Huggable {Northern Virginia Family Photographer}

We have had quite the busy two weeks on our household. We have traveled to Little Rock, Seattle and Portland. Along the way we have met up with friends and family and had a wonderful time. This past week, while in Portland visiting my 99 year old Grandmother, I met up with some of my friends at a park. I love Facebook (you can become a "fan" of mine here) but there is nothing like sitting down with a good friend face to face. I love this lady and her two adorable kids. Our daughters share the same birthday and being the over achiever that she is, she has had another one since then. Two kids under the age of two. Any woman who does that is my hero! Here are a few of her sweet, sweet little boy. He is the type of baby that when you pick him up he just cuddles right in. I could have played with him for hours. Thanks for a great afternoon, I hope to be able to do it again real soon!!!

We love how he is holding on to her "leash" here.

Energy!!! {Northern VA Family Photographer}

This past week we had the pleasure of traveling to Little Rock, AR to visit with some great friends of ours. We spent 5 days sweltering in the Little Rock heat enjoying the company and catching up on the distance between us. They have a little girl that has so much energy that she puts the electric company to shame. Don't you wish we could just bottle this stuff up and use it as we got older? I got tired just editing these pictures as I remembered the circumstances behind them. Whew!

We did a short family session at the Old Mill in North Little Rock. It was a photographer's dream with fountains, bridges, lakes, steps, a real running mill and foliage to spare. It was hot, hot, hot but I think we got some great shots. I'm not sure you will be able to tell from the pictures but the Old Mill was featured in the opening credits of "Gone with the Wind".

Thank you "M" family for a wonderful vacation. I hope we can do it again real soon!

Blessings {Northern Virginia Family Photographer}

I love these kids. They are so special. They walk in the door and the whole room's energy level gets a huge boost. We have been friends for several years and anytime I see them I can't help but smile and get pulled into their fun world. That world was shaken severely though when several months ago their father was killed in a sudden and tragic motorcycle accident in the District of Columbia. A family of 5 is now a family of 4. Something so precious was taken from them with no warning at all. Luckily they are a family of great faith. We may not understand why this happens but we know that God will provide for this family in ways that we can't see or fathom at this time.

If you would like to help them, you can send donations to the Mark Waller Fund, c/o McLean Bible Church, P.O. Box 9300, McLean, VA 22102. All gifts are tax deductible and truly appreciated.

If you are reading this, hug your family a little bit tighter and tell them you love them. We are never promised tomorrow but we can take a moment to truly appreciate the blessings we have today.

Freedom {Northern Virginia Photographer}

Yesterday our country celebrated it's independence. It is a time where we can reflect about the freedoms we enjoy and the price that many have paid on our behalf so we can enjoy them. My dear friend Erma Bombeck puts a pretty good spin on this day. (OK, so she isn't my dear friend but if she were still alive and we were neighbors, I know we would be great friends)

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think that you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."

I hope you had a wonderful day, doing something that you enjoy with people you love. God Bless America, Land that I Love

Fancy Shmancy {Northern Virginia Family Photographer}

This past Friday night we were treated to a special dinner out by some dear friends of ours. You see, my wonderful husband has a real knack for computers, networks, routers, and hard drives. All the things that make my brain hear "Blah, Blah, Blah" whenever he talks about such things. He spends a large amount of his time helping out our friends and family (as well as his wonderful clients) with all their computer problems. As a thank you for all his hard work, our friends Chris and Graham took us out to dinner at one of the best restaurants in Washington, DC and as an added bonus, two of their beautiful daughters babysat our little one so we could enjoy the evening.

We had heard wonderful things about this restaurant but had never taken the time to dine there ourselves even though it is close and gets rave reviews from anyone we know who has eaten there. When we heard of their dining selection we were both excited to be finally going to this eating establishment.

Well, it certainly didn't disappoint. It was probably one of the best meals we have had in a VERY long time.

So if you are in the DC/Northern Virginia area and are looking for a wonderful, long, dining experience with great service. Please visit L'Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls.
http://www.laubergechezfrancois.com/

It won't disappoint.

And of course, my camera came along for the ride.

(For you non-photographers out there, the blurry parts are on purpose. I was shooting using a very narrow depth of field so my camera focused clearly on a very small portion of the picture.)

The incredible menu with so many choices it took almost an hour to pick what we all wanted.

My appetizer

Main Dish

And Dessert

Twins! {Northern Virginia Baby Photographer}

I love going back and seeing families that I have photographed in the past. Being a part of watching the kids change and grow is such a treat. The last time I saw these two boys, they were only 5 days old. A lot has changed since then, that is for sure. They were so sweet and did a great job of showing me their new teeth and how they could sit up all by themselves. Thank you for having in me in your home again, mom. They are adorable!

I was so glad when mom said she wanted some photos of her with her boys.

SHHHHH!!!! {Dorie Howell Kids}

Today's session was so much fun. I love this family. I have known them for a couple years and they are just as nice as can be. Today we had a session to take pictures as a gift for Father's Day. Dad doesn't know about them yet so if you know these kids, don't let the cat out of the bag. I had such a hard time picking which ones to show here. I know that Dad is going to love all of them.

Here is your "Personal Picture" B.