Here's a little peek into my life........

I never take the time to share personal pictures on this blog. I guess it's only fair that I turn the camera back around on my life every so often ;). This little four year old blondie is mine. I love this little boy more than life itself. He inspires me every day. He helps me to view life like a child instead of the "adult with blinders" that I typically am. If it weren't for him and what he's taught me the last four years, I'm not sure that my work would have the same feeling. I feel so blessed that God has loaned with this little guy and I so enjoy every minute that I have with him. Now if I could only get a decent shot of him, that would be accomplishing something! ;). The other little sweetheart in these images is my nephew. Don't you just want to kiss those little cheeks for days? He is such a sweetheart and he is such a lucky little guy to have such wonderful parents. Here's a few shots of our day at the pumpkin patch.

"Just be yourself". Perhaps I should have said something different ;). This is the result of having a camera shoved in your face for four years straight - ha!

Far behind.....

Sorry guys. I'm so far behind on showing you guys my latest sessions. It's been a busy but fun fall so far! I'll see what I can do to catch up today between cleaning, proofing and playing Hi Ho Cherry Oh ;)

The love of a family

I have known Chrystie for quite a few years now. She wen't to C0llege with my brothers and I've always loved her fun personality. It was so nice to see her find the love of her life. Someone who has just the same wonderful personality and a perfect fit for Chrystie. It's been so nice to see Chrystie's transition into a wife and mom. It's crystal clear how much she loves her boys. I don't think that anyone can ever prepare you for motherhood. They tell you about all of the "technical" aspects, but they can never prepare you for what this motherhood thing is going to do to your heart. The quote "Making the decision to have a child is to choose to have your heart go walking around outside your body forever" is soooo true! It's the most wonderful, yet the most vulnerable feeling on the planet. Aiden is such a sweet boy and I had so much fun with you guys. Thanks so much for allowing me to capture this little moment in your lives as a young family. I hope these images are something that you will always cherish.

It was so neat to capture Aiden practicing his first steps to daddy. I love that concentrated look that they get when trying so hard and also so excited that they're really walking all by themselves.

Priceless

What Do You Do All Day?

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog.

Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?" "Yes," was his incredulous reply. She answered, "Well,today I didn't do it."

Priceless stuff right there! =)

Beautiful Miss Jessie

Doesn't she have the cutest squished nose smile? She is such a beautiful young lady. Jessie, her mom and I had so much fun doing her senior portraits s at Sky Meadows! Congrats on your senior year. I'm sure you will do great things in life!


Her mom and I got a kick out of this look she gave me. It's one of my favorites

Little Zachary

How cute is this picture? I just love it! Zachary and his family were so much fun to work with, and are such a happy loving family. Zachary is so incredibly expressive. So many slogans and catch phrases wen't through my mind while looking through his pictures. He is such a cutie pie! I hope to have the rest of your pictures finished some time this weekend Katie. Here's a few that jumped out as my favorites in the mean time =). It was a blast working with you guys!



This picture technically isn't great because the light was a bit harsh, but how can I not share this picture? The look on his face is priceless. That's a definate "Don't even think about it" face.

The Marriott Ranch

If you've not visited this wonderful place, you must. It is the perfect getaway. The views are breathtaking and what a wonderful place to relax and get back to the important things in life. Whether it be for the weekend, a week or for an event that they're hosting you won't regret it. They also have some wonderful horseback trails (with picnic lunch provided) planned for a few dates in October. http://www.marriottranch.com/welcome.html



So here, I've planned it - You'll come spend a nice romantic fall weekend at the Ranch. You'll go by horseback through the gorgeous fall foliage (ahhh I can almost hear the leaves rustling now). Then you'll go to some of the gorgeous vineyards that are close the Ranch or go on a canoe trip down the Shenandoah river. The next day you can visit some of the local orchard's to get some of the delicious local apples this season (They're yummy this year!).

So there you are - all within 45 minutes of the beltway. For those in the Virginia Piedmont it's right in your back yard in Hume Virginia. I was honored to come capture the beauty of this place and take pictures during one of their events. You don't know what you're missing!

Click here to view a slideshow of the manor, the views and all of the lodging - www.TammyMcMillan.info/Slideshows/Ranch.exe

Sir Charles......

Okay Kim, I know that I say this every time, but I think these may be my favorites =). This little guy and his family have spent alot of time with me over the last 7 months or so. Charles is a natural when it comes to having his portraits taken. He's always so cooperative and it's so easy to make him smile. It's also a lot of fun to watch him explore new things because you can almost hear the wheel's turning in his head. He cracked me up when we put him in the grass. He really wanted to crawl away but was afraid to put his arms in the grass to do it. As always, I had a great time with you guys. Can you believe his next session will be for his first birthday?? I just wanted to give you a little teaser of some of the favorites of mine that I've come across so far.

Maternity and family.....

Suanne, what a great idea this was to capture some last moments of your family (as it is now) before the baby comes along. It is so easy to see from the way you look at your daughter how very much both of you adore her. How fortunate she is, as will this new addition be, to have fun and loving parents like you! You guys were so much fun to work with and I hope that I get a chance to meet the newest addition. Here's a little sneak peek for you.

Cierra Cierra Cierra

Just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the out. A smile that could light up a room. Fun spirit.
What a great time we had!!! Well, I did anyway, she may have been slightly
abused =). I've known Cierra since she was a little girl so I made her be more
brave than I'd force some to be. She was such a tropper though and the results
are phenomenal!!! I'm still looking through her pictures, but here's a few of my
favs so far. I told her that her Senior pictures would for sure be original!

Frequently asked questions -

Yes, she IS indeed in the middle of the road on a couch. Well, we DID stop traffic for her! =)

Yes, we drug this couch all over town (compliments of the neighbors who were selling the couch)

This poor guy was just mowing the field minding his own business when we came along, but he was kind enough to indulge us for a bit.

No I haven't fallen off of the earth......

I'm trying to get caught up because I've got a lot of fun stuff to share with you all! I'm tired, but I love my job! How blessed am I? =)

Precious life

We often think that our little ones are so fragile and our husband can conquer the world. So we go through life worried about the little ones, watching every step they take - "don't go in the road, don't touch that hot stove". In the mean time, these big strong men of ours get overlooked at times. Of course we do need to watch over and take care of these little guys, but I often have to remind myself to make sure all of the big guys needs are met also.

Anything can happen in life. In just a second our lives can come tumbling down around us. So savor every single second and make sure that the ones that we love know how much we love them. God has loaned us these little ones and has gifted us with these irreplaceable men in our lives. He's hand picked these guys for us no matter how mismatched we seem to be =).

If you've not heard this wonderful song, you just have to!! It's all about perspective. A guy that I went to school with (from the time I was little) was killed in a freak bobcat accident this week. I can't even imagine what his family is going through right now. This song has been on my mind a lot this week and it just makes you stop and think about how fragile and how precious this life is. Last day of my life - Phil Vassar

For those local and who also went to school with John- here's funeral info and where you can donate money to the family -
http://www.wper.org/html/johnmills.html

An incredible gift for yourself or someone you love..

They're called Thumbies. I've never seen anything quite like them. You use the fingerprint of someone you love or your babies footprint or handprint from the hospital. This company will create a charm with the prints that you provide them. I can't imagine a better heirloom to pass down from generation to generation. You can also use your pets noseprint or pawprint. You have to check these out! http://www.thumbies.com/index.asp

Beautiful Miss Alison.....

I just can't believe that another baby planner has turned a year old. Where did the time go? Where did my babies go? Okay, maybe not MINE, but I sure do develope a great relationship with these little ones (and parents), so seeing these guys turn one is bittersweet. I know that I'll see them all again, it's just so surprising to see them grow up so quickly!

This little woman is so spunky! She has her own agenda and is a take charge kinda' kid. I just love her! She has so much spirit and it's been neat to see her turn into a little toddler. Her mom and I used to work together (for those that don't know I was a Kitchen Designer in my former life ;). So Anita, here's your sneak peek. I know that curiosity has been killing you! I've got a special challenge for you to get a free image - check your email! =)

Tough Guy

Sweet
Tough
Shy
Happy
Beautiful Blue Eyes
So many words could describe this little guy. He was so flexible with us dragging him all around the house trying to find some light on a foggy day. He hung with us though and just rolled with the punches. I love his tough guy look! Okay mom here's your preview. I'm going to experiment with you. I'm watching my blog count. If you get 75 people to look at my blog between now and when I put your pictures online, you'll receive a free 5x7 of your choice ......Go! =)