Thankful.

I shot my last session of 2011 this morning. (OK, that’s a lie.  I’m waiting for one more squishy newborn to make an appearance in December – thank goodness!  I’m realizing that I’d be very sad if I didn’t have one more session to look forward to next month).  I vowed when I started this little business that I wouldn’t let it overtake the other parts of my life that I love — the enjoyment of the ‘life’ in my own ‘years’ — so the next few weeks will be be spent “wrapping up”.  I’ll still be occupied with sorting, editing and proofing images from the sessions I’ve already shot.  I’ve got a few in-person ordering sessions to look forward to (I love going through the images together and seeing whether the ones that make me giddy do the same for you!).  I’ll be preparing and submitting orders, packaging and delivering products — I feel like Santa himself when I ring those doorbells with my arms full of wrapped canvases, standouts and prints.

But I’ll also be spending time taking my littlest guy to the park and the zoo.  Baking Christmas cookies with my big kids.  Helping them all make the gifts they’re planning for their relatives and friends for Christmas.  Chopping down a tree and hauling it home to decorate.  Taking the train into the city to see ’the BIG tree’ and all the holiday windows.  Maybe even the Rockettes this year.  Going into school to see pageants and winter concerts and special presentations.  Making lots of lists, and checking them all twice.  And shopping and wrapping and cooking and visiting and eating and drinking and playing.  You know, December stuff.

This year has been AMAZING.  I  could never have imagined when this all started how fun and rewarding and satisfying it would be.  I have so much to be thankful for this year.  The support and encouragement of my family and friends.  The new friends — big and little — I have made through my photography.   I honestly feel so lucky to be doing this!

I’ve put together this little slideshow to thank all of my 2011 clients for making this all possible for me.  I guarantee it will make you smile.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for an incredible year.

A quick word on the song choice.  My husband thinks it’s cheesy.  Psh.   All I know is, that one line — the one that’s been on my photography website since before I even had a photography business — still gets me every time:

“Wherever time may take you,  in your life,  remember this was beautiful.”