Self Portraits and vacation | Kirkland Family Photographer

Self portraits have never been something that intimated me in the past.  As a matter of fact, when I scroll back through old photos, I realize that I turned the camera on myself maybe one too many times. When you carry around a camera that weighs almost as much as your second born, turning the camera happens a little less often (just a little).   BUT, I have been vacationing and stacationing and some of those outings didn’t include bringing along my third child, Canon 5D Mark II (kind of a funny name for a child, huh?).  I felt a bit more free to walk around and ride things such as Atlantis at Sea World (more than once).  I miss all those crazy copped selfies.  I miss those silly faces.  And, I think most of all I miss those candid and spontaneous/breaking every rule photos.

We were geocaching at Sea World and found a virtual cache by taking a picture of ourselves in front of the sky tower.  I gave it a whirl two times and figured between the two, we got what we needed.  There is only one thing missing here… the sky tower we were trying to get.  : )    

On the fence | Kirkland Family Photographer

Is it ironic that his shirt says “I’m off the hook” yet he can’t decide on which side of the fence he should be?  This little guy and his many faces is my son.  His eyes are one of my favorite things to photograph.  His smile is genuine and frequent.  He loves play time, PlayMobil and his airplane.  He is so cautious in all things-never wanting to risk his security and comfort.  As he grows, I see him slowly branch out and venture to the other side of the fence.  He is getting more secure (and will now jump on a trampoline) and will often at least ask questions, even if it is from the sidelines.  I love my little guy.

Sand and other concerns at the beach | Kirkland, WA Family Photographer

I’m not sure when it stops being cute… the beachy, sandy bum.  Oh, and how old are we when we get concerned about the sand in our suit?  When did buckets of muddy sand become a nuisance? AND, when did we stop playing in the water AND sand ALL DAY LONG?

Jet Plane | Kirkland Family Photographer

The lazy days of summer are here and it’s time to let the clock go, kick the routines aside and watch kids fall sleep in their swimming suits.  We are getting on a jet plane and making time for sand, sun and warmth.  Oh how I miss the warm sand on my feet (OK, we didn’t live near a beach but only a few hours away from one was better than none) and the sun on my face!  We have some fun planned and will enjoy stepping away from our everyday responsibilities of work.  I have been doing my best to keep up on my Photo A Day project and will continue to post on Flickr with updates and doings.  I am now scheduling family sessions for Setpember-November and availability is limited.  If you are interested, please contact me via this site or email at lisa@lisaheuerphotography.com.  I have a few sessions still open for Arizona the weekend of November 12th.

I’m excited to vacate and staycate- do something other than the usual and learn more about my surroundings.

Growing Up | Kirkland Family Photographer

Ever feel like just doing a cartwheel?  Well, I dare you to try.  : )  My cartwheel today looks nothing like my cartwheels did when I was ten.  This gal however has a young body that is as light as a feather and acrobatics was easy for her!  She loved behind upside down, sideways, and everything in between EXCEPT straight up.  I think she saw my camera as the audience and she was ready to perform.   She was not concerned about her cartwheel that crashed or her hair that would be out of place after being upside-down.   She was trying her best and discovering what she was capable of doing.  It was refreshing.

When do we lose that ability… to perform or even try without inhibition?  When do we start to realize failure could be embarrassing?  When do we start to doubt that we are good at everything?  If you ask my daughter what she is good at, it is an easy question for her to answer.  For me, I may answer after some pausing and mumbling and embarrassment.  WHY?  What is wrong with us as adults?  We are all here on earth developing talents and some of are better than others at cartwheels and that’s ok.   What are you good at?  What comes easy for you?  What talents  have blessed your life?  and… why do we hide them?  Growing up changes us, we learn from our experiences.  One failure leads us to believe we simply CAN’T.

But, (without practice) I can’t do cartwheels and I am certain about that!

Summer is here, I think? | Kirkland Family Photographer

I keep thinking, “this is it!  Summer is finally here,” until the following day the rain and cold returns.  At some point, you just have to get out and pretend that the rain is not the one in control and maybe it will get the hint?  I am a desert girl, remember?  I come from AZ where summer actually starts when we get our Easter baskets filled with our season’s worth of swimsuits and doesn’t end until after we have put away our Halloween costumes.

Here in our hood, we actually get to see each other on sunny days… the other days feel like we are alone on the street.  We all come out with smiles on our faces, pumped up tires on the bicycles and new methods of transportation to try.  Yesterday I was outside with the children enjoying a moment of sun and our neighbors drove up.  I waved high and asked them about the car they were driving, it looked new.  He told me it was his in-laws and they were in town.  Then he continued and said, “but we did bring home our baby.”

Aren’t I a lovely neighbor?  I haven’t seen them (close enough) in what… 5 months to even know she was pregnant.  Embarrassing.  You can imagine the shock on my face.

“What?  I didn’t even know she was pregnant.  I am the worst neighbor you could ever ask for.”  He looked confused since he didn’t ask for a neighbor of course.  “Has it been that long since we have had you guys over for dinner or seen you up close(r)?”  Ahhh. yes. It’s the weather.  We are all tucked away comfortably in our heated homes waiting for the perfect days to become neighbors.

I have been keeping a photo journal each day of 2011.  It’s called Photo A Day and its random but its mine.  : )

Afraid to try something new? | Kirkland family photographer

Let me let you into my life… the motherhood part of my life.  This is my boy facing one of the hardest things for him (and me)… eating something that he thinks he doesn’t like.   The things that fall on the I Don’t Like List are; all fruits and vegetables, meats, and even fudge on ice cream.  When he was a wee little one and I was introducing pureed food, there was nothing he didn’t eat.  He loved food in general.  Somehow along the line he has developed a hatred for most foods.  It makes me sad, I feel like a failure and on most days I wonder how his little body stays so healthy.  His typical morning meal is a waffle with peanut butter or some eggs and toast or some cereal.  Breakfast meals are usually pleasant for him.  Lunch is typically PB&J (thank goodness he likes peanut butter), macaroni and cheese or crackers with cheese or the like.  Dinner is where we are often stuck.  We sit as a family to eat a meal and he won’t eat and won’t even sit by somebody who is eating an aromatic dish.

So, my motherhood skills are at their finest when I bribe… “If you eat this apple, I will take you to Toys R Us and buy you anything you want.  ANYTHING.  AND, we will have a midnight party and celebrate you trying something new.”  I had no idea what a midnight party looked like but thanks to his sister who got all excited and asked for further details so she could assist in the coaxing, I had to come up with a plan.  “It will be watching movies and eating popcorn and staying up ’til midnight.”  He was thrilled.  I could see in his eyes that he was determined to try it and conquer this fear.  He told me with confidence, “I’m going to eat it mom, I already know I like it.”  Then he took a mini lick/bite and gave a face.  His sister continued to steal apple wedges from his plate reducing his challenge to one slice.  What an incredible reward for eating one slice of apple.  He picked it up, wanted to eat it but just couldn’t get his body to agree.

The poor guy cried.  He wanted to win.  I wanted him to win.  I just want him to EAT, fill his growing body with things of nutritious value.  I just want to be a good mom and teach good eating habits (even if that means a bribe or two).  He proudly states to most people who offer him something on the I Don’t Like list, “I don’t like fruits or vegetables,” but yet he hasn’t tried them since they came in pureed form.  I have been told to try dips and he won’t eat dips-NO DIPS OF ANY KIND.

I think I have a hard time understanding this because I really love to try new things, both culinary and more.  I love a challenge, I love to learn and food… well, I love that too.  He is complacent.  He feels no need to introduce new tastes into his routine and he is satisfied.  I love him.  I pray for him.  I want the best for him.  (I’d like to keep my sanity.)  I hope this will pass.  This is hard as a mother.  I never imagined that this would be one of my struggles (but then again, I imagined no struggles… everything lovely and blissful).

Some may say, “He won’t starve.  Don’t give him other food.”  I did have that mentality for a while.  I had a lock on the pantry.  It was a battle everyday and I decided that I didn’t want my relationship with my son to be like that… a battle over food everyday that resulted in tears and guilt.  He usually opted to bring his own snacks to the dinner table.  Now, I am happy to provide him with his own sandwich so he too can have a pleasant dinner at the table with his family.

From here, I don’t know what to do.  He didn’t come with a manual but I am willing to pay great prices for one (and have invested in many books but none of them have changed the situation).  I have seen doctors, read books, and tried bribery.  He likes his macaroni and cheese and will not divert from his plan.  My goal: get him to taste one piece of fruit and one vegetable before Kindergarten is over.  What’s a mother to do?

I have been working on my Photo A Day project and I am struggling to stay up to date.  It is usually my priority each day which is why blogging sometimes takes the back burner.  More of that in another post.

The sunshine | Kirkland, WA Family Photographer

Today was a glorious day and a perfect day for pictures.  You see, Kirkland residents (as well as many others around the world) have been patiently waiting for sunshine… consistent sunshine.  When it comes out to play, we can’t help ourselves.  Sunshine warms the soul, lifts the spirit and brightens the day.  I feel so capable when the sun is out.  I want to try new things, make new friendships, be a better photographer-mother-wife-neighbor-friend, and bake something delicious.  Wow, all because of the sunshine.  Please note… I probably won’t be posting something about rainy days and what I am capable after 30+ days of rain.  : )  I would like to know how to bottle up days like this (maybe I can?  Is it called Vitamin D?).  The hazy warmth and green grass is good for me.

Faces | Kirkland, WA Photographer

I love these faces.  Its park time and you would never know based on the look they are giving me.  Don’t worry, I wasn’t stalking children at the park…  (Although it certainly looks like they are feeling a little that way…)  Anyhow, these kids belong to my good friend and I am trying REALLY hard to get the darling little girl to smile at me.  When I graduate from frowns to smiles I will be sure to post them (hopefully I will have my camera for the moment).  Is it me or the camera?  : )

It was a darn cold day and we were just trying to get out of our darn cold (and dark) homes.  You can see that we don’t have sunshine and much light to be excited about.  I brought out of my camera (since I tote it everywhere while trying to stay on top of my photo a day project) right during “My Little Pony Fruit Snack” time and you can see that I did not win.

Spring Cleaning and Discounts | Kirkland, WA Photographer

Who doesn’t love a discount?  : )  I’m cleaning out, archiving, and offering some savings.  This is good through May 20th.  Any orders between NOW (April 20th) and May 11th will include some savings!