This is Miss Haley, and she has the most amazing, sparkling eyes, and her lashes are just to-die for. Here’s a sneak peak. More from her session tomorrow!
Monthly Archives: July 2008
If I had one word to describe my son, that’s probably the word I would pick. He’s fearless, always exploring, and loves to get everywhere quickly. So here’s a simple shot of him on an adventure in the woods. He loved walking on this log…
That’s Miss Reilly! We had a session last week, and we both had such a great time. Thanks to my mini-assistant, Hailey.
She recently celebrated her 75th, so we all headed down to my grandparent’s farm to celebrate. Happy BDay to a fabulous woman! Love you, Grandma.
Warning: There are a bazillion photos from our day. Thanks for looking!
And after a long, hard day of activity, this was the end. He gave up. Sat down. Then just laid down. Poor tired Aidan. How many times have I seen him stop like that? Maybe 3. Usually he is GO – GO – GO. No time for a rest. I was shocked!
No, not with a gun, with a camera. 
The I Shoot People Tour is a wedding photography seminar that I attended with my friend/photography Ashley (you can visit her blog here). I learned a lot from JB and DeEtte, owners of Sallee Photography. If you’re a wedding photographer, you should definitely check them out.
Anyway, before the seminar, Ashley and I took photos of each other. Here she is. (Hope she doesn’t kill me, but I think she looks so cute in this pic!) I’ll be posting mine soon, too.
She’s a new homeowner. She recently bought a GORGEOUS new condo, and we all just love it – especially the deck. It’s enormous, and Aidan loves to run back + forth out there. We’re very excited for Nana. (And no, we don’t normally let Aidan run around in a t-shirt and a diaper. He was just dying to play in the water!)
In Aidan news, he finally jumped with both feet! He’s been trying sooo hard at The Little Gym to get it right, but it’s always just been a little hop. The other day, we were at my mom’s new place, and he was dancing to the music. I asked if he could show Nana how he jumps, and he did it! Everybody was clapping for him, and he was so proud of himself. I love that kid.
Ok, so I’m a little late posting the final 5 of my list, but here they are. And stay tuned, I have many, many Aidan photos to post later. # 6 Cahokia Mounds
ancient Native American city near Collinsville, IL. It is home to many giant man-made mounds. If you’re up for a good workout, try running up the steps leading to Monk Mound. That should burn a few bazillion calories. Admission is free of charge, though they do accept donations.
# 7 Soulard Farmer’s Market
Soulard is by far one of the best neighborhoods in the city, and it is home to one of the best farmer’s market around. Definitely check it out. Wish we lived closer so we could go more often. It is open Wednesday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday 6 a.m.-5 p.m.
# 8 Cecil Whittaker’s Pizza
If you haven’t tasted this pizza, you are completely and totally missing out. I’m not even normally a fan of thin-crust pizza, but Cecil Whittaker’s is in a league of it’s own. And I think it’s because of the cheeze. It’s oohy, gooey goodness that just melts in your mouth. They have plenty of locations in the St. Louis metro area, but my favorite location is in the Central West End, but I guess that’s just because it’s my favorite neighborhood in the city. Go get some pizza now!
# 9 Kangaroo Kids
If you are a mom, you will love this store. It’s my favorite place for all things child-related. It’s not just a resale and maternity support center. They have lactation consultant, nursing mother’s group, a great selection of new strollers (and the newest jogging strollers around), a play area and a coffee shop. It’s just brilliant to have everything in one location – super convenient.
# 10 Blueberry Hill If you’re looking for a quirky place for dinner, this is it. Blueberry Hill is located in University City on the Loop. It’s filled with hundreds of pieces of pop culture memorabilia, and live music is a huge factor in it’s popularity. You may even see legendary St. Louisan Chuck Berry while you’re there. While you’re waiting for a table, or after your meal, you can play darts, video games and pinball. I’d say Blueberry Hill is a must if you’re visiting the Lou.
Excerpt
Aidan, Dan and I went to Forest Park the other day, and we had a great time on Art Hill.
I was born and (for the most part) raised in Missouri, and I love St. Louis – the city. I thought I would use a recent family trip to the city as an inspiration for my top 10 list of favorite things to see in St. Louis. If you’re a Missourian, you should check them out. If you’re not – well, then you need to come for a visit! Today I will list five for you to check out. Check back tomorrow for the rest!
Here they are, in no particular order…
I adore the Jewel Box not only because it is home to hundreds of amazing flowers, but because my husband and I were married there. Admission is just a buck, and you really can’t beat that. They have various shows throughout the year, and you can plan special events there, too. Of course, it’s perfect for weddings and receptions as well.
The MO Botanical Gardens are another great place to take the family. They have plenty of events happening this summer, such as the Niki in the Garden exhibit. My sister Tanya and I took Aidan there a few months ago, and we had so much fun. They even have a little maze for children. And yes, it’s another fabulous wedding location.
Located in the Central West End (my absolutely favorite neighborhood in the city), this 24-hour coffee shop may not make a great wedding location, but it’s perfect for just about anything else! They have life music every Thursday, free Wi-Fi for customers, and they make a mean iced chai latte. Mmmmmm.
My husband, Dan, and I are really into running. I guess the Army made us that way. But the fact is that we really enjoy it, so we often spend our mornings by putting Aidan in his jogging stroller and going for a little run. (We actually been crazy enough to contemplate running a 1/2 marathon sometime in the spring, but more on that later.) The trail is 225 miles long and stretches across the state. We usually just run a few miles near Old Town St. Charles, but we’re planning to rent some bikes out in Matson and spend the day out there.
#5 Grant’s Farm
With the whole Anheuseur-Busch drama, who knows how long Grant’s Farm will be around, but it’s the perfect place to take children. I have many fond memories of going with my mom when I was a child. I still haven’t taken Aidan there, but it’s on my to-do list for the summer. Admission is free, and there are so many fun things to do. My favorite was always feeding the baby goats from a bottle. The little ones always get a kick out of that.
On Friday night, I was lucky enough to participate in my first Trash the Dress session, which was organized by the very talented and nice Michelle Ross of Under Grace Photography. The beautiful Beth Berry (who is also a photographer) was our model, and she did a fabulous job. It was a blast meeting other St. Louis wedding photographers and trying out a new aspect of photography.
My 4-year-old nephew Justice is a huge fan of Kung “Few” Panda. He’s always willing to share some of his moves with the camera.
And here’s one of Aidan – just for fun. (And in case you’re wondering, that is dirt all over his face.)
I have to tell you, this summer in St. Louis has been awesome – so different from the Texas summers. I don’t miss them a bit. It was downright cool today. We even played outside, which I guarantee you, if we were still in Texas, we would not be doing.
My beautiful niece, Reilly. I love her. She’s such an old soul.
Aidan has his serious face on because he was watching the dog run around the yard.
My nephew, Justice, being squirt in the face by Reilly.
This is Justice’s mean face. Are you scared?
Reilly and her dog, Sheba. Yup, a dog named Sheba. Go figure.
I don’t know if I ever mentioned that since we’ve been in St. Louis, I’ve been taking Aidan to The Little Gym. In the beginning he was a bit shy and a little scared – so many changes were going on in our lives at that time. Gradually, he began to enjoy it more and more. It’s a chance for him to release some of his abundance of energy, while also learning things (they learn one word in sign language each week, they learn parts of the body, they learn colors, among many other things). He also gets a little bit of the socialization he was getting 5 days a week when he was at a WONDERFUL daycare back in my Army days. I so miss that place.
Anywho, the point of this story is that today at The Little Gym, a lady brought a baby (probably about 3 months old) in a carseat and just let her sit in it while her toddler was running around the gym. Throughout the session, the baby would whine a little, and Aidan would go over to her a point and say “baby!” He was very excited. Toward the end of the session, she really started crying, and he quickly ran over there and said “Baby. Baby. Baby!” He had tears welling in his eyes and he was patting his chest like he does when he scared. He is such a sweet child and really hates to see anyone in pain. It amazes me how he notices these things and gets so upset. http://www.blogcatalog.com/directory/art/photography-art My sweet lil guy…
And totally unrelated are some more pool photos.
