Meet one of my brothers and his beautiful family…you have seen them before if you have followed my photography journey.  Well, the big man, Greer turned a year in May and however tempting the tremendous heat is…I was happy to oblige and wait to do his pictures until we had our annual family camping trip up in the gorgeous White Mountains.  Those of you that are wanting a shoot like this…I have yet to find anything like this in the valley, but with a little bit of travel you can find places similar to this not too far away!  I know…I’m jealous myself because it is so amazingly green and beautiful…I want my family pictures taken here…did you here that E?!!

I have so much love and respect for this family.  They are above re-pore in all they do.  Their priorities are where they should be, God & Family.  They are on a new adventure and are trusting God’s guidance every step of the way.  I have been blessed with an absolutely beautiful sister-in-law inside and out!!  She has a sweet spirit that permeates all that know her.  She is a jewel…obviously my brother thinks so too.  I have always felt like a mother hen when it comes to this particular brother.  I was 3 1/2 when he was born and thrilled beyond years to be a “mini mommy”!  I have always had a special relationship with him that I cherish dearly…he is my friend.  In fact I don’t call him by his name, but he is “friend” to me.  My 100% boy nephew that reminds me of both my brother and my son.  We love watching you grow and learn…we love to hear you talk (and seriously this boy can talk…I think he pronounces words better than my 3 1/2 year old!!).  He loves his family…quite obviously.  He is sweet on his youngest cousin, Grace.  He is a lover of books…can’t wait till he can read them to me, but wait don’t grow up that fast!!  He is becoming such a big boy in every sense of the word.

I love you guys so much…thanks for being patient in getting your pictures…when you’re family you tend to have to wait to see your photos a little longer than my other clients!  Here are some of my favorites…these people don’t take bad pictures it was hard to choose.

I think this little man looks so much like his Daddy…

**Favorite**

**Other Favorite**  Seriously, sis you look AMAZING!!!!  Friend - you don’t look too bad either!! 

This is something to celebrate!!  25 years of marriage.  The perfect post inbetween my little challenges.  I met C & P last year around Christmas to do family photos at their home.  They have three beautiful kids and two adorable grand-daughters.  C called me because this month marked a momentous occasion.  Their 25 year wedding anniversary.  Fabulous.  This is something to celebrate, to document…to remember.  25 years takes a LOT of work…Congratulations to you both!!  Thanks for letting me be a part of the celebration!!

My favorite of the day…

I love the way P is nestled in…

awwwww…

She knows how to get him to laugh…

This one just makes me happy…

P designed C’s wedding ring…beautiful!

I hope your trip was amazing!!!  Congrats again!  Enjoyed hanging with you two so much!!

Well, I hope that you have been able to implement Challenge 1 & 2.  Honestly…number two has been hard for me because the things that we did had to do with things we no longer own and no longer want to do…hmmm…I have another idea, but it is in the works.  So, here is challenge #3.  Love this one!!  I know that my hubby needs words of encouragement so, this is so up his ally!!  I need a good challenge to make sure I vocalize those things that make him an amazing guy!!

Project #3
You da’ Man

Spreading Great Gossip About Your Guy

Your Project:
Say something nice about your husband to someone else. Make sure you tell him what you said, and to whom.

Getting Creative
Who are the important people in your husband’s life? Your kids, his parents, his friends? Be intentional about who you chat with when you brag on him – it’s almost as important as actually doing it.
Having a hard time coming up with something? I still brag on my guy for things he did years ago. He loves when I tell the story of how brilliantly he proposed (there were waterfalls and stuffed portabella mushrooms involved…).

Here are some other areas to think about when crafting your brag:

• His parenting skills
• His patience level
• The way he treats your mom
• His culinary ability
• His job
• His loyalty to you

Here is a session I am editing and will finish up in the next day or two…celebrating 25 years of marriage!!!

I got to head out to the beautiful Phoenician for this family’s session.  Love all the green and trees, we didn’t do much exploring, but this spot was just down from their room…so pretty. Here is Mr. William.  What a good little guy…not a fuss out of him the whole time!!  How many babies love being naked in grass??  This guy didn’t mind one bit.  He just lights up when Daddy talks to him and it is obvious that both mom & dad are head over heels for this little man.  Their “first” baby came out for a couple of the family pictures and she was so cute I couldn’t help, but snap one of her all by herself.  She had the softest ears, I just wanted to curl right up with her and cuddle!  D & B thank you so much for letting me capture Mr. William!!  I can’t wait to see how big he is in 6 months…probably running  around all over no doubt!!

This first image is my fave from our session…I love it for a bunch of reason…

So, what are your thoughts about Challenge #1??  What will it look like for your family??  So, for me because Jason gets off in the morning and because he is normally busy at his station the whole 24 hours…I have decided that when he comes home he gets to just chill by himself without us here for a bit…this way he can relax, take a shower if he needs to, but most importantly lay down and take a nap.  That way when we come home if the door to our bedroom is shut we know that Daddy is resting and he will be up a little later to play with us…rested and happy!!  I would love to hear what you are planning on doing in your home so, that I can encourage you too!! 

And since this about Hubby/Daddy…I wanted to share Jason’s Father’s Day gift from the kiddos and I that I never got a chance to post…if you are interested in doing something fun like this for one of your loved ones we can definitely make it happen during your session(we did one of the Grandpas too)…just let me know!!  :-)  And yes, the picture kills me because my son looks WAY too old!!

So, here is Challenge #2…I LOVE this one!!!  I will be thinking about this the next two days since Hubby is working today and then off in the morning to work another 10 hours, so he won’t be home until Friday night…hmmm…need to get to thinking!!

Project #2
Back in the Day

Do Something He Enjoyed Before You Got Married

“Lust is easy.  Love is hard.  Like is most important.”  ~ Carl Reiner

Your Project:

Initiate an activity that your husband used to love. Whether it’s his favorite hobby, sport, or pastime, it’s time for you to get involved – be his buddy today.

Getting Creative

• Many a man’s hobby has gone by the wayside due to matrimony. Is it possible that it’s time you learned to golf or fly fish? Don’t try to beat him, just join him.
• Possibly the only thing your husband would enjoy more than playing chess with you is teaching you how to play chess.  Ask for a lesson so he can teach you something that he is an expert at (or really loves). Just your willingness to learn will be a huge boost to your guy.
• Pick up a magazine about your guy’s now dormant hobby. Ask him questions about why he loves it so much. Learn a couple of technical terms so that you are better able to discuss it.
• Do a little research. Find out what the definitive website is on your husband’s favorite subject. Maybe there’s an event in town, a lecture to attend, or a game to watch.