{Brooklyn} Summer at the Beach

After being on vacation in Washington for two weeks and then playing catch up upon our return (and not to mention June gloom that extended well into mid July), we finally made it to the beach. As I suspected, Brooklyn refused to walk on the sand (she did the same on the Washington Coast). As soon as I set her down barefoot in the sand, she immediately started crying and whining "uppies". I think it's kinda funny that she really hates it that much (although I will say that I'm not much a sand fan either, despite my love for the ocean). It took some serious patience and coercing to finally get her to warm up to it. Once the other kids started playing and having fun, she had to be part of it too. By the end of the day, I could barely get her out of the water. I think a water baby has been born...

{Brooklyn} Say Cheese

So anytime I have the studio set up for portraits, Brooklyn runs into the room and waits for her portrait taking. She has perfected her smile and saying "cheese". Which is so funny, since I'm perfectly content capturing her not looking into the camera (she has caught on to me capturing others). I haven't encouraged her to say "cheese" to the camera (well, only on occasion). I love the raw images of her thinking, playing, eating, etc. But she's a bit of a fan now of the camera. Oh lord, look out!

I never thought I'd be that gloating mommy. But I'm so proud. And so impressed. I cannot believe this little person becoming in front of me. She makes me laugh. And smile. And go crazy, all the while. I love her more than I knew I could love another. Her daddy and I laugh and marvel at this little person that we made. What an amazing blessing she is...

 

 

 

 

{Brooklyn} Moments Captured

There are so many things that I don't want to forget about Brookie. She changes so fast and time slips by...and inevitably the memories get blurry and forgotten. I can't tell you how often I look back on my blog posts of her to remind me of a moment. I'm so grateful that I have them and they help me to recall how she was in the moment that I clicked.

I love her little curls and how long her hair is getting.

 

Since she refuses to let me do her hair or keep a bow in, I love the way she is constantly swiping the hair from her face.

 

I love how intense she can look when she is concentrating on something as easy as eating.

 

And I love (and sometimes dislike) her independence to do everything on her own. Even though I want to hold her hand, or carry her, or push her in the stroller...she is adamant about walking on her own, by herself. "Brookie do it."

 

She is currently obsessed with "Finding Nemo", "Monsters Inc.", her baby doll, coloring, taking showers instead of baths, counting on her fingers, playing "oh no" (a game she created with her daddy), dancing, and cuddling. She says "cuddle, mommy, cuddle" and I'm loving that she actually likes to cuddle now (there was a time when she didn't).

I'm sure next week there will be a whole new set of obsessions, so I'm glad I have these documented today before she goes and changes on me again.

{Brooklyn} Happy 21st month Birthday!

We just returned from vacation, and I'm pretty sure Brooklyn aged a month or two on this trip alone. She is talking so much more, has so many more expressions & behaviors, and is ultimately becoming just more HER!

She is 21 months today! Wow...where has the time gone? My little baby is officially a little girl. She is such a little character, I can't get over it. She is a feistly little girl (and I'm only hoping that will serve her well in life, because at this point, it's only giving me gray hair and lots more of it). For example, she threw the biggest fit of the world during take-off & landing on the flight home today from Seattle. I mean, like hitting kicking scratching tantrum. It's kinda embarrasing. I'm "that" mom on the plane, that can't control her child. I'm sorry, but there is no controlling this child, especially a toddler. If you have some advice, please enlighten me.

In other news, Brooklyn is pretty much a parrot. She can repeat anything you say and will. She sings, and dances, and plays so well. I only discovered on this trip that she is very much a independent little girl and likes her solo time. She gets overwhelmed with too much action & socialization. I found her frequently playing in the rocks and swinging by herself. However, she is also kinda bossy. She has a game called "oh no" that she plays with her daddy. She taught it to her cousins and demanded that they do it on her command. So funny.

It was hilarious as Brooklyn mimiced her cousins and called me "Auntie Char Char" and "Charla" on this trip. At one point, she even called me "Auntie Mommy". So funny! When I told her "no", what was my name? She always replied "mommy". Good girl.

It's so fun to watch her imagination! Playing with her dollies. Talking to her toys. It's just amazing seeing her become a little person.

Mostly, I love that she says these things...

"Cuddle, mommy, cuddle."
"Mom, come on!"
"Kisses, mommy."
"Night night, mommy."
"Mom, where are you?"
"Take it, mom."
"Uppies, mom."

{Brooklyn} Hug the Ones You Love

It's with great sadness that I write this blog on a day when a photographer friend of mine (Leila Jones) lost her daughter. I can't imagine the pain Leila's family must be feeling right now. My heart just hurts for them. Leila is a family gal...they had six children! She is a lover and a giver and a huge inspiration to everyone she meets. I've had the privilege of shooting several weddings with her and it's always a joy. I'm so sorry, Leila, for your loss. There are no words to bring you comfort.

Moments after I learned of Leila losing her daughter, I excused myself to the bathroom. My little girl ran after me knowing something was wrong with me. She looked up at me with such concern. It was heart wrenching. I picked her up and held her through my tears. I'm so lucky to have this little girl in my life. I've never held her so tight. And appreciated her more than that moment. Please, go hug your loved ones today too and thank God for their presence in your life.

 

 

 

{Brooklyn + Luella} On Vacation together in the PNW

Monday we arrived to my hometown (Olympia, WA) to start our summer vacation and visit family & friends. We make this trip annually with our friends, the Volkoffs. They have definitely been adopted as honorary members of the Avery family. It's been even more fun this year since we both have little girls that LOVE each other. We've been lounging in my parents back yard for three days letting the kids run free, explore, and play. It has been so fun and relaxing. Here are a few snapshots of the girls playing yesterday...

 

 

 

 

{Hello Summer} Sun + Sand + Surf = Bliss

Hello Summer! It's been too long & you always stay too short. I can hardly wait to bask in your glory once again.

Despite the fact I was raised in rain country (Olympia, Washington), I've pretty much been a sun worshiper my entire life. When there was an occasional sunny day growing up, you could find me & my best friend Lora greasing up with baby oil & using tinfoil as a reflector. We were die hards, but our sun exposure was limited due to the crappy weather of the PNW. Sorry guys, you can't fool me! I experienced 25 years of the PNW and there is no rhyme or reason to their crazy weather. And I'm sorry to tell you that it is the number #1 reason why I live in SoCal. I would much rather be close to my friends & family, but I'm pretty sure I would suffer from SAD.

So today, I arrived 45 minutes early to my engagement session in Laguna Beach. Despite the many sessions I've done in Laguna, I've never done a session in this particular spot. It was gorgeous! And for one moment, I was able to stop, breathe, and take in the scenery.

I've been working too much. I need to find a balance. Today reminded me of it all. I'm hoping this summer to find a "me" day, a "Brooklyn" day, + "Dan" day. I want to lay in the sun alone, with the sand at my feet, waves crashing in the distance. But more than that, I want uninteruppted time with my loves. I love summer!

Captured by iPhone...

{Brooklyn + Luella} Thursdays with the Volkoffs

Thursday nights have become Dinner with the Volkoffs. We only live 2 blocks from one another, Thursdays are Dan's day off, and he LOVES to cook for others. So the Volkoffs venture to our home on Thursday eves for some grub and we are entertained by the little ones. Brookie & LuLu are exactly one year minus one day apart. They both get so excited to see one another, it's so endearing! And they just so happened to be matching in colors today, so what better opportunity for a mini-photo shoot. Brooklyn loves to tickle, hug, & kiss Lu. Usually Lu has wondered who this little person in her space is? But most recently she gets excited & is entertained by Brookie. It's so fun to see little ones interact with one another. I love these little girls...

 

 

 

 

{Brooklyn} Heartful Thoughts of Mothering

I had a perfectly wonderful day with Brookie. Napping, watching movies, playing, laughing, & cuddling. All in our pj's! I so needed today.

I needed it because I was feeling the "mom guilt" yesterday when I was getting ready to leave her with a sitter to shoot a wedding. I had never quite seen the sad face I got when our sitter arrived and I began telling Brookie goodbye. I was haunted by her tears and cries as we drove away. The weekends are usually our time together, but she knew! And so the wedding season begins...

I never imagined being a working mom when I finally decided to have children. I defintiely did not imagine I would be working two jobs. I love photography so much that I would love for it to be my fulltime job. However, I would have to make enough money to replace my teaching income + benefits before that is a possibility. I am also conflicted in the classroom. I am not the hopeful 20-something year old when I began. I do not feel I will save the world by teaching the next generation Spanish. I had an insatiable love for Spanish and teaching it when I began, but have become bitter over time (going on 12 years!). In some ways, teaching has taken a bit of a backseat since discovering photography. Mostly because I find hope & inspiration elsewhere.

I am not complaining. I am incredibly blessed to have two jobs. I am just conflicted by my time and aspirations. I AM working two jobs and wanting to work less. I want to do do what I love AND be available to my daugher. So I'm hoping to make some changes and that ultimately they will be the best choices for B!

 

 

 

 

{Celebrated} Mothers Day

 

I know I'm a day late but I was out enjoying my day with friends & family. I hope all of you moms out there had a fabulous day and were spoiled with lots of hugs & kisses from your little ones. Here's a virtual hug (()) for my mom and mother-in-law too.

Here's a Mothers Day Recap. I started the day with a family session in Huntington Beach. I was so nervous for this session because it was for a Washington photographer that was visiting Disneyland with her family (three kids five and under). It always makes me nervous to shoot for another photographer, no matter how much experience I have. Luckily for me the session went awesome and I was off to celebrate the day with my family and friends. We enjoyed brunch at McKenna's on the Bay and then set out on the boat for the day. Boating makes me so nostalgic. I have so many early memories of boating with my family in the Puget Sound. We had a blast venturing out to the ocean and visiting Shoreline Village. It was especially wonderful because my husband got to take the day off, which is rare occurrence. It was so nice to celebrate as a family.

Brookie loved being on the water. One of her favorite things to do is jump on the bed or couch. So she loved the movement of the boat and the motion didn't stop her from jumping then too. I still can't believe I'm a mom to the coolest little kid ever. We are having so much fun with her these days and are amazed daily with all her new words and sentences. On Friday, she said "I shiver" in the car as the A/C was blasting. Kristi & I looked at each other and laughed, thinking where in the world did she learn that? Other recent faves are "I'm coming", "I march" (as she marches up and down the hallway), "it's stuck", and it really cracks me up when she calls me "CharChar" (which is what all my nieces, nephews, & friends' kiddies call me). She likes to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle, & the alphabet with us. She's also counting to 10.

I ran back to our car before brunch to grab my DSLR camera but stopped and decided against it. I already have so many images from this past weekend's jobs; I just didn't feel like creating more work for myself. Instead I captured the days' events with my iPhone. It's a good thing because it would have been my camera that could have been ruined on the boat versus my phone. My poor phone got wet while on the boat, thanks to a giant wave & me sitting on the bow. I'm off to the Apple store tonight to see what my options are for replacing. In the meantime, I'm phoneless which is incredibly frustrating. Please email me (charla@charlablue.com) or connect with me on Facebook to get in touch.

Here's our day in images (taken with the Cross Process app)...

 

It's fun to have friends with a boat! Donovan, KrisD, & Kruiz.

 

 

{Kruiz} Celebrating 5 Years

I devote so much time and attention to client images that I sometimes forget about our personal images. In an attempt to clear my computer from clutter, I was seriously surprised by the fun and adorable images captured from our dear friend KrisD's daughter, Kruiz's birthday party. She just celebrated 5 years and I kinda want to cry over that fact. I met her parents before she was conceived. I was even there to clean up when KrisD's water broke.

As neighbors, we would dine over conversations of Europe and travel and art and good wine (even if we couldn't afford it). I often blame Krisd for my affection for wine. We were kindred spirits and we have shared many of our life milestones together.

On another note, I pretty much compare all of Brooklyn's milestones to Kruiz. I know I shouldn't compare but she is my only recent frame of reference. Kruiz is brilliant! She knew the flag salute by the time she was two. She started reading letters at age three. The list could go on, but she is pretty much just a cool kid. I'm so happy to see her grow and mature!

Kruiz's birthday could not have been more fun or adorable...a make-up & hair station, bubbles, hot pink cupcakes, a teeter totter, and slide. What more could a girl ask for?

I love these next images

. Some day I may get in trouble for showing little Andrew (Kruiz's cousin) put on lipstick.