homework

How cute are my parents!?  These two are amazing and I'm so lucky to have them.  Special thanks to them for being willing to volunteer  to help with Nate's homework assignment.  The lighting was perfect, and these two are naturals.  It's not often you have professional models to shoot.  (They were once paid to be on the cover of some medical pamphlet.)

As a daughter, I LOVE the picture of them with Eden and the one of my dad smiling at Jorie.  I will treasure those forever!

Blessing Girl

 I love this picture!  I like candid photography SO much more than posed.  I like to capture emotion-and when people are just standing and smiling, I feel like you loose the story.  I love that you can see the adoration in their faces as they comfort a crying Jorie.  I LOVE that Jorie is crying-  because that is true to form and I want to remember the REAL Jor; not the posed, perfect Jor. 

The people I love with all my heart:)  I don't know how I lucked out to get the best parents in the world, but somehow it happened.  These 4 up here are such amazing supports for our family.  I'm so grateful for their advice, love, and encouragement in life!

My parents are my stalwarts.  They teach me that I can do hard things, that my Heavenly Father loves me, that the atonement is real and gives us power and peace.  They teach me that everyone makes mistakes, to pick myself back up after I fall, to chase my dreams.  They teach me that I can do anything I set my mind to, and that family and sacrificing for family should be number 1. 

 Jorie was given a name and a blessing by her daddy on December 6, 2015.  We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family who made sacrifices to get here to celebrate with us.  J was tired and ornery by the time we got home to take pictures, so you can't see her face well in any of these photos.  But she sure is loved. 

For sake of our family history, I just want to remember who was here.
Mom and Dad Williams
Blake, Aubrey, Lauren
Katie, Clark, Kyson, James, Meg
Mom and Dad Doutre
Dani, Ryan, Edie
Bree

Once we get some good lighting days, I'll dress her up and get better pictures of her in her dress.

AND...I need to do some thinking about whether I want this blog to JUST showcase my photography, or rather to mix it with updates of family...because right now it's some of both and I like aspects about each idea.  We'll see. 

day 1: thankful for mother's hands

What a day to start my project.  Briggs was sick and I sat up with him all night long.  Both kids cried/screamed all day, I watched a friend's children, and I simply didn't think about pulling out the camera until after the kids were in bed.  I took some pictures of our tree, but they wouldn't upload for some reason.  So, here I am beginning my 365 project off by cheating-a shot from a few days ago.

This is a picture I took on Thanksgiving at my mom's house.  These hands of her's have meant the world to me over the years and I love that the picture depicts her hands always being at work.  My mom never stops working, serving and loving with those hands.  I hope that my mother hands can become similar to these.