beach people (beach family photographer)

I have been going to the lake with my family for as long as I can remember. Growing up, we spent weekends and summer vacations on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  My parents always had a boat, so we filled our days with water skiing, tubing and soaking up the sun.
Some of my life's sweetest memories have been at that lake.

I can remember the first time I got up on skis. 

I remember the first time I took Peter to Hot Springs when we were dating.

We were all at the lake when I told my parents we were pregnant for the first time.

We are lake people.

Not beach people. 

My family took an occasional trip to the beach when I was a child, as many Southern families do, but for the most part, we got our water fix closer to home.

So it is kind of surprising that last year for our family vacation we found ourselves at the beach for the week.

I was taking pictures for a few families and we found a reasonable condo with a pool to stay in.  I figured that with a pool we could tough out a week at the beach.  I was really unsure about children being covered in sand and swimming with jellyfish and sharks. 

Well, we were about three hours into our 7-day stay when I decided that I just might be surprised by our time in Alabama. 

The sand that I thought would annoy me turned out to be a both an endless world of play for Peter and the boys and a front row seat to the fun for me.

The jellyfish-filled water that scared me was beautiful and fun for our whole family, and it made the most wonderful noise on the beach to fall asleep to.  (And we got away sting-free!)

We were hooked.

We have discovered that we are beach people.

Which is why we went back to the beach this summer!

To take more photos of other beach people like these.
And to spend another week loving the sand with my family.

pack it up

 Today I am packing up. I have my clothes and shoes and corresponding accessories, I even have a cute new notebook and pen because....

..tomorrow I am headed to the Arkansas Women Bloggers Conference! I am so excited for a weekend with some of my besties & a chance to meet some new ladies. Looking forward to a little learning, lots of laughing, and the BOOTS! As a bonus to this fun weekend of blog info all the attendees are getting a pair of boots from Country Outfitters. I picked the Vegas Boot by Corral Boots and after the conference I will be able to give away a pair of boots on the blog!!! Could it get any better?

This photo is of Alison's boots from Country Outfitters. We did a super sun photo shoot at the beginning of the summer all around these boots. Look forward to a little boot shoot coming soon!

wedding at the Clinton Center (arkansas wedding photographer)

 After talking yesterday about my love for the Clinton Presidential Center and the surrounding area I thought I should share these wedding photos. This wedding was in late May on the lawn of the library.

 It was a gorgeous wedding with flowers I love and great food, but beyond all of that it was a celebration of this lovely couple. From our first meeting I was struck by their care and consideration for one another and the people they loved. Walking hand in hand down the aisle and having several personal readings made for an emotional ceremony

 

 And then for a super fun party. The reception was on the lower level of the library in Forty Two. It is a great indoor outdoor venue with room for dinner and dancing and a great view of the river and bridges.

 

 It was a great night at one of my most favorite places.

box sledding

Today I'm linking up with Deign Mom for Love Where You Live. 

And love it I do. 

One of my favorite things about living in Arkansas is that for the better part of the year it is nice enough to be outdoors.

We have great splash pads, playgrounds, bike paths, lakes, bridges, and hills in Little Rock.

A favorite spot for our family and a spot I love for photography is the lawn of the Clinton Presidential Library.

This lawn is a great jumping off point for a few great local, outdoor activities.
 There are a couple of excellent sledding hills and since we don't get much snow in Arkansas we started taking cardboard boxes there for Box Sledding.

Now we do this a few times a year and we almost always make a trip to do this when our Chicago cousins are in town.

We also enjoy walking on the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge.

It was renovated just last year from a railroad bridge into a pedestrian bridge.  Enjoy trying to find your first name in the dedications all along the walkway.  Or keep an eye out for the changing flowers planted all along the railings.  Also, the views of downtown Little Rock and the Arkansas River are stunning.

We always enjoy a trip to this part of our city.  We ended this fun day with a bread and cheese picnic on the lawn of the library.

girls just want to have fun (arkansas children's photographer)

 When I spoke to this mama about taking pictures of her soon to be three year old I was very excited about some plans we had. She said her daughters favorite thing is dressing up and reading and she wanted to take photos that incorporated that. Being a mom of only boys I get pumped about a little girl time and this was girl time to the max. There were tutus and necklaces and even a little makeup to play with. We played with high heals and boas while this sweet baby girl sang along to Adele, she knows all the words...love her!

It is rare for me to need or want to shoot indoor other than newborns and weddings, but the 100+ temperatures outside is not ideal. After weighing our options I was able to use my friends salon to take the photos. It is Salon on the Hill in Park Hill and was a perfect backdrop for an evening of dress up.

Thanks so much for letting me have all this fun with you guys.