Take a gloomy, rainy day, a few leaves, some super fun & cute kids, a fabulous mom & dad, and you have a recipe for some pretty rockin' pictures!  I met the Todd family at Potter's Bridge Park in Noblesville recently, after praying all afternoon for the rain to stop in time for our evening session. Amazingly, the rain cleared up as soon as we arrived!  But as soon as the sun set and our session was over, Mr. Rain showed up again and let us all know it was time to head out for some frozen yogurt.  Orange Leaf, anyone?  :)  

Without further ado, here's our favorite not-so-newborn-anymore girl, Baby Graely, and awesome big brother, Caedmon, along with their parents, Kevin and Liz. Enjoy!

It's hard to believe that less than a year ago, I blogged about the miracle of my non-eater son, Trenton, finally beginning to eat two foods on a regular basis: Pudding and yogurt.  Yes, he only ate those two foods, and yes, we were jumping for joy about it!  He had truly never eaten food by mouth in his entire 4 1/2 years of life, so this was the first HUGE step on the long learning-to-eat-and-drink journey that Trenton had in front of him.  

No one could've expected that this journey would be coming to an end only a year later, but I am proud to declare that at the ripe old age of 5 1/2, Trenton is now eating nearly anything, and has even been drinking for the past 2 months!  It's absolutely remarkable to see how far he's come!  Jumping for joy isn't even close to describing how we feel about this--picture cartwheels and triple axels!  ;)  

Now picture a heavenly light shining down on the Feeding Friends Clinic, a wonderful place filled with angels performing feeding miracles every day.  :)  If you look back to last November's post, you'll see that I sang praises of the wonderful, amazing women who worked so hard with Trenton on developing the ability to eat.  Today's post is no different!  One therapist angel in particular, "Miss Colleen" (as Trenton knows and loves her), gets to claim all the credit for teaching Trenton to chew and to drink from a straw--two skills that are much more difficult to teach than I could've ever imagined.  There aren't enough words to begin describing how amazingly talented, patient, and loving she is with Trenton, and there aren't enough words to thank her for what she has done!  It's because of Colleen that Trenton sits in the cafeteria with his kindergarten classmates every day and unpacks his lunchbox.  It's because of Colleen that after 5 years, Matt and I can finally sit down and share a meal with our son.  She's changed our lives, and has given Trenton a gift that I will never take for granted.

Would you like to meet her?  And better yet, her family, too?!  Colleen's husband, Dave, and their children, Lilly and Henry are pretty amazing themselves!!  They are such a thoughtful, intelligent, creative, and fun family!  We had a great time at Coxhall Gardens in Carmel, and even had a special guest appearance by their dog, Lizzie!  Here are some shots from our evening.  Enjoy!

Final October Fall Mini-Sessions

Let Lantern Tree help you get a head start on your Christmas Cards and Portrait Gifts...Schedule a 1/2 hour Mini-Session with Lantern Tree, and receive 25 5x7 personalized Christmas cards (envelopes included) featuring images of your choice. You'll also have access to a password-protected proofing site, with a MINIMUM of 15 poses, each available in color, black and white, and vintage options.


Cost is $55 for up to 5 people (additional persons are $10 each). Open dates and locations are listed below. Call (317.752.9671) or email LTP to reserve a spot! Full two-hour sessions are still also available, see www.lanterntreephotography.com for session cost and details.



Friday, Oct. 28th @ Potter's Bridge Park in Noblesville 

5:00-5:30

5:45-6:15
6:30-7:00
7:15-7:45


Sunday, Oct.30 @ Indianapolis Art Center in Indianapolis
5:00-5:30

5:45-6:15
6:30-7:00
7:15-7:45

Fall in Falls Park

Who's thrilled about these bonus summer days that look like fall?  Are you raising your hand like me?  It feels like I'm cheating somehow, as my kids get to keep wearing shorts and we dodge those jackets and scarves for another day, all while still enjoying the gorgeous colors of fall outside!!  I spent some time with one of my favorite families at Falls Park in Pendleton last Thursday evening, and we were not disappointed by how the park had been taken over by bright, beautiful leaves.  If you haven't visited Falls Park, you are definitely missing out.  

Along with the fall-licious colors, this park lies in the heart of a community that is currently gathering around one of the Indiana State Fair collapse victims in a way that continues to move me to tears on a regular basis!  Driving through Pendleton, it is impossible to miss all the pink banners, signs, and ribbons tied to every tree, lamppost, and road sign you can find, all representing love for Andrea Vellinga.  Andrea and her family are surrounded by thousands of amazing people who are providing much-needed prayer, love and fundraising support. Who doesn't want to be part of that kind of community?  So smoosh together a fabulous Pendleton family, a beautiful park, and an amazing community, and you know I'm one happy girl.  Here are some pictures from that day.  

For more info on Andrea Vellinga, visit www.fortheloveofandrea.com