Chastain Family

We've been rained out all week, but today I finally got a chance to take some photos with the Chastain family. One of the things I love about my job is to get a glimpse at the personalities of little kids. I love what I can learn about them in an hour. Today I learned that they both love to run. Ryder likes his pacifier. Rigg talks about himself in the third person. He also says smile instead of actually smiling. They are both tough, strong little boys with sweet hearts.

On the occasion of Opal's first birthday...

It stormed off and on today, but the heavens gave us a reprieve for the hour or so that I was taking pictures of this sweet child. Opal is so social and hammed right up to the camera. Take a look.

Baby in a pot.

Singing Opera.

Singing some Rock n' Roll.

I like this.

I met Josh Garrels briefly years ago. We were living in Texas at the time, and we came home to Indiana for a summer visit. Our friend Twon invited us to attend his church's Wednesday pot luck. It was at Josh's fountain square home. Twon told us Josh would soon be stepping down from his church leadership role to pursue music full time.
Fast forward four years when we were introduced to Josh's music. We are now living in downtown Indy and attending the little church he helped to start. He now lives in Portland but floated through last summer promoting his new album. We checked it out, and we liked it.
I'm the kind of music listener that plays a song on repeat until I'm sick of it. His newest album was on repeat for the entire months of July and August before my Avett brothers obsession began in the fall. Good news is I'm still not sick of it. Instead it has become the definition of summer 2011. When I hear those songs I'm transported back to where I was, what I was doing, and what I was feeling during that season.  Summer vacation.  Throw up in the car.  Finding out my mom had cancer.  Learning Joy was pregnant.  Ethiopia.  Watching the state fair stage collapse on TV over and over again.  Extremely warm family photo sessions.  I love when music allows you to remember details that would otherwise be lost in time.
Josh's music makes me thoughtful and was therefore going to be the music my 100 picture year in review was going to be set to.  And then I never got around to doing one.  And then it was March and it seemed ridiculous to do one.  And now it is May, and my birthday is on Saturday, and I can once again go into my favorite of modes where I reflect on the previous year.  Which means that it is acceptable to put together a year in review via pictures set to Josh Garrels music.  I plan to.  Stay tuned, and check it.  http://joshgarrels.bandcamp.com/

The closest I get to scrap booking.

I've mentioned several times in my task list posts that I'm working on a first year book for Maggie Lu. It took me longer to complete than I had hoped mostly due to the fact that I thought I had all my pictures organized but then kept realizing that there were holes in my story. Then I had to go searching through my archives looking for missing shots. So if you attempt a book, my suggestion is to have your pictures truly organized before starting the process.
My first year books read like a little storybook. I keep it sweet and simple so that I can read it to my little ones before bedtime. Julian and Schroeder have taken a lot of joy in reading their stories. D'arcy unfortunately has one of those old fashioned photo albums. You know, the ones where you slip single pictures into plastic pockets. This is because she was born prior to us owning a digital camera. She is officially ancient, and I'm 23 years older than ancient. I'm hoping to one day scan her pictures in, though.
Shutterfly has way to many options for backgrounds and themes. I try to keep it simple with using only two backgrounds that repeat and the same size and type of font. You'll also notice that many of my spreads have my favorite photo featured on one side and the mirage of supporting pictures on the other. I don't overlap photos (something I've finally decided I agree with Joy on :)).
I thought I would share and maybe it will inspire.

Click here to view this photo book larger

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Melissa + Joy : AT HOME | Bed Time

You might remember that my friend Joy and I had a series last year entitled "Saturated".  We had a color each month that we tried to capture in some form.  It was a blessing to me in many ways.  I got a chance to stay connected with my dear friend who is living so far away, and it pushed me to both be creative and take photos of something other than people.  

Joy and I wanted to do another series this year.  We had some great ideas that we will hopefully get to do in the future, BUT Joy became a mom in March.  Can I say how happy this makes me.  Just typing that makes me tear up.  SO Joy has a lot to adjust to and much to savor this year.  I wanted our photo series to help her do that instead of distract her from it.  

I've also been wanting to take pictures of my kids in our daily routines.  You know, I pick up my camera on a special occasions or amazing feats.  I don't have my camera with me when something beautiful happens in the midst of the ordinary like when Maggie holds her Tessa baby close when I put her to bed.  Well, I do have my iphone which is helping me treasure some of those moments.  So I asked Joy if maybe we could do a photo series of us documenting the most mundane of tasks as moms in an attempt to capture bits of beauty. 

This month we start with bedtime.  With every pregnancy, I've been the most nervous about the idea of having another person to put to bed.  My kids go to sleep well.  Ok, Schoreder has been a little difficult as of late but nothing crazy difficult.  BUT before they fall hard they speed up.  There is manic motion and noise and by that point of the day I'M DONE BEING A MOM.  Please notice documentation of chaos in picture three where Schroeder has toothpaste in his hair.  And yet amid the chaos there is beauty.  Note picture four where Schroeder is flying away, and picture seven where D'arcy is dancing to a tape by Tchaikovsky that she purchased from the second hand store this past weekend.  

Joy has her own beauty on display here.   

Baby Samuel has arrived.

Just a few from my session with little Samuel and his parents.  I walked into his room and started tearing up when I read the scripture that adorns his wall.  It reads "I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him."  It comes from 1st Samuel, and I'm assuming his name does as well.  I can relate to this as a mother, but I'm sure it has even deeper meaning to mothers who have struggled with infertility or infant loss.  Please take note of how sweet this very wanted child is.  Check out a few more pictures here.