The One with the Mommy and Me Playgroup :: 06:19:08

Mothers. Moms. Mommies.

I have total and complete admiration for mothers. There's just something different about the "job" of being a mother. I cannot even fathom a fraction of what it means or feels like to be a mother. Even being as career-driven and oriented as I am, I have a feeling that one day, God willing, when God blesses Adam and I with a baby that it will be something that nothing could prepare me for. And me, being the control freak, always wanting to be super prepared for everything. I just know I will probably have a hard time dealing with it all.

Just saying. :)

I had the honor of shooting a Mommy and Me playgroup today that Lisa (Elle G) referred to me. Anne invited me to their weekly playgroup to take photos of their babies that are all around a year old or so.

Omigosh, can you say PRECIOUS?! They were all so cute and energetic. I got all sweaty just chasing them around the backyard trying to capture a focused shot of them. Note to self: when you shoot babies and children... you gotta be FAST!

After spending some time with the moms, you could just feel the love in the room. It's so awesome that they have each other. To support one another and be able to understand EXACTLY what each other is going through as a new mother. I can't imagine trying to raise a baby just by myself and the fact that these moms have each other is such a blessing!


















One of the moms even brought a hanbok for the babies. It was so cute!





Anne, Min-wha, Joy, Misun, and Dawn... thank you for allowing me into your playgroup for a quick moment to get some shots of your beautiful babies and giving me a glimpse into your everyday lives. Know that I have a lot of admiration for you as mothers and hope that I can come back again when the babies are older to see how much they've grown!

The One with the Graduation Party :: 05:24:08

Walking into Jayne's home, I just knew right off the bat that she was a natural hostess. Normally, when one attends a party, the hostess is running around finishing up the last minute details. Jayne, on the other hand, was as cool as a cucumber.

Also, Jayne throws a good party. And I'd totally ask her to help me throw a party any day. She had beautiful flowers everywhere. Her dining room table is perfect for hosting. (I even looked up the same table on the Internet to see if I could purchase it for myself.) She had a filled wine bar. Music everywhere. A table full of photos of Sarah next to a wall of photographs too. Decorations all throughout her home. All these special touches... all for her sister

Jayne threw a graduation party for her sister, Sarah, on May 24, 2008. You could also tell right away that these two have an amazing connection as sisters. Having a sister of my own, there's just something special about sisters. She graduated earlier that day from USD and even received a special award!

Jayne and Sarah are also so great with their younger cousins. They're amazing with kids and the young ones just naturally gravitated towards Jayne and Sarah... you could feel the love in the room.

What made this gathering even more special was that this was a get-together with family that hasn't seen each other in a long time. It was nice to see everyone be so proud of Sarah and also just happy to be in each other's presence. I felt incredibly blessed to be able to share in this with them and they made me feel like a part of their family from the first moment I stepped through the door.


The hostess: Jayne


(Sarah)


Sisterly love






Grandpa enjoying the photos. I love grandpas... even when they're not my own because they remind me of mine. And I always hope that when people encounter my grandpa, they treat him with love and respect because he's awesome. So I can't help but feel that way whenever I'm around other people's grandpas.


He was such a cutie with chubby cheeks to die for!




He even lost a tooth at the end of the party!




Mother & daughter


She was such a cutie!


Cousins


The whole gang


I loved these flowers and found myself trying to get them into all my photos


I can't help but be drawn to kids... they make such interesting subjects and they're just so darn cute!


This is my fave shot from the day... the red wall was perfect.




Jayne and Sarah, thank you for allowing me to share in your wonderful day!