Francesca comes to visit.

     I thought I better get these photos up before I have a ton more photos from her visit this coming week! I'm having fun looking back at all of these pictures, it's crazy to see how loved Tobias is and how big he continues to get. Auntie Francesca visits are the best. Not only does she bring presents, but hanging out with her is one of my favorite things to do. There is no friend like a sister, at least that's my experience! Can't wait to see her this week, hanging out exploring Greenville, drinking coffee, eating good food, late night conversations, loving on Tobias, it never gets old. These photos were taken at a lake/pond near our apartment complex. I'm hoping to take a more adventurous hike this time around!

March 2015

A Little Maternity Shoot.

     Photo credit goes to Melody Cato, she so kindly took these shots while she was here last week! I'm so happy with how they turned out, they will be fun to look back on no matter how big I look. ;) P.S. I'm not the most confident person in front of the camera, I'm sure many of you can relate!
     I'm currently 32 weeks which means I have roughly 8-10 weeks to go, thats considerably less considering the 40 you start out with. Am I nervous? Sure, but I try not to think about it. The nursery is coming along just fine and my classes are preparing me as best as possible. Knowledge is power, that's the mantra I keep repeating to myself. The more I know the more relaxed I feel about bringing this little boy into the world. Here's to hoping all that knowledge doesn't get thrown out the window when the day of reckoning arrives! Second mantra I keep repeating, women give birth everyday, and they live to tell about it. Concrete evidence right there that I can do it!
     I have a couple more projects to finish before Baby Cato makes his grand entrance, and I'm starting to get that nesting itch thats telling me to knock them out sooner rather than later. So hopefully this next week I will have all of my crib sheets sewn and all of the baby clothes washed, sorted, and labeled, and a good grasp on meal planning for the after baby months. I need to make returns from the shower and purchase cloth diapers (yes, I'm one of the crazy ones). I'm also trying to schedule relatives as best as can be done without knowing when this little one will arrive. I'm hoping to spread out the help as long as possible! A couple other things to take care of; find a pediatrician (I need to ask some Greenville mommas who they recommend) and create the birth announcement so that all that needs to be done is a quick picture insert and some easy printing, the stamps are bought and the address list is put together. Hmm writing this list is making me slightly anxious, I hope I'm not forgetting anything . . .
     In other news, Gray and I have decided to do something a little crazy. I've been giving into my sweet tooth a little too much (as in a lot too much). So in an effort to help myself and Baby Cato now, and my future postpartum self, I will attempt to fast from sugar for the rest of my pregnancy. Crazy idea? Most definitely. Attainable? I'm going to try my darn hardest. I am allowing honey for tea and for my morning oatmeal, I'm really just looking to eliminate all those ice cream runs and candy binges! Wish me luck!
     Anything else to tell? I think I've covered most everything. . . so without further ado, the happy expectant couple! hehe :)

When friends come to visit.

     Friendship is a beautiful thing. A kind of organic ideal that constantly proves to enrich life. I am in no way an expert on friendships. In fact, too often when things get tough or require too much effort I can turn and walk the other way. It was my dad who once said, "being a good friend is choosing to stay in the mess and muck of other people's lives, realizing that you aren't perfect yourself, and acknowledging that even in your best moments you need forgiveness and grace." Because surprise of all surprises, friendship isn't easy! But what's that saying, sometimes the hardest things in life are the things most worth pursuing, or something like that.
     Gray and I are spoiled with some amazing friends. Each one brings a unique trait or quality to the table and so I find that I can enjoy God's creativeness through each different personality and dynamic relationship. And it always amazes me how different portions of my personality can be brought to light with each friend. I first noticed this with Gray. He could act so silly and fun with one friend, but so serious and mature with another. Not that he never intermixes the two extreme's, but different friendships can lend themselves to revealing different facets of our character. I don't know anyone who is completely the same with every person (albeit, this excludes morals, values, beliefs, but refers to personality traits like outgoing, silly, serious, etc.).
     This weekend Chris and Grace made a stop at our house before meeting up for a family vacation on the beach. It was a 24 hour whirlwind of teary eyes due to continuous deep belly laughs, crinkled foreheads from thought provoking conversations, and permanent smiles as a result of happy hearts. Chris and Grace are the kind of friends who are continually enriching our lives. I'm so glad they took the time to see us, and although the time went by way to fast, I will forever cherish the memories we made.

     I will never forget the moment when Grace became a forever friend. We were sleeping over at the Cato's house, I'm not sure of the occasion, but Grace and I were upstairs laying on the mattress in that stuffy loft that holds many many secrets. We were discussing love and life and got to the point where we couldn't help but be vulnerable. It was the best kind of conversation. The kind with depth that divulges hidden fears and troubles, but doesn't leave them hanging, instead it embraces them and shares the burden. I come back to this quote often when I think of that night;

“Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . ."” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

I knew as I lay there fighting sleep that God had gifted me a special friend. And that's what she is; a precious friend that stood by me at my wedding; a sweet friend who despite my horrible long distance communication skills still pursues me! And it only seems to get better! I'm so excited that we are both expecting our first babies together. Crazy, crazy, I am so lucky to have Grace in my life!

I can't wait till the next time!

Photo Shoot: Nanny

     Just after my myriad of trips to Ohio, my grandmother came down to South Carolina to stay for a week. It was so fun having her here and by the end I was wishing she could stay longer! I showed her everything I love about Greenville. This meant we ate out a lot, took several walks, and enjoyed a lot of the activities around downtown. In the midst of our partying, I couldn't help but do a mini photo shoot with her and after much prodding and pleading, she acquiesced!
     To be honest I had never photographed a senior before. Here are some things I learned that might be beneficial to you if you are ever called upon to photograph a senior (some of these tips could be applied to photographing people in general):

1. Encourage them to wear something in their usual style, you want to make them feel as comfortable and unthreatened as possible.
2. If asked, give good color options. Some people are great at dressing themselves and know what colors work best with their hair/eyes/skin while others are less sure. If they ask, be prepared to give them some options of what you think would look best on them. For my nanny, deep reds are too harsh, and yellows clash with her skin. Since she has more strawberry blonde in her hair and green eyes, I suggested green, turquoise or purple. And since she was here visiting I made sure to add, whatever color you brought or have clean! This wasn't an elaborate affair requiring a shopping trip!
3. Choose a location that doesn't require lots of walking or dangerous terrain. I ended up switching some of my original ideas to ideas that had easier access and more sure footing. She's still pretty spry for her age, but a fall would definitely not be good!
4. Choose portrait styles that are more sophisticated. I didn't have her laying on the ground or jumping in the air because those types of photos, though fun, aren't in my opinion truly age appropriate. This was definitely the case for my nanny, she would have scoffed at me had I even suggested those things!
5. Learn how to put people at ease. The more I photograph people the more I realize just how few of them actually like being photographed. And everyone has something or somethings they wish they didn't have, don't like, or want you, as the photographer, to minimize. Be sensitive to their insecurities, creative with your posing and give encouragement when necessary. 

     This isn't an exhaustive list by any means, but just a few things I learned while photographing my nanny! I think the photos turned out really good and I know my nanny felt so special and was so thankful that I took the time to document a piece of her life. I know I appreciate these photos as much as she does and it will be sweet to look back on them as time passes. If you have or will photograph either your grandparents or seniors in the future add to my list and let me know what you learn!

Road Trip!

     I hope that when I'm old there is a Melody in my life. To me, it is so amazingly sweet of Melody to pick Granny Cato up in Virginia and take her on a crazy cross country road trip to visit old and new friends, family and significant places in her life. The first stop on their road trip took them to our house in Greenville. Granny and Pop Cato both attended Bob Jones University which is right up the street from our apartment. So on Sunday they went to church with us and while Gray and I were finishing up some responsibilities they fixed us an amazing casserole for lunch. Then we all jumped in the car and headed up the street. Granny purchased a disposable camera to document her trip and so we stopped at both the dorms she stayed in as well as the dining hall and welcome center snapping photos and listening as she recanted so many funny and sweet stories of her time at Bob Jones. We all got a little choked up as she remembered all the good times she had with Pop and the first time they met. Even though I will never get a chance to meet Pop on this side of eternity, I feel like I know him a little bit now after all the stories! Later, after a quick nap, we headed downtown for some ice cream and a look around Falls Park. 

     *Don't mind the creeper in the background.

     Another reason for their visit was to drop off some china. Granny Cato did a little spring cleaning and found several items she didn't need and so she offered them to the grandkids! I just happened to get the china (a perk of having different tastes than my sisters-in-law). I cannot wait to use it, anybody want to come over?

     __________________________________

     Well, Monday came and they continued on their journey. They stopped at Nashville next then headed to Kentucky followed by several places in Indiana before finishing in Iowa. So we wished them well as they headed out on their exciting journey and for me, life went back to normal. I went to work and came home to these crazy kids and loved every second of it!