VLV Photography

Wow, this post is late today!  Well, this is what happens when it’s summer vacation, I guess.  I’m not yet behind but I sure feel like it!  I’m shooting my sis-in-law’s wedding this weekend and so it’s crunch time to get as much done as I possibly can before then.  My post today kinda got the backseat to my to-do list.  Also, I got a new blogging program that makes blog posting a SNAP!  I LOVE it!  It’s done lickity-split!  But of course, I had to learn it a bit and then play a bit.

Anyway, I was going to do a sneak peek today but since this post is so late, I will save the images until tomorrow.  The images are ready to blog but I will instead share what I did over the weekend and save the good stuff for tomorrow.  And tomorrow’s post will be created tonight so that for sure will post in the am!  It’s sure nice to have summer but with the rainy days and the kids stuck inside I just get NOTHING done!!

I enjoyed the weekend though with my little family.  We had a very nice Father’s Day and took the kids for ice cream.  I always have the same thing-a Reese’s PB cup and cookie dough blizzard-yum!  There’s just never enough “not-good-for-you-stuff” with just one flavor!  Once the wind died down in the evening we had a “fire camp” {a.k.a. camp fire}.  I also finally got this cute little chair painted.  I forgot to take a before pic.  I actually got this chair back when I did Krista & Nate’s engagement session in MT at a little antique store that I instantly feel in love with-”Trinkets-n-Treasures.”  It’s solid wood and just the perfect size for my kiddo sessions.  I included an image with my daughter so you can see the scale of it with a 2 year-old on it.  It was a coral color but the paint was chipped in a lot of spots and I wanted something non-gender specific.  I used the paint I had left over from when I painted the kids’ bathroom in a frog theme.  I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

Later last night I was sitting at my computer and I felt something crawling on my back….somewhere I ended up getting  a tick on me.  I wasn’t even near tall grass.  The day before at the family session, I came home with a tick as well.  I have never in my life had a tick on me as much as I can remember and within 2 days I had 2.  If this is any indication of how nasty those little disease-carrying things are going to be this summer, then I guess I’ll go get myself a dog collar to put on my wrist!! lol!  Ugh…they just make you itch everywhere after you have one.

I wanted to mention the very sad news I learned over the weekend involving a photographer-friend through a closed group on Facebook.  I’ve never met Erin Phillips of Erin Phillps Photography;  however, in a small group of just a little over 100 people, you get to know each other over time.  I’m a member of several closed groups and these are a great place for photographer’s to share ideas and just talk “shop.”  Just a couple days ago Erin lost her dear son in a swimming accident.  He was only 3 years old.  Just two months ago she had a family picture taken in the hospital after the birth of their 3rd child, a daughter.  This is the post that simply just broke my heart.  If two months ago someone would’ve told her she would be attending her son’s funeral in two months, she would’ve packed as much in those two months as she could’ve and really soaked up every last ounce of her boy’s love, happiness, smiles, and hugs.  You just never know if you’ll get tomorrow.  So today, I donated to her family in the hopes that whatever I can give will help them in some way, because I cannot imagine walking in her shoes.  Today I just sat with my kids and talked to them, hugged them a little longer, kissed them over & over, and listened more intently.  And just today on the national news they talked about the high incidence of backyard pool drownings.  I really don’t know what the situation was for Erin and her family but I do know that I feel better about our children taking swimming lessons and I feel better about not having a pool in our yard.  It really just breaks my heart.  I cannot imagine.  So, if you feel so inclined to help this family, please do.  If you would like to donate, another photographer-friend has set up a paypal option and you can do so HERE.  If you can’t donate, just say a little prayer that little Ayden’s family may be lifted from their deep sorrow.

Well, I suppose it’s going to be a late night of editing tonight!  I’ve got deadlines to meet!   Check in the am for the family session sneak peek of the Nagel & Orr families!