Sweet Baby Snuggles

This post is all about sharing the 3-part photo shoot with my niece, Gracelyn. I was lucky enough to be able to stay at my sisters' house when we went to Atlanta for Imaging, USA, and able to squeeze in some photos of little Gracelyn while I was there. So, of course, I have to share!

This was probably my favorite of the session:

Gracelyn had just woken up from her nap, and the window light was just lovely!

We got a few more in the lovely light, as Beth got her dressed and changed:

Then I went out and looked for the light  and best areas to photograph while Mama fed baby-"big brother" Hoss was my model:

We were able to get a precious few photos outside of Mom, Dad, and baby together:

 She was more interested in Hoss than me, though!

We only stayed outside for a very short time, as it was getting cold and dark very quickly. We came back in, I set the boppy pillow and a soft blanket up on the dining room table , turned her until I could see the light in her eyes, and put daddy to work making her giggle:

Mommy took her soon after, and I captured them by the tree:

She was starting to get a bit fussy at this point, so I stopped trying to photograph her, and just held her so her mama could eat.

I did get a few more of her the morning we left, and a couple of them are my favorite-this first one especially!

I love this expression!

A Football Mom's prayer...

Last night, I saw something that literally made my heart stop with fear.  A friend of mine posted a photo of an air evac helicopter in the middle of a football field, and said that an eighth grade football player had to be life flighted from their game after taking a hit. My heart stopped. You see, last night was an away game for my son, and the first game this season that I did not go to, since it was further away than most of his games. As I waited for my friend to respond about what game it was, and who was hurt, I prayed and hoped that it wasn't mine. But I knew even after finding out that it wasn't him, that another mama out there was watching her son and praying for his life. This business of being a mom is hard. I let him play for so many reasons. Sports are such a positive influence on kids, their self confidence, building relationships, learning to work and play well with others, and keeping them healthy and fit. But they can be hard as well. It is hard to watch your son's (or daughter's) team lose. It is hard to keep the right attitude and teach them good sportsmanship when they do. It is so hard to watch them go into potentially dangerous situations, and let them go. Even though you know that they are smart and careful, you know that bad things still happen. But I wanted the other mama's out there to know that I am praying for my son (and yours), and you are not alone in this scary business of raising a child.
And, for the son I am talking about; #85-

You keep doing your best, and I will keep praying for you. That you make the right choices. That you stay safe. And that you become a good man in the process!

Monday Morning Mood Booster

On my first weekday of Daylight savings time, I look out onto a dreary and chilly, drizzly Monday. And I have so much on my agenda for today, that I feel the need for a bit of a pick me up and inspiration this morning. With that being said, here's a bit of sunshine from around the web this morning.

etsy

Bethany Canon Watercolor

etsy

shoes

dress

And to add some warmth of my own, heaps of sunshine and roses from the Ringling rose garden, taken on our vacation to Sarasota FL last year:

I was so entranced with the beauty of this English rose garden in Florida that my husband took the kids to Starbucks so that I could linger and photograph the flowers and statues-so grateful for this opportunity. I am thinking that these rose garden photos will be in a stand alone mini album seperate from our vacation album-they don't need much journaling, just a place to put them so that they can be appreciated.