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It's really ironic to me that I claim to be on 'break,' but this is probably the most I've blogged ever. Maybe if I told myself that I was on 'break' more often, I would update this thing every day. Then again, maybe not.
I'm actually really happy to blog on 'break!' These Love Through the Lens session have been so fun and fulfilling for Ben and I. Not only do we feel awesome about being able to participate in such an amazing cause, but we have also had the opportunity to work with some truly fabulous people. It's been particularly special to me because many of these people have been in my life for a long time. I love that we're able to spend time with - and provide photos for - people who have brought so much joy into my world. :)
Included in that group of people is the Bornemann family. :) The foursome consists of Steve, Phyllis, Kaitlyn and Derek. The Bornemann's have been close friends of my family's for years. We have a connection through Lake Aurora (it's quite obvious that LA is a pretty significant location for me ;)), and they are some of the greatest people that I know! Phyllis and Steve work at the camp, and the dedication and hard work that they put into that place is more than admirable.
That same devotion is evident in their family bond. There is a lot of love and laughter shared between the four of them, and that spills over onto anyone who has the pleasure of being around them. Their comfortable togetherness is infectious - you can't help but have a good time around their family. :)
The wonderful staff at Lake Aurora surprised Phyllis and Steve with a LTTL session for Christmas, so Ben and I had the chance to photograph these guys at - where else?! - Lake Aurora. ;)
Steve, Phyllis, Kaitlyn, and Derek - We are so happy that we got to hang with you all today - it's always a blast! :) Thanks for making our job a piece of cake! You guys are awesome!
Enjoy some shots from the day!
Talking and interacting with one another with a huge camera pointed in your face could be a little awkward...but this shot makes it seem like it's the most normal thing ever. ;)
They're so photogenic! Seriously!
...and the apples don't fall far from the trees. :)
'So cute!' - right, guys? ;) Pretty sure this is my favorite group shot of the day.
Love this.
Kaitlyn and Derek. :)
Steve and Phyllis. :)
Sometimes I feel like Ben comes onto shoots for the sole purpose of being ridiculous and entertaining people, but then he grabs shots like this and I am reminded that he does actually contribute occasionally. ;)
These make me smile. :) 23 years together and going strong - inspiring!
I think I'm over my limit of :)'s on this post, but this photo just deserves one. :).
**We still have a couple of LTTL sessions left! If you'd like more info check out the blog post by clicking here. Then shoot us an e-mail to get something set up! We have gift certificates available for purchase as well! :)**
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88
I saw a quote on Twitter today that I really think captures the essence of this season: 'Christmas waves a magic wand over this world and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.' -Peale
To me, Christmas time is fabulous. It's cheerful and generous and all kinds of warm and fuzzy. It's filled with singing and laughter and big bows and delicious food (that turns into delicious leftovers). It's like living in a Hallmark commercial, for a month or so.
Ben and I have had such an amazing time with our loved ones these past few days, and the fun isn't over yet! We have more celebrating and travelling and good times to come, and we feel extremely blessed to be able to share the holiday season with one another. Spending time with Ben that isn't interrupted by the normal hustle and bustle of life is one of the things I love most about this time of year. :)
***
So in the spirit of this season of giving, we want to offer some new eye candy. :)
Chaundi and David wanted to take part in our Love Through the Lens project, so they booked one of our December sessions. I could literally write an entire blog post (we're talking pages) about Chaundi and my relationship. Pages, people. But I will spare you the lengthy story (even though it's a good one!) and just keep it short and sweet. Well, as short and sweet as I can do.
Chaundi is one of my first friends. No, really. The phrase 'we go way back' defines us. We were BFF's in diapers on the playground, and now we're all grown up and we still share that truly amazing bond. Our friendship is one of those that always picks up where it left off. Those are the best kind, if you ask me. Life may take you in different directions (in our case, it took us in several different directions around the state of Florida :)), but when you meet back in the middle, everything is right where you left it. The friendship moves through the book with you - instead of getting snagged up on Chapter 4 or 5. That's our friendship. She is a thick-and-thin, remember-when-this-happened-in-middle-school, never-going-to-grow-apart kind of friend. She's not blood, but she may as well be because she's family in my book.
David entered her life circa 2003, and he's stuck around ever since. :) I don't think I could describe their relationship more perfectly than Chaundi did when she wrote me an e-mail to set up their session. She wrote, 'I asked David to describe our relationship and his response was 'respect, honor, and passion.' I agree with him, but I would also add cheerful and spontaneous! You know firsthand that I love to laugh, and he has that same spark for life.'
Just like their self-description, Chaundi and David provide balance for each other. 6 years together has built a solid, loving foundation for their relationship. Being around them, you can tell that they adore and admire one another, and cherish the bond that holds them tight.
I truly believe that their session around the lake captured the respect, honor, passion, cheerfulness, and spontaneity that makes their love unique. :)
Chaundi and David - I had such a fabulous time with you guys! Your love is genuine and inspiring. You made my job so easy because you are completely comfortable with yourselves, and each other. Thank you for being true to who you are as a couple - it's absolutely beautiful! Love you guys! :)
Here are a few favorites from the day:
Oh. Did I forget to tell you? Chaundi is amazingly gorgeous.
FAVORITE. And probably one of my favorite photos we've ever taken.
Cheerfulness? Check! :)
Guess I've been drawn to swings lately. They seem to pop up in our sessions pretty often. Swinging is fun!
The lighting was a little harsh here, but I had to include this one. Chaundi and David definitely had 'looks' that they gave each other throughout the session. I'm sure David knows what this 'look' means. ;)
So cute. :)
My camera loves you both.
A special request. :)
tina morrow:
So beautiful. Just gorgeous. If/when Chaundi and David tie the knot - they are going to have beautiful babies! :)
(12.25.09)
Chaundi and David:
I'm sitting here screaming "OMG"!!! I love them all! I defiantly think you did an amazing job of capturing the "respect, honor, passion, cheerful and spontaneous" nature of our relationship. I can't wait to put the photos up in my house and office! LOL
@Ms. Tina- Thanks!!!!! :)
brittnei e.:
There are no words for how amazing I think these are! Amy your work is incredible & Chaundi you two look great!
(12.26.09)
Nana:
I love these pictures!! I don't really know David, but Chaundi I know as a beautiful baby and now as this incredible, beautiful young lady. Wow! so much emotion in all of them.
(12.26.09)
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86
So, my immune system has this really awesome way of crapping out when fun things are about to happen. Like the time I got a cold a week before my sister's wedding. Or the time I was sportin' a serious sinus infection 3 days before I departed for New York. Or the time I got a sinus infection while Ben and I were in Las Vegas for our honeymoon [p.s. my sinuses hate me]. It's obnoxious and depressing, to say the least. My immune system is a bully. A mean, push-you-down-on-the-playground bully.
So it came as no surprise that about a week ago, I started sneezing and coughing...a lot. I'm sure my immune system figured - Christmas is right around the corner - it's the perfect time to get sick and ruin all the fun!
With a busy December schedule ahead of me, I decided that enough was enough. No more destroying my good times with headaches and kleenex piles.
Yesterday, I took the first step to fight against my mopey system when I decided to peel myself away from my bed, pajamas, and tomato soup, and head to a shoot that we had on the books for the day. I armed myself with Aleve Cold and Sinus and Claritin (a two birds/one stone approach), put a smile on my face, and ignored the sluggishness that wanted to take over my body.
And I totally won. Apparently, fresh air and a fun photo shoot was a successful remedy and I'm happy to report that my ridiculously irritating immune system will not be crapping all over my holiday spirit this year. :)
Yesterday's shoot was with Kim, Todd, and their 3 adorable kids - 2-year-old daughter, Reese, and 1-year-old twins, Taylor and Will. We had such a blast running all around Taylor Park in Cocoa with these guys, and they kept us laughing throughout the whole session. Reese, Taylor, and Will are full of energy and personality, and Ben and I truly enjoyed being able to capture the love shared between this family. :)
Kim and Todd - you guys have such a beautiful, fun family! We absolutely loved getting to know all of you - thanks for hanging out with us yesterday! :)
Here's a few favorites from the day:
The whole crew.
Reese, catching a lift from Mom and Dad. ;)
The twins. Precious.
Ben snagged a couple of shots of Kim and Todd while I played with the kids for a few. I think it's so important for parents to be able to have photos together by themselves, so I was thrilled that we were able to catch these really sweet moments for these two. :)
We made it a point to capture Reese, Taylor, and Will's personalities separately throughout the session. In the short time that we spent with them, we could see that they each have such unique, adorable characteristics that make them who they are as individuals.
We tried to showcase Reese's curiosity, independence, and adventurous spirit. :)
Taylor is in the "show and tell" phase. :) She was intrigued by everything around her, and she got excited about discovering new things.
Will is definitely the boy of the trio. :) He is quite the climber, and explored all the different areas of the park during our session.
I love, love, love these next two.
We wrapped up with a quick stop by the playground, to burn off any remaining energy. :)
Lisa Stockton:
Fabulous... as usual!!!!
(12.21.09)
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85
Our next LTTL session at Lake Aurora was Lauren and Lyndsey - sisters. :)
I have to say, this type of session could quickly become one of my favorites to shoot. We've never done a "sister" shoot before, and it was a lot of fun. Lauren and Lyndsey are a blast to be around, and ridiculously easy to photograph. Besides being completely gorgeous, they have cheerful, outgoing personalities and an extremely close bond that shone through in their photos.
Obviously, I thought of my sister (Callie) a lot while I was photographing this session. Lauren and Lyndsey's relationship reminded me a lot of mine and Callie's. Callie is my sister, but even more importantly, my best friend. You can't choose family (though I would have chosen mine in a heartbeat), but you can choose your best friends. And I feel super blessed to have Callie in both of those areas of my life. :) (p.s. I told Ben that Lauren and Lyndsey inspired me to do a sister session at some point, so I'm roping him into doing that in the near future. Stay tuned. ;))
Lauren and Lyndsey - you guys are so fabulous! We really enjoyed hanging out with you both - thanks for making our job a piece of cake. :)
Here's a few from their session! Enjoy!
Meet Lyndsey and Lauren. :)
Love these next two.
We wanted to snag a couple of solo shots as well. Up first - Lauren. Stunning.
:)
Followed by Lyndsey. Gorgeous.
:)
Definitely in my top 3 favorites of the day.
Hello - fabbbbbbulous.
A little sisterly love. ;)
I think that Lauren and Lyndsey are actually models and just didn't tell me because they're modest. ;)
'How do people make it through life without a sister?' -Sara Corpening
**If you'd like to book a Love Through the Lens session with us - it's not too late! We still have slots available. Visit the LTTL blog post for more info, and see what dates are available. Then e-mail us if you're interested! We're looking forward to hearing from you, and working with you in this great cause! :) (p.s. We also have gift certificates available - Christmas is right around the corner! :))**
tina.morrow:
Awww - how special and beautiful! Great pics. These two remind me of you and Callie. :)
(12.12.09)
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84
Today we shot our first round of Love Through the Lens sessions. It has been so awesome to see the amazing response we've gotten for this cause. Ben and I feel extremely humbled and thrilled to be a part of this, and we cannot express how much it means to us that so many of you have been so supportive. Basically, you guys rock times 1 million. :)
With Love Through the Lens underway, our blog is going to be pretty active for the next month or so (maybe I'll even develop a habit of posting more often...;)). So check back frequently for updates! (Or join our Facebook group, and/or follow us on Twitter to stay posted!)
We held LTTL at Lake Aurora today. I need to take a moment to give a HUGE thank you to the amazing staff out there. I have known each one of them personally for a long time now, and they are just some of my favorite people in the world. They have been extremely generous and never once say "no" to us using their beautiful campground for our shoots. And for that, we are super grateful. :) They also run some pretty fabulous programs out there, so definitely check out their website for more info! :)
Ok - first up - Shay, Mike, Cole, Mason, and Katy-Grace.
Shay and I go way back. :) She was my cheerleading coach, but more importantly, a huge influence in my life. Shay is bubbly and caring, and I feel super blessed that she's been a part of my life while I was growing up. We've kept in touch, and I have had the privilege of watching her family expand over the last several years. I won't lie - seeing her 3 kids pile out of their car today (with the 2 boys almost beating me in height) made me feel just a littttttle old. Ok. More than a little.
Shay and Mike have raised fabulous children, and Ben and I had such a blast photographing them today. Their personalities are so unique to who they are as individuals, and it was really fun to capture each one with our cameras. The boys are definitely....boys. :) Cole and Mason are full of energy and kept us laughing during the entire session. Katy-Grace is adorably sweet, with a little mischievous side that I'm sure she picked up from being the only girl in the trio. :)
Shay and Mike - we had such a great time with you all today! Thank you for being a part of Love Through the Lens, and for allowing us to photograph your awesome family. :)
Here's a few of our favorites from the shoot:
Little miss Katy-Grace, in all her cuteness. :)
Meet Cole and Mason. :)
I love this one. Cole and Mason are so sweet toward their little sister.
Boys will be boys. :)
This one is in the running for my favorite - I LOVE it.
Daddy's little girl.
We snagged a couple of family shots - I think this one is a great way to sum things up. :)
**If you'd like to book a Love Through the Lens session with us - it's not too late! We still have slots available. Visit the LTTL blog post for more info, and see what dates are available. Then e-mail us if you're interested! We're looking forward to hearing from you, and working with you in this great cause! :) (p.s. We also have gift certificates available - Christmas is right around the corner! :))**
nana:
Wow!! What a treat to see Shay's family --beautiful children, beautiful pictures. Loved them!
(12.12.09)
Tina.morrow:
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these pics. What a beautiful family and you guys captured their fun perfectly. :)
(12.12.09)
Amy Johnson:
Love the pictures!
(12.12.09)
Elva Mattox:
What a great looking family! I get to see those good lookin' boys everyday at buses. Keep Smiling:)
(12.12.09)
Joyce Bachman:
Awesome pictures. Thanks so much for sharing. Gorgeous family
(12.14.09)
Patty Briggs:
Loved looking at the pictures. You have such a wonderful family!
(12.14.09)
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shay & mike + kids : love through the lens
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Very good pictures!
(12.27.09)beautiful family! you can see the fun and love they have together. great pics. :)
(12.27.09)Beautiful Family! So glad that they are family!
(12.27.09)Eric & Jill Hughes
Girl you are on a roll!! I love all of these posts :) And for such a great cause!
(12.27.09)Beautiful pictures of a beautiful family! Lots of love shining through them.
(12.27.09)I love them! Thanks for making it SO easy. It's so rare to catch 'natural' smiles on my guys! You did great!
(12.27.09)what a beautiful family!!
(12.27.09)