The Photojournalist's Soapbox!

Sneak Peek: Leslie and Pete

2010-10-07T10:02:00.000-05:00

Sneak Peek: Erin and David

2010-10-06T20:03:00.001-05:00

Sneak Peek: Megan and Sam

2010-09-16T09:15:00.001-05:00

Sneak Peek: Lindsay and David

2010-09-15T16:19:00.001-05:00

This is a late Sneak Peek...but still worth seeing!

Sneak Peek: Renee and Jamie

2010-07-18T20:24:00.001-05:00

Sneak Peek: Becky and John

2010-07-18T12:55:00.002-05:00

Sneak Peek: Emily and Andy

2010-07-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Sneak Peek: Andi and Shawn

2010-07-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sneak Peek: Brittany and Trent

2010-07-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sneak Peek: Jackie and Dan

2010-07-14T13:32:00.001-05:00

Sneak Peek: Erin and Derek

2010-07-10T22:58:00.002-05:00

Again...a bit late, but worth it!

Congratulations Erin and Derek!

Sneak Peek: Annie and Steve

2010-07-10T22:44:00.003-05:00

I know this is a little late sneak peek...but it is really cool nonetheless!

Congratulations Annie and Steve!

Sneak Peek: Tara and Josh

2010-05-22T18:25:00.001-05:00

Just a little surprise for Tara and Josh....enjoy guys!

Moral of the Story: Don't Trust a 3 year old!

2010-04-20T12:51:00.002-05:00

*DISCLAIMER: If you are not a parent or if you are squeamish about personal hygiene details, STOP READING HERE!*

So you decided to keep reading, well, continue at your own risk!

Mistake #1: Eating McDonalds last night after we were done sailing.

Why was this a mistake? I have been following Weight Watchers for over 4 weeks now, so my body is no longer used to fast food. Eating those 5 chicken nuggets and 2 french fries did a number on my digestive system.

Mistake #2: Not checking to see how much toilet paper was on the roll before sitting down.

I am sure we have all done this before. If you are lucky, you will have a box of tissues on the back of your toilet to rescue yourself in such a situation. I was not that lucky.

Mistake #3: Thinking to myself, Christian (my 3 1/2 year old) could get me some toilet paper from the bag in the hall upstairs.

It was in plain view. It was easy to find. I thought this would be a simple process. This was my biggest mistake!

So here I was, stranded in my 1/2 bath downstairs with only the 3 1/2 year old to help me. And the following is the dialog that ensued.

Me: Christian...can you go upstairs and get Mommy a roll of toilet paper from the hall?

Christian: Of Course!

**Little footsteps climbing the stairs.**

Christian: I got you toilet paper Mommy!

**Little footsteps coming down the stairs**

Christian: Here Mommy!

**Hands me a very small handful of toilet paper...clearly not enough to help me much**

Me: Thanks Christian!

Christian: You're welcome!

Me: But Mommy needs a WHOLE ROLL of toilet paper. (Knowing that he is very likely to bring me a very small amount again)

Christian: Okay!

**2 minutes of silence**

Me: Christian?

Christian: WHAT?

Me: Are you getting Mommy the toilet paper?

Christian: I AM!

**2 minutes of silence**

Me: Christian?

Christian: WHAT?

Me: Get Mommy the toilet paper, Please!

Christian: I AM!

**2 minutes of silence**

Me: Christian?

Christian: WHAT?

Me: Get Mommy the toilet paper NOW PLEASE!

Christian: I AM!

**2 minutes of silence**

Me: Christian?!?

Christian: WHAT?

Me: What are you doing?!?!

Christian: Watching Team Umizoomi.

Me: Please go get Mommy a roll of toilet paper Now!!

Christian: O-K-A-Y!!! (in a very exasperated tone!)

**1 minute of silence**

Me: CHRISTIAN!!

Christian: WHAT?!?!

Me: Do you want a time out?

Christian: NO!

Me: Then, PLEASE, go get Mommy a roll of toilet paper!

Christian: O-K-A-Y!!! (in the same exasperated tone!)

**Little footsteps climbing the stairs**

**Little footsteps coming down the stairs**

Christian: Here Mommy....I got you toilet paper.

**Hands me a tiny corner of a square of toilet paper...almost microscopic!**

Me (as patiently as I can at this point, although my legs are DEFINITELY asleep now!): Christian...that isn't enough for Mommy. Can you please get me a whole roll of toilet paper? (I even show him the empty roll so that he can get the idea of what I am wanting.)

Christian: Of Course!

**Little Footsteps climbing the stairs**

At this point, I think that we have finally made progress and I will be rescued from my porcelain prison!

**2 minutes of silence**

Me: Christian?

Christian (in a very distant voice): WHAT?

Me: Are you bringing Mommy a roll of toilet paper?

Christian (in the same distant voice): WHAT?!?! (very confused sounding...apparently he got distracted by a toy upstairs and completely forgot why I sent him up there.)

Me: Bring Mommy a roll of toilet paper from the bag in the hallway PLEASE!

Christian: Okay!

**2 minutes of silence**

Me: Christian?!? (losing patience now as my legs are completely asleep, my bottom is freezing cold and I really want to get out of this situation)

Christian: What?!?

Me: Are you bringing me the toilet paper?

Christian: Yeah!

**1 minute of silence** (My patience is wearing very thin, so my responses are getting closer and closer together!)

Me: CHRISTIAN!!!!

Christian: WHAT!?!?!

Me: BRING ME THE TOILET PAPER NOW!!!!

Christian: O-K-A-Y!!! (very exasperated. I apparently am disturbing him at this point!)

**Little footsteps coming back down the stairs**

This time, he brings me 1 square of toilet paper. I attempt to use this 1 solitary sheet to rescue me, but it just isn't enough. Christian in the meantime, has left me in the powder room and gone back to the living room.

Me: Christian? (using a more polite voice)

Christian: What?

Me: Can you please go get Mommy the whole bag of toilet paper?

Christian: In just a minute.

Me: What are you doing?

Christian: Playing Wii Fit Plus!

Me: STOP PLAYING GAMES AND GO GET ME THE TOILET PAPER!!!

Christian: When I'm finished!!

(Seriously contemplating losing my cool at this point...but I choose not to, knowing that if I alienate my 1 ally in this situation, I am not going to be happy!)

Me: Christian (actual PLEADING in my voice now)...can you please bring me the bag of toilet paper? My bottom is starting to hurt!

Christian: Okay.

**Little footsteps climbing the stairs**

**1 minute of silence**

Me: Christian?

**No response**

Me: Christian?

**No response**

I lean forward as much as I can and push the door open (because of course he had to close it on me the last time he left.)

Me: Christian?

**No response**

I am starting to think that he is no longer my ally, but my enemy. I think he is enjoying my captivity and secretly laughing that I am under his control now!

Having listened to me yelling from the bathroom for the past 2 minutes, PJ, my cat, gets curious and comes in. He could care less that I am stranded in the bathroom, he just wants attention. I use him as a distraction to my predicament and pet him like he wants.

After waiting for 2 minutes, I call out again.

Me: Christian?

Christian (distant, muffled sound): Wha?

Me: Are you bringing me the bag of toilet paper from the hall?

Christian (closer, but still muffled sound): Ohay.

Trying to figure out why his words are so muffled, I can only figure that he had gotten a snack from somewhere in Ian's bedroom. I remembered seeing a single bag of goldfish in there yesterday. Apparently, my situation wasn't so desperate to him that taking time for a snack was fine.

Me: PLEASE BRING MOMMY THE TOILET PAPER!!

Christian (voice restored to previous level): O-K-A-Y! (in that same exasperated voice!)

I am now leaning over as far as I can to peer out the door, hoping that my toddling savior would be showing his little face soon.

PJ, the cat, decided that my flat back would be a lovely place to lay down right about now. So now I am stuck, leaning over with my belly flat on my thighs and a cat on my back, purring happily.

Me: CHRISTIAN!

Christian: WHAT?!?

Me: Bring me the bag of toilet paper.

**Sound of the toilet lid upstairs going up**

**1 minute of silence**

**Sound of the toilet lid going down and the toilet flushing upstairs**

Christian: Mommy...I went pee-pee!

Me: That's Great! Now bring me the bag of toilet paper.

Christian: What?!? (in the same confused voice)

Me: Bring...Mommy...the...bag...of...toilet...paper!

Christian: Okay!! (exasperated voice)

**Little footsteps coming down the stairs**

Christian: I got you the toilet paper.

Me: Did you bring the bag of toilet paper?

Christian: YEAH!

PJ, mercifully, has moved off my back and into the sink basin and is now laying there staring at me as I am patiently waiting my release.

Christian appears at the bathroom door, with a handful of toilet paper.

Me: That isn't the bag, but it will do!

Christian: I want a grape! (He gets a grape when he goes pee-pee in the potty.)

I free myself from my porcelain prison, flush, wash my hand and legs fully asleep now, hobble my way into the kitchen to get him a grape.

**10 minutes later**

Christian (from the 1/2 bath): Mommy, I went pee-pee. I need the toilet paper!

Me: In a minute!

Laughing silently to myself...I think about the fact that he left me sitting there for over 40 minutes and then go upstairs to get him a roll of toilet paper.

So the moral of this story....Don't Trust a 3 year old!

All or Nothing!

2010-04-08T13:02:00.002-05:00

I am constantly striving to better my life. My current battle is my tendency to be an "All or Nothing" kind of person. When I look at a job that needs to be done, if I can't do it all and do it to my own high standards, I tend to not do it at all. Do you ever find yourself doing this?

How can I find more balance? What have you tried to incorporate into your lives that has helped you accomplish part of a job?

I am currently sitting on my couch, thinking about this while I wait for my late lunch to finish cooking. I am looking around at pockets of clutter that have collected in my house and wondering why I have continued to let them stay the way they are.

I really want to be the kind of person that can at least better my situation, even if I can't do it all.

I want to be the kind of person that doesn't expect things to be perfect when I finish them.

Just last night I was reminded how far I have to go on this journey for balance as I continued to cut stray pieces of ivy that were overhanging the front steps....in the dark...3 hours into my "Operation: Let's not have our front yard look like a dump". Shan just looked at me and said "You are the kind of person that once you start something, you go all the way with it. But then you are so exhausted that you don't do it again for another year."

And he was right! (Yes Honey, I said you are right!)

Today, I am physically drained because I pushed so hard yesterday. I desperately want to clean up the inside of my house today since it is cold and rainy outside. I want to get some laundry accomplished, but again, I am struggling with my All or Nothing personality.

Maybe...just for today...I can settle for making 1 floor of the house better...or maybe even just 1 room.

Maybe...just for today...I can override my All or Nothing mentality.

Maybe...just for today...I can relax a bit and allow myself to better something instead of perfecting it.

God speaking

2010-03-31T11:20:00.002-05:00

Today I was having a conversation with a friend and I felt a sudden pull in my heart and knew that I had to speak.

I immediately started asking my friend about her prayers and if she had prayed about what we were talking about. I could feel God pulling to my heart to speak. So I just started speaking from the heart. God led my words. It was if I wasn't even speaking them anymore. God was speaking through me.

It has been years since this has happened and it felt so great. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that God was helping me help my friend.

There are so many times that we go through life thinking that we have to be everything to everyone. I have found myself trying to be super-Mom, super-Wife, super-Photographer, super-Friend and struggling with the inability to do them all. Then I remember that I am no alone. I can turn my worries over to God and HE will show me the right path.

I don't want to get super religious about this, but I will tell you that there is a peace to throwing up your hands, admitting you can't do it all and asking for help from God. In those moments, I remember that God is always waiting in the wings to be called into my life.

I just have to take the first step and invite him in!

Today....it's about me!

2010-03-25T14:23:00.003-05:00

This blog has primarily been about my work, my clients and my family.

But today....it's about me!

You are going to see some changes in this blog. You are going to hear more of my thoughts. You are going to share in my journey through this life to be who I want to be.

Today, I had an epiphany standing at my kitchen sink doing dishes. 3 minutes before, I was on the couch, waiting for my lunch to finish cooking and watching "The Biggest Loser" on my DVR.

I have fibromyalgia. For those who don't know, this condition causes me to have pain throughout my body, extreme exhaustion and depression. I am currently treating my condition in several ways. I am on medication, I am eating healthier and I am exercising.

But today...was just one of those days. I woke up this morning exhausted. I have been shuffling around my house..exhausted. I was almost too tired to make myself some lunch.

But sitting on my couch, I made a decision to get up, unload my dishwasher and load it back up because my kitchen sink was completely full of dishes. This is a very routine task. Thousands of people aren't even lucky enough to have a dishwasher and yet I let dishes sit in my sink because I was too tired to unload and load the dishwasher.

For most of my life, I have thought to myself "You are just lazy. You could do more, but you choose not to." Then I realized that my "laziness" isn't really laziness. I truly have a medical condition that causes me to feel tired 24/7.

But standing at my kitchen sink today, I had an epiphany. I started talking to myself in my head. (No, I'm not crazy...but being an only child, I have been known to talk to myself quite a bit! LOL) And I said the following to myself.

You can do this. You can unload the dishwasher and load it back up.
You are capable of doing so much more than you think.
You deserve to have the life that you want.
You have fibromyalgia....but fibromyalgia DOESN'T HAVE YOU!

You have fibromyalgia...but fibromyalgia doesn't have you.

You have fibromyalgia...but fibromyalgia doesn't have you.

I must have repeated that phrase to myself at least 20 times while I was doing the dishes. And in that moment, I made a choice. I am choosing to continue saying this to myself until I believe it 100%. I am choosing to overcome how I feel and do what I need to do to have the life that I want. I am choosing to not let my condition dictate who I will become.

I have fibromyalgia...but fibromyalgia doesn't have me!

Anyone who might be reading this, I hope you understand the change this blog is about to take. I am going to open up more. Share my triumphs. Share my failures. Share ME!

This is my time. My time to become the person that I want to be. And the wonderful part is...I get to figure out who that is on the journey!

Wow...has it really been over 3 months!!

2010-01-14T18:25:00.002-05:00

Oops....I guess it happened again. Life happened...and time slipped away from me. And sadly, I have neglected my blog for over 3 months!

Bad me!!!

But I will fix this. Between tonight and tomorrow, I will get all caught up! I have some amazing fall weddings that you have to see as well as some fun events (including Christmas!) from my life.

I apologize to my faithful blog stalkers! Maybe that will be my February resolution!

Love!
Steph

Congratulations Shana and Nick!

2009-11-09T15:48:00.003-05:00

Shana and Nick were married at Chenoweth Country Club on a rainy October Friday. But their love for each other and life overshadowed the rain. We even snuck outside for a few images before the reception.

They were so much fun to work with and the party was a great time!

Congratulations Shana and Nick!

Congratulations Nicole and Mikey!

2009-11-09T15:45:00.009-05:00

Nicole and Mikey were married on an amazingly beautiful October day! Their ceremony was at Happy Days Lodge and their reception was at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls.

Since Nicole and Mikey had booked me almost 18 months in advance, I was really excited when the day finally arrived! We had a great time and they were so much fun to work with. They were up for just about anything that we asked them to do! And with a bridal party full of jokesters, the day was very fun.

Congratulations Nicole and Mikey!

Happy 4th Birthday Jackson!

2009-11-09T15:45:00.007-05:00

My nephew Jackson turned 4 in September! We were so excited to be able to be there for his birthday party. He is growing up so fast. I love to see how excited he got for his presents. We got him a gift card to Toys R Us because he always wanted a gift card of his own that he could spend!

Happy 4th Birthday Jackson! Aunt Steph loves you!

Congratulations Nicole and Keith!

2009-11-09T15:44:00.005-05:00

Keith and Nicole were married at Old Stone Church on a beautiful late September day. The ceremony was beautiful. We got to spend some time with them around Public Square and even had lots of cheers from Ohio State fans that were walking along the street, leaving the game.

Their reception was at the Wyndham Cleveland at Playhouse Square. It was very beautiful and the party was rocking all night long!

Congratulations Keith and Nicole!

The Bergevin Family

2009-09-27T11:00:00.025-05:00

I got a great message that an old friend of mine had called into the office and was in desperate need of immediate pictures of her family. My friend Renee and her husband Jeremy are missionaries to Mongolia. They are back in the States for the next year and they needed and updated family photo for their prayer cards. They have 4 beautiful daughters (2 of which I hadn't met until the day I did the session!) Maggie is 7 years old, Lydia is 6 years old, Johanna is 4 years old and Clara will be 2 next month!

Renee and I have been friends since Kindergarten. I find it so hard to believe that I am old enough to have a friend for 27 years! LOL Since the session was last minute, I ended up taking my boys with me. It would have been fine if we had stayed at their house, but once we went to the park, it was more than I could handle. So no more will I take my children on photo shoots with me! This was the first and LAST time that will ever happen! LOL Christian did enjoy playing with Clara, so we will be sure to have a play date soon!

As you are saying your prayers, please remember Renee and her family. They are such wonderful, devoted Christians and I am proud to be her friend of 27 years!

Happy 3rd Birthday Christian!

2009-09-27T11:00:00.024-05:00

I can't believe that Christian is 3 years old! It is wonderful and sad to see him so grown up sometimes. We had an absolutely perfect Sunday for his party. The weather was wonderful and my Aunt, Uncle and Grandma opened their house and yard for us to have the party at.

Each year, I try to honor the kids passions with the theme of their party. This year was Christian's Thomas the Tank Engine year. His favorite part was his singing Thomas balloon.

He liked his cake, half heartedly opened his presents and enjoyed playing with his family. Of course, being a photography family, Christian got his first camera this year and immediately started walking around and demanding that people "Say Cheese". Which is really funny to us because we never tried to get him to say Cheese for the camera. LOL He also spent a little time in Grandma's slippers wandering around the yard. LOL

He also really liked spending more time with his Mawmaw and Pawpaw. And playing on the teeter totter with his Daddy and Opa. And his new friend, a hand puppet monkey that he has appropriately named Curious George.

Happy 3rd Birthday Big Boy! Mommy loves you so much!

Congratulations Lyndsey and Bobby!

2009-09-27T11:00:00.023-05:00

I was so excited to work with Lyndsey and Bobby. We hit it off from the first meeting and I knew we were going to have a great time. The day was beautiful. They were married at Highpoint Church in Clinton and had their reception at St. Haralambos in Canton. Lyndsey was so happy all day and it was just a lot of fun! The other unique part to their wedding is that it was the first one that I have shot completely alone in 8 wedding seasons. That was a very interesting experience. I definitely missed having my 2nd shooter, but I still rocked it out for them!

Congratulations you two!!! I wish you the very best. Give Brayden some hugs from me!

Congratulations Suzi and Vance!

2009-09-27T10:59:00.023-05:00

The day with Suzi and Vance was so much fun! They were so happy and so willing to just have a good time. The wedding was at St. Hilary's in West Akron and the reception was at the Hilton Akron-Fairlawn. Between the wedding and reception, we went to Croghan Park to do some portraits. Their bridal party was a lot of fun and we had a great time!

Here is a slideshow from their wedding day!

Congratulations Suzi and Vance! I wish you both the very best in life!

1st day of 1st Grade for Ian!

2009-09-27T10:59:00.021-05:00

I cannot believe that my baby is in 1st grade. Time has really flown! He was sooooo excited for his 1st day of school, but he really didn't want me to take his picture. As one of my other photographer friends said, he was suffering from PCS (Photographer's Child Syndrome) LOL. I did manage to get a couple of cute ones of him though. And I can't believe how much bigger he looks this year!

The Smiths take on Cedar Point!

2009-09-27T10:59:00.020-05:00

Ian had been begging to go to Cedar Point all summer, so the last Sunday before he went back to school, we went. The boys had such a great time. Christian even enjoyed most of the rides this time. He rode his first roller coaster, Woodstock Express, but I don't think he really enjoyed it too much. Ian and Christian both loved the bumper cars. Excuse the quality of the photos...I only took my point and shoot camera that day so they aren't as good as I could have gotten with my big camera. But I didn't feel like lugging the big camera around. I just wanted to enjoy the day! By the end of the day, Christian was evening putting a hand up!

Congratulations Caitlin and Kevin!

2009-09-27T10:59:00.018-05:00

Caitlin and Kevin had a beautiful day for a wedding. They were married at Bath Church in Bath, OH. The ceremony was very sweet and even a bit emotional for Caitlin. After the ceremony, I had a few private moments with Kevin and Caitlin and really just let them enjoy some peace and quiet together. Their families were very welcoming. The reception was at the beautiful Portage Country Club in Akron. The flowers were amazing and I loved all the personal touches. Limes were very big in the design, so we took advantage of that for a few unique ring shots. The party was rocking and everyone had a great time!

Operation Baking Gals!

2009-09-27T10:58:00.010-05:00

One of my previous clients, Lyndsay, contacted me and asked me some tips on taking a photo that she needed to submit to a magazine. She is a volunteer for Operation Baking Gals. This organization bakes cookies and sends them to troops all over the world. She was about to be featured in a magazine and wanted to know how to get some good images. Knowing the good cause that this was for, I told Lyndsay that I would come out and do the images for her. Her and her Mom bake all the time together at her Mom's house for this organization. If you know a service member that you would like to nominate, check out Lyndsay's website, Baking Gals.

David and Lindsay's Enagement Session

2009-09-27T10:58:00.009-05:00

David and Lindsay decided to do their engagement session on the campus of Mount Union College in Alliance. They met there and graduated from there, so it was very appropriate. We had a really good time and got some great images!

Happy 1st Birthday Tyson!

2009-09-27T10:57:00.012-05:00

The big reason for our trip to Kentucky was that our nephew Tyson was turning 1!! I can't believe that it has been a whole year since he was born. He is the sweetest little man! My sister-in-law, Ashley, made his birthday cake. She always does such a great job with them! Tyson really enjoyed his party, liked his cake, loved eating the plate more (LOL) and at the end of the day...he was worn out! Enjoy a LOAD of pictures from his 1st birthday party.

Happy 1st Birthday Ty-Ty! Aunt Steph loves you!

Congratulations Naomi and Tudor!

2009-09-27T10:57:00.011-05:00

Naomi and Tudor ended up with one of the few rainy Saturdays that we have had this year, but they were great sports and we still went to all of the locations that they had in mind. We did all the portraits before the ceremony. We went to the BP Building, 9th St Pier, Cleveland Cultural Gardens and Squire's Castle. At the pier and the cultural gardens, I stayed in the car while Shan did the portraits since there really wasn't anywhere to park, but I did brave the weather at Squire's Castle and got some great images. The wedding and reception was at Berkshire Hills Country Club in Chesterland. Due to the rain, they weren't able to have the garden wedding that they had hoped for, but we did go out to do some portraits on the bridge. All in all, the day turned out beautiful.

Congratulations Naomi and Tudor! I know you will have a wonderful life together.

Kentucky Bound!

2009-09-27T10:56:00.014-05:00

Since Joe and Jenny's wedding was on a Friday, we were able to take off for the rest of the weekend to Kentucky to visit Shan's family.

Ian got to celebrate his birthday with Mawmaw and Pawpaw and we got to spend some down time swimming in their pool. Ian got a very cool 7 ft tall water rocked and we had a blast (no pun intended! LOL) shooting it off!

Ian finally conquered his fear of jumping off the diving board and we could barely keep Christian out of the pool.

They also both slept in the same big bed for the first time ever. I didn't think they would actually sleep, but they did great and they were so cute in the morning that I had to take their picture.

As an added bonus for us...the boys ended up staying with Mawmaw and Pawpaw the rest of that week. Shan and I really enjoyed the break from being parents and the boys really enjoyed their alone time with Mawmaw and Pawpaw!

Congratulations Joe and Jenny!

2009-09-27T10:56:00.013-05:00

Jenny and Joe were so truly in love that you could feel it the whole day. They were married on Joe's Mom's farm and the day couldn't have been more perfect. The weather was wonderful and everyone was great to work with. They truly made us feel like part of the family. There were so many personal touches, from the delivery of the guys to the wedding via tractor to the fish hooks that were integrated into the boutonnieres. The reception was at Guy's Party Center and the party rocked all night!!!

Congratulations guys! Thanks for a great day!

The Smiths Go Camping!

2009-07-27T10:17:00.002-05:00

After 2 months of weddings every weekend, we finally come to a weekend where we have no weddings to shoot. So the only logical thing to do is....Go Camping!

We left on Wednesday night for East Harbor State Park in Lakeside-Marblehead, OH. It was great to get away for a few days and just get to be a family. As we pulled into camp, it was sprinkling and I was worried that it was going to rain the entire weekend. But setting up the tent in the rain wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

It rained all night Wednesday night and had continued to be rainy on Thursday morning, so we decided to go to Train-o-rama, the largest indoor setup of model trains in Ohio. The boys loved it. They ran around the displays trying to take it all in. Christian would get down to the level of the trains to watch them closely.

When we left train-o-rama, we decided to drive down to Marblehead to see the lighthouse. The Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes. We bought tickets for the tour that would allow us to go up to the top, but we had about 15 minutes to kill.

The boys wanted to wander closer to Lake Erie, so we went past the lighthouse to a group of flat rocks. The waves were crashing up onto the rocks and Ian loved letting it roll over his feet.

Christian...not so much! LOL

After a speech about the lighthouse by a volunteer, we climbed the 70+ steps in a spiral up to the catwalk on the lighthouse. Shan was quite nervous since he is afraid of heights and Christian only wanted to run around the top!

Thursday night ended up being a decent night for a campfire, so we hung out around it for awhile. The boys toasted corn dogs and made s'mores. Before too long though, a very large storm cell began to pass over our campsite. There was a lot of thunder and lightning. Ian was nervous...but we reassured him that we were fine. For the rest of the evening, we hung out in the tent. The boys played with a leap pad, tag books and Christian's Thomas the Train Laptop. Shan and I played some 2 man Euchre. (He won!)

Friday's weather looked like it was going to be fantastic, so we packed a lunch and loaded up on the boat. We sailed out of East Harbor and out into Lake Erie. Ian got to "drive" for a bit.

After sailing east along the coastline so that we could see Lakeside from the water, we decided to sail out toward Kelley's Island. The sail was actually quite easy and we made it over there in about an hour. From there, we decided to sail over to Put-in-Bay. Along that stretch of water, both boys went to sleep for a bit. (We had to use a bungee cord to keep Christian from rolling off the seat! Don't worry...I sat there with him the whole time too.)

We decided to run ashore on South Bass Island so that the boys could get out and stretch for a bit. They threw rocks into the lake and Shan was teaching Ian how to skip rocks.

After a brief forray with a tree while trying to get of the island, we were off again and we sailed back to East Harbor. The lake was a bit choppier on the way back, but still a pretty easy sail. I even "drove" for awhile.

That evening, we went over to Lakeside to visit some of my old friends at Lakeside Institute. It was great to be back at Lakeside. It was wonderful to see everyone. We had dinner at Sloopy's and then got some ice cream from the Patio and walked down on the dock.

It rained again through the night and was still a bit rainy on Saturday morning. Luckily, the boys were so worn out from our day on the lake on Friday, that they slept in very late on Saturday. By the time we were ready to go do stuff, the weather was beautiful.

We decided to go to the beach on Saturday. Ian really wanted to fish, so all the men got their fishing poles out and fished just East of the swimming beach. (Don't worry...Christian only has a weight on his pole...no hook! LOL)

Within minutes, Ian had caught a Big Mouth Bass. He was so proud and so excited.

Shan caught one after that and then Ian caught another one!

The boys really enjoyed the beach. It was extremely shallow in the swimming area. Even Christian could walk out about 30 feet before it was up to his waist. Shan helped Ian build a wall in the sand and he and Christian had made a "tower". I took a self portrait since I am rarely in any images on our vacations! LOL

The weather was still nice into the evening, so we picked up some more firewood and had another campfire. Some of the logs needed to be cut, so Ian worked like a true pioneer and sawed some of the wood with the camp saw.

Sunday morning we got up and had breakfast and then prepared to pack up camp and head home. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn off my camera on Saturday night and the battery died. So the only picture we have of the whole family at the campsite is from my camera phone...and it isn't great. But it will have to do.

The vacation was fantastic. I am so glad that were able to get away and recharge for a bit. It was great being away from the computers! And Shan was pretty proud of how I held up with camping in the rain. (This was only the 2nd year in my life that I have camped in a tent!)

This is definitely one family tradition that I will continue for many years!

Congratulations Brittany and Peter!

2009-07-27T10:16:00.014-05:00

Brittany and Peter are an amazing couple with amazing friends and family. Working with them was a pleasure and extremely easy.

I got to hang with Brittany and the girls at the salon in the morning. And then we were off to Peter's Aunt's house so the girls could get dressed. After a quick stop at Peter's parents house for a few photos, we headed to Saint Haralambos in Canton for the ceremony.

Being part of a Greek Orthodox ceremony is a very unique experience. We were welcomed up on the platform area that Brittany and Peter were married on to take photos. I have rarely had an angle like that for a ceremony.

After the ceremony, we stopped at the hospital to get a few photographs with Brittany's brother. He had been in a very serious car accident just days before the wedding and had to remain in the hospital and missed the wedding. Thankfully, he is going to be alright.

After the stop at the hospital, we were off to Stan Hywet Hall to take more photos. I left after a little bit to get to the reception site and get photos of the room fully decorated.

The reception was held at Quaker Station and the hall was amazing. Wedding coordinator, Tricia Dever, from Always Eventful, and the staff had done an amazing job. The guest list was over 700 people. I had never seen that many people at a wedding before and it was amazing to see.

The greek dances, led by the greek band, went on for hours and were mixed in with some modern music from the Beach Boyz DJs. Throughout the greek dances, money was thrown and the dance floor was covered. It was well after 1am when the night wrapped up.

Thank you Peter and Brittany for having us capture your day!

Congratulations Kellie and Ben!

2009-07-27T10:16:00.011-05:00

Ben has been a friend of Shan's for years. He was in our wedding 7 years ago, so when he called to tell us that he was getting married, there was no question that we would be doing the photography.

Kellie is a very sweet girl and I got to know her a little better as we hung out and she got ready. After her hair and makeup appointments, we headed over to Briarwood where the ceremony and reception were to take place.

The ceremony was wonderful. I actually teared up watching Ben get married. This day was a long time in the making and I am so glad that he has found someone that makes him so happy.

Congratulations Ben and Kellie! I am so happy for both of you. Kellie...welcome to our "family"!

Happy 6th Birthday Ian!

2009-07-27T10:16:00.009-05:00

My little man is 6 years old!! I can't believe how grown up he is. I can remember the day he was born vividly!

We had a family party for him at my Aunt's house. I got him "Bolt" party supplies and he was so excited! He is in love with that movie. Lately, he is obsessed with dogs of any type.

After cake and presents, the boys, my parents and I went to downtown Akron to see the fireworks. (We had Ian's party on July 4th) The boys loved the fireworks!

Happy Birthday Ian!

Congratulations Jenn and Hendrik!

2009-07-27T10:16:00.008-05:00

I was so excited to get to work with Jenn and Hendrik. We had a lot of fun during their engagement session, so I knew the wedding was going to be fun.

Jenn was disappointed when she saw her flowers because her bouquet wasn't what she had ordered at all. So I sent Shan to a local flower shop to get 2 dozen hot pink roses so that we could re-do her bouquet. Melissa (a bridesmaid) and I remade the bouquet and Jenn was very thankful.

Hendrik and Jenn were married at First Presbyterian Church of Willoughby. The ceremony was lovely. And they were surprised to see that someone had given members of the congregation very special Congratulations signs to hold up as they left the ceremony.

We then went to Coulby Park to take some photos. That was when Hendrik got a phone call telling him that the cake had fallen. I took the maid of honor with me to the reception site to see the damage.

The reception was held at Pine Ridge Country Club. The staff had done their best to fix the cake as best they can. (It wasn't their fault, the cake just simply collapsed and fell) But from where the guests were seated, I doubt they would have known anything had happened.

Jenn took it all in stride and the reception was fantastic. The guests kept the dance floor going all night and we had a great time.

Thank you Jenn and Hendrik...for choosing me!

The 5 Smith Boys!

2009-07-27T10:15:00.012-05:00

Being that I am not a portrait photographer, it seemed like a massive feat to capture my 2 boys and my 3 nephews in 1 image. Between my family and my brother and sister-in-laws family, we have 5 boys...ages 8, 6, 3 1/2, 2 1/2, and almost 1.

Thanks to the antics of my sister-in-law who was able to keep Christian from running out of every single shot! LOL I also took some shots of their boys alone and my boys alone.

So here are "The Smith Boys"

Congratulations Leslie and Bill!

2009-07-27T10:15:00.010-05:00

Hanging out with Leslie and her friends felt like being around my own friends. I got to hang out with them while they got their hair and makeup done at Leslie's parents house. Then it was off to the church. Bill and Leslie were married at First Congregational Church in Hudson. The ceremony was very sweet with music from several family members.

The reception was at Lake Forest Country Club also in Hudson. We spent a little time with the bridal party and doing a more "Vogue" kind of shoot before going in to the reception. This was something that Leslie had envisioned for years. The reception went full force into the night with the dance floor staying full all night long.

Thank you Bill and Leslie for choosing me to capture your day. I had a ball!

Congratulations Megan and Jeremy!

2009-07-27T10:15:00.007-05:00

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Megan in the morning as she got ready at her parents house. Megan and Jeremy were married at St. Joseph's in Strongsville. The ceremony was wonderful and even funny at times...thanks to Father Barry. After the ceremony, we went to the Brooker Building in Strongsville for some inside photos and then on to Weymouth Country Club in Medina where the reception was to be. We did more photos outside at Weymouth.

The reception was a lot of fun and the dance floor was full all night.

Thank you Megan and Jeremy for having us capture your special day!

Congratulations Natasha and Scott!

2009-07-27T10:14:00.011-05:00

Natasha and Scott saw Shan and I in action at Mark and Nancy's wedding last fall. They loved what we did and so they wanted us to come to Connecticut to cover their wedding. The day started with the ladies brunch at a family home and a small tennis tournament. The guys grilled out at Scott and Natasha's place.

The ceremony took place at St. John the Evangelist in Stamford. It was a beautiful ceremony. Natasha and Scott then boarded a sailboat and sailed across Stamford Harbor to their reception at the Stamford Yacht Club. They were welcomed into the yacht club by a bagpiper. There were many Irish dances and the party went on for hours!

Thank you so much for sharing your day with us Natasha and Scott!

PS: Congrats also go out on the birth of their baby girl, Alastriona Paige!

It's Strawberry Time!

2009-07-27T10:14:00.009-05:00

For years, I have wanted to go strawberry picking and make strawberry jam, but it always seems that I am too busy in early June and I forget until it is too late. But this year, I remembered and the boys and I went strawberry picking at Boughton Farm. We picked 6 quarts of strawberries and ended up with 12 half pint jars of strawberry jam. We had a great time...even though I think Christian stepped on more than he picked! LOL

Congratulations Eric and Stephen!

2009-07-27T10:14:00.006-05:00

I had the honor of photographing Eric and Stephen's ceremony and reception in Cleveland. They actually live in San Francisco and had been legally married there when it was allowed for a brief period last summer. However, it just didn't seem complete without celebrating with their family and friends here in Cleveland. We met them at the Renaissance Hotel and did some photos in the lobby before heading out to Public Square. Then the ceremony and reception were held at the City Club of Cleveland.

It was a beautiful ceremony with Stephen's campus pastor from college presiding. The reception was extremely lively and full of purple and green feather boas and tiaras!

Thank you so much for choosing me to capture your day Eric and Stephen!

Cool Hair Dude!

2009-07-27T10:13:00.019-05:00

You know that your son is growing up when he decides that his hair needs more "style". This is Ian with his cool new hair. He styled it himself and loves to keep it spiked!

This is his "cool face"! LOL

Birthday Boy at School!

2009-07-27T10:13:00.017-05:00

Since Ian has a summer birthday, he got to celebrate at school during the last week of school. Ian wanted to take brownies with kisses candies on them as his treat. Shan, Christian and I went to the school that day with the treats in hand and Ian got to enjoy wearing a crown all day at school. I can't believe he is almost 6!

Congratulations Lauren and Nick!

2009-07-27T10:13:00.016-05:00

Lauren and Nick are a wonderful couple. We had so much fun doing their engagement session that I knew the wedding was going to be a blast. Lauren was non-stop smiles all day long. She had her hair done at Mane Attraction in Wadsworth and then it was off to the church. They were married at Sacred Heart in Wadsworth. The ceremony was beautiful. We made a few stops on the way to the reception. First up was a stop at the place that Lauren and Nick met...Wadsworth High School. Then on to Firestone Country Club for some beautiful outdoor images. The reception was held at the Hilton Akron-Fairlawn. Lauren and Nick entered their reception in a very unique way...very LeBron-esque. The night was a lot of fun with lots of dancing and laughter.

Thank you for sharing your day with me!!

Peter and Brittany's Wedding!

2009-07-19T23:56:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Peter and Brittany!!! Thank you for sharing your day with me!