Real living and sweet giggles . . . what you get when you mix 2 little boys and a handful of puppies.

I could not pass up the chance to photograph these sweet pups, and I was delighted that we got a grandson and his buddy to come play, too!

If there is anything more magical than the sweet interactions between these little creatures, I'm not sure what it is!

I love these smiles.

I love these sneaky faces!

And I adore the ways these young ones know how to close out the rest of the world and focus on this moment.  I wish you could hear them laughing!

I love taking photos like these and hoping that pressing pause on these moments will help their memories stay fresh.

I like imagining these little guys as old men, showing these images to their grandsons - and laughing a bit at the remembrance.

Might do us all a little good to dig deep and harness a bit of the playful spirit that must be inside us somewhere.

Maybe we should romp around with a new puppy or roll in the grass on a sunny day or laugh and laugh and laugh with an old friend.  

Maybe we just need to find the puppy or notice the green grass or pick up the phone and call the friend.  

We may not be as good at it as these guys . . . but we can do it.

Throw some worry away today.

Look into the eyes of something good today.

Forget about the grown up stuff, 

even if only for a moment. 

Ahhhhhh.

You can view the whole session at: http://deanagrahamphotography.com/p302842769

Joy . . .

That was the word that kept popping in my head as I shot photos of this precious trio.  JOY.  This little fellow emanated joy.  He couldn't stop smiling, and ran from shot to shot with a happiness that I loved!  

It was freezing cold the morning we met, but you would never have known.  The smiles were rampant, and this awesome family was up to anything.  Such fun!

When I emailed to let them know that the images were up on the site to view, I told Jen that I kept thinking 'joy' as I photographed them and again as I edited the photos.   I loved hearing the surprise in her answer, when she let me know that 'joy' had been in the forefront of her mind on her wedding day and the idea for each day in their home.  I think it's working!

joy * joy * joy

I'm quite sure that I could watch this little guy happily run all day!

And, yes, I could look into these eyes all day, as well.

Here's to joy and to another family that makes me know I've found the perfect (a)vocation.

Thanks, friends!

Precious People . . .

Last week I had an awesome opportunity . . . I got to photograph the two children of my cousin.  What made it even more special was that I have never gotten to see these precious children and my own kids have never even met them!  Suffice it to say, they hit it off.  If you had seen them together, you would have imagined that they had always known each other, grown up together.  It was fun to see.  It was another reminder about how fortunate I am to be able to bring my passions together - my passion for pressing pause and doing so with people I love.

Ohhhhh, those eyes.  I just wonder what all he will see!

Don't you love those little hands?  

Lots to do.  

Ahhhhhhhhhh.

You never know when you might have to take a call on the nearest Easter egg.

Yep . . . just met.  This is an image I don't want to forget.  Thankful.

If you'd like to see the whole gallery from the shoot, click below:

http://deanagrahamphotography.com/p202584305

And, of course, yesterday's winner must be announced!  Monique O took the prize - she was the ONLY correct guess!  Way to go, Monique.  The mystery photo and the reveal follow.  Next Monday there will be a new pic to guess!  Thanks for playing, friends.  Thanks for reading the blog, passing the word and being part of the adventure.  

Monday's Mystery Photo

The identity revealed . . . 

Have a wonderful day, my friends.