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Here’s a little secret…take care of my kids, and I will take care of you. Forever.
Leeanne was our babysitter back when Sam (now 7) was an infant. She sat for us through Ben’s birth (now 5), and we were very sad to see our “Eeeanne” graduate and move on.
Fast forward five years and she is a gorgeous newlywed with a darling husband, and a sweet dog to complete their family. LOVE!
Back in May we took in two stray dogs and fostered them until they found their forever home. Penny and Bolt (dubbed by my kids) were sweet, but not the greatest with our elderly great dane. We posted the duo on Paws in the City, attended a few adoption events, and eventually Penny found a home.
Bolt stayed with us throughout the summer and into fall, and a few times I thought “I guess we’ll keep him…”, but it just never seemed to click. I had a feeling that his family was out there somewhere.
A few months ago I fielded another call from someone looking for Penny (why did her ad always yield results while NO ONE called about Bolt?). I explained that no, Penny was already adopted…but his brother was still available. Turns out that this family had just lost their dog to cancer days before, and their home was just too quiet with him gone. Our phone call turned into an overnight ’sleepover’, and finally the words I had been hoping to hear: “Bolt has found his forever home!”.
His new family is *wonderful*, and exactly what he deserves. When we picked up Penny and Bolt they were hours from being euthanized. Now both have found their perfect home, and everyone has their happy ending.
I’ve stayed in contact with Bolt’s new family (as this being the small world that it is, the mom is the sister of one of our sweet clients), and after reading a recent sweet email about how Beau (how he has come to be known) and his new little girl, Marisa, have become the dynamic duo, I asked if I could photograph the pair.
We met this morning and it was SO wonderful to see how big, how confident, how bright eyed and how eager to please sweet Beau has become. He’s enthralled with his little girl, and I couldn’t have asked for a better family!
I woke up to this comment today, and had to take a minute to remember what I had said previously: 
Oh, sweet Susan…First, come on down to Dallas and let’s play with your kids. ROAD TRIPS ARE FUN! 
Second, I am SO INCREDIBLY NOT AT ALL NOT EVEN A LITTLE TINY BIT expecting. I am happily packing up the last bit of baby stuff as our youngest is now 1, and it’s true…when you’re done, you just KNOW (plus, yo…I’ve been working out and dieting and stuff and am down to my pre-marriage weight. Happy to not creep up above that again thankyouverymuch
So I thought back, and remembered this post and the comment I made about not feeling so hot.
(No lie…typing this makes me feel nauseous again. Hi, I’m a wimp.)
The story behind this session starts here…we were selected to compete here…and the dress arrived and is DARLING! But too big for my Coco (plus, she’s not a whole lot into being cooperative these days where photos are concerned. And I’m a *mite* competitive…I admit it.).
So I called up this beauty, bribed her mom into letting me poof her hair to my heart’s delight, stuffed her into a pair of Coco’s tights, added a skirt for a little texture and volume, and off we went!
Actually, round and round and *urp* ROUND we went…
And OH! I was SO PLEASED with these! Equally pleased for the merry-go-round to stop so I could close my eyes, stop the spinning, and put both feed on solid ground. I scrolled through the results and SQUEEE! OH WAIT! You can’t see the dress!
So we repositioned dear Mariam, I took one for the team, and off we went again. Around, and around. and A-ROUND.
The one that made the final cut and just makes me smile every time I look at it:
Plus, it has the right combination of enough background to show the motion, a fabulous expression that matches the playful mood, and SCORE! you can totally see the label!
Two twirls on the merry-go-round and I was ready for bed. Mariam’s poor mom laughed later that she thought she was going to have to hold back my hair. Y’all, it was BAD.
But worth every. single. queasy. minute.
And now, we wait…
I’m SO excited to see what everyone comes up with for their entry, and am sure they loved having a chance to be creative and think outside the box during the craziest time of the year as much as I did.
These two sisters were SUCH fun! I haven’t seen Natalie in a little over a year, and WOW has she grown up! Miss Taylor has since joined the family, and these girls were so sweet and loving with one another (and quick to giggle too!).
Their mom is a HUGE etsy fan, as I was in cute-clothes heaven while going through their outfits for the shoot. I’m including the etsy source shops at the end of the post for those that want some of these cute clothes for their own little ones (myself included!)
Sweet little curled up toes always make me smile.
I love a good family snuggle 
We headed outdoors for a few. Sidenote: Dear Mosquito that feasted on my temple, I hope you had a good time…I didn’t stop to swat you away, even though I KNEW you were there. Why? Because THIS shot was developing (and I sacrifice for my art. *SNORT* (but really-SWOON))
Little Taylor was done. Done, done, PUT-ME-TO-BED I. AM. DONE. But then…we got one last adorable smile out of her. LOVE HER.
The Big Sis/Little Sis shop is from Green Apple Boutique
The 1 shirt (and not shown, but ADORABLE pumpkin shirts for Fall-go look!) are from Modern Frills
Go shop, but save me a pumpkin shirt or 3, K?
Sweet Tyra emailed me last week to let me know that Yo, I need to put my name in the hat for the Matilda Jane photography competition…And so, like anyone else who would LOVE to have a Matilda Jane dress to play with I said OH HELLZ YES.
And today Tyra emailed to let me know that I’m in! I’m in!
I can’t WAIT. I requested Coco’s size, because she’s the most cooperative model in the house (even if she IS in fourteen different directions at once).
These are from yesterday…Workin’ it in her new poncho.
Thank you, Matilda Jane! My wheels are already spinning with ideas!
and one more…to show what a mean, mean mommy I am
