McShea Family Fundraiser - October 4th!!

We're only a few days away from the McShea Family Beef & Beer benefit, (THIS FRIDAY!!) and it's shaping up to be an outstanding event!  There will be exciting raffle and auction items up for grabs so not only do you get a tasty meal and a chance to help out a deserving family but you also can snag some awesome prizes!!

Perch Sisters will be donating a lifestyle session at the auction so if you've been thinking about booking a session but haven't gotten around to it, this is the perfect opportunity to WIN one! So mark this event on your calendars for this Friday night and come out for this great cause!!

Click here for details on how to buy tickets or donate! Hope to see you there!

bam and his fam | nj family photographer

you didn't really think i was only going to share ONE picture of BAM on the blog, did you? here are a few more of this magical little boy plus more of his brothers along with a couple of the whole flock.



i can't stop saying it - beckett looks so great!! you'd have no idea he had open heart surgery and was going back for more! he is just one content little dude and loved being cuddled by his mommy & daddy.



even the happiest of babes have their moments...i think he was just mad at me for making him hang out in the crib for a few shots. sorry, sorry! please don't make this face again, you're breakin' my heart lil' man!!



while the nursery was a beautiful location for the first part of the family's lifestyle shoot, we knew we wanted to take advantage of the incredible weather but wanted it to be easy to transport all of the little guys. Elissa recommended the Paint Works/Silver Lake which was just a walk away and it turned out to be perfect! sure there were gaggles of geese to avoid, but there was a path off the paved path that had just the right amount of mid-day light pouring through the foliage. made for some extra special moments with BAM and the rest of the family.





thank you, chris & liss, for letting me spend some fun hours documenting your little brood! can't wait to see the images gracing your walls! xo!

double trouble: twin toddlers | nj family photographer

fifteen month old twins, cronin & hudson, were such a delight to photograph! i started snapping up images of their precious faces as they were waking up from their naps...and that means toothbrush time! such obedient little babes and they woke up full of smiles and ready to play. i guess i'd be pretty happy waking up in their gorgeous nursery too! elissa has done an amazing job decorating their entire house but the details in the nursery are just impeccable! homemade touches from family members, fun fabrics and patterns made for a room that the boys will enjoy for years to come.

i can't wait to finally find a new house so i can hire elissa to help me with the decorating details...ya know, in her spare time!





being the parents of twins means you get the chance to do everything twice. twice the kisses, hugs, giggles, cookie crumbs to clean...and of course twice the stinky feet to smell while trying to find two pairs of tiny shoes! i was so impressed with how chris & liss managed these three little munchkins with such organization. it was like a watching a choreographed dance routine...with far less spandex, of course!





check out the hair on these guys! their teeny curls are just perfect!



watching the twins grow means watching their individual personalities shine through and it's so exciting to capture the things they share and the things that are special to each of them.
cronin loves his books and all things soft & cuddly. he's already got killer dance moves :). when i broke out my fuzzy blankets he immediately buried his face in them and kept laughing...super hysterical! no wonder mr. moo is his favorite toy!





hudson (huddy-buddy)is more focused on the little details, he is pensive and excels at puzzles and figuring out meticulous tasks. of course that means he can work an iphone like a pro!



my favorite part of the nursery part of the shoot was when i decided to see how they'd each react to sitting in a basket which i had brought for their baby brother. it really highlights just how different these twin brothers are in certain aspects. while cronin was excited to be sitting on a soft blanky, he was SO not into being confined to a basket...



...while hud on the other hand probably would've been content to just chill there all day so long as there were some great tunes playing in the background! they were both so darn easy going, made for a very enjoyable afternoon!!



more to come from this lifestyle shoot in the upcoming days! check back soon for more pictures and click here for details on how to buy tickets or donate to the mcshea family benefit on October 4th.

BAM: the story of a wise heart

My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad.

- Proverb 23:15 - 

meet baby beckett, otherwise known by his super hero name - BAM. 

little BAM is only two months old but already has the wisest heart of anyone i know and is loved by a family with the strongest hearts around.

beckett is loved by two 15 month old twin brothers, cronin & hudson - who will be making their very own appearance on the blog soon.  when the twins arrived last year, their parents found out that hudson had a valve defect and would need heart surgery. imagine the flood of emotions that comes with having a new baby...times two!...and then add to that a new twist of having to take care of a baby with a heart problem and plan for his major surgery.

flash forward a few months and the story takes yet another turn, surprise...baby number three is on the way!! my oh my! what a whirlwind year 2012 was for the mcshea family! but the craziness, and unfortunately the heartache, doesn't stop there.

while chris & elissa went to their ultrasound to reveal the gender of their newest babe, an unthinkable complication was revealed too. baby boy number three had a life-threatening heart condition - Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

it was unreal, unimaginable and downright unfair.

but they refused to let their faith or hearts waiver for a second. they focused on taking care of the twins and preparing for surgery for huddy and baby boy to be. they surrounded themselves with extraordinary family and friends (who continue to provide an incredible support system) and they did what they could...they found the positive. the silver lining. the glimmer of hope.

and on july 25th, Beckett Aloysius was born...as healthy as could be for a boy with an underdeveloped heart! he has had not one, but two, operations.  he has seen more doctors than most children will in their lifetime, has had more shots and more medication, but despite the odds, he got to come home from CHOP earlier than expected!

BAM has received so many prayers, hugs and an outpouring of love in just two tiny months and it is incredible to see what that positive energy can do!  his little heart is keeping him strong as he's growing and smiling and trying to figure out how best to fit in with his wild twin brothers!

but there is still a long journey ahead for this beautiful babe and everyday is a balancing act to keep all of the boys happy. the hospital bills don't slow down just because beckett's settling in at home and additional surgeries and doctor's visits on the horizon mean more expenses will pile up. so to help out beckett's family, an event is being held for them next friday (October 4th)!!

please take a moment to check out the event details here and stop by if you're in the area!

so much more of this lovely little guy, as well as the rest of the family, will be hitting the blog later in the week, so keep an eye out!

*updated with event details for non-facebook friends:
On Friday, October 4th, Chris's and Elissa's families will be hosting a Beef & Beer to help cover the medical costs that they have already paid and will continue to pay in the future as they prepare for Beckett's future surgeries and Hud receives his follow-up care. The event will be held from 7-11pm at St. Katherine of Siena Parish McBride Hall (9700 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19114-2815). Tickets are $30 and include food, wine and draft beer, and you can also BYOB. DJ, 50/50 and Chinese Auction will also be happening!

Norristown Farm Park

could've sworn we officially had another week left of summer, but it sure doesn't feel like it today! here are a few pictures from a walk on one of the many paths at Norristown Farm Park...from a few weeks back when shorts were the outfit of choice! the Farm Park is only a few minutes away from my house and has a lot of great walking/biking trails on the property. just watch out for the ones that take you straight through the ancient (but still active) mental institute!  only a little disappointing to arrive and realize that all of the corn fields were planted with soy beans this year, bummer. can't wait to hold some fall photo shoots here...just not in the prickly soy bean fields!

Lancaster County Bike Ride

yesterday was such a wonderful day! even though i thought my legs might never recover, i wish that we could repeat yesterday's outing every weekend!  

i was itching to do something in this beautiful weather (cool mornings, mid 70's in the afternoon, sunny without much humidity - not the norm in PA) and decided to research a bike ride that didn't include our normal bike path routes.  i came across this article, which brought me to the lancaster bike club's site which is just chock-full of rides for all types of riders. although Lancaster County is only about an hour from our town, i've only been there once in the years i've been in PA.  and that was only to go to the outlets...which really didn't count, it's not exactly the best way to experience pennsylvania dutch country culture.

i decided on the Lapps Ice Cream Ride, since ice cream is delicious, and this one has a stop for fresh amish ice cream PLUS a covered bridge! after printing out our cue sheets, we packed up the bikes and traveled out to Amish (and mennonite and brethren) country. the sky was perfectly blue and the rolling hills covered with farms is so picturesque...and kinda sad with the commercial areas creeping up on this lifestyle that seems stuck in time.

we passed a few buggies on the road and arrived at our starting point at the Strasburg Railroad and museum.  free parking, woo-hoo!

our bike ride was primarily on back roads that were in great shape, so much better than roads that are heavily traveled by vehicles other than horses!  there were many kids on scooters, with their suspenders and hats -  or dresses, aprons and bonnets - that we passed along the way, but we were off the main roads for the most part so avoided cars much of the trek. it was so nice to be able to ride side-by-side and be able to talk to each other during our ride rather than hugging the breakdown lane line.

many of the farms were harvesting their corn and we got to witness horse-drawn tractors (some with generators, too) and some ancient looking tools. of course, there was the occasional whiff of manure as we passed some of the barns that were closer to the road.  i so wish i could've stopped to take more pictures, but the more we stopped the more my legs burned...and since most Anabaptists are vehemently against having their picture taken, i didn't want to be overtly offensive (or get my iphone smashed!). i know some of the ways are fairly backwards in comparison to our daily life, but i find it fascinating that their culture can thrive just miles from city life and that it can be so entrancingly peaceful.

our ice cream stop at Lapp Valley Farm was delicious.  such a rich and creamy treat on our hot trip! gotta warn you though - the hill after the farm is BRUTAL.  it was by far the steepest we came across on the route, and right after ice cream made it a real kick in the pants! since we were riding, we didn't stop at any of the other farm stands or bakeries, but we did pick up some incredible homemade root beer from the parking lot for our car ride home.  only $5 for that giant jug of the darkest rootbeer i've ever seen! awesome end to a fabulous outing!!

i can't wait to go back and explore new bike routes and some of the little villages in that area! let me know if you want in on exploring this little piece of old country!

here are just a pathetic number of iphone pics that simply don't do the landscape justice.    

labor day snapshots

there is nothing i love more than being at the beach on a hot day with family and friends. but sometimes splashing in a pool is a perfect substitute for the sound of crashing waves! i mean, c'mon, can you tell me that everyone wasn't having an AWESOME time in new jersey over the labor day weekend?! the little ones couldn't get enough of their swim time...B didn't even care that i tempted fate by dunking him under (thankfully not captured!).

playtime with the water baby

oh C, i can't stand it! how did you get so old?! nearly two and looking less like the baby your parents brought home from the hospital. wasn't that just a blink of an eye ago!?


when the weather is sticky and you're stuck in a state without a shoreline, sprinklers go a long way for creating a happy water park for the little ones. the best thing about being a toddler is that you don't care what the calendar says. who cares if the summer is winding down on paper and the sun is stuck behind storm clouds? if there's water to soak up, expect laughter to follow!


who cares if you have a perfectly good sippy cup of fresh, clean water in your play area? drinking from a hose, sprinkler or a squishy water ball is always far more delicious! plus you get the extra nutrients from any potential dirt or grass that gets mixed in :).


once C caught on to the fact that i was stalking him with my camera, he decided to show off some sprinkler jousting skills. such a little ham, he would run through the drops and then come right over to make sure he liked what i captured, haha. maybe he'll be my next photo assistant!


he refused to give mimi a hug so we could get a cute picture of the two of them together. maybe he was just thinking that it would be nice to keep her clothes dry...or maybe he was thinking he'd much rather keep playing before the inevitable towel came to end one of his last summer evenings at the water park!


thanks for keeping me and my camera fairly dry, C! had a great time watching you love life! xo!