Sweet Margaret {Dallas Children's Photographer/Baby Boot Camp}

Margaret is just a few months younger than my little girl.  I really love two year olds.  They are learning to be so independant and have so much enthusiasm for everything and everyone in their world.  Sweet Margaret was no exception.  She was so joyful and smiley.  I found myself a little happier for having spent some time with her.

Here are a few of my favorite images from Margaret's session

 that showcase her sweet, fun personality.

Mommy and Daddy weren't planning on being in any of the pictures, but I had to get them in there somehow.  I think little Margaret will love and treasure this picture when she's older.

Margaret's mommy, Tricia, is about to have baby number two.  She and another one of my clients, Jennifer, teach Baby Boot Camp classes. Tricia actually owns the business which was recently featured in an artical written by a reporter from the Allen American.  The reporter covered an upcoming free event Tricia is sponsoring in honor of Mother's Day (details below).  

You can read the article at the following link.

http://www.scntx.com/articles/2009/04/22/news_update/715.txt

What new Mommy doesn't want to get back into shape? Sometimes it is difficult to arrange for a sitter, so working out with your baby in tow (with exercises geared to accommodating baby strollers) is a great way to do just that!  There are several locations throughout Collin County, so check out their website listed below and join in on the fun.  And don't hesitate to give Tricia a call if you have any questions.

INFO ON THE MOTHER'S DAY EVENT:

Friday, May 8
9:15 AM
Celebration Park
Meet in parking lot at 500 North Malone Road
Free gifts, raffles, refreshments, fun free class, and a chance to cool off in the splash park included! :)
__________________________________
Tricia Meehlhause
Franchise Owner - Allen, Plano (East), Wylie
214-335-6406 | tricia.meehlhause@babybootcamp.com

Baby Boot Camp®
Bring your baby. Get fit.®
www.babybootcamp.com

Matilda Jane Mini Session Sneak Peaks {Matilda Jane}

The long wait is finally over.  Saturday was our much anticipated Matilda Jane Mini Session photo event.  Three of the six families had to be reschedule due to illness and scheduling conflicts, but the three families we were able to photograph were were so much fun!  I am so pleased with all of the pictures from these sessions.  I'll post a quick overview sneak peak today and will post on each of the families separately throughout the week.

Say Hello to Parker!

And his twin sister Piper!

And their big sister Aubrey!

Say hello to Margaret (very soon to be a big sister herself)!

And last but not least, Lily!

Alyssa and Ashley {Allen Texas Senior Photography, McKinney Senior Photography}

Meet Alyssa and Ashley.  Alyssa is a Junior.  She's a member of the National Honor Society and the sister of two of my son's classmates. Ashley is Alyssa's cousin and a soon to be High School graduate!  We doubled up on their sessions for twice the fun.  Their mothers wanted some nice pictures of the two of them together.  What better way to do just that!  

Ashley and Alyssa are not just cousins, they're very good friends as well.  Both of their families relocated to Texas a couple of years ago from the sunny state of California, so they have a lot in common - not just their beauty.

Throughout the session, Alyssa took pictures of me taking pictures. Turns out I'm the subject of her latest English project.  She's been assigned to write a story featuring people and their passions.  She had chosen photography as her subject, so taking her camera along on our session was the perfect fit.  I got to fulfill my passion while taking pictures of two lovely young ladies, and she got to check off something on her homework list.  Not a bad switch-off if you ask me.

Here's the beautiful, incredibly sweet Alyssa.

And the stunning, outgoing, and very likable Ashley:

And of course, we can't forget to make those mothers of theirs happy. Here they are together:

I've been wanting to try this following sequence of shots below for quite some time.  I had a hunch Ashley would be up for the challenge, and she didn't disappoint.  How fun is this!

I know I've said this before, but it's true for me once again.  Each session keeps getting better and better and more and more fun.  My session with Ashley and Alyssa was one of my favorites to date.  They were such great sports, and I was able to try out a few new shots. Thanks again, girls!  I had a blast.  Hope you did as well. 

One thing is certain...my passion (and I think it's fair to say my photography skills) certainly grew during this session.

Jason and Carley are having a baby!

Jason and I used to teach together at Providence Christian School of Texas.  He was passionate about young people then and continues to be today where he now serves as the Pastor of Student Ministries at our church in Frisco.  His wife Carley shares his passion for young people and serves right beside him in the youth program.  I was so thrilled to finally meet her today. 

During our son's recent scare with epilepsy, Jason was there at the hospital with us while we waited for our MRI results.  He prayed over our son and spent time talking to us to help take our mind off the situation.  That's Jason.  He's just an overall great guy who genuinely cares for others.

Jason and Carley are expecting their first baby on May 14th.  (Enjoy your last couple weeks of freedom, you two!)  Jason was so sweet to treat Carley to a professional maternity session.  He even had the perfect location in mind.  We met up at Fountain Place located in downtown Dallas where they have enjoyed many evening strolls over the years. What a beautifully landscaped courtyard!  It is absolutely gorgeous! 

Throughout the session I felt like I was in the mountains or near the beach.  The sound of the rushing water was so soothing.  At times, though, the water was so loud that I had to resort to a game a charades just to communicate with Jason and Carley.  Fortunately, they caught on quick and the session went smoothly.  I really enjoyed the morning.

Here are a few of my favorites, Jason and Carley.  I can't wait to meet your little baby in just a few short weeks.  My prayers are with you for a healthy delivery and a healthy, happy baby!

Emily and Richard

Meet Emily.  She's the girlfriend of Richard, the oldest sibling from last Saturday's session. I was thrilled to be able to take some portraits for Emily as well as some really great pictures of Richard and Emily together during Saturday's session.  

Isn't Emily stunning!   

They're are a pretty sweet looking couple, too!

Richard, Ashleigh, and Austin

Cindy called me a couple weeks ago wanting to schedule a time to get some updated portraits for her older children.  Richard, 24, Ashleigh, 21, and Austin, 14, are a great group of young adults.

Before my youngest brother was born (the summer before my 8th grade), I grew up sandwiched between two brothers - just like Ashleigh. It was so much fun seeing how the three of them interact.  Sure made me miss all three of my brothers (who all live out of town).

In honor of brothers everywhere (especially mine), I can't end this post without mentioning that tomorrow is Brother's Day - in my family anyway.  We began the holiday the day of my grandmother's funeral - vowing to dedicate one day each year to her memory and to each other. We didn't want to grow apart like some of my uncles had done.  I might add that Sister's Day (I'm important too!) is on May 4th.

So, maybe the rest of you can join in on our little holiday and give your brothers a call today. Let them know how much you care!  Life is short!

Here are a few favorites from Richard, Ashleigh, and Austin's session.  (I am so jealous of their perfect white teeth!)

McKenna Rhae

McKenna is the daughter of one of my very dear friends.  She is also turning out to be a favorite playmate for my daughter Alden who affectionately calls her, Miss Kenna.

McKenna recently fell on a windowsill in her new home losing a front tooth in the process.  We are so blessed that she wasn't hurt more seriously.  While Angie wasn't anticipating documenting her first lost tooth for another couple of years, she wasn't going to let a little mishap get in the way of getting some great Easter pictures for her sweet little girl.

Missing tooth and all, Miss Kenna sure is a little Princess.  You give Cinderella a run for her money, my dear.  Take a look!

Alrighty, Miss Tammy.  I'm finished!

Angel Twins 5K Race

Get ready for a VERY long post packed FULL of pictures.

My friend Colleen just organized a city-wide 5K run for her neighbors the Bouchard family who recently lost their twin daughters to Niemann-Pick Disease Type C.  Sweet Cathryn and Corryne passed away shortly after their first birthdays within months of each other.  Heartbroken for her friends, Colleen poured her heart and soul into joining her friends in their crusade to raise money to find a cure - and her dream of a 5K Race for the Angel Twins began to take shape.   

After months of planning, her dream became reality.  Though the weather was frigid and the winds were miserable, old and young alike turned out to show their support for this wonderful family.  I was brought to tears on several occasions as I witnessed so much love poured out for this family in such a tangible way.

Colleen will be posting more pics on the race blog, but in the meantime I wanted to share some of my favorite memories from the event and tell the story in a way that I hope will touch Colleen's heart.  

I'll start with my favorite memory - my dear friend Colleen.  If ever you want a friend in your corner, she's the gal!  A bigger heart you won't find.  Though she had never organized a 5K before, Colleen didn't let that stop her.  From meeting with city officials to organizing the tiniest of details (port-o-potties and all), Colleen has done an amazing job! She has to be one of THE most resourceful people I have ever met. From teaching herself JAVA scripts online to starting her own custom card business (see link at right), nothing holds her back.  Just check her out on race day!

An old friend from High School MC'd the event, but Colleen was always on hand to give last minute details keeping everyone informed and everything running smoothly.

When she found out the mile markers had not been put in place, she ran the course (Yes, the whole course...) herself setting everything up just in the knick of time.

Here she is with our friend Nori-Lyn who manned the registration table (and lent me her scarf) and her friend Kristen, Cathryn and Corryne's mommy. 

Colleen's husband, Steve, was such a huge blessing to her throughout the planning of this event.  Here he is manning the water station with several of the local teens that came out to volunteer their time - despite the cold.  It's been so awesome to see how Steve has been there for Colleen every step of the way as she journeyed down this heart mission of hers to minister to her friends in their hour of need.  What a guy!  

On to the race itself:

I want you to notice all the young people and families that came out to take part in this event.  What an amazing outpouring of love for the Bouchard family!  Even a local girl scout troop came out.

And they're off...

One particular highlight of my day was when I asked a group of runners if I could take their picture after the 5K.  They told me that they were running with their friend as part of her bachelorette party.  They may as well have been in a bar dancing and having drinks with as much fun as they were having.  What a great (and meaningful) way to spend time with your best buds before tying the knot.  These ladies totally inspired me!   (Email me, ladies, and I'll get you a copy of these pics!) Congratulations on the upcoming wedding!

Here's the bride to be. 

And her Bridal party!

And the Groom...I assume!  Gotta love a little playful tackle right before the finish line...

Another fun moment for me was watching my friend, Haley (fellow photographer) finishing the race.  She was actually holding a conversation with her friend Marcy at the finish line.  I can hardly breathe - let alone talk - when I run, so I was most impressed.  I'm so proud of you, Haley!  You go girl!

Even the Chic-Fil-A cow came out to support the race and spread some cheer.  The little girls LOVED him!  Can you believe these girls were out there running in the race - the 5K race!  How awesome and inspiring is that?

Before I move on to other fun highlights from the day, I want to be sure to post the pictures of the winners of both the 1 mile run/walk and the 5K.  You'll have to check the Run for the Angel Twins link at the right to find out their names though.  I haven't received that info yet.

This young man crossed the finish line first for the 1 Mile run/walk event.  He later ran the 5K as well.  Oh...to be young and ambitious again.

Here's the exuberant first lady to cross the finish line in the 1 mile run/walk.  I love that she saw me and posed for me.  The joy and pride on her face is priceless.

Yes, you read that right, folks.  That's a time of 19:12 for a 5K!  And, if you understood how cold and windy it was that morning (check out the flags), you'd be even more impressed!

 

It doesn't come easy though.  These runners work hard and are so committed!

Equally impressive was the first female to cross the finish line for the 5K at just over 23 minutes.  That's fast, folks!  This picture was taken before the race started.  Something about her Run On red jacket tipped me off to the fact that she was going to be a contender, so I made a point of asking if I could take her picture!  And boy am I glad I did, because I missed her crossing the finish line while I was over by the space heater thawing my frozen fingers out.  You simply can't wear gloves and operate a camera at the same time - at least I can't.  And, I had left my fingerless gloves at home not having anticipated how cold and windy it was going to be.  So sorry I missed your moment, girl!

Also making the race a success were all the volunteers that showed up to add to the festive feel of the event.  Everyone was there to celebrate the life of Cathryn and Corryne and the face painter on hand did a marvelous job helping to add joy to the day.  She volunteered her time to paint the runner's faces and had the angel twins logo down pat.  I'm hoping Colleen will put a link on the race blog to plug her business. She was so sweet!  Keep an eye out for that.  In the meantime, just look at her beautiful work (and the beautiful people that served as her canvases)!

As I alluded to earlier, I relied rather heavily on the space heater I found secretly hidden in the face painting tent.  Every five minutes or so I'd have to run in there to thaw my frozen fingers out.  Though I grew up in the Midwest, I'm still not very good at handling the cold.  There's a reason I live in Texas now!

While I was originally going to train to run in this event, I'm glad I was there to take pictures for Colleen and for the family instead.  It allowed me to see things I probably wouldn't have even noticed had I come to run.  I saw fathers running with their young children - and the joy on their faces as they crossed the finish line together.  I saw little girls running knowingly for a cause greater than themselves.  I saw determination and even joy as everyone gathered together to celebrate the lives of two very special little girls whose time on earth was cut way too short.  I hope you are able to sense just a little of that emotion through the images I've posted today.  It was a great experience.

And it was not in vain...

As of Saturday (race day), Colleen informed me that close to 400 runners had pre-registered and they had raised over $8,000 for the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation which works diligently to find a cure for this fatal disease.  It's not too late to contribute to the Angel Twins mission.  Click on the link at the right to make your donation.