I feel a little bit more at home with this amount of snowfall.  But just when I start to get that warm childhood feeling of growing up in the NE the nightmares begin.  I remember my fingers freezing through my gloves while shoveling an endless amount of snow.  And then to go back out 2 hours later and start shoveling again because if you didn’t keep up with it you’d never get out of your house.  I remember snow drifts so high we couldn’t get out the back door.  But things are different when it snows there.  Life goes on and people still head out to school and work.  They just deal with it.  Of course, they have the means to keep up with the roads a bit better.  It’s nice to see this much snow, but I’m still ready for the green grass.

From the time I opened the front door to the time we all ran back inside was about 4 minutes.  Made for beautiful images, but man was it cold!  The key to good snow shots?  Lots of color with all that white.  🙂

Even with a B&W shot the darker colors make a nice contrast against all that white.

For the third year in a row we are going to celebrate single parents.  I can’t imagine being a single parent.  The day in and day out grind of knowing no one is coming home at 5 o’clock to give me a break.  That everything rest on my shoulders.  That I would have to be both parents to my children.  Not being able to go get my hair done without taking the kids with me or finding a babysitter.  That is exhausting.  It doesn’t matter what circumstances surround someone becoming a single parent.  It matters that they are doing it…all.

Throughout the month of February you can email me your story or your friends story.  Tell me how you are overcoming your struggles.  Tell me why your single parent friend deserves to win this contest.  You may tell as much or as little as you’d like.  Nothing will be published on the blog without your consent.  The winner will be announced midway through March and will win the following:

A free photography session plus a $500 print credit

Complimentary haircuts for both parent and children with Trudi at Illusions for Hair in Bentonville

**A complimentary massage with Heavenly Day Spa in Bentonville
**

Send all entries to:

info@mjwphotography.com

write ‘single parent entry’ in the subject line

Here are some images from the previous winners.

I love this cat.  He has been with me since before I got married.  When I went to adopt a cat I really wanted a kitten, but then I saw him.  He was about a year old and very lazy, but he looked startling similar to a cat I once had as a child.  I just knew he was the cat for me.  Noah has never been much of a lover.  More of a ‘leave me a loner’.  🙂  It took a pretty long time for him to trust anyone but me.  Now that he is getting older the kids can cuddle with him a bit more.  Really it’s probably just because he can’t move as fast as he used to.  Or maybe it’s that they are a bit older and not so unpredictably scary to him anymore.  Either way our oldest has become obsessed with carrying him around and pestering him.  🙂

If we get the predicted snowfall and your in the Bentonville/Rogers/Bella Vista area and want a fun snow mini session of your kids shoot me an email

The perfectionist in me wanted to fix  her hair before I hit the shutter, but I’m so glad I didn’t.  This is more real.  More times than not this is what I see when I look at her.  Hair flying everywhere.  🙂

When we first found out we were having a girl I had a bit of a panic attack.  What on earth would I do with a girl?!  All I have is brothers and I mostly played with the boys in the neighborhood growing up.  Girly stuff was never my thing.  God certainly has a sense of humor though because he gave me a very girly girl.  🙂  God also gave her a strong will…which my dad says is payback.  🙂  I don’t know WHAT he’s talking about since I was the best kid a parent could ever have.  😉

Quite possibly the most laid back baby ever. 🙂

and did I mention his adorable sister?