Many of you know the season ... the one in which you can think of little else outside of the preparing for a new addition. The thoughts to nursery, names, future and the sheer fears of "will I know what I'm doing" ... the good news is, we all do just fine. And just as you fall in love instantly with the new little person in your life, you seem to go into parenting mode in a blink. These two beautiful people will be no different, I am sure. They were easy to be around, a calm folk that seem to just resonate in their togetherness ... from the way they spoke to one another to the second nature fist bump for one another at the end of the shoot. It is easy to see they've found their other half and I know it is going to be exciting when they meet and welcome their new daughter. A & J, I am so thankful you allowed me the opportunity to shoot a few pictures for you. Thank you for inviting me in and thank you for your generous kindness and welcoming personalities. I wish you two the absolute best in all that you do. From one previous California family to another, I hope that life in Cincy brings you face to face with some of your greatest dreams fulfilled with many blessings along the way! ~ B
Spent a beautiful Friday evening with these four gorgeous gals on a quick group shoot. This group of gals was very comfortable with one another and managed to laugh the entire time we walked through Friendship Park. It is easy to see why they connect and despite their changing future and soon to be distance, I am sure these girls will find great ways to keep that connection. E, A, H & M, The University of Dayton, University of Virginia and University of Kentucky are getting some really great freshman in you guys. Looking forward to seeing what is in store! :)
Rain and cold were the preeminent weather patterns for the day and I wasn't quite sure we were going to be able to pull this one off. Just minutes prior to arriving at Ault Park rain was pouring hard on the pavement but as if it was destined to be, the skies cleared and we were blessed to have not only glimpses of a beautiful sun, but the storm clouds around us. This sweet family has been among my favorite people to see so regularly and it was wonderful to get to see their little guy go from a teeny babe to one nearly walking. It is obvious, the love between these three, as I watch through my lens. The smiles don't stop the entire time we are together. Their joy is contagious. I'm so thankful for their positive nature, for their visions and ideas with each shoot and have truly enjoyed being part of this new season with them. It was so bittersweet to hear they are relocating. It is expected that you become attached to your clients but this couple and their beautiful son have been such a pleasure to get to know and I lack adequate words for expressing my thanks to them for their ongoing support and belief. L & S, THANK YOU, thank you, thank you. I wish you many many blessings and look forward to hearing what God has in store. I know you will do wonderful things in your new home and will be such a light to those who come to know you! Much love! ~ B
The day may have been cold and rainy but spending a couple hours with this sweet family you would never have known. This beautiful babe was a mere six days old and teeny as she was she filled a big space. I walked into her gorgeous nursery, blankets in tow, and watched these new parents as they doted on their sweet girl. As a parent with older children it is easy to forget how amazing new babies are. The moment I held this girl I felt as if I was holding something incredibly precious and I was. Each teeny baby is a huge reminder of our short time here, of how quickly they grow and how wonderfully inexplicable loving them is. This small addition squeaked and stretched her way through our morning together, more contented than I would have thought. Her delicate arms stretching out her clenched fists as she'd gather her head in wrinkles with big yawns and knees pulled in tight, sleeping through most transitions. Her chubby, soft cheeks and her tulip shaped lips puckered as she dreamt. I couldn't help but step back and envy the season for this couple, though it's a convoluted, sleep deprived, worry filled one, it is also one filled with a flooding of love that like water seeping into cracks, can cast great light on even the hardest to reach of corners. B & A, your E is absolutely perfect and I wish you many, many blessings in life. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of these treasured moments with you! ~ B
Six months seems to pass at a wretched pace when raising little ones and I'm sure the time surrounding this sweet boy seems no different. This happy little fella was a blessing to spend time with as he giggled his way through the morning, experiencing new things. His big eyes on the world around him while his beautiful parents watched every moment. I so enjoyed having the pleasure of photographing "six months" for this family at Alms. L & S, thank you so much for allowing me to snap photos of your incredibly beautiful family. ~ B
These sweet twins are such a pleasure to be around. The first time I met them was for a shoot on a blistering hot day over the summer, this 60 degree weather in December was a nice change. Trying to keep up with these sweet littles on this short shoot was no easy task, they are bundles of great and happy energy. Truly a blast. Thank you so much for allowing me the time H family! Hope you have a very Merry Christmas! ~ B Gallery
What amazing weather we had for the end of November with this beautiful family of 6. They were troopers as their brood ventured through downed trees, dry creeks and steep inclines as we sought the sun in open spaces. I was genuinely impressed with the love that they exuded for one another as these siblings not only joked with one another but even spoke of being inspired by one another. As I inquired to the "secret" of their warmth for each other, both parents joked, but in truth it was obvious that there is an inner joy residing in this family of 6 and that joy works to develop a love and respect that seems ten fold. These sweet kiddos and their wonderful parents were a fun crew to wander with. I am so thankful you, A & M, allowed me the absolute privilege of photographing your beautiful family! ~ B Gallery
These three little people are a happy folk! Talking with them about all things school, fun and family was easy peasy. They were a little pensive with the camera in their faces, but before long running through the open field at French Park loosened them up a bit and allowed for some fun investigating. Mom and Dad have a beautiful crew and it was absolute fun watching the five of them enjoy camera time together. Who would have thought that a day in November would have brought warm weather and dry ground for these folks?! T & S thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to photograph your beautiful family. The kiddos are such cuties and I am so happy to have been a part of documenting these moments for you! ~ B Gallery
"You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home..." Ephesians 2:19-22
I was thinking and praying today over the troubles of a struggling friend and as I thought on the words to share with her over this season, I was led to think of this month and what it means for me...what's been done for me in these times.
November is a beautiful month that I love. I get to celebrate Fall, my sweet sister's birthday and the birthday of my late Momma. It is a month I enjoy fuzzy sweaters and the gruff of my husband's new beard. It is a warm your hands by the fire pit month, a grab the s'mores and a good cuddle month, but it is also the start to a grieving season for me, for my sisters, for our families. One that I make my way through without a ton of thought, but one that will eek its way into my mind in that occasional moment where a scent will take me back, a word will ignite a memory or a song will tug on the strings on my heart. It is a bittersweetness that can only be met with the knowledge of eternity to me, with the awareness of what Christ has done for me. As I thought to this season today, I thought to something that would confirm a peace in it for me, that would give me the anchor anytime my eyes might water and the best thing that comes to mind is the scripture above. I'll explain here ...
Four of the people I was closest to in life passed away in Winter months. The anniversaries of their death spanning 45 days of one another. Their deaths being a result of old age, accident and bad health. Each of those persons buried on a hill in a small town in Pennsylvania. Each funeral with snow on the ground. Each time, I stood shivering as the wind whipped across that tall place. The last funeral there, the snow fell deep and wet and my children clung tightly to my husband and me as we all stood, coats zipped tightly, winter boots secured and the literal Jack Frost nipping our noses. What felt like an eternity there was over in a blink and my family laid rest on that frozen slope. We maneuvered our way back to the line of cars quietly and before I stepped into my door, I looked out over the car. When I was little, I would stay at my grandparent's over the summers, I could see that cemetery hill in the distance from a nearby place at their home. I was always enamored with how perfectly I could make out that hill and yet when there, I could never see the house. The angle and placement were always just so that I could only figure it's approximate location and I'd shrug it off and move on. But that last day there, I tried again. I stood, looking into the distance recalling the many times there, the many memories with those amazing loved ones, a town more home than any other. I peered through the thick flakes of falling snow, but to no avail, I could not see the house. It was different this time, I had no reason to come back. It hurt. I teared up as I leaned into my seat because the reality of that winter was harsh. The pain stung like the bitter cold biting at my well-covered toes and fingers, but I did smile as we pulled away, awaking to the realization that this physical pain would end. It would lessen and that neither my life nor that of my people, ended on that hill. That although I couldn't see that house or those folks, the memories and lives weren't contained in those four walls. That those memories of warm summers, fresh applesauce, and perfect climbing trees would keep my heart warm and that my viewing place would be available in my heart anytime I sought it. I remembered what Christ did what God is building, and that because they each knew Christ too, I would rest with those loved ones again and that is a great peace to know.
I realized that Winter stings, just like trudging the deep snow to pay my respects, we walk through seasons of deep hurt and sin as if we are plodding into heavy places. But in all our plodding and striving and doing and seeking, we need to remember, that though we can't see through the bitter air, God sees us. He can make out our hills and He knows our journeys over them. Though we deserved death, He pulled us from a permanent winter. We don't have to stand in those dark places and look for home, HE is home and He can use us. Keeping our eyes on HIM, will carry us through our burdened winters or our grieving seasons.
Jesus is my warm winter place, my grace upon grace place and with Him I am free from the bitter and biting cold and no memory or sting of this season can counter that! ~ B