Fall Photo Shoot

On the sixth of November we met Katie Hyman Rittershaus of the fabulous Mason Dee Photography at Fred Fletcher Park for what can only be described as a marathon of Fall photography. It was awesome; she is awesome. Katie hunkered down, led us to her favorite spots, and engaged the kids right away. Out of hundreds of photos we even got a few with all three kids looking and/or smiling at the camera. A Festivus miracle indeed! ;)

First stop - the park bench.

Meghan's mullet is shining bright in the afternoon sunlight, and Clara gets a little crazy with her pigtails.

Spot number two - the front porch.

Peeking around the columns was a stroke of genius.

I love this one of Meghan so much I ordered a canvas print of it.

There's my Tron-trick-a-doo smile.

Sisters!

I smell Christmas card material.

Meghan turns a little shy.

The pressure is on - all three in one shot!

Jackpot.

Like the longways version too.

Brother and sister.

Spot number 3 - the grassy knoll. Luckily there was no second gunman, but things got a little dicey.

Jack seems to forget how to smile.

And Meghan all the sudden decides she doesn't like having her picture taken anymore.

Meghan rallies, but Jack continues to look like he's straining (or something...)

Next up, the stone wall.

Now Mommy joins the fray!

Love the beautiful fall colors in the background. 

Don't let Meghan fool you, she decided she didn't like the chair and was crying five seconds before this  picture was taken. A little tickling, however, does the trick. Jack is pondering whether or not he should smile.

Tickle monster strikes again.

The girls move on to the other side of the wall leaving Jack and me for a sweet series of shots.

Beautiful colors and little girl.

My favorite of Jack, a great candid of him finding something very funny.

The last hurrah in front of the gorgeous purple flower bushes. 

I love these two picture of Clara.

You talkin' to me?

Unintentional perchy faces.

Chaos ensues.

Me and my babies. Facebook profile picture for the win!

You wouldn't know it, but they are totally eating smarties.

Clara's look is classic.

Once we called it a day, the kids ran off to climb the nearby tree. Luckily Katie kept her camera handy and was busy snapping more pictures.

Thank goodness she did because the very last one is my favorite of Clara. It is just what I was hoping for when I scheduled this photography session - to capture Clara's fleeting baby face as her front teeth are not long for this world. And Katie did it in spades.

I cannot say thank you enough to our fabulous photographer for such beautiful pictures!

End of October Addendum

Let the catching up begin...

A few forgotten things from the end of October:

Boosterthon! The elementary school held its fall fundraiser this year as a part of Boosterthon. The idea was the same as last year - the kids get pledges for walk/running to earn money for the PTA. It was a chilly day, but Clara had fun and completed 32 laps during her designated time slot. 

The weekend before Halloween started out chilly but ended up very pleasant, perfect for lots of outdoor play. Meghan was out bright and early in the cool morning air swinging.

Jack has his first taste of a favorite seasonal activity, sliding down into a pile of leaves.

Meghan and Clara hanging out, coloring on the roof of the playhouse.

Later on in the evening, Jack adds a little flair to his gears.

Jack's Christmas Chapel

Jack's preschool held a Christmas chapel today during which Jack's class performed two songs in front of an audience of parents, teachers, and other kids in the church sanctuary. Jack did a great job. I can't believe how far he has come since the Mother's day tea last May. We're so proud of him.

"Silent Night" on the bells

"Away in a Manger" (Jack enjoys his classmates singing ;) )