Weekend Update || Lynchburg, VA Wedding and Family Photographer

Oh my goodness! We had SUCH a FUN weekend!! It was full of photo sessions- ranging from family, commercial to an engagement session! And on Sunday, we had a fun family day, with church, lunch, and a super-girly birthday party for Emerson. And knowing that this is a short week & I'm working suuuuuper limited hours, I'm so excited to finish up my projects today and take some time off & decorate for Christmas!! YAY! 

Saturday morning's family session was so much fun! Oh my goodness their two boys had me laughing! So full of energy- and we pulled out some potty jokes and got those great, natural smiles that we all love! Look how cute they are! 

Saturday evening, well, more like afternoon now that the sun sets so early, I met James & Tresa at Sweet Briar College, which is about 30 minutes away from Lynchburg. It's always beautiful there, but I was super surprised when I pulled up and almost all the trees still had their vibrant, fall colors! So beautiful & these two are so cute together! Plus, they brought along their puppy, which you KNOW I loved!! 

For Emerson's birthday party, I just grabbed a few cell phone photos- but they girls did mud masks, painted their nails, and did their own makeup and loved every single second of it! They all were talking about how much fun it was, which definitely helped reign my Mom-guilt in for the lack of planning I did during busy season! 

This time of year is so so busy, and it makes me enjoy the downtime so much! I am so thankful for all of my clients that make this so much fun!! Happy Thanksgiving week!! 

Motherhood & Small Business || Series Returning!

I get so many questions about balancing Motherhood and running my small business! And, many of you know this is something I am super passionate about! One of the reasons I work so hard with my business is because I know first-hand how hard it was for me and my family when I worked full-time in the corporate setting.  I never want to take for granted that I'm able to do something that I absolutely love AND I'm able to help support for my family, and show Emerson that working hard and following your dreams pays off! 

It's been a while since I've written on the topic, but I'm excited to be bringing back my Motherhood and Small Business Series! It's so hard to balance being at home for work, actually getting work done, the housework, and being able to be present with my family. Turning off the computer and phone screens can be difficult. I work so hard to create systems within my business to ensure this, and I can't wait to share things that have worked for me, and things that haven't.  

So, if you have any questions or things you'd like to talk about- let me know! I'd love to chat through things! I'm planning on talking about being pregnant in the middle of busy season, surviving morning sickness and weddings, and seasons of hustle vs rest.  

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A trip to Lake Kerr || A personal post

Oh man! Weekends off can be SO nice and relaxing- ESPECIALLY in the middle of busy season! It's an extra treat to have some time off when everything else is so busy and booked! We were SO excited to head out to visit some friends and family at Kerr Lake in Clarksville, Virginia! I shot their sons wedding out in the area at the MacCallum Moore museum a few years ago and haven't been back to visit since! It's such a beautiful area! 

We lucked out with some decent weather- it wasn't too cold- but not too warm either! We bundled up and rode on their boat, had a campfire and a picnic on the beach, ate s'mores by the fire pit and looked at the millions and millions of stars! It was a great little getaway for a short weekend! 

I left my camera at home for a much needed break, but grabbed a few photos on my cell phone! 

Halloween 2017 || A personal post

Our Halloween was so much fun this year!! We were so excited to go trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood! Meeting some new neighbors, and visiting with some of our favorites that we've already met! 

Most people know that fall- so September, October, and November are by far my busiest months- which means that fun things like Halloween costumes get forgotten about until a few days beforehand! Thank goodness for amazon prime- came through for Emmie's unicorn request! Throw on a headband with a horn, some hair glitter, and a tutu and you've got yourself a unicorn costume! Just call me Martha Stuart. (It also should be noted here, that I have zero idea if this is something Martha Stuart would be good at, but it does seem like that would be the case, right? haha!) 

We had a group of friends come over for dinner, spiked cider, and then we set out! Seeing the kids running from house to house and showing off their bags of candy brought back so many fun memories! And if you see in that last photo of our family you can kinda spot my 19 week baby bump.  I need to be better at taking more photos of this growing baby!!

Emerson's Big News!

I'm a little behind in sharing our big announcement here on the blog- we shared a few weeks ago on social media! But I've been wanting & needing to share these photos of Emmie- she is just SO excited to be a big sister! 

I took a test after a weird hunch one afternoon- and in true Ashley fashion, I cannot keep this big of a secret for long! I was super surprised & shocked and couldn't wait to We had a swim meet scheduled for that evening, and in a rain delay we were hiding out in the car & I told Michael! He was super excited & probably a little bit in shock as well! Poor Emmie was SO nervous for her swim meet- it was a big night for her- her first time swimming in 4 events so we were all a little disappointed for her when the rain cancelled the meet and they rescheduled for the next night.  So, in our drive home, we went ahead and told her. She really didn't believe us at first, but once she realized we weren't joking- she was thrilled! And immediately began to tell anyone she saw- but thought that was okay because she told them it was a secret.  ;) 

Baby is due the very end of March! We don't know what we're having yet- but are super excited to find out! We have our appointment scheduled for Monday, November 13th! The same week as Emmie's birthday so there will be lots to celebrate! I was pretty sick for quite a few weeks there, but I'm finally feeling better- hopefully getting some energy back- but glad to be able to eat again! 

I am for sure still shooting weddings & portraits sessions this year and next! In fact, baby has come along for 12 weddings already this year and still has a few more to go! I'm planning on taking a few weeks off after baby, but thankfully I have an amazing associate photographer program with awesome photographers to help me out & Brides even have the option to hire an associate photographer under my brand and still get the same, customized Ashley Eiban experience. 

If I haven't said it enough- we are beyond excited & know that Emmie is going to be such an amazing big sister & helper! She's already policing what I'm eating, asking if coffee is good for the baby, and helping us out if I'm not feeling well. I can't wait to share more along our journey with baby #2! 

AND in case anyone wants to comment about how easy it is to photograph Emmie... the outtakes... haha