Viewing entries in
Rodgers Family

4 Comments

18 months old | Denver Child Photographer

December and January kick my rear emotionally. Three of my babies have birthdays, another hits her half birthday a few days later. It's like a constant barrage of reminders that they are growing up too fast. I apologize in advance for another giant mush-ball post about my babies (there will be a lot of them this year).

18monthphotos

Parenting is overwhelming sometimes (okay, like, a lot of the time), and I certainly have moments where I wish they would be more responsible,  less likely to draw on the wall or paint the toilet seat with bright red nail polish (it doesn't come off!), that they wouldn't feel like they need to be in the bathroom with me, or that they might for once clean up after themselves without me having to loom over them.

For the most part though?  I absolutely and unequivocally love the "little".  When the world is new, and the hardest thing in your life is emotionally coping with mom telling you that you may not have a cookie. They aren't jaded, they still think I'm reasonably cool, and they see the best in everyone. 

18monthphoto

I try so hard to drink it all in. To take joy from everything. To laugh at the newly decorated toilet seat.  To relish the early mornings when I'm tired but they come running to me still with such enthusiasm for their morning snuggles. I want them to see they are so wanted. Write it all over my face. You are SO wanted. I am SO excited to see you, even if you kept my up all night.

I never imaged being without a baby in the house.  Harper is 18 months old today.  She has an opinion and a vocabulary to back it up. Her chubby thighs are beginning to thin out from running and climbing. Her soft shoulders and chubby tummy are starting to change- build muscle- and are no longer pure dough baby. She is headed directly toward full on toddler, and I am watching the baby slip away. Normally I'm growing a sibling at this point... but since she is our last, it's a whole new adventure to know her firsts are also my last firsts.  

She's already so desperate to be a big kid... I imagine I won't be able to contain the baby for long. She's the beginning of a new chapter, the closure of another.  She's can out sass her sisters and is as sweet as honey. She's as daring as the boys and as smart as they come.  She wants to know what everything is- and can say most words she learns very very clearly. Her favorite word is No. She love love loves her daddy, and knows if mommy or daddy says no she can go work one of her siblings to try and get it (watch out little stinker!)

She thinks nursing is still the coolest.  She's my most selective eater yet, and if it isn't chicken, cheese, pasta, avocado or something frozen she probably won't eat it. It will be interesting to see if she keeps that or starts to explore more. 

She loves to be held and not always by me.  She reverses into our laps to sit down- we've taken to saying "beep! beep! beep!" like a truck backing up when we see her spin around to sit down. She loves music and to sing.  Her favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider and Bunny, Bunny.  She counts to 2, holding up her fingers then says "shush!" and is really good at shouting the parts of the alphabet she knows. She can command the siblings to move the remote "Down! Up! Side! Side!", and very suddenly loves Mou-mou (Mickey Mouse).

I am so thankful for the invention of the smart phone, because I chronicle the day to day so much better with it, both in videos and still images, and she won't wonder why, as the 5th, she has less pictures- because I take a LOT. I am sure in the days that come, there will be much mischief making, and I will try my hardest to laugh through it (and remember to take pictures before I clean it up), because soon enough it will be gone, and my walls will be cleaner, as will my floors, but it will come at the cost of the "little".  

Happy Half Birthday Harps.  

4 Comments

2 Comments

10 years old.

I'm going to cry through this whole thing.  Just have to warn you now.  It's a side effect of being a sap.

10 years... How?  I'm so overwhelmed by how quickly you've grown Hailey. It both shatters my heart and fills me with pride in the same moment (weird mom thing... you'll understand someday)

You decided to make us into a family well before my "5 year plan", and while I cried in fear at the time, I don't think I could have fathomed the love and joy you would bring into our lives... into everyone's lives. Any time I question anything in my life- any "why me?" or trial- I just look at you, my sweet girl, and I am reminded how much good there is in our life.

You were the beginning of it all for us. You taught us how little sleep we could live on, how much crying we could actually tolerate (Your poor little colicky tummy), how little we knew about adulting, and how very little we knew about our capacity to love before you were in our arms.

Hailey, when they say someone can light up a room, they're talking about you.  You bring light and joy with you everywhere you go- it radiates from your soul. I pray every day that teenage years (that are approaching far too quickly for my comfort) don't try to rob you of that. 

Today, we say goodbye to single digits. I didn't imagine how hard it would be for me - to recognize we are coming to a place where our relationship is going to change, that we are coming to a place where our years of being with you every day are less than more. I just want to keep you!  Yet, in that same breath, the excitement I feel for you and the years ahead is just as overwhelming.  (Again, weird mom thing)  

I love watching your relationships with friends blossom. I love the crazy plans you make together (winter dog wash... no.) - but most of all I love the ease you have with each other.  You do you.  They do them- and none of you feel the need to be anything else. My hope for you is that your friendships can always stay this way, and that you never compromise yourself in an effort to "fit".  There will be people who love you and see the amazing that is you and won't ask you to change it.

Your love for volleyball inspires me.  You've worked through so many hard things- and even if you might have wanted to give up, you never said a word and kept going.  Your dedication through those moments is going to last a lifetime- and I am so crazy proud of you.  You achieve a goal and you keep on trucking to the next.  I want to be more like you. I am so glad you have that to share with your Daddy, and hopefully will also have to share with at least one of your siblings.  It's been so cool to watch your relationship with daddy grow this year.

Thank you for being so amazing. I know there will be times in your life that you might make choices that aren't super, and that's okay.  We will be here for you.  It's part of growing up!  Thank you for loving your siblings so much.  I know they make you crazy sometimes, but I also know you love them dearly.  Thank you for always having a heart for service.  Sometimes when I tell you not to help, it's because I want you to savor being a kid.  It's okay not to grow up too fast.  You'll look back and wish you were 10 again someday. Thank you for loving us despite being the oldest (a.k.a. tester child) as we navigate the craziness that is parenting all you little personalities.  Thank you for conversations, and always wanting to fill me in on every part of your day.  Thank you for giggles and our silly jokes.  Thank you for still holding my hand in the car, and for only rolling your eyes at me when I'm being EXTRA nerdy.  

10... a whole decade.  I am so proud of you Hailey.  I love you. 

2 Comments

12 Comments

Today, Noah is 8.

Today, my precious Noah is 8.  He's got a tender heart, and an intense sense of justice for all things. He is a fast (yet stubborn) learner.  He loves animals & Pokemon, Minecraft & music.  His favorite song this week is Fireflies by Owl City.  He just got his own pinboard on my pinterest and has been pinning up a storm!  You can check it out here. (Can I just say, it is SO neat to see them start doing this kind of stuff?)

 

Noah is an avid animal lover- so much so that he never really took an interest in cars/planes/trains.  He would just sit and line his toy animals up 2 by 2... heehee- I'm kidding. For Christmas, he asked for a baby lion.  So, my parents "adopted" a lion cub in his name from The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, CO.  He has a certificate, a photo, and can visit any time. To say he is over the moon is an understatement (added bonus, telling your friends you got a REAL lion for Christmas... AND your mom backing you up- score.)  He is currently dreaming up ways he can save up to buy things Leonardo the Lion needs when he gets to go visit. *side note- this is an awesome program to donate to if you are ever looking for a great cause to give to*

 

His reading is really starting to gain speed, and he is always asking what signs mean when they say __________.  I am so excited this reluctant reader is starting to see that reading can, indeed, be fun.

 

We play pokemon together (only recently with cards), and on the nights that he is struggling to fall asleep, I ask if we can meet in our dreams to have a battle.  It works almost every time to help him sleep, and the next morning I get a full detailing of what he dreamt of.

 

I constantly wonder what kinds of adults our kids will be.  This has been particularly on my mind as our oldest 2 are quickly approaching being tweens- and, as most of us do, I worry if I've entirely screwed them up, or if they will at least turn out okay.  Then, things happen that remind me that they are resilient and incredible.

 

We played Risk for the first time with Hailey and Noah on New Years Eve.  We played and everyone laughed hard as Mommy (me) got SO angry at Daddy for beating me so handily.  Midnight came and went, and since I am a big wuss when it comes to staying up late, we decided to finish up another night.  Sunday evening, we pulled the game back out, set up the pieces according to the photos we took of the word, and got back to playing.  I was out within 5 minutes (thanks for wiping out my last 5 men Chris... HUMPH) Hailey was out shortly after, and it was down to the 2 guys.  Noah did a great job bolstering his countries, but he started to get overly excited and cocky.  "You're gonna get it!" "BOOM!" etc.  It was fun to see the excitement, but a lesson in getting overly confident (and a little nasty about it) too early was about to happen.  Chris's turn was up, and once he turned in cards, counted up countries, and added bonuses, he got to add a whopping 54 armies to the board.  Roll by roll, Noah's army dwindled, and soon he realized he was going to lose.  Do you know what he did then?  He kept rolling.  Tears were silently falling, but only once, at the end, did he say "I don't want to roll"- but he did anyhow, and with that, Daddy won the game.  Instead of stomping away or having a "fit", he crumbled into Chris's arms and cried for a few minutes.  "That was really hard>" was mumbled into Chris's shoulder- Yes, it was.  Most of us would call it before it was official defeat and walk away without truly finishing.  I asked him to shake his dad's hand and say "good game"- and then I asked him to say "I played well" (which he really didn't want to do, but I'm a meanie and make them say these things out loud and clearly so they can hear themselves)  These kinds of moments give me the most hope for their futures.  Facing the hard stuff and seeing it through.  I am so SO proud of him- heart burstingly proud.

 

Dearest Noah, I am so excited to find out what this year has for you.  Thank you for choosing us as your family. Thank you for being my buddy, even when you think moms are totally gross and embarrassing.  Thank you for retorting my taunts (like, "you're a NERD!" with "I got it from YOU MOM!"), and for always saying "I love you more! There's at least 1 possibility".  Thank you for being so enthusiastic about Minecraft and Pokemon, always making it highly interactive for us all.  I love that you love comfy clothes and soft things.  I love that you scream when you're excited and that you can't contain yourself sometimes (okay, it makes me a little crazy too), and I love that you cry when something touches your heart.  I love you more than I can express, bug.  I am so glad to be your mommy.  Happy, happy birthday.


12 Comments

The year to write it all down. | Denver Lifestyle Newborn Photography

10 Comments

The year to write it all down. | Denver Lifestyle Newborn Photography

We recently decided that Harper would be our last baby.  This is the first time I've actually written it down, so forgive me as I wipe away some tears...

newbornfeet

See, I would have a dozen babies if we had the means.  I adore being a mom to many, and Chris loves being a dad- we simply recognized we probably shouldn't go on having babies forever.  We are allowing our family to grow in new ways.

This has been particularly hard for me as my oldest 2 turn 8 & 10 this week.  It goes SO painfully fast.  That old adage "The days are long but the years are fast" has never felt more true.  My days of nursing are in the near future, going to draw to a close.  The newborns I cuddle will go back to the arms of their mommies.  My babies are quickly becoming kids and tweens.

denver newborn lifestyle photographer

In reflecting on all of this, I decided I need to write it all down before I forget.  That means lots more personal posts this year.  I'm planning on writing down as much as I can recall, the good, the not so glorious, the beautiful, and the not.  I'm going to do my best to do bits and pieces, photos included of course.  It is really mostly for me, but I hope it will also be for my kids, and maybe there will be something helpful in there for you too.

10 Comments

3 Comments

Impressions from November & December : a personal project

I'm breaking the rules and posting more than 8 images... But it was a fun couple months!  I didn't take very many pictures on my camera this holiday season.  I kind of promised myself I would drink in more of the days together and worry less about photographing it all. In December Teagan turned 5- which is a big birthday in our house.  The girls get jewelry boxes on their 5th birthday that are heirloom quality.  It's pretty special.  We had a great time shooting pictures for holiday cards (which isn't standard... usually they are rushed and filled with crying!  haha!) - It was a good couple of months. When you've looked around here, head over and visit Antonia to see her lovely work!

4Monthold_DenverbabyPhotographer Teagan5thBirthday 2014OurHolidayBlog

 

‘Impressions‘ is a creative project by an eclectic group of female photographers from around the globe. We aim to share the inspiration behind what we do through our bi-monthly posts.

Every other month, we will be sharing 8 images that tell the story of what inspired us in the previous weeks: our families, nature, weather, or maybe even work itself! We are free to explore the meaning of ‘impressions’, and it is likely to change month to month.

3 Comments

2 Comments

Impressions Blog Circle | July & August edition | Denver Portrait Photographer

 

It's Impression blog circle time!  When you're done here, please visit Natalie to see what the last 2 months have brought her.

I've (as usual) been rather lack-luster about blogging.  So here we are in September, and I still haven't blogged about our newest addition, Harper!  She arrived in July and absolutely lights up our life.  I was hoping this post would be her birth story, but that will come soon.  We had quite the adventure for her coming earthside.  I can't wait to share it with you along with the images and video my dear friend Sarah captured for us.  Prepare yourself for a bit of photo overload... I had a hard time narrowing it down!  Here are a few of our first 2 months together  (she's going to be 2 months tomorrow!!  Holy moly!) If you want to see more of our day, follow me on Instagram @brinkstreet

Newborns look so wise to me.  I believe they know something we don't when they are that fresh.  She is so deeply loved.  Her brothers studied her for hours.  Also, am I the only baby foot junky?  The deep wrinkles just make me swoon. HarperBlog1

Some of the newborn images I took of her and her siblings.  Sam had photos with her when our wonderful friend Cristine came to take photos!  (Another blog post for sharing!)

HarperBlog2

Then suddenly, she was a month old.  Teagan is insane about her. She isn't sure how she feels about Teagan ;)

HarperBlog3

Here she is at 7 weeks.  Hopefully it won't take me 2 months to share more for you!

HarperBlog4

2 Comments

3 Comments

Impressions Blog Circle | May & June edition | Denver Portrait Photographer

May and June were busy, busy months for us!  Noah graduated from Kindergarten, Sam had his first "beach" experience (a reservoir is about as beach as you get in Colorado), we went to birthday parties and saw family!  It's been a wonderful start to our summer and a fantastic way to wait for our newest addition who will be here any day now!

After you spend some time here, head over to Vinita's blog to see what they were up to this May and June!

DenverFamilyPhotographer DenverFamilyPhotographer

3 Comments

Comment

Impressions Blog Circle | April edition | Denver Portrait Photographer

Gosh this last month flew.  It was yet another month of me being guilty of not using the big camera for my personal images- but I did take a lot of iphone pictures (I got a new phone for my birthday!).  My goal for this coming summer is to use the camera more with the kids.  I think they've had enough of a break from it- don't you??

April was wonderful- We celebrated my birthday and Easter, saw my hubby's mom for the first time in a long long time, Sam started potty training on his own (can I get a double yay for that one?!), and the kids learned how to mow the lawn!

When you're done here, head over to Lena's Blog.  She went on vacation and is sharing her pictures!  I can't wait to see them!

IMG_7451 IMG_7488 IMG_7495 IMG_7505 IMG_7516 IMG_7532 IMG_7592 IMG_7616

Comment

Comment

Impressions Blog Circle | January Edition | Denver Family Photographer

January was a busy and fun month for us.  We had 2 birthdays- Hailey turned 8 and Noah turned 6.  Poor things were sick on their birthdays but we made the best of it and had a blast.  We also had fun telling a version of the little Monkeys jumping on the bed (without the whole falling off and head breaking....)

 

 

blog 1 little monkey blog 2 little monkey blog 3 little monkey blog 4 little monkey 2 blog 4 little monkey blog 5 little monkey blog 5 little monkey2 blog 5 little monkey3Coming in July.... We are so excited!

Now head over to Natalie's blog to see what she's been up to this month.

Comment

Comment

Impressions Blog Circle | December Edition | Denver Family Photographer

December was a very busy month. So busy that 99% of my personal pictures are still sitting on a card in my office. I'm 3 short, bt here's a little tiny bit of our month. We had a beautiful Christmas, including our youngest upgrading to a toddler bed (that's been an adventure!). Then on the 26th, my February birth clients called to tell me her water broke. 6 weeks early, but 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and breathing room air- he was ready to meet the world! He has a few weeks in the NICU ahead of him as he learns how to eat, but I feel so blessed to have spent the end of the year getting to know him and his family. image image image image image

Go visit Lena to see what she captured this month!

Comment

Comment

Impressions Blog Circle | November Edition | Denver Family Photographer

Holy moly a month passes quickly!  Here we are in December.  Wow.

It was harder to pick only 8 images this month.  We had a lot of birthdays we attended, and that means spending lots of time behind the camera with family around. We had Karate belt testing and crazy hair day.  It was a good month for pictures of our life.

Impressions Blog Circle Denver Portrait Photographer

My niece was pretty upset about something- leave it to aunt Kimmie to be so silly that she had to smile despite trying her hardest not to. Heeheehee....

November Impressions Blog Circle

This was a big belt test this month.  Hailey moved from Orange to Purple, and rocked it.  She broke that board like it was her first board.  Noah earned his white belt- and broke the board before any of the teachers were ready!  (Thank you to my hubby for capturing that kick while I was tending to our oh-so-busy toddler)

Crazy Hair Day Impressions Circle

Finally, Crazy hair day.  Because I cannot simply add color to Hailey's hair or make silly braids.  We have to go over the top.  Noah's is hard to see, but there are dinos in his hair, along with a volcanic island on top of his head.  Teagan was not to be left out- so we added some lovely rainbow streaks to her hair.

Go visit Natalie to see her November!

http://www.nataliecarstens.com/blog/2013/12/08/impressions-november-personal-project/

Comment

Comment

Impressions Blog Circle | October Edition | Denver Family Photographer

'Impressions' is a creative project by an eclectic group of female photographers from around the globe. We aim to share the inspiration behind what we do through our monthly posts. On the 8th of each month, we will be sharing 8 images that tell the story of what inspired us in the previous weeks: our families, nature, weather, or maybe even work itself!

We all know I've been a horrible blogger, so to help change that, and to help all of you get too know my and my crew, I joined a circle of incredibly talented women to share a little bit of  "us" every month.  Make sure you click through all of the links.  These women are amazing!!

Here is a little bit of our October.  It was filled with mini sessions and lots of other business- it was so hard to choose only 8!

I had 4 very full days of mini sessions last month (blog posts to come!), but here are a few of my personal favorites.

Denver Family Photographer

Halloween is our opportunity to go over the top with dress up.  Wigs, hand made costumes- candy is low on the totem pole compared to the characters they get to play.  Sam wasn't feeling the individual pictures, but I love how how looks like a little stuffed horse.

Impressions Circle Halloween October

 Head over to Antonia's blog to see what inspired her last month.

http://www.mamzenko.com/impressions-october-personal-project/

Comment

Comment

Fall Festival | Nicks Garden Center | Denver Family Photographer

We went to the Fall Festival at  Nick's Garden Center last weekend for the first time.  The weather was amazing, and it was SO much fun!  The kids got their faces painted, got to ride a train, and jump in bounce castles. We even got all of us in a photo.  THAT doesn't happen often! They had lots of free fun stuff, like hay mazes, corn boxes (Like a sand box... but with corn!), bean bag and hoop tosses, and really fun music.  There were tons of perfect pumpkins as well.  We had a blast.  Definitely will be going again next year- and for the Christmas goodies they have planned.

Nicks Garden Center Denver Photographer

Comment

Comment

A glimpse | Denver Family Life Photographer

These are my boys. Noah and Samuel.  They love each other so much.  The girls are pretty nuts about them too. I have so much to share with all of you, but for now my days are filled with this. Hopefully I will be sharing more of us and more lovely sessions in the coming months!

webSamandNoah10-2-12

Comment

Comment

Ice Skating 2011 | Denver Family Photographer

WOW... November and December have been a whirlwind.  I completely neglected my poor little blog.  We've had lots of private galleries this year, meaning people would prefer to keep their images private.  TOtally fine with me, but I don't get to show off much.

We had a wonderful and quiet Christmas this year.  Oh- and have I mentioned we are expecting?  Due in May!  We are so very thrilled- love those little babies.

Here are some pictures of my kids skating for the first time- it was so much fun to watch them on the ice with my husband and my mom.

Ice Skating Family

Comment

Comment

My hubby's birthday | Denver Family Photographer

Birthdays are a big deal at our house.  We usually make several days out of it-  why not?  It only happens once a year, and what more is there to celebrate than the lives of people you love?  Chris happens to be a lucky duck and his birthday almost always falls on Memorial day weekend.  Which means extra celebrating!  We had a great day as a family- and even did a little photoshoot with him and the kids (we are getting family pictures soon... I know, I am SO bad about being in pictures!)  Then my AMAZING aunt came over in the evening and we got to go on a date. I started editing these photos, and I just fell in love with these.  These kids are nuts about their dad.  I mean, who wouldn't be- he's wonderful.  I even shot a roll in film.  They are getting processed today and I cannot WAIT to see them.  Did I mention we are adding film here at Brink Street?  Digital is cool and all, but there is something so special about film that you just can't achieve with digital (Plus I LOVE the sounds film cameras make...)  Anyhow- watch  out for some sneaks that include film scans.  I'm so so so excited!

Denver Family Photographer

Parker Family Photographer

P.S.  Mini sessions are coming in October!!  We have amazing goodies that will be just for these sessions- don't miss it!

Comment

Comment

Starting summer with a bang.

Or at least a buckle fracture.  Tibia and Fibula.

blogbreak

Our sweet little Teagan broke her leg this week.  No major or dramatic story, just landing wrong stepping off a toy.  It's crazy how that can happen, isn't it?  They can tumble and fall in ways that you are just certain they are broken- and they dust themselves off and keep running.  But sometimes just the tiniest thing and a bone breaks. She has been such a trooper this whole adventure- and didn't even cry when they were poking on her.  She just glared at them until I scooped her up.  Then the tears came.  She is amazing.  We just keep laughing when the medical staff says she's tough.  She has to be!  She's number 3 with an older sister who loves to dress her up and a brother who LOVE to wrestle with her.

webSassypants

She's LOVING all the attention, even though the fact that she can't run is making her crazy.  She's crawling around like a mad woman though, and they gave her a walking shoe so that she can get back to walking soon.  That also meant she got her very first sneakers yesterday (to balance the height of the cast) and she got to pick which ones she wanted- so she picked the brightest, most glittery, busiest ones they had.  AND they match her cast.  Teagan, you're a hoot.  Best part about the cast though?  We can get it wet!  They have an option for water-friendly casts now.  Talk about making mommy's life easier.  Do you remember wrapping casts in garbage bags and putting bands around the top super tight so that water wouldn't get in?  And forget water fun in the summer with a cast.  I'm so thankful for this option!  Keeping a toddler dry in the summer is nearly impossible.  And baths?  Oh am I glad we can give her baths!

webCasted

I'm challenging myself to take a photo a day during this month of her in a cast.  just for fun- and because *hopefully* this is a once in a lifetime kind of thing.

webToesies

Comment

Comment

Firsts... | Mine

I don't post a lot about us.  I admit, it's because often, things just get set on the back burner.  I put other people's images first- which is not at all a bad thing, but I have ignored my own.  I took advantage of a snapfish deal last week (Their quality is NOT good, but might be decent enough for scrapbooks)- and I struggled to find 365 images that had been touched of my kids.  I have over 4000- and I haven't even touched 300?  It was then I had a moment of realizing that they don't have to be "Hangers" to be edited.  I need to go through and not even edit, but switch these images to JPEG of my kids that are not things that I normally want to share.  Pictures of them covered in dirt just wearing a t-shirt, them playing in their toy-strewn playroom, pictures of their hair all wonky and remnants of lunch on their little cheeks.   Then I need to print them.  Print them and scrapbook them, print them, and even if I just toss them in to a little slip in album have them somewhere to share.  Heck, I should just make a "Moments in between" album- a year of imperfection.  Unbrushed hair, first lost teeth, first pigtails, messy toy rooms.

You see, I'm nuts about my family.  Absolutely in love with them.  And when I have a spare moment, I spend it with them. But I will try to be better about sharing more of me, of us.  I am so blessed to get to know so many of you- I should let you get to know me too!

So lots of firsts this week in the house.  Hailey lost her first tooth (I cried.  In fact, I'm still a mess about it.  It's evidence that my baby is growing up too fast)

webFirst Tooth

Noah had his first barber shop haircut.  We usually take him to the places where they get to eat lollipops and watch movies while they get their haircut, but instead he sat in a big boy chair and held still the whole time.  I'm so proud of him!  This is him with his Papa- who he loves like crazy!

webPapa

And Teagan had her first real pigtails.

webPigtails

So I am going to try to be better about doing maybe a "Mine on Monday" or something.  You get to know us, and I have a really great reason to edit some of our pictures!

Comment

12 Comments

Smile | I heart faces photo entry

I don't enter i heart faces challenges as often as I would like, but when I saw this week's theme I knew what image I wanted to use.  Capturing my own babies is a challenge.  They usually run as soon as they see the camera come out, unless I have something fabulous to bribe them with.  This image is special to me because it's real.  No forced "get it over with already" smile, just jubilation.   Thanks for stopping by!

WebBreck05

12 Comments

2 Comments

{Locks of Love} | My sweet oldest

A few weeks ago, Hailey saw a photograph of a cancer patient about her age. Filled with questions, we spent the rest of the afternoon discussing why the little girl didn't have hair. It was emotional for me as I thought of what that little girl's parents must be going through, and it reminded me how thankful I am to have the health of my children. Hailey started talking about how she wished that she could share her hair with the little girl. Immediately, Locks of Love came to mind.  So we showed her the website and told her she COULD share her hair- if she wanted to. For the next couple of weeks she mulled it over.  It would mean her hair was "like Mommy's" (above her shoulder)- and her greatest fears were that she would either no longer be a princess, or that people wouldn't know who she was.  Part of me really wanted her to decide against it.  She asked pretty much everyone we came into contact with what they thought.  I think the image of that little girl really stuck with her.

Then on Tuesday, a couple of plumbers came over to fix a leak and she asked for their thoughts.  Both of them cheered her on- and told her that she would be a princess and gorgeous no matter how much hair she had (God bless them- they were amazing).  She asked if someone would give her hair if she was sick, to which I replied I would gladly give her all of my hair if that ever happened.

Then she looked at me and said "Mommy, lets get my hair cut today.  Let's get it cut today so that Santa can give a sick girl beautiful hair for Christmas".  Then I cried and made the appointment.  What a generous gift to give.  What a big girl decision to make.  I couldn't be prouder of her.  I will admit I really didn't want her to do it.  And I really REALLY had the impulse to try to talk her out of it.  But my attachment to her hair doesn't help anyone- and it will grow again.

Locks of love donation

So we did it.  She got her hair cut- and she looks darling.  She is proud of herself and absolutely thrilled that for the last 2 days there haven't been any tangles when we comb her hair.  It's the little things, right?

Denver child photographer

Hailey...  you have given a gift that I pray you never have need to receive back.  I am so proud of you- you already have an amazing heart and I love you dearly.

2 Comments