Yeah, the Freundels are on that beautiful yellow school bus. And it is good.

I LOVE the Olson Family. I met them sixteen years ago . . . in the nursery at church. Jill and I were lobbying for playdates for our newborn boys that were weeks out of the womb. Only now do we laugh at how desperate we were for adult conversation which quickly went by the wayside as the babies started coming. At that time Gregg was pitching for the Orioles and Jill was living in a whirlwind of spring training, game days and airline travel with little ones. We quickly learned to be honest girlfriends. Nothing off limits. The best kind of friends.

It was icing on the cake that during our trip to California, Carl and I got two whole days with Gregg and Jill and their kids. They eventually landed in Newport Beach. Jill still lives in a whirlwind of the best kind, raising these beautiful kids with Gregg. Gregg is the scout for the San Diego Padres, and they own Toolshed . . . cutting edge sports apparel.  And two years ago, I got to serve as the official family photographer when Gregg was inducted in the Orioles Hall of Fame. But the BEST part of it all is that Jill still asks me the hard questions . . . like, “how’s your prayer life?” “have you been in the Word and journaling this week?”  She’s one of those rare jewels that draws me closer to God every time I talk to her.

God is so good.

I got California.

I got five days with Carl.

I got to live life with the Olsons for two days.

And I got to talk as long as I wanted, curled up on the couch with a glass of wine and my friend.

Sweet. Life.

This made me laugh so hard . . .

This is the ONE! I want this to be the Christmas card shot because it is so REAL.

When I showed Chris, his words were . . . “Out of the overflow of the heart, the face speaks.” Jake obviously agrees. They are such good men to put up with all of us girls and wardrobe changes and lugging a heavy wooden pew down into a cornfield.

Actually, this is a more accurate image of Chris’s amazing self control in the attitude department.

That was wardrobe change #3, by the way:)

Have I mentioned that I have the best family in the world? And they literally live right over the hill. Lucky me.

Reserve your tickets here.

Art is the great unifier uniquely eqpipped to inspire, encourage and restore healthy relationships within a community. That’s why I LOVE September Song, attend their show every year and take every chance I can to gush about them.

I think I told you last year that Septmenber Song’s Sound of Music was the very first play that I saw when I was eleven years old. I fell in love with those seven Von Trappes that night, and with the whole experience of theatre. I even tried for my own cast of Von Trappes, but we overshot and got Oliver.  (classical “Brady” allusion)

So these days, I grab a whole block of fifteen or so tickets . . . and I look for kids that I know that would not otherwise get that taste of live theatre . . . and I pile them into a couple of cars . . . and we go fall in love. Because we all know that if you don’t keep those appetites fed, you lose them.

Life does get packed really quickly. But I purpose to make room for museums, Howard Pyle read alouds, live music of any genre, and live theatre. If you find your internal monologue  complaining, “yea, but I can’t afford all that . . . ” you need to contact me, because SOO much of it can be had for free. I’ll tell you how:)

The delight of watching Sarah Snead and Erica Claire create their June and Louise characters was so much fun. Once again, producer Joan Eichorn, in conjunction with director Allen Cross, musical director, Zayna Null and choreographer Amy Hyde have created a priceless experience . . . completely family friendly (’cause I asked, and I know that Joan shares this love with her own grandkids!)

So really. The proceeds go right back into our community, it’s a taste the live theatre experience, and you never know who you”ll  bump into that you’ve not seen for way too long. Just do it.

Jessie and Chris are all about the relationship. Their family, their friends, their colleagues, each other . . . that’s where the treasure lies, and it was obvious all day. The ceremony played out in the foothills of the Antietam Battleground in Sharpsburg, MD . . . right next door to Jessie’s childhood home. It’s called Hillenbruck Farm and is a privately owned 120 year old stone farmhouse overlooking the C & O Canal and the Potomac River. Simple elegance. {it’s a vacation home, available for rental}

The reception followed in downtown Hagerstown. The chic deco AVA Lounge and Leiters’ Downtown put urban chic back into the evening. Love flowing freely . . . the way a marriage should commence.

Jessie . . . you are an amazing beauty. On the inside and out . . . seriously.

Timeless elegance. And just so you know . . . Jessie did not have a moment of anxiety the entire day. She had an infectious giggle and huge smile that lived right behind her deep blue eyes all day long.

Sistas.  Lindsay, Jessie and Annie . . . drop dead gorgeous.

A ceremony perfectly timed to capture that late afternoon golden sunlight spill.

Did I mention GORGEOUS?? Both of you.

Big holllla to DJ Evan Hunt who kept the party rollin’ . . . right on into the wee hours.

Jessie and Chris . . . thank you for trusting me and Ron to capture your wedding day. We felt like part of the family and LOVED every single moment of your incredible day.

Where are you going?

Where have you been?

Consider well what you want your senior portraits say about you. Your senior session is your chance to express your unique personality and distinct passions. Right here. Right now.  Your location, your wardrobe and your props are all an important part of expressing your beautiful self to the world.

What do you want to  say?

Here’s what you get for $199.

Sixty minute photo session on location

Unlimited wardrobe changes/ poses

Blog feature with images to post to Facebook or share with your friends

Online gallery to order a la carte items

2 photos completely retouched to be used for ordering final prints

Book your session by June 1^st and receive an additional 8 wallets

443.844.2352