Welcome to the first OFFICIAL …..

Mama Rose Monday! This will be a weekly blog series that I am super excited about! Since the beginning of this year, I have really struggled to know what and how much to share from my personal life on my business blog, and I think I’m finally starting to figure out a groove that feels authentic to myself, while still showing my clients I know how to be professional, too!

Being a mom is obviously the highlight of my life! These boys and my husband – my partner, my best friend – my family is my whole world. Having them in my life has made me a better photographer! And being a photographer and business owner has also made me a better wife and mom (with lots of learning and mistakes along the way…) I really want Mondays to be a chance for me to talk about my family, about life as a working mom of two busy boys, to connect with other moms and wives. One week I might simply post a recap of our month and share fun family photos. The next week I might share tips about maintaining a good work/life balance (something I’m constantly improving on). I’d also love to share some of my favorite things to do with my boys – trips to the best parks in Maryland, fun activities or teaching opportunities, or simply our favorite book we are reading! I hope you love it and enjoy following us on this journey of motherhood!

For my first Mama Rose Monday, I’m sharing pictures from our Pumpkin-Picking trip this year! I know it’s a little late for Halloween, but November still counts as pumpkin season, right? Every year since moving to Maryland we have gone to Papa John’s Farm for our pumpkins. It’s close to home, easy, and fun. They offer hay rides that take the kids out to a pumpkin patch far away from the road, but we always just choose a pumpkin right by the parking lot! The kids still love it and it’s cheaper that way 🙂  They also have tons of other homemade goodies locally made, like apple cider, jams, spreads, and other fresh fruits and vegetables. I love supporting local farms and business like Papa John’s instead of buying them from grocery stores or elsewhere.

We also have a tradition of painting our pumpkins instead of carving them….at least at first. I think this year I am going to cut our big one open, let Axton play with the seeds and slime, and then make my first “true” homemade pumpkin pie! I will have to update with the results!

This year, we go to go with Adam’s sister, Keola and her two kids! We loved having them around for a few weeks in October. Keola was willing to take on all four kids while I flew to Arizona for the United Conference, but we enjoyed our time together before I left! You can see last year’s photos here, and see how big the kids have gotten since last October!