Finally Home

My job occasionally allows me to follow people around for some unique experiences.

This particular time (over a year ago) we were photographing a family bringing home their adopted children. My job was to take picture of their bio children as they first saw their new siblings. This view was special to me because their faces showed everything you would need to see.
It wasn't till later that I realized how beautiful tis picture was of how we should reflect Christ. The people around us aren't always looking for Jesus but they are looking at us and our lives need show our joy and excitment over his next coming.

The handshake is my favorite

Annnd I thought this was an appropriate time to share Tyler and mines first look photos. Again photos by Ivey Mischel Photography

Twinning

This is 100% my new favorite shoot. Emily and Michael are twins and about to graduate. They are also polar opposites. But their family farm house provided the coolest backdrop ever and their unique personalities were able to be perfectly represented. 

Sorry there are so many photos... I love this shoot so much I don't know how I even got it down to this few.

So Much To Do....

We got back in from Destin last night and there was storm when I got home so I stayed up and did a quick edit of some of my favorites to share. 

                                    

Forth of July at Harry T's.

We had a joint birthday party waiting for the kids when they got there :)

There was a also a mass nap time

                                     

And because I realize I haven't updated the list

• Go to the beach often - Three down, at least 1 to go
• Go fishing often -doing good 
• Stone mountain (Tyler needs to see some Georgia pride)
• Go camping/hammocking often 
• Don't say "no" to day trips
• Go to Artsy Me
• Work on the Arrangement of my room specifically the walls (I've acquired some great pieces that need to be hung)
• Take pictures every week
• Blog Once a week ... uhhhhh
• Try restaurants I have never been to
• Spend as much time as possible with Chatt Community
• Get involved with some local mission work with Chatt
• Spend time with my girls
• Go see Hannah
• Maybe see Stephen
• Find photo contests and enter them
• Work for Serse a lot
• Work on some art
• Wear baseball caps (I own several but never wear them I need to put some use to them)
• Go to sporting events, whether its the Braves or Little League
• Watch Harry Potter and Downton Abbey 
• Get back on the Lifestyle Wagon ( I miss the less posed pictures :(  )
• Finish Updates to blog
• Go to the Big Mo
• Back up pictures to my hard drive and CDs (I am always doing this, it's a never ending battle worse than laundry)
• Grill out with friends instead just going to restaurants all the time
• Find my black and white photography book, and go through it again
• Wear something besides athletic shorts once a week (If that happens to be Sunday so be it)
• Find opportunities to wear my Keens
• Go to the Morris Museum of Art
• Go to any other museum I can find
• Basically, Find Something Fun to do and Do It.

Well, I still have a lot to do...

But the good news is, I am now officially going to school for Graphic and Media Design I am pumped :)

End It.

The past few weeks have been quiet crazy. I am for the moment, after I click the "Publish" button, completely caught up with almost all things photo related (except for my backup CD's but I am pretending those don't count for the moment). I took hundreds of photos this season and was thrilled when they began arrive printed in the mail on people's Christmas cards. I am proud of how far I have in the past year but it is impossible for me not to give almost all the credit to my boss. Any decent photo I take is influenced by her advice and constructive criticism. I can't wait for this next year and how much left I have left to learn from her.
Also I am grateful for the people who let me photograph their lives and families. Especially the people who came back to me this year. I realize you have to start somewhere but looking at my pictures this time last year makes me cringe. I am glad anyone likes my pictures and that they like them enough to want me take them again.
Here are some of the photos I had the privilege of taking and a link to post of the families previous photos if they have them.
And for your listening pleasure one of my favorite songs from Passion. I have never had a Chris Tomlin before his most recent "Burning Lights." It is a terrific album and I highly recommend it.

This was my first maternity shoot. This family is beautiful and I can't wait to see their precious baby. 

This is one of my favorite families. I have taken their pictures before but not posted them. I love the kids faces especially because they were laughing at their phenomenal daddy.

I grew up with this family. Corey is literally in many of my family photos and Mrs. Michelle is one of the few people my families completely trust. I love how their photos turned out and that I was given the chance to reconnect with all of them.

Casie was my first boss and her boys make absolutely adorable models.

This gorgeous family doesn't take a bad picture. For real, when they are in front of my camera I have nothing to delete. I am pretty sure they don't blink.

Once all the photos were neatly tucked away I got to spend my first Christmas actually with Tyler.

One of my gifts from him is this keyboard cover that I still can't get over how perfect it is.

Finally, we went to Passion 2013. This is my forth time attending but the experience never fails to floor me. I recommend going to the 268 Store and get the All Access Pass so you can get the sermons.

The most important thing I can share from this year is Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."

Christ came to bring freedom for us all and the fact that 27 million are not allowed that freedom is something we should all take very seriously. To start we need to realize was is being kept from these and let other people know. You can sign the pledge for the End It Movement. It may seem like a very small gesture but we all need to begin somewhere.

Pledge to be IN IT TO END IT!