All About Grace

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but Seth, Stacy and Grace have been visiting from Maryland this week. We have had so much fun just hanging out and really not doing much at all. Because we live in the country we really have to be creative to find entertainment! ; )

We have one school with approximately 750 students---and that's K-12! So, one day we took Grace to the school to have lunch with Shelby (Joseph as a 7th grader wanted no part of that). That was lots of fun! We sat together in the lunchroom, walked Shelby back to class, then played on the playground for a bit.

Another fun thing was going to visit a church friend and his goats. That was really a fun thing to do. He has about 25 goats and probably half of them are babies (okay, kids). Grace was able to feed one of the kids a bottle. Fun times!

Stay tuned and I'll post more over the week.

Megan & Dean's Engagement

We found out quickly that Megan and Dean are a great couple and they were really fun to shoot! Dean and Clark had several interests in common, so I think they hit it off well. Or at least I heard alot of talking going on about sports and hunting. : )

I look forward to photographing their wedding in March!

The Year in Review

Looking back over the year 2006 as a Professional Wedding Photographer, I am still literally overwhelmed with the thought that I actually get paid to do something that I love doing. This is a blessing I promise I do not take for granted. :)

I thought it would be fun to create a slideshow of some of my favorite images from each 2006 wedding. Thank you to all of my 2006 brides and grooms for trusting me with such an important event in your life. It's been a blast!!

I hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Amy and Jeff

Wow! Words cannot express how special this family has become to me. They are more than just 'clients'...they have become friends. Amy and her mom Lisa booked me back in Jan of '06 so we've been developing a relationship now for a year. I also met Jeff while shopping at the mall when I heard someone call out my name "Hey, are you Samantha?". You can read more about that here. Amy and Jeff's ceremony was so precious. I told them afterwards that it was really hard to take pictures while crying! And I knew that if I was crying, that Clark was probably sobbing while standing back in the foyer! :)

They also didn't leave out any details for the day. Each of the bridesmaids had matching personalized pj's and the cutest slippers to wear while they were getting ready. Because they had a morning ceremony, a fabulous brunch was served for a guest list of about 300-350. What fun times!

Along with their slideshow, I also have some of Amy's Bridal Portraits we did a few months ago at the University of Mobile. I wasn't able to post any then because she didn't want Jeff seeing her in her dress. What a fun day we had that day in spite of the rainy weather. Peaks of the sun allowed just the right light to get some great shots! Jeff's dad is the baseball coach at the college, so it was fun taking some pictures at the field!

2007 Booked Dates

I just wanted to give you an update of the 2007 dates that are already filled. I also have several other dates that are pending, so please call asap before your date is taken! : )

March 10

March 24

March 31

April 7

April 14

April 22

May 12

May 19

May 26

June 2

June 9

July 1

the remainder of July is vacation month with my family

August 11

September 29

October 20

June 21, 2008

Published!.......sorta

I'm so excited to share with you that I have a wedding included in the current issue (Spring 2007) of ALABAMA WEDDINGS Magazine. You'll find Jaime and Jim's beach wedding in the Featured Wedding section. And if you'll look close, you'll find more photos of mine in other areas thruout the magazine. I was honored when Michelle Tubbs, Editor in Chief, asked me to do some work for them for this issue that included a cake and floral shoot. You can read more about that here. I hope you enjoy reading the magazine!

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2007! Wow! How time flies. I find myself at this time every year thinking back on the old, as well as, what lies ahead in the new. I wonder what's in store for me in this new year that is now our present. But, I really shouldn't worry too much about it at all. What happens happens. It's not in my plan nor my control. The key is that I must be prepared for it. I need to be and should be so grounded in the Word that my world does shake very easily with such circumstances. Yes, easier said than done. I said, "that it won't shake very easily"--I didn't say it shouldn't be shaken at all. ; ) Thus, bringing me to my next thought:

New Year's Resolutions. What is a resolution exactly and why do we feel we have to make these grand decisions come January 1st and why not at any other time of the year. Every day is a brand new day, so why not make daily resolutions?

According to Webster, the word resolution means:
*a formal expression of opinion or intention made
*a resolve or determination
*firmness of purpose

Now, I'm just as guilty. I've already thought of several 'resolutions' or 'determinations' or 'formal expressions of intentions' for the New Year. And I have a 'firmness of purpose' about them. To name a few: get in the Word more-remember, I should be more prepared for circumstances I should face. It's really the little things that seem to rattle me more than they should. I also need to exercise, eat better and read more.

Now the first thing in accomplishing any of these is to set realistic 'intentions'. I can't say I can do any of those things daily, 'cause I know I've already set myself up for failure. I just know I need improvement in these areas and hopefully by posting them here, I will hold myself more accountable.

*For one, as crazy as it sounds, I've bought myself an iPod to motivate me more to excercise. I'm sorry, but that's how my mind sees it! ha! I've already downloaded lots of great songs and also some great Beth Moore talks, too. I'm really excited to get out and start walking while listening to Beth Moore! How great is that!!

*I already have a stack of unread books yet to be read; I must make more time to read them. On the list to read: Your Boy and Your Girl by Vicki Courtney, and The Journals of Jim Elliott and Shadow of the Almighty, both by Elisabeth Elliott.

*I also said I needed to 'eat better'....never the 'd' word; I simply don't believe in diets. Diets fail. Heathly lifestyles don't. We usually diet for a specific time or purpose; a heathly lifestyle promotes a change much deeper and for a different purpose, and well, lasts a lifetime. : ) I actually don't do too bad with this one, I just need to get better. Oh, and drink more water!

So if you have any 'intentions' or resolutions you would like to share, please leave me a comment, I would love to hear them.

And as you think about your own resolutions or intentions or just whatever you want to call them, I leave you with my final resolution. Make more daily resolutions instead of waiting until the new year comes around! : )

I HOPE AND PRAY YOU HAVE A GREAT ONE! Thanks ya'll!