Lately life… it’s been fast. Summer has been good to us but it’s been exhausting. (I type exhausting with a ton of heartfelt appreciation.) This VERY busy season of life has provided for my family is so many wonderful ways:
- I photographed 14 sessions in the month of June. You guys, this is bonkers. I loved getting so many wonderful, new and familiar, faces in front of my camera. And you were all saints about the heat and humidity, when stepping outside for images. You all made loving on your kids and bumps – no matter how stinking hot it was – so easy and beautiful. And we had some fun! I’ll be catching up on a lot of image sharing soon. Prepping for that hectic month, shooting, and editing those galleries took priority over blogging! Not anymore. Too many moments worth sharing!
- We got ourselves a crazy ball of fur, and called her Daisy! We are just dog people and not having a pet at home was too sad for us. So, we stumbled into picking up our Daisy girl. She’s cute and she’s lucky because she has really tested our patience. I remember the puppy phase and crate training back when we were just “boyfriend and girlfriend”. Re-living it all with a 4 and 2 year old…. that’s a whole new ball game! She’s worth the work and sleep deprivation (much like all newborn babies), because seeing the way my girls interact with her, when she isn’t puppy biting them or their barbies, makes my heart very happy. She’s a keeper.
- We’re potty training a very stubborn and independent Miss Myra Jane (while housebreaking the pup). Do I even need to go on here? Apparently we like challenges. An anecdote before moving on to the the next bullet point.
On a random Tuesday afternoon, Ava called me into our living room where I found Myra pointing at a pile of poo/puddle of pee on the floor, as she shouted, “bad Daisy” with her diaper on the floor and naked bum hanging out. Ava ratted her out. Busted and nice try, kid. I could have been mad but THIS IS LIFE. I’m still laughing about that one (after having a nice long talk about how puppies potty outside and we use the toilet)! Oh, these kids of mine… - Ava is morphing into a young girl and sometimes acts so big that it breaks my heart. We are starting to look at what’s next for her education. She’s got another year of preschool but in a few short months it will be time to start applying for her Kindergarten year – wherever that may be. I ask her to slow down frequiently, and she just giggles and says, “mama I can’t help it!”
- I joined Crossfit 446 with my hunk of firefighting husband. Chris pushes me to do and try new things and I needed this one. Taking care of ME hasn’t happened in a really long time. I’m completely out of shape but this gym experience has (in a short time) helped me get back to the me, before kids, who used to love a good spin class! The coaches and members here have no idea how thankful I am for all of the encouragement as I find my way to a more fit and energetic wife and mom. If you’ve ever considered CrossFit, forget anything you thought you knew about it and find a place like 446. I’m excited to see what I’m capable of after a few more months of work. I’m more excited to show my girls how strong their mama really is.
So, what’s up Mid-July through early-August… a welcome slow down. Waiting on a few newborns to make their debut, a sprinkling of family sessions, shooting some deserving families for ME, and as much family time as I can get before………………..
FALL CRAZY HITS!
Oh, Fall. It’s my absolute favorite time of year. I need to set time aside to enjoy it. I love what I do with Pittsburgh families, but carving out time to carve some pumpkins with my gang needs to be equally important as that work. There’s enough time for everyone, if I’m smart about booking and not over-booking September-November!
Leading into my 5th year in business, I feel like I have a much better grasp on how many sessions are appropriate this time of year. Weekends fill up fast. I block off a few of them for sessions that need to be rescheduled due to weather and because I need time with my own family. That’s a long winded way of me saying, if you NEED a weekend session this Fall, email me NOW. Those slots will be filling up in the next month and I hate to turn people away!
So – get in touch!! The sooner, the better when it comes to Fall Family Sessions!
Now, what’s a “life lately post” without some personal images.
