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 be sure to check out shawna at styleberry blog and the other ladies taking on project 52 this year

carwash time with her daddy. she looked so stinkin’ cute!

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 be sure to check out shawna at styleberry blog and the other ladies taking on project 52 this year

mariah has been crazy about her baby sister even before she was born and it’s been so fun to watch her love on her little baby lana. but now that lana is smiling and more attentive to those around her, we can see lana is just as crazy about her big sister. it’s so sweet and heartwarming to see the two of them interact together. i’m so glad i get to watch their love grow for so many more years.

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 be sure to check out shawna at styleberry blog and the other ladies taking on project 52 this year

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 be sure to check out shawna at styleberry blog and the other ladies taking on project 52 this year

i’m thinking this could maybe be the first in a series of posts i take on called “true confessions of a real mom” or something like that. this birthday was not at all what i’d hoped for or envisioned…

pinterest and blogs always make me feel a little guilty about my mom skills, but i knew that celebrating mariah’s third birthday only six weeks after her sister was born would mean i’d have to forego the picture perfect parties shown on the tom kat studio. i knew i wanted the party outside of my home, and that it would be pretty small and simple.

it took me forever to decide where we should go, but with mariah’s input i made the final decision. we’d play at pump it up and then eat lunch and treats at mcdonald’s. now i realized mariah was a little hit or miss when it came to liking bounce houses and blow up obstacle courses, but i was sure with us doing them with her she’d be just fine.

i was wrong.

terribly wrong.

she didn’t want to do any of it. we got her on a few things, but she wasn’t enjoying herself. her friends were having a great time. they kept asking her to come with them. she refused.

finally near the end of our time she was happy with two balloons and the “exit ramp” out of the bounce house. it was a slide just her size. she was all smiles, chasing a friend and then slipped on the hard concrete floor and cried. and cried. and cried. and cried for her blankie which we did not bring. she was a mess. a total mess.

going to mcdonald’s made things better. and it had a playplace. (she would’ve been just fine playing there instead of pump it up) we ate and did all the typical birthday things. i was a horrible host and sucked at chatting with the other moms. i couldn’t focus on anything because i was worried about mariah having a good time, and wondering if she had a concussion after her fall.

nick had to rush out to get to work and when it was all over i took a few loads of things out to the car. then i saw lana was waking up and looking hungry. we were 35ish minutes from home. she could make it, right? she’d just go back to sleep in the car.

i was wrong.

terribly wrong.

she started the ride just a little fussy, then it escalated. and then it was BAD. poor girl has never cried that hard. we were maybe 8 minutes from home, but i couldn’t listen to my poor baby anymore knowing she was hungry.

so we got off the freeway and i looked for a parking lot to nurse her. of course we were in downtown saint paul at that point and there aren’t a lot of lots to just park in. finally i found sears, parked and nursed my poor baby.

mariah then tells me she has go to potty. and when she finally tells us that, usually she’s almost to the point of peeing her pants. thankfully she was distracted enough by her new toys that she made it home.

we survived, but that was NOT how i’d envisioned the day going.

at all.

and mariah told me several times that day, and later during the week “i didn’t have any fun at my birthday party” *sigh*

i also ended up with only a handful of pictures that i like. i have no posed picture of mariah with her cake or guests or even a family shot. just a few candids. and while i LOVE lifestyle and candid shots, i wanted those specific posed shots for us to look back on.

but at least we have a few photos. next year i might be hiring a photographer to make sure i don’t have to think about photos.

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 be sure to check out shawna at styleberry blog and the other ladies taking on project 52 this year

an unexpected visit to the u.s. gave nick’s mom the chance to see lana while she was still “little” (we don’t make tiny babies in this family). it was a quick flight in while she was in california for a few weeks, but we all loved having nonna around for those few days.

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 be sure to check out shawna at styleberry blog and the other ladies taking on project 52 this year

if you love to be in front of the camera and want a way to earn a free senior portrait session check this out…

class of 2013 senior rep program

how it works:

for every friend who books a senior session you earn $50 towards a full senior session with CD of images
when your friends book a session because you sent them, they receive a 10% discount

the perks:

a free 30 minute session this spring
10 watermarked images to share on facebook
50 personalized referral cards to spread the word about rachel gray photography
referring 7 friends gives you a free senior session! more than 7 means free prints and goodies

reps need to:

have lots of personality, great style and enjoy being in front of the camera
live in or attend school in one of the following counties: ramsey, washington, dakota
tell your friends and classmates about rachel gray photography
agree to represent ONLY rachel gray photography
sign a model release so we can use your photos for advertising

more senior photos

the fine print: your free 30 minute session must be completed before may 5th * you only earn credit for friends who book before october 1st – so make sure your friends book soon. * your full portrait session (free or discounted) must be completed before october 15th * if you don’t refer a minimum of two seniors before december 1st, you will be required to pay a $100 mini session fee…but with your rep cards and facebook, this shouldn’t be a problem at all

i’m looking for families or couples who want to join me on mini adventures. mini adventures where you play and i document the fun.

why? well this year i’m taking on a challenge for myself in order to refine my style and stretch myself.   in order to do that, i’ve set a goal to give away one free session each month. with just a little catch…. i choose the theme and take complete creative control. don’t worry…even though i’ve chosen the theme, i’ll still be tailoring the session to your family so you walk away with images that are meaningful to you.

what you get…

free 45 minute session
gallery of around 30 images
2 free digital downloads
ability order prints or purchase more digital files from an online gallery for 30 days

the plan

below are the themes for each month…if there’s a particular theme you’d like to be models for, contact me to reserve your month. this is also a great way to introduce a friend or family member to my sessions, so if you think someone might be interested, send them my way.

edit: months are filling up fast, only a few remain!

april: library

may: mother’s day focused “day in the life”

june: father’s day focused “day in the life”

july: summer in the backyard

august: state fair

september: back to school

october: fall fun

november: pie making and baking

december: sledding

i’m so excited to take on these little mini adventures/challenges for myself.
i can’t wait to see what we can dream up each month!

this week she was playing alone and said, “it’s not perfect and it’s making me mad!”  i’m sure she hasn’t heard me say those words before. she’s inherited my need for perfection. she has a way of pointing out the areas where i need to improve, just by letting her personality show.

she’s stubborn like me, loves to dance like me, reads to her dolls and animals like i used to, and is a girly girl like i was as a child.  sometimes we clash because we’re the same…i can only image what those teen years will be like. but i won’t think about that right now.

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 be sure to check out shawna at styleberry blog and the other ladies taking on project 52 this year

i wish they lived closer so they could spend more time with our girls.

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 be sure to check out shawna at styleberry blog and the other ladies taking on project 52 this year

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