Murphy is such a stand-offish little dog. As a Cairn Terrier, one of the official websites for her breed starts off with "Are you sure you want this dog?" We love her dearly, but I always tell the kids she is not your typical dog that usually wants as much attention as you are willing to give. So when Murphy does decide to curl up and cuddle, it's an extra-special moment.

This is my favorite time of year. I love the smells, the colors, and Halloween just wraps all of those up in one really fun day. My kids are equally enthralled, and we are trying to figure out costumes now. Josh still likes the store-bought ones, but I think we have him talked into making his own this year. Check back for the final version.

I did the M family portraits tonight, and the weather finally cooperated. Time flies so fast... I had taken baby portraits of their youngest, and I called to ask if he was sitting up yet. It turns out the pictures were a year ago, and he's almost walking already! I could have sworn it was just earlier this spring! They boys were so cute and fun to work with. I especially enjoyed hearing about what is "cool" and what is not if you're a 5-year-old boy.

I met the B extended family tonight. We were pressed to get the shoot in, and the weather held out for us. Everyone was very patient as I ended up shooting over 300 frames! The kids did a great job, and the grownups were troopers, too. Mr. B is being deployed for 10 months, so we wish him a speedy and safe return.

My parents came up this weekend to help out with the festival. My father walked around entering all of the raffles, and was the grand prize winner of a beautiful, fresh sunflower bouquet. Since it wasn't going to last long, I promised him a still life shot. One of the outtakes below.