The Jennings 5

Just Me

2009-09-03T21:12:00.001-04:00

Addison's First Day of Gymnastics

2009-09-01T11:47:00.003-04:00

Not only is today Miss Addison's birthday, but it was also her first day of gymnastics. Ok, so maybe she won't go in the gym by herself and I have to go with her BUT she sure did take to it quickly! Some of these pictures are blurred due to her being so quick! And, I can't use a flash in the gym.

First Day of School

2009-08-24T13:40:00.004-04:00

Before you ask, YES, I am one of those obnoxious mothers that must take their child's picture a thousand times on the first day of school. My mother did it, so therefore, I must do it. As you can tell, they were less than excited that mom broke out the camera. You would think that since I am a photographer they would be use to it. They aren't! Anyway, we successfully managed to get them both on the bus without any incident this morning. The funny part, as Cameron was walking towards the bus Chris told him to hold his sisters hand and help her. Cameron's response, "Are you kidding me?" Needless to say, there wasn't any hand holding by siblings this morning.

Here it is almost two o'clock, Addison is sleeping, the house is quiet and I am able to get some much needed work done. I have to admit, I have caught myself missing the laughing, and screaming, that usually takes place when they are all here. Here are some of the pictures from this morning, the first day of school.

Myrtle Beach 2009

2009-07-31T20:54:00.004-04:00

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Myrtle Beach. My mom, sister and her boys, and two of my good friends and their families all went. Along with good company we had wonderful food. Having not been to Myrtle Beach in fifteen years, things certainly have changed. I will write more later as I am tired from the trip home. I am so glad I forced myself to get up for the sunrise. I have to say I did manage to get some awesome pictures. I think this first one is going to find a home above my sofa. As for the kids pictures, those turned out well. Now I just have to decide what I want. Here are just a few pictures for now.

Cameron's 9th Birthday

2009-07-19T10:38:00.004-04:00

My baby boy turned 9 yesterday! So, as always, we threw a big bash. With almost 50 family and friends present, we were entertained by Jeff Gray from Scene 3 Board Shop and feasted on dogs and all the fixings! Everyone seemed to have a great time, especially Cameron.

Nana and her two youngest.

Jeff Gray from Scene 3.

Cameron and some of his friends.

Opening the loot!

Grayson was the only 'safe' kid there. He wore a helment!

And he had to throw up the bunny ears in the only decent picture! Oh well, nothing that Photoshop can't fix. :o)

If you must know......the kids thought it would be fun to push the adults down the hill on the skateboard. And Chris thought it would be funny to take pictures of it! Yea right!

Anisa's turn! In a dress no less.

Ah, the cake!

Finally, a moment with my birthday boy!

Peyton earning her dollars by dancing. You had to be there!

The Girls Spring Pictures

2009-05-20T14:38:00.006-04:00

So, since I haven't taken my kids pictures since the Fall, I felt like it was time to give it another try. I have patience with everyone elses kids when it comes to taking pictures, but my own. Fortunately for them, they did everything I asked today. And, my blood pressure remained the same. :o) Since Cameron was in school I will have to do a separate session with him. But, here are the girls.......

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T20:33:00.006-04:00

We spent Easter at my mom's today. We had a wonderful church service and lunch. While we kept the kids inside, the men went out and hid the eggs. Here are a few pictures from our family's Easter Sunday.

All the Kids...

2009-04-11T00:13:00.003-04:00

Once again, Kelly and I attempted to get all five of the kids together for a group picture. Once again, it didn't happen. Out of five, one cooperated! :o) At least I was able to get some cute shots of Luke's first Easter. The last picture speaks for itself. (Enlarge it to read the captions!)

Easter Pictures

2009-04-08T20:33:00.002-04:00

I attempted to get some Easter pictures of the girls tonight. However, out of about a hundred pictures, these are the only acceptable ones. UGH!

Addison and TEB!

2009-03-28T18:00:00.001-04:00

Click on the picture to enlarge.......ENJOY!

Big Teeth = Funny Kid

2009-03-15T09:51:00.003-04:00

Cameron thought it would be funny to give Addison his set of play teeth he got yesterday. Needless to say, she figured out what to do with them. This is the result.......

Snow, Finally!

2009-03-03T08:52:00.002-05:00

Finally a snow fall worth blogging about. We all woke up to almost a foot of the white fluffy stuff on the ground. By 8am both Cameron and Peyton were out playing. By 10am I already had a load of laundry to be done. By noon, I had three loads of wet clothes to be dried. I decided to let Addison have her first experience with snow. She was a little apprehensive of it at first but warmed up to the idea of eating it very quickly. She looked more like a sumo wrestler than an adorable one year old bundled up in all of her winter attire. Unlike Peyton and Cameron who went out for five minutes and then came back in and striped, Addison stayed out for over thirty minutes walking along the paths Chris had already shoveled. Needless to say, once she came in and fell asleep she gave truth to the 'long winter nap'. She slept for 4 hours! We checked on her several times only to find her wrapped up in her blanket snoring. I live by the saying, "Let a sleeping baby sleep!" Here are just a few pictures of our snowfall.

Amazement Square with the Kiddos.

2009-02-22T16:19:00.005-05:00

Kelly and her family came in this weekend so we decided to treat the kids to Amazement Square. They all seemed to have a great time there. Here are just a few candids I was able to get.

Is it just me or does she look scared to death?

Look mom, I can rotate my head 180 degrees!

Peyton kept telling me that the cow was 'peeing' on her. I explained that it was milk. She then informed me that milk was white and pee was clear. I give up!

As the saying goes...

2009-01-27T17:22:00.003-05:00

Three little monkey's were jumping on the the bed....
Addison fell off and broke her leg.

We spent all day going from pediatrician to radiologist and finally to the ortho doc. She broke the front bone below her knee when she fell off of the bed this morning. Guess that is what happens when they decide to jump on the bed.

The Gym

2009-01-26T22:25:00.002-05:00

Ok, I have finally come to the realization that I need to go to the gym. Duh! Maybe it is the fact that I feel like there is a tumor in my stomach. Seriously, toll house cookies could not possibly make that much fat! Nor, the chicken gnocci soup at the Olive Garden. Anyway, I HAVE to get in shape. This is getting ridiculous! I met with a trainer this morning who walked me through all of the machines. She informed me that she wanted me to do 30 minutes of cardio each day. Is she for real? Then I have to do another 30 minutes of weights. It's all good though. My goal is to look half way decent by this summer. I'm not asking for a bikini body, although it would be nice. But, after three kids, I will settle for not resembling Shamu in a one piece. Wish me luck!

The Tea Party

2009-01-20T14:09:00.004-05:00

Chris was given the "Dad of the Year" award today. Peyton wanted so badly to have a tea party but I was tending to the other sick little one in the house. Needless to say Chris, being the good sport, joined her for a party. The party also included all of her babies and stuffed animals. She prepared shreaded cheese and water which Chris was overly thrilled about. I was able to snap a few pictures of their event.

"Cheers!"

Good Deal!

2008-12-15T19:45:00.001-05:00

You know I am always up for a good deal. I found this cabinet on Craig's List for $30! You never know what you will find.

Another Chapter on Peyton!

2008-12-09T09:53:00.004-05:00

We had a very interesting night last night. Cameron came home and informed me that he had a poster due since he was "Star of the Week". So, off we went to CVS to purchase some poster board. Peyton insisted on going with us. While in the store, Peyton pulled her usual "I want this, I want that" routine. And, I pulled my usual, "you don't need that." routine. Needless to say, she was not happy with me. So, we wandered around the store grabbing some odds and ends, checked out and went home. No longer than five minutes after coming home, I was approached by Cameron letting me know that, "we had a situation that needed to be delt with." And yes, those were his exact words! He loves any opportunity to rat on his sister. So here comes Peyton with those Hello Kitty sunglasses I had told her previously that she would not be getting.

OK, at this point, flashbacks of my younger years came racing through my mind including the time that I had "stolen" a little candy bracelet from Ben Franklin in Amherst and my daddy marched me right back up there, with the half eaten bracelet, and return it.

I knew what I had to do. I told her that when people shoplift they can go to jail. OK, at this point, had someone been listening outside of the bedroom, they would have thought that I had cut off her left leg, left arm and ear! Blood curdling screams could be heard from miles away from a little girl yelling, NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL!!!!!! Now, I didn't actually tell her that SHE was going to jail, I just told her that when people shoplift they can go to jail. But hey, it worked. It scared her half to death. I grabbed her by the hand (still screaming and kicking), grabbed my pocketbook, keys and phone and headed out the door and back up to CVS. All the way, I lectured her about shoplifting. She had finally settled down a little bit by the time we arrived. Needless to say, she was a little hesitant in getting out of the van, but she did. I handed her the sunglasses and told her to apologize. When we went in the store manager was still up front and I informed her that I had a little girl that needed to see her. The manager obviously knew what I was talking about and winked at me, which in fact did not help the situation. She knelt down in front of Peyton, Peyton told her what she had done and immediately started balling crying and wrapped her arms around this ladys neck. The lady consoled her and told her that she knew she was sorry by the look on her face. No lady, the look on her face was that of, "I DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL!" Anyway, I think Peyton knows what she did was wrong and will go without her cartoons for the rest of the week.

This is just another chapter in the book I will someday write about Peyton!

Not to mention that earlier in the evening she blasted me for talking to a client for 10 minutes by telling me that it was, and I quote, "adiculous".

New Studio + Amazing Husband!

2008-11-29T20:19:00.005-05:00

First of all I have to start by saying....I HAVE AN AMAZING HUSBAND! Not only did the cringe when I mentioned starting this project but he started and finished it in under three weeks! And, NO I didn't hassle him about it! I am so proud of the way my studio looks and I can't wait for my first in studio clients to see it on Monday.
So, on that note, I am revealing the new CAPture.it Photography Studio.............

I have asked Santa for a new desk and these AWESOME zebra print window panels for Christmas. I hope he listened to my request.

Thanks again Chris, you are amazing and I LOVE YOU!

Theme: Polka Dots

2008-11-25T19:36:00.004-05:00

Each year I try a different theme for my tree. This year I chose polka dots and I really like it. Now, let's see how long it takes Addison to dismantle the tree. :o)

Need a good laugh?

2008-11-12T21:41:00.005-05:00

I felt the need to post this excerpt from my sister's blog. Needless to say, as I read this earlier I couldn't stop laughing and crying from laughing so hard. I feel honored to be inducted into my sister's version of "sainthood".

Dear Lord, Please Grant Me Patience...
"It's quite possible that my sister deserves sainthood. Peyton came with my Mom this past weekend to stay with me while Steve was out of town. How can one child have so much energy? Not just energy - how can one child talk so, so, so very much? And don't get me wrong. She was good - she really was. And she's cute as a button. But I have never seen a child who could talk - and go - as much as she did. I really think the only time her mouth wasn't moving the entire weekend was when she was asleep. She didn't let eating keep her from talking. She didn't let TV keep her from talking. She didn't let not having anything to say keep her from talking. Once Grayson went to bed and my Mom went up to shower I suggested that Peyton sing me a few songs. Not knowing the words didn't keep her from talking either. One song went something like this..."chair on the floor, fork, leaves up in the tree, light of mine, sleep in the bed, Nana, pink skirt, shopping, etc." I swear she says whatever thought flashes through her head just to be speaking. She makes me tired. I don't know how my sister does it. Oh wait - Kim was just like this. Perhaps that explains it.

So silence and rest were not a part of the weekend, but we did have fun at the park."

This just about sums up Peyton's weekend with her Aunt KK, Grayson, Luke and Nana. Needless to say, all of us in the Jennings household enjoyed our weekend vacation!
As a side note, I spoke with Peyton on the phone Sunday morning. She asked to speak to Cameron, to which Cameron replied, "I will talk to her when she gets home, I am on vacation right now!"

Outside - Before and After

2008-11-12T17:44:00.004-05:00

Here are the first official pictures of the outside of my studio. More to come soon!

New Studio

2008-11-11T13:43:00.001-05:00

Well, I am pretty excited today. With everything that is going on and will be going on, I am in need of a larger space. I was adamant on working out of my home so the only solution was to make my own space within our house. I have quickly outgrown the front room/office because my backdrops and lighting equipment take up way too much room not to mention an 8, 4 and 1 year old running around. So, the only solution was to inclose our attached garage and make it my studio. Today is officially groundbreaking day! Hopefully, within two or three weeks my studio will be in working mode. It is going to be pretty awesome if I do say so myself. I am going with the black, brown and cream color scheme and the studio will contain a reception area, actual studio and office area. I will officially have plenty of room for indoor studio portraits! YEAH! I will keep you posted on the happenings and stay tuned for the official OPEN HOUSE! I will also post some before, during and after shots.

I love you, honey, and thanks for making my dream come true! muah.....

Halloween: Tricks and Treats

2008-11-01T22:51:00.005-04:00

Again this year, the kids choose to go to the Kids Carnival at church on Halloween. They had a great time! They spent two hours running from game to game to bouncer to game and back to bouncers. Mom and I were worn out to say the least. However we did find out one thing. If you put Peyton on an obstacle course bouncer against teenage boys, she will win! Mom said she climbed the wall and flung herself over it quicker than you could blink and teenage boys were having trouble getting to the top. That's my girl! After we left there we took a quick swing by The Bowen's to see Miss T all dressed up in her dragon costume. Adorable! My kids didn't really ask for costumes so I proceeded to get them each Halloween shirts and the girls matching pants. I thought they looked cute! :0) Peyton, however, wanted a little added design to her face so we broke out the black liner and painted her whiskers like a kitty to match her shirt. I didn't even attempt it with Addison because I knew it would be smeared everywhere within a matter of minutes.
Now that Halloween is over I still have one pondering question.....Who was the wise guy/girl that came up with the idea of giving kids candy? Was is the candy companies? A dentist (I know it wasn't Carole)? OR perhaps a person that DID NOT have children and thought it would be a fun way to test us parents. Obviously that person has NO CLUE as to what happens to a child when they enter sugar overload. I guess we will never know the answer. Here is a little peek at my kids on Halloween...

Brotherly love...

Jennings Family Pictures - Take 2

2008-10-26T22:17:00.001-04:00

After I finished my photo sessions today I was determined to capture some family pictures of all five of us. I will officially add.......I GIVE UP! It is impossible to get all of us to look at the camera and smile at the same time so I have to settle for the candids. Cynthia came out to take some of of us and she did pretty well. We also managed to get some shots of the two of us (Cyn and I) for the website. I will add that Chris and I managed to take a great picture.....at least I think so. Anyway, here is a peek......

The Jennings "Gang"
While out on the town with another client today we stumbled across this really cool wall in an alley. I had to test it out with my crew as well. Here is what we ended up with. :o)

Finally, Pictures of my kids!

2008-10-19T20:58:00.007-04:00

Here are some of my favorites of the kids fall pictures. Enjoy.....

Lions and Tigers and Birthday Boy, Oh my!

2008-10-18T21:25:00.007-04:00

Today we celebrated my nephew Grayson's birthday at the North Carolina Zoo. Kelly fixed a wonderful lunch and we tail/table gated in the parking lot. We had so much fun walking the paths and looking at all of the animals. Here are just a few pictures of some of the animals we saw and the kids. Happy 2nd Birthday, Grayson!

Lions,
No tigers,
And Bears....
Oh My!

A rare moment!

OK OK OK, here is a blog!

2008-10-12T10:55:00.002-04:00

I have been fussed at over the past week about not updating my blog. So in a nutshell here are the happenings over the last month:

Chris HAS returned from Texas.
Chris is ready to go back to Texas. :0)

If you check out my Capture.it Blog you will see why I haven't been updating this one.

I have photographed 3 weddings.
I have taken 2 sets of Senior portraits.
I have taken 5 sets of family pictures.

And, I have been getting ready for the bridal show that was held last week.

Oh, oh, oh...... and I had the flu the week prior to the bridal show!

I am organizing the Lynchburg Bridal Expo 2009 that will be held on Sunday, March 8. So, if I don't update my blog you will know that I am either behind the computer or on the other end of the phone booking vendors and organizing the show.

Let's see, I have been cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, doing homework (I am going back through second grade again), handling the books for Chris' business.

Phewwwwwwwwwww................. I think that just about covers it. And, I am not even working full time! Go figure?!?!

I will try to do better but in the meantime you can check out my Capture.it Blog for all of the latest.

Until next time.................

Texas Bound

2008-09-09T20:49:00.003-04:00

Tonight, Chris left for Texas. He is going with Lifeline Ambulance Service out of Christiansburg, who is contracted through FEMA, to assist in disaster relief and transports predicted with Hurricane Ike. Right now it is unknown how long he will be there. It could be two weeks, it could be a month, it just depends on how hard the hurricane hits. The first crew from Lifeline has been in Florida for the past two weeks assisting with the last hurricane. Now, FEMA has redirected all emergency services to Texas. Chris' good friend is already down there. What most of you don't know is that the longest Chris has ever been away from us is two days. So, as you can imagine, this is going to kinda be a culture shock. The kids are handling it okay however Cameron knows more about where his dad is going and what he will be doing so he is a little more concerned than the girls are. Needless to say, he has been glued to the Weather Channel all evening. I am sure that will be a staple channel in our house until Chris returns.
So, when you say your prayers at night, say a little one for Chris and our family. I will keep you posted.......

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

2008-09-03T19:42:00.001-04:00

Ok, here is the deal. I have a MAJOR bridal show coming up on October 4 here in Lynchburg and wanted to have a WOW portrait to display. This portrait is actually going to be a 16x20 framed canvas print. Luckily, one of my good friends.........just look at the pictures, need I say more? She's gorgeous! I know she is probably unable to get into her car right now because her head is so swollen but she did take some absolutely beautiful pictures. The problem is, I can't decide which one to use as the portrait. Soooooooooooooooo......I need your help! Go to my myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/capphotodesign and click on BRIDAL and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE! Please let me know your favorites. Which ever one gets the most votes is the one that will be on canvas, framed. By the way, I forgot to mention that Sabrina is SINGLE, well sorta, and IS NOT GETTING MARRIED! She just so happened to fit perfectly into my sisters wedding dress. Here is one of my favorites.....
Oh, and by the way, you can go on my website, www.capphotodesign.com, under slide shows and see her complete session.

Addison's New Dress

2008-08-31T17:36:00.005-04:00

Aunt Kelly gave Addison and Peyton matching dresses for their birthdays. Here is Miss Addison in hers.

Addison's Birthday Pictures

2008-08-30T21:32:00.012-04:00

Tonight we had a cookout to celebrate Addison's 1st Birthday. We had lots of family and friends over and had a great time. Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Chestnut Hill went above and beyond on our cakes once again. But this one, I would have to say, tops them all!

Can you tell who is lacking attention in this picture? Click on it to enlarge.

Daddy and his little girl before everyone got here.

This is what happens when 3 eight year olds get hold of cake.

And then bring a 3 year old into the trouble.

We thought Addison and Aiden would dig into the cake but no such luck. We actually expected these two to smash cake, not the older ones.

But they did get the hang of pushing each other on her Disney ride along.

Check out their shoes. They have matching "Cow, Got Milk" shoes! How adorable is that?

And, for once I had some cake left over and I am actually sitting here enjoying a piece while I type this blog. YUM YUM YUM!!!

She's Walking!

2008-08-28T16:52:00.001-04:00

Just 4 days shy of her 1st Birthday, my baby is walking. Here are a few pictures I managed to catch before my eyes teared up.

Give her some tap shoes and watch out....

2008-08-25T13:09:00.003-04:00

A star has risen! And, the sound of clatter on my hardwood floors is ringing in my ears. Peyton is officially signed up for dance lessons. She is so excited. In fact, as I am in here typing, she has her dolls lined up on the sofa giving them dance lessons. Thanks mom for the "tap, tap, tap, together"! Now she can REALLY do it, and it comes compete with SOUND! I managed to pull her away from her "teaching" to get a few shots of her completely dressed in her dance outfit.

Be sure to click on the picture to get the enlarged version complete with facial expressions! :0)

First Day of School

2008-08-25T08:29:00.005-04:00

We are back in the swing of things on the first day of school. Cameron was so excited this morning. He even got up before the alarm, got dressed AND fixed his breakfast. I guess that is what happens when you go to bed at 8:00pm. Note to self: put them to bed at 8 more often! (You would think my mom would have told me to do that! ;0) Ha Ha Ha) Anyway, his friend Dawson is catching the bus with him and riding the bus home which gives him company in the morning and afternoon and on the bus. I am hoping this year will be a great one for Cameron. We have made a deal that for every "A" he gets on his report card he will get $5.00. He is motivated now! Peyton will start a half day pre-school next Tuesday and she is so excited. We are going to register her today for ballet and tap lessons compliments of her Nana which she is equally if not even more excited about. And last but not least, my baby Addison. She will be turning 1 in one week! Where has the time gone? Before we know it she will be out there catching the bus. Which brings me back to Peyton. She will be catching the bus next year. God help TJES!

I wonder how many more years I am going to be able to get away with taking their picture catching the bus. If my memory serves me correctly, I think my mom took our picture catching the bus up until we were 16! ;0)

It worked!

2008-08-20T21:37:00.003-04:00

It worked! My little guinea pigs came over and I put them to work. Here are our final results! Now I just have to wait until the wedding in September to try it out on the wedding party.

Special Times

2008-08-20T00:03:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I take for granted the time I spend with my kids. This morning I decided I would take Cameron out shopping for some school clothes. Luckily, Morgan was available to watch "Cybil" and Addison so I could have some Cameron and mommy time. When I told him what we were doing he was so excited. He even asked me if it would really just be him and me. So off we went. He really didn't need much I just wanted to be able to spend some quality time with him before he started school on Monday. The first few stores we went to we didn't find much, however we hit the jackpot at TJ Maxx. After an hour of shopping Cameron was hungry. I told him to pick any place he would like and we would have lunch. Now I am thinking he was going to choose his favorite, Golden Coral, however he simply said he would like to have some chicken nuggets. THANK GOD he didn't want McDonalds! Chick-fil-A it was! After we had found the few things we wanted to get we headed home. The best part of the day was when my little boy put his arms around me and thanked me for having just "us" time. Tears filled my eyes and the memory of the time we spent together today will be priceless!

New Trick

2008-08-19T23:48:00.004-04:00

We photographers are always trying out new tricks of the trade. I was browsing through other photographers websites and I ran across this awesome wedding picture where the bridal party all had sparklers and spelled out the word LOVE. Well, we didn't spell anything mainly because I had two "boys" out there playing around with the sparklers and they couldn't figure out which way to make the letters, however, I did figure out how to make the picture happen. So, the next time there is a group of people over here and it is dark, guess what they will be doing..... Gosh I just love guinea pigs! :0) Now, I just have to find some more sparklers.

Busy Again

2008-08-18T14:57:00.003-04:00

I have finally recuperated from the big Hannah Montana birthday party this weekend. Although, Miss Hannah is still performing morning, noon and night. I have had two newborn sessions in the past two days which you can see on my photography blog. Newborns are so much fun to work with because you can get them to do just about anything. Plus, they had amazing families to work with. Cynthia and I were talking yesterday and realized that we are all going to the beach in less than 5 weeks! YEAH! We also realized that we have 3 weddings before we go! We are going to be busy, busy, busy. Wish us luck! :0)

Peyton's 4th Birthday

2008-08-16T18:09:00.005-04:00

Today we celebrated Peyton's (ie. Hannah Montana) 4th Birthday. Can you guess what the theme was? Needless to say our house has now turned into Hannah Montana's dressing room, stage, makeup and wardrobe area.....you name it! Peyton got so many neat presents from all of her friends but her favorite was her HM dress up outfit and wig. Here are just a few pictures from her first performance......

Now, her first concert will be next week. For those of you wishing to see Hannah Montana in concert, please forward your checks in the amount of $400.00 for front row seating to Chris and I. Maybe we will be rich after all!!! :0)

Cameron and Grayson

2008-08-09T20:36:00.004-04:00

My sister and her family ventured in from Christiansburg with their kids for a visit this weekend. I had tons of fun photographing my newest nephew, Luke, who is only 2 weeks old. (Picutres are on my CAPture.it Blog) In the meantime, Cameron and Grayson had lots of fun playing outisde. Here are just a few of the candid shots I took of the boys.

Busy Day

2008-07-26T23:45:00.002-04:00

I had the busiest day today. It started this morning at 9 with bridal portraits (see website). After that I came home and processed those and put them online. No time for a nap, unfortunately, because I had to endure the heat and get the grass cut. Finally it was 3:00 and time to head off to my next photo session. That session was what I call a "dream session". It makes my job so easy when I have a client that knows exactly what to do, which way to look, and how to pose. All I do is focus and snap. There is a sneak peek on my CAPture.it Blog or you can check out the full slide show on my website. Fortunate for me, Angie took Cameron and Peyton swimming with her girls so Chris and Addison could get a nap and he didn't have to listen to the words "I'm bored" all afternoon. Needless to say, after that session I went to pick up the kids only to find out they didn't want to leave. Yeah for me! That gave me a chance to come home for some peace and quiet and get that sessions photos processed. Which might I add was a VERY difficult job. I don't think that girl took a bad picture. It was grueling trying to decide which pictures to present to them. It is now 11:52pm, the kids decided to spend the night with Angie and her girls, and I have todays pictures online and I am done! Now, on to cleaning house. You would think I would hit the pillow now but I am going to take advantage of the kids not being here to mess up as soon as I clean up. I even tried to get Chris out of work tonight since they were slow but no such luck. Guess I am going to spend the evening, what's left of it, all by myself. Peace and quiet! :0)

Little Man Luke

2008-07-24T20:47:00.005-04:00

As promised, here are some pictures of the newest little man. I finally got my hands on him today. I am going to have to take another trip up to Christiansburg by myself and have some quality Auntie time with the two boys. My kids, and Chris, couldn't keep their hands off of him either. He was a good sport allowing us to flash the camera in his face the majority of the afternoon. However, the last picture expresses his thoughts of the whole picture taking process! :0)

Luke's final thought!

He's here!!!

2008-07-23T16:21:00.002-04:00

I am an Auntie, again! Luke Chancellor Rawlings was born this morning and weighed in at 8 pounds and was 21 inches long. They are all doing well and I can't wait to get my hands on him tomorrow. I will have some more pictures to post tomorrow but here is a sneak peek for now.

Watermelon

2008-07-19T20:57:00.005-04:00

Tonight we were invited to a picnic with our friends Jason and Cynthia. Addison had her first experience with watermelon and LOVED IT! You can tell by these pictures....

Is it just me or could she be an offspring of the Munsters? :0)

Cameron's 8th Birthday

2008-07-19T11:23:00.007-04:00

Cameron had such a great birthday this year. He wanted to have a pool/skateboarding party so we honored his wishes and he had eleven of his friends over. As a surprise, a friend of mine is a competitive skateboarder in the area, so I asked him if he would come by to surprise the kids with a few tricks. They were all so excited to have him here.
I was able to find Cameron a grinding rail for a really good deal. Now I just need to add on the additional accident rider to my insurance policy to cover any mishaps this grinding rail may cause. Here are just a few pictures from his night of fun. Thank you all for the wonderful gifts, including the ones that make "bodily noises"! It is amazing how much fun 8 year olds have with a jar of "fart puddy"! Thanks MeMe! :0)

Cameron hitting the grinding rail.

This is why I need to add the accident rider!

Aunt KK gave him a new board.

Happy Birthday Little Man! Oh, and yea, I forgot, I have been told he is not a "little man" anymore! :0(

Putt Putt and More

2008-07-16T13:35:00.012-04:00

Last week, Cynthia and Jason invited us to their church group outing at Putt-Putt. The kids had a blast riding go-carts, bumper boats and playing golf. Here are just a few of the pictures.

Note to self....DO NOT ride the Bumper Boats when Cameron is on them. YOU WILL GET WET!

Victim number 1. Victim number 2 is on the other side trying to escape.

Even though Addison couldn't do much, she definitely received plenty of attention.

You will see Peyton in these next few pictures in her attempts to play Putt Putt. I would have dressed her in tennis shoes for this adventure but she had other ideas. This just goes to show that she is more interested in her image.

She finally agreed to some help from her daddy.

He's so groovy!

Fireworks

2008-07-01T21:43:00.006-04:00

I was able to try out my new camera on Sunday taking pictures of the fireworks display at Celebrate America. By the time I adjusted all of the settings on the camera, I was actually able to capture some neat pictures. Enjoy!

Addison and Grayson

2008-06-30T13:55:00.002-04:00

Ok, I am stealing this picture from my sisters blog page because I forgot to take my camera to the birthday party this weekend. Addison and Grayson had the best time playing in the little pool.

Funnel Cakes

2008-06-30T07:42:00.003-04:00

Following in her Aunt Kelly's footsteps, Addison has found her new food love, FUNNEL CAKES! Last night at Celebrate America, Chris decided to get a funnel cake for Cameron but Addison had other ideas. Needless to say, both Addison and Cameron had to have their own so back to the concession stand he went. She managed to demolish about half of it then Chris and I finished the rest. Talk about a nutritious dinner! It was a wonderful evening with great friends, good music and an amazing fireworks display. The kids loved it!

My New Baby!

2008-06-25T18:43:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am proud to announce the birth of my new baby.
Her name is: NIKON
And, this time I didn't gain weight nor did Chris have to put up with me for a miserable nine months!

The Bowen's Newest Additon

2008-06-25T11:45:00.005-04:00

Congratulations
Megan and Larry!
She's HERE!
Teegen Serabeth Bowen
7 lbs. 1 oz.

Please hurry home from Utah so we can meet her!

TRBC - Vacation Bible School

2008-06-19T22:13:00.009-04:00

Tonight was the final night of TRBC VBS. The theme this year was Indiana Joe and the Search for the Hidden City. It was absolutely amazing as is anything presented by TRBC. Imagine, on the final night, 1500 children in attendance! WOW~ Here are a few pictures from the night.

This is only about half of the sanctuary full of kids.

Jonathon and the snakes.

Charles getting slimed!

Jonathon getting slimed.

The finale!

I am constantly amazed by this church and am proud to be a part of it!

Vacation

2008-06-13T23:11:00.004-04:00

This week has been nothing short of a whirlwind. Last Saturday, Chris, Cynthia and I headed off to Herndon, VA for a wedding. It was an absolutely gorgeous wedding and I will try to post a few pictures in the next day or so.
Then on Sunday, Chris and I attended and photographed a reception for my good friend Courtney and her new husband James. Her parents threw a reception for them at Shoemaker's restaurant which was wonderful. The food there is amazing. One of these days Chris and I will visit there for dinner but from what I hear it is pretty pricey.
Sunday afternoon, we were all off to Williamsburg for a short vacation. Besides the heat, it was a fun trip. We visited Busch Gardens every day and Chris rode the Griffon five times. There were no lines to speak of, possibly due to the 105 degree weather. Luckily the kids, including Chris, were able to ride just about everything in the park. Even Peyton managed to stretch her neck enough to be able to ride the swings. They didn't let her ride them the first day because she was too short. Needless to say, we let her wear her platform flip flops the next day which barely put her to the height line. Her Nana told her to stretch her neck. Peyton took that to mean, stand on your tippy toes. All in all it was a fun vacation. We were fortunate to meet the many personalities of Peyton. While on vacation she transformed into her different personalities which she named, Carole, Cynthia and Cybil! You have to be around her to understand. She even proceeded to impress her Nana with her shopping abilities. We are definitely going to have our hands full when she becomes a teenager. God help us! Cameron invited his best friend Andrew to join us on our trip. The boys had a great time running around the park and enjoying the rides. I, however, learned that at my age the roller coasters which I loved in my 20's do not like me now that I am 30 something. Those days of riding the coaters back to back are GONE!
Here are a few pictures from our trip.

I have to give Chris credit for this picture. He took this from the ferry as we were riding back from Surry. He is so proud of his talents.

Peyton on the carousel.

Nana and Addison on the carousel.

Cameron and Andrew on one of those rides that I can no longer tolerate! :0)

Extreme Bridal

2008-06-01T08:31:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, I had the most amazing opportunity to capture my cousin and her husband in an episode of Trash the Dress. Believe it or not, the only thing that ended up on her dress was a little spot of mud and water, of course. I have to say, I believe this was the best photo shoot I have ever done. And, we had SO much fun doing it. Here is a sampling:

By the way, CONGRATULATIONS on six wonderful years of marriage!

Now, who's NEXT???

Her friends joined in on the fun. They had been taking pictures since the morning and were almost done by the time we arrived.

Funny Faces

2008-05-23T22:09:00.002-04:00

See Eric, you aren't the only one that makes funny faces when you catch. Ha Ha Ha!

The Strawberry Patch

2008-05-22T15:59:00.008-04:00

Today Cameron's class visited Scott's Strawberry Patch in Bedford. They had so much fun running up and down the rows finding strawberries. It was especially comical when they started yelling "Jackpot" which translated into, "I found a huge bunch of strawberries." I was also able to take Peyton, Adam and Addison to join in on the fun. I do believe that Peyton and Adam ate more than went into their bucket. However, by the looks of my sink, I think I have enough strawberries to last quite some time. Now, to figure out what I am going to do with them. Here are a few pictures to highlight our trip.

Even Addison got her little hands on a strawberry. I think she really liked it!

Cameron and Andrew in the Strawberry Patch.

Peyton and Adam trying to take it all in.

Tabitha and the Camera

2008-05-21T20:52:00.007-04:00

Tonight we had another baseball game. Needless to say, the little one had "mommyitis" and wouldn't let me put her down so I didn't get to shoot as much as I usually do. I did something I very rarely do.....let someone else push the trigger on my camera. However, Tabitha was having so much fun I let her click until her heart was content. I have a feeling Eric will be making a rather large purchase within the next few weeks. She actually did a really good job. Here are a few shots she managed to capture. She was also able to get some really good action shots of the game also.

American Idol is on now so I am going to sit down and watch it......NITE!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-05-18T12:40:00.009-04:00

Wow, yesterday was nothing short of a whirlwind. I started out at 8:30 yesterday morning with a Senior Portrait photo shoot. From there I photographed action shots for two baseball teams and finished up with a former co-workers family pictures at 4. However, I ended up with some beautiful pictures, some great action shots and a sunburn. I guess two out of three isn't bad. Next time, note to self, take sunscreen if I am going to be outside all day long.
Yesterday was Chris' and my 11th year anniversary. I do believe we saw each other for a total of one hour the whole day between me working, him coaching a baseball game and him working. Happy Anniversary, I love you!
Needless to say, after a day like yesterday, I am at home taking it easy today and spending time with my family. Here is a sneak peak of the pictures.

New Website....Guinea Pigs....and....Messy Kids

2008-05-15T23:25:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I have been like a little kid in a candy store all day. My new, and improved, website is now live. I have to say, it looks GOOD! My sister informed me that my children represented about 75% of all pictures. So, with that being said....if there are any willing participants out there that would like to be photographed for FREE, I would greatly appreciate your help. I pretty much have the wedding and baby end covered but I am looking for some family, senior and maternity guinea pigs. If you are willing please contact me so we can set something up.

This week has been pretty busy. I finally managed to get half of my house cleaned today. Hopefully the other half will follow tomorrow. But, then again, I have come to the realization that with three kids, excuse me, four kids.....my house is never going to stay clean. Maybe I should save all of that effort until they are out of the nest. My mom and I were discussing this the other day and she said that when I was growing up it was easier for her to pick up after me rather than fighting with me for hours on end to clean my room. I now am finding myself doing the same exact thing with my kids. I guess it rings true about a cycle never breaking. She did it so I will do it. She is right though, it is much easier to clean up after them myself then to fight with them.

Since it is late I am going to end for tonight. If you have some spare time be sure to check out my new website... www.capphotodesign.com

Spring Pictures of the Kids

2008-05-04T15:16:00.006-04:00

Since the weather was so beautiful today I decided to take the kids to the Old City Cemetery for their Spring pictures. I have to say, there were many good ones to choose from to post, however these were my top picks. You can check out my CAP Photography MySpace page to view more.

Yes, Cameron is supposed to be blurred in the background. It's one of those "artsy" things.

It is almost impossible to get three kids to look at the camera at the same time.
This was the only picture out of 20.

Dinner with Friends

2008-05-03T09:50:00.002-04:00

Last night I had a girls night out with some friends at Shakers. I have to say, I am so lucky to have such an awesome group of friends. I believe we hit on every topic known to man kind, from men to botox and from doing the "running man dance" to our kids, we left no stone unturned. We had great food and let me not forget to mention the Raspberry Twists and Kool Aid. Also, realizing we could have bought ourselves a bottle of Vodka, Kool Aid and Sierra Mist for a little over the cost of those $8 drinks and could have enjoyed ourselves all night! :0) I would post some pictures but seeing as how I forgot my camera, I have none to post.
I just wanted to thank you all for being such great friends now and for many years to come!
Love you all!

Princess P

2008-05-02T16:44:00.002-04:00

I don't believe a photo comment is necessary for this picture. It is self explanatory.

Addison's Bunny

2008-05-02T16:41:00.004-04:00

Addison loves this bunny! Every night she grabs it right before she goes to sleep.

First Baseball Game

2008-05-02T14:16:00.000-04:00

After some encouraging from friends, I have decided to start a blog. You will have to be patient because I am not to sure as to what I am doing. I am going to start by posting a couple of pictures to see if this works. So here goes nothing.....

Cameron's first game playing first base.

Chris's first baseball game of the season as head coach. We won!