BFF baby girl bday

Happy birthday baby lila!

Feel Like Celebrating

As our family, friends, and a few close clients know we have been struggling for the past 3 years over the thought that our baby girl (now 5) eventually would have to under go a very evasive surgery. It brings tears to my eyes to think how much this has weighed on us all! But as a mommy you know that we just moved forward with what we needed to do and everyone made plans and adjustments to help care for her.

If anyone can learn from our experience I would say ALWAYS get a second opinion, no matter the reputation the doctor has or the faith you have in them. And ALWAYS trust your gut! That all I can attribute this to is knowing in my gut something was not right, enough to at least get the second opinion.

Yesterday we traveled down to DMC (childrens hospital) for our appointment with another specialist for the second opinion. The amazing news is there will be NO surgery! At best we hoped for a way around the intensity of the surgery we knew (as we have been told) would be coming. Not one of us expected to be blessed with the news we heard.

As I stated on the Amber Lights blog after my visit to the hospital in May, I said I will go forward a little more thankful, for this blessing I am extremely more thankful. I just wanted to update everyone. I will be leaving early today to go be with my girlies! I feel like celebrating with my family. Thank you to all of you for your prayers!

Way to end the work week

We were wrapping up a huge week of shootin' seniors and had a location session on a Friday night for a senior with her horse at sunset. Kelly and I grabbed the girlies and took off for a quick dinner and off to the shoot. Jaden has a new obsession with horses so I knew I would get big mommy points for bringing them along. I photographed Alexis' sister last year so they were awesome to help me score points with the kids and let them tag along.

Now is that a happy 5 year old or what!? I think of it as her "thank you Jesus for warm summer nights...... and for running in the fields that never end.......and horses.....and oh ya mommy for bring us".

Love jaden's laugh in this one. Thank you Kelly for grabbing the shot!

Simone is truly the animal whisperer. All animal's crabby and nice seem to gravitate towards her. This cat wanted nothing to do with us when we were shooting the senior in the barn.

I was in front of the barn and turn to see Simone carrying it around in the fashion that any 5 year old would. Legs dangling choker hold. The cat would not go away after that!

Yes, like the rest of you I was "icked" (made up word) by what this barn cat could be infested with. By the way that is Kelly with the girls. They love their Keddy a.k.a Kelly. :)

What a beautiful way to end the work week!

peaches peaches pumpkin pie

We spent the weekend on the west side. As you all know we go to Lake Michigan every year to do beach portraits. Amber Lights beach weekend for the kids means patience while mommy has photo shoots. Who am I kidding. They play on the beach the whole time and could care less what I am doing. We didn't get so lucky on the weather this trip. Somehow we did manage to get all the shoots in before any major rain or I should I say in between the rain. I wanted to just lay on the beach all day Sunday. No such luck. We changed plans and decided to go on a road trip. We found this great farm in the country. It had everything you could use on a hot family road trip day.

Restrooms. check

Ice cream. check

Play ground to let trapped kids in car go wild. check

Strawberry rhubarb pie (for mom). check

This shot is so summer time in Michigan to me. Red country chairs and all.

Yes, Jerry is also having blue moon ice cream. Like I said it's vaca. You know he is the biggest kid of them all!