i’ve been photographing a lot of 4 year olds lately.  this is that sweet spot when you can still see the baby in them but often times you see flashes of teenager.

it’s not always perfect; life is not as pretty as it seems.  it wouldn’t be fun if it was always perfect.  the tears and the pain all seem to go away when you enjoy the little moments in life – bubbles in a sink with your toys make it all better.

you are my wild project / week 13

portraits of a family as they wait for baby number two to be born.  your time as three is drawing near and you’ll hold on to these moments dear.

we enjoyed some outdoor time at springdale farm this past week.  the kids were off for spring break so we decided to join josh and the smilebooth team out in austin.  the kids loved hanging out at the farm and explored the place until they were bored.  to be a kid again. while you’re at it, check out you are my wild this week for some more goodness.

week 8 and feeling great!  here are some extra shots that didn’t make the cut but i think they are so cute.  oh, and leon loves to dress up these days.

last summer we took a three week road trip across texas and up through colorado, totaling 3,000 miles from door to door.  the kids were champs and we were sad when it came to an end.  over the three weeks away i was quick to take photos with my iphone.  it is the best camera to have on you at times but this year i have found that it is great to document my kids in other mediums besides the phone.  i made a point to pack my film camera and pulled it out from time to time for random shots of the kids along the way (only three rolls of film worth)  believe it or not, the film sat in my kitchen drawer until January of this year and i finally made time to send it off to the printer.  i am so close to going back to film these days.  digital just isn’t the same and the quality of film alone makes me long for it again.   the only downfall to it is you have to wait after you take the photos.  i think i could get the hang of it again.   i shot with one lens the entire time (35 mm) and the color film is portra 400 and the black and white is tmax 100.  here’s to planning 2013′s trip!

pictures were taken in the following locations: marfa, big bend national park, balmorhea state park, and white sands, new mexico.

another amazing week full of challenges when i put these two in front of the camera. i am so glad to have this group to keep me accountable to taking photos of my kids.  this series was taken in my childhood backyard.  my mom really didn’t want me venturing out there with the kids to have their photo taken since the dogs have claimed it as their own.  i didn’t listen. when i was little the yard was perfectly kept and a great escape from my indoor play.  this yard has been in the family for 3 generations (my mom grew up in this house) and i have pictures of her our here when she was little.  this yard is the place where i would tumble and play until the sun went down.  this is the yard where i would sun bathe and swim.  this is the yard where my parents had their 30th birthday and where most of our childhood parties took place. this yard was full of wonder when the easter bunny would come visit and where pet ducks would wonder before we “had enough” and let them go live at the lake.  i have had so many memories in this yard.