Kim Lowery

new blog

2008-10-14T20:08:00.006-06:00

My blog has found a new home. This should be an easy move, but if you use bloglines or any other feed readers, please update your links.

another sweet belly....

2008-10-13T15:53:00.003-06:00

A few weekends ago, I met Trent and his wife at their home for some maternity pictures. They are such a lovely couple who are sure to have a lovely baby. Candace was glowing and beautiful in every way!

Trent and Candace, you are both wonderful, and I can't wait to meet your baby!

oh girls

2008-10-12T08:56:00.004-06:00

After a weekend with some of my family (all girls which I'll post about later.) I thought I needed to give an update on all things girly:
A few weeks ago Emma got her ears pierced!!!! I know there are just two little shiny flowers on her ears, but she looks so much bigger to me. She has been taking such great care of the new earrings, and I'm so proud of her. This is like a right of passage for Emma in her girlhood....

Since school has started, I've lost some of my lunch buddies to their careers. Erin was nice enough to meet up with me on her only free lunch hour per week. We ate some good veggie sandwiches!

And I got to spend a few days with another one of my favorite girls, Audrie, last week. I forgot how hard it is to do things with one arm. My respect was renewed for all you moms with little ones. I miss her already...

On Saturday, I photographed a wedding with my second shooter, Rachel...who is also a girl.....
In other girly news, my friend Michelle had her sweet baby girl, Gracie Jane. She's so lovely, I can hardly stand it. And you may think I'm crazy, but Gracie will laugh and smile if you try hard enough. It's not just gas I promise!

sock hop

2008-10-10T05:18:00.000-06:00

This summer, Emma went to her first sock hop with a couple of friends. She wore some leggings instead of socks. She had so much fun...that she wanted to come home early. I'm betting that we won't mind if she comes home early when she's at her high-school dance.

veggies galore

2008-10-08T05:21:00.000-06:00

I'm really missing summer and the bounty it brought us in the form of fresh veggies from my Dad's garden.
However, Martha Stewart tells me that fall veggies are wonderful as well. I've been reading a huge cook book that Nathan gave me 8 Christmases ago. We've also been discussing where and when to get started on the soil for a small garden here at home. We may be out of luck with all the shade we get, but I think we should at least give it a try. With advice from our parents and other smart family-gardeners, I think we can make it work. Wish us luck!

Josh and Ashley

2008-10-05T09:30:00.001-06:00

I met Ashley and Josh at Old Main on a very muddy day. Thankfully, we had beautiful weather and a lot of fun.

Ashely, You and Josh are great together. I can't wait for your reception!

wait for it.....Awwww.

2008-10-02T09:10:00.000-06:00

Just say it now...you can't look at this boy without oohing and awing over his perfect smile.

Jenny and Rhonald, Cole is growing so fast, and I'm so proud to be a part of capturing some of those smiles. Your family is such a pleasure to work with and I can't wait to watch him grow through my lens!

oh Gavin!

2008-09-30T05:24:00.000-06:00

A little while ago, I met Tara and her perfect family at the river for some fun in the sun. I think you can see that Gavin has such a big personality.

Tara and Steven, I don't think you could do a better job raising such a perfect little boy. I love you guys!

Ruth's family

2008-09-27T09:02:00.000-06:00

What do you get when you you have FIVE sons, ONE daughter, assorted in-laws and grandkids? Too much fun! This is Ruth's rather large family. I had a blast with them.....I think at one point someone's shirt even came off!

This pose was a tribute to a picture they have from quite a few years ago. I hope I did it justice.

And these two are where this family started.

Ruth, you and your family are a delight to work with. I can't wait until next time!

ride emma ride

2008-09-25T08:53:00.005-06:00

Earlier this month, the kids and I read a book about a third grader who was learning to ride her bike. The story inspired Emma to try again to learn to ride her bike without her training wheels. For some reason, she was very short and frustrated with me, so Nathan took her to the school parking lot which did the job! He called us about 20 minutes later to say "you have to see this". Jacob and I jumped in the car and when we were nearing the hill by the school, we could see this speed demon racing across the parking lot training-wheel free!

He's such a good daddy!

Matt and Sara

2008-09-24T21:26:00.000-06:00

Early last month one of my second shooters Nicole and I headed to Fayetteville to photograph the wedding of Matt and Sara.
Everyone at their wedding was so attractive. The wedding party rocked it.

After our portraits, the boys moved the party to the urinal area. I thought the urinals were a beautiful touch to some of the groomsman's more "playful" pictures.

Nicole did a great job especially with the next two shots.

Matt and Sara gave us such a show with their first dance. It was choreographed and such a surprise to their family and wedding guests. What a great way to entertain everyone and set the mood for the party to come.

Scott and Angie

2008-09-22T21:51:00.004-06:00

Late last month, my big brother tied the knot to the wonderful Angie! I was so proud to be a part of their big day.

Angie's mom made her dress. I love the detail on the shoulder.

Scott and Angie, I love you both so much, and I'm glad you survived your honeymoon-hurricane!

'Twas the Fall before Christmas....

2008-09-20T05:00:00.001-06:00

I know it seems early, but we only have 96 days until Christmas!
Schedule your family sessions soon so we will have time to custom design your Christmas cards. My calendar is filling up fast!
Here are just a few examples of our 5x5 folded cards and 4x8 slim lines.

fried green tomatoes

2008-09-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

I met Nathan's brother Eric and his lovely family for some quick pics and good fried green tomatoes and BBQ.

These kids are beautiful and I'm proud to be their Aunt Kim. Love you guys!

fun family

2008-09-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

I met Erin late in the summer for some pictures with her family at Peel Mansion. Erin's creativity was very inspiring, and I had a lot of fun with this group.

Erin, your family is delightful, and I appreciate your fun and creative spirit that helped us have an awesome evening!

PJs and popcorn

2008-09-16T09:00:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I headed home to attend my cousin's wedding. It was beautiful and I ate way too much food!

Afterwards, Kristy and I met more of our family at my cousins Sandy and DJ's house for lots of good snacks and some competitive Wii games.

(Garrett loves his popcorn)

This is what we woke up to on Sunday morning after a long night of listening to remnants of Hurricane Ike.

I was thankful for a beautiful drive home after such a scary night.

fast lane

2008-09-15T13:36:00.002-06:00

Last week we met Evan and Erin at Fast Lane for dinner and bowling.

Emma is a bowling pro, and she taught us all a few things.

Jacob was having a battle between toe and shoe....so he didn't have quite as much fun as the rest of us.

Nathan is the best Dad ever. He rode the kiddy carts with Jacob. It was highly entertaining for the rest of us.

The real reason for our night out was to celebrate Evan's birthday....Happy Birthday Evan!

Meet Paris....

2008-09-09T07:01:00.003-06:00

I met Shane and his family a few weeks ago on a very rainy evening. Thankfully they were up for a little drive North where we dodged the storm just long enough to get some family photos.
Meet Paris.

Shane and Paris were a lot of fun. I think you can tell after one minute of seeing them together that they are so close to each other.

I thought Paris did a great job with this picture. It's so artsy.

Thanks Kendall family. You were a lot of fun, and I can't wait to photograph your family again!

Isn't she lovely!?!

2008-09-06T20:43:00.007-06:00

I just have to give a shout out to my favorite little sister Kristy.
It's been one year ago this weekend when she was in a pretty crazy 4-wheeler accident. She went through an intense reconstructive surgery and impressed us all so much with her fast recovery. Today, she's doing great and is hard at work at her salon.

We took this picture for her local newspaper. She is in the process of sending in a ton of hair to Locks of Love. If you're interested, check out their site and get the correct info on length and qualifications.
I love that Kristy is not only a great stylist, but also a generous one. I love you sis!

Whooooa!

2008-09-03T09:29:00.000-06:00

I ran across these pictures of Emma from one of our girl-days a while back. She wanted to play makeup. I think we went a little over-board. Here she is pretending to fly. Most of these poses were her idea.

She finally did get to fly.

A "Wild" weekend.

2008-09-01T08:19:00.005-06:00

Well, I know the park doesn't really count for being out in the wild, but it sure felt like it with all the bugs and squirmies that the kids were bringing to me.

Jacob was feeling a little wild as well climbing on this slide. It was a little hard for me to let him dangle on the edge of injury here, but I was doing my best to let him be a kid.

Kara found this caterpillar and thought it was important to let him enjoy the slide with her.

The kids found this lizard and ...... I think it died of a heart attack from being chased and poked with a stick.

I figured this was a sign from above that it was time to go.

Baby Tate

2008-08-28T13:32:00.000-06:00

I just had to share some quick photos of my baby cousin, Tate I met at a recent wedding shower.
Isn't he a cutie!

Rachel's pictures

2008-08-25T19:51:00.000-06:00

Rachel is a great second photographer. Here are some of my favorite pictures from her of Michael and Sarah's wedding.

If you take your eyes off these muscles for just a second, you can see this groomsman's eyes reflecting through the crook of his elbow....love it!

And this is one of my absolute favorites. I think it's so sweet.

Rachel grabbed some awesome detail shots.

So sweet.

Thanks Rachel for all your hard work!

florida

2008-08-22T15:00:00.001-06:00

Two good books and 5 lbs later, we're back from our vacation. We'll miss the beach house and the crazy-beautiful sunsets, but I'm glad to be home and back to healthy eating. Denise and Warren did way too good a job at cooking for us.

On our first night there, we were welcomed with an off-shore fireworks show. I'm sure it was meant for us.

Sydney took some family photos for us, and I think she did an amazing job!

She also watched the kids for us one night so the adults could revisit an old friend. This is "Picolo's and the Red Bar" or something like that. They have their menus on big chalk boards that they bring around to each table. It's quite the experience.

A big crazy storm will stay a part of our vacation memories, but we made the best of it by shopping for 8 hours straight. Don't we look exhausted?!

Emma turned out to be quite the little surfer girl. She was brave and didn't even cry (very much) when she got stung by a jelly fish.

If you're interested in seeing a few more pictures...I've put some up on the site. Click on the "Life" section and then go to the "proofing" gallery. Our password is "grunions".

Michael and Sarah

2008-08-21T07:21:00.000-06:00

Last month, Rachel and I headed to Greenland to photograph the wedding of Sarah and Michael. I have so many pictures to share from Rachel and me both, but I'll start with some of my favorites. As a photographer (and I'm sure for the guests as well) I had such a surreal experience. Their parent's house was truly a lovely setting for this special day.
They were married in front of an orchard and every simple touch seemed so natural.

Both Sarah's and Michael's fathers gave the most touching talks during the ceremony.

Of course we took lots of time for portraits.

This is one of my favorites. I love Michael's expression.

Everyone at the reception could really cut a rug. Michael's friends and family who flew in from Zimbabwe entertained us with a special dance.

Michael and Sarah, everything was so lovely. Thank you for sharing your perfect day with us!

On the first day....

2008-08-19T09:19:00.003-06:00

I blinked, and my kids grew up. I was a little emotional with the thought of Emma starting Kindergarten, but what really surprised me was when I got choked up over Jacob's entrance into 2nd grade. I think I was okay with Emma because she was so excited and didn't seem to mind that we were leaving her for the day. But that's also what really got to me about Jacob. He was the same way, but it really hit me how grown up and independent he is. This school stuff was just old hat for him.

This year he's upstairs which is a HUGE deal apparently.

"Children serve as impossible-to-ignore, in-your-face time-pieces, marking the relentless march of one's life through what otherwise might seem an infinite sea of minutes, hours, days, and years." John Grogan.

The Vondermehdens

2008-08-13T07:17:00.002-06:00

We're still in Florida, but I don't want to get too far behind on my posts....so, meet the Vondermehdens.

I went to school with Heidi, and she asked me to come out to her parent's beautiful home for some family photos. These were my favorites.

This home is truly out of movie. The landscaping and cozy location made me feel at home.

Thanks Vondermehdens, and especially Heidi for all your hard work setting this morning up for me. You're amazing and creative, and I can't wait to see what you do next!

no more velcro...

2008-08-07T21:17:00.004-06:00

I came home from a photo session last week to find Emma tying her shoes all by herself! Nathan is a good teacher apparently.

Oscar didn't see what all the excitement was about.

In one week Emma will be in Kindergarten.....I can't believe it....really.I'm sure I'll have tons of pictures. In other news, we're off to Florida for a family vacation. I think it's a good way to spend our last week of summer!

Haley's belly

2008-08-04T07:48:00.001-06:00

Meet Haley's belly.

...and Katie's belly.

Can it get any sweeter than this?!

Haley, you're beautiful and glowing! I can't wait to meet your new baby boy. Thanks for a great morning!

summer

2008-08-01T00:05:00.001-06:00

This summer has gone by way too quickly. Somehow we've been a lot busier than I had planned. I do have to say it's been the best summer we've ever had. The kids are so much fun at this age, and we've had a lot of fun together. I admit that I'm slightly looking forward to when school starts and life resembles some sort of order, but I'm sure I'll miss summer as soon as it's over.

Emma's artwork....

camping.....

fruit kabobs....

secret clubs....

swimming...

Grandpa's farm...

bug catching....

lots of fun....

Big Brother...

2008-07-28T07:10:00.000-06:00

My big brother is getting married next month, and Angie found this wonderful little place to take some engagement photos.
Scott, like a lot of men I encounter, was a little reluctant. But surprisingly, he was a good sport.

Scott and Angie, I can't wait until next month. I hope you're taking some time for yourselves during all of this wedding planning. Love you both!

the kemps

2008-07-24T06:59:00.000-06:00

I met Evan and Erin at the Chapel on the Creeks for some anniversary photos. We were greeted with a " Photographers keep out unless you have a permit" sign. This was news to me. I've been there a few times with no problems, so we improvised with the surrounding legal territory.

Evan and Erin, Thanks for dinner and Happy Anniversary! I can't believe it's already been a year! And Erin, thanks for introducing me to Red Wine, Sangria, a little French, and a little fashion. I can't wait to take pictures for your 10th anniversary!

The Millers

2008-07-22T06:51:00.001-06:00

Meet the Miller family. Bethany, one of many daughters in this huge family, set up our day quite well. She made my job of photographing 31 people a lot of fun.

I'm a little in love with this picture. This daughter's husband saw her building this fence when she was a girl, and he fell in love!

Thanks for a great morning, Miller family. And thanks to you especially Bethany for all your hard work!

me,myself, and Emily

2008-07-19T05:36:00.001-06:00

Emily is a hoot. We had so much fun during her short stay. We cooked, went swimming, she tried sushi for the first time, (she was a brave soul even trying Wasabi) watched movies, shopped, played a million board games (she's pretty good at Jenga) requested a song about Butts from the kids station, tried the Velvet Elvis from Kennedy Coffee where Tom Kennedy himself made our drinks....YUMMY and most importantly, had a mini-photo lesson. At first the idea was that I would take most of the pictures of Emily and let her take a few of me as well. As it turned out, she ended up doing most of the work. She's amazing! I was super impressed and even used some of the pictures for my new "about kim" section in each of the sites.

This picture was an homage to one we had taken when Emily was about 7 years old back when we had many photo shoots.

It was fantastic to have some pictures for myself. Emily did such a great job directing me and making me feel comfortable. I'm so proud to have these.

She had so many great questions. One was about "heavenly back light". I wasn't the expert I thought I was, but we learned a little together. This was one of my favorites.

Emaline, you're truly wonderful and a delight! Thanks for taking some great pictures and being such a sweet cousin to the kids. I love you, and keep up the practice!

birthdays and blackberries

2008-07-18T05:03:00.003-06:00

On Sunday, Jacob had a wonderful birthday party with family and friends. He was thrilled with his gifts and on Monday, he quickly spent some of his birthday money! Thanks Rachel for taking pictures for me at the party. And thanks to everyone who came and spent time with Jacob!

After the party, our niece Emily stayed with us for a couple of days. She had said (with her cutest accent) "Aunt Kim, I think I want to be a photographer....and a chef." So, for breakfast, we practiced the latter. Diana gave us some yummy blackberries and we made pancakes. She's a natural!

I can't wait to show you the results from her practice photography session!

Ooh la la...

2008-07-16T21:50:00.000-06:00

I've slowly been adding to my portfolio of personal pictures. I'll be updating this section on the website soon. Aren't these ladies gorgeous!!?? I had a lot of fun working with them, and I think they had a lot of fun too!

7...really?!

2008-07-10T16:18:00.005-06:00

I'm not sure how it happened, but I woke up this morning with a 7 year old son. We had such a good day filled with Jacob's favorite foods and junk foods. We went to Build-a-Bear with Emma and they had a blast. They were both so appreciative which makes giving over my life's savings to this store worth it.

Here's Jacob a couple of years ago when he was still my little boy. Yes those are goggles!

And this is a him being a little more serious. He let me take a few pictures of him in the moments before he went to bed.

And I couldn't resist, I had to say goodnight to him a couple more times, and this is what I found him doing. He was reading by flashlight....he's still my little guy I think.

audrie...and family

2008-07-08T21:15:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, I met Jamie, Rachel, and Audrie for some family pictures. Rachel found this beautiful setting, and we headed out with Audrie in tow. She was a good sport for the whole thing.

Afterwards as a thank you, I was treated to a delicious root beer float. I think this is becoming sort of a tradition.

Jamie and Rachel, it has been so much fun watching your family grow from 2 to 3. Thanks for letting me spend some time with this sweet baby girl!....and both of you of course....

fireworks and fevers

2008-07-07T20:46:00.005-06:00

This forth of July didn't go exactly as I planned. I was in bed all day with a fever and lots of pain from a kidney infection. Nathan and the kids took great care of me, and by 4:00 I was ready to join the world...sort of. My neighbor Lori took great care of me too by providing some extra strength tylenol which seemed to do the trick. The boys cooked us dinner and we sat outside watching the kids and the dad's trying not to blow off their fingers. We had a lot of fun really. I'm finally back and feeling better.
Here's the card Emma made for me. Maybe this is really what did the trick.

My favorite line from the day came from Anna after the kids used some very colorful smoke bombs. To her Dad, "There's good news and bad news. I'm having a lot of fun, but you may have to get a new driveway!"

Jacob is a little pyro...and he was excited all day that we were letting him get this close to fire.

Hope you all had a happy Independence Day!

The Grandys

2008-07-01T21:40:00.000-06:00

Last month I met Jacob's soccer coach and his family for a session at the Chapel in Bella Vista.
These boys are so well behaved and adorable!

Thanks Scott and Kelley for a great soccer year and for sharing your family with me!

check it.....

2008-06-25T21:44:00.006-06:00

I'm so excited to finally have our new website ready to share. It's the same address as the old one, but we've added a site dedicated to all things weddings. Hopefully this will make it a little easier for brides and grooms. This also means that I have extra room on our regular site for more family, baby, and maternity pics. So, after you've checked out the new addition, take a gander at our "life" site to see all of our updates.
I'll be out of town for a few days, but feel free to leave a comment....I'll comment back as soon as I get home!

on the farm.

2008-06-24T09:45:00.003-06:00

Last week I took my 3 nephews and Jacob to visit my dad.
I felt a little bit like I was in a country music song. We spent time at the creek, built a campfire, and witnessed a"strawberry moon" . The best part though was going to the old drive in theatre. The kids got stockpiles of candy and spent most of the movie in a sugar coma. I also spent about an hour filling 200 water balloons, we had some car trouble...oh, and I got stuck behind a chemical spill on my way home! I don't remember those ever being in a country song.

There's a trick to photographing the moon...clearly I'm not efficient in this.

This is not on my dad's farm, but it's a picture I've been meaning to share....

Father's day

2008-06-17T21:45:00.000-06:00

Meet the Pinolt girls. They were so cute trying to surprise their dad for father's day with a photo slideshow of them.
I hope everyone had a great Father's Day. I'll have more to post soon of our own big day with Nathan.

Amy's girls were a hoot. I think this picture sums that up. It reminded me of an old picture, and thanks to an easy photoshop action, the second picture is how I saw this.

Amy, you and girls are beautiful! Thanks for braving the terrible weather with me. It was worth every minute!

The Garvins

2008-06-13T19:19:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending a rainy morning with the Garvins.

Brandy's home is so wonderfully decorated. (It inspired me to rearrange a few things when I got home=) I think you can tell how comfy it is here by the way these brothers rolled around. They were a ton of fun!

A field...and a horse...who could ask for more?!

Shannon and Brandy, thanks for walking through the tall wet grass with me. Your boys are beautiful! I hope I see you again for Christmas pictures!

baby burrow

2008-06-07T15:34:00.009-06:00

This is the Burrow family. My kids like to call Jim "Dr. Jim" and so that's how we refer to him at our house.
RememberEmily's session? How time flies...I had so much fun with this tiny boy. He's so sweet!

I love Jim's face as he's inspecting Ben's little toes.

Ben has had a lot of loving family visitors.

and yes, those are Air Jordans

Jim had a spark of amazing creativity when he thought of taking this awesome painting off the wall and using it with Ben. We thought the crying really added to the drama.

And this last one is my favorite picture of all. This sums up how I feel about Jim and Emily's house. It's so inviting and comfortable.

Thank you guys so much. You've done a lovely job with this boy. I can't wait to watch him grow and to hopefully capture those moments for years to come!

lovely girl.

2008-06-03T10:37:00.001-06:00

We've had such a great year in first grade thanks to Jacob's teacher. Luckily, I got to spend some time a couple of weeks ago with her sweet little girl. This is Andie, and she is certainly as lovely as her mother.

"Mrs. Pledger" =), I can't say enough about how wonderful you've made our lives this year. Thanks for sharing your daughter with me!

Sunday Morning

2008-06-01T15:40:00.000-06:00

Another Sunday morning. Another beautiful family.

Terry and Kimberly, thanks for sticking with all the bad weather re-schedules. I think it paid off!
Your family is lovely!

Our Champ.

2008-05-26T08:27:00.000-06:00

When Jacob first signed up for soccer, our only real hopes were that he learn how to pay attention, listen to a coach, and be part of a team. Well, he did a little better than that....his team won the championship!
Now, I realize this is a team for 7 year olds, but still, it's a championship!!!
(Dog pile on the coach!)

(Jacob is still telling everyone about how he got a trophy AND a medal.)

This picture is from a couple of years ago. We're so proud of our little boy who is growing up way too fast. He will be 7 soon.
Can you believe it!!???

Happy Birthday Grady!

2008-05-21T10:26:00.003-06:00

I spent a morning with my best friend Dana and her sweet family last month. Her youngest son Grady was turning ONE and we celebrated with a chocolate cake and pictures. He was so cute digging into his huge piece that he had all to himself.

Here are Grady's two older brothers. They are stinkin' adorable! Dana, I don't know how you ever stop laughing with these guys around.

Ben and Dana, I love your family. You're such amazing parents. Thanks for a great piece of chocolate cake!

Mr. and Mrs. Green

2008-05-17T16:02:00.005-06:00

Scott and Saprina were married on May 3rd at Eagle Heights Baptist Church. Their ceremony was so meaningful and had me holding back tears the whole time.

Scott and Saprina, I really enjoyed spending this day with you. I've had so much fun peeking into your lives these last few months, and I can truly say that I love you both!

Happy MothARRs Day!!!!!

2008-05-11T19:26:00.006-06:00

I had a great Mother's day today. It started with a delicious breakfast with our neighbors. Then 8 hours and 4 snakes later, I had my mother's day gift......a clean back yard! Nathan and our neighbor Scott worked really hard on it and I can't wait to enjoy our hammock again!

(this picture was from our friend's pirate party last weekend)

I have the best kids in the world (of course) and I love that there's a day every year that helps me remember that. I'm so lucky! They both have a great sense of humor. They're both creative and thoughtful. They were both very quick to wish me a happy day today. It's been a good day!

And last but not least...my mom: This picture says it all for me. One of my recent favorites. This is her a "few" years ago with my uncle Donny. I love you mom!

The blushing bride.

2008-05-05T11:41:00.007-06:00

With the help of good weather, a creative bride and her sister, and some awesome scenery, this was a perfect bridal shoot. Scott and Saprina's wedding was this weekend, and now that their wedding is over, I can show off Saprina's pictures.

This girl is so creative! She found this old hotel near a beautiful field. The hotel was a little creepy, and I love it!

No worries, we didn't actually go on this person's property....we just went next door to this gorgeous field.

Saprina, I hope you're enjoying your honeymoon! I can't wait for you to see your wedding pictures!

Mr. and Mrs. Kaufmann

2008-05-02T06:23:00.000-06:00

Stacy and Stephen were married in April at the wonderful Cresent Hotel in Eureka Springs. Even the weather cooperated to make this a perfect day.

Stacy and Stephen, your wedding was just as beautiful and sweet as your family! Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day.

A Sunday Kind of Love....

2008-04-22T08:25:00.007-06:00

I'm so in-love with these beautiful people. Saprina and Scott are so genuine. She found this delicious place for their engagement pictures where we enjoyed a warm Sunday afternoon and a bit of a hike!
This first picture is one of my favorites. You can see how sincere Scott is. Aren't they lovely together!

If you look closely, you can see the shape of a heart on this huge tree. Perfect!

Scott and Saprina, thank you so much for a wonderful time. Your happiness is contagious and uplifting. I can't wait for your wedding!!!!

bun in the oven...

2008-04-15T12:33:00.004-06:00

Last week I was invited to Jim and Emily's fabulous and cozy home for a belly session. Emily is a beautiful glowing mommy-to-be if I've ever seen one.

This home had some amazing places for shooting, and I think we took advantage of most of them. The rest, we'll save for when baby Ben is actually here.

These last two pictures are my favorite from the day. This first one reminds me a little of the picture at the end of "The Family Stone."

And although we planned this picture, I got the feeling that this could easily be a scene from their everyday life. (that's Molly in the corner. She's beautiful!)

Thanks so much Jim and Emily. I can't wait to meet your wonderful baby!

birthday boy

2008-04-08T19:24:00.007-06:00

We've been a little busy lately. Sometimes I feel like I'm becoming a cliche of the "busy soccer mom", but that's okay with me most days. This past weekend we celebrated Nathan's birthday with another busy day including a visit to meet our new nephew, a soccer game, a baby shower, and finally games in the Man-loft at his sister's house. He was a little over dramatic with blowing out all ONE candle that I had for his cake.

Seth...enjoying the birthday bash.

Sunday morning, Jacob said, "Can today just not be a big day, and we can just stay home and play outside or something?"
We thought that was a good idea. Nathan hung a hammock up for us and we had a very 'not-big' day. Jacob was too busy collecting rocks to be in any pictures, but soon, it will be his turn to shine.

school of love....

2008-04-01T14:23:00.000-06:00

Last week I met Matt and Sara at UofA for their engagement shoot. They were a lot of fun, but I realized how out-of-shape I really am when my legs hurt the next day from all of our walking. Aren't they adorable?

Thanks Matt and Sara for a great day. You're so cute, and I can't wait for your wedding!

a crazy night.

2008-03-29T07:51:00.006-06:00

On Thursday night, our little family packed up our gear to go to Jacob's first soccer game of the new season. We headed away from the storm near our house to the beautiful weather at the soccer park. We weren't there very long when all the talking and whistles and noise from the games stopped to hear the tornado sirens. One of the officials ran through the fields yelling for the parents to get out of the park because of lightning and a possible tornado. That really wasn't that scary. What was eerie though, was seeing hundreds and hundreds of parents grabbing their kids and running off the fields to their cars. It was like a scary movie. We had to wait in our truck for a long time before we could get out of our spot. When we did finally drive back to town, our truck was hit with hail so loud that we couldn't even hear each other talking. Here's what we found when everything calmed down. The kids were sure school would be cancelled because of all the ice.=)

another year older.....

2008-03-26T18:46:00.003-06:00

This year's birthday was a little special because it was on Easter Sunday. It has never and will never be on Easter again as long as I live. To celebrate, Nathan and I went on a little date to a great Mexican restaurant in Harrison and then headed to a little get-together with some new friends. We had so much fun and at the stroke of midnight, I was serenaded with "Happy Birthday". On Sunday, my mom cooked a big meal complete with my favorite fried okra and a yummy chocolate cake.
Then, today my favorite UPS man delivered my birthday present from Nathan. Meet my new shootsac . I love her. She's my new best friend and will accompany me to many weddings.

I had to do some self-portraits with me and my new friend.

I also got a birthday haircut from Kristy. I love it!

Despite a few of Nathan's 'over-the-hill' jokes and the Subway lady truly mistaking Nathan for my SON, I still feel young.....for another year at-least.

Baby Cole

2008-03-12T00:03:00.000-06:00

I recently spent a lovely Saturday morning with this wonderful baby boy. He's too cute for words!

Thank you Rhonald and Jenny for sharing your incredibly adorable baby with me!

Princess for a day...or everyday.

2008-03-11T07:46:00.004-06:00

Saturday Emma had a little princess party. There were lots of tiara's and fluffy dresses, screaming and running around, a few tears, and only three broken potted plants. Really a good day all around.

We had many lovely princesses.

Out of all the cute princess cakes with princess stuff doused all over them, Emma chose a Hannah Montana cupcake-cake in the shape of a guitar. We still have cupcakes in the fridge if anyone wants to come over for dessert.

Happy Birthday to my favorite princess!

Happy Happy Birthday Baby!

2008-03-06T07:32:00.006-06:00

It seems like just yesterday that Rachel was on the phone with 911 while Nathan was delivering this 10lb baby girl on the bathroom floor of our tiny apartment! With Emma's birthday this week, she has asked to hear that story over and over. It's been all about her for a few days now and I'm not sure if she's ready for that to end. Her birthday morning started with pancakes complete with candles, and after school we had a little photo shoot. These "poses" were all Emma's idea. She's such a ham.

After gymnastics, we came home to a very neighborly birthday party where 'Mrs. Lori' cooked Emma's favorite meal, and Anna made some cute signs. We had cake and opened presents. Can a girl have too much attention?

Anna covering Emma's eyes so we could surprise her with her gift.

This is a fake reaction, but I think it's cute. (Emma's idea of course.)

Countdown....

2008-03-02T09:24:00.003-06:00

We have had a few countdowns going on in our house this week. One for Jacob's school play, one for Emma who was starting gymnastics, one for Emma's birthday next week, and one for her birthday party at the end of next week. Emma will give you an update whenever she sees you whether you want one or not.
Emma loved going to gym last week. She's been wearing her leo and dancing around ever since.

And Jacob did a great job singing in his school musical "BuGz". Well, I think he did. We never did see him during the actual performance. His class had to sit on the floor out of site.

Here was our view.

sweet, sweet baby

2008-02-26T15:16:00.007-06:00

It's been a few posts since I've shared pictures of Audrie. I haven't changed my mind about her. She's still beautiful and wonderful and sweet in every way. It's nice to have such a cute member of the family to help me build my baby gallery.

Emma is still loving this girl too. This was the first day they met, and Emma was singing her some of her favorite songs.

a winter zoo.

2008-02-25T16:14:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been noticing all the animals attracted to our yard. We have lots of squirrels, little moles, and some rabbits here and there. But recently, we've had a bird who pecks on the same window for a while before going around to every window and pecking on each one. We've also had quite a mix of different birds in our yard at the same time. We must be a little wormy.
Then, last Saturday Jacob and I had the flu. We were up pretty early that morning and I was on my way to the kitchen when I saw 7 deer in the front yard. I'm not sure why I'm always impressed by them because I guess they're pretty common. It was nice to watch them for a while before they noticed me moving around. They seemed to stay around for a long time.

These pictures aren't exactly National Geographic, but they'll do.

Today, this guy made a lot of noise. I'm just glad he's not the one pecking on our windows.

our flu bug.

2008-02-21T16:45:00.004-06:00

I can finally see the light at the end of this stuffy, headachy, nauseated, tunnel called the flu.
Jacob and I have had it this last week. I don't think our house and my work (or my hair) have been this neglected in a long time.
I'm so glad to have some energy back, and I have to admit that it was kind of nice to be curled up on the couch with the kids watching movies for a little while. Thankfully, Nathan and Emma didn't get this nastyness, and they took great care of us.
Clearly Emma tried to entertain herself. Doesn't she make a great super-hero?!

She even learned to fly. (she had been watching Peter Pan)

good morning.

2008-02-15T22:05:00.000-06:00

I've been slowly shuffling through my photo library. I started with over 20,000 pictures and am trying to weed some out and re-organize some important files into a new 'back-up' system Nathan set up for me. So, I've been coming across some cute pictures that I've forgotten about. Here's one of Emma in the morning. I couldn't pass up a picture of this hair.

After a stressful day of Wal-Mart, school parties, and a sick kid, we cancelled our dinner plans and ordered pizza.
It was much more family friendly which is how we've spent the past few romantic holidays. The kids loved it and really, I did too.
Jacob was up all night telling me he was dying. He feels better today, but this picture sort of sums up how I feel this morning. Hope you all had a great Valentines Day!

a few blessings.

2008-02-12T10:35:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Soujanya invited me to her daughter's "Sari Ceremony". This is Sri Vaishnavi. She will be 13 soon and this was a celebration for her friends and family to bless her. It was so amazing and beautiful to watch. I think it's wonderful to start a girl's teenage years with so many positive thoughts and prayers sent her way. Maybe by the time Emma is this age, I will have thought of my own version of this.

I was so impressed by the beautiful saris and jewelry.

The guests were invited to say a blessing while sprinkling rice. I even got a turn.

Soujanya, thank you so much for letting me be a part of this night!

Stuck on you....

2008-02-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

I have some great pictures of other things to share, but I just can't help it...I'm stuck on this adorable new addition toRachel and Jamie's family.

a baby story....

2008-02-06T16:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday at 12:44 my newest niece Audrie was born right in front of my camera...which is how it should be of course! I was in awe of Rachel the whole time. I'll let Rachel decide which labor pictures she wants to share, but let me just say that she was a "rock star" as Jamie kept telling everyone. It was a marvelous experience to watch Audrie's birth and to photograph her new family through all my tears. This delightful baby girl is perfect in every way. She has a tiny bit of what I think is curly black hair. She has her daddy's big mouth and her mommy's long piano-playing fingers. And her toes......well, see for yourself.

Jamie, Rachel, and baby Audrie, I love you so much and I'm so thankful that you let me be a part of such a full and tender few hours of your lives. From Audrie's favorite Aunt...Kim (if I say it enough, maybe she'll think it's true;)

frosty.

2008-02-03T14:48:00.000-06:00

We had a nice long weekend. It started early with a few inches of snow and ended with great sunny weather. The snow was perfect for building a snowman. The kids each rolled a huge snowball, and we finished decorating his face just before we started getting too cold. We enjoyed snow ice cream, guitar hero, pizza, lots of movies, and Go Fish. I think we're all ready for school to start back up and get back into a normal week.

time with the family.

2008-02-01T16:43:00.000-06:00

While in Marshal, our family headed to the best little restaurant in town, "Daisy Queen". I remember going here when I was little as a special treat on our way home from visiting my grandparents.

I thought this was a great section-title...."Other things of Iterest". Why didn't they just call it, "And by the way".....

Clearly, the boys were excited about being here.

Not many of my pictures turned out from the night, but I really liked this one of my brother and Angie. They're so cute!

Dorothy Bell

2008-01-30T22:54:00.000-06:00

My Grandma Dorothy past away last Friday. I took the kids out of school for Tuesday, and we headed to stay with my dad for a little while. The funeral was really nice and it was even nicer to get to see that side of the family and to spend time at my dad's farm. Here is one of my favorite pictures of my grandma. Nathan and I fixed this with a bit of photoshop. It's still a little rough, but I like the way it turned out.

I snapped these as I was loading up the truck to head home. My dad grew up on this farm, and we grew up staying the night in this house and listening to the rooster wake us up in the morning. My favorite memory here is of a huge apple tree that my grandpa would reach up to the limbs and shake for us. We'd be stocked with 50 green apples for the rest of our stay. The tree is gone now, but I'm glad my kids get to stay there sometimes and make their own memories.

a little change...

2008-01-27T12:45:00.000-06:00

Right before Christmas I lost a few inches of hair. It's the shortest I think it's ever been. Here's a 'before' that Rachel took for me last fall. And here's an 'after' of my new hair that my sister cut for me. I guess the 'after' picture doesn't really show off the shortness that much, but it's the best one I've got. I'm happy to have hair that I don't have an option of sticking in a pony tail. I was stuck in that mode for too long. And another change that was a-long-time-coming is that we finally got new phone numbers. So, if you need to get in-touch, check out our contact info and say hello.

Cutie Patootie.

2008-01-24T09:34:00.000-06:00

I was putting together an order this morning and ran accross these. Aren't these little guys so cute?! And I'm sure as they grow up, they'll be so thankful that their mom's can show these pictures to their friends....

The Cobbler's children have no shoes....

2008-01-16T17:31:00.000-06:00

I think it's time for me to print some pictures of my children. I have neglected my own need for current prints in my home.
I love having pictures of them as babies and toddlers all around, but it's time for an update. I guess I'll just switch out a few.
This also means that it's time to take a few pictures of them. Last week they were very cooperative.....for about 2 minutes!

a little face lift.....

2008-01-12T01:04:00.000-06:00

With the arrival of the New Year everything seems to need a little lifting. So, we started with the blog. And by 'We' of course I mean Nathan.
I think he did a great job finding and modifying this template. I really love it! I still can't believe how lucky I am to live with my tech guy!

a big family.....

2008-01-08T09:12:00.001-06:00

My last shoot for 2007 was wonderful. Cyndi's girls and their families flew down from Canada for a holiday visit...which apparently turned out to be quite a trip with most of them getting in the morning of these photos...without their luggage! I kept thinking to myself the entire time, "Can these people be real?" They are so attractive!

Thanks Bensons and family! I hope your trip home went as planned. And Cyndi, I can't say it enough, your family is GORGEOUS!

just a couple

2008-01-05T17:11:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick one from a shoot that I did right before Christmas......

Thanks Marisa, I hope your family loves their gift!

Happy Birthday Jaxon

2008-01-04T07:52:00.000-06:00

Before the holidays, I spent a morning with Jaxon and his Mom on his birthday. She brought a cake and we had a lot of fun.
He's so adorable!

This is easily my favorite shot from that morning.

Mindy, thanks for sharing Jaxon with me on his birthday!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

2008-01-01T09:20:00.001-06:00

a little recovery

2007-12-31T17:56:00.000-06:00

FOUR boxes of tissues, a mop and a trash can disinfected and drying on the porch, a few extra loads of laundry, and a lot of cleaning and spraying and disinfecting....
We're all finally starting to recover from our holiday illnesses. I can't remember us ever being this sick at the same time.

Our meds.

twas the night before christmas....

2007-12-27T18:39:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is actually Christmas Eve. We spent a few hours with Nathan's family enjoying all of their traditions. We open our matching pajamas and take a group picture. Then we drink egg nog out of Nathan's great-grandma's jelly and oat glasses (at least I think that's what they are.) One of my favorite traditions though is opening a big box from Nathan's Aunt Dru. This year's theme was "The Night Before Christmas". We each got to unwrap a few small gifts from the box. I love this even more than the kids do I think!

This is my favorite glass.

After our own Christmas morning activities, we headed back over to Nathan's mom's for Christmas brunch, and.........
Jacob climbed a tree. He was stuck about 20 ft. up. If you look closely, you'll notice the expression on his face.

Stone was helping me feel the full drama of the situation. He told me that if that was him up there, his mom would be freaking out, not grabbing her camera! But Nathan had the rescue under control.

Now we're recovering from all the traveling between our house and my mom's and his moms and our big adventures. The kids and I are pretty sick. Nathan is on vacation so he's taking good care of us. Also, we got a Wii for Christmas so we've been distracted from our pain by Guitar Hero. Merry Christmas!!!!!!

7 years....

2007-12-20T17:32:00.000-06:00

We celebrated our 7 year anniversary last weekend. Thanks to Nathan's sister Denise, we had a lovely weekend at Big Cedar. It was wonderful! On Saturday though, I thought we were going to relive our wedding day with a terrible winter storm. But just as quick as it started, it stopped.
Nathan took these lovely Branson pictures of us braving the storm....

This was the view from our room.

On Sunday, we met Denise and Rob for brunch at Devil's Pool where we enjoyed every breakfast food imaginable...and unlimited mimosas.
Rob snapped this picture of us. I wish I had dressed up as nice as I had on Saturday, but this was "I'm-cold-and-already-married-Kim".

Thanks Rob and Denise for a great weekend!

bellies.

2007-12-17T16:12:00.000-06:00

I'm working on a new gallery for the website dedicated to maternity.
Here's a preview of mostly just the bellies....and they mostly belong to Rachel.
If you or someone you know need maternity pictures, I will give $25 off the normal session fee in January to help fill this section.

so photogenic

2007-12-14T15:53:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, we caught a break in the freezing rain, and the Tarps braved the cold for some pictures. This winter sky makes for some great lighting. (And it helps that these kids are super photogenic.) I think Haley and Ashlyn are going to teach their little brother Hudson how to pose any day now!

Tarp family, thanks for freezing your tails off with me!

Emily and her Dad.

2007-12-12T14:40:00.000-06:00

This is Emily and her Dad, Darrell. We lucked out before all of this rain started and had a great afternoon shoot.
Darrell kept Emily laughing the whole time which made my job pretty easy.
Isn't she lovely!? ...and those eyelashes!!!!!!

Thanks Darrell and Emily for letting me take your pictures!

They grow up so fast...

2007-12-10T10:52:00.000-06:00

Jacob's class was featured in his schools weekly round-up where they performed the song (and dance) "Frosty the Snowman".
His big scene came when he had to put the hat on Frosty "there must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found, for when they placed it on his head...." cue Jacob. I loved it. I cheered like he was on Broadway. He's growing up so fast. The other day when he had a friend over, he called him "dude" almost the entire time. He also insists on calling Nathan and me "Mom and Dad" instead of mommy and daddy.....it's the end of an era!
And yesterday, on our way home from the store, he asked "Mom, are you and Daddy ever going to break up?" Such an innocent question. I assured him that I loved Dad very much, and it would be really hard to break up with him because I thought he was pretty smart and handsome. Jacob said, "well, if I was a girl, I wouldn't break up with him. He's really good at playing the X-box."

And Emma. What am I going to do with her?! She's been coming up with things from who knows where. The other day, Nathan and Jacob were wrestling, and Emma jumped off the coffee table onto the doggie pile and said, "don't make me do this!" She's 4 people!!!! Well, she would correct me, 4 1/2!

(she had just eaten some cinnamon rolls)

BFF

2007-12-05T09:01:00.000-06:00

I didn't used to be a big fan of Myspace or Facebook, but they have really grown on me. I've found friends from school who I probably wouldn't have seen until my 10 year reunion if it hadn't been for these networking sites.
Beth is one of those friends. In fact, Beth was one of my first best friends. In First Grade, her phone number was the first friend's who I'd ever memorized. (I still remember it!)
It was so nice to meet up with Beth a couple of weekends ago on a freezing cold Saturday morning. We went to a friend's farm and I followed little Blake around while he explored. He's adorable!

I love photoshop and use it on almost every picture I feel is worth keeping. I've heard it's like the icing on a cupcake, and I totally agree. I love this photoshop old school action which adds a lot of distortion and texture. It's one of my favorites, but I try to use it sparingly. I love the way Blake was standing in this. It reminded me of an old picture, hence the old schooliness!

Beth, thanks for sharing Blake with me and freezing our tails off for a bit!

Finally, a blog post!

2007-12-01T20:49:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted. It seems like I'm finally getting into a good routine and workflow.
It's time to share these beautiful girls!
I had so much fun, and I'm hoping we get to take some more very soon.

Thanks Denise and Rob for sharing these beautiful girls with me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T08:51:00.000-06:00

I have so much to be thankful for, and I'll post some pictures of my family soon, but for today, here's a beautiful family full of red heads.
This is one of my best friends, Dana and her family. We talk on the phone almost every day. If we talk under 36 minutes, I know it must be a busy day. Sometimes I don't know how she does it with all her boys. My favorite thing I've ever heard her say to her boys while we were on the phone was, "NO...Don't ride on the cat!" She's really such a great and inspiring mom. She spends so much of her time making sure they're happy and balanced, and I think it shows.
They're such a beautiful and fun family.

Here's Benjamin. (Doesn't he look so "Blue Steel" here?!)

And this is Tyler, he's so cute and has a great sense of humor! (Grady is equally cute. He didn't get a solo moment in this series, but don't worry, I'll be sure to capture one of his beautiful smiles next time.)

Thanks Burns family for all your love and support, and for letting me take your family photos. I love you!
Happy Thanksgiving!

marshmallows

2007-11-20T08:30:00.000-06:00

This is another one of my beautiful sister-in-laws, Carolyn and her family. They came all the way from Hawaii for a visit and to celebrate the holidays with Nathan's huge family. Before we had the big Thanksgiving get-together, we used Diana's colorful yard and then headed to the park in Fayetteville for some family pictures. Carolyn is such a great mom. When all else failed, she pulled the classic, "I have a marshmallow in my pocket..." it made Rumi smile, and it made my job much easier. When he realized the marshmallows were actually at home and not in her pocket....well, we all just had a juice box instead. I had so much fun chasing Rumi around. This family is so gorgeous!

Thank you Carolyn, Darren, and especially Rumi for letting me take your pictures!

early Thanksgiving bliss....

2007-11-18T22:29:00.000-06:00

This Saturday, we had an early Lowery Thanksgiving. Nathan's 10 of the 12 siblings were in attendance. We had a lot of fun eating, watching the girls put on a magic show, and listening to Darren play the ukulele.
I have a few more pictures to share of Carolyn, Darren, and Rumi who were in from Hawaii. I was lucky enough to get to take their family pictures. I'll share some soon. Happy early Thanksgiving!

(Our view from the lodge.)

She's growing up!

2007-11-16T07:52:00.000-06:00

Lately Emma has been exhibiting teenage-like behavior.
She's been saying things like, "MOM, that's not even what I said."

However, the other day she did say something very cute.
"I'm going to have 13 boyfriends when I grow up."
I told her I thought that was too many so she changed
her goal to 10. Then we asked her how many husbands
and children she was going to have. Her numbers were
something like 86 and 58. So, I asked her how she was
going to cook for all her husbands. She thought for a
quick moment and said,
"I'll just have my 10 boyfriends help me."

These were taken on a dress-up day earlier this year. She was in a very dramatic mood. Nathan thinks she watches too much of the afternoon Disney Channel......I'm starting to agree.

a cute belly

2007-11-14T09:44:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder that I do all sorts of photography, from engagements, weddings, personal, pregnancy, birth photos, babies, kids, families, to pets.
This is baby Fenton...well, still growing.
Thanks Rebecca for letting me be your first photographer!
(Bellies are my favorites!)

good girls

2007-11-13T09:23:00.000-06:00

I had a lovely Sunday morning with Tamara and her girls. They're sending their Dad some pictures of them to keep him company while he is away starting his new job and waiting on them to finish up the school year and join him.

I love little Rylee. She humored me and my corny jokes and kept me smiling.

And Sydney is so beautiful and kept a smile on her face the whole time even though she was feeling a little under-the-weather.

Part of my stratagy for getting "just a couple more" shots is to bribe the kids with this. "When we're finished, you can take a picture too!" Sometimes it works, but rarely does the picture turn out to be great! Kuddos Riley!

Thanks Tamera for sharing your girls and their fantastic smiles with me!

An Engagement.

2007-11-06T11:47:00.000-06:00

Last week I got to spend some time with Stacy and her fiance. She's getting married next year which is coming up pretty fast!
We took a stroll around the Roger's square and had to be careful to avoid a few other photographers who had the same great ideas that we did. I had a lot of fun though, and Stacy looked so happy with Stephen.
Congratulations! I can't wait to shoot your wedding.

Good DNA

2007-11-04T16:38:00.000-06:00

So maybe I'm a little partial, but I think these Lowery boys make the most beautiful children.
This is one of Nathan's 6 brothers, Eric and his lovely family.

I'm sure Trista had something to do with this too.....

And Emily...she just can't escape the Lowery eyes.
She's so beautiful. (makes me a little nervous for her teenage years, but luckily she's a smart girl!)

trick or treat!

2007-11-02T10:20:00.001-06:00

Pizza, a quick pumkin carving, a last minute costume for mom, green makeup on everything, some impatience, and lots of candy.....it wouldn't be Halloween if it wasn't hectic.

I know this is a little after-the-fact, but we've been busy the last couple of days.

Could they be any cuter!?

2007-10-28T23:23:00.001-06:00

I graduated high-school with Tara and she grew up to have the cutest little family.
We got to catch up while Gavin finished up his nap, and
when he woke up, he was in a beautiful mood.
He is adorable and was all smiles. He flirted with me the whole time!

I love when a client finds a cool backdrop for our photo shoot, and Tara was no exception. She scoped out a beautiful barn, and we knocked on the door of the nearest home to ask permission to be on this property. Thankfully, we were granted access.

Thanks Tara, Steven, and Gavin for a beautiful afternoon!