52 Week Project - Week 51

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

We have had a wonderful end to our year with my husband on break from school and taking extra time from work to spend time as a family. On one of our days we headed up to the beautiful Spring Lake and the kids cycled as we walked, in the great outdoors. There is something so special about slowing down and appreciating what is around you, all the little details. It all really is so amazing and deserves our time and attention.

52 Week Project - Week 50

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

At this time of year, I think more than any other, it is so easy to get caught up in all the gifts. I have said it before and I will say it again, the gift I treasure the most is my family! They truly are God's gift to me, I love them with all my heart and am so incredibly proud of who they are and who they are becoming...but we have barely started.

This life is the blink of an eye in the bigger picture of eternity; our bodies will not last forever, but our souls, well that is another story. The greatest gift I can give my children is the chance of an eternity with their creator, the one who loves them more than I ever can or will.

52 Week Project - Week 49

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

OK so you can't actually see the Christmas trees and this is just an iphone snap, but I love it because it is my family and I love my family. Plus I'm so rarely IN the photograph (which really needs to change). We took this the weekend we went to choose and cut down our Christmas, as is our tradition. We drive out to Celesta Farms, in Sebastapol (which is now a much further drive, but still worth it). After finding the perfect tree and sawing it down, we drink our free hot cider, hot chocolate or coffee, eat the cookies and watch whilst daddy ties the tree to the top of our minivan. Good times!

52 Week Project - Week 48

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

December 1st was the birthday of two of my loves. My husband, my best friend, my biggest source of support and encouragement and my baby, my sweet little Asia...no longer a baby, now she is 4! She was the best birthday present he ever received and she continues to be a gift to the both of us.

Love these two SO much!

52 Week Project - Week 47

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

Week 47 was Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and our friends are far from the least of those. With all of my family overseas and most of my husband's in other states our friends fill what would otherwise be a huge void in our lives. These dear friends are as close as family and often open their home to us and many others.

We would all be so much better off if we could always view the glass as half full instead of half empty.

52 Week Project - Week 46

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

We all have a happy place, somewhere that time does not matter, where we feel calm and at peace and rest. Our spirit is free to soar. For me that place is the woods, for my children it has to be the beach. I like the beach, don't get me wrong, but on a lovely hot day. My children would happily go to the beach any time of year, in swimsuits or bundled up in their wintry garb, they don't care...and they would gladly spend hours there...oblivious to their mother's freezing extremities.

 You really need sound-effects to go with these ones :)

  Ah fun times!

52 Week Project - Week 45

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

Technology continues to progress at an alarming rate, the desire to be continually entertained and always doing something is hard to control. Even children these days have cell phones and ipads, or LeapPads. Sometimes I wonder where it will all end. The childhood that I had, seems to be a thing of the past, let alone the childhood of the generation before mine.

We limit our children's exposure to so much of it, yet it is all around them. One thing that has been a huge blessing since our recent move has been the fact that there are so many families around us. Our children spend more time outdoors playing with friends than they were ever able to before and I love it!

But there are the classics; the LEGO and checkers or chess, a pack of playing cards and yes, even Hungry Hippos. These games have stood the test of time and can still bring as much enjoyment as all of today's high-tech offerings, with the added bonus of actually interacting with your opponents. I hope my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will still be able to enjoy them, no matter what else time brings.

52 Week Project - Week 44

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

She may have been wearing fairy wings and a tutu but she was in it to win and she loved every moment. If she had not won, however, she would still have enjoyed every minute, that's how she is. Life is fun!

We do our best and win or lose we keep on smiling...unless we are incredibly tired and then we may or may not have a meltdown. Hugs from mommy will normally make all things right again, unless mommy is the source of frustration, bringing aforementioned meltdown.


That's my girl!

52 Week Project - Week 43

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

I love this. I love that he has turned that corner where he used to read because he had to and now he reads because he loves to. I remember as a child, getting totally lost in my books and I have been excited for my own children to reach that point. It is a great feeling and I look forward to many years as he outgrows our chair-and-a-half and loses time for himself.

52 Week Project - Week 42

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

This is my nephew, but in all honesty, I think it could be just about any little boy out there. The focus, the concentration, the complete oblivion to anybody else around. They get lost in their toys and I don't think they ever really outgrow that trait.

52 Week Project - Week 41

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

The end of the year is far too rapidly approaching and I need to catch up on posting for this project. Keep checking back, you might see a sudden flurry of activity. This was from week 41.

My three little ragamuffins. They fill my heart! Of course we have days with whining and fighting and telling tales on one another (no pretense here of a perfect family, with perfectly well behaved children at all times) but they are the best of friends. They really do love each other and what more could a mother ask for?

Their relationships with each other will change over the years, but I will have the proof of the love. As I look at this photograph I can almost fast forward to the teenage years and I have high hopes that they will look out for one another when we cannot be there. The big brother with his arms around his sisters, fending off all his friends who are vying for their affections. He is a great brother, but I am far from ready for those days. It kind of terrifies me!

One day at a time, living in the now...sometimes that is all we can, or should, do.

52 Week Project - Week 40

*Just as a reminder, this is a personal project I am undertaking this year, in order to shoot more and share more. Each week of 2011 will have a corresponding favorite photograph; snapshots from my life.

My children are so good for me. They constantly remind to loosen up and lighten up. Our lives can be filled with 'should' when maybe we just need to breathe and think about what we might want to do, what might refresh us and lift our spirits.

These three could spend hours just running from the waves, they love it! I love to watch them having fun, the smiles on their faces, the giggles and squeals, the exhausted shivering when all is said and done and I get to bundle them up in a towel. One day they will, most likely, grow out of this and calmly sit and watch the waves as they munch on their lunch, but for now I will enjoyed the wasted lunches they were too busy having fun to eat. I will take my snapshots and try to think of the things that bring me such joy.

What do your children teach you?

The Engels' Sneak Peek {Bay Area Family Portrait Photographer}

Our first shoot date we were rained out, but the following weekend we could not have asked for a more beautiful morning. This adorable family, not only got up at the crack of dawn, they even bathed their kids and made it down to Crissy Field an hour after sunrise. Amazing. I was duly impressed!

I am not a morning person, as my husband will confirm, but the light was gorgeous and made it all worthwhile. There was not even a hint of fog, the sky was perfectly blue and we were able to get the bridge in the background as we had hoped for.This family was fun and relaxed. Photographing younger children, but really with any age, this is key. Children will pick up on any stress or tension and this is a time for laughter and fun and enjoying being together. Let the little things go and go with the flow.

This pair are great parents and the love they have for their boys is clearly evident. I love it, especially, when a father is not afraid to show affection, we need more dads like this in the world. We got some family shots, parent and child and even a few with just mom and dad. How often has that happened since your wedding day?

Hattie and Kurt I hope you enjoy your sneak peek, your full gallery should be up in just a few more days.