If I Could Juggle, This is What I'd Do - Seattle Children's Photographer

 Hi friends!!! Can I tell you how much I miss you? I miss being here. I miss writing about real stuff, about the "behind the scenes" part of being a photographer. I know, I left you all and went on to a shiny new, "professional" site. A site for clients, but do you know what? I always feel that there is something lacking over there. I feel a serious lack of Sarah-ness  from that site. It's supposed to be my professional site, so I have to keep all of my quirks and flaws on the down low, right? I don't talk about the things I suck at over there. I don't admit that sometimes I over-expose images. I can't talk about how freaked out I was to shoot our first wedding, and how I get nervous every single time I go out for a session. Or how sometimes I feel like the business of photography has made me a bit more bitter than I used to be.

So, my solution is... da ta da da!!!  I'm coming back! I don't know how many people will read this. I won't tell you I don't care. I do. I love people reading my blog. If I didn't, I would just write in a journal and that would be that. But, I will tell you that I have decided that I need a place where I can be me; where I can write the things that I just can't talk about over on my other blog. Plus, my therapist told me I need to start writing again, because I have emotions coming out of my ears, and, to be honest, the only thing I take time to do anymore is try to keep my businesses and children alive. If I can rationalize this as being for the business, I think I can persuade myself that it is ok to take some time to write, even if it is, secretly, for me.

I don't want this to be a dark and dreary, slit-your-wrists kind of post. I'm not really down in the dumps (if I were, I probably wouldn't use "down in the dumps"), I have just felt a great loss since I left this place.

So, the question of the hour is, "Do you think I will be able to take on all three blogs?"

 HA HA HA! It is a juggling act for sure. Then again, so is running a preschool, starting up a photography business, raising two toddlers and becoming a full-time nanny (notice how I left out running a household? : ) There is a reason for this!). You want to know a little secret? I can't even juggle!!! Seriously. I suck at juggling. Even with just three balls. I've tried and tried and tired and after one round the balls always go flying in every direction.

I'm not going to promise anything yet. I have high hopes (I always do), but with expectation comes great stress. Ha ha! Like what I did there?

I will leave this babbling post with a few pictures of the girls using my new Lensbaby Composer Pro. I LOVE my new little friend. This will be my creative funk lens. My girls also help get me out of my creative funks, even if they hate having their pictures taken!

This wasn't taken with the Lensbaby, but I had to stick in a photo of them sledding. They loved it. Can't you tell? They did once they figured out how to sit on the sled together. Sharing space is tough.

The best thing about photographing kids is that they are so impulsive. You never know what they're going to do next.

To those of you reading, thank you! And I hope we meet here again soon! Maybe even next week (eeek! That wasn't a promise!)

Uncle Yef, Unclehood Training by Fire

My little brother, Geoff, came up to visit last week. We hadn't seen each other in over two years. The last time he had seen Bella, she was nine months old. It was his first time meeting Julietta. It didn't take much to win the two of them over, though. They were putty in his hands. Nearly every morning this week, Bella has woken up wanting to go down and cuddle with "Uncle Yef".  Throughout the day I would randomly here, "Uncle Yef, I'm on on the bunk bed!" and then I'd catch glimpse of a streak of color through the house  - he whisking  her around, arms spread, flying like a superhero.

It was certainly not much of a vacation for poor Geoffy. For the past week,  he has been helping out around the house, standing in to watch the girls so I could do normal things like take a shower, or try to do some work, and well... yes, he also did two straight days of yard work. Check out my preschool website: www.elgatopreschool.blogspot.com  to see what we accomplished. I'm pretty sure we've convinced him to put off parenthood for another ten years... at least. He loved the time with his nieces, but I have a feeling that he is looking forward to going shopping without  frantically grabbing various things off the shelf to keep a baby fom crying, and I bet that the toddler meltdowns will be happily left behind.

I am so thankful he was here with us. For me, grocery shopping was a breeze! Two adults to two children. Simple! I even left the girls with him for a half an hour so I could go pick up a pizza. This, I could get used to!

A few hours ago, we dropped Uncle Yef off at the airport, all four of us in tears. That was the first time that had ever happened! Man, I'm going to miss him. I'm not ready to go back to being a single mom again!! Why can't someone just buy the stinkin' cafe?!?! ( Alex, get here soon!)

Geoffy, thank you so much for coming to spend the week with us. I miss you already!

Hi, I'm Sarah Bunch. Remember Me?

This is the kind of dorky thing I say to people I went to high school with that I randomly meet on the island. Not only did I go to high school with them, I most likely went to middle school, elementary school, kindergarten, and possibly even preschool.

That first paragraph really has nothing to do with my post. The title doesn't really either. But, if my brother's motto can be, "I'm Geoff. I do what I want, when I want, it's part of my charm." I feel like I get to be random whenever I feel like it, because I can. I also haven't been around a lot lately, so I want to make sure you don't forget about me. Don't don't don't don't!

I talked to Alex today. HE'LL BE HERE SOON!!!! No plane tickets have been bought. The cafe still hasn't changed hands, but it will be happening very very soon. I bet you can guess how excited I am. Being a single mom of two is rough stuff. Anyway, while talking to Alex, he mentioned that I haven't been posting any photos at all recently, and he missed seeing the girls. I know I know I know. He's right. I have been so busy trying to get El Gato con Botas, the Spanish immersion preschool that I'm opening, ready, I haven't had time to focus on photography. I still have two sessions I haven't even finished editing because I just can't seem to get everything done!!! But, because I'm such a caring wife, I figured I'd post a few images from last weekend. We went down to Chehalis to help my brother, JJ, and sister in-law. Kayli, do some work. (We mostly just got in the way. But at least we were there to show our support!!)

"What's the deal with the bandana?" you may be asking. It was sunny. She's pretty bald. No sun hats in sight.

Alex, we can't wait to see you!

And to the rest of you, I promise I will back this way again soon. I will also be posting Shauna Ahern (a.k.a Gluten Free Girl ) and family's photo session soon on my Sarah Bunch Photography blog Monday morning.

Vashon Island Head Shot Photographer - Project 52 Week 13 - Black and White

Black and White is the theme for this week's Project 52 that I'm participating in with 17 other incredibly talented photographers from The Bloom Forum.

Time has been somewhat of an unseen commodity these days. So, I won't waste any this week, and just leave you with my black and white images:

Now go on over and take a look at  Shea Parker/Clinton Mississippi Child Photographer   to see her amazing work.

Happy 3rd, Bella Lu!

Three years ago I was lying in a hospital bed, mesmerized with this little bundle of gurggles and grunts and groans and poop and pee and cries. Oh, that first night, did she cry! I remember how new everything was,  how I was afraid I would break her little arms while trying to change her onesie. It makes me smile to think how much rougher I am with Julietta. I just flip her and toss her and pull on those limbs that she likes to stiffen up.  Anyway, back on March 31st 2008 I remember just sitting and staring at Bella. We stared at each other for hours.

I think it's funny how we imagine what our children are going to be like, and they turn out completely different. First of all, how did I get such a blondie? And character wise, well, sometimes I think that she didn't get an ounce of Sarah Bunch in her. She's fearless and tough and knows exactly what she wants. She can be the biggest pain in the butt at times because she is so decisive, and stubborn and quite bossy too (ok, maybe an ounce or two of me did slip into the mix) but I admire her for her strength. And with all that inside, she has such a gentle heart that she cries when her sister gets hurt, and yells and yells and YELLS for me if she thinks her sister might be in danger.  She "reads" birthday cards and they always say, "I love you. I love you. I love you." and every now and then she'll say to me, "I love you sooooo much". She challenges me on a daily basis to keep my patience so I can teach her patience - to teach her kindness and understanding instead of getting frustrated and losing my cool. She challenges me to be a better person, so I can raise her to be the best person she can be.

3rd Birthday Party dressed in her "pincess dress"

First day of Preschool

I love you, Bella Lu. With every ounce of my heart and soul. Happy Birthday!

Seattle Lifestyle Photographer - Project 52 Week 11 - Close Up

I am going to have to make this one quick and to the point.

Close ups. I love close ups, but I rarely take them. I think I'll make it a goal to take more of them.

Now head on over to Simply Shauna Photography to see what the fabulous Shauna, Sudbury, Ontario photographer, will dazzle us with.

Project 52 Week 10 - Vintage

I am a big sucker for anything vintage. I think this must be because my dad owned an antique store when we were kids so he was constantly dragging us to antique stores, flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores. I remember one summer, spending the days at his shop in Quartermaster harbor on Vashon. I was eight and had just received my very first camera for my birthday. Oh, the pure joy!! I was so thrilled to be getting a camera. I wanted to take photos of all my dolls and write a book about them. I never finished it.

Vintage love has followed me throughout my life. My very first car was a cherry red ´64 Volkswagen bug that had a horn that constantly got stuck on. My friends and I had a blast cruising around in that thing. As for furniture, well, I have very few pieces of furniture, since I've moved around so much, but I do have a couple pieces that I've toted around with me - my parent's very first piece of furniture - a beautiful oak bookcase, and my very favorite - a wooden, wind up record player that dates back to the early 1900s. I adore it. I like to think about the people who bought it new. What excitement they must have felt!!

We moved into our new house two days ago, so I went to pick up my small stash of furniture from my dad's house. He could probably open another antique store, he has so much stored in his barn. One pretty chair caught my eye while I was there, and my dad let me have it. It has been badly damaged by a naughty kitty, but I don't care. I love it anyway. I can't remember what kind of chair he said it was, but he did mention that it dates back to the 1800s! Wowsers! Amazing.

Now head on over to see the talented Shauna, Sudbury, Ontario Photographer
 of Simply Shauna Photography.