Waiting for the sun to shine

My early bird. My happy girl. Charlotte is up with the sun, always cheerful and always hungry. 

This morning she opened our door and said she couldn't find Baby. So I stumbled around bleary-eyed, looking under her covers, under beds, in their closet... until I remembered that she had fallen asleep in my arms last night before our guests left. I had carried her to bed and covered her up, sweet girl, and pulled her mosquito net around her, without remembering to tuck Baby in with her. Luckily, I found Baby "playing hide and seek" behind a couch cushion, and we averted tears and a crisis. She even snuggled back in between Chris and me and we all dozed off for a few precious minutes. Hallelujah.

When Chris kissed us goodbye this morning, Charlotte was still snoozing. She woke up just a minute after he'd gone and immediately asked for him. I told her that Daddy had kissed her cheek before he left for work. Darling and literal as she is, she felt around for his kiss on her cheek but couldn't find it. :)

She saw light coming through the blinds and asked me to open them so she could watch the sunshine come up over our neighbor's house and the big oak tree out back. So we watched. And waited. In her beloved little orange polka dot dress (thank you, Laura) that she has worn for the past five days in a row. I choose my battles wisely, folks.

This girl is such a gift. Unexpected as can be, she is beautiful proof that God knows what He's doing, even when we do not. 

It is such a pleasure to have this bit of alone time with her this summer, while my older two sleep the morning away. I may not always be happy to be awaken before the sun rises, but this little gift of ours is just so darn sweet, that I can't help smiling at her every time she climbs into our bed. 

Have a wonderful weekend with the ones you love, my friends.

Mine | January 2015

So in 2014, my "main camera" for my own family was my iPhone. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for it and I'm super glad to have had it. I firmly believe that the best camera is the one you have with you. But in trying to create my own family's photo books for the past couple of years, I was sad to realize that I don't have very many "good" high-quality photographs taken of my own children. Let's face it, you can only blow up an iPhone snap so large. 

But.... Hello, 2015. You are a year of fresh starts in so many ways. One of them happens to be portraits of my children.

So in 2015, I vow to create portraits of each of my three children (at least) once per month. I'll try to feature them here on the blog to keep myself accountable. It might be quick shots of everyday life, we might be out and about, or it might be a quiet moment at home or an orchestrated full-on photo shoot. I'm leaving creative freedom open to do whatever I want. I just want them DOCUMENTED. Tantrums and all. It's why I became a photographer in the first place, years ago.

So this is Installment No. 1. January 2015. My babies, the way only I can see them.

And maybe a few extra. ;)

This is for them, just as much as it's for me. Because they need to know.

Love to you.  xx

Downtime

Just a little movie watching on Bubby's bed before dinner. They were quiet and still for a few minutes of Mary Poppins while I finished up some work. 

I can't believe summer is almost over and the two big ones will go off to school next week. Charlotte will miss them so much.