We'll Weather the Weather Together

Let me get this out of the way now, prepare to see a lot of photos of my children.  I plan to post about my life for the next year and with 5 kids age 11 to 1, they are my life. They are my greatest source of joy and my biggest trigger for frustration!

This is my baby. He loves being outside even in this cold wintery weather we are having. Me? Not a fan of the cold so we have to work together. Sometimes that leads to him standing at the storm door looking all pitiful, sometimes he resorts to shrieking. So I bundle him up and out we go. Thankfully, I have these big girls to assist with the outdoor supervision when I'm being a wimp.

I love how simple life is for him right now. He is happy connecting with his family and nature. He doesn't think he needs lots of stuff. He loves nursing and eating food. He likes to nap...ahhh! He is excited to learn new things. He loves to make us laugh. He is present to each and everything in his experience. He's not worried that he's growing too fast or too slow. He's not afraid that there's not enough food, money, love...whatever. He isn't asking himself what his life's purpose is. He is just here, now, soaking it all in. Freely open to giving all that he is.

Commitment

I said I have been giving energy to the intentions/values that I want to expand, right? Yes, well, I have. Last night I listened to this amazing guy, Dr. Joe Dispenza on a call as part of a free week of webinars at www.hayhousenewyounow.com. Check it out...you will thank me. He talked about making change stick and gave some simple yet profound suggestions for creating the life you want.

There are 7 steps and I haven't done them all, but I was excited to apply what I could immediately. So as I went to sleep I gave attention to being a calm and compassionate communicator. It doesn't take long in a household of 7 to have an opportunity to practice my communication. As we headed out to a play date, I gave myself some appreciation for holding it together pretty well. Then the play date had a few challenges and we ran later than I realized so lunch was late. But still I felt like I did okay.

Then she does it. My daughter who sometimes feels stressed by sensory stuff (picky eater, picky dresser, things have to be just "so") started to come undone. It started with a change in our seating arrangement for the ride back from the park, then the seat was dirty, then I had the nerve to insist she buckle her seat belt. By the time we pulled out of our friends' driveway, she was screaming, kicking the seat, and wrestling with the seat belt like a wild monkey.

Now I'm driving on the highway with total craziness in my van. I told her, "I'm going to pull over. You are going to get out of the van and take a breath. When you can calmly sit in the car, we will go home."

I pulled into a parking lot. I got out and helped her out. She was wrestling like the wild monkey still. And we did it. I stayed calm. I reassured her. I held my boundary with love. She got back in, buckled up and we left.

Whew! This may sound like no big deal, but for me, lately, this is an accomplishment. I am so grateful for the change, for the commitment. No surprise here that the true test comes with this child. I feel like I have a "sacred" contract with this girl. I said this on Facebook on her birthday, "She brought out a calm strength I didn't know I had. She still calls that strength out in me..."

Thank you, sweet girl, for pushing me to keep my commitment.

oh, what's that? the twins got into the paints again? grrreaat! Ok, gotta go!

Rock and Roll Baby

When you have kids, funny things happen ALL.the.time! I am speculating that having five kids exponentially increases my chances of daily hilarity. FYI, it also increases my chances of daily insanity so it's not for the faint of heart!

This is my youngest, who my older children have nicknamed, Un Chubs. His is the king of all cuteness and this day they made him a throne of sorts. Then they all dressed in costume and put on a rock and roll show. This is Un Chubs enjoying the concert.

All hail the King!

2014 The Year of Gratitude

I have been rolling over in my head that New Year's theme of resolutions, commitments, improvements. I am not the most disciplined in keeping those so instead I am resolving to set intentions. A few select values that are meaningful to me that I want to expand in this year. Right at the top of that list is Gratitude. For me awareness and appreciation of the circumstances of life are essential to my happiness. I am blessed in many ways and I hope that sharing my blessings with you will remind you to take a moment to give thanks for yours.

I took this yesterday...only a few hours before this boy teamed with his twin sister to create one of the most disastrous messes of my parenting career. I was so mad. And when I think about it, I am still pretty upset. But when I look at this, at him, I see that beautiful boy who is curious and wondering. He is seeking and providing excitement! He is giving and calling for love no matter the messes. And I will give it.

Love Rules

I'm blowing the dust off this blog and posting some things that I have done in the past (ahem) year since my last post. So just for fun, here are some images of my sweet baby brother marrying his love.

Snuggling Babe: Asheville Newborn Photographer, Sonya Stone

There is nothing like working with babies. They are magical and beautiful. Sweet baby A certainly fit the bill. She was so easy to work with and had some of the best baby hair I have ever seen!

In the Spirit of Adventure: Asheville Family Photographer, Sonya Stone

This family amazes me! They embarked on this incredible adventure, reviving an old family apple farm and using their talents and interest in education to create this amazing, inspiring place. They've made a new life for themselves, talk about modern pioneers! Check it out http://adelbertfarm.com/.

And I happen to have a special place in my heart for them as mom was a teacher for my oldest & our children have been dear friends. What's more, they adopted our sweet dog Baker, who just needed to roam wild and free. It was great to see them all so happy together. I may have gotten a little carried away in this preview, but they just make me smile.

The Best Gifts: Asheville Family Photographer, Sonya Stone

It is probably no surprise that I think a professional photography session and custom artwork is the best gift givable! (ok, that's not really a word, but you get where I'm going with this, right?) This family celebrated Mom's birthday in the best fashion, on vacation in the mountains and all together. That time together was of course, priceless. And now they will have these photographs to remember...so many blessings.

I love sessions like this one...when everyone is relaxed and still enjoying their time together. It makes my job a lot easier and it makes for better photographs! Here's the proof:

Love Is All We Need: Asheville Newborn Photographer, Sonya Stone

Warning, these images will make your heart melt and I'm pretty sure we will be able to directly attribute this post to a spike in conceptions. There is something so perfect about new babies...and while this little guy is actually 3 weeks old here, the session was right around his original due date, he definitely lives up to the hype. Dreamy, sweet, cuddly cuteness. Ok, enough gushing...back to editing! enjoy

Baby on the Move: Asheville Child Photographer, Sonya Stone

busy times...less words, more photos!!

Breaking...almost: Asheville Photographer, Sonya Stone

I have been blessed to meet many new families this fall and to see quite a few old friends too. It has made for an exciting and fun season. Thanks to all of you who chose me to photograph your family...truly it is my honor to present you with keepsakes of your loved ones.

As we close in on the winter holidays, I am finding that my plate is full and I will not be accepting any more clients until mid-January. (I actually said this 6 sessions ago, but this time, I mean it!) I am busy in the digital darkroom perfecting the images from some amazing recent sessions and I'll be spending some time updating my web site and materials. And I plan on taking my camera out just for fun a little more than usual, yay! For those who missed getting photographs made before gift giving time, remember gift certificates are the perfect last minute gift and can be redeemed anytime for a year after purchase.

Keep checking in here as I have lots of great photographs to share in the coming weeks. Thanks again for all your support and have a happy and blessed holiday season.

xo, Sonya

Home for the Holidays: Asheville Family Photographer, Sonya Stone

You may see an incredibly adorable face in this post that looks familiar. Just a couple of months I ago I photographed baby I for her first birthday. Now I'm sharing photos of her family who gathered together for Thanksgiving. (um, yes, I did just say Thanksgiving...I'm a little behind on the blogging, don't judge!)

So baby I and recognized each other and picked up where we left off. Her sweet and equally adorable cousins needed some time to size me up. Especially this big camera that keeps coming between us. But I'm happy to say, that eventually, even the shyness lifted and I got to see the real personalities come through.

Work of Art: Asheville Maternity Photographer, Sonya Stone

My lovely friend recently had a baby (like a month ago), which tells you I am behind in blogging since I'm just now posting some maternity photos! She was radiant and adorned with an amazing henna tattoo. Artwork by Julie Shantz of Little Henna Girl (check her gallery out on Facebook).

Her sweet boy is my twins' besty so these are particularly dear to me. Such pure love...ahhh!

The Right Stuff: Asheville Family Photographer, Sonya Stone

I love the sessions where it's just easy...the family is fun, they all look good, and the images are great. Where I have a hard time narrowing the session down for the blog post. Thankfully, this is the rule more than the exception in my business these days, and that is directly proportionate to the joy I feel for my work.

It amazes me how many times I hear families say they don't take good pictures. Then look at this...they look fabulous! Everyone was at ease and they chose great clothes. And most importantly, their smiles are genuine and their love real.