The Way I See It

New and Renewed

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last year, I was given afront row seat to a most incredible story.

A love story of sorts thatwas, honestly, nothing short of a miracle.

Meet Mary and Travis.

Mary and Travis who sograciously allowed me to witness their miracle, to capture it with my camera,and gave me permission to share it with you.

I got to know Mary and Travisin the fall of 2008 when they asked me to take some engagement portraits forthem. I was way new to the game and so honored that they would trust me withthese important photos.

Imagine my shock andexcitement when Mary called and asked me if I would then photograph theirJanuary 2009 wedding. Their beautiful, beautiful, Shove Chapel wedding. I stuckby Mary's side for 12 hours that day and loved every minute of it. I learned somuch about her sweet personality, her love for Travis, and her hopes and dreamsfor her relationship with him. But I didn't know everything.

I was deeply saddened whenI learned, a year later, that the first year of marriage had not been kind toMary and Travis. This sweet, young, happy, hopeful couple was allowing theirmarriage to fall to pieces.

Through a few conversationswith Mary, I learned that she and Travis were giving up.

They were not caring foreach other.

They were both behavingselfishly.

Neither really knew - orwanted to do - what was right.

And sometime during thefall of 2010, the for sale sign went up in the yard, she moved in with herparents, and they filed for divorce.

Their marriage was finished,but God was not. And it was during this unstable and confusing time that Godbegan to work in Travis's heart - began to ask Travis to trust Him and to enterinto a real relationship.

But as Travis drewcloser to God, Mary continued to move in the opposite direction.

Her heart was hard.

But God continued to pursueher.

Then, as is often true inlife, everything changed in an instant.

Mary - young, healthy,vibrant, Mary - was diagnosed with Cancer in April.

Ovarian cancer.

Stage 3 and spreading fast.

She underwent majorsurgery. The doctors talked treatment and survival rates. Her family tooksurvey of what their future might be like without Mary. Everyone was so soscared and so so brave.

And God continued to pursueMary.

Mary asked for Travis tocome.

Even with all the wonderfulfriends and family surrounding her, she was missing him. Her body was brokenbut her heart was coming back to life.

Travis did not hesitate. Hestood by her bedside and - although the divorce was well underway - hefulfilled his vows to his wife. For better or for worse. In sickness and inhealth.

From that day on, they wereinseparable.

And sometime in-betweenchemotherapy treatments and surgeries, Mary and Travis walked into the officeof the District Clerk and stopped.their.divorce.

The desk clerk beamedat them, and as they left the office, hand-in-hand, he whispered to hisassistant, "That NEVER happens." Mary and Travis had made his day.

As Mary neared the end ofher chemo treatments last fall, she helped her sister welcome a new baby boyinto the world. Shortly after, I was asked to photograph her with her tiny, beautiful, bald nephew.

Mary herself was beautiful and bald.

When I look at these photosnow, I see God's promises written all over them.

I see how fragile life isand how faithful God is. He is powerful and all-knowing and good.

In mid-November, Mary wasdeclared cancer free.

Free.From.Cancer.

We have all been so, sothankful for the healing of Mary's body, but it is the healing in her heart, inTravis's heart, and in their marriage that causes me to rejoice.

Mary and Travis havefreedom in their hearts.

On Thanksgiving day, Travisheld Mary's hand and told his family, "Today, I am thankful for my wife."

Two weeks ago, I met upwith Mary and Travis once again at Shove Chapel. The place where it all startedthree LONG years ago.

They are new people,

with a new relationship,

and a renewed hope in inthe Lord.

Two years ago, they werelost and broken and hopeless.

But today, they are aliving testimony of a God who does not give up on his children, a God who neverwrites us off as too far gone.

They are proof that God'slove and grace are irresistible - and that He will pursue us to the far ends ofthe earth.

Five Weeks to Better Shooting: Week Four

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

"...for five weeks, I’m only allowing myself one shot each day.Not one photo – no, one shot. One click of the shutter.* And whatever it is,whatever comes of it, I have to show it to you. Blurry, overexposed,misaligned, and all.

But I know myself – I know that because I have to show it,I’ll be more careful with the shot in the first place. Which is the whole point. To be more careful. To be more intentional. To look...."

Here’s what came of week number four.

Wanna start from the beginning?
Week ONE
Week TWO
Week THREE

Five Weeks to Better Shooting: Week Three

2012-01-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

My 2012 5-week challenge;

"...for five weeks, I’m only allowing myself one shot each day. Not one photo – no, one shot. One click of the shutter.* And whatever it is, whatever comes of it, I have to show it to you. Blurry, overexposed, misaligned, and all.

But I know myself – I know that because I have to show it, I’ll be more careful with the shot in the first place. Which is the whole point. To be more careful. To be more intentional. To look..."

Here's what came of week 3;

Five Weeks: Week One

Five Weeks: Week Two

Five Weeks to Better Shooting: Week Two

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

I started a little challenge for myself last week. Here's a re-cap incase you missed it;

"...for five weeks, I’m only allowing myself one shot each day. Not one photo – no, one shot. One click of the shutter. And whatever it is, whatever comes of it, I have to show it to you. Blurry, overexposed, misaligned, and all. But I know myself – I know that because I have to show it, I’ll be more careful with the shot in the first place.

Which is the whole point. To be more careful. To be more intentional. To look...."

Here's what we've got for week number two;

If your heart desires, you can catch week one here.

Hate is a Strong Word for Cook

2012-01-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

Some time around Thanksgiving, I published a tweet that said something like this;

"I.Hate.Cooking."

I'm pretty sure that when she read this, my genius-in-the-kitchen sister-in-law rolled her eyes. And judging by the many follow-up questions/comments I received from my mom, I KNOW this gave her a little heart-burn.

But it's true. I hate it.

There are a lot of things I'm good at and a lot of things I want to be good at. However, when it comes to cooking, I'm just plain not interested.

And when I do try, it usually seems to turn into a big-fat-waste-of-time.

First of all, there's the time that I carefully and enthusiastically selected and shopped for FIVE different Christmas cookie recipes that I found in a magazine that claimed they were easy. Six-hours and seventy-five dollars later, I ended up with exactly seven appealing and/or edible cookies. Dozens of others had been burned, smashed, cracked, or otherwise obliterated.

Then there was the time that I decided to make potato-cauliflower soup for a little dinner party we were having. It seemed simple enough. Boil the ingredients. Blend the ingredients. Put the soup in a bowl. However, just minutes after getting a truck load of vegetables into the boiling water, I remembered that I didn't own a blender. I spent the next 45 minutes "blending" two gallons of soup - one cup at a time - in my little food processor.

Then there's yesterday.

I decided I would make soup and bread for my family for dinner. Not fancy soup. No, the kind that comes in a bag and you just add water and boil.

But the bread, that is where I intended to get fancy. I planned ahead, got out the ingredients for homemade bread, and got my bread machine all set-up.

(Here's where Mark nicely reminded me that using a bread machine isn't really cooking. I said, "Honey, if I even so much as have to pre-heat the oven or get out a measuring cup, you had better tell me I did a good job cooking. Putting flour into the bread machine certainly falls within those parameters.")

Fast forward one hour to a slight hint of my-nose-smells-something-hot. I had completely forgotten about the bread at this point and ignored the smell for a good 20 minutes before I decided to investigate.

It turns out the bread had risen too high and spilled over onto the heating unit - creating a marble-sized chunk of charcoal and a truck-sized cloud of smoke.

"It's okay," you say, "This could have happened to anyone."

Yes. True. I agree.

But here's the real problem.

Because my bread-machine has an awful, squawking, beeper that goes off every-time the darn thing is changing gears or starting up or finishing or generally feeling neglected, I decided that the bread needed to bake in.my.bedroom. (A meager loaf of bread is no reason to chance waking the napping toddler whose room is right off of the kitchen.)

I baked the bread in the bedroom with all of the doors closed. CLOSED TIGHT.

So what I actually discovered was a bedroom that smelled like two-weeks of camping and a smoke detector that was seconds away from alerting the neighborhood that an idiot chef was living on the block.

I dumped the rock-hard lump of should-be bread and spent the rest of the evening washing my bedding and rewashing the clean clothes that were on my bed and assuring my husband that the clothes in the closet will be all right, you know, after he wears them once and they get washed.

So today we have half of a loaf of french bread from Safeway and a whole closet full of clothes that smell like fire. And I am more certain in my conviction that, for me, cooking is just not gonna get me anywhere.

As for dinner last night, the bread that Mark picked up from Safeway was delicious and we all LOVED the soup that came out of the bag.

I see no reason to change things.

Five Weeks to Better Shooting

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

I’m trying something new. A little challenge for myself you might say.

And you, whether you like it or not, get to see what I’m doing. In fact, I need you to see what I’m doing or else this challenge won’t work at all.

You see, I have a habit of using my camera like a machine gun. I set up the shot, clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick, and then just hope I nailed the shot right in the bull’s-eye.

And the whole problem is that I’ve stopped really seeing things through my camera. Stopped really looking at what I’m photographing.

It’s no surprise at all that I’m often disappointed with my photos.

I’ve got to break that habit.

So, here’s my challenge; for five weeks, I’m only allowing myself one shot each day. Not one photo – no, one shot. One click of the shutter.* And whatever it is, whatever comes of it, I have to show it to you. Blurry, overexposed, misaligned, and all.

But I know myself – I know that because I have to show it, I’ll be more careful with the shot in the first place.

Which is the whole point.

To be more careful.

To be more intentional.

To look.

Here’s what came of week number one. Honestly, I love some of these photos and others make me cringe.

And if you don’t mind, visit me for the next four Wednesdays and I’ll let you see more.

Maybe, just maybe, some of you have also become machine-gunners. Would you like to take this challenge with me? I would LOVE to see how it’s going. Link-up in the comments section!

If you don’t mind, I would love for you to visit me for the next four Wednesdays so that I can show your more.

And maybe, just maybe, some of you have also become machine-gunners. Would you like to take this challenge with me? I would LOVE to see how it’s going. Link-up in the comments section!

*Obviously, if I’ve been hired for a job, I’m not going to take just one photo. I’m talkin’ personal photography here.

Save, Support, and Swim in Tulle

2012-01-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the Carew family from a couple of weeks ago? If you didn't remember their faces, I'm pretty sure you remembered their tutus.

Did you love their tutus? Or find yourself wishing you had one for your little ballerina?

Well, you're in luck. Shannon is making and selling those tutus to raise some of the money they need to bring their new little one home from Uganda sometime in the next 18 months.

And I tell you what, these are high quality tutus. Since we are currently lacking in little girls in our household, we bought one of Shannon's tutus for our niece for Christmas. She was an instant princes and so, so happy surrounded by what seemed like miles of tulle.
Here's the thing; I really, really want Shannon to sell a lot of tutus. So I'm going to sweeten the deal.

Anyone who buys a tutu from Shannon between now and June 15th - and then also books a photo shoot with me by June 15th - will receive $20 off of the price of a photo shoot. (Wearing your tutu for the photos is optional.) Additionally, a portion of my profits will be donated to the Carew's adoption fund, so you'll essentially be supporting them twice!
Shannon will happily let you know what colors and sizes she has in stock or she'll work on a custom order too! Go here to read their blog, here to connect with her on Facebook, or email her directly at streick (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Happy shopping!

The Year in Review

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's a new year. Brand spankin' new.

And that means it's time for a little reflection.

As I think back to this time last year, the very first day of 2011, it's really hard to remember what my life was like. I can honestly say I've never before ended a year SO FAR from where I began it.

2011 was most certainly marked by one thing - Briggs.

Meeting Briggs. Waiting for Briggs. Praying for Briggs. Becoming Briggs's mommy.

And while there's no doubt that he was the main event of the past 12 months, there were lots of other great moments and memories too.

I combed through my photos in an attempt to highlight just a few of my favorite moments from this year. I found 15 to feature - but for every one I chose as a "favorite" there were three more that I thought "well, shoot, those are favorites too."

And then there are all the memories and moments from this year that just weren't captured by a camera. Running Jack Quinn's with my dad. A weekend get-a-way to scrapbook with my sister-in-law. A friend brining me a beer and a prayer the night before we flew to Ethiopia for the first time. Seeing friends - on the brink of divorce - renew their marriage. Waiting on the doorstep for the FedEx man to deliver my new camera. Feeding Briggs in the middle of the night. The giggles that only my sister can pull out of Briggs. Briggs's tight neck hugs. The relationship between Briggs and his grandparents.

Friends, this was a hard, good, life-changing year.

And in a feeble attempt to honor the passing of such a momentous year, here are 15 of the moments/memories/events that top the list;

1. In March, we met Briggs for the first time. I swooped his little 9-month-old self out of his crib and we all cried. Three days later, I put him back in his crib and didn't see him again for 5.5 months.

2. We in all we could of Ethiopia. We spent a total of 15 days in Ethiopia this year - 15 days of sights, sounds, smells, faces and experiences we will never forget.
3. We attended "sex parties" for two of our dear friends. In April, we learned that the Osburns were having a boy and in November, we discovered that the Patrick's will be welcoming a baby girl in April 2012. Apparently, our friends are working hard to ensure that children outnumber adults at our get-togethers in the very near future.
4. I ran the Bolder Boulder 10k in May - by far my most memorable race to date. The race was on Briggs's 1st birthday and a GREAT way to distract myself from the heartache I felt that day.
5. We camped with our friends and family at Taylor Reservoir - and with most experiences, the trip was GREATLY enhanced by some quality time with our nieces and nephew.
6. In August, we celebrated my baby sister's 21st birthday with a night out in Ft. Collins. I've been waiting for little sis to be 21 since I turned 21 8 years ago and I started planning her party months in advance. The night started (as any respectable 21st birthday party should) with a tour of the New Belgium Brewery.
7. We ran (or - in my case - slow crawled) the warrior dash in August with my family. Seriously, this race was hard and it included fire and mud and ridiculously high obstacles. But we made it and we loved it and we drove away from headed straight to the airport to catch the red-eye flight back to Ethiopia to get our boy.
8. On August 23 they placed Mr. Briggs - forehead sticker, soggy diaper and all - in my arms forever. For me, it was a wonderful, wonderful moment. For Briggs, well, not so much. I do pray that one day he'll look back on this moment as one of the most significant moments of his life.
9. Four days later we landed in Denver and were greeted by a lobby FULL of people just waiting to love on Briggs. I'll never be able to fully express the joy, pride, and honor that I felt in that moment. May Mark and I never forget what a miraculous, anticipated child we are raising.
10. Witnessing the birth of Phinehas Jude. Seriously, is there any sight more revealing of the power, grace, and sovereignty of God than watching a baby take his very first breath?
11. Like all new parents, we have loved experiencing Briggs's firsts. He enjoyed his "first snow" experience in October for about 25 seconds. After that, he was all tears.
12. A fall afternoon with my boy "hunting leaves" was just the thing that this mommy and son needed as we continued to learn about each other. It may not seem that significant, but in this hour I learned much about what he enjoys, what makes him tick, and what makes him mad, sad, and anxious.
13. For the very first time in my life, Halloween-ing was fun, fun, fun. Again, it probably had something to do with an adorable toddling turtle and that aforementioned first-time-parent love of all things "first."
14. Watching Briggs throw leaves with his grandpa and great-grandpa in November was most certainly an unexpected joyful moment, and not one I will soon forget. He adores these two men and it makes me all weepy and proud to think that they adore him too.
15. And finally, we closed out 2011 with a December night-out in Denver to celebrate our friend John's 30th birthday. It was a good, good time. Obviously.

Happy, Happy New Year to you all!

The Carew Family {Colorado Springs Family Photographer}

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sometime in the next couple of years, the Carew family will welcome a new little sister from Uganda into their family. I can't wait to see them as a family of five - and I sure hope that little girls likes to dress up!

Stay tuned next week for a New Year deal that Shannon and I are cookin' up. Like these photos, it involved her beautiful handmade tutus. You won't want to miss it!

From our Family to Yours

2011-12-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

We certainly have MUCH to celebrate this year and

are overwhelmed by all of the blessings that came our way in 2011.

Our own little one has given us a new appreciation for what it means

to anticipate and celebrate the coming of a baby.

And we are beyond grateful for the birth of that baby boy

- God's own son -

so many years ago that changed everything.

...a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices...

MERRY CHRISTMAS

LOVE,

THE KYLES

Merry & Bright

2011-12-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

The Aragon Family {Colorado Springs Family Photographer}

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Just before making the big move to Georgia, where Eric is beginning his career with the Navy, the Aragon family got in one last photo session in downtown Colorado Springs. Thank you for serving our country. You Will.Be.Missed friends.

The Greene Family {Colorado Springs Family Photographer}

2011-12-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

I love photographing this family. Miss Harper always makes sure to include her baby doll and was so proud to be including her baby brother for the first time. She also brought along her "GiGi & Papi" who certainly made things more fun. The more the merrier!

A Taste of my Own Medicine {Colorado Springs Family Photographer}

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've been in front of the camera for family photos. A long while. But this year, for the first time in many years, my mom decided that she would like to send out a family Christmas card.

I have a feeling that a certain little someone had something to do what that decision.
And because of that certain little someone, I got to experience what many of you have experienced - family photos as the mommy of the busy toddler. I was the one thinking about how to entertain the little stinker while not breaking my smile. I was the one fighting the temptation to look at him instead of the camera.

Somehow "the more you hold still, the faster we're done" didn't register with him.

Thankgoodness he adores his JoJo, Grandpa, and aunt "Memmy." They make everything fun.
But unlike many of you, I was both in front of and behind the camera. Because, well, it's just hard to pay someone else to do what you know you can do.

It's also hard to shoot your own family. (No, no, not like that...you know what I mean.)

Enter Nate. My beautiful sister's long-time beau. We're hoping he's going to be her long, long, long time forever beau, but alas there is no ring. So, Nate got the job of shutter-clicker for the large group family photo. Don't feel too bad for him though. We made sure his lovely mug was represented in front of the camera too.
In the end I love the photos and I loved the time I got to spend with my family. Briggs really was a good boy and I only got a teensy-tiny bit stressed about it. (My husband might tell you a different story, but don't listen.)

Here's to fun and memorable Christmas-card-photo-experiences and to receiving lots of joy in my mailbox this time of year.

Curl(s) of Great Price

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

As it turns out, our little guy has been blessed with a head of full, lively hair. Over the past few months, I've had a few people sheepishly ask me if it is "different" to take care of his curly locks.

The answer is - don't be sheepish - and yes, it does take a bit of an intentional hair care regime to keep his hair soft, moisturized, and somewhat organized.

And on bath days, after I've

rinsed

combed

shampooed

rinsed

combed

conditioned

combed

rinsed

dryed

reconditioned

combed

and fluffed,

Heaven help this little boy if and when he sticks his oatmeal covered fingers in his hair. Mamma tends to rage a little bit about that.

Anyway, for those of you who are curious, and perhaps needing this information for your own little curly-headed ones, here's what we do.

Once a week - or less if possible - we wash his hair with Shea Moisture Head-to-Toe baby shampoo. We follow that up by combing Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner through his hair and allowing it to "soak" for about 5 minutes before rinsing it out.

On bath days that aren't shampoo days (don't ask me how I keep track, it's often a bit of a guessing game really), we wet his hair and "wash" with just the conditioner. His hair is easiest to comb when it is wet, so I comb it before, during, and after conditioning while he is in the bath.

In between bath days, we usually just wet it down with a spray bottle and give it a light combing. The conditioner can also be used as a leave in conditioner, so on days when his hair seems a little dry, I'll comb a tiny bit of that through and it helps his curls perk right up.

We certainly haven't perfected this science, but for now it's working.

Although I have had several people recommend that I just shave his head - um...what are you saying?

Do you have any hair care tips to share?

Just One {Colorado Springs Family Photographer}

2011-12-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

It is a lucky little guy who gets to celebrate his first birthday and Thanksgiving with Grandma in town. I enjoyed spending the morning watching him get loved on by his two main squeezes.

Transitions

2011-12-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

Last week, Mr. Briggs turned 18-months-old. I figured this was a bit of a milestone in this little one's life, so we celebrated with a photo shoot.

Briggs was thrilled and he thanked me over and over for giving him such a great gift.

No, no he didn't. He cried. But not before we got some cute pictures. I win.

I'm constantly asked how Briggs is transitioning. How's he doing? How's he eating? Is he sleeping well? And I am always so thrilled to say that Briggs really is doing great. He eats a lot. He sleeps a lot. He's happy and obedient and runs and plays and giggles, giggles, giggles.

But I get a little bit uncomfortable about this question because, well honestly, I feel like the one who has struggled with transition these past three months has been me. While Briggs fits seamlessly and perfectly into our family, I often feel like I fit the role of "mother" like a square peg into a round hole.

I had a pretty good system going on for myself from day to day, and this little one has, understandably, shaken things up quite a bit. So, do you really want to know how the transition is going?

First of all, I think it's safe to say that we adore each other. Completely. I'm learning that the way I sometimes feel about "being a mother" is not at all connected to the way I feel about Briggs.
We are working together on figuring out our new day-to-day routine.

One one hand, I love taking Briggs on outings and he loves going, going, going. When we go grocery shopping, he sits up in the seat and waves and blows kisses to all passers by. And the women swoon. It's like I'm pushing a parade float carrying Justin Bieber. I'm shopping for milk and eggs and Briggs is stealing hearts.

On the flip-side, staying at home all day is not.for.me. Oh my word I get so bored. Not that reading "Good Night Gorilla" (a wordless book) twice an hour isn't fun, but c'mon.

And I do miss tutoring and coaching club volleyball. ALOT. I've spent a few low moments feeling just a tad bit resentful about how much I've "given up." But you know what? Those thoughts simply don't get us anywhere and I would have to be an idiot to not see just how much I've gained.
I look forward to nap time every day. Last week, Briggs refused to nap three days in a row. There was weeping and gnashing of teeth. On days when Briggs does go down for his nap (which is most of the time), I spend the first twenty minutes feeling completely conflicted about what I want to accomplish. Edit? Learn? Read? Nap? Shower? Email? Clean? Cook?

Who am I kidding? I never debate over those last two at nap time. Heck no. I'm not spending even one of my 120 precious minutes elbow deep in bathtub scum or spaghetti sauce. But beyond this one nap-time standard, I have a hard time knowing what my priorities should be while Mr. Bieber gets his beauty sleep. Do I put my foot down and demand that this is "ME time" or do I commit the time to building my business? Do I spend the time organizing my life and home so that things can run a bit more smoothly around here? I'm pretty sure there is no right answer, but the possibility that there just might be one right way to use nap time taunts me.

I do know that those 120 minutes work miracles around here, and when I start to hear tiny waking-up noises coming from his bedroom, my heart skips a little beat. As it turns out, after we take a little break from each other, I'm actually pretty excited to have his energies and antics bounding around the house again.
Briggs finally stopped demanding a middle-of-the-night bottle about two weeks ago. Glory hallelujah, the extra sleep is changing my life. Also, I gave myself points for refraining from announcing his full nights of sleep on Facebook. (But I did just mention them here, didn't I? Minus 1.)
Still, I am tired, and I run out of steam faster than ever. This little one is revealing to me on a daily basis my own selfishness and limitations. I am a lister. I make a to-do list every morning and goshdarnit it WILL ALL be done before I go to bed. It's been more than difficult for me to convince myself that playing hockey and pushing cars and reading books is more important than any one single item on my list.

But I'm learning. Slowly. On good days I even have fun accomplishing nothing but a dance party and five diaper changes. It's still a battle though. I'm not gonna lie. That feeling at the end of the day - you know the one you get when your husband asks "What did you do today?" and you say "Uh..." - it still stings.
I don't know if he knows it or not, but this little Briggs has a big job. He is the one who gets to teach me to parent. Sometimes, I think it's kinda painful for both of us. But he is so patient and forgiving and the sincerity in his sweet little neck hugs makes.my.day. It's ironic that, even though it is his addition to our family that it causing me growing pains, I am so, so thankful for him.

So, how's the transition going?

Briggs is doing AWESOME.

And me? Well, I'm getting there.

Aren't you glad you asked?

Many Minis

2011-11-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I hosted a group of mini sessions.

1 location

3 families

1 hour

30 photos

It was quick, easy, dare-I-say-fun?, and produced great results. It was the perfect solution for these families who were just "looking for something nice for the Christmas card."

In fact, I loved the experience so much, I've decided to do it again - and then maybe again and again. I'll be offering a limited number of mini-sessions throughout 2012. If you would like to know how to get your family signed up - please contact me at beckylee123 (at) comcast (dot) net.

Face Time

2011-11-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

The Costain Family {Colorado Springs Family Photography}

2011-11-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

{GREAT} grandparents

2011-11-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

As we continue the process of grafting this little Briggs into our family, one of the greatest joys has been watching our family love, love, love him.

Most of the time, when people talk about adoption, they say something like, "we just want to give a child a family." For Mark and I, this was certainly a part of our frequent answers to the question of "why adopt?" And boy-oh-boy has mister Briggs been blessed with an abundance of generous, loving, caring, over-the-moon family members.

Growing up, one of my greatest joys was getting to spend time with my grandparents. I can honestly say that knowing the four of them has made my life rich and full. It makes my heart so happy to know that Briggs will undoubtedly have grandparents who are as dedicated to him as mine were to me - and introducing Briggs to my own grandparents (his great-grandparents) has been amazing.

Back in August, when we arrived at the airport, my mom's mom was the first person to approach and hold Briggs. She had been telling me for months that she could "not wait to hold that baby." She proved it by not waiting one second longer than she had to to get her hands on him. It was one of the most precious moments of his whole homecoming day.

My dad's parents live in Illinois, so last weekend we hopped on a plan with Grandpa E.J. and headed off to spend the weekend with Nonna and Pa -- Nonna and Pa who spoiled the little britches right off of the boy.
In fact, Nonna gave Briggs his first sucker and for about 15 minutes I truly believe he thought he had entered heaven's pearly gates.
And after Pa invited Briggs to join him outside for a leaf-throwing party, Briggs crowned Pa his bestest friend in the whole wide world.
It was a short trip, but it meant the world to me. My grandparents are generous and have blessed me by loving my boy.

The Short Family {Colorado Springs Family Photographer}

2011-11-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

Weekend Get-A-Way

2011-11-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we decided it was time for a bit of vacation. We gathered up a couple of our besties and headed for the mountains.

Somehow, with the addition of little Briggs, this vacation did not seem quite like an actual vacation. So, let's call it a "get-a-way" instead. I refuse to believe that this is what vacation will be like for the rest of my life.

While there were no leisurely breakfasts or mornings of late sleep, there was still plenty of time for pajama lounging and baby snuggling.
And during nap time, there were games, and yummy drinks, and general carryings on. Em and I carved out a bit of kid-less hot tub time too. Thank.Goodness.For.That.
In the afternoons, we bundled up the babes and headed out to check out the nearby tourist spots.
Which, sadly, were in the middle of the off-season and strangely deserted. We did see Lindsey Vonn shooting some kind of promotional video though. If that video ever gets produced, we will be the ONLY people in the background, so keep your eyes peeled.
We also found ducks and plenty of space for the tots to wander - two big wins as far as the littles were concerned. I swear they could have stared at those ducks all day.
It's really hard to NOT enjoy a weekend in the mountains with friends. However, we took a vote and it was unanimously agreed upon that the babies are not invited next year. I think they'll be okay with that - grandma's house is more fun anyway.

(Not So) Terrible Two! {Colorado Springs Children's Photographer}

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Coddington Family {Colorado Springs Family Photographer}

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest. In my 29 years of life, I've never given two hoots about Halloween.

I never once went trick-or-treating as a kid and I was a freshman in college when I carved my first pumpkin. It just wasn't something my family ever got into. No big deal.

BUT

This year, because I had a cute little guy with a cute little turtle costume, I gave about seventy-five hoots. Today, for the first time ever, I cared that it was Halloween and counted down the hours to tonight's celebration.

My mother-in-law prepared some delicious treats and the evening was complete with carmel apples, sugar cookies, warm chili, cornbread...
...and a very tiny washing machine.
A washing machine built for this guy - my biggest nephew who is border-line big kid, but still crazy intense about his trick-or-treating.
We took the obligatory quick-all-the-cousins-put-on-your-costume-and-stand-still photo. And, like the weird aunt who gets stuck at the kids' table at Thanksgiving, I was forced to get involved in the kid photo because my toddling turtle would not stand still.
Then it was time to hit the streets. Mr. Briggs got the hang of the asking for candy gig right away and he was shocked down to his little turtle toes every time a piece of it ended up in the bottom of his bucket.
I hope you all had very happy Halloweens - full of treats and just enough tricks to make it fun.

Leaf Hunting

2011-10-24T21:48:00.000-07:00