Two people in love.

Brad & Lianne…you two are so much fun!  Thanks for inviting me to photograph your love story!
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
Erin

What a joy to see my sweet friends become parents…

Love you guys!!
E xoxo

Have you ever had an encounter that seemed a bit providential?  Like an important message was being delivered directly to you by a random meeting?  That’s what happened to me today.
I was at Barnes & Noble today with the kids and while in the bathroom we were graced with the kindness of a stranger, helping my boys reach the soap and water while I was still in the stall.  I could hear the sweet motherly voice encouraging my kids as they washed and when I got out, I thanked her for helping them so I could go to the potty myself.  As we walked out she said, “Enjoy them.  Every minute.”  We ended up in conversation for a bit and from this mother who is now parenting a teenager, was encouraging me to see the blessing in THIS time in my kids lives.  To invest in them NOW.  To show them, not just through word, but through actions, how to love and learn and give.
What a gift that encounter was.  I love the way the Lord is constantly reminding me of where to keep my focus.  And to not wish away the time…even on the hard days (cause we all have them!)  Those days cause me to grow…as a mom and as a person.

So welcome to 2012!  Hope everyone had a great holiday season.
I was going to do a Diggin’ It-Over It segment…but it’s late and I’m tired.  I am going to list some of my favorite reads from 2011 though because if I love a book, I want to talk about it.

• Legends of the Guardian Kings Series by Karen Hancock Loved!  I will read anything Karen writes…can’t wait for her next novel to release!
• By Darkness Hid Trilogy by Jill Williamson This was such a fun read!  Love Jill’s humor and ability to create such engaging characters.  Looking forward to reading her latest release Replication this year!
• Firebird by Kathy Tyers The new Annotated version looks amazing!  This story has a “Star Trek” flavor to it.  I loved her creativity.
• Demon:  A Memoir by Tosca Lee Tosca writes beautifully, with depth and boldness.  This one left me with chills.  I’m DEFINITELY a Tosca Lee fan!  Her latest release co-autored with Ted Dekker- Forbidden- is on my list for 2012.  Can’t wait to see what the story telling talents of those two produce!
• Havah by Tosca Lee This was a beautiful and sad read all at once.  It’s the story of Adam and Eve after all…speculated.  What could have happened base on what we do know.
• Save the Date and There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B Jones That’s a link to her blog because it’s a must have on your google reader.  Forever a fan of JBJ because her stories are heart warming and make me laugh…hard!
• Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis Amazing, amazing, amazing!  I’m still mulling over this story.  Just know this is one of those books that will make you ask some tough questions.  Buy it!

Alright, I’ll stop there.  I just realized there are no male authors on this list.  I really do like books by both genders and read a handful by male authors that I really enjoyed this year.  The ones above just happened to be my favorites.
Movie wise, I was so impressed with the theatrical version of The Help.  So glad they got that one right!  Fans of the book would NOT have been happy if they messed that one up.  Also saw Hugo.  It was a very slow moving story BUT the cinematography and the lead actors were so fantastic, that I still liked it.  Look out for Asa Butterfield…that kid can act!  Most of the movie was simply his facial expressions…but he did them so well that it was interesting to watch.  In my late night editing hours, I have been watching Parenthood on Netflix.  I’m hooked.  Complex characters and good story lines.

I would LOVE to know what books/movies/shows you all would recommend.  There’s only a certain amount of hours in the day, so it’s nice to pick up/watch something that’s highly recommended.  Obviously I have a bent towards fantasy/speculative, but I read in all genres, so fire away your favorites!

And finally, a slideshow with the sweet little faces 2011.  So very thankful for each child and family I get to photograph.
And a big thank you to Scripture Lullabies for creating such BEAUTIFUL music and allowing me to use it on my site and in slideshows.