Here we go... third day of the mini-shoots in Fayetteville. A couple more full sessions to come too!!

Sharing these highlights from the Fayetteville shoots I did last week has been such a treat because there is nothing that I love more than piecing together and re-living all my favorite moments from a session. It's like those highlight reels that get put together at the end of every sports season... oh man, those always get me a little choked up. Growing up as a competitive swimmier I have many good memories of seeing photos from throughout the year put to the tune of "We Are the Champions"... oh yeah... and it made my little heart just well up with pride. So, random story, but same pride. I love what I do now and I simply will never tire of proudly sharing it with you. These are some awesome kiddos and awesome families....

Going along with the theme of a child's curiosity, wonder and love for life, here is a poem and some more sample images of the kids and families that I had the privilege of playing with!

"Do you ask what the birds say? The sparrow, the dove,
The linner and thrush say, "I love and I love!"
In the winter they're silent - the wind is so strong;
What is says, I don't know, but it sings a loud song.
But green leaves, and blossoms, and sunny warm weather,
And singing, and loving - all come back together.
But the lark is so brimful of gladness and love,
The green fields below him, the blue sky above,
That he sings, and he sings; and for ever sings he-
"I love my Love, and my Love loves me!"
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

As I mentioned earlier, last week I have had an awesome extravaganza of mini-sessions in Fayetteville as a part of a MOPS fundraiser. Getting to meet and spend time with so many families consecutively confirmed what I love about photographing children... they have a vast amount of wonder and fascination for the smallest things... simply running through the grass can release the most pure laughter.... blowing bubbles can create giggles that also float towards the heavens... and just a few little M&M's can go a long way (I never said that I was above a little bit of bribery!). Anyways, here are a few favorites from my first day. We were mostly playing at the Botantical Gardens where the weather was gracious to us and the green grass beckoned! Thank you again to all these amazing families that played with me and my camera. At the end of the day I was exhausted, but oh so happy.

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

Jenn and I had been emailing for weeks before I arrived in Fayetteville for their family shoot.... so I was looking forward to finally meeting this precious family that, I confess, already had a hold on my heart because I knew they had 2 great danes. So when I pulled up to their home and Jenn came out to greet me, barefoot and gorgeous, I just knew that this was going to be an awesome session of hanging out and capturing the sweetness of their interaction with each other.
Their three little girls were waiting patiently on the couch for me to arrive and they announced immediately, "We're ready for you to take our picture!!!" Okay, melt me, thank you. Then I met the dogs and I swear my camera never stopped snapping because I just didn't want to miss anything! We romped, we played, and I feel like we really captured so much of what makes this family so special. It was a great start to my time in Fayetteville, so thank you guys!

**Notice the precious dresses on the 2 younger girls! Jenn was inspired to make them out of vintage linens after seeing the idea here.

Meet my scrump-dilly-iscous little nephews. You may remember seeing these guys from one of my more recent visits, oh my that last one still makes me laugh. Anyhow, I just got back from another visit in Fayetteville because we are moving there next month!! Yes, my hubs has officially taken a position with the Air Force as a Public Health officer and that means that I will officially become a military wife! I hadn't announced it here yet because I wanted to craft a beautifully laid out transition plan about how I will specifically be working once we move, but alas, that perfect plan has yet to come to fruition (bah!).... I DO know that I will still be working with clients in Charlotte, while also serving folks in Fayetteville and Raleigh as well. So, if you happen to be a client in the Queen city, just know that I'm still planning on seeing you, but it might just take a little more planning! I'm amazed that for all the places that we could have been stationed all over the country we landed a mere 2.5 hrs away.

Now, getting back to my most recent trip to Fayetteville... well, I have about a gazillion images to edit thanks to my oh-so-amazing-networking-like-mad sister-in-law, Tori! She set up an impressive number of shoots as a part of a fundraiser for her MOPS group. I got to meet a slew of awesome families and I can't WAIT to share some of those highlights, but until then... enjoy these gleeful moments that I shared with my nephews and just consider how excited we are to live right around the corner from these guys!!