Confessions of an Empty Nest Mother

I must confess that my home will never grace the pages of a "lovely home & garden magazine." You know the ones, they have a pictorial parade of homes with elaborate Christmas decorations. Those families truly have amazing Christmas decor... every ornament on their 10 plus foot tree matches in color & style. The wreaths are all perfectly hung with bows in the same hue as the matching ornaments on the tree.
That I'm afraid will never be me, you see my ornaments are 20, 30 or more years old. My wreaths are faded, and the yarn is unraveling, most of the glitter has fallen off. Yet, I simply must put those decorations up every year. Some of the ornaments were my grandmothers, some she actually made; little knitted bells, oh how I miss her. Other ornaments and my ragged wreaths were made by two of my "main men." Every time I look at them I remember the beautiful blue -eyed boys who brought them home from school. There is not a boutique anywhere that can produce an ornament that will shine like the tinfoil and macaroni hanging on my tree; but maybe that's just the way they look through this Mom's teary eyes.
I love you Brad & Joshua, and I am very proud of the fine young men you have become. Merry Christmas & Many Blessings to you in the New Year. And to all my Family & Friends I wish you a wonderful Holiday Season & a Blessed New Year.

Peace, Dottie

Precious Newborns

What is more precious than those first few months, I can't think of anything! Especially when it's your first baby, there is just something magical about that time. I recently spent an afternoon with Erin & Grant (I was also one of the photographers at their wedding!) getting to know their beautiful daughter Chloe. As you can see she wasn't 100% thrilled with getting her photo taken, but we captured some wonderful memories anyway!
Congrats Erin & Grant on the addition of beautiful Chloe to your family...
Peace & Happiness, Dottie

Sweet Chloe

In spite of Chloe's protests we got some beautiful photos of the happy family. Congrats Erin & Grant, you did well! She's gorgeous!

2008 was Great!

Enjoy this video of some of the highlights from 2008. Thank you for sharing a bit of your lives with me. I look forward to working with you in the upcoming year. Peace, Dottie

The Wild Wild West

Here are some fun photos from The Valley of Fire, a gorgeous area located just outside of Las Vegas, NV ...Enjoy!







My Younger brother Jim...



Brother Bob & Jim's spoiled poochies Bogey & Chooch....




And my favorite shot of the day....

One always has to be ready!

You never know when you're going to come face to face with a real live cowboy!

Ms. Molly Grace

A little show just for fun!

Through the Eyes of a Child

Everything is new, exciting, and a wonder yet to be discovered. Ms. Molly Grace showed us how to completely enjoy a beautiful Autumn Day.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

This sitting hit home. My husband is a twin, and I was called upon to photograph a wonderful family. They were having their first children, little boy twins. They knew ahead of time that one twin would survive and one would not. They were such wonderful people, love just permeated the room even in this bittersweet moment. Each time I do a NILMDTS shoot, I will post this banner to honor Heaven's newest angel. Dottie

Just for Fun

Sometimes I just like to go out & shoot photos, just for fun. Here are a few recent ones. Enjoy! Dottie

Could this one be a comment on the energy crisis & the sagging economy! :)

Ladder Training

With the help of some wonderful city volunteers and the ACFR Instructors, Firefighter I students spent the day at the training building learning the fine art of throwing ladders. The students worked hard and according to their instructors did a great job. Here are a few photos from last Saturday. Peace, Dottie

Family Fun

As promised, here's the video...

Family Photos are Fun

I had the privilege of photographing an awesome family (and some good friends) this past week, they were great sports, we had a good time, and got some priceless shots along the way. Here are a few shots from the sitting... watch for the slide show in the near future. :) Peace, Dottie

Random photos and big news...

It's a great time of year for taking photos, soft light, beautiful colors and nice weather. I've been taking walks and having fun. Below are a few pics, the little park down the street, and the Barboursville Ruins, (a beautiful place ) if you haven't been there, you should take a little field trip. Tomorrow though I'll be "shooting people" I have a family sitting coming up, and I'm really looking forward to it. Not only are they great peeps, but I've got a new toy in my arsenal to try out on them. :) My big news: I've finally bought the 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens! woohoo.... I've played with it a little, but I'm really excited about doing the family portraits tomorrow... Stay tuned. Dottie

Training Firefighters

Today I went to the training center & captured some of Matt's Firefighter I students hard at work. Most of these folks volunteer at local fire & rescue agencies in the area. Kudos to them for all of their hard work training, & for their service & commitment to the community.
Peace, Dottie

Retire at the Beach

My main man & I dream of retiring at the beach someday. Here are a few more photos from last weekend. The natural beauty & the wonderful calming effect of Mother Ocean are just a few of the reasons we put on our list. Where is your Nirvana? Until next time... Peace! Dottie

Life's a Beach

Matt & I went to The Outer Banks this past weekend & relaxed & had a great time. The weather was perfect and the beach was magical. It was a dual purpose trip really, last weekend will be our only weekend together until December 26th, talk about busy schedules! Today also happens to be our second anniversary, so we treated ourselves to a weekend away. We stayed at a wonderful B&B in Kill Devil Hills: The Cypress House Inn, if you get the opportunity to stay there we highly recommend it, wonderful hospitality, great food & good people! Here are a few pics from the trip. Dottie

Sky of the Day

I've entered these contests, and done fairly well, getting 2 "Flower of the Day" posts, as well as a "Picture of the Day" Post. Today I'm once again featured on the "Sky of the Day". It helps to live in a beautiful area. :) Enjoy! Dottie

Charlottesville Weddings

I've been featured on the Charlottesville Wedding Blog, follow the link & check it out! Rev. Claire Goodman is a wonderful chaplin serving UVA . She also officiates for numerous local couples for their weddings. This is a link to her blog. I had the opportunity to work with her at UVA hospital during one of my NILMDTS shoots. She is a warm, caring person. I'm proud to be a part of her wedding blog. http://www.charlottesvilleweddingblog.com/