There is something you might not know about me.  I have an older sister and two young brothers.  There are four of us, two boys and two girls.  We’ve had our ups and downs, like all siblings do. But without a doubt, we all love each other.  We might fight like crazy sometimes but we’d fight harder FOR each other.  Always have and always will.  My sister and I are quite a bit older than our brothers.  In fact we were 12& 17 when the youngest was born!  And now, somehow, the youngest is a senior and about to graduate.  In all honesty, I don’t believe its really possible – I mean didn’t I just graduate myself (ahem over 10 years ago actually!)?!?!  Alas, here we are, about to send the baby out into the world.  Taking his senior portraits was a bittersweet time for me.  I know he’s excited for all the new paths before him.  I’m just in shock that it’s here so quickly!  Enjoy.

“When you’re down and troubled
and you need a helping hand,
and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.”

Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I’ll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.

Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you got to do is call

and I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You’ve got a friend.

If the sky above you
should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow

Keep your head together and call my name out loud now
and soon I’ll be knocking upon your door.

You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I’ll come running to see you again.

Winter, spring, summer or fall
all you got to do is call
and I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They’ll hurt you and desert you.

Well they’ll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don’t you let them.

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don’t you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,

Hey now, all you’ve got to do is call.
Lord, I’ll be there, yes I will.
You’ve got a friend.
You’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.’

You’ve got a friend.

Congratulations Zachery Scott.  Love you.  Always here for you.

Summer

(Lyrics are copyright of James Taylor, I take no credit for his musical skills!)

I’m a planner.  I like to plan things.  I like to plan for sessions, I like to plan birthdays, I like to plan vacations.  I like to make lists.  I REALLY REALLY like crossing things OFF my list.  I like the KNOWN.  I like having a plan and knowing what path our life will travel on.  So when I started this business, I had a 5 year plan for Whitehill Photography.  So far, things were going great along that plan and were moving even a bit faster than I planned.  I prided myself on what I had accomplished as a NEW photographer here in Murfreesboro.  I prided myself on every gorgeous smile, every ray of sunshine, and each and every home that had my portraits hanging in it.  I never would have imagined that in such a short time, I would have been voted Best of Parenting 2010, Favorite Children’s Photography.  I never would have BELIEVED that I would have been voted Rutherford County Ruthie’s, Best Photographer 2010.  I was in awe and amazed by the path that God was leading me on.

Then sometimes things change.

And then sometimes things change ALOT.

As of June 2011, Whitehill Photography will no longer be located in Murfreesboro, TN.

Its a simple matter really.  My husband’s job is moving.  And where he goes, I surely will follow.  As of right now, we don’t know the full details of WHERE we’ll be moving.  It could be as simple as a short move northwest – to Nashville.  It could be as far as moving states away.  But what I do know is, our time here in Murfreesboro has come to an end. In a few weeks we will know the full details and I’ll be sure to keep my fans and clients in the “know”.  If we are moving to Nashville, then I can certainly still have sessions with my clients here in Murfreesboro!

So what does this mean?  Well I have an email inbox full of requests for Spring, Summer and Fall sessions.  As it stands, I only have 2 months to try to fit everyone in and with full sessions and ordering prints, I just don’t see how I can manage (especially considering how much rain we usually get in the spring)  So for the first and probably only time, Whitehill Photography is offering mini all digital sessions, at a very very affordable price.  These sessions will be 30 minutes sessions (not themed for any season, etc) of your choice and with the price of the session, you will receive a disk with all of your digital proofs and rights to reprint those images!
The sessions are only mini sessions (30 minutes).  Therefore they will not be available for Senior sessions, infant (babies under 6 months) sessions or extended family sessions.  There is just simply NOT enough time to try to attempt any of those sessions for a mini.  IF you are really wanting a session with me before Whitehill Photography moves and you would like a regular full session then I do have a small handful of full session dates available.  Please contact me quickly, however, I do believe they will go quickly!  All full sessions will be allowed a discount of $50 off the session fee.  That only applies to full sessions booked.

Below is the flier with the full details.

So on Thursday I posted my big news of being voted “Best Kids Photographer 2010″ for the Rutherford Parent Magazine.  And I also said that I’d have ANOTHER big announcement for today!  And here it is: Whitehill Photography was voted “Favorite Photographer” 2010 for the Daily News Journal “Ruthie” awards!  Wow, what an incredible honor.  I’m amazed at all the support, love and congratulations that have flowed with my week of good news! I’m amazed at my clients, fans and friends that cared enough to NOT ONLY make me a finalist (like I had hoped!!) but to take it a step further to declare me the FAVORITE photographer of Rutherford County.  I am humbled to be among a great community of VERY talented photographers and just can not say enough about this!

So thank you, thank you, thank you!!!  Photographing your children, your family, your love is what makes me happy and so I am so honored to be called your favorite! I’m including the ad that was submitted into the Ruthies Section, just in case you missed it.  Be sure to run out today and buy your copy of the Daily News Journal and find their special Ruthies section!! 

I’ve hinted around for a couple of weeks on Facebook that there was big news in store for Whitehill Photography and here it IS!  For those of you in Rutherford County, you ALL know the Rutherford Parent magazine.  The free local resource on parenting for our area.  Its an amazing little magazine and I know I faithfully read it each and every month!  This time of year they run the Parent Choice Awards.  I was notified that I (Whitehill Photography!!) won “Best Kids Photographer, 2010!!!”   WOW.  WOW.  WOW.  I’m floored, awed and humbled! Thank you all!  Its been an amazing 2 years here at Whitehill and I NEVER thought I’d win something like this, especially this quickly!

In honor of that, I will be hosting a contest – a giveaway- of a FREE (yes, FREE!) mini session and a set of 25 FREE Christmas cards.   That’s right FREE!!  No minimums, no session fees, nothing.  I just want to give ONE of my loyal fans a gift.  A gift to say THANK YOU!  Because without YOU all, I wouldn’t have gotten this award!  So I will post details on when the giveaway starts VERY soon!

I’m including the thank you add that I placed in the Rutherford Parent, be sure to check it out!

For anyone who knows me, you know how much my family means to me.  You know that two of the things I love the most are photography and my own family.  So when I get a chance to spend an evening photographing my own sweet, smart, beautiful, funny, AMAZING little girls – I am ONE HAPPY lady.  And at age 3 and 6, both of my girls are really starting to understand how having beautiful images of them makes my heart sing.  They know that when Mommy does the “happy laugh” that she is overjoyed.  Let’s just say there is PLENTY of happy laughing from these images.  Furthermore, those that are really close to me know that I have spent SIX (yes 6) months planning this shoot.  I knew what I wanted and have searched and looked and shopped until I found exactly what I had in mind to go with these images.  So here is a SMALL snippet of what my girls gave me last night!  If you can’t tell, I had a very specific theme in mind here: Vintage back to school.  Enjoy.

And I love these sweet silly expressions from them too!  They make me laugh!

I’m leaving on a jet plane…

and attending (and teaching) at an amazing workshop filled with over 20 AMAZING photographers. So, I’ll be out of the office from August 6 -August 8th!

I promise to return any emails as soon as I get back! Take care and have a fabulous weekend!

Summer

Some of you might know that my husband is a youth minister (and an awesome one at that!)  Every year he takes his youth group on several mission trips.  When our girls were smaller, I wasn’t able to go on those mission trips but I loved hearing the stories.  Now that they are getting a little older, I GET TO GO!!!   So the office here at Whitehill Photography will be closed starting today (June 20) until June 30th, 2010.  If you have questions about a session or want to book something (by the way, starting to book into September, start thinking about those Christmas Card portraits NOW!) you can go ahead and shoot me an email and I promise to get back to you when I get back!  Have an awesome week and I hope the heat isn’t horrible hear.  We’ll be heading to cool summertime temperatures in Maine!

I’ll leave you with the sweet images of both of my birthday girls.  These two little beauties make me so proud, I love that I’m the one they call “Mommy!”  Aren’t they just amazing?!

Summer

He’s my brother!

That’s right… MY little brother (well one of them, I have two!) is featured in a BIG way on the blog tonight.  He’s 18 and going to be graduating very very soon.  We were slated to do his senior pictures in the fall but well, things just didn’t happen that way.  So here he is.  I remember SOOO vividly the day he was born (10 weeks premature, might I add… which was alot back then).  I remember going to see him every day in the NICU while he grew strong enough to come home.  I remember watching him grow, going to little league games, wanting to beat up little kids who weren’t nice to him.  I CAN NOT BELIEVE HE IS GETTING READY TO GRADUATE!  How is that even possible?? I feel like it wasn’t that long ago I GRADUATED!  And here is someone, who is almost like my OWN child, and he’s graduating.  I love him dearly, he means the world to me and I hope he LOVES his senior pictures.    So I’ll leave you to the pictures… and maybe a little from The Hollies.  Enjoy!

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where

But I’m strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

So on we go

His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We’ll get there

For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

If I’m laden at all
I’m laden with sadness

That everyone’s heart
Isn’t filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It’s a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we’re on the way to there
Why not share

And the load
Doesn’t weigh me down at all
He ain’t heavy he’s my brother

He’s my brother
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother
I’m so proud of you Shaker-ton.

Congratulations

I love you and am always here for you!

Summer

The weather finally warmed up, dried up and everything is a bloom.  So I finally got to take some shots of my girls in their Easter dresses.  And let me tell you… not only was the weather beautiful, not only were the flowers beautiful but MAN, oh MAN… this mommy is proud to say THE GIRLS  are so insanely beautiful, it takes my breath away!   I have sooo many of these to share and (so many I’m going to want for the walls!!!) but here are three to start us off.
My oldest… quiet, shy, a total bookworm.  And gorgeous.

And another…

And my youngest – bubbly, charismatic and also very very cuddly!

I am SOO excited to be out and shooting outside again, I can barely stand it!

Summer

I know, I know… there are a million people out there asking you to donate your hard earned money for a cause.  Telethons, walkathons, raffles, school fundraisers, church fundraisers, sports team fundraisers… the list goes on and on.  Its not often that I talk about my personal life here on the blog.  However, the annual Walk for MS is approaching and we’ve begun assembling our team.

“MS, you say?”  Yes, Multiple Sclerosis.  “But that’s treatable right?!” For many there are treatments that really work and really help.  Unfortunately, not all forms of MS have and FDA approved medications or treatments for them.  The way we fight this is for more money and more research.

A few years ago, my husband – my amazing wonderful gift from God husband, started having some strange things going on.  He was having intense fatigue and deep leg pain that no medication was even touching.  Things progressed and after alot of drs appointment we found an answer.  My husband has Primary Progressive MS.  PPMS is one of the more rare forms of MS that really have no helpful treatments for.   So my husband is left in pain pretty much every hour of every day of his life.  You would never know it unless you noticed him limping or watched my vibrant, young, seemingly healthy husband use a cane on long walks.  He’s determined not to let this thing stop him and we are all determined that they (meaning the wonderful doctors and researchers out there working hard) WILL give him some hope and some relief one day.  So I’m asking YOU to help us!

The event happens on April 10th, 2010.  Registration begins at 9:00 am and the walk begins at 10:30 am.  Its a 1 mile walk (nothing too strenuous, I promise!!) at the Barfield Crescent Park here in Murfreesboro, you can find registration at Shelter #7.

If you can, join our team or sponsor us.  If not, please include us in your prayers as we walk!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/TNSWalkEvents?pg=personal&fr_id=13585&fr_id=13585&px=6320634

And because I almost always have a picture for EVERY post… here is the man I’m walking for!  (Did I mention he was hottie too!?!  ) 

(I’m soo gonna be in trouble for posting the picture too!)

Summer