Country Drive

After the ballet recital, we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and because it was such a beautiful evening, we decided to take Grandma on a country drive.  Love the light, love the Texas wildflowers, and love a chance to photograph Ella with the people she loves :)

Ballet Recital

Grandma came out for the weekend to see the recital and Ella was over the moon....  They did so great on the big night!  Wishing my ballerina good luck before her performance:

Seriously, look at that posture!...

Ballet Rehearsal

The ballet recital this year was beautiful.  The girls did great and as usual, Ella loved being a star.  I know I'm biased, but she really does have the best form :)  In the rehearsal, the girls ironed out the last minute details while the lights were tested.  Red lights, blue background, a photographer's nightmare.  The lighting kept changing so some images just look better in B&W.  After the rehearsal,  we handed out trophies....

...and yes, she thinks she's such a star, she blows kisses to the audience :)

Ballet Recital Backstage

These ballerinas can't get enough of themselves in the dressing rooms.  Walls lined with mirrors lined with lights just like a movie set.  The energy and excitement is alway palpable.   Here they are waiting their big moment... and I was able to catch a few images of Ella waiting to perform in the wings...

Firemen

The Girl Scouts took a trip to the local fire hall and the guys could not have been nicer!  They taught the girls all about 911 and helpful safety tips for the house.  Ella had a lot of fun and is eager to ask questions, answer questions and get in the mix.  She was the only one who asked to wear their uniform and the captain was more than happy to indulge her.  She was also the only one to ask a question about the hoses and so he also let her spray water.  So proud to see her respect the men in uniform and so proud that she's not intimidated or shy and raises her hand in confidence to ask for what she wants.    And of course, there's not much sexier than a room full of firemen :)

Ballet Portraits

This spring, like every other, I did Ella's ballet portraits.  I love her costume and the meadow was a perfect place to photograph my little ballerina...

Mother's Day

A quiet Sunday with the family, all I wanted for Mother's Day were some photos with my little girl.  As a photographer, I'm always behind the camera.... Ron indulged me and we drove out to a near by field at sunset so he could take some photos of us.

Girl Scouts Build-A-Bear

The Girl Scouts celebrated 100 years this year and there were many activities and special events to commemorate the occasion.  Build-A-Bear made a special Girl Scout bear with the 100th anniversary emblem sewn into the foot.  As a reward for some of their fundraising, Ella's troop got to have a party and build their own Girl Scout bear.