My spunky, fiesty, sweet, funny little girl is already seven years old.  I really can’t believe it!  We decided to celebrate at Animal Kingdom this year and unfortunately my birthday girl spent our first night getting sick for about 5 hours….I felt so terrible for her.  Luckily, in true Abigail fashion, she bounced back the next morning and we were still able to enjoy our day at the theme park.  She loved the shows and the rides.  She especially loved that a lot of the Disney staff wished her a happy birthday as they walked by and saw her birthday button.  I really love that they make these kids feel so special!    She’s a real trooper and I am so thankful it didn’t ruin our weekend.   We also got to see our nephew Jonas at Animal Kingdom too….also celebrating his birthday.   With all of that, she managed to get a blister on her lip, so I am sad to say that I am going to have to shoot her birthday portraits some other day.   But I will be back to share them because I want all of you to see just how big my little baby has gotten this year…..All the love and happiest wishes to My Little Miss Abigail!  Happy 7th Birthday Sweetie!

I really am getting choked up just thinking about this post….Why does LIFE have to fly by so fast?  Where have the last 11 years gone and where did my itty bitty baby girl go?  So incredibly proud of her!   I am sure we all could go on and on about the things that make us most proud about our children, but I want to zoom in on just a couple things not to bore you all to death 🙂  This school year, Hanna has really “grown up” in so many ways.  She is the most determined little thing I have ever known (there is a BIG difference between determined and stubborn…she is NOT stubborn…that is her little sister Abby!)  She was really excited and gracious that we found her an instrument within just a day or so to have in time for her first band class and she told us about a week into it that she didn’t like the flute. (borrowed from a very generous client!)  She didn’t like it because it’s likely one of the hardest to learn out to play.  But she stuck with it because she IS really a good kid…and she rolls with the punches.  Well….her Uncle Matt came up with a clarinet that didn’t cost anything.   After a tune up, it was good to go.  Hanna’s teacher told her that she could switch if she could learn how to play it.  During Christmas vacation, she brought that thing everywhere and she taught herself how to play it.  Just this past week, her band teacher allowed her to switch when the year is almost over!   She also is teaching herself to play a keyboard that she got for Christmas about 3 years ago….I can’t believe I actually hear songs being played when she turns it on!  Incredibly….she has also been taught to play the guitar recently.   She was given lessons for Christmas and she is finally eager to learn how to play an instrument that SHE BOUGHT with her birthday money about 4 years ago!  Did I already mentioned DETERMINED!  One last little story so I don’t lose you 🙂  When Hanna was about 5 we re-decorated her room w/ a horse theme with a mural and all because she was REALLY into horses at the time.  Just this past year, SHE insisted that we change her room yet again to make it a little more grown up…..I about cried when we had to paint over the mural.   When we moved into this house about 8 years ago, she was exited that we lived on the lake because she thought we could own a horse here!    Well…..she now has that dream once again.  BUT, now that she is internet savvy, she has managed to compile a very detailed analysis about what it’s going to take to be able to afford a horse.  She is on a mission to earn 50K and she is now determined that the horse will live with Grandpa Dick and Grandma B on their 70+ acres in Western Kansas!    She is absolutely, positively, the most determined, smart,sweet, funny, soft hearted, beautiful  little girl I know.  She is our Hanna girl, and she is 11 years old today.    I believe she will own a horse someday….she is likely to own a ranch that has a music studio in it 🙂   We love you sweetie…..these beautiful images were taken by Jennifer Weiss Photography only about a week ago.  Be sure to scroll down b/c somehow my favorites got to the bottom!  XOXO

Definitely not letting the cold get in the way of me traveling to Kansas City and seeing these sweet new babies and seeing those loyal clients that allow me to work with their families every time I get a chance.   Had a wonderful weekend and Missouri was good to me because it really wasn’t that cold for January and the sun was shining!  Check back in the next week to see a little snip from your session here…See you in JUNE Kansas City 🙂

I have had the pleasure of working with this family for several years now and I love being able to see this young man grow up before me….Mom wanted some images for his save the date cards for his big celebration in June….can’t wait to see what she comes up with!  Don’t let these precious milestones go by without documenting each step of the way……CALL ME to talk about your special event!  561.350.4219

Well, here they are!   Their first day of a new school year and it’s so bittersweet.  We only have “graders” in our house, which makes them and us way too grown up!  We had a great summer (although very trying at times…) with a trip to Kansas, Oklahoma, Orlando, Lakeland, Tallahasseee, and St. Augustine.    I thought it would be much easier to keep them home part of the summer, but all it proved to me is that I am a cranky mom when I have the girls here while I am trying to focus on work too.    Although we did have a lot of fun once we got to our destinations… I think school definitely started just in time.   But now the house is quiet, and it seems that I should have just sat back and enjoyed it a little more. 🙁     We are excited to see what the new year brings.  We hope everyone had a great summer and hope an even better start to the new school year!     Stacy

Get ready Mrs. Gemmer, here Abby comes!  Always in full force 🙂

I hope Mrs. Ish can have some patience with my chatterbox Hanna……always a social butterfly and at this age – WHOA

I can’t believe it has been over two months since my last blog post……Facebook has really been the reason, I can’t lie 🙂

I wanted to announce some very exciting changes if you don’t follow me on Facebook.  I am in the middle of creating a brand new PORTRAIT website!  I am thrilled to finally find the time to do this.  It is going to ROCK and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

With this, it was time to also make some changes to our pricing structure.    I have really been fighting with myself about this, but the increases in cost of doing business over the last 3 years has really forced me to finally make the move.  It only made sense to do this along with the launch of the new website.

I hope everyone is having a great summer!  If you can believe – my weekends for holiday sessions are already starting to book!  If you are considering an outdoor session from September to November and you need a weekend, PLEASE contact me as soon as possible.

THANKS to everyone for your continued support!!

Stacy

I really can’t believe it was six years ago today that I was calling my sister in Tallahassee to let her know that she would be sharing her birthday with her newest niece…and to sweeten the deal, it was Mother’s Day.   This birthday for Abigail is so sweet for me.    It is the first time her birthday has fallen on Mother’s Day since her birth and it brought back the day like it was only yesterday.    Looking over at Jeff through my tears to say that she looked just like her big sister, Hanna, but “fat”!  ha ha….She was a big baby at 9 lb. 2 oz, but she was the best Mother’s Day gift a Mommy could have.  She definitely has put our parenting skills to the test over the last six years, but we wouldn’t trade her for anything.  She is a little stinker, but she is proving to us that she is a very sweet, kind hearted, smart, and really funny little girl.  She admires her big sister more than anything and she definitely lives life to the fullest.   Happy Birthday to my energetic Abigail Elizabeth!  WE love you!!!!

WOW.  February 28, 2001 at 6:47 p.m.  this adorable little baby girl blessed us so immensely.  Words can’t even describe how lucky we are to have her.  Hanna turns 10 TODAY.  It seems like yesterday that this tiny little 7 lb 11 oz baby girl was in our arms.  She has grown up so fast and turned into a beautiful, sweet, kind hearted, smart, funny young lady.   She reminds us regularly what’s important and thankful to God that he has a presence in our lives.  I was able to use Hanna last week as a model for a few local photographers to play and my friend Kristi Mangan shared this image of Hanna with me.  It captures her in every way….Thank you Kristi!  I hope to share more from her birthday session soon….XOXOXO to my Sweet Hanna!  Happy  Birthday Sweetie!  WE LOVE YOU!

Have you always wanted to take your wedding dress out for a little FUN!?  Do you wonder what to do after the wedding with the dress??? Do you feel like maybe there wasn’t enough time spent on “fun” shots your wedding day just because of time constraints?  CALL ME TO TRASH THE DRESS!  You don’t even really have to “trash” it – but it sure is alot of fun to get creative and have some playful pictures of you in your gown for your scrapbook!    Here is just a little sneak peek of the images that were taken during our two hour session, I will have to post images of the bride with her husband later and the motorcycle too!    Thanks for calling me Jenna – I hope you like them!

What fun it was working with this family.  Olivia and her friends were not wasting any time on the dance floor and her unique candle lighting ceremony touched everyone in the room.  Thank you “I” family for inviting me to document your Bat Mitzvah.  What an incredible time in Olivia’s life.  All the best to you and thank you so much for being so patient during my holiday rush.  I hope you enjoy this sneak peek until I can get you the rest!  Sincerely,  Stacy