Even if they are grandparents themselves!!!
This is one of my favorite family captures in a long time... It captures perfectly the relationship shared...and makes me smile from ear to ear each time I look at it!

This little one is about to turn 2- not so out of the ordinary, except she wasn't supposed to survive 6 mths. Her mom and I have become friends, and her big brothers made my heart smile by saying I was just like their "auntie" now. :) She's been having a rough time of late, so I thought I would share a favorite pic from and impromptu session we did a month ago. It's nowhere near technically perfect- far from it, but it shows her smiling at her hand as she waves it in the sunshine. The docs say they don't think she has much vision or hearing, but put her in the sunshine and she will prove them all wrong. Give her something that crackles and she will hold it up to her ear and just smile away...

what do doctors really know anyway?...
and another of her giving her momma kisses...


keep praying L, miracles happen every day.

Last time we got together, she and I played in the middle of the street...

This time, we played with FIRE!!!!
(relax- her mom was right there... helping me light it up!!!)
:)
seniors are too much fun.

I promise I am almost done with your session, K!!!
Carrie

I can barely play chopsticks on a piano, I have never even dreamt of owning one,until now...

this picture makes me want to buy a baby grand and put in my office so I can hang this above it! (no pressure, S-!) ;)
My husband will balk at this idea worse than he did at having a 3rd child I am sure.. hehe

see you soon Miss. E... can't believe you are almost 1...

But, in my defense...I have officially self-diagnosed myself with "first-year-teacheritis" , and boy oh boy, has it been an adventure! :)
I am persevering through it, and with the help of lots of hand sanitizer and vitamins, I am confident I will survive this malady!
It did my spirit well to spend the day with this Senior beauty last weekend- can't wait to finish editing her session!

Remember how your mom told you not to play in the street?

well, to quote my oldest child, "I forgot!!" hehe




see ya soon K!

This little doll has it made with her already enviable lashes and dark curly locks...
and her mom is one strong lady who in the last few months has fought a battle far worse than lack of sleep... and she is winning! ;)


I told them I want to come back in 12mths to celebrate Miss. D's first birthday and mom's 1 year anniversary of being cancer free!
Have a blessed day!
Carrie

Whew!
Isn't it amazing how quickly your life can change! Life around the Chlebanowski ranch doesn't bear much resemblance to what it did a mere 31 days ago- but ya know what? ... That's just fine, because God is in charge and He is good!
I am horribly behind in editing, due mainly to a few recent observations/realizations:
1. my immune system is not as iron-clad strong as I have been naively been asserting for all these years. Turns out being raised with parents working in a hospital did prepare my body to fight off many illnesses, but did not have any beneficial protection from the germs of 75 school age children sharing my air for the last month.
2. apparently, hand- foot- mouth disease CAN be contracted by adults ( see above observation) and a doctor's description of "not nearly as severe as a child's symptom" and my own are two completely different realities.
3. editing pictures with photoshop (which requires typing) is not fun( read:doesn't get done) with a blistering rash on your fingers.
4. teaching 3rd grade is not fun with an intestinal virus. the kids like it because you aren't in the classroom as much, but it isn't really all that conducive to their learning.
5. you don't feel much like editing when your two youngest babes have temps of 103 and want mommy to snuggle...:(


so if I am behind getting you proofs, or prints or calling or emailing- PLEASE know that I am not avoiding you or the work, I am just plowing through a household-wide battle of the immune systems and doing uncharacteristicly poorly. (I am sure God is trying to teach me something about boasting through all of this...wishing there was a more pleasant trial!) If I have to stay up all weekend- I will caught up!

I have managed to edit a few sessions, and will be locked up in the hole.. I mean office... as much as the children's tylenol will allow!
here is one of my favorites from the newest little sweet pea in Lawton ( who hopefully will be a fellow Edmondite soon!) :)
Looks like the sibling rivalry isn't too big of a problem...

until next time,
Carrie

And you thought you were worried about your high schooler driving...


all kidding aside, this young man is ready to take the formula racing world by storm- right after he finishes his calculus homework. ;)

See you soon T.

So I headed out to the lake last night for some sunset pictures with a great family. I knew the shot I/mom wanted, and so the mom and I are yelling "Throw her in the air!! NO-REALLY throw her!! C'mon!! She won't fall in the lake- We promise!!":)
But no way. This daddy wasn't letting go of his baby girl for NUTHIN'!
And what do you know, this shot is much cuter than it would of been with her legs flying in the breeze...
See you soon BR! ;)

so here is one of the pics from the fabulous April Jackson...can you tell the kids were ready for us to be done? ;)

A fellow photog friend and I took our own kids downtown today to play around and try some new things. I am THRILLED with some of the pics I got, so I thought I would share!

And coordinate it perfectly with her beautiful blue eyes! ;) I can't believe how this little one has grown! I saw her last as a teensy tiny 1 mth old~ and my has she grown!



Have a blessed day!

this little man was so full of energy and fun- and boy does he have a BIG puppy to play on!
Here is one of my favorites... you can tell he is totally entranced by something or someone...


a little zoom in photoshop reveals who! ;)

somebody loves his daddy!!!
See you soon Mister N.!!

Teehee... I love this little man... and yes, I am partial. He is flesh and blood...my lil' nephew TyTy...
such a sweetie pie and tons of personality... and those PEEPERS!!!!! I could take pictures of him all day! (hint hint mommy.. move me back to Oklahoma!)

It's official!
CLC Portraits is going back to school!! (I always was a big book nerd anyway!)
Call now to get details on how to get a Senior portrait session that is YOU!

Can this kid dress or what?! ( guess it helps that his mom is super cool!)
He was much fonder of the camera at this session than when I first met him 6 mths ago- in fact I could hardly snap fast enough to catch all of them! I hear he is taking a big trip to the west coast soon- watch out handsome guy... I hear those California girls are a handful! :)

See you soon J!
Carrie

It always makes me smile to see a brand new baby fall asleep and curl right back into the position they have been in for the last 9 mths. They have to be "freshies" as some of my other photographer friend call them, though, because once they realize how liberating it is to stretch out- they will never fold again...this little lady was born just 7 days before our session.

can you remember the last time you were able to touch your nose...
.
.
.
with your toes???

sweet dreams, little Miss "Lion". I can't wait to see you grow!
Blessings,
Carrie

I was just told by my volunteer coordinator that one of my little hospice patients passed away last week. Her family stands out to me as so strong and so determined to help other families battling the rare disease that their daughter fought.

This is one of my favorite images I have ever taken, and I wanted to share it in Bella's memory...
God bless you Stringer family. You are in my thoughts and prayers!

Lots of animals wallow to escape the heat of the sun. My animal expert 4 year old could probably ramble off at least a dozen. I will spare you that list, but here is my shorter version:
1. Elephants
2. Pigs
3. My sons and nephews

As I am sure those of you who know me know already- this was all my idea. Anything for a picture for my kitchen wall collage!
But really, what boy on this earth wouldn't jump for joy at being TOLD to have a mudfight??

you know... sometimes there are no words needed... :)

Those of you who know her well know how unbelieveable this shot is. She is the epitome of everything that is a photographer's child. Joe doesn't know it, but this one will be BIG in my house soon...
she said she was Cinderella ...
sometimes, for jsut a second, she is a mama's girl! :)

My car windows will never be the same. It was Spring Break here last week, and me and the hubby and some great friends took the kiddos down to the Arbuckles for a drive thru safari and hiking about. I can now say that I have had contact with all kinds of wild animals- and more of their oral mucus than I ever felt the need to. But man, how cool is it to feed a giraffe and pet a zebra (shhh.. don't tell! we weren't supposed to do that- apparently they bite...) Our resident 4 yr old animal expert and zookeeper-to-be refused to get anywhere near his future charges, so I am thinking there might be a career change ahead :)
As for me, I am just glad I didn't fall out of the car as I climbed out the windows to capture my safari images... I think Joe tried to get me to fall out a few times when he took a turn a little fast...gonna have to watch him!
here's some of the "wild beasts" we encountered...

I should be scolded harshly... It has been a month and a day since my last post. I could make excuses, but the fact is, I have nothing to blame it on other than old fashioned mommy brain... I wish I had some really humorous or exciting reason. I did finally upgrade my computer which should dramatically decrease the time I spend editing, and therefore speed up the delivery of your prints! Woohoo for a bigger screen,too! Check back soon for exciting news about changes in the ordering sessions. (hint, hint: it involves a trip just north of Edmond!:) )
so, in order to redeem myself for not being timely in posts, and because I was gently chided by a good friend today about it (thanks K.!) here are some of my most recent babes...in no particular order of favorites, but I will point out that the little man with ginormous eyes inherited them from my mom~her lasting legacy to her grandchildren.

See you soon!- no, really, I PROMISE!!!
Carrie

Aww man.. why can't they stay like this forever?...

see you soon Mister J.!



Carrie

HeHe... I have a knack for putting them to sleep.. most of the time. This little man never did totally fall asleep, but you can se he wasn't all that impressed with my presence. That's ok... next time I see him he will be 6 mths old and at that age they find everything hysterical- especially obnoxious photographer ladies! :)

Have a blessed day!
Carrie

Yes, I know it has been done a gazillion times, but so what.. I love this shot...especially when babies show a little personality. This was the last shot of our session, so what do you wanna bet that she was thinking, "Hey crazy photographer lady... I have my eye on you... no more of these crazy daredevil poses..."
See you soon Miss M.!
Carrie

We have been back a week, and with sick little one and now an ice storm to boot, getting back into the swing of things has been a little rough! If you haven't heard from me, don't give up!! I am limited to working when Clara is sleeping~kind of hit or miss right now! I should have everything back on track by the end of this week, when I get to leave town AGAIN! This time to welcome my new little nephew into the big bright world!!! YAY!
For now, here is a pic of my sweet nieces, and a couple of other squirmy friends we met at the National Aquarium...Hi Ryan!!!