I am honored to be invited into the homes and lives of amazing families through my job. The H family has so much going on, but it is clear that family is their priority. They have three boys. One in utero, one with special needs, and one with a brand new puppy. As if that wouldn’t be enough to keep you busy, they are in the midst of a MAJOR home renovation. So major that when I arrived I wasn’t sure where the front door was!

You know what’s important to them when the first things to be done at their house are the playroom, pool and outdoor play area. They even have their own ball pit!

Unfortunately, our shoot got cut short by a health scare that was both terrifying yet normal to them. Full plate, I told you. I can’t even imagine. Still, in the short time I got to spend with them, it was clear that this family is full of love and optimism despite their challenges.

K and M, good luck with the weeks ahead. I hope to get to pick up where we left off, next time with the new baby in the new house!

It’s been such a busy few weeks that I’ve not posted as much as I would have liked. These are from a mini session on the beach that I did recently near Fort Lauderdale. This shoot was late in the morning and it was HOT! We had to hide out under the pier to have any hope of finding shade. Miss E is beautiful, but wasn’t too keen on getting her picture taken by me! Thankfully, Daddy helped me bring out her smile.

So serious…

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JACKSONVILLE – Just a few slots left for Holiday Mini Sessions! See Investment page for details.

ATLANTA – One Day Only – Saturday, October 17 – until 2010! Contact me at jenmen@gmail.com

Remember this sweet baby? Five months have passed since I last saw her, and I was amazed at how much she’s grown and changed. I couldn’t believe how much more she looks like her mom now!

With her proud big brother!

Anyone who knows me knows I’ll take any excuse for a trip! Flying is wonderful, too, but since I frequently travel with my brood in tow, carseats and cupholders tend to win out over peanuts and in-flight movies. Plus, you don’t have the same excuse to eat terribly and buy lotto tickets that the road provides…

I will be in the Fort Lauderdale area in October to follow up with these cute kids and capture the whole family on their home turf.

Please contact me if you are interested in booking a session between October 2 and 5! It might be difficult to think about now, but that will be perfect timing for holiday cards and presents!

As an added incentive, I am offering these extras to my existing packages for this trip:

Social Networker – One high resolution digital file, copyright released for personal use. Great to use for holiday cards.

Family Historian - One 8×10″ print.

This recent shoot was abbreviated by a sudden burst of rain, but we will pick up with this South Florida family in a couple of months (long story, but they happened to be in ATL the same week that I was)! Stay tuned to find out exactly when I’ll be heading south (for a change) to the Fort Lauderdale area and will be available for family, kids, or couple sessions.

We met up at one of the most pristine public playgrounds I’ve ever been to, John Howell, in Atlanta. But boys will be boys, and Z managed to find the little bit of dirt and sand there was to be enjoyed. He was so much more into that than any of the fancy playground equipment!

This is exactly what I mean about wanting to capture kids being themselves and not performing for the camera! Mom, T, said something to the effect of, “if you want to get a true picture of my son, this would be it!”

He may be the big brother, but there is still a lot of baby boy in him.  I love this swipe at an itchy nose.

And baby M…what a doll! There’s a lot going on in those eyes.

7 months and already more than a handful!

She loves her mama…and the camera, too!

Sorry you got soaked…can’t wait to come see you guys!

Having young kids at home this summer means that when it comes to my blog, it’s a late night choice between posting and sleep. As you can see by the paucity of posts lately, sleep has been winning. That is, until the last week when a summer cold struck each of us, one by one. I used to live by the mantra that I would sleep when I am old or dead (whichever comes first)…but now that I’m a parent and no longer have the luxury of catching up on sleep on the weekends, I’m starting to see the wisdom in relying on actual rest, rather than caffeine, to get me through the week. I’m turning over a new leaf. I am officially a fan of sleep. I should add it to my facebook page. Which leads me to another tangent: have you noticed the random and extremely vague things people claim to be fans of?

Not that I’m giving up on my blog, just that I’m slowing it down until the fall when I can actually work on it during daylight hours. In the meantime, here are some pictures from our summer so far.

These last few are by T (aka Mr. Future Second Shooter?), as I was giving CM a haircut.