The Soul Inside

I didn't know her, but I felt like I did. Well, at least I know girls like her, anyway ... I've got two of my own -- same age, same grade level. Randi seemed kind of quiet at first, knowing we were there to take pictures but probably not really sure what all we were going to do. Couple that with the fact that she had to meet us on a Sunday morning, hobbling around on crutches from a soccer injury, my guess is that she might have preferred to have stayed home and listened to an ipod. But it didn't take long for that personality to emerge ... you know, you've seen it ... ten year old girl, full of sass and spunk, and at that awkward age of still being mom's little girl and the beginnings of preteen rebellion settling in. Wanting to hug her mom, but then realizing with other people around that might not be so cool. Watching Randi and her mom Christine interact, talking with her a little, recognizing all the little nuances -- yeah, it all seemed soooo familiar!

My own daughters' sassy, spunky spirits and how I relate to them helped me to get to know Randi, and it wasn't long before we were all laughing and having fun in our photoshoot. I was happy to get pictures of mom and daughter together, as well as some beautiful shots of each of them individually. But I was even more glad to get pictures of the two of them showing more of their personalities -- a beautiful girl coming out into her own, and a mother's pride in her daughter -- the latter of which, a feeling I know all too well. I may have started out in this photoshoot hoping just to get some good pictures, but what I got was truly THEM and who they are, and their obvious love for one another.

Thanks to Christine and Randi for the opportunity to photograph you guys! It's always so rewarding to me to get the chance to capture people in their element and have fun while doing that.

"There is more that meets the eye; I see the soul that is inside." (Sk8r Boy, Avril Lavigne)

Have a wonderful weekend! -- S

A Time To Shine

Now that my kids are older, I'm not around too many little ones anymore. Every now and then, though, I get to be around babies and suddenly I'm reminded how different things were back when mine were small. With my kids at 10, 10 and 7, we've obviously outgrown all signs of babyhood by now, so to be around a little one that's in diapers, bottles, teething and into everything can make your memory suddenly take a step back. And while I have absolutely NO inclination to desire to have another child (believe me, three is all I can handle!), it's nice being around them to see their sweetness, innocence, and most of all, their wonder at the simplest things. This weekend, I got to spend a little time with baby Jack and his mom Amber. At almost 10 months old, his personality just shines and he is one happy baby! He seemed to enjoy being outside and looking at all the bubbles that my sis-in-law Kathleen was blowing in the air!

Amber -- thank you for the opportunity to photograph you guys and for a fun morning with you and the baby. As I was downloading these pictures and thinking of what I wanted to say in this post, I heard a bit of a Simon and Garfunkel song that seemed to kind of sum it all up for me ... I think it will now always remind me of Jack and these pictures.

"Your time has come to shine; all your dreams are on their way. " :) -- S

Trying something a little new here ... here's a little slideshow preview of more pictures. Don't worry, there isn't any music to it, so it's safe to watch at work! Just click on the arrow on the bottom left. :)

Musical Musings

I come from a very musical family. My grandfather played the saxophone and had his own orchestra in his day. My dad played the trumpet and was also part of the band. My brother Michael plays the trumpet, was a drum major in high school and now he and his wife are involved musically in the Houston community. Unfortunately, I didn't inherit the gene for musical talent, but I did get the music appreciation part. I guess said gene skipped a generation, because now it's alive and well in my kids.

On my daughters' sixth birthday, they were given a keyboard as a gift, accompanied with the promise of lessons. Although a birthday gift for both girls, it served another purpose, specifically for Annemarie. She had been in occupational therapy for hand strength issues, and we thought piano might help. Kate, well ... quite frankly, we knew enjoyed music from her constant singing, so she was just along for the ride. Little did I know how much these lessons would change our lives.

Today, we have three musicians in our house! Annemarie, Kate and Chris now all play the piano, and they think it's cool that they get to play on the baby grand we inherited from my father-in-law's dad. Annie and Kate both sing, and Annie now also plays the guitar and flute. Recently, they became founding members of a band, called Speed Limit 180. Ten very talented kids -- five girls, five guys, three sets of siblings -- all of them, rockers!! They have their first gig scheduled next month, and we couldn't be more excited for them. I have the honor of being the band's official photographer, and every week, I get to hang with the band, rock out with them, and take their pictures. How cool is that? I tell you, it's a highlight in my week!

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend --- filled with family, friends, all your favorite things, and most definitely, music!

Annemarie and two band mates jamming to John Mellencamp's "Rock In The USA."

They sounded so awesome!

Here's one of my favorite singers and keyboardists!

Bowling for Doggie Dollars

Well, okay ... I've been a bit busy since my last post. Once we got back into town, it seems that the entire month just flew by. But school has started, so at last ... a little more "me" time to blog! This past Saturday, my family and I attended the Humane Society of Williamson County's Bowl-A-Thon in Georgetown, TX. My kids were on two bowling teams and got to play the game for three hours towards raising funds for the organization. But more importantly for them, they had fun! Bowling is a favorite pasttime for them -- something they enjoy with both of their grandpas. My father-in-law likes to take them to bowl when we're in Houston, and my dad, being on a couple of bowling leagues, plays the game with them.

HSWC held a silent auction as part of their fundraising efforts, and I donated my photography services for a holiday portrait session. The bowl-a-thon went well in raising funds and they announced at the end of our time there that it also resulted in 150 pet adoptions that day. Much to my kids' disappointment, though, we didn't walk out with a puppy (Annemarie's allergic to dogs), but we helped with a good cause! Here are several pics from our fun day!

The volunteers who put together the bowl-a-thon. Great job everyone!

My neighbors, Melanie & Scot.

I like this picture of Kate and I! Photo taken by Kim de Araujo.

Chris, obviously in need of more practice .... LOL.