Happy Birthday LyndseyBop!!!!

This is my other neice, Lyndsey, and she is 12 years old today. She and her sis, Leah, are only 12 months apart. My sis-in-law, Daphne, would dress them like twins when they were little. They have always been the cutest and sweetest of all kids (until mine were born, of course)!

I want to send a thank you out to their parents for raising them to be such wonderful people. It is such a blessing just to be around them! Here is a little bit about our beautiful Lyndsey!

• Favorite subject in school: Math (takes after her Uncle Hugh!)
• Favorite Color: Orange (represents energy, warmth and the sun - this describes her perfectly!)
• Her "thing" right now: Cheerleading
• Loves to draw
• Future Career: Pediatric Registered Nurse
  

Hope your day is as wonderful as you!!! Love you!

City Kids Goin' Country!

These are the kids of one of my triathlete friends. We participated in the Disney Danskin Triathlon last spring. What a blast! Girls - you have to give it a try!!! Margo and I both thought we were going to drown in the swimming section - but you guessed it - we made it!! The best part of it is you only have to do it once and for the rest of your life you can say, "Hi, my name is Tracy and I am a triathlete!

Not only is Margo a triathlete, she also home schools her three children. "Supermom" is definitely on her resume'! We went out to my sister's place which is one of my fav places to photograph. One reason is because my sister cooks us dinner when I have a photo session out there. Another reason is the kids have so much fun! Their experience with taking photographs is a happy and fun one. Don't you just love the old truck?!!!!

Beauty in the Weeds!

My husband thinks I am loco when I tell him I am going to do a photo session near our home. He says there are nothing but weeds everywhere! Then he looks at my photos and says "How do you do that?" There is nothing sweeter than a compliment on your work from your husband!!! Thanks Babe, for being one of my biggest fans!!!

This particular session was important to me. The family had just experienced one of the most horrible tragedies that can happen to a family. When Brittany, the mom, came for the session, I really wanted to come through for her and deliver photos that would make her heart smile. I pray that these will bring some joy to her day!

I have corrupted my child

A photographer that I admire once said that he never missed an episode of America's Next Top Model.  The photo shoots can be very educational and informative from a photographer's perspective.  So being the ever-seeking-knowledge photographer that I am, I start watching them.  I record them on DVR so I can forward through all of the drama.  (I have to confess, though, I forward less and less as I get addicted to the drama!)  Anyway, my girls wanted to watch a couple of the photo shoots.  Some of them are too risque but the others are playful and tame enough that I let them watch about 3 photo shoot sections with me.

So I am up in my studio setting up for a session and my daughter comes up.  I am changing the settings on my lights and ask her to stand for me to test them (she had done this hundreds of times for me).  Instead of just standing there like she normally does, she strikes this pose.  As you can see, she is posed from the tip of her fingers to the tips of her toes!  

She is only 5 years old!  Where did this come from?  Then I remember the shows and immediately I begin envisioning all of the sessions she will have to have with her psychiatrist to straighten herself out.  As parents, don't you wonder how much of what you do (or don't do) will shape your child into what kind of person they become as adults?  

To save my sweet baby girl some future doctor bills I made her watch 3 episodes of Jeopardy.   I will keep you updated on if it works or not! :) 

6 month Cutie!

I know this mom is anxiously waiting on a sneak peek of these!  6 months is one of my favorite stages to photograph in the first year.  At this age they are starting to develop their own personality and it is so much fun to see it happen!

Thank you!

I wanted to send out a thank you to this mom for hanging with me.  She scheduled an appointment a couple of months ago (when her daughter was turning 1 year old).  We had to reschedule a few times because of illness and other things.  Then I got so busy with the Holiday Season that I was unable to fit her back in.  We finally got together and captured these beautiful 1 year (or 15 month) photos of her daughter. 

Happy Birthday Leahbell!

Leah, my niece, is 13 today!  My kids think she is so cool because she is a teenager!  Here is a little about my beautiful Leah:

• Loves everything about music
• Favorite thing to do - sing and draw
• Favorite color - red (mine too!)
• Favorite subject in school - science
• Favorite Aunt - Tracy (ok - so, she didn't actually say that - but I know it's true!)
• Future career - Doctor and/or Singer

I love you, girl - Have a great day!!!!!

Che bella bambina!!!

Mom and Dad are both Full Blooded Italians!  This can be to your advantage when you are trying to birth beautiful children.  These photos are proof that it will work every time!  This family drove all the way from Raleigh, NC for me to take their daughter's photos.  Ok - so maybe they have family living here that they happen to be visiting.  But the mom did say that she didn't want any of those stinking photographers in Raleigh taking her baby's photographs.  She wanted the best for her baby - Life Gallery!  You go girl!  You are number one in my book! :) 

Turning 1 Year Old!

I have had so much fun with this family.  They started a photo project when their son was born.  The project was to take at least one photo a day to capture his life in the first year.  I am honored to say that I was the subject of one of those photos!  At one of our sessions they asked to take a photo of me!  And, oh, how they love that boy of theirs!  I just love parents that can't get enough of their kids.  Thanks, Jon & Julie, for letting me be a part of the first year!  

You take my breath away too, Sweetie!!!!

Give a child a mirror and watch them come alive!  

Does vanity really start that early? :)

Happy Birthday to My Middle Child!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE!!!!

This is my second of 3 children and today is her birthday.  She is 7 years old.  Some sweet facts about our Grace:

• We call her Graceful because she is the most clumsy child we know.  
• She looks more like me than any of my other children
  
• She has the heart the size of Texas
• We also call her our leech because when she snuggles you can't get her off of you!
• If she ever draws a picture she always draws her family and it says "I love my family"
• Things she loves (her words) - God, her family, reading and puppies
• When she grows up she wants to become a Teacher

She is definitely our lover of the bunch!  Thank you, God, for giving us such a special blessing!!!!  

NY Giants Win!

Well the Giants win - I wasn't pulling for them - but I didn't lose any money either!  Who lost some big money yesterday?  Come on - Fess up!  You know, now that I think of it, I bet my husband bet on that game and didn't tell me.  He doesn't tell me either way - if he wins or if he doesn't.  If he loses he has to deal with my belly aching and if he wins he has to share the loot!  I can deal with losing thousands of dollars in the stock market better than I can deal with losing $30 to a FB game.   My husband thinks I am psychotic to think this way.

Two Little Beauties!

Don't you want to take this one home with you?

She is just as sweet as she looks, too!

If angelic could be described by a photograph...

We even got big Sis to to agree to a few photos - after a little bribe!

Then we played hide the lollipop!