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I am a part of this awesome little magazine that is distributed throughout Macon County, called “Thrive”.  It features people, businesses and events in the community that are special little gems…who contribute to the area and who have businesses or talents that go above and beyond.  I have been a part of this magazine as their photographer since it begun last summer.  We’re going on our 1-year anniversary!  I’ve had a wonderful time with this group of ladies (there are just 4 of us, all pretty rockin’ females!) and I hope our magazine and success continues.  I can’t believe how big Thrive has gotten in just one year.  I can only imagine how it will continue to grow over the upcoming years.  Thank you, friends, and thank you, Central Illinois, for your support!!  Check out Thrive on Facebook and check out their website when you have a chance.  And if you know Kat, Brook or Joli, make sure you thank them for their hard work!

For May I got to do a little photo shoot of Jody and Joe.  Jody owns her own business called “Red Carpet Promotions” in Decatur, and Joe, he works in the Admissions Office at Millikin University.  You’ll have to check out Thrive in May to see why we have featured them and to see more of my photography   Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this little Thrive session and loved how it turned out, so I thought I’d share a few.  Jody and Joe are such a cute (fun!) couple and not to favor any one person (or furry pals) but the sweet little Toto look-a-likes stole the shots, I think!  They were so good and so darn cute…I love pooches! Thanks again, Jody and Joe; great to meet you!

Kenleigh is now 3 months!  This time daddy, Keith, came along to jump in for some family photos.  The first ever family photo is always so fun for any new family.  I still vividly remember ours with our first son, Noah, when he was 6 months.  Thanks again, Mike, for capturing a wonderful moment in time for my family.  Time goes by so fast.  All you have to do is blink and suddenly they are no longer 6 months but 6 years.

Making this short and sweet tonight, but thanks again, Janna, Keith an Kenleigh!  Next session will be the most fun when she’s sitting up.  3 months is hard but I hope I caught some keepers for ya Thanks again, guys!  You’re the best!

My friend, Holly, who I’ve known well since 6th grade, emailed me about doing a session of her girls when she was down from Chicago visiting her sister.  I said, “of course!”.  I hadn’t met Darby yet and hadn’t seen the beautiful Braxton in about 5 years.  Wow, had she changed.  She’s always been beautifu,l but wow, you should see this girl.  She’s gorgeous.  And Darby will be following in her big sister’s (and mom’s!) footsteps.  Holly came with outfits galore (which I absolutely love as a photographer!) and we had so much fun.  Darby is a busy little lady, but I have to say with the help of Holly and her sister, Sarah, we were able to pull it off with some great photos of little Miss Darby.  And Braxton was an incredible help as well.  I’m just so impressed by her, Holly.  She’s quite a lady.  You should be proud!!  Well, I want to thank you all again because I really truly had a blast and it was great getting to catch up.  I wish you all the best with things in the future and hope your dreams come true   Keep me posted!

Those of you who know Holly know that Braxton's expression here is 100% Holly's!

Life has been busy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Here’s a little of what I’ve been up to:  sessions, editing, trying to straighten up my house, moving my desk from my office downstairs to the living room upstairs (doesn’t sound very ideal, but the idea sounded great and so far it’s working PERFECT for me now that I have 3 kids, one being a baby), shooting pictures for Thrive, meeting photographer friends for lunch, going to a photography conference in Indy (superb!!), ideating on fundraisers for Maia’s school (exciting things to come!), spending time outdoors ready to get my hands in the dirt to plant my flower garden and veggie garden (I love getting dirty!), coming up with more marketing, hiring some new people to help me out with marketing and assisting me in the studio and out (I’m SO excited about this!), and all the while, trying to be the best momma and wife I can be as I do my best to take care of myself at the same time.  This coming week we head to Springfield for a specialist appointment for Maia which is scary for me as a parent (I’ll keep you posted on this), and then the week after I travel to St. Louis for a doctor’s appointment for myself (my life the past 3 years has been a roller coaster ride but somehow I’ve gotten through – wait, yes, I know how I’ve got through…by the physical help from my friends, family and God!  But I’m needing some medical answers now and so I’m asking you to please pray for me!).  Anyway, this is only the tip of the iceberg with everything going on.  But it’s all good! It’s a huge part of me and the backbone of my life, so I thought I’d share that with you, people who I would guess like me?  Well, like my work at least (hopefully!), so that’s why I think you should know me, the person behind the camera and that work.  I think in the coming weeks, I’m going to start posting more about myself and my family, so you can get to know me, my personality, and why I do the things I do.  Everything I do defines me a bit, just like everything you do defines you.  And for you to offer your families, yourselves to me…well, I think you should know that person, right? Plus this gives me a reason to get back to blogging and forces me to edit my own photos, something I don’t make enough time for!

I also wanted to tell you how much I love that you follow this blog and enjoy my photos.  I have so many people who email me saying they loved so-and-so post, etc., etc.  And while I LOVE LOVE LOVE these emails (they are what keep me going!), I also love comments!  I have no idea who reads (and I know people read because I have private stats) but would love to start knowing!  I’m going to share my life with you, so please honor me and share who you are with me.  Please! That’s only fair, right?!   It’s really easy.  At the bottom of each post there are the words “Add Comment” (right before the next post begins).  Just hover over these words and a line should appear under the words like this —> Add Comment .  Click on that and you will be taken to a comment page where you can say whatever you want (hopefully whatever you are thinking to yourself!).  I would really really love to hear from you.

Well, that’s it for me today.  So happy it’s Friday!  Off to a fun maternity session tonight.  Then busy shooting days Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  But then hopefully I’ll have time to come back and share some new things.  Happy weekend!

My good friend, Heidi, called me for photos of her kiddos and last week, the three cuties walked into my studio.  I met Heidi shortly after she had had Caleigh, her oldest.  Caleigh was born the same year as Noah, then my Maia was born, then her Tristan, and recently she and I had our second baby boys.  Finley (mine) and Holden (Heidi’s) were to be born just a day apart, but they had other plans, as Finley ended up coming into this world about 3 weeks early and Holden a week late making them a month apart in age.  However, gestationally (I think I just made up that word) they are sidekicks   Anyway, I had a ball with them.  Caleigh, as always, is the sweetest princess, but this time, a toothless one!  (Love it!)  Tristan, he is my new bff (SUCH a sweetie!).  And Holden, he is just a little angel, who is going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up stealing a lot of little girls’ hearts.  He is gorgeous.  And Heidi, the trendiest, most beautiful woman I know, she comes bringing the most to-die-for outfits for the kiddos.  I kept telling her I’ll buy her wardrobes.  I think she thinks I’m joking.  Heids, I’m not!! Anyway, sorry to ramble, it’s just been a while since a post.  More to come very soon!  Hope you all have a very happy Easter!  We had the most wonderful one.  Church, lunch with my parents and a relaxing afternoon.  Couldn’t have been better.

Momma Kim is a good friend of mine who started as a client referred to me years ago by another friend.  I love when I can say “and the rest is history”.  I’ve photographed her and Kevin years ago, then her, Kevin and their son, Kaiser, and now a few years later, their twin babies!  Oh how happy we are that they are here!  It was weeks of bed rest for Kim (in the hospital!) and then a pre-term delivery, but she and babies were home later the same week and just 11 days after birth they were in my studio!  I felt so incredibly lucky.  These babies are the most beautiful little human beings.  One at 4 lbs something (I can’t recall the exact ounce) and the other at just over 5lbs…they were precious.  Beautiful coloring and everything just oh-so-perfect.  Ahhhh…just sublime.  I still feel so lucky!!  The unfortunate part is, after hours of trying to get those perfect shots, the babies stayed awake more often than asleep and always at opposite times than the other!  Why of course, right?!  Leading up to our session, Kim said they were sleeping so good and always at the same time.  Was it me?  No, I know it wasn’t me, but after trying everything, gosh..I remember, hello!, there are TWO babies, not just one!  And that the chance of having perfect sleepy babies at the very same time is really very hard to do while expecting them to be perfect little models.  But I am very happy to say we did get a couple “keepers”.  I just hope with all the time she, grandma and the babies spent with me, that they’ll come back and come back soon, because there’s so much more I want to capture!  Nevertheless, any capture of baby twins are precious and perfect beyond words.  I hope you enjoy these gorgeous gifts from God.  Meet Mia and Parker, just 11 days old…

(Thank you, Kim!  And much healing to you and sleepful nights so very soon. xo)

Ok, I don’t think I need to say much in this post because this little guy, Carter, has the CUTEST expressions which speak volumes, right?  (I’m sure you’ve peaked to the first picture by now.)  I don’t need to tell you that he was the sweetest little guy ever or that he has got the most beautiful smile or that he looked completely adorable in every outfit and every shot.  It was hard choosing which ones to share with you!  So I’d like you to meet Mister Carter and his photogenic parents who are as adorable and sweet in person as they appear in these photos.  Thanks, Natalie, Matt and Carter!  Can’t wait to do it again!

I’m so tired of yucky weather and thought I’d dig through some of my recent personal pics and find some fun ones to post for some happy feelings and spring fever.  Also, check out the little snipit at the end about a new article on VWC Photography.  It’s kinda exciting.

Some cupcakes that my daughter iced and decorated. Bet you can't tell she's 4?

Roses from my hubby for Valentine's Day...he knows I prefer colorful roses to the nomal red. He's so sweet.

Mmmm...coffee. It always makes me happy!

Late last summer, these were in my garden. Can't wait for these beauties again.

And finally, hope you’ll check out an article on me written by Ron Egatz at Macgroups.com who makes Sekonic meters and Pocketwizard wireless systems in NY, NY.  Ron contacted me about featuring me in the Sekonic blog and at first I thought he was writing the wrong person!  I never dreamed anyone would want to feature me.  And what surprised me the most was, I’m featured with some pretty amazing and skilled photographers.  I feel really privileged and blessed!  It’s a great opportunity and I’m so completely grateful.  Reading my interview made me feel like I was seeing myself on TV…you know, you just hate to see yourself on video (I do, at least) and hate to hear yourself talk (again, that’s me).  So I was nervous to read it, but I can say that I’m very pleased with every bit of it!  I’m only  at this point in my career because of my friends, family and clients who have been so supportive and wonderful over the years.  I hope this year is the beginning of greatness having my studio.  It started out slow (my career) but now it’s taking off like I never dreamed.  I look forward to what’s to come and I hope you will join me on that journey.  Thank you, Ron, for this article, and thank you, friends, family and clients!  Much love ~ Val