Growing up in New York, I took for granted the delicious pizza shop on every corner, the view of the bridges connecting the boroughs, the bagels and the energy that's just undeniable. Now that I live 500 miles away, I miss the city and this visit was long over due... 
As you can see, we ran the kids around the city. So much to take in right?! We hit Uptown, Downtown, witnessed peaceful protest and ate our faces off. My love affair with NYC will never end and seeing it through the eyes of my children was really pretty cool.
Smiles
What a nice surprise to see this pop up on my Facebook page...
You see, this image is from a recent session I did for one of the most amazing families, BUT it's also an ad promoting the very same Adoption Agency we used to bring us to our daughter 9 years ago! The work they do, day in and day out to bring together children and families is outstanding. MUAH Children's Home...I'm grateful as ever.
The best camera is the one you have with you.
The big girl camera took a little rest as I decided to capture some memories of our long weekend in OBX with only the I Phone...
With the beautiful and unusual February weather, it was basically beach walk, eat, repeat with a few games of Jenga thrown in between...
Oh, and there was time with just the hubs and a good cup of coffee...
What?? Is that me actually IN a photograph?! Yes, the best camera is the one you have with you... to document your days, the moments you want to look back on even if it's with your cell phone. It's easy, convenient and with today's cell phone camera features, you can really get your shot. Who cares if it's not technically perfect...it's your story that's unique and worth telling. Connection over perfection, right? Go out there and preserve your memories!
Showing Off!
I just can't resist sharing some of my favorites from 2016. Boy was it hard to choose which images to share! I am so grateful to the families who have chosen me to preserve their memories. Great friends have been made along the way and the journey has only just begun...
Aren't they just gorgeous? Thanks for taking a look back with me. I just can't wait to capture moments for my 2017 families!
All the Eye Rolls
If you've got a teenager you know what I'm talking about. The last thing on earth my teenage son wants to do is let me take his photograph. I usually get a nice strong "NO way!"
And don't even mention posting said photograph on any social media...heaven forbid!
However...sometimes miracles occur and they actually say yes and you think about how fast time has gone and how your baby is 3 inches taller than you. It's painfully clear he will be gone and off to college in less than 2 years time. You realize how most of the days are spent apart now while he is learning to navigate through his teenage years and the pressures that are on his shoulders now to achieve and mature even though he's only 15. The dinners home together are limited, no more trick or treating as a family and the keys to the car are all he will want soon. I know it...I will blink and it will be here. I'll miss the books and the dirty socks he leaves around and dare I say this, but the fighting he's mastered with his younger brother, I'll probably miss that too. I wish I could shield him from the haters and the negativity of this world, but I know I can't. What I CAN do though, is hold on and savor this time...even if he is really nasty sometimes and I wonder what strange creature has taken over my kid...Even if he thinks I am the most uncool person in the world and even if he shuts me right down with my too many questions.
Finally...I can keep asking about taking his photograph, even though most of the time he will give me the eye roll and run away, there will be that occasional miracle when he will say "Yes!"
The In Between Moments
Ahhhh it's the perfect Fall Sunday. It's all planned in my mind...A leisurely breakfast to start at our favorite restaurant then a peaceful car ride out to the farm to pick our own apples and maybe some pumpkins. We would sing to the radio and enjoy the breeze and the sunshine. The kids would all give me great material for photographs and they wouldn't complain a bit about the camera. Ha, Yeah right!!What I got was pretty much this..."Why do we have to walk so much?" "All of these bugs!" "I'm soooooo thirsty" "Can we just go home?" "I'm hot!"And let's not forget the fighting over seats, the hitting each other, the hurt feelings, my teenager's attitude and heaven knows what else. No, the day didn't really go as I envisioned it but we managed to enjoy the outdoors, some apple cider and we did take home our 15 dollar bag of apples we picked ourselves. The following photographs are the moments in between the chaos and complaining. I'm thinking I need to do a better job at documenting those irritating parenting times because from these you would never know how they tested our patience today...
I know I'm going to miss it all one day...even the days that are hard...Even those days that require every ounce of patience and calm. The house will be quiet, the car will be quiet and I'll wish for the yelling and the fighting back again.