friends.  what do you DO with a daughter that comes up with such a thing at the ripe old age of SEVEN?  please send help. fast.)  Being the avid bike rider that he is, you can about imagine how well that went over.  But somehow over the three days following that conversation, he taught her how to ride that darn bike.  And she LOVES it.  Says she can RUN faster now too.  Because, didn't you know learning how to ride a bike makes one faster?  I think I might get lessons. Again.  Just so that I can run faster.  Or just so that I could run AT ALL. ;)  Not the most coordinated and big for her age in all areas, the beautiful, sweet angel of child has learned to ride her bike.  Now, the soccer is a different story. But I'll take those turkey sandwiches and that bike all day long.  Because really....what's life without bikes and turkey?

Drink......

Anyone?

e.

Trying to find the track. The right one.

 

2009 is still yelling at me.  It's saying, "Helllloooooooooo in there. I've arrived and you're ignoring me and I don't like it. Not one little teensy tiny bit!"  You know, it's probably karma nudging me in the cheek.  It's probably exactly how my children feel when I bury my face in this thing they (the computer people) call an Apple, which I would have appreciated or would have thought it to be something healthy to ingest. Apples are healthy, aren't they?  Oh wait.....wrong Apple.  I bet this one that I digest on a regular basis has more significant, yet invisible consequences than the UNorganic ones that I buy at the store. (first note to self: start buying organic. no matter how much it cost. it'll make you feel better. less guilty, you know? toxins are BAD.)  Like a dirty house, unpaid bills, cancerous Gamma or Beta or X or Radiowaves being emitted through my skin, neglected children, take out food more than 4 times per week.............this Apple might just be throwing my BALANCE off a bit.  Balance. Hmmmm.  Now that's a thought, isn't it.  I've been looking for it for, I don't know, for forever.  I think even when I was young I was unknowingly searching for that feeling of what I'm sure I couldn't describe then, but what I know now is balance.  I have a pair of New Balance tennis shoes.  I don't play tennis though.  And I for darn sure don't have balance. It's funny though, because the moms that I see and that I meet and that I am friends with (or pretend to be friends with, which is disgusting to me, but they do it too. it's part of being in a community of moms. women. united, yet so divided.  heehee.  where do i come up with this stuff?) seem to have it. And I feel so out of place. But I feel happy too. Most of the time.  I guess I'm not sure what real happiness is either. And being out of place feels common to me.  I'm a Dory in a see of Nemo's, I tell you.  Again, my brain is so warped. But at least it's real, I guess. Insert wink.

So,we have quite a journey ahead of us don't we?  Evy will try to find balance and peace and happiness in 2009.  You know, I can be a little overly optimistic at times.  My glass really is half full most of the time.  And yes, I called myself Evy.  Laws has been hearing the little ones in my family call me that recently and he has taken a liking to calling me by my name. Sometimes Evelyn, sometimes Evy.  It's the FUN me. The CHILD me. It's MOM to Laws.  And I love it.  But I digress. I wonder if the woman I am named after, who I've recently wondered a WHOLE LOT about had anyone call her Evy?  She was Evelyn Laws also.  She gave birth to my father and when he was just 3 months old she died. Of polio. Shortly before Mr. Salk invented the vaccine. 

 
You start to realize, as another one of my mom blog friends says.....Life really just isn't fair.  But once you accept that, it can almost be freeing. Bad things happen to good people all the time and it's awful.  But it's life. Nothing is constant. Everything changes. Everything. At some point it all changes. OR dies. Or just goes away.  Living in the present has got to be part of that whole balance thing I was just talking about.  Just appreciating the moment or moments for what they are. And most of the time, they are a hodge podge, a medley, a gumbo, if you will, of miracles.  Little tiny miracles that go unnoticed.  Oh, this digression problem again!

 

Being thankful is part of that balance piece too.  Every single day, on more than one occasion, we can all.....at some point find something to be thankful for.  There was a period in my life when my mom bought me this Gratitude Journal that I wrote in to help me through a difficult time and I still have it. I have a few journals that I've been toying with reading these days but just can't bring myself to open the pages.  It's simply fear.  But, being gracious and thankful can really carry you through life.  It doesn't even take much effort.  So....I will add that to my list of things to blog about.  Hey, maybe I'll have a weekly list of things that I am thankful for.  Let's build a blog "TO DO"  list NOW. 

So, new "to do" blog list....here we go.

1. Offer up things, at least once a week that I am thankful for.
(ps. music is one of them.)

2.Discuss at least one thing during that week that I learned. Good, Bad or Ugly.  Whatever it is. Just talk about it.  If I don't learn one new thing per week, then Houston has a problem. (this week...i've learned that sometimes a martini is best.)

3.Word of the week. I know, I'm weird.  I just love words, New ones. Big ones. Fun ones. I've thought about busting out the dictionary once a week and learning a new word with Lily. One that we will use a lot during that week. Being able to describe who you are, what you want, and how you want it is power.  Words can bring you a lot of places you know.  Even the presidency. :)

4.Try to mention at least one book per week. Children's book, article, or one that I am currently reading.  This is a big feat, but am gonna STILL add it to the list. (second note to self.  rather question:  why are you so damn stubborn girl?)

5. Post my most favorite photographs. Even if they are from last year.  Only the ones that speak to me. That have emotion somewhere in them. That tell a story. That show who I am as an artist. If that's what you call me, anyway.

6.Create a love/hate list. I've been working on this list for years. Mentally, at least. And well, if you know me.....my mental memory doesn't perform quite as it should since having my children. Hence, the WRITTEN down list. I've started writing down a list of all of the people, places, moments, things, stuff that I love. Or even that I like a lot.  Those little things that happen that are so small.....every single day....that make up me.  I think when the year is over, I'll have a clearer picture. No pun intended.  The hate part....well maybe I should say, DISLIKE or the NOT SO MUCH" list. I am proud to say though, that I usually focus on the LOVE list more often than I do the other. But we're searching for balance here, correct?  The yin and yang. The black and white. The plus and the minus. For example........one little thing that comes to mind that is silly but that irks the doodle out of me is.....sheets not being fully dried when retreived from the dryer. The corners are always twisted and bunched up and still WET. ugh. ugh. ugh. They need two, and sometimes three rounds. You know, the fluff cycle. I don't know why. The darn sheets. Insert chuckle.

 

7.Isn't SIX enough for now?


8.OH wait....need to hold myself accountable for my health. i.e.going to the gym. I love going to the gym. I really do. I love being fit and healthy. Unfortunately, for the past 9 months I've take a hiatus and it's not good. Not good for my brain or my body. Trust me. So, I'll drink more water and go to the gym. Tomorrow.  Insert CRACK UP LAUGHING.
9.Try to post photographs that are relevant to the post if I can. Unlike I did today.  Sometimes eye candy is all we need right?

2009....is that YOU?

Guess it is.  It really is. Wheeeewwwww.....that was quick.  Didn't I JUST say a few days ago that my renewed spirit of 2009 was kicking in and I would try to be blogging about every other day or so?  Oh, yeah.  That was about 4 weeks ago. Wow.  Gotta love being too busy to blog. Or breathe, for that matter.  So, 2008 left and 2009 has blown on in here with gusts up to 120 miles per hour.  Wreaking havoc on everything in it's path. Well, mainly just my sense of time and obligations.  Once you fall off the band wagon though, it's hard to get back up because you feel so......behind. Like no matter how much and how fast you type, you'll never be able to convey all that's been happening.  Big things, small things, irrelevant and mundane things, profound things.  All of it seems to matter enough to blog about and if I don't get with it I won't even have a band wagon to jump on anymore!   So , here's the rundown.....

I became an aunt. Again.  I missed the birth.  And hated that.  He is beautiful and happy and healthy and is gracing the face of my first post of the year.  Because he deserves it! More on him in a minute. Christmas came and went.  Santa was good. Not great, but GOOD.  He brought the Wii which I vivaciously fought off the urge to pursue in previous years but fell ubundantly short on this year. And you know what?  The kids love. I LOVE it.  Everyone seems to love it. Even if it tells me my Wii Age is 43.  And EVEN if it was only a few days before my 33rd BIRTHDAY. (insert ugly and nasty comment with eyes rolling into back of head here) Celebrated that 33rd birthday on the 3rd, which you all know will be my last magical birthday.  Unless, of course......I make it to 333 on the 3rd of January in the year........2342.  Well, maybe if Barrack plans on doling out those miracle he talked about, I might have a chance to make it that long but no one is holding their breath here. HeeHee.  Just kidding my lovely little Dem Friends.  Back to my point......it was a magical birthday indeed.  I spent the weekend in Atlanta shopping at one of my new favorite places, IKEA, for the better part of my day (organizational heaven and massive visual overload all at once), then had lunch alone at Whole Foods, and then went to see my sweet BFF in Midtown and we shared stories over....none other than the scrumptious Yoforia.  I dream about Yoforia.  Often. Shopping alone all day, having a peaceful lunch and then spending the night with a BFF on a full tummy of froyo.  Pure heaven.  Mom and Lily rode up to the ATL with me but spent time north of the city with relatives who we just love. It was nice to make the trip with them and was so glad mom got to see some of the big city.  But she has big plans for next time....as long as she doesn't have to drive!  Anything more than two lanes of traffic gets her upset, so you can imagine the fun of us driving up into about 6 or 7 seven lanes of interstate late on Friday night. Gulp. She says, "And to think that YOU would grow up to be a big city girl.  I just can't beleive it!"  Gotta love mom.  SMOOCH.  New Year's eve was low key and we spent it with some great friends. Didn't make it to midnight though. What's new?  Now about that..........NOAH MICHAEL CHAUVIN.   My little brother (well, at my age, 30 seems little doesn't it?) and his darling wife brought the most precious little bundle of Chauvin love into the world that  you can imagine.  He is like a little ball of blonde FUR. JUST like Jay Michael when he was born. And we have the photographs to prove it.  It is amazing how much he looks like my brother but manages to squeeze some of that adorable mom of his in there!

I've blogged about siblings having babies before...when my little tiger of a kid, JohnDavid snagged a big chunk of my heart over two years ago.  It truly is the closes thing you can imagine to loving your own children. It is undeniable and unmistaken.....the feeling you have when you get to hold and look at your siblings children. Jay Michael and Kristin are BURSTING with love for this little guy.  To hear my brother talk about his baby boy with such vigor and pride and flawless love and..........ahhhh......it's just beautiful. He is the most beautiful little creature who will be one of the lucky ones.  One of the children who were chosen to have selfless and open and loving parents to bring them into the world. To shelter, protect, and to encourage. Miracles abound as 2008 floats away and 2009 plops itself right down in my lap.

And thank goodness for that.

 

  It was a tough one gang that 2008.  BUT...as 2009 wraps it's big
snuggly wuggly self around me, I am happy to feel warm (well, NOT in JANUARY in FLORIDA for
> 'peeps" sake....as my daughter would say when she was a tot) and cozy and
content with embracing everything that I HOPE 2009 will be.  This poor little
thing I call a blog and has been horribly neglected, but no more my
friends......it's on THE LIST.  Again. (after I promised on the 15th of december. remember?) You know, that amazing list that everyone starts
out the year with.  The one that holds you to higher standards than you are
usually willing to be held to.  Because it's a New Year and it feels GOOD to
start over.  Be fresh. Be clear. Be fun. Be new.  Get organized.  Figure out
what's really important.  Reinvent yourself.  Or your priorities. Or both. 
Learn something new and exciting.  Push the limits. 

>
>Speaking of that. ..... La 182 already has 5 weddings on the books for 2009....Yipppeeee!!!   My sister and I will be traveling to Vegas in
February to the WPPI convention, which happened on a whim sometime last
week.......a spontaneous combustion of our blog stalking, forum scouring, and
exhaustion.  One night late when we found tickets to vegas half off we decided
that we would take 48 measly little hours and fly off to THE photography
convention of the year!!   Apparently it is the place to be, so we've decided that if we're gonna do it, we might as well get busy doing it  Some sort of wedding workshop will be in order as
well this coming year, along with new pricing and offerings.  Did I mention I have two kids?  Oh,
yeah.....them.  Those two are something else.  I have them on the list too. Well, I have trying to be a better mom on the list. But goodness, I don't need a new year to try and convince myself to be better.  I do that daily. REally.  LIke yesterday when I swore I would trade them both in for cats.  And I don't like CATS.  So there.........good mom sometimes, bad mom sometimes.  It's all I can muster up right now.  But.......took them bowling for the first time (well, it was Laws' idea...for the first time) this past Sunday night and it was a lot of fun.  Maybe the obsession with pumpkins and pretending to be Stella Luna will subside and the bowling alley will take their place.  Lord knows, I could use a reprieve from the pumpkins. ;)

Enjoy these sweet, sweet photographs of the newest addition to my family and hold on tight as I try to get a grip.  A new fancy blog with bigger and better pictures is in the works as well as a new brand for my wedding side of the business.......so much in store!  I have LOADS of photos to share with you guys from previous sessions and hope to wrap all of those up by the first of Feb. WEddings and all new sessions will start up on the 1st of Feb....with the exception of an egagement session this coming weekend in Baton Rouge at Houmas House Plantation. Yummy!

Welcome back....to any and all of the patient and diligent follower's of Evelyn Laws PHotography.  And just plain 'ol evelyn laws.  Love you guys and it's gonna be a wild ride this coming year, but hop on board and let's see what this thing called life has to offer this time around. Gulp.

Trotting along.... with a few personal notes...

AHH....so many thoughts run, or rather RACE, through my head as I sit throughout my day (or drive, or cleanup, or feed kiddies, or edit photographs, or talk to my BFF) that I feel as though I should start to put my nifty little iPhone notes to good use.  Even while lying in bed at night, with Laws' skinny little arms wrapped around my neck as he doses off to the land of nod, I find so many wonderful thoughts and things to talk about it, write about, be thankful for.  There are just so many I get wrapped up in the moment and then.....POOF.  There are papers to fill out for school, the dishes still need to be done (note to self:  yogurt spoon still in his lunch box.  will rot if i don't remember to put in dishwasher), tuition checks paid, check bank accounts so that we can pay said tuition, make sure sheets get turned on in dryer again (pet peeve:  sheets not completely dry.  like when they get all twisted and those nasty little parts stay wet. ugh.), revamp diet plan for the week (you know that changes weekly, depending on my sweet tooth.  hence, the extra 10 pounds since June), make a life list, pay taxes (not going there AGAIN!)......

So you see everyone....I am well intentioned to keep you in the KNOW with me and us and them and it.........oh, you get what I mean right?  I just run so many wonderful things through little filters all day waiting for the chance to bring it to the blog but somehow they never make it.  And frankly, I just have a hard time being......I don't know the word...superficial....for the sake of having something to write about or to put up here. I always want to have good content that I can talk openly about and not 

....."This is Jim and Sara.....and what a cute couple.  And these are their kids, Sue and Jack....aren't they cute too?"  post.

SO, with the coming of 2009 and the start of a new year and I have started with one of the things on my life list and that is to blog at least every other day and to add precious and funny and relevant and irrelevant content so that my clients, friends, family, and potential clients can have something to enjoy or something to look forward to.  Hopefully I can find something enlightening or funny (if you don't have humor, then WHAT exactly DO you have right?) or interesting to share.  Even if it's just a thought or two.  2009...here I come.  

As the holiday season approaches, I sit and look around at the busyness of everyone and everything but am finally able to (after the complete mad dash of client holiday sessions and Christmas card orders) just be.  I'm not sure what just BEING means but I embrace every Christmas season with a sense of magic and wonder and this year seems to be putting a tiny, but much needed, spring in my step in terms of being a mom and enjoying BOTH of my children.

  The past few years with Laws have literally been some of the most difficult that I can remember.  Last year at this time my heart was broken.  So tattered and frayed and worn. But mostly broken.  Broken because I felt like he was so broken. Beautiful in every way, but just broken.  The wall of an indescribable nothingness that kept him from us.  The mysterious cloud that surrounded his spirit and his face.  It was like I couldn't even SEE his face. Even though looking at him and his beauty made my insides hurt, I was staring at eyes that had nothing but grey matter behind them.  The words that do not come, the words that don't describe what we SEE when we really LOOK INTO our children's eyes still escape me.  There is something about what you feel in your heart when you look into the eyes of even a baby that seems to say....I LOVE YOU. Or I"M HERE with YOU.  Those unexplained feelings, those organic moments that happen so naturally with a typical child just DON'T with a child that has autism.  And last year, they didn't with Laws.  But this year......I see a spirit. The mountain of AUTISM that surrounded him and me and and us and my thoughts seemed insurmountable on most days.  The thought that at 3.5 years he had no clue who Santa was or why we opened presents or the point of presents or Christmas, for that matter, was sickening to me.  The repetitive words and ear piercing shrieks every few minutes started to make me weak.  I felt like on some days I would just collapse with this child that was mine and whom I would die for but couldn't seem to find. 

Over the course of this past year, after many hours of ABA therapy and a regular preschool (in which we have an aid that accompanies him for about half of his 16 hour school week) where he is required to participate and do the things that all of his peers are doing......he has come a long way. No doubt.  I pray so hard every day.  I beg for his recovery.  I ASK for a pardon for him.  I plead with St. Michael the Archangel and our Mother Mary to bring him to US.  To open up his brain, the pathways, the connections......to take whatever it is that Autism is stealing from him and give it back.  And you know, some days I think they are listening.  Some days I feel as though all of the prayers and all of the therapy and all of the love that is given to him is helping.  He has become so social and loving and we have seen so many wondrous clues as to who Laws really is.  Who this gift that we have been given is supposed to be to the world.  It is humbling and amazing.  If ever there was a mom to love their child out of autism, it will be me.  I know that in reality he will always have autism. He will always be different. But I will never......for the rest of my life.....quit trying. Never quit praying. Never quit asking.

Yet, I will forever wonder why.  Why me. Why us.  There is a reason, surely....and you know.....there are some days I see it. I see what joy he brings to us and dumbfounded at what he has taught me.  What he has taught Lily.  The beautiful, magnificent soul that she is.  One of my other only hopes for him is that he realizes one day the magnitude of her love for him.  

If a picture says a thousand words.......

 

Then gang....I'm gonna have to leave the words out for now. :)  If I can't find the time to at least write a bit on my much neglected blog, then at least I can post some of the amazing photos from my super cute, super fun, and super special client sessions!  More from Ben and Lori's wedding for now but will add more later and also will begin to post faves from all of the holiday sessions.  Once we nudge up on Christmas day I will most certainly HAVE to post photographs of the incredible cards that my clients and I created together.  Nothing like teamwork when it come to fancy schmancy Christmas/Holiday cards.......it's all about the WOW factor right?

Speaking of WOW factor......how about this for a wedding photo.

So "in the moment" huh?

 

YUM

Two yummy cuties that I had to QUICKLY post before playing TAXI MOM.  Oh yes, it's true.  I am accepting that part of the "Mommy"  job description includes skills that are relevant, or rather parallel to what we commonly call a TAXI CAB DRIVER.  Guess I should have accepted THAT ONE a long time ago, huh? HeeHee.  Will post more from sessions later.  I know, I know...that's what they all say,  ay? "Later."

Part 2.....I'm really sleeping and have learned how to multitask so well that my brain and fingers work on the computer while I sleeep.
Amazing how that works, huh?

I thought this shot was way funky and cool.  MAN....the flowers....for not having a green thumb and readily admitting that I regularly let flowers and plants go to waste I sure do love looking at them!!

Speaking of multitasking and switching gears....need to post a few photos from the ADORABLE Sanders photo shoot.  When not in my busy season I usually have time to blog about a whole session and post faves but with it being crunch time I'm going to randomly post so that everyone can see all of the gorgeous children that my camera gets enjoy!!
 

What could you do to these FACES????  Someone help me! :O)
 

The Wedding

I just had to post a few photographs from Ben and Lori's wedding today while I had a minute.  It was simply fabulous and was so incredibly happy that my little sister and I got to photograph the bride, the groom, the decorations, the yacht club, the cakes....ahhhhh.....all to die for!!!  Even though it was about 40 something degrees, it was a rockin' wedding with great food and a super duper rockin' band!! Man, they broke it down and it was amazing.

But before the wedding, Em and I had the chance to be there while Lori got dressed with her closest and dearest friends.....and her mom.....whew.....they were killing me y'all.  It was so endearing and sincere and sweet.  Tears were falling before the ceremony when these girls got to share in the shear joy of their adorable friend Lori who has waited for many years for this day.

Her dress, her shoes, her jewelry.........she was stunning.  I have to admit that I was completely nervous about showing up to the yacht club to shoot this wedding.  Not because I didn't think we could deliver some incredible shots, but because I had not done a wedding there before or in Pensacola for that matter!!  I thought, "How did Lori con me into doing this???? "  LOL!  But after going through my initial delete process I am thrilled with the results.

Here was a moment when Mom was emotional and it I was fighting through tears just to see through my lens.  I don't even know her mom and thought, "Gee, Evelyn....get a grip!  You can't do weddings if you cry all the time girlfriend!!"  I guess it's just such a big day....the one that so many look so forward to for their entire lives.  And P.S.     we only have ONE life.   so for me to have the chance to photograph something so profound.  It's humbling.

So.....trying to get a grip just talking about it.  I do have to run out the door but had to post a few PRE wedding photos in a jiffy.

 
 Look for more tonight or tomorrow........