So, I’m in my back yard (which as you can obviously tell from the picture above, is totally under gardening construction) and I’m clipping away at this bush that has been overtaken by an out of control vining weed… And, I hear the words: Look at this, Mommy!

Oh-my-goodness!  I was so lost in my clipping that I hadn’t even noticed that she had turned on the water hose, dressed herself in a protective eye gear, and armed herself with a water hose!  Our tiny, defenseless newborn blueberry bush had no chance against this determined little girl!  Poor fella was totally ambushed by the water gushing at it a hundred gallons by the second (okay, I’m over exaggerating, but still… You can tell the bush is about to tip over by the force of the water!).

The look on her face just cracked me up – She was soooo serious!  Of course, I told her to not move an inch while I ran off to grab my camera!

Ooooh, the faces a child will make for her mother and her camera… Just melts the heart, doesn’t it?!

Poor little guy barely survived the beating.

I’m hoping she (and my other 2 girls) will give me more laughs like this while my husband and I continue to work on our hideous backyard!  It makes the annoyance of weeds and disaster slightly less annoying. Slightly.

xox, reata

I’ve been taking pictures of this little guy for the past 2 years and he never changes….  He is full of energy, personality, and adoration for his two wonderful parents!   I’m lucky that I keep getting to photograph them!

xox, reata

Totally fun.  Totally unique.  Zozo does it again!

I’ve been meaning to blog these photos I did for ZozoBugBaby over a week ago, but things got out of control busy for a bit!  This adorable little top hit the shop last week and is completely adorable!  It’s also being offered in dress length for even more fun!  Go check it out… It’s called the Avery Twirl Top!

Love the back of this top…  so cute and unique!

That’s all for now!

xox, reata

I’m not really sure where to begin with this story…  I guess I should start with how I first heard of Layla Grace, who she is, and why I’m posting about her.

It was a few weeks ago when my good friend randomly asked me if I’d ever heard of Layla Grace and I simply replied unknowingly, No… What’s that?  Errr, I mean, who’s that?  I had no idea how heartbreaking the next bit of info would be.

My friend told me about a sweet, beautiful little girl who was in the last stages of Neuroblastoma Cancer….  A bright-eyed, high-spirited little girl whose loving parents had started a blog to keep their friends and family updated on her progress as she went through horribly tough, tough times fighting her terrible desease.  Although the initial intentions of this blog were not to gain recognition, this blog eventually started being following by thousands (literally) of prayerful well-wishers… all praying for peace and comfort for this one lovely family.

My friend told me I should check out their blog if I wanted… but she knew for certain, I would cry while reading it.  Of course, later that evening as I read along, I cried and cried. And cried.

After reading Layla’s story and seeing the gorgeous photos that Cypress based photographer Christie Lacy had done for them, my heart was so incredibly heavy with grief, hope, love, and pain for Layla’s entire family…  I could not, for the life of me, get them out of my head.  Their family is similar in make-up to mine:  three young girls, about the same ages as mine.  I couldn’t image how Layla’s parents were making it through each day – obviously, they are very faithful servants to the Lord.  I prayed and prayed for them – and I still do.

Four days after first hearing about Layla,  I received a phone call completely out of the blue from Christie Lacy (the photographer who did their family photos)… She did not know me and I did not know her.  As she explained who she was and told me the exact same story I had just read online four days earlier, I realized God was setting the stage for something He knew I couldn’t refuse and I was in awe.  Christie explained to me that this special little girl and her family had touched her heart…  My heart pounded. I was shaking.  And,  I was completely astounded…  Why in the world am I receiving this call??  How did she even get my number?!  

Christie asked if I’d join forces with her in a charity event benefiting the family of Layla Grace… After working with the Marsh Family, she was so touched that she wanted to do something more for them – A Charity Mini Session Event, Party For Layla.  And, because of the overwhelming response she was getting from so many wonderful, prayerful families who wanted to book a mini session, she realized she would need help from other photographers.  This is why she called me.  I was in 100%.

I am beyond honored and feel truly blessed that God led her to call my phone number – after all, there are tons of photographers in the Houston area… why me?!  I am estatic that, in addition to the prayers I have been offering up to God for the Marsh family, that I have been asked to help a little bit more….   I am hopeful that we will have an amazing turn-out for this event!

If you are interested in helping the family of Layla Grace, please check out our Party For Layla Website and consider booking an appointment for a mini session with me (or one of the many other awesome participating photographers)!  The entire session fee is being donated to the family and each 20 minute mini-session will receive one 8×10 fine art print!  

Read the details HERE.

xox, Reata

This is what you call Eggs in A Nest Breakfast (sort of):

So yeah…  I thought I was going to really get creative this morning and actually make a real recipe for breakfast…. No cereal.  No microwave outmeal.  A real, hot breakfast.  

Well, my first attempt at making a yummy looking breakfast with a cute name turned into a hot mess shortly thereafter!  I wanted to give this simple little recipe a test run before making it for my girls for breakfast; so, this morning after everyone was at school, I gave it a go!  Not quite what I imaged it’d look like, but it still tasted scrumptious.  :)

My review of this easy-peasy breakfast:  LOVE it!  Love the name, the look, and the taste!  I think I’ll make it a bunch this spring…  The girls will adore the fact that they can help me cut the holes in the bread and sprinkle the cheese… wow! 

xox, reata

Yeah, that’s right.  You read it right.  I wash my dogs feet.

No, I don’t really have what you’d call a ‘prissy’ dog.  He’s not a teacup or a mini anything.  He’s just a small Wizard of Oz Toto dog  (Cairn Terrier)  named Toto.  And, who knows, maybe I’m turning him into a sissy little sassafras ninny, but I dunno…  I just don’t like it when his feet are dirty.  or dusty.  or contain any evidence that he’s been outside.  And, I certainly don’t want his semi-dirty pads getting anything funky on my light colored rug.  Eeeek…  I shiver at the thought!

So.  I wash his feet.  

Not every time he comes in from galavanting around the backyard.  But, most of the time.

Now, enough about my dog feet washing oddities…  Here’s to a pleasantly clean doggie-feet-day!

This weekend was grand…  So many little common, everyday memories to try and keep in my heart forever.

♥  baking with the all three girls while looking fabulous in anthropologie aprons (yes, even my 2 yr old had on an anthro apron!).

♥  visiting with my dad, who is currently fighting stage 4 cancer, and watching his eyes light up and a smile flash across his lips as my two year old lovingly calls him PeeWee.

♥  watching my 3 girls play barbies, pet shops, and ice-skating-dance-show together without any arguing.

♥  dining at IHOP with my family only to realize afterwards that we could have made the same meal at home for about $27.68 cheaper… and then laughing and making jokes about it with my husband for the remainder of the night.

♥  making a connection with a fabulous children’s clothing designer and the excitement that followed an accepted proposal to do business together.

♥  having my ten year old ask beg to spend the night on my bedroom floor and then follow me around for the entire night as I did random chores… just making conversation.

♥  cuddling with before mentioned ten year old in the morning, after she somehow made it to my bed in the middle of the night.

♥  going on a mini photo shoot with my husband Chris so he could shoot my photos for a little project I’m working on.  Then, loosing my handcrafted prop which you see in the photo at the top of this page.  Which of course was followed by driving around town looking for the handcrafted prop which apparently blew out of the car at some point….  finally, finding it and then freezing my patootie off as I tried to look cool in my pictures.  Only, I probably just looked like a nut wearing inappropriate warm weather clothing on a insanely cold day.

♥  happy that Chris happened to snap up these two back-to-back photos to help me remember:

xox, reata

I had no idea I lived in the Artic Circle.  This morning, as I stumbled out of bed grabbing my plush, warm robe with my eyes still half shut, I had no idea that serious arctic temperatures were upon my house.  I made way to the door to let Toto, our little dog, out to potty… and as soon as I opened the door I got smacked in the face by a 25 degree wind.  Talk about a wake up call!  What’s more is that with the windchill factor it felt like 12.  Yes, TWELVE!!  That doesn’t happen all that often in my little corner of the world…   Actually, come to think of it, this entire winter season seems like it’s been very atypical, being one of the most consistantly cold winters we’ve seen in a while.  Typically, our winters comprise of a string of short lived cold fronts… but the cold weather this winter has been unchanging with only a few warm days here and there.  And, to top it off, the weather actually yeilded a day of snow at the beginning of December.  Now, I don’t know if it will snow today, but I do know that it was cold enough to freeze the standing water on my driveway this morning (Aw man!   I missed my chance to go driveway iceskating!).  Tonight it’s supposed to be in the teens…  pretty awesome, if you ask me!  

So.  Houston and surrounding areas:  Be sure to drink some hot cocoa, make some s’mores, and put those heaters on high tonight!  

And because no post is complete without a photo… Here are a couple of my two youngest and a friend of ours from the beginning of December when it snowed.

A3 being frightened of the curiously cold white flakes falling from the sky:

xox, reata

Wow!  I can’t believe that 2009 is over and 2010 is here!  The entire year slipped by so quickly and my internal calendar is still reading um….   September-ish.  It’s been an incredible year for me personally and also in my business.  A special heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to ALL the wonderful clients that passed in front of my camera this year.  Thank you so much for letting me slip into your family, mingle, and take some photos!!  It was surely a fun filled time and I won’t forget a single one of you!  And, I hope that I’ll be hearing from you all again in 2010!  I love it when I get to work with the same family over and over again…. see how their family has changed, grown -up, and yet somehow remained the same.  Completely incredible.

Now, I know some of you have been wondering where the heck I’ve been…  I’ve been a slacker these past two weeks, right?  Wrong!  I’ve been a wife, mother, daughter, friend, and, quite frankly, anything other than a professional photographer.  I spent a complete two weeks hanging day-in and day-out with my husband (who was also on break from work), my three lovely girls, our dog Toto, and all the Grandmas, Pee-Wees, Pops, Mimis, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins one can have!  It’s been a blast needless to say… But sadly, the fun break is over and it’s time to get back to work!  I am SO looking forward to what 2010 has in store!  And, I am so excited to get back behind my camera and really put on my thinking cap to come up with some cool new session ideas!  

Bring it, 2010.

Hold up a minute though.  Before I bid 2009 a sweet farewell, I must fulfill a promise I made to my 5 year old, A2.  Binky must. get. more. internet. coverage.  Sorry Binky.  I meant to post updates on your every move this holiday season… But, life was just a wee bit too entertaining and the family gatherings were aplenty.  So, sue me!?!

Here you can see Binky freezin his patootie off in the fridge while pulling a prank on the little ones…

And, here you see him the next day trying to warm back up after nearly suffering from freezer burn.

And then, we skip ahead a bit and you see him here waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve… Luckily enough, he reported that all three of my girls should be on the NICE list.

By the way, the carrots on the plate were for the reindeer… Not Santa.  Our house doesn’t buy into the whole “Santa needs to go on a diet” thing.

And, just for fun… Here is our tree looking rather sparkly.

And my favorite new ornaments from 2009…  

The girls made these at A2′s Christmas themed birthday party!

Oh and this look sums it all up for me…  Total surprise and excitement!

And, this fluffy hair and sleepy look are perfection.  Love it.

And, something tells me that Santa would have brought this little beauty anything her heart desires this year.  Seriously.  Baby Dolls.  Diamonds.  Ferraris.  A vacation home in Greece.  Anything.

But, she was happy just walking down the stairs with all her stuffed animal buddies in tow and recieve a new, modest form of transportation…

There you have it, folks…  My Christmas in nutshell.

I told my husband the other day that I think this was our BEST Christmas EVER!  Really.  Everything was perfect.  What a sensational way to close out a fabulous year!

Here’s to the start of a wonderful 2010!

xox, reata

This is Binky.  He’s our family Elf on a Shelf.  Despite what you’re most likely thinking, no… he’s not a trapeze artist, even though he’s always had an urge to run away from Santa’s workshop and join the circus.  Nope, he’s just one of the many elves who report to Santa’s ear the behaviors of many a child from all over the world.  This little guy (and I do mean little) was assigned to my family.  He came to live with us last year.  He arrived by mail on the day we moved into our new house, complete with a letter from Santa and everything.  My kids love that Binky is here to spy on them and bring a little Christmas magic into their lives!  They were beside themselves with excitement when Binky popped back into their lives a couple of weeks ago for Christmas ’09!

Yesterday Binky surprised us all when we found him dangling from the fan… I guess he was trying to get a good look at the kids that day.  Who knows?  Wonder where he’ll end up next… Hmmm!  Only time will tell!