You probably thought you had seen the last of the El Paso pics. Before I left town I made sure that I didn't leave any families sitting on the edge of the seats while I was away so I saved working on little Grace's last sitting until the end (thank you Chris for your patience). Although her mom has gotten to see Grace's first 2 sittings I know that she is still anxious to see what I managed to get out of our last sitting together. They were game to take her to Old Town & although it may have felt like a lost cause w/ Grace I was loving the challenge of keeping her engaged in the strange environment. She definitely kept us entertained until the end. And then,as you will see with the last image, she was ready to head home...very cute!

After returning from my quick trip to San Fran for a lighting workshop and a day of R&R I was treated to a nice relaxing Mother's Day with my family that included an afternoon nap (the best free indulgence money can buy in my book!!) and a delicious home cooked meal that I didn't have to lift a finger for...it was a great day. I hope you all had a good day too!
I'm sure Mother's Day was a little more crazy for this family. On the 20th they are embarking on a 3 year adventure in London. I was lucky enough to fully document Scarlett's 1 year w/ 5 sittings and I was blown away to see how much she has grown this past year. She was a little shy at first but she came around and shared her beautiful smile with me.

I finished my trip with a fun family that brought along a few props. I usually cringe when someone suggests props but I really loved the idea behind these. They wanted to get some pictures with the kids doing what they loved. One was sitting with Grandpa and his guitar which I loved so much I had to put together a little collage.
This first image makes me laugh...I can't remember if she was telling me that she was 3 or if she was guessing how long it would take me to work through all the EP images. I think she was right either way...3 yrs for her & 3 wks for me.

There are only a handful of families anxiously waiting to see their pictures and I am feeling the pressure to get them completed before I head out of town tomorrow for a workshop I am attending in San Francisco. So here are two more families that I have been lucky enough to photograph a few times and they never fail to put smiles on my face.
When I returned home from my trip to El Paso I received such a nice email from the mother of the two little girls you will see below. Amanda, your kind words really touched me. Here is what she shared with me"
"I just wanted to thank you for such a fun experience.
You’re AMAZING with kids…and it just meant so much to me that you took the time to play around with Aria Bella (after the shoot was over).
She really enjoyed the experience & told everyone she knew all about her new friend “Tara who takes pictures”.
All three of us had a great time & it was just really special.
Anyway, I am sure right after a big shoot everyone is always pushy & wanting you to cater to them…and I just wanted to give you a little break from that & tell you how much you’re appreciated!! Thank you so much!!!!!"

Day three in El Paso started great when I arrived at a new client's home and was relieved to find so many great, shaded spots to use around their house. The kids were full of energy and a friendly lizard was helpful enough to arrive on the scene and try and help me get their attention. In the middle of the shoot their 2 year old broke out a few moves and I have to share them as I think you will be getting the first glimpse of a breakdancing prodigy.
This mom has been anxiously awaiting a sitting with me since last year so I hope she enjoys her first look at her family pictures.

I know right now I have many El Paso blog stalkers. I am trying my best to work through all the families as fast as possible while continuing to make sure my Seattle clients receive the best customer service and my family gets to see me a few hours a day away from my computer.
I am happy to say that these are the last two sittings from Saturday and hopefully all you Sunday families will be getting a sneak peak soon. I appreciate all your patience.
The first family had all four grandparents on hand which I find amazing. It would obvious how much love they all had for their adorable grandsons.
I will finish this post with day two of little Grace. Grace's mom dressed her in a Holly Hobby outfit that she wore when she was little and then it was bath time. One of my all time favorite pictures of Grace was in the tub at 6 months. I had to add it as it is fun to see that although she has grown she looks so much like she did 2 1/2 yrs ago.