{Personal Expressions} If life gives you lemons......

Why, you gather us some fresh mint and some sweet smelling lavender, makes your self a glass of lemonade and say "Take that life"!!! :)

{Personal Expressions} I heart faces - Let them be little

I had so many wonderful pictures to choose from for this theme. In the end I decided to choose this one of little S. This pictures says so much to me - The thrill of being in a swing, The thrill of wind in your hair, The thrill of warm sunshine of your face....and as a mom, The thrill of pure happiness in your child!

Little S does not quite fit in this little swing bucket anymore...all the more reason why this is so special to me!

This is my entry in I heart faces - "Let them be little" challenge. Check out all the other wonderful entries here.

{Lifestyle Portraiture} Sneak Peek - The L family photoshoot - 4 months in the making | Naperville Family Photographer

What a beautiful Sunday morning activity! - the L family photoshoot. So what if it took 4 months to schedule this session....we could not have gotten a more perfect day for this. Tempreatures in the 60s, clear blue skies and gorgeous fall weather.

We talked, we walked, we explored little paths and stream openings - it was perfect!

Thank you L family! I think it was well worth the wait to go out on this beautiful day for a fall photoshoot, don't you? :) Enjoy your sneak peak!

How do you throw leaves in the air? Bottom-up or Top-down! :)

This is the "GO BEARS" look that the boys were sporting! - and it worked! - the Bears won!!!!

{Personal Expressions} Learning by seeing - Great blue heron

This is how we learn. We saw this majestic bird over the weekend and followed her around (Little Ms.N decided it had to be a girl because she was so pretty). Then we got back home and "researched" about blue herons while the pictures were being loaded onto the computer :)

Did you know their wing span can reach up to 6 feet wide!

Did you know great blue herons can live up to 15 years? Adults have a blue plume on their heads. This one was probably a young juvie!

Did you know herons are called "stand-and-wait-predators" that remain motionless for long periods of time?

We absolutely LOVED the natural learning experience and will be looking to do more of this soon!

{Personal Expressions} Hand made and filled with love

The little tag says it all....patiently waiting for cold snowy days to warm little bodies within its folds! - thank you grandma...we love you!

{Personal Expressions} MJ Family birthday

A birthday celebration at the MJ household!

Home made birthday card! :) and flowers from the garden...the house smells of lavender and roses!

{Travel Log} Memorable Jaunts Fall Hike

October 8th turned out to be a wonderful fall weekend for a hike here in Chicago. The weather gods were certainly smiling upon our group and all the 1000+ people who were at Starved Rock State Park this weekend. Tempreature in the 80's, clear blue skies and beautiful fall colors mesmerized us all.

The group met at the visitor's center and after brief introductions (some of us were meeting for the first time!) we hiked for about 2 1/2 hours.

The views were so beautiful!

The kids uncovered such interesting things! - check out the spider web!

The group was fun, energetic and the kids all interacted and played really well together. They explored little trails and paths and there was no winning or complaining (well! maybe a bit when we were ready to leave cause even the adults did not want to head back home!).

 At the end of the hike, we chilled out with a picnic lunch, al fresco style, with chutney and jelly sandwiches, cut veggies, delish cupcakes and fruits!

The hike was certainly a hit and I am so inspired to try many more groups events in the future - stay tuned!

Thanks to all our MJ friends who came out and supported us in this event. We loved meeting everyone and certainly cherish the new friendships and memories from Oct 8th!

{Lifestyle Portraiture} Sneak Peek - The S family - 3P's for having a good time | Aurora Family Photographer

I always worry before a photo shoot involving kids. How am I going to occupy them? Distract them, keep them engaged while I peer into their faces with a camera? How do I ensure they have a good time and not hate me!!! :) - I like being "liked" - after all, happy kids = happy parents, right!

Well! I did not have to worry too much during my latest shoot. It had three elements very important for a successful photo shoot :-
1) Park!
2) Play!
3) Photos!

Little Ms.K was a natural. It also helped that mom choose a park that she was very familiar with. So while little Ms.K played in the park, I clicked photos ;)

So S family, thanks for a wonderful morning and enjoy your sneak peak!

I love the play of shadows on her face! - they match her dress :)