chapter 1: the shoults family in the woods and in the meadow

on the very last days of june, bethany, ben and toeheaded tots, and i drove down the windy, steep, hairpin curves of a dirt road to reach the sun drenched, wild and verdant river valley.  (mom was there too.) our first stop was this sun dappled, tree lined part of the road.  i had bethany stand there while i figured out my settin's...

 then we began.

i just liked how defined their shadows were, so did a little crop of it, so you could enjoy it also. you're welcome.

 angus really enjoys a good stick.

the kids were getting antsy at being held so that's when i had this idea for their parents to spin...

 ha.  i just another little low quality crop for us all to enjoy.  i particularily enjoy angus's fro.  but anyways spinning...

and then stop together at the moment i said, ironically, the word 'stop'.  it was one of my more genious ideas. just look at the happy faces.  you can't make this stuff up folks.

i had this idea... 

 she has no right being so pretty and perfect--exactly what i wanted in this shot. no right.

ok, well if you are named karey vw, you will want to skip the next two pics.  just trust me.  so ben found a garter snake and we had a little snake diversion.  it didn't like biffy.  it liked ben. probably was in search for a rubby roughy...

 ok.  the sun drenched meadow.  i was a bit out of my league with the power of the sun here, to tell you the truth.  at first you may not see angus, but that is only because his haloed head is behind a clump of weeds.  seek and ye shall find.

the double 'bs'. bb.  

family jumble.  i have discovered that owen makes the cutest faces.  i hope you discover the same.

then we moved from the blinding light to the shaded meadow and i felt a bit more comfortable.  the next shots are the rumbly leg series.  don't question the title. 

 owen is such a handsome little guy and angus is unbearably cute.  as i said to bethany while editing these, i can't stand it!

  this is my personal fave of the series.

 next are the meadow smoochies.  that's what i named my photoshop action i used for them.

gah! angus!  you are killing me! 

owen, he can rock it shirt up or down. pfff.

 love this one.

hi mom.  

 i think it was a grasshopper.  sweet.

so then we set the kids free and set up some couples shots...

 but the kids could not be kept away.  kind of cute and heart melting if you think about it.

 just makes me think of the comfort and stability it gives kids to have parents who love each other.  it's special, man.

well there was this meadow full of wild flowers and well i just had to have them run and leap through it.  is there something wrong with that?

 stay tuned for chapter 2!