Airion

This is Airion!

He is such a cute little bundle of joy! At 10 months, he really doesn't seem like much of a baby at all. He's quite the 'little man'. So smart and charming! He has a pretty good idea of what a camera is for and even wanted to try it out so he snapped a couple of shots of his Momma!

So - if he doesn't grow up to be a professional basketball player - he can be a photographer!

Don't these smiles just melt your heart!

And I changed the wording to the popular jump rope rhyme. The girls are going to LOVE this litte guy! What's not to love?

To see the rest of Airion's session click HERE
and choose Airion!

Taylor

This is Taylor!

Taylor was needing head shots for her pageant portfolio, so she came in for a quick shoot! I really like this one. I love the natural look that the one out of place strand of hair sort of gives it. Having one strand of hair out of place and framing an eye is also a very "in" look - but, I don't think it's what she's looking for.
So, we shot several more!

Taylor is a very sweet and intelligent girl, who I expect to go far in the pageant world. She's wholesome and innocent which is something I like to see in a role model for girls. Beauty is a good thing, and she's got plenty of that going for her, but character is much more important. I was happy to see that she had that going for her, also! I hope she has the chance to represent our city as Miss Lawton, someday.

To see other headshots of Taylor you can click HERE and choose Taylor

Smith Wedding

For those of you who have been waiting to see the images from the Smith Wedding, they have now posted.

Ryan & Millette Smith

Ryan & Millette Smith

Ring Shot from the Smith Wedding!

And this beautiful moment was captured by Jenifer, who served as my second shooter for this wedding. Saber Bearers add a special touch of class to a wedding and this particular group did an outstanding job!

To see the Smith's Wedding Photo Gallery click HERE and choose Ryan & Millette Smith!

The Baby Deer Are Arriving!

I took a drive out to the refuge to see if the baby deer had been born and after quite a lot of searching this is what I found. I could tell by looking at the mother deer, that some of them had delivered - and I saw big deer tracks and little deer tracks so I knew there had to be baby fawns somewhere - but there were not easy to find. The mother's however are easily spotted early in the morning.
This little guy appears to be a bit older than the twins.

And the bucks are in velvet. This appears to be a young buck. He was pretty small. Smaller than many of the does.

This doe appears thin to me, which made me suspect a fawn nearby, but I never saw it if there was one.

And this doe appears to be getting close to her due date.

And as beautiful as I think deer are this picture shows why I don't think I'd like to be one. I wonder if ticks were around before the fall of man - or if the deer have Adam and Eve to thank for this pesky problem.

These doe are thin - but if they have fawns nearby, I didn't find them.

I did find fawns, though. The first I saw were a group of three running through the woods. I was unable to get a picture because they were simply too fast for me. The second one I found was the larger one above. It was well hidden in a thicket of some kind. And - then I stumbled upon the twins while I was walking back to the area where I had parked the car. They were as curious about me as I was about them and I got several pictures before I stepped on a twig and made a little too much noise and they darted.

And to my students - sorry, I didn't call to see if anyone else wanted to go. I hadn't planned on going. I just woke up early, and it was cool - so I decided to take off and it was too early to call.

Butterfly Garden Update

Yesterday, there were at least three butterflies in my garden at any given time. I counted as many as nine at one time and saw many new species visiting. I was able to get pictures of SOME - but some refused to cooperate and flew away when I grabbed the camera.

This is a Buckeye! I don't know if it is a male or female, but pink seems to be it's favorite color! Could that be a hint?
This is a Gray Hairstreak!

And - I have been unable to identify this one! It likes keeping it's wings tightly closed so I can't see it's markings clearly!

And no - this isn't a hidden pictures puzzle. Just my Crepe Myrtle which I am happy to see in full bloom. It was sort of sickly when I bought it, but it was on sale and I hoped to be able to nurse it back to health. I didn't expect it to bloom this year, but it has and it's beautiful!

And, I think it is courting season in the butterfly world. Here are a couple of field cresents trying their best to impress one another.

The moths are even joining in on courtship rituals. I think these are ordinary skippers.

Mylitta Cresents - characterized by the row of black dots on their wings.

Mylitta Cresents again. These are my most common visitors! They are also the least afraid and the most cooperative. I wish they would mention how harmless I am to the big black swallowtail and the bright yellow and pale yellow butterflies so I might get a picture of them, also. And while they're at it - the hummingbirds need to get that message, too. They seem to hit the feeders in full flight and then high tail it out of here like a rude dinner guest.

Is expecting a few manners, expecting too much?

Bryson Cord Allen

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting this little guy!

Bryson Cord Allen

Isn't he precious! Here is a little birth announcement I made for him and his family. I keep thinking that one of these days when I have nothing to do, I will make templates for birth announcements. I could design templates all day long, if I had the time. The issue with this idea is that there is never a day that I have nothing to do. I guess it's okay to plan, though. Especially since I will need two new birth announcement for the two new grand babies who will be arriving early next year!

Ryan & Millette Smith

Smith Wedding

Here is the slideshow from Captain Ryan & Millette Smith's Wedding.

You can see the full size version HERE

I still have tons of editing to do, but this will give you a little glimspe into their beautiful day!

Millie & Ryan's Wedding

Saturday, was Millie & Ryan's Wedding!

Everything went well and the bride looked especially beautiful. The reception was one of the most elaborate that I've seen. The tables were perfectly set and the floral centerpieces were stunning!

But, what impressed me most about the entire event was this little boy!

BRAYLON!

Isn't he adorable?

Anyone who knows Braylon, knows that he is an action packed little boy. If he wasn't born holding a ball of some sort, he should have been. He plays every sport offered and he's always busy, busy, busy. Yet, he did a wonderful job as a Ring Bearer. And to top that off, he was good for the entire day.

His family must be bursting with pride.

I'm pretty proud of him, myself! Way to go, Braylon! You did a WONDERFUL JOB!

A New Brand of Sneakers

I've been wearing Nike Sneakers for the majority of the past 25 years. I've bought Nikes for my kids and had sort of assumed my grand kids would wear the same brand. But then, I saw THIS T-SHIRT in the mall one day and decided it was time to find another brand.

I am so disappointed in Nike. I'm calling for a Nike Boycott!

I came across this shirt that I strongly disapprove of, also!

F - Gravity

I realize that there are people who like this kind of stuff, but what about all of the conservative Christian American's who don't? Will they remian silent and let the world continue to become more and more perverse, or will they stand up for what's right and say something or do something about it. I realize that I can't change the world. But, I can take my business elsewhere and that's exactly what I did. I changed brands. I really didn't know what to get since I normally don't even try on anything but Nike. But the salesperson at the shoe store told me that Dr. Cain (a local podiatrist) recomends New Balance to all of his patients, so I tried on a few pairs of those. I don't have foot problems, but I want to be prepared to do a lot of walking if necessary on my upcoming trip to Japan so I was looking for a comfortable walking shoe.

I ended up with these:

And if anyone wants to join me and let Nike know that we do not appreciate perverse language on T-Shirts and that we are taking our business elsewhere, you can get their contact information HERE.

The Butterfly Garden

My little butterfly garden is growing and the butterflies have found it. I've tried to plant flowers that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds and it's worked out well, so far. I have seen only a few hummingbirds, but since we live in a new neighborhood, with no mature trees, what more can I expect?
Most of the butterflies that visit are Mylitta Cresents like this one! I have seen several other species, but most fly away when I run to grab the camera.
Another Mylitta Cresent
And although these two look very similar they are actually two different species. The one on the left is a California Tortoise Shell and the one in the right is a Pearl Cresent. There is not a lot of difference between the Pearl and the Mylitta Cresents - but the Pearl has more distinctive black borders and tan hind wings. You really have to look closely to see the difference.



And feel free to correct me if I have my species confused. I'm no expert. I'm just a nature lover who likes taking pleasure in the beautiful things that God has created for us to enjoy! There is something about the amazing detail that God has put into each little creation that puts me in awe of His greatness!

Just think about it! Look at the details on the flowers.... the butterflies.... the green foilage of the plants. I feel a tiny bit accomplished every once in awhile when I get a great picture, but just think about what an accomplishment it was to have CREATED all of this! We serve a amazing God!

New Grand Babies are On The Way!!!!

Not to long ago, I met my Son Andrew and his wife Brandy at a local restaurant for lunch and was informed that they are expecting!

They were married on March 9th and the baby is due February 5th, so I was a bit surprised because this all seemed to happen really fast!

And then, just the other day my daughter Heather and her husband Dustin called on the webcam because my Granddaughter Grace wanted to play peek-a-boo on the phone. It took all of one second for me to notice her new shirt - which says, "Big Sister Grace".
This was a surprise to me, also!

How exciting!

Heather is due March 1st, so we will be adding 2 babies to the family in about a three week time frame. I'm excited and happy and numerous thoughts are running through my mind.

Will we be getting a girl and a boy!
Two Boys?
Two Girls?

I can't wait to find out, but, it only matters when I'm shopping! I know I will love and enjoy them no matter what!

Geoffrey

This is Geoffrey!

Geoffrey is Madelyn and Jack's baby brother. He slept through most of out shoot, but since babies do much better in the studio, we will be doing more pictures of him soon. Isn't he precious!



And - if you are a regular on my blog - yes, this is the same Geoffrey I introduced you to a couple of months ago. To see his Hello Baby slideshow you can select Hello Baby in the sidebar to your right - and then choose Geoffrey!

Jack

This is Jack! Jack is Madelyn's younger brother. He is 100% Boy and normally he's all smiles.

But, I guess Jack was a little tired when we were doing pictures. I didn't get as many smiles as I normally, do, but I did get to see a side of Jack that I hadn't seen before. Jack became a big brother a couple of months ago, and I think he's going to do a wonderful job of looking out for baby Geoffrey. He's a natural care taker. While we were taking pictures it was Jack who noticed when his dog, Kenya (who is perfectly capable of taking care of himself) wandered off. He was constantly looking out for him. And as we headed back to the house it was Jack who was calling, "Kenya, Kenya...... " and making sure that his beloved pet was not left behind.



I've always thought you could tell a lot about a man by how he treats his animals. And Jack is headed in the right direction. He'll someday grow up and become a fine young man. A wonderful husband and father.



Yes.... you can tell that much just by observing how a little boy treats his dog!

And we did get a few of Jack's charming smiles!

Madelyn

I've been taking Madelyn's pictures since she was a tiny baby, and she's always been a joy to work with.

I think this picture is probably my favorite, because it is simply so "Madelyn". Madelyn loves life.... nature, flowers and butterflies. She likes to grow things and watch things grow. She has a little garden and she is a gracious little hostess. The last time I visited she gave me lettuce right out of the garden.

Here she is studying the butterfly (which she informed me was a moth) on her hand. I tried to touch it to get it to open it's wings, but she informed me that you are not supposed to touch it's wings. They have powdery stuff on them and it you touch them it hurts the butterfly and makes it hard for it to fly.

I don't know where Madelyn learned this, but every time I visit with Madelyn I am impressed by something she knows. This child has WISDOM, not just knowledge. Once, while I was taking her pictures she told me that God had made her and she asked if I knew why.

When I asked why, she said, "For His glory, for His glory, He created all things." I think she was about two at the time, and I was astonished. But - that's just Madelyn. A little girl with a pure heart who loves the Lord and everything He's created!

Jessica

This is Jessica!

She is Mathew and Sierra's younger sister and the baby of the family.

She's also beautiful and full of life!

She has beautiful eyes!
Children are such a blessing! There's just something about them that makes life joyful!

And I don't know what it is about this shot that I am so drawn to, but I find it captivating. I'm really drawn to it. There is just something about it that seems to pull you in. Something that brings you to the moment the picture was taken and makes you wonder what this precious child could be thinking. Something that makes you want to hold onto that childhood and preserve it. If only, they could stay little just a little while longer. There are just not enough moments like these.

And this is another one that I especially liked! A candid moment of the love shared by two sisters. Their faces aglow with radiant love!

To see the rest of their session you can go HERE and choose "Leslie"