boom, boom, POW

gotta get that.
gotta get that.
gotta get that boom boom pow...them chickens jackin' my style...

yup, I can never listen to that song again without thinking about this little man and smiling.
most kids rock out to veggie tales or the latest greatest four man group on the disney channel.
not him.
nope.
rock. star. :)
nothing but a little black eyed peas to get him going. :)

I've written about this family before and the ways you can help...and the need is still there.
botox injections and new casts on his feet to help the stretch and grow are next up on the list that you can read about more on her blog that she keeps for him...

but this afternoon was genuinely fun for me...
his happy face lighting up at a little bep,
the girls sweet happy (albeit chilly) faces lit up with smiles playing outside for an afternoon.
and watching their parents simply love on them and be happy to be around them.
yup, this is afternoon to look back on a smile...and remember to take time and get a little "boom, boom, POW!" :)

mirror opposites

up...down.
right...left.
black...white.
nature...grunge.
opposites have a funny way of working well together
but still make you appreciate each entity on its own at the same time.

that quote:
"a sister is both your mirror and your opposite."
is so true when it comes to my older sister and I...whom I love and admire tremendously.
she is the "monica" of our relationship...
she likes things clean,
she has better taste in clothes - not following trends but looking for actual style,
and she gets things done on a regular basis - on time and more than likely alphabatized. :)
wheras me?
I'm cool with things taking their time getting clean,
I have made several fashion faux pas' over the years
(the vest and overall season were not a good season for me) :)
and I take my time gettting things done until the last minute - more than likely not alphabatized. :)
but somehow our differences work well together.

these girls that I got to photograph are no different than my sister and I.
it was genuinely amusing and fun to capture these two opposite personalities
that so strongly reminded me of my own sister...
each unique and gorgeous and so very fun to photograph on this beautiful afternoon. :)

I got the next pose idea from the cover of "cats & dogs"...inspiration REALLY is everywhere. :)

but it made me laugh thinking of my older sister and I and the "moments" we had

that have now become funny "only MY sister" stories now that we're adults. :)

these girls went with my request and it was a challenge to get them to not smile for a frame :)

someone to admire.

write something on your favorite social media board on politics, sports, or God
and you're almost sure to get a response of agreement or hostile disagreement.
try it and see if I'm not wrong. :)
they're subjects that most feel pretty heated about.
and it's not a secret that I'm not without opinion as well.
I suppose that is why this session was genuinely a privelage for me to photograph.
her son was going to be deployed a few days after thanksgiving and she wanted a few nice pictures to capture her family.
my schedule was already full, and I could have just forgotten about it.
but I couldn't.  I wanted this session.
because he's a soldier.  her son is a marine.
I admire him.  and what he's doing for us back in the safety of our home.
and what's more is that I admire her.
literally watching your heart get on a plane and go to an unknown country and fight for what so few are willing to fight for...and then to wait to hear snippets of news on his well being would be one of the most difficult things to do as a mom.
so I admire her.
and I am genuinely thankful I got to photograph these beautiful people.  :)

forever friends.

typing.  then erasing.  then typing again. *sigh*
I was told that sometimes it feels like I "load it up" in the compliments department.
I think I disagree.
"loading it up" implies that I don't really feel what I'm saying about the person...quite the opposite really.
how do you put into words the feeling that your heart is super big for someone without "loading it up"?
I dunno, but that's how I feel about these people.
I feel like I have a pretty good gauge on who I am and my inner guts,
and that often makes me sit back often and wonder why I am so blessed with the people I get to love.
and what's more, that I get to photograph them and somehow try and capture what it is that I see and love.

I've written about her before, but it just feels like the longer we do life together, the more I just love her.
she is my confidant when I feel like I'm going to explode with thoughts.
she is kind and gracious...quite the opposite of my spazziness.
many times I walk away after a conversation where I verbally vomit all over her thinking "you. are. a. spaz." and come to the conclusion that I have no idea why she loves me.
but she does.  and I am better for it. :)
she's hardworking and thinks about life and responds to life in a way that I love and admire and learn from.
and she loves her husband and handsome boy tremendously.
and him?  he is a forever friend.
the kind of friend who's on your speed dial for emergencies when my husband is unavailable.  :)
the kind of friend that I can show up with no makeup on or my hair done and not feel weird about it.
the kind of friend who is genuinely a great husband and dad and friend to the people I love. :)
and the boy. :)
micah & maddie are knit to this little man.
in someways the relationship my son has with him reminds me of the relationship I have with her.
two totally different ways of seeing and doing life that somehow work well together. :)
I love his "jump first - ask later" attitude...his ability to have fun in almost every situation.
and I love that he likes to talk to me and tell me his stories.

so in conclusion, if that is "loading it up" too much, I am sorry.
they are worth talking about and loving on. :)

yeah, he has the coolest "no shave november" look.  he wins. :)