Merry CHRISTmas :)

Merry CHRISTmas everyone. May your most cherished gifts this CHRISTmas season be the special time you share wrapped up in the beautiful presence of your loved ones :)

Motivational Monday

Our son fractured his elbow yesterday while @ pitching practice (1st pitch, go figure) and we just found out that he'll be having surgery this week to repair it :( In light of such an unfortunate accident, this is the only quote that comes to mind today on Motivational Monday.

"Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain"

Looks like we're going to be doing a LOT of dancing in the weeks to come. And since I can't update a post without a picture, this is what my sweet *baby's* elbow looks like on the inside. I guess it's a good thing I don't have a picture of what his Mama's heart looks like after hearing such news :(

Motivational Monday :)

"We are all angels with only one wing...we can fly only by embracing each other."
~unknown author

Motivational Monday :)

REMEMBER IF A DOG WAS A TEACHER YOU WOULD LEARN THINGS LIKE:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
...
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY

Giving Back

I'm looking to adopt a local family for the Holidays this year. If you know of any deserving family, please e-mail me @ ntang@wideopenwest.com with their story & why you think they should be chosen. The family I choose to adopt will also receive a free portrait session after the 1st of the New Year because we all know how important these precious memories are, no matter what storm or rainbow we're going through. Please have your entries e-mailed to me no later than Monday, November 28th. God bless you all & thank you in advance!!

Total SWEETNESS :)

This little Angel took a little while to settle in and close her eyes, but once she did, she was OUT and wasn't disturbed one bit by the many poses I put her in. She never made a peep the entire session and I was blown away by her amazing family and her gorgeous head of thick dark/wavy hair. Ohhhhhhh, such a precious perfect Angel.

Friday Follies :)

I just LOVE a cute Photo Bomber!!!

Motivational Monday :)

"Each moment of your life is a picture
which you had never seen before and
which you will never see again. So enjoy
and live life and make each moment
BEAUTIFUL "

11-11-11 Canvas SALE :)

Motivational Monday :)

"Our lives are made up of a million moments, spent in a million different ways. Some are spent searching for love, peace and harmony. Others are spent surviving day to day. But the most fulfilling moments are when we discover that life, with all its joys and sorrows, is meant to be lived one day at a time." ~~unknown author

Friday Follies :)

I'm not sure if this is really a "folly" because it's just SO darn cute, but I think it sums up the wonderful life of two 2 1/2 year old boys with their newborn baby brother :)

What Faith can do :)

A beautiful family (both inside & out). Thank you Katie & Adam for the honor of capturing this special and sacred time in your beautiful family's life.

Gorgeous Senior :)

Maternity :)

There just are no words.......

Friday Follies :)

This awesome family is SO funny, they get a whole entire *spread* dedicated just for them for today's Friday Follies :) Have I mentioned how FUN this shoot was and how much we laughed?!?!?!! I love it when a family can just let loose and totally be themselves during a session. This family definitely did just that :)
Have a blessed weekend everybody and don't forget to take LOTS of pictures!!

Motivational Monday :)

--"If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile. But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me."~~unknown author

Friday Follies

"Motivational Monday" has now inspired me to create a "Friday Follies" showcase each week. Today's follies made me smile so I thought I'd share these two *crazy* lil' cuties with all of you. Ahhhhhhh, the things silly little boys will do for a giggle (at least this session didn't consist of talking about bodily functions or bodily noises (which, of course, I think is hilarious)). lol) Happy Weekend everyone!!! May it be a very blessed one!

Running for a Cure

This is more of a personal post, but it seems that my "Motivational Monday's" are meant to give you a bit more insight into my life, who I am as a person and to share with you the things that motivate and inspire me :) I've been a runner for 20+ years and my runs mainly have consisted of a few 5K's, 10K's, a Duathlon and just last year, I completed two very awesome 1/2 Marathons (which is by far my favorite race distance). I originally started running to lose weight while I was in college, but much to my surprise I found it to be a GREAT stress reliever, so it has forever stuck and is now something that's just become a part of who I am. When people ask me if I've run a lot of races, my typical response is "No, I just run because I don't know any better" :). I've also had several people ask if I've ever run a full Marathon and my response was always the same......."Absolutely NOT, NO WAY/NO HOW/NEVER EVER will I". Well, I guess I better bite my tongue the next time I say "Never"...........

As most of you know, I lost my beautiful Mother to Uterine Sarcoma 3 years ago and it has completely turned my life upside down and is by far the WORST thing that has ever happened to me. I spent an entire year and a half in a deep depression and honestly didn't know where to turn. Thank the Lord for His grace and mercy and for my amazing family and friends for lifting me up when I couldn't take another step.

After my Mother's passing, I had lost a ridiculous amount of weight and had completely stopped running for about 6 months. With the grief imposed weight loss I was afraid to run, but I really missed it and I knew it was something I needed in my life to help me move forward, to help me grieve and to help me heal. So, little by little I started running again, but it wasn't an easy task after a 6 month break (which was VERY frustrating). With each agonizing step, I just kept repeating "Every step I take is for YOU, Mom" and the next thing I knew we were holding our first annual 7 10K's for Sarcoma event and just yesterday I ran my very first FULL MARATHON in 4:22:22 in honor of my beautiful Mother. I am also thrilled to report that with the generous donations from family and friends who sponsored me, I was able to raise almost $1,800.00 toward Sarcoma research!! WOW, what a fantastic journey this has been, full of many highs and many lows, but what I've learned the most from this training adventure is that it has not only been very healing for me, but it's also helped teach me that only MY mind is what will hold me back from doing what I think is "impossible". It's what lies within myself and only inside of me that can determine what I'm really capable of.

Today's Motivational Monday is based on running a Marathon, but I believe that life is a Marathon and only YOU can draw deep down inside yourself to see what you're really capable of. Have a blessed day everyone :) I'm going to go ice my aching thighs. ha ha

"The marathon's about being in contention over the last 10K. That's when it's about what you have in your core. You have run all the strength, all the superficial fitness out of yourself, and it really comes down to what's left inside you. To be able to draw deep and pull something out of yourself is one of the most tremendous things about the marathon." -Rob de Castella How TRUE this was @ EXACTLY this point!!!

My beautiful girls raced out & ran with me through the finish line, while my amazing son captured it all on video :) What a beautiful moment I'll cherish forever!!

Pointing to the Heaven's above. "Every step I took was for YOU, Mom!!"

My incredible hubby
My AWESOME/AMAZING/WONDERFUL Kids (my BIGGEST Cheerleaders!)