I walk down memory lane-

... because I love running into you!

We never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory. What I am beginning to wonder, will I be in those moments? In those memories? And have them in tangible, hug it cry on it and laugh with it form? Better still, will my children and our grandchildren have something to hold on to -real life, documented moments that bring back everything from the day to day through the extra spectacular, memories?!

I picked up a bigger camera one day because I wanted to give myself, my kids and my grandkids all of these amazing images in print that would evoke emotions and memories all the while also providing the same for others. Do you want to know what actually happened? I fell into the world of social media. Comparing myself with others everyone else. I became so wrapped up in trying to fit in where every pin, post, tweet and blog told me I should be that I forgot how amazing our memories already were. Insert failure here. I used to take pictures everyday, and print them just as fast. Now I am faced with the thought, when my kids are grown, will they come to think they blocked out some ginormous life event? A fire? A flood? Were they secretly adopted, and don't rememeber?! Anything that would account for the why, that is, years of missing printed memories -gone, vanished?! And all for what? Beating myself up to learn areas of photography that I was never interested in to begin with, for money? Money for something I have no passion for, isn't worth the time away from my family, away from our memories -from click to print. Documenting your life, as it is in the raw, that is where my passion is and that is where I will reenter my focus. Because I believe in myself and in you, as families. I believe we are active participants in our lives and in our family memories. You see it is simple, your life is my vision. I hear all too often reasons why your houses aren't perfect, but I promise you that your HOME is!

Let us think, for a minute. A blog told you that you aren't great parents because your house doesn't have this insane perfectly organized central communication station for schedules and the like. Then the next day a post told you that you aren't great parents because your house is clean, and by all means all the great moms have messy houses because they are actively making memories with their children. And of course an instagram with every hashtag 7 different ways from Sunday tells you that you are not great parents because you don't only buy organic, only cooking with 100% real food, grass fed and ....... Enough! I am not perfect. You are not perfect. They are not perfect. But are we? To our kids, that have food to eat and a place to sleep every night -we are perfect! To our kids, when we take any minute out of the day to look them in the face telling them how proud we are and how much we love them, we are perfect! We have to give ourselves a break. We have to allow ourselves to know that we are enough. Our home is enough. We have to just be active participants in our life, in our family. Every time we choose to engage and make the effort to take time out of the daily hustle and bustle we are practicing loving ourselves!

So shake off the I can't, but my this, or our that! Jump in with both feet, eyes closed and lets do this. Let us forgive ourselves for the time gone by, figure what took us off course, learn from it and invite ourselves to begin again!

Your life, is my vision. What is it that makes your family, your family? What do you hope that your kids will grow with remembering? The stories they will tell their kids?! Of course this style still isn't for everyone, because we are all just who we are -and who you are, is perfect. It doesn't make you or I -right or wrong. But, if you want to, I can help you be IN those images, those memories -and in print! Such an amazing gift to pass down.

I think to myself, I won't be able to look at a studio image of my kids and tell them a great story about it. But I can take a picture, of me holding any one of my children in a rocking chair and come up with story upon story to tell them. How we would rock just to rock. The countless times we read Walter the farting dog. Sang a bushel and a peck. The rocking chair single handedly got them through the worst of tummy aches (giving mommy a stiff neck for falling asleep there) and even pinched their fingers when they had to go exploring. I can take a (simple) picture of us playing games at the kitchen table and tell them stories back to when I was a toddler, climbing on that same table. How at the very end of that table sat their Great Grandpa day in and day out, always greeting every person through the door with a How'Do! And, of course on snow days from school, that same table is the best place for a blanket tent. Stories, I can give my kids stories that is their life. It is just what's for me.

I can sit, think and even stew to try and remember things. It just isn't the best trait I have. But! I can look at one picture and all the memories come flooding back -wave upon wave! The very ones I knew were there, but thought were lost. When one of your kids looks up to you for that heartfelt or funny story of when they were younger and you draw a blank.... that has always been my heartbreak. Then to be able to grab any file of photos, printed or digital, that feeling of when it all comes rushing back, the flood so fast that just a smidgen may even drop onto your cheek -followed by the stories that make them laugh, their eyes light up and sometimes there is a sad memory in there. But they are there! One image, one printed photograph, can hold countless stories.

Any image of your family is the perfect one, let us not have anyone else tell us otherwise.

I want to give my sincere thank you, to everyone who has crossed our families path. As friends, as chosen family and if you want to use that ugly word the business also.

Let me introduce you to a family totally in the friend, better yet, chosen family category. I first met Ashley and Casey when Miss Caroline was just a week old. Caroline was born April 27, 2012 and I came to their home for her first debut on May 4.  First baby, and behind the tired I could tell right away amazing parents. I have had such pleasure seeing them often ever since that day. I have always said that Caroline was such a pleasant soul to be around. Her baby brother and sister are no different! James and Claire were born May 9, 2014 (happy mothers day weekend!). It was an amazing honor to meet these 2 brand new lives just a couple days old for an in hospital look! I can tell you what I would think having twins would be like -scary! But when I am hanging out with this family, I'm not sure I can put it into words. It is truly a breath of fresh air to be around them! There is such a content, relaxing and happy feel I just lose myself. So enough with words, they were amazing as always to entertain this crazy girl and her vision so we got out of the (studio). Below is just a few from their in hospital and in home sessions. My friends, my family -this is where my heart is.

We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake. -Sir Francis Bacon, Sr.