A few weeks ago, my parents planted some peonies in our yard.  These peonies are very special for several reasons.  Their delicate beauty and fresh scent remind me of childhood, summer time, and feeling carefree.  Many of our relatives have these in their landscaping, and now my husband and I have a little piece of that history in common with them.  And I had gorgeous white peonies in my wedding bouquet because of the aforementioned reasons.  We’re not sure if our newly planted peonies will bloom this season, after the shock of being transplanted, so we’ll see.  I did find this peony, located just outside my husband’s shop.  As the sun was setting in the evening sky, I took this photo and added a little dash of magic to give it a vintage flair. 

Of all the holidays we celebrate, Mother’s Day is one of the most important.  Mothers bring new life into this world, they nurture and love, with all their heart and with all their being.  They heal scratched knees, hug us when we need it most, and cheer us on all the way.  This describes my Mom perfectly, and I am so grateful!  Mom, I wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day, and can’t wait to spend the day with you! And to my wonderful Mother-in-Law, I love you and hope to see you soon!

I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of my favorite images of mothers.  I love capturing that sparkle in their eyes, the smiles, the hugs, that incredible human connection between people who love each other so deeply that it’s beyond measure. 

Love is in the air!  A Sneak Peek from a recent session featuring a love that began over 30 years ago and has traveled the globe.  Meet Cindy and Larry!

 

When I was younger, I remember being in school, looking forward to art class.  I’ve always loved drawing, painting, and crafts, and being able to do that during school was such a treat – it just didn’t feel like work!  And it was so much more fun than learning multiplication tables or counting beans and sorting milk caps.  Aww, the good ol’ days! ….Back to art class!  The teacher would ask us to draw our family, our house, our pets, and our yard. There are tons of trees (beautiful and so many kinds!) at my parents’ house.  Drawn carefully in crayon on that soft, off white paper were stick figures representing my mom, my dad, and me, and a stick dog (I miss you, Ginger!), standing in front of our house.  The trees I drew were always the same:  a thick, tall brown trunk with a scribbled cloud of green swirls on top.  Why was that the only way I ‘saw’ trees?   

She gets called many names:  Lola Belle, Lilo, Lo, Kittles, Fabulous Whiskers, Miss Kitty, Fur Monster, just to mention a few.  Her favorite sound is the clang-clang of a can-opener, because it can only mean one thing…Tuna!  Coming in a close second  is the hum of the garage door opening because she knows she’s in for some hugs and cuddling after a long day of napping, birdwatching, and waiting for tuna.  She likes to meow at the front door, in hopes that she’ll be brave enough to frolic in the grass before pouncing on some bird in flight (of which she is terrified, by the way).  If you asked her what her favorite day of the week is, I suspect she would answer “Sunday”, without a doubt. That is, if she could, in fact, answer you. 😉