Welcoming Ashenafi: Brothers of Many Sizes and Colors!

 

Several months ago, we learned that Asher's little brother Christian and his mama Erin were planning to bring home a new baby brother from Ethiopia! One month ago, Erin returned from a grueling trip to Africa with little Ashenafi (pronounced ASH-uh-NOF-ee) who is now almost eighteen months old. After a few weeks of "cocooning" at home with his immediate family, little Ashi was ready to spend some time with his other fans. After months & months of impatient waiting, I *finally* got to train my camera on this happy little guy (who I personally think could possibly be the cutest little boy ever born!!!) On a warm Sunday evening, Erin brought the boys over to play and while the big brothers romped around the yard in the sun, Ashi was subjected to his first professional photo shoot. Here are some of my favorite photos of our adorable new friend... and a few with the big brothers too : )

     

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The name “Ashenafi” means “winner” in his native language of Amharic. I have to say it seems quite fitting from my perspective… I’m not sure who is more in love with who here : )

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Christian had just pulled out his first upper tooth the night before so of course we had to get a shot of that gaping new hole in his smile!

At the orphanage in Ethiopia, the little ones loved to sit in boxes…. so naturally Ashi climbed right in when he found this bin outside my back door!

Little Ashi decided Big Ashey needed a little forehead bump!

Big Ashey is pretty stoked that Little Ashi is finally here too : )

I’m sure it won’t be long before we see pictures of Christian trying out these torture techniques on Ashenafi!

He was quite interested in the pinwheel he found in my garden…

until he pulled it apart  (multiple times)…

and so decided to work the “big brown eyes” angle (for which, it turns out, I am a TOTAL sucker.)

 

Nothing makes Ashi happier than a “quas”… Amharic for “ball”…

although banging together some bamboo sticks with the big boys was pretty fun too : )

To Erin & Christian: We are so, so, SO thrilled to have Ashi join our quirky little “non-traditional family.” I am so thankful that you are giving this beautiful little boy an opportunity for a happy, healthy life and for allowing us to shower him with the love he deserves : )

New Blog Feature: Old Favorites!

As he grows further from being a child and closer to being a man, I continually find myself wishing I could spend a just few minutes with two or five or nine-year-old Asher. Thankfully over the past thirteen years I have amassed a pretty large collection of photos of him! I thought it would be a fun addition to my blog to occasionally share with my readers some of my favorite photos I've created of Asher throughout his childhood. Photos are worth little if they are hidden away in a box in storage, so this is a nice way to share some personal photos with you while giving myself the opportunity to revisit life with my little guy : )

First up, a few from the "Dirt Dobber" series. I had been working on reclaiming most of the backyard from an out-of-control raspberry patch with the idea of creating a construction site for Asher to play in with all of his cool trucks. Of course any time you expose dirt during spring in Washington you run the risk of creating a mud pit, which, to two-year-old Asher's delight, is exactly what happened here. Interestingly, there is no apparent difference in the magnetic quality of dirt between the two-year-old and the thirteen-year-old!

Photography.... The Gift That Never Stops Giving

It was a few days before Valentine's Day when I got a call from Tom, who was wanting to give a photo shoot to his wife Laurel as a gift for the special day. I was glad to hear Tom was finally wanting to schedule a shoot with me as he'd been Asher's Little League coach when my business was first getting started and he and Laurel had mentioned several times that they needed an updated family portrait. Apparently Tom was sporting a mustache and a full head of hair last time the family gathered for a photo shoot- a clear sign it's high time to make an appointment with your photographer ; )

A couple weeks after Valentine's Day, I met Tom and Laurel and their sons Ben and Sam at Larrabee State Park on a lovely pre-spring morning. The light was wonderful and the colors Laurel chose for the family to wear were perfect for this quintessential Northwest setting. Here are some of my favorite photos we created for Laurel's gift...

Such a happy, handsome couple!

This was actually the very first picture I took as we were just getting started. Tom reached out to help Laurel navigate the rocks and I got off one shot. I think it makes a very sweet picture : )

I love that even the sea worm Sam found on the beach matches the family's color scheme!

There was still a bit of snow on the ground on this February morning and, as little brothers often do, Sam went about taunting his big brother into a snow ball fight. With strict instructions that they avoid my camera, I took a chance at capturing the scene and am so glad I did... I love this action sequence- especially the way a very amused Sam runs right out of the frame just as Ben fires the retaliatory shot : )

I am always very excited when a client wants to give the gift of photography to a loved one. I personally believe a photo shoot is the best gift to give just about anyone as great photographs have a way of bringing unending joy that many gifts lack, and not only to the recipient of the gift! I also believe all gifts should be pretty, even if they are just a piece of paper representing a gift to be received in the future. With this in mind, I commissioned my graphic designer Lindsey Kiniry of Queen Bee Ink. to help me create a gift certificate that is a gift in itself. I must say, I love the final result and was so pleased to provide Tom with something so lovely to give his Valentine : )

Please contact me if you'd like to give the gift that never stops giving to someone you know!