Photogin' it up

I was the third shooter for a friends wedding in downtown Denver. It was fun to only be in charge of the detail work and not the big moments. Weddings are definitely not my thing!

 Mx4 Lifestyle Photography has kept me mighty busy! Since my first shoot in June, I have done 25 sessions, two weddings and a baptism. Fall is a busy time for most photographers and is for me as well. Lots of families are looking to have family photos taken for Christmas cards and I am happy to have been able to book so many sessions with people I know and with those who are now new friends. October was booked for me by early September and I'm currently booked for November. Here are some shots from my last week weeks sessions. And if that wasn't enough, I've also joined another blog circle with fellow photographers- a 365 day project- one photo every day for one year . You can find those posts weekly ( and monthly for the Kids Were Here circle) here .

It really doesn't get much cuter!

These two sisters and their adorable little brother were apart of one of my all time favorite shoots.

Fun with a 2015 Senior

Pretty Bride

Double the fun!

A fellow 08 Marchie

This sweet boy was born almost a year ago at 24 week gestation. He was a micro preemie who is now thriving

I saw the twins again! And their parents, too!

Personality plus, right here!

My oldest friend- I've known Brittney since we were in 3rd grade together.

This little lady bug kept me on my toes but all of her shots were beautiful!

Sweet P and her daddy. This session was extra special because I took a picture that would announce that she will be a bit sister!

One of my favorite couples photo

Anatomy of a temper tantrum

Though they are fewer and farther between, we still see the occasional temper tantrum in our house. When Mase does throw them, he means them and the entire house knows it.

Potty 'punkins' and other tales from the mens room.

Potty punkin

More and more Mase had been asking for undies and going longer with a dry diaper. We devised a plan/ reward and prepared to put it into action. Mase decided that when he no longer needed diapers, we would celebrate with a trip to Target for a special toy and new undies followed by lunch at Taco Bell - his favorite place to eat.  While at the store prior to this, I'd found some little jelly pumpkins which quickly became known as " potty punkins" :

Potty Punkin

Mackenzie, who is more excited than any one else about potty training, set out to make a reward chart that would help us keep track of Mason's progress. Often times, I'll find Mason and Mackenzie both sitting on their potties, her reading an appropriate book like " Everyone poops" or " Find the poop":

Mackenzie's potty reward chart

Mason did famously on day 1. He had no accidents and many potty pumpkins. We even made a successful diaper-less trip to the store! All was well.

Day 2: Tummy virus strikes. It was messy. A lot of laundry was done.But we carried on the best would could.

A week later, Mason's tummy issues aren't totally resolved so we just follow his cues and requests. If his sweet tooth is active, lots of peeing is done because he has figured out pee=candy. He's working really hard to get to the potty in time and I think it won't be long before the Long household is diaper free!

Joy

Growing up on a farm- small as it may have been in comparison to those around us- there was never a shortage of animals to love on, cuddle with , chase or otherwise annoy. Often times, our dog Sheba had a litter of puppies that we could spoil with attention for 8 weeks before they went off to their new homes. I am always grateful for the time, memories and lessons learned there.  As an animal lover, raising puppies brought some of my favorite memories. Imagine my surprise when mom agreed that raising puppies again would be a fun venture.  We always had Australian shepherds growing up. They are excellent farm helpers and so smart. It went with out saying that Aussies would be our breed again. They are quite popular in our area of Colorado since they are such capable farm dogs as well as great family dogs.

Tough thing was actually FINDING a puppy. My mom and dad have Buddy, a full breed Australian shepherd so we just needed a female. It was  a few months before a friend of a friends mom posted on Facebook that she had a litter of pure bred Aussies ready for homes. Kristi texted me right away to let me know of her find. That very day we made plans to go see them and the next day we were on our way to Fort Morgan to pick one out.

Meet Joy- the sweet tri-colored female Aussie . Not only is she already so smart but she's a great playmate for the kids ( and vice versa) . In about a year, Joy will be ready to be a mommy and I am excited that my kids will have the same experience I did with puppies.

Mackenzie showing Joy around the farm.

12 years

 Mike and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary .  On our wedding day, I remember thinking " They are actually gonna let us get married? Are we old enough to do this?" And to that question, I'm sure many would have said no. The odds would have been in the favor of the naysayers. Two kids , their feet barely wet in the pool of life, who met on the internet and had only seen each other face to face four times?  And now, I sit wondering how we're old enough to have been married for 12 years. As I smile at the handsome way Mike's beard is greying and watch him with our kids in a life we've built together , I am so happy to have him next to me every day.

My mom watched the kids for the entire day of our anniversary! We hardly knew what to do with all those hours. We ate a breakfast so filling that it lasted us until dinner  and browsed stores at our own, unhurried pace. We chatted and finished stories- start to finish with no interruptions. We ended our evening in Boulder having sushi, feeling pleasantly full- literally and figuratively .

Howdy!

 I can almost hear him say it when I read the world. My grandpa's greeting, whether in person or on the phone, has always been " Howdy!"  It's one of several trademarks of his that bring a smile to my face when I think of him. 

We celebrated Grandpa's 88th birthday a few weeks ago.  It's always great to see the family and watch in amazement as the second cousins play together in the same way my cousins and I did as kids. Grandpa recently had an article written about him in the local paper. " Too old to dance? HECK NO! " was the title and the article outlined Grandpa's amazing energy, particularly when it comes to polka dancing!

 Another of Grandpa's trademarks- a red handkerchief tucked in the back pack of his Wranglers.

 Those who could make it had a fun time. Of course, with 6 siblings in my dad's family ( 2 living out of state), I don't think I'd have a lens that could capture every last one of us.

My dad and his sisters and brother and Grandpa