You are a VERY. IMPORTANT. PERSON.

First...a mea culpa. I am a bit behind on client blogging. I admit it, I blog when the mood strikes me. And it doesn't always strike in a timely manner. But I have long since learned that letting ideas percolate pays off. So, the blogs will come when they are ready. And they aren't...not just yet.

Now, the good stuff. A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Ready? Here it is...

YOU.

ARE A VERY. IMPORTANT. PERSON.

TO ME!

As if you didn't know...

After much thought, research, and frankly, some technological pushiness by our friends at Apple, I am putting some changes into play that will make your 2012 sessions, in a word, AMAZING.

I am happy to share a new program with you that will be the foundation of our relationship together as client, photographer, friend, and will even more importantly, be the foundation of your relationship with your photos, your memories, and all those who enjoy them along with you.

Beginning in 2012, I will be sharing all edited images via PASS galleries. This new program will allow you, with a simple download of a program or app, to access your edited files instantly, from your home computer, iPads and iPhones at any time for up to a year! You will be able to download high resolution images, share to Facebook, and pull up your memories in an instant wherever you may be!

With this new technology that brings your images to your fingertips, gone will be the long wait for DVD mailings, the stress of lost files, the battle of competing computer operating systems and the bulky chain tying you to a computer with a disk drive if you want to share your memories with friends and family. With each session or event, you will now receive a PASS gallery with your edited images, with YOU listed as a VIP with access to download high resolution files for immediate personal use.

The decision to do away with DVDs was not an easy one. Many people have learned to expect that as the best and only way to receive their files, and the idea of moving away from a tangible item marking the completion of an order may be hard to comprehend for some. But as experience has taught me, the DVDs tend to be the most cumbersome part of our time together. The frustration that is often felt by a client with a different operating system, or the fear that swallows you whole when you lose your DVD, or even worse, scratch or break it, are frankly, no fun at all. So be gone DVD nightmares! While you will still have the option of burning DVDs from your home computers after downloading your high resolution images, you will not be forced to rely on such a tenuous bitty finite item as your primary source for your memories. Instead, they will be stored securely online for you and only you. Because YOU. ARE. A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON. TO ME.

Want to know more? Watch this nifty video from my friends at PASS sharing exactly how this will work...

http://gallery.passpremier.com/

Get excited! 2012 is all about YOU!

Much love,
Katy

PS. There will be purchase options available to extend your secure online storage beyond a year and limited print rights to all unedited files from your session/event via DVD available for purchase at an additional fee.

PPS. Those clients presently under contract for 2012 will receive PASS galleries in addition to the DVDs they were promised at no additional cost!

Inside and Out

She is humble and feisty. Opinionated and tender. She laughs big and cries hard. She is woman. And she is beautiful, inside and out. And on this day, and forevermore, she was, and is, the most beautiful bride in the whole wide world.

Braden, you touched my heart. You are an absolute joy to know and I was incredibly proud of you on your wedding day. It's a funny thing when a client becomes a friend. You find yourself marveling at the amazing blessing it is to be in the inner circle on the most important day of their life. It's not a job anymore. It's more. So much more. And to see all of your planning, giddy expectations, hopes and dreams come to pass as you walked down the aisle towards your soul mate...it was something to behold.

Thank you for your spirit, whimsy, clarity and endless excitement. You radiate a deep love for life and I envy a woman that knows what she wants and makes it happen with such grace and class. I look forward to watching you and your husband grow in your life together and appreciate the opportunity to capture such a thrilling time for you both.

Congrats and blessings abundant.
Katy

PS. Matt, you're pretty cool too.

Teetering on the edge...

I'm not even sure where to start this post. But all I know is that I need to take a moment to write, because there are big things happening that have my head all wacky and hopeful and scared and prayerful and the list goes on and on.

What in the world am I thinking?! We are trying to sell our house, with hopes of buying something that gives our suddenly gigantic family some room to grow (Not in the more babies way! Let's not start a rumor!) rather than the constant obstacle course we are presently living in.

Am I crazy?! I love our house. It's clean, it's beautiful, it's held many memories and taken great care of us. I will miss it. And how in the world will I pack up stuff and move it to another place with two babies in tow? And how in the world will I keep the house clean while it is shown to prospective buyers?

There's a lot going on. Too much it seems. Part of me wants to just yell "Forget the whole thing!" and run back to bed and pull the covers over my head and enjoy the beautiful, yet cramped, nest we have built for ourselves. And then I look at these little guys...



(photos courtesy of their amazing nanny who sends me phone updates all day long...how awesome is she?!)

...and I think, this is all worth it. They deserve the best. Take a breath. And know that God is in control and this may be one of those times when He is about to do something so big that it blows your mind. So pay attention.

I admit, sometimes I ask myself how God would possibly do something so big for us when He already moved mountains and gave us the miracle of our precious boys. I mean, I am sure there are other people who are due their big somethings, right? Did I already get mine? And then I tell myself, He's God. And remember? He wants you to have the whole sky, not just a piece. And the best part is that He can give everyone their own perfect sky. There is not a finite number of "big somethings" to be handed out.

So breathe. And watch. He is faithful and He knows the desires of your heart.

OK, self-pep talk over.

PS. If you know a family who is looking for a wonderfully special, clean and remodeled home, in a great neighborhood with lots of kids, great schools and overall fantastic-ness, let me know!

Where Am I?

I've done it. I've become the slacker blogger. I've broken the cardinal rule of blogging: always keep blogging. I would be lying if I didn't admit that wasn't the only rule I've broken now that our family has supersized to Mama, Daddy, Big Sis, two wee babes, and two crazy dogs. (And our home and my access to my computer have decreased exponentially to wading through a sea of baby bouncers, swings, car seats and dog hair to traverse a room on the rare occasion when everyone is happy, asleep or otherwise occupied and not begging for my undivided attention.)

So, here's what's up!

I am back to work. And it's marvelous. I love my boys infinitely, but I am just not cut out to stay at home. Yes, juggling three kids, work and life has brought everything to a whole new level of chaos, but in a way, I find it more peaceful, as being at work all day allows me to enjoy the quiet, miss my kiddos, and then head home with a happy heart to huge smiles that make every load of laundry, frantic morning, and dirty diaper more than worthwhile.

I am back behind the camera and lovin' every minute of it. God's timing is so perfect. Right before I got pregnant with the boys, I was teetering on the edge of a complete artistic burnout. I honestly wondered if I would even continue shooting at all in the coming year. Strangely enough, that is precisely what happened, although of course far beyond my original line of thinking. All that time, all of the amazing things that have happened in my life...they have all catapulted me to a higher plane of creativity, and I am just itching to shoot. I have been blessed to welcome two other little babes to this world through my work, have shared in the joy of a new engagement, and now look forward to returning to the wedding arena in just a few weeks to celebrate the love and charisma of an awesome pair as they embark on their lives together.

Other exciting things coming up...I plan to tackle a new group of at-risk kids and look forward to encouraging the opportunity to share their voices through the art of photography. My husband and I are looking at some major changes for our family that have us in prayer and thanksgiving that we can even consider these changes a possibility. And of course, I continue in my quest to figure out how to cook dinner at night. Baby steps.

Stay tuned for sneak peeks of what is sure to be a stunning wedding in just a few short weeks!

The Importance of You

There are quite a few things going on in my life today...my daughter starts 5th grade today (holy cow!), I head back to work after months and months away during a difficult pregnancy and subsequent amazing maternity leave, and my little boys are 10 weeks old and heading to day care in about 45 minutes...needless to say, wowsa! It's a big day.

The importance of you has several meanings for me. One being that as a mother I have come to an understanding that it is vitally important for me to take care of myself, spiritually, physically, mentally, etc. in order to be the best parent that I can be to my children. Going back to work was a no brainer for me for that very reason. I am a good mom when I get to recharge during the day, doing something I love, and then run home to my family that I have missed all day. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say.

I also returned to my proper place behind the camera this past weekend to shoot an engagement session for a dear friend who has met her soul mate. The importance of you plays a vital role in photography, especially when it comes to portrait work. So many people get incredibly nervous (myself included) when stepping in front of the camera, and believe me, it shows! One of my greatest challenges as a photographer is softening the deer in the headlights look that often accompanies the first few minutes of a shoot.

Angela and Josh get the importance of you. They were so creative and really thought about who they are as a couple and what would share that with their friends and family as they announce such a happy step forward in their lives together. They aren't afraid to laugh, play and were such a blast to shoot. They came prepared with ideas and weren't afraid to try stuff on the spot. They also took time to go outside of the traditional portraits, or even the non-traditional portraits, to just play together. This is absolutely key to a successful shoot and frankly, it shows in the final product.

Anyone on the planet can see from these photos that these two love each other and enjoy every minute they spend together. There is nothing better as a photographer than getting to capture you being you. Congratulations Angela and Josh! I can't wait to share in your special day and am honored to be considered your friend and your photographer.

...with all there is...why settle for just a piece of sky?

Yeah, yeah...this is from a Barbra Streisand movie. I totally admit it. I am a sucker for old musicals. Love them in fact. And Yentl is one of my absolute faves. Love Funny Girl too. And Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. And pretty much anything with Judy Garland. You might think I'm cheesy. And so what if I am?

In any event, back to business, because let's face it. Time is a hot commodity right now. The boys came home from the NICU about 48 hours ago, maybe a little bit more, and life has been a blissful chaos ever since. Here are a few things I have discovered:

1. I will always be doing laundry. Always.
2. I will usually be covered in puke. Thus far, the following items have been sacrificed to projectile launches of formula: two tank tops, one bra, a pair of sweatpants, one robe, oh and one Boppy pillow. I won't even begin to list the clothes the boys have gone through. Needless to say, I have changed the sheets on both cribs, twice already, and they don't even sleep in their cribs.
3. Sleeping gowns suck. Yeah, I said it. No one wants to deal with a stretchy bottom band and a yard of fabric in the middle of the night when your child is screaming and hungry. Those will be living in the closet for...the rest of forever probably.
4. Swaddlers are awesome. Not the fancy "I'm a swaddler blanket" kind. The real deal, long happy swaddling blankets. Thank God my cousin sent me two, or I would not have known their amazingness.
5. I might not continue breastfeeding. And while I consider the reality of this, I am coming to terms with two things: my perception of myself as a failure and other's inevitable commentary, which I will work hard to disregard. Because I have to do what works for me. Because happy mom, happy babies. And let's face it, I am already stressed and there are only so many hours in the day. I'm doing what I can.
6. I promised myself I wouldn't jump every time somebody cried or whined and I would "let them settle." Yeah right. I broke that promise in hour one. Ah well. They are too little to really figure out a routine or self-soothing yet anyways. Right? (I keep repeating this to myself at least.)

My point in quoting Yentl was this, go big or go home. And while I am taking it a bit out of context, this song, particularly, these lyrics, always serve as a reminder to me that you have to believe that God can go big. He can move the molehill, sure. But, even better, He can move the mountain. And it's ok to ask for Him to move the mountain. As long as you bring your shovel too.

The most important thing I have learned in the past few days of full house, full family? That believing God could go big and asking for the whole sky has changed our lives in the best possible way ever. Every day, for the rest of my life, I will be grateful that God isn't happy with us having just a piece of sky. He wants us to have the whole thing too. We just have to believe. Jeremiah 29:11.

PS. That pic is from the boys' very first doctor's appt. They rocked it! :)

A Whole New World

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. And while we didn't quite have the opportunity to celebrate the way we would have liked, I think I can safely say that he had a great day. My husband is in love with our sons. And I have to say, he has never been more attractive, and I have never loved him more than watching him hold, feed, kiss, and love on our boys. I remember that it was how he was with Emily that really made me fall in love with him in the first place, and if it's even possible, now with Ben & Jake here, I love him even more.

On Monday, June 27, 2011, we welcomed Jacob Charles (Jake) at 8:34AM at 4lbs. 15oz., and Benjamin Robert (Ben) at 8:35AM at 5lbs. 10oz.

Say hello Jake!



Say hello Ben!



Ben and Jake are currently in the NICU getting some much needed love and attention. Both are breathing well on their own and making progress towards home, but definitely need your prayers for continued strengthening and growth, especially with feeding. Their little tummies are having a hard time grasping the concept and each feeding time is a lot of work and then we pray that their bodies digest everything accordingly. Jake was slow to transition so is a bit behind Ben and may come home a bit later on, and Ben is making enough progress that he may be home soon, but only time will tell.

To say my being discharged and being at home when they are not is a challenge does not even begin to put it into words. While I am happy they are being so carefully tended to and know I am already overwhelmed at the thought of having such tiny beings under my care, I am broken-hearted to have them so seemingly far away. My usual tough exterior struggles to not cry pretty much all day long. Even now, as I type this, I find the tears spilling over.

I did get to do what is called Kangaroo Care yesterday, which was by far my most favorite moment and something I will remember always. They laid me back in a recliner and then stripped Jake down to his diaper and tucked him inside my shirt so that we could be skin to skin. He just slept with his warm body against my chest, his little hand over my heart. At that moment I realized we were in a whole new world and nothing would ever be the same, in the very best way.

Here are a couple of shots of Jake and Ben now (almost one week old!). Please keep them near and dear in your thoughts and prayers, with hopes they will be home very, very soon!

Jake



Ben



These were all taken with my Nikon CoolPix, so the quality is a bit dicey at best. I am hoping once I get a grip on being more comfortable myself, that I can lug the Mama Blevo into the NICU for some real, deal shots!