Tara. Paul. Swan Cove Manor.

Swan Cove Manor ,Cambridge, Maryland, was the site of Tara + Paul’s casually elegant wedding celebration.  Bringing together two amazing families for the first time,  Tara and Paul flew in from Colorado on Wednesday, and got the party rolling.  Tara’s family has always vacationed on the Eastern Shore, and it holds special memories.  Surrounded by hundreds of acres of  woods, meadows,  farms, and an incredible waterfront, the families vacationed together, crabbing, boating, and enjoying the relaxed pace of life on the eastern shore.

So, by the time I arrived to shoot the wedding, everyone was in vacation mode. Tara and Paul had each claimed one of the three estate houses as wedding headquarters . . . so I literally went from door to door to document the wedding day. You may remember Tara and Paul and their daughter Haley from our engagement shoot this summer on the campus of St. John’s College and downtown Annapolis.  I knew it then . . . this is one special family.

This is how I came upon the day. Paul out on the dock with his nieces and nephew, catching Maryland blue crabs.

Meanwhile, Tara and her maid of honor, Haley, were next door, getting ready for the ceremony. The house was filled with lots of laughter . . . after all, Tara’s four sisters had come from far and near to live, once again, under the same roof. They nibbled on crabmeat, applied makeup and tied bows for each other and precious Haley got some coaching on “the princess walk.”

I remember thinking, at the engagement session, that Tara was just incredibly beautiful without a stitch of makeup on her face . . .  But for this day . . .  drop dead gorgeous.

When Paul called from next door, Tara sneaked off to the window to enjoy the excitement with him. They were minutes from seeing one another for the first time that day and their excitement was palpable.

A quick moment alone.

Time for the marriage of true minds.

One last love from Haley, the sweetest, most attentive maid of honor ever . . .

That’s one happy man.

Really. happy.

Guests’ arrival.

Glorious anticipation.

The “I Do’s”

With Haley right by their side . . .

And then the celebration . . .

Paul and Tara enjoyed the best of the Eastern Shore.

Hope you enjoyed this sneak peak.

Click here to view Tara + Paul. The Slideshow.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

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Infant Remembrance Photography . . . Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

I am fortunate to serve as Carroll County’s area coordinator for this national infant remembrance program.

For those of us who have lost loved ones, this program is a blessing. Furthermore, in Carroll County, we have a cadre of incredible professional photographers willing to donate their time and expertise to comfort a grieving family with keepsake photography. Please understand that the photography remembrance sessions are a gift. There is no monetary exchange at any time.

Please read on, and consider supporting this worthwhile program.

Thanks for your consideration,

Kathy

 

 

 

 

 

With the Month of October being recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, The Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation holds its Annual Fund Drivefor six weeks starting in mid-September and ending in October. 

 

President Ronald Reagan enacted Proclamation 5890 in October of 1988 to recognize that each year, approximately a million pregnancies in the United States alone end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a newborn child.  Reagan stated, “A national observance offers us the opportunity to increase our understanding of the great tragedy involved in the deaths of unborn or newborn babies.  It also enables us to consider how, as individuals and communities, we can meet the needs of bereaved parents and family members… ”  To read the full Proclamation signed by Reagan,CLICK HERE.   

 

If you are in a place to make even a small contribution to NILMDTS, please know that doing so will continue to allow the organization to provide improved resources, training, communication, and other tools necessary in support of our amazing contingent of professional photographers who provide the gift of free remembrance portraiture to families in need.

 

Our next project we are working on is an online, interactive webinar version of our Formal NILMDTS Training taught by Co-Founder Sandy Puc’ allowing anyone in any country with access to a computer to complete the course online.  Donations help make programs like this a reality! 

 

 

Your Donations Support the Organization in Many Ways –    

* By supporting the continued education of our volunteer photographers 
* By allowing us to further our outreach to hospitals and hospices across the world 
* By offsetting the costs associated with outreach efforts including Formal NILMDTS Traingin Seminars 
* By supporting the Family Forum which creates a productive and supportive haven for healing 
* By supporting the Photographers’ Forum which provides a helpful environment for our member photographers to express their feelings and receive advice on the various issues that they face in this noble work 
* By supporting the day to day operations of our Headquarters Offices

Books. Books. Books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kristiana just finished The Theft and the Miracle by Rebecca Wade, and gives it four stars!

 

 

William’s loves a good Spidey adventure.

 

 

 

 

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.
– Mark Twain

 

 

 

 

 

 

The library is one of the best things going in our town. We usually visit several times a week . . . and we keep a large wicker basket filled in our den with all our selections.  The library . . . that’s where we borrow our movies, that’s where we go to story time, that’s where we do our crafting . . . and usually, once a week through the winter, that’s where we do our homeschool . . . just for a change of scenery.  We are getting a great new addition to our library, so by next spring there will be even more to do at the library. My son, Daniel, has often said , “Mom. I can’t wait until I can drive. I’m going to go to the library all by myself and just read in peace and quiet!”

Carl used to say to our emerging readers, “You just wait. As you learn to read, the whole world will open up to you!” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Caroline reads all the Dick and Jane stories she can get her hands on.

 

Carl’s summer pick is The Shack by William Young . . . 

Kathy’s is The Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers . . . 

Daniel’s is Witness  by Whittaker Chambers . . . 

and  Tim’s is anything by Jeff Shaara.

 

Leave your summer favorites in the comments for us! We are always looking for new good reads.

The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries.

– Descartes

Darby. Jeremy. A Reason to be Jollie.

Darby & Jeremy’s wedding photos have been released and are available for viewing!!

 

 

 

 

If you want to see more fun pictures of the jolly Jollies, you can click here to see images from the wedding and the romantic bridal shoot that followed at The Inn at Roop’s Mill.  If you preregister as a guest (it’s free, so why not?) I will send you a photographer’s gift credit in the amount of $5. (The gift credit is only available to those who preregister.) Also, to get updates when pictures are posted to this blog, including when more of Darby and Jeremey’s wedding pictures are released, subscribe to this blog. Look for the subscription link in the menu on the right.

 

 

Click here to watch the slide show!!

 

Family. Beach. Memories.

Summertime . . . and the Livin’ is Easy

I am booking a very limited number of family beach portrait sessions from August 16-21 at the Maryland/ Delaware shore. These will be shot on the beach, in the beautiful light right before sunset. And here’s the best part . . . my regular session fee will be reduced 20 % .  Consider commemorating your treasured family memories with a beautiful archival canvas hung over your mantle . . . or an archival quality coffee table book to display year round . . . and of course, this is a great opportunity to get your holiday cards done early, while you still have the sunny glow of summer all over your face! These session normally takes approximately 30 minutes . . . then you can walk to dinner!

Don’t delay . . .call me today . . .  these sessions will go fast!