The Terrible 2's

I hear moms talking about the "Terrible 2's" all the time. (Just one more reason mom-hood sounds sucky to me). It's that awkward stage in life when kids are miserable to live with....they can now walk and say some words (mostly the word "no") and they understand a basic threat, yet decide to do whatever they want anyway.

Unfortunately it's when they also are super cute and sometimes (when the stars align and they have had a good nap and lunch) you can get some really awesome pictures so their moms and dads can forget how rotten they were at that age.

I'm going to be vulnerable here for just a moment.....I feel I need to clarify what I mean when I say I'm not a "kid person". I had the chance to watch my sister give birth to my niece. While many would say it was a beautiful moment, I thought it was completely gross, and I tried to stay up near my sister's face so that I didn't have to see more than I could stomach. Her labor was pretty awful....way too many hours, spinal headache, episiotomy....way too many things I don't want to have first-hand knowledge of. Now that I sound completely awful....LOL. 

Anyway, my niece is super cute and funny now (she just turned 5), and I love hanging out with her now that she doesn't have to wear diapers that need to be changed. I love going to see her and she gets this big smile when I walk through the door and she tells me, "I missed you so much!" (melts my heart every time). 

What I'm understanding more and more is that not everyone is cut out to be a birth mom. Some day, I would love to adopt a child or two and give them a great life, but the baby stuff just isn't my cup of tea. I would love to experience the love between a mother and a child, but for me, I feel like it will happen differently. So......

Back to the photography part.....I love a good challenge and since I'm not a "kid person" photographing kids is as good a challenge as any. I've collected some toys, props, and backdrops that are kid-friendly and I'm learning to sometimes use the moms to help....and sometimes banish them from the room so I can get the best photos. I'm also learning that snacks and small animals can be helpful. LOL..... It's all a learning experience! The greatest thing I've learned so far is that even though I don't think of myself as a "kid person"....I'm pretty darn good with kids and kids love me. Who knew? 

Here are some of my favorite 2 year olds.....girls, boys, and fur babies :) 

I love weddings... Daniel & Brianne

I LOVE weddings! Yes, I know....it's shocking! LOL. But I am a hopeless (or maybe hopeful) romantic at heart, so I love weddings....especially when the bride and groom totally love each other. Trust me, I've been to enough weddings where you can tell.

At one point in my life, I thought I wanted to be a wedding planner. I even got a specialized degree in wedding consulting and was a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants. Who knew? That was a short-lived career though. After about the 6th or 7th diva maid of honor and/or mother of the bride...I just couldn't take it anymore. (HUGE props to all the wedding planners out there who can manage people like that). Unfortunately my "filter" doesn't always work well, so I have a hard time keeping from telling off nasty people. Oh well....that is a whole other blog.

Anyway, back to what I was saying.... I LOVE weddings! I find myself spending hours looking at bridal magazines, reading blogs, looking at wedding photos, critiquing dresses and cakes....anybody who dates me might get scared off thinking I'm planning my next wedding!

What is it about weddings that I love? I can't even list all the reasons, but here are a few of my favorites:

1. I LOVE love. I love to see people who are in love and it shows (and they are always the ones whose weddings I cry at). In a world where most people complain several times a day about life in general, I enjoy spending a day watching people celebrate love. 
2. I love to see (and to photograph) people having special moments with their new husband/wife or with their family. I cry during EVERY father/daughter dance. Yes, I am mushy. I can't help it. Thankfully I always wear waterproof mascara so I don't look like a raccoon the rest of the day. 
3. I love the glitz and glamour. If it has rhinestones, sequins, lace, feathers, or any other type of glitz....I'm gonna love it and I'm gonna take lots of photos. Even the most simple of brides has a glitzy side when it comes to weddings...after all, every bride wants to feel like a princess for a day. 
4. If you haven't noticed from my outfits, I love when things match (hence my shoes, dress, and jewelry always being perfectly coordinated). So, I love seeing how brides take a color and run with it, and it shows up in unexpected and beautiful places. 

There are lots of other reasons I love weddings...but those are tops on my list. 

For a couple of years in the late 90's, I worked with a great wedding photographer. We must have photographed dozens of weddings together and we saw some interesting stuff (Wilbur, thanks for being such a great boss!). Now that I have my own photography business, I'm finding myself photographing weddings and for once, I actually enjoy editing photos! I love to go back and look at all the photos and relive some of the moments....and I love realizing that I was able to capture some pretty awesome memories. I'm THAT photographer who will be standing on a table, laying on a ballroom floor, or balancing precariously on a balcony to get a great photo. I am picky when it comes to posing bridal parties or doing bridal portraits! Yes, I can edit in Photoshop, but why wouldn't I just take a good photo first? 

Recently I was blessed to be able to photograph a wedding for a good friend, Brianne. I had met her through pageants and she was always such a sweet, God-loving young woman. During college, she met her perfect mate, Daniel! They had a beautiful (but windy) beach wedding and a small beach-side reception. Brianne was able to capture the feeling of the ocean in her blue-themed wedding and it was a great day. However, my favorite thing about this wedding was the two of them. I love that they prayed before the ceremony and I love the way they look at each other....simply awesome! I can't wait to see what's in store for these two! Congrats Daniel & Brianne (and Baby Ethan) and thanks for letting me capture your special day!