First of all, I am over a week late in posting this and for that I apologize.  There are always a million + 1 things to do during the wedding season and I forget, at times, ;) that I am only human.  So, there you have it...no excuses-just reality.

As for this Mother's Day contest, I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who sent in their entries.  It was very humbling to read stories of loved ones who have passed where little documentation of their time on earth with their families was noted.  It was hard to read about little ones who are struggling to enjoy life because of the hardships they are facing physically, yet the parents want to give them something that they can cherish forever that brings a bit of sweetness to life.  Then there were such beautiful stories of heirlooms being passed from generation to generation.  I could go on and on with these stories...they truly touched our hearts.

I realized in doing this that our lives are sooooo busy.  I am so thankful for the many family photos we had taken when we were little, I am thankful that my parents loved photography enough to capture us growing up.  However, these entries made me realize that this is not always the case for everyone.  In this day and age where technology rules our lives (to some degree ;), I am seeing more and more that we may document, but we do little with the documentation.  We tend to think in the here and now and forget about how those memories will impact our future.  

With that long rambling being said...we do have a winner!  Read below:

"An heirloom is something precious passed down from generation to generation.  My greatest heirloom is not a treasure to be held but a love to behold.  This November, my grandparents will have been married for 60 years.  During that time, they have weathered many storms-including the Great Depression, cancer, and the loss of a son (my uncle Mike died when he was 15 in a car accident).  Even after all these years-and all that they have gone through-they still look at each other as if they are in puppy love.  My grandparents have never had much money, so we don't have a lot of pictures of them or their farm.  I would love to honor them with this project-celebrating 60 years together and the greatest heirloom they could have ever given me: the example of a genuine, lasting love. -Serena"

I can 100% relate to Serena's grandparents.  My dad's parents were the exact same way...even months before my Grandma passed away.  I will never forget the video put together by my brothers of some of her memories.  Two of my cousins were singing "Amazing Grace" and my Grandpa couldn't keep his eyes off my Grandma while she sang the words with them.  That was something I witnessed throughout my life and something I long to have with Jeremy for our future grandchildren to see.  This was a unanimous decision by all 4 of us, but spoke close to my heart.  So, thank you Serena for sharing your story.  It will be an honor to meet your grandparents and your family.  I will be in touch soon.

Honestly, every story we read was deserving and we thank you all for giving us a peek into your beautiful lives.  We wish we could do this for everyone.  Those who did submit an entry will receive an email from us with a discount to say thank you!  We hope to share more of these stories with you...

I want to start off by saying Happy Mother's Day to all of you amazing moms out there.  One of the most rewarding and challenging jobs I have had in my life is being a mom.  As Gabe and Claire get older, I am appreciating even more what our moms did to help raise us. Even though I know Jeremy and I probably drove both of our parents crazy at times I know that they also loved us more than anything.  I know that they instilled memories in our childhood that we still carry with us today.  I know that I now sing songs with Gabe and Claire before bedtime that I sang when I was a little girl with my parents.  I know that a lot of what we learned and experienced as children is being played out in our own little family.  With this being said, I am realizing that we are creating memories for our children that will hopefully be passed on to their children.  

Even though we have many memories stored in our minds we don't necessarily have them as keepsakes...heirlooms.  Let's face it...technology has come a long way.  When we were growing up, taking video was done for special occasions. ;)  But, now, we have technology all around us that gives us many opportunities to preserve those memories we hope to savor in our minds forever.  It's all a matter of acting on it and not relying on our phones to do all of the documenting or our computers to do all of the storing. ;)    

When we began discussing the idea of heirloom sessions we knew that we wanted to capture those moments (by camera and video) that would, normally, only be able to be relived in your mind.  We wanted to capture them in a way that created an heirloom for families that will be passed down from generation to generation.  So, I guess you can see where this is going... ;)  Last fall we introduced heirloom sessions to you.  We have been processing information and have some ideas lined up to share with you in the future.  For now, we are so passionate about this idea that we are giving away an heirloom session for a special mom...of any age.  These heirloom sessions aren't just for young families...they are for families of all ages.  We will be adding a few new touches to these to make them even more personable to your family.  Stay tuned for more.  

What do you need to do?  We are asking that you send in your thoughts about what heirlooms mean to you and why you think an heirloom session would be deserving to your family.  This isn't a one-line sentence we are looking for (or an essay ;)...we are wanting you to be real with us and share your thoughts and feelings behind this.  Jeremy and I, along with John and Jennifer Moon, will be reviewing the entries and making our decision from there.  All entries must be emailed to me by Saturday, May 15.  Please email them to: cpd@carpenterpd.com.  The winners will be announced the following week.

I wish I could share with you how amazing this opportunity is.  I want one for our family. ;)  In case you have forgotten what the heirloom sessions are all about...let me remind you. ;)  Every time I watch this my heart melts...  Looking forward to hearing from you soon...  

A while back I shared the PhotoMommas blog with you.  The feedback from so many of you has been wonderful...thank you!  I look forward to the continued efforts of helping moms using their cameras better.  On top of helping other moms, this blog has also helped me document our little family better.  It's easy to take the cute, dress-up pics, but I haven't always been the best at what is going on right now...the moments where I just need to stop and absorb what is taking place around me.  The photo above may not have ever been captured if the challenge wasn't there.  It is now a favorite of mine.  I will remember this little moment indefinitely.  So, thanks for the accountability to make this happen.

I wanted to share with you a little contest I am doing right now on the PhotoMommas Blog.  Click here to check it out.  I would love for you to send this on to all of those moms you know.  It's not about the best quality image for this contest...it's all about the moment.  As moms, we tend to take the pictures instead of getting in them.  This is a challenge to put yourself in front of the camerat this time and capture some of those precious moments with you and your little ones.  Everyone will get to cast their vote once the images are posted.  Check out PhotoMommas for more information.  Have a wonderful spring-filled day!      

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how to start this post.  As I'm sitting here, trying so desperately to focus on the task at hand, I keep thinking of the crazy day our family has had...on Christmas Eve, nonetheless.  A trip to the hospital for an unexpected outpatient procedure followed with a sick little one who is so anxious for a visit from Santa.  I guess you could say that this was not exactly how I planned to spend Christmas Eve.  I envisioned time with family...laughing, talking, presents, sharing life...all of us...together.  But, sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you have to adapt.  Sometimes the craziness of life reminds you that life is about so much more than the plans you make and, at this time of year, holidays as we have come to know them.  It's about relationships.  As I am sitting here, I'm overwhelmed with lots of emotions...my frustrating day, the precious people I am going to be sharing with you (keep reading :), and the humbling reminder that the real reason we are getting ready to celebrate the next 24 hours is about a child who came to experience life with us.  A person who came to know us individually in the good times and bad...to be with us when life couldn't be better and still be by our sides when we felt as though we have more on our shoulders than we can stand to carry.  I am thankful for that relationship and realize, once again, that the things we think matter...really don't.  It's the relationships in this life that carries us through...good and bad times.

Please keep reading...I promise this gets better. ;)

As you know, a while back we made mention of a giveaway to a family that has had a curve ball thrown at them.  We asked you, our readers, to share life with us about a family who could use a special gift this holiday season.  Every story I read brought me to reality once again...life is hard.  This year I have heard story after story of people who have gone through some crazy times and could use a bit of a break.  So, below are some stories to share...

Justin and Jenny (+3 little ones)

This sweet family experienced the loss of their home to a house fire the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

(This picture was taken from their family blog.)

As I read the entry and the story through their family blog, I cried for them.  I can't imagine losing everything that I have gained through this life in a materialistic sense in just a few minutes.  I learned from their blog that all they were able to salvage was a few things that fit in their car...that's it.  However, I was amazed at their attitude towards it all.  I got this from their blog:  "I've also really come to terms with the idea that the most important things in life aren't things at all.  I've always known that was true.  But, I've never really taken the time to actually think about it.  But, when we drove away from our house that Sunday night...knowing that everything we had left was in our car...I really began to understand exactly what that idea means.  The most important things in life really aren't things at all."  I admire her heart (because I'm not sure that I could feel that way after losing everything).  Yet, as I was reading their blog I realized that they still need memories of the relationships they share together as a family.  They need to once again regain something they lost...or so they thought.  My guess is that they have realized even more that all they need are the relationships they share with each other, their friends, their family.  Now is an appropriate time to capture them, so that 10 years from now they can see how far they have come...together...as a family.  They will be receiving our giveaway and we are so happy to be able to share that with them.

But, I'm not done.  We had two other families that were so very close to our top choices that we will be giving them a 30 minute session with a set of proofs.  

2.  A family whose little boy is suffering from microcephaly-a condition where the brain and head stop growing.  They have accrued many medical expenses and will continue to do so.  The sweet 2 year old boy has a long road ahead with a medical condition that is causing them to reach out and seek more help as to how to help him.

3.  A family who has been blessed with two little ones, yet hoped for a third, lost their 3rd and 4th child (over a two year period) due to complications during the pregnancy.  Because of this, their plans of having 3 children have pretty much come to an end and they are now on a long road to recovery.  

These two families are so deserving as well.  As you can see (and know), life is hard.  Sometimes the plans we make, fail. The dreams we have, disappear.  And, the "every day" we know is taken from us with nothing left to show for it.  There are so many deserving families out there and I so wish we could give everyone the gift of life captured from behind a lens. Life may be hard, but family moments forever preserved remind us how good God truly is.

Merry Christmas and many blessings to you...

Much love-Melody & Jeremy

To our 3 winners, I will be in touch soon after the holidays.  :)

I can hardly believe that Christmas is just around the corner.  Every year at this time I feel like I'm running aimlessly trying to get everything done.  I always say that we need the holidays, so that we can have a break.  ;)  With that being said, I sometimes take for granted the fact that there are others out there who are dealing with more than the busy-ness of the season.  I forget to step outside my bubble and realize that there are more people out there who are struggling with life.

My guess is that you know someone as well...

You know someone who has experienced a tragedy...someone who is struggling to stay afloat...someone who is raising kids while holding down more than one job...someone who always gives more of themselves despite the circumstances handed to them.

You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season.  You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love and beauty.

We want to know who they are, and want to give them the chance to experience complimentary photography...by us...$850 worth actually.  What would that include?  The session fee, some lovely prints, and the files for printing when they need another reminder of how precious their lives truly are.  You have the ability to make this happen for someone you know this holiday season.  

Oh...on top of that...the person who nominates the winner receives a $150 print credit.  Bonus, right?  

The RULES:

*You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing our services.  I'm pretty sure that you can differentiate the difference... :)

*The nominee must reside in Indiana.  Tell us who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve our work.  Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

*You must email the full story:  cpd@carpenterpd.com

I know this is a busy time of year, but what an amazing gift you could give someone.  Take some time away from your already crazy schedules and send in your entry.  All entries must be received by December 22.

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve--get nominating!  We can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season...thanks for giving us the opportunity to share ours.

Blessings,

Melody