Awaiting Jude

Remember that old Pringles commercial... once you pop, you can't stop. Such is the case with me and photo editing. I can't just do one or two. I inevitably get sucked into an endless vortex that I can't seem to pry myself out of. Even now, at this moment, I am 30 minutes late for a date downstairs with Josh to watch a movie. From now on, the term "I'll be down in 10 minutes!" will mean nothing to him.

When I sat down tonight, I intended to only do a few. But I was so thrilled with how these photos turned out, I just couldn't stop myself. This was the highlight of my 4th of July weekend. Don't let the photos fool you, the weather wasn't this beautiful for the entirety of our trip on the coast. But when the sun finally broke through, it was beautiful. Windy, but the light was gorgeous. As was the model.

It was the last night of The Fellowship at Bend's annual family camp. Loren was wrapping up the last chapter of our study of Jonah... and (being the model citizens we are) his wife and I snuck away while the remaining die-hard campers gathered at the fire for the last session. It was the tail end of a long, wet weekend that ultimately culminated in me hitting a deer on the drive back to Bend, doing some expensive damage to a truck that isn't ours. But that's another story for another time.

Here are a few of my favorites from our shoot Sunday evening. I really thought Jude would make his debut after Mommy and I hiked up and down sand dunes for nearly an hour. But he's a strong little guy. And we can't wait to meet him!

The Power of Motherhood

I had the absolute joy of shooting Kristin a few weeks ago to highlight the power of motherhood for the May online issue of True North Magazine. Her story is incredible.

Kristin is still a newlywed, and you can see it in her tenderness as she interacts with her husband. I'm not sure if the glow around her is from the little life growing inside her, being newly married, or both. She became a wife in September, found out she was going to become a mother in October, and found a lump in her throat just weeks after.

She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

Recently, she had surgery to remove her thyroid, and she still has a week's worth of radio-iodine treatment ahead of her after their little boy is born.

The amazing part is that if you weren't told these details, you would never know upon meeting her, save a small line on her neck. I was so encouraged at the peace, and the joy, that pours out of her. And so humbled at her unspoken, confident, faith. Add all that to the fact that she's gorgeous and so easy to photograph! I truly enjoyed the hour and a half we spent together. And I am thrilled to share these photos with you.

Special thanks to Edman Fine Furniture for being so incredibly generous! It's a family-owned business with a lot of history--right down to the cash register that was used in the owner's great-grandfather's mercantile shop in the 1800s! They're located 1020 NW Wall. Be prepared to drool!

Only Second Best

Mary Jane is my favorite little 2 year old. Unfortunately, I only come in second in her book. I walked into her house today and she looked up from her high chair, hands full of a freshly cooked grilled cheese sandwich, and greeted me with a huge grin: "Hi Josh!" "Nope. I'm not Josh, but he's right behind me..."

I think she has her first crush.

She is also going to be a big sister in a few months. We did a few quick shots today with her and her mom to put on the front of a baby shower invitation. Amber and I were commenting this afternoon on how different she is than the first time I photographed her last fall. She wasn't even two then, and ran away from the camera with full force. Now she's used to me shoving a camera in her face and was fully prepared to model.

Finally, while we were doing the shots, Josh kept himself busy with Mary Jane's Pretty Pretty Princess game. I'm in love with his quirky sense of humor! Here's to a great week!

Maternity Shoot

I had a maternity session this afternoon. This photo is, by far, my favorite of the whole shoot!