My little blond haired beauty….I can’t believe he’s four. Such a big boy- taking after his big brothers, but still such the cuddly baby. I cherish this time.

Normally I do a portrait session for the kids’ birthdays since we don’t have “school portraits” in home school.    I haven’t had a chance to do a session yet for Gabe, so these are just some recent moments in his life.

At the beginning of May we decided to try him out on a two-wheeler. All of our other kiddos rode before their 4th b-day, so we decided to try even though he had not asked for his wheels off like the others had.

Brett held his seat, went around a few times, and after a couple times of letting go and him falling a bit Gabe was tired of it.  I chocked it up to him being the baby. It’s really no secret that we have noooo problem letting him take his sweet time at growing up.

A week or so later Brett and I looked out the window to the scene below. We were a bit scared, but decided not to intervene. Come to find out Adin asked Gabe if he could try and help him on the bike. After about 5 minutes, Gabe was riding all over…..like a mad man!!

I’m so proud of Adin. For his loving heart. For his patience with his baby brother.

Playing outside, drawing, playing with friends ( below is Betsy’s Miles), painting, shooting baskets, and cuddling….these are some of Gabe’s favorite things. 

Somewhere along the way this spring amongst crazy Ohio storms, tornado sirens, and trips to the basement, Gabe formed a habit of sneaking into his sister’s room for comfort. He just adores her. I adore how much they love each other.

Whenever Brett or I have a bad day, we scoop up Gabie and he just loves to love on us. On any given day if Gabe’s not playing, he is found like this:

From Priya, the brothers, to Mama and Baba….we are utterly smitten with you Gabriel. I thank God every night for the precious time I have with you. Can’t wait to watch you grow into who you will become, Lord willing.

So blessed to have you, little sweetheart.

yours ~mama & baba

This spring we were cutting down the old dead grasses from last year and the boys were working on it with me.  I suggested they make a fort in the back woods with the grasses.  They asked me to help them out and I gladly accepted.  Our boys help us remember what it is like to be young, carefree spirits.  Deep inside of us all there is the little child we once were that has somehow been overshadowed by the man/woman we have become.  Having these children to cherish, hold, and watch grow up helps us remember what it was like to be young and to stay young in spirit ourselves.  It helps us to realize how fragile and dependent upon one another we all are.  We need to get inside their little world from time to time and learn from them.  We can learn to have a more humble and contrite spirit and lean on each other for support as they do.  Never lose touch with your inner child.  ~brett {baba}

So, we’ve decided to start shooting film again and I took my first roll of medium format film a couple of weeks ago.  I’m calling this my first “film experiment in light.”  There is something about film that draws us in to the images…something I can’t amply describe, but I like to call it “The Van Gogh Effect” because film grain and blur reminds me of his amazing textures and I love how it seems so much more pure, raw, and organic than digital.  And, I am an organic purist at heart.  There is  something deeply emotional about film in that it requires more time, effort, and patience.  Film also requires us to have a deeper connection with the subject that is elsewise absent.  This is what I love.

Well, I decided a few months back that I wanted to get back full circle to where this all began, but was dragging my heels on it.  When Jessica and I first started shooting together, I shot a lot of film.  Some of those photographs are still some of my favorites to date, but I could never get past the ease and convenience of digital.  This all met with a crescendo upon attending the WPPI conference this year.  This is where I became friends with a kindred spirit, Gabe McClintock, the incredibly talented man behind the camera of Perspectiveye Photography. Gabe was instrumental in my decision to start shooting film again and he was very helpful and graciously in lending me his ear on this venture.  If you haven’t checked out his work before, then indulge your senses and visit his blog here.  He shoots a lot of film these days and was one of my biggest inspirations for this endeavor…thank you Gabe!  I was also privileged to hear a couple of excellent and inspiring film artists speak at WPPI this year, Elizabeth Messina of Kiss The Groom Photography and Jose Villa.

Looking back, here is one of my 35mm film shots from the first wedding Jessica and I ever photographed:

Now, coming full circle, I’m shooting with my new (old) Contax 645 medium format camera.  This frame below is one of my favorites from the first roll I ever shot a couple weeks ago:

The water and light were so wondrous that I couldn’t stop shooting, so here are a few others…

That same day, the kids and I hung out with Grandma “Nanny” Beth, my mom, at Waffle House.  The vintage Waffle House feel and the beautiful light pouring through the windows all added up to what I felt was “film ready”…well, I’m actually getting addicted to it and now everything is seeming “film ready” these days:

We look forward to sharing more of our film experiments in light with you in the upcoming weeks.

brett & jess

Then I realized that if I kissed them, they would leave me alone. So I did.

And I finished my pie. It was good.

~Gabe

Until I saw a very sweet, yet very guilty face walk out of the kitchen.

{CAUGHT!}

I look at my life at this point and compare it to last year, and I honestly feel like a new person. This past year has been such a reflective and introspective one for me; a time of change- of reevaluation. In my constant search for BALANCE, I’m learning to view things with new eyes. I see growth- in my personal life, in our family, in our business. But I still see so many more goals that I want to accomplish…..(but much more on that later).

This morning we enjoyed a great breakfast as a family. We read the bible, and then Priya and I did some knitting. I also spent some time looking back at our year in photo sessions. Quickly, I grabbed a sampling from each shoot of 2010- minus a couple weddings that are still in the works….

Thank you to all the wonderful people that invited us into your lives for a moment. Each of you in turn gave something to us, and we truly feel honored to have documented bits and pieces of who you are.

xo~ jess + brett

Towards the end of the session we went out to play in the snow and **SURPRISE** I got some SMILES!

Oh to be four!  A handful of snow to throw is all it takes to make life joyous! 

]]> http://www.studio3z.com/blog/2010/12/chloe-turns-four/feed/ 8 http://www.studio3z.com/blog/2010/12/happy-birthday-evie-mae-one-year/ http://www.studio3z.com/blog/2010/12/happy-birthday-evie-mae-one-year/#comments Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:20:28 +0000 admin http://www.studio3z.com/blog/?p=8132 Just a little over a year ago, this sweetie pie girl was born to one of my dearest friends, Tracy. Evie is such a fun, outgoing, and smiley one year old.  She was melting my heart, (and making my ovaries hurt) with all her little gal cuteness!!

*serious heart explosions over here*

Then her big “bub” came home and she was so happy.

“Hi bub! Hi bub!”

And if that doesn’t make your Friday a little more smiley, I don’t know what possibly could. 

When I was knitting him a scarf last week, he was giddy with excitement for it to be done. When I put it on his neck he said, “Now I’m just like Little Bear!”

*my heart melted*

Now he reads with his scarf on, of course.

Thank goodness for big sisters, who help break up repeat readings by Mama and Baba. 

We are all pretty obsessed with our own Little Bear.

Here’s hoping three goes just as smoothly!

This face looks more like he is 18.

He’s just not sure what to think about this birthday stuff ending….it was WAY too fun.