(pre-) Easter Pictures

With the boys being in school full time, I knew it'd be hard to do
my traditional, spur-of-the-moment, the-light-is-right, pre-Easter photo shoot at the little white chapel in Clyde this year. I was committed to getting it done, though, so this morning, when we woke up to no rain (for the first time in what seems like a long-time), I hurried the boys to get dressed and get in the car, so we could, hopefully, capture a little bit of this morning's Golden Hour.

We didn't.

By the time we got to the Chapel (just before 9 a.m.), it was all backlit and shadows. Thankfully, though, we found a few shady spots at Lake Junaluska, so all was not lost.

The purpose of these "pre-shoots" is to take the stress out of Easter morning. With pictures already taken, I can relax and enjoy the morning without turning into Attila the Hun, who's insisting everyone be dressed and ready early enough to get a good shot before heading to church.

It's worked like a charm.

This year, the boys really, REALLY tried to cooperate. Bless their hearts. Pictures are just HARD for little people. I ended our makeshift "shoot" with another renewed appreciation for what my friend Brooke does day in and day out and at the highest of levels.

Also, just before we left Junaluska, Jones ran over to me with a pair of dandelions he'd picked for me. The boys bring me these on the regular - and man, will I miss it when they outgrow this phase. The photos of him with the impromptu "boutonniere" are some of my favorites. He will definitely be wearing one of those come Resurrection Sunday!

Brooke Rainey Photos

All of these with the car are awesome, because
Freddie is ALWAYS carrying a car - or 6 - with him
these days. I even found one in the dryer this week.
It'd fallen out of Freddie's "pockie," which is
where he loves to keep them stashed when his
hands get too full.

I mentioned that Brooke took the boys' pictures while we were in Nashville. Well, tonite, I got the files of the shots she got, and I don't even begin to know where to start describing how much I love them. She's the only professional photographer who's taken the boys' pictures, and I feel like they're always such rapscallions when she's trying to work with them, yet EVERY SINGLE TIME, she's amazed me with what she's managed to capture in spite of the fact that they weren't helpful IN THE LEAST.

Here are a few (or 58) of my favorites. The rest you can see in the photo book you know I'm gonna create.

(Brooke, THANK YOU isn't big enough to express my gratitude for sharing your gifts with me.)

Also, Brooke and I have come up with the idea that Freddie and AJ are going to be roommates at UT and then share a house in Nashville for a few years after graduation. We think this is brilliant and will save them all the hassle of having to make decisions for themselves. It will also give me even MORE reasons to go visit Nashville often. Fortunately, Brooke got some shots that will be PERFECT for their bachelor pad, which, I'm sure, she and I would be MORE THAN WILLING to decorate for our baby boys when the time comes.