If you watch, read, listen to the news in any form or fashion, you already know that the Atlanta Metro Area has been hit with a hefty supply of rain lately. In fact, we have received so much rain that our standing water restrictions due to drought have been removed as we are currently living with conditions conducive to flooding instead. We seem to be experiencing more rain and cold than I can ever remember in my 6+ years living in the South.

BUT.... miraculously the sun and warmth returned for a short period of time at just the right moment! On the morning of my scheduled photo shoot with the Murray family, it was raining as it had been for several days in a row. Amazingly the sun started to shine and didn't stop until our session was finished. I think I need to hang out with this family of good luck charms more often!

If you've never visited Piedmont Park in Atlanta before, it's a place you should consider visiting. I'm so glad that the Murray family agreed to meet me at Piedmont Park for some fun. Here's a quick peek of the fabulous park and this gorgeous group of former Mid-Westerners!







Introducing..... The Murray Family!



Pensive in thought, Mr. C showed me his loose tooth and told me about his former dog Oliver. I couldn't help including this capture because of the way it shows how intently this little guy listens and contemplates the words of those around him. But don't worry mom & dad, there will be plenty of smiley ones of Mr. C for later viewing!



Here we have Mr. M! He tried to persuade me in the beginning of the session that he was a shy and quiet fella. After spending some time with him however, I know that Mr. M possesses gorgeous eyes and a smile that will some day rock a girls world! Here he is feeling a bit of safety in his mother's hands.



I just love it when siblings take care of one another! Thanks for the fun foot race to "the fort" fellas. I'd have to say it was a tie at the finish line ;)



And finally, a photo of the entire family. D., J., C. and M. you rocked this session!


These photos only represent the beginning of our time together. Murray family, I couldn't be happier to have met such loving and genuine Mid-Western folk here in the South. Thanks for appeasing my creative and sometimes quirky ideas! Thanks also goes out to Justin's sister Cara for thinking of this unique Anniversary gift for her brother and sister-in-law! There is definitely something to be said about 'growing up' in the Midwest! .....Christa

I don't know if it's the cool temperatures, the cloudy skies, the constant drizzle, or the flu mist that invaded my nasal cavity, but today feels a bit droopy. Oh dear sunshine, I do miss you so! Please return pronto so we can all feel prickly and perky again. Cheers! .....Christa

This wilting flower and I are slouching today; awaiting the suns return.



It just looks sad doesn't it?





Don't lose hope. The perky WILL avail! It always does :)



*****Fun prize for the first local yocal who correctly identifies the song I am referring to in the title of this post. Don't forget to leave your guess in the comments section. Good luck!******

I absolutely love me some Baby Fluff! What's the fluff you ask? Those cute adorable rolls that accompany a sweet babe as they grow and blossom. Those precious innocent smiles and glistening eyes that welcome you when they are being held safely in their mommies arms. That infectious toothy laughter and those slobbery yet delightful 'raspberry' sounds which make both babe and parent beam with pride. Baby fluff encompasses all of these things and more.

Enter lovable 6 month old Baby L who is completely filled with Baby Fluff!!!



No enhancement necessary for Mr. Blue Eyes!



Mommy lovin' - ain't nothin' sweeter!



Baby toes are pretty sweet too!



I predict these eyes will make many a teenage girl swoon some day!



Thanks so much to Baby L and his lovely family for letting me capture such precious moments. Your little guy's baby fluff is just so cute! Stay tuned for more fluffy photos :) .....Christa

Introducing sweet Baby M! Just 7 days old she worked the camera fabulously. Both she and her momma were such troopers throughout my visit.

Take a peek at how sweet she is!



She was so tiny and so long at the same time (look at her fingers - future piano player folks!). I just love her little baby parts....





Hooray! We captured her eyes. Isn't she adorable!



Oh this one makes me swoon! Mommy and baby moments are precious.....



Sisters are the best!!!! Baby M's Big Sister has the cutest curls. But, it's Baby M's big debut! I couldn't resist posting just one photo of the two of them. Big Sis absolutely loves her new baby sister so stay tuned for more cute sister photos :)



Thanks so much to Baby M and her family (Grandma included - you were a great assistant!) for such a wonderful opportunity. Wishing you many, many moments filled with joy, laughter and love...... Christa

Ahhhh.... another sweet one! Last week I was so thrilled to capture 5 week old Baby E. He is simply adorable! Here's a little peek of the fun we had together.

I love this chair and I was so happy when I saw Baby E's momma had him dressed all in brown. I think he compliments the chair quite nicely!



I "puffy heart" the little bubbles under his tongue!




This picture has "GO BUCKEYES!" "GO BUCKEYES!" "GO BUCKEYES!" written all over it :)



In the cradle of his mother's arms; I love me some baby fluff!



Oh Sweet Slumber....



The session wouldn't have been complete without Big Sister's love! Thanks Douglas family for letting me meet your newest addition. They're both keepers!

I REALLY want a dog! BUT, I don't have a fenced yard, I already own 2 ornery cats who think they rule the roost, and my kids want a Pug. I want a BIG dog, more like a ginormous dog (a Bernese Mountain Dog to be exact) so I guess I'll have to wait. But until that time comes I am sometimes given the enormous pleasure of photographing other peoples' pets.

Enter the fabulous Nala - don't you just love her name! This gal was filled with spunk the entire time I played with her. Thankfully she has 3 lovely children who are enthralled with her presence in their family. Here's a peek at this fast moving locomotive! Don't let the first photo fool you. She was frequently on the run throughout the shoot as any new pup should be :)





What's that in her mouth? Oh, it's a shoe which seemed almost as big as she was but that sure didn't stop her from playing 'keep away' with it!



Dog on the RUN!!!!



Finally, a moment of down time.


She sure was patient!



You can teach them but can you ever stop them from being pups?


There's just something about a boy and his dog....


Thanks so much C, T & E for sharing Nala with me! I hope you're still having a blast together :)

Meet Sweet Baby *E*. When these photos were taken she was approximately 6 weeks old. She was so agreeable throughout the entire session. Isn't she precious!



Baby *E*'s nursery is so adorable! Her momma definitely has talent when it comes to decorating. She enjoys doing it as a hobby. All I can say is, "WOW!"





Baby *E*'s Big Sister & Big Brother are doing a fine job in their new family roles!



Brotherly love can't be beat!



Thanks to this lovely family for letting me capture their splendor. Wishing you much fun and many fond memories as a family of 5!

Yep, school has started for us folk here in the South. "Already!?!" you ask. I THOUGHT I was ready, but I FORGOT that returning to the school schedule and routine means we have to be practicing some killer time management skills again. So for the past 2 days you will have heard me at 6:45am telling my youngsters to *hurry and finish your breakfast, get your shoes on and grab your backpacks because the school bus is comin'*! (And I did say 6:45AM so feel free to send some sleep our way!)

At the end of May, I had the pleasure of meeting ultra-cool couple Sarah + Dan the day before their wedding! I say ultra-cool because this couple had flown in from NY to get married in GA and seemed as relaxed about it as can be! I, on the other hand, had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from asking any stress-invoking questions, an abundance of which were filtering through my mind as I pondered the execution of a destination wedding. Wowza! My head could have easily been spinning thinking about it. I decided that channeling this couple's relaxed state of mind would be more propitious for all.

Sarah + Dan used Flickr to assist them in finding a wedding photographer whose style matched their own. Enter fabulous wedding photographer also known as Stacey Bode. Click on Stacey's name to view photos from Sarah + Dan's wedding. Shouts out to Stacey for allowing me the wonderful opportunity to come along for the ride during this shoot.

Now on to those photos of Sarah + Dan's last moments of singlehood. Piedmont Park provided a wonderful backdrop for the fun with this couple.


Look at them! All fun and no stress even though it's less than 24 hours before their 'I Do's!
















A fun perk of capturing people via my camera is getting to know them better and learning about lots of fun things. Sarah + Dan are 'fixie' fans and I'm guessing this comes in real handy in NYC. Some photo opps just can't be passed by.



"The young couple on the bench" Thanks to Sarah + Dan for sharing their tranquility with me. Here's hoping that your journey as a couple leads to many opportunities in the near and distant future for more benchside reflections.


Hooray for another sweet opportunity to work beside the amazing Stacey Bode! I love it when things just seem to sync-up and fly right.