A Beautiful Little Angel

Little Lexi Michelle was born two months too early, and although she was a fighter, she had to leave our world and go on to be in Heaven.  Now, I normally wouldn't post about a friend's sad and very personal moment on my photography blog, but for some reason I just wanted this beautiful  little girl's picture to be here. 

When her mommy was pregnant we planned on taking maternity photos.  We didn't get that chance because Lexi was born so early.  Our plan then changed to take newborn pictures, but her little life ended too quickly.  I am sad that we didn't get that chance and that we never met.  I would have loved to have taken those first photos and those of her first steps and her first birthday and that one of her giving her mommy a big fat slobbery kiss.  I wish that my friend (Lexi's Grandma) and her daughters (Lexi's Mommy and Aunt) and the rest of her family, had the chance to run and play with her.  I don't know why this happens.  I wish it didn't have to!  I may never understand why her life was cut so short, but for some reason it was her time to go.  God must have needed a beautiful little angel for something. 

Please keep her family in your prayers.

I will remember her always!

Hand Coloring Like Mom Use To Do...
Kinda, Sorta!

So when I was a kid, my mom was into photography. She had a darkroom in our house and everything. Funny thing is that I was never interested in the picture taking part of it all. That didn't come until a few years ago. Anyway, I do remember my mom developing black and white photos and then hand coloring them. I always thought they were so cool! Now, I get to do the same thing, kind of. It's a little less messy these days with digital, but have a similar outcome.  And so much fun too!

 Top 5 reasons why I love shooting weddings...

#1 Watching a Bride and Groom see one another for the first time on the day of the wedding is the BEST part of the whole entire day!  BEST PART! BEST!!!

#2 Spending time getting to know all of the special family & friends that attend the wedding.

#3 Enjoying all of the funny moments that happen during a ceremony...like the minister's cell phone ringing during the exchange of rings (good thing the minister was the Bride's brother).

 #4 All of the fun times that go on at the party! 

#5 And of course...Taking Pictures of it all!!! 

 Life is good!  Who wouldn't want to be a wedding photographer!?!

Back to Back Shoots

I normally don't do back to back shoots because I want to make sure to have plenty of extra time with my clients, but today was different.  I've been so busy and had to schedule two sessions, one right after the other.  Luckily it worked out great and I had plenty of time with both sessions.  The best part was that the  two sessions were completely different.  

I met the first family at a little hidden park that I love.  It was so much fun.  I got to run around after a little guy, his dog and his family.  We played in the leaves and roamed through the woods.  A perfect adventure for a Saturday afternoon.  After that, I headed to a local burnt out schoolhouse that us photographers all love to frequent.  It was nice that there were only three of us photogs there today.  Sometimes it gets rather crazy and full of photographers & their clients, especially on a Saturday.  Anyway, my second client was a couple of fun High School seniors.  They were so great to photograph.  Two gorgeous young people that knew how to work the camera.  The best part was having a little mini fashion show, America's Next Top Model Style.  I let the two create their own poses and we all laughed and had a great time.  It was a super fun day!  

Another Beautiful Family 

I was lucky enough to take photos of a great little family yesterday.  These girls were so full of energy.  Their parents worried that they might not slow down long enough to get any nice photos.  Well, they were right in that they didn't slow down, but lucky for me, I have a fast camera.  It was so much fun!  

   

I'm not sure, but I think kids are my favorite subjects to photograph. They are so unpredictable and still uninhibited. When you just let them be who they are, the pictures turn out amazing!

A Day Without My Camera...Well, Almost!

Yesterday was a very special day for my three little nieces.  They were each baptized and my hubby and I were honored to be their God Parents.  The tough part was leaving the camera in the car.  Although I wish I could have a camera installed in my eyeball so that I never had to leave it behind, it was nice to simply enjoy the little sweeties as they were welcomed into the church.  Their church is beautiful, and they were absolutely adorable all dressed up and frilly.  What a fantastic way to spend the day!

Persimmons From Grandma's Garden

My son had a special day with his Grandma this week.  One of the things that they did that day was pick fruit from her yard.  He came home with a bunch of apples, lemons, blood oranges, huge pears and a bunch of persimmons.  Now, I'm not a fan of persimmons, but I think they are absolutely beautiful.  So, I enjoyed them by taking some photos and then passed them on to my sister who loves to eat them.  The rest of the fruit is getting gobbled up by the second.  It's so wonderful to have freshly picked fruit.  It tastes so much better than the store bought stuff.

Time For Focus
Okay, it's been a couple of crazy months and I've been super busy, but I have decided that I need to take the time to set my goals for the upcoming year. 

On the Drive to AZ, Just West of Palm Springs, CA

In My Personal Life...

I will focus on spending more quality time with my amazing family that I miss so very much!  I will also grow spiritually by becoming more involved in my church and community.  I will be a better wife to my wonderful man, that is truly my hero!  And I will remember to regularly show all the special people in my life how much I love and appreciate them.  I will also not forget about me and take time to plan special time just for me to enjoy my life and all the wonderful people and things in it!

My Health...

I will also find ways to bring my sexy back!  That's right...I'm bringin' it back.  We all love to look and feel good, so I plan to set goals that will enhance my health with a good healthy diet and exercise plan.  I will find fun ways to encourage a healthier lifestyle for my family so we can enjoy life to its fullest.

My Business...

I will focus on ways to better my business.  I will continue to find new ways to improve on my skills by searching out new training opportunities.  I will search for new, unique products to offer my clients, and will search out mentors that can push me to be a better photographer and business woman.  I won't forget how blessed I am to have such wonderful clients and I will remember to show them that I appreciate them!

With all of that said, I now need to sit down and plan out the details.  It's time to focus on what is important in life.  No need to wait for the new year.  I hope that all of you will also find ways to better your own lives, to enjoy everyday more fully and to not dwell on the difficulties that come your way.  I love my life and look forward to another fantastic holiday season with all of those that I adore!  (O' hey, I didn't even mean to throw out my business name like that, but hey, I did.  I guess that is kind of why I named my business Adore Photography.  I wanted to say I adore what I do, I adore all those I meet, I adore life...and so on and so on.  I know I'm a nerd).

www.adorephotography.us

Bliss!

Working with couples that are excited about their upcoming wedding is so much fun!

I just recently took some engagement pictures of a wonderful couple.  They are so truely in love and that is so refreshing!  I wish that everyone could have this type of relationship.  I can't wait until their wedding day!