I met Katie about 5 years ago when I was just starting out in my photography business and did a session with her family.  As you know, time really flies in my life so when her mom called me to do her senior portraits…I was a bit stunned.  How can Katie be a senior already?  NO WAY.

As I was preparing for Katie’s shoot, I was feeling nervous (which isn’t out of the ordinary) but a little more than usual.  In this line of work, it’s easy to feel stuck and stale.   There are millions of talented photographers out there and I wasn’t feeling like I was one of them.  So I did something I should do more often.  I prayed.  I prayed that I would be inspired at this shoot.  I prayed that I would see things differently.  That I would shoot out of my comfort zone.  I was on cloud 9 with Katie.  We had a FANTASTIC time together and I WAS so inspired.  Katie is simply AMAZING!   A beautiful person on the outside (obviously) but 100 million more times beautiful and AMAZING on the inside. I drove home with the goosebumps.  Excited about this AWESOME girl I just got to spend the afternoon with and honored with being the one chosen to capture her in this very special time of her life.

“Hello…Is it me you’re looking for?”  (credit Stevie Wonder)

I have missed you too.  It’s been awhile, I know.  I have this little issue with a big thing in my life and it’s name is T-I-M-E.  Time hides from me, runs from me, tricks me A LOT (just ask the kids school! HA), it disappears most of the time and I have no idea where to find it.  It’s messes with my head.  I must learn to live with it and work around it’s quirky-ness because it doesn’t seem to be wanting to work around ME!  There is so much to catch up on but I wanted to start with a special gal, Shelby.

I adore Shelby.  She has worked for several years with Avalon and Max at vacation bible school and I have always enjoyed her.  When I couldn’t seem to make it one more time around the ice skating rink, Shelby offered to take Max for me.  She is a sweet, hard working and beautiful girl.  Shelby, you have an amazing spirit and I hope you enjoy this very special time in your life!  Go Bearcats!

I will be doing limited sessions in Portland next month…looking forward to seeing you!

credit: Ira Glass

Did someone put this on Pinterest for me?  This about SAYS IT ALL about how I am feeling.  I won’t settle for ordinary.  I just won’t.  I want to be extraordinary…the PURPLE COW amongst the brown cows.

So on the day that tried to defeat me…well guess what?  I am not going out so easy.  I LOVE what I do too much and have invested too much blood (yes…there are hazards in this job), sweat and tears to ever give up!  Then came a few more signs…like as I sat and wrote this post, I was listening to Sugarland’s These Are The  Days.  That hit home too!  And last but not least…I pull up to a stoplight and the car in front of me has the license plate frame “The Only Way To Fail Is To Quit”…ok Lord..I got the message…messages.

Moral of the story….after 4 full time/overtime years in this business, it’s ok to have a bad day.  As Jennifer Nettle from Sugarland says…”Yeah, sometimes it feels like we won’t make it through, but the hard times pass just like the good ones do”

I LOVE this photo of the girls!

I can imagine that Chelsea’s mom and dad are probably feeling some of those same emotions this week as graduation lurks around the corner…WOOOO HOOO and then HOLY SMOKES….how the heck did we get here this fast?  I have watched Chelsea grow up over the years and it honestly brings me to tears to see her now.    It really blows my mind to witness this passage of her life.    The emotions are a bit overwhelming.  She has REALLY grown up and is a STUNNING young woman.  God has plans for her that she isn’t aware of yet, that none of us are aware of.  When it’s time, she is going to soar.  Congratulations Chelsea, Jeff and Becky.  It’s been a journey huh?  I am very proud of you Chels…enjoy these next couple of days, they are very special!

I don’t normally do “cap and gown” photos but I couldn’t resist the light in this photo!

This is one of my favorite shoots from this past year.  The Solana’s are dear friends and it’s always exciting to come up with the concept of their shoot!  They know me and trust me which helps!  Always a total blast and LOTS of laughter!   A little different editing than I usually do but I loved the feel of it.  LOVE that dog too!  Bochi…even though you “assault” me on a regular basis, you are the coolest dog I know!

A little husband/wife session while the kids played.  John & Heather have an amazing marriage!

A few of my favorite black and whites from the day!

and the BOCH-STER!

Huge fan of  Gary Vaynerchuk and just love his three simple rules.  I think I might wallpaper one wall of my office with this!  AMEN!

The one thing that stands out to me was the question that my husband asked me 7 years ago while we waited in agony for our baby girl to recover from heart failure.  ”What do you want to be, Jo?”  That was the simple question he asked me that changed my life.  After twelve years in corporate America, traveling the US and overseas, selling drugs (legal of course)…which I thought was my DREAM JOB..I was left feeling very empty and unfulfilled.  Sales came easy to me…because from a very early age, I was a people person.  I cried when parties were over.  I didn’t want anyone to go home.  I enjoy people.  I enjoy them immensely.  I love pleasing people.  It gives me joy to give others joy.  Turns out that in sales, it doesn’t really please anyone except for maybe the president of the company and he/she always wanted MORE.

So moving on to the answer to this question…(bc I could go on forever on this)….I am a photographer because I want to capture the most beautiful things in our lives…the people we love and who love us.  Without that…we have nothing.  When Avalon was sick, I remember thinking that there was nothing in the world that anyone could say, do, give,  that would take away the heartache that filled my body.   All I wanted was her.  And I vowed to God that if he saved her…I would make a difference in my life and in others lives.  Life moves fast.  It’s hectic and we tend to forget that the little things are the BIG things!  I am a photographer because that little moment that I freeze…well…turns out…it’s the BIG thing that makes us remember what life is all about!

This is what life is all about…my healthy, hilarious, wolf-hat wearing Avalon doing a song and dance in front of the sliding glass window.   These are the moments that make me melt!