2012 is off to a beautiful start, wouldn’t you agree?

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‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
A Photographer’s Story 

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a computer was plugged in, not even the mouse.
The orders were packaged and ready for mail, everything was processed–including that last final sale.
All sneak-peeks were posted and galleries shown, all prints and CD’s were on their way home.

A glass of wine in my hand and slippers on my feet, I had just settled down for an evening treat.
A night without levels and curves and raw files, no sessions to edit, no cloning in smiles.
My work was all done, all sessions completed. And now in front of the TV I was seated.

What show should I watch? What shall I do? It took me a moment and just then I knew.
Up from the couch I flew like a flash, and into the office I ran with a dash.
Onto the chair I landed with a flop, opened up that folder on my computer’s desktop.

Just one more image, just one more edit. I had to do it, I wouldn’t regret it.
“What are you doing? I thought you were done?” called my husband, wondering why I had run.
“I’ll be there in a minute, I have one thing to do,” as I opened up Photoshop I guessed that he knew.

A photographer’s work is never completed as was made evident by where I was seated.
The desire to design and drive to create is something that is every photographer’s trait.
So even though my “work” may be done, I’ll continue to snap and to edit for fun.

So here’s one more image for 2011, though I’m sure there will be more between now and then.
Because I love what I do and I’m blessed beyond measure, here’s my newest niece, such a sweet little treasure.
Merry Christmas from the Squires, it’s been a great year. Thank you to everyone who helped get me here.

Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas as we celebrate our Savior’s birth!

And while at times I might feel like I’m underwater and will never get all the things on my to-do list accomplished, I think about all the new moms that come through my studio with their newborns. No one is busier than a brand new mama. I remember feeling like it was a good day if I was showered before 4:00pm. And teeth brushing was an added bonus! And the mommy of these beautiful boys is much busier than I am, no doubt. With a two year old daughter and two sweet little guys who were born under 30 weeks, I’m sure her life is much busier than mine has ever been. But it’s the best kind of busy out there. And I feel so honored that in the busyness of life she took time out to bring her little ones to my studio. To press the pause button in the midst of the busyness and freeze time in the form of a photograph.

completely stunned at what’s just been said.

And at that moment I realized that he was more than just an extension of me.

He was more than just my six year old son.

He was his own individual person.

He was Jacob.

And I was his completely and utterly embarrassing mom.

When Jacob had told me a few weeks back about a little girl in his class (a second grader, at that) and how she was shorter than he was, had long hair, and that he “tried to talk to her, but she never noticed” him, it didn’t dawn on me that he was confiding in me. I thought he was just telling me about a little crush. So when I announced over dinner a couple of week’s later that I had talked to her mom on the field trip and she said how cute he was and that it was adorable that he liked her daughter, his reaction stunned me. His look of complete betrayal shocked me. And his statement, “I should have never told you that” absolutely broke my heart.

And at that moment I became the uncool, clueless, and embarrassing parent.

I’m sure I have many more years to wear this title. I know all the new parents who come through my studio hear it so much already, but I always make a point to tell them not to wish any stage away. The sleep deprivation. The endless feedings. The mounds of laundry. While it seems like an eternity while you’re in it, I promise it is so incredibly fleeting.

And apparently the window of “coolness” as a parent is also much more fleeting that I originally thought. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Um, can I get my copay back please?

So this year I promised myself and my family to take on a more balanced approach to the busy holiday season. And so far it’s been great–minus the fact that by the end of every night I look like I have a bad case of pink eye. Luckily all of these little eye problems are temporary and merely minor annoyances, but I guess it is good in a way to have something set limits for you–especially when it’s apparent you can’t be trusted to do it yourself.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting all the beautiful babies that I haven’t had the opportunity to blog yet. There have been some amazing little lives that have come into the studio and if this is what I’ve been so busy with, then I think it’s the best kind of busy out there, don’t you?