Lazio Images

Little Aaron and I are heading on an adventure. We are heading to Las Vegas for a big Photography Convention and Trade show.  I will desperately desperately miss my boys, but hopefully I will grown and learn a ton.  My personal assignment for myself while I am gone is to photo journal the trip as the perspective of Aaron. So check back next Thursday afternoon to see what Aaron saw.  Then on Friday, Adam and I are going to be announcing our fun new addition to Lazio Images. We are expanding the way we capture your family and we are thrilled about this. Let’s catch up next week!! Until then have a wonderful, wonderful weekend and week.  And if you are so inspired I would love to hear from you.  Send me a quick e-mail (sara@lazioimages.com) about something that makes your heart flood with joy. Something your child says, something you see daily, the weather, your coffee, the sweet moments in life is what I am looking for. Then When I get back I will post these with some personal photos so we can all remember the small things in life that bring joy.
Until then here is a little image for you to smile about.

Well I again want to thank you all for such great stories! This was a blast. There were 2 contestants that were neck and neck the entire way. Beautiful Babe Tyler and Beautiful Babe Bella. One would trail behind but it wouldn’t be long before they caught up. So the final votes came to 428 to 375. This time Beautiful Babe Tyler took the lead. Congratulations Tyler your story won. I hope this camera brings much joy in your house and hopefully many images will be captured of you and your beautiful siblings staying out of trouble.
Have a wonderful day and check back this week for our big announcement.

So after reading all of these entries, I think the Lord has created children to give us a sense of humor! I am reminded of the scripture verse that reminds us to be childlike. How much we have to learn from Children.  For all you who entered Thank You for taking the time to enter, and because of such a great response I have to choose the top 5 stories. I appreciate all who entered and I can’t wait to see who the Lucky Winner is.  Before we dive into the Entries let me remind you how to vote. Vote for the story you like the best, please be fair and know you can only vote once and I can track all that to see who is cheating The Key to winning is send ALL your FRIENDS and FAMILY here to vote for you.  The winner will be the one who receives the most votes.  Voting will end this Sunday night the 28th at Midnight. The winner will be announced next Monday, March the 1st.  Your product will be ordered once the  winner is announced and you will receive your gift in 1-2 wks (depending on where you live). Grab your coffee and take a few minutes to read through all these beautiful stories. And once again THANK YOU!!!!

Beautiful Babe #1 Noah

The Tale of Noah Koskinen

(A Story about a Boy from his Auntie across the Sea)

You were only a few months old when we heard you were sick. In the first year of your life, you withstood more tests and doctor visits than I have endured in a lifetime. When I fist learned of your plight, I cried. I wondered if this illness would take you away from us (in spirit) before I even had the opportunity to know you.

From a distance, I heard of a boy who could be in the same room and be overlooked. You disappeared for some time into a world not far away from us, where we could not go. We wondered about that world, and whether you would stay there.

Now a year old, and countless brain scans later, you prove us wrong again. It is no small thing that people in your position become lawyers and teachers and doctors, for you learn determination from the very beginning of life. You are strong. I see it in your face, and from your vigor I get to know you from a distance. I will never forget the day that you crawled for the first time, and I will never fear again that you will not be known to me, for you are already known. I wish you all the peace and strength in the world, and one day, we will meet face to face. What a brave little boy you are, my nephew across the sea.

Beautiful Babe #2 Connor

So I’m not a mother..yet, but I have LOTS of cousins.  And one cousin, Connor is special, I mean that in the best way possible.  He’s always saying things that make you go ‘where did you come up with that?!’
One of many Connor lines.

Connor smashing banana’s for muffins: “I’m mashing you and I’m smashing you and I’m definitely smashing you and then I’m going to turn you into muffins. Bwahaha!”

Beautiful Babe #3 Tyler

It was just a normal day with my sisters, a lovely visit while the children played downstairs, or so I thought.  Suddenly shrieks of fear hit our ears and all the mother’s darted down the steps like horses out of the gate!!!  Confused, we saw three little girls standing behind the couch, screams of horror coming out of their mouths.  And much to my personal dismay I saw the culprit of this particular disaster.  My 3 year old son holding his own turds in his hand, ready to fling his next “stone” at the unassuming “goliaths.”

~Janelle Stoltzfus

Beautiful Babe #4 Clara

Cling, clang, crunch!!  I was upstairs in our home with my two youngest kids, 1 and 3, putting away laundry.  It was a cold December morning and I was very sick.  Mommies aren’t privileged to sick days.  There are still dirty diapers to change, clothes to be washed and put away, meals to be made and injuries to kiss.  As I am mustering the strength to ensure that everyone has clean underwear for the next day, I hear the noise from downstairs, look around and noticed my two youngest are no longer with me.  It took me five days to put up all of our ornaments on our 14 foot Christmas tree and I had finally finished that morning.  Nooooo….I run down the stairs to find the tree on it’s side and my 2 ½ ft. one year old standing next to it with wide eyes.  After some tears I managed to get the tree back up.  It took 2 weeks to put the remaining ornaments back up on the tree.  No on was hurt, thankfully, and we now have a funny memory of our 1 year old pulling down a 14 ft tree!

Beautiful Babe #5 Bella

Two years ago, my 3 year old daughter was playing in the car, pushing buttons and apparently playing songs on the “jukebox”. Later, as we sang songs with The Muppets, the speakers crackled and the stereo went dead.  I asked her if she put something into the CD slot. “Yes, I put the pennies in there.” A trip to Best Buy and $163.59 later…we’re singing again. They did recover the “Sing Along with Grover” CD and my $0.36 out of the CD player – so I guess all was not lost. Rock on Grover. Rock on.

All right here they are. I again want to thank everyone who posted an entry, and I as a thank you for doing so I want to give you a 10% off a photo shoot. If you live far away just keep it in mind for when I am in your town. Use code GIVE10 Bless you all!!!

A few weeks ago I went to order film for my old school polaroid camera and I couldn’t find film.  In the mean time I found something else. I found a Fujfilm Instax White Instant Film Camera. This camera is a blast! My kids Love watching their picture appear and it’s so fun to give them immediate, and tangible photograph. So as I was thinking about coming back to blogger world I was reminded of this fun camera and how everyone should have one, and I want to help someone get one. So the giveaway is the fun camera, 1 pack of film, and this beautiful Paper Source Album to store all your memories in.

Now here are the rules for this giveaway. Yes unfortunately there are rules, but if I would have it my way I would buy everyone one of these (and no I don’t have stock in them, and no I am not getting paid to say this) But unfortunately I don’t have it my way  Now it’s time to dig in and find your creative bone. What you will need to do is write in 100 words or less about a time when either your own child, your niece or nephew or someone you know did something unforgettable.  It doesn’t matter what it was as long as it was unforgettable. I know there are few of my friends out there who has had child pull down the 14 ft christmas tree, or mix cornstarch and oil in a pot in their room, leaving some nice oil stains to remove. Or there are children like my own that pour an entire bottle of baby shampoo on the bathroom floor and themselves and then trail off down the hall to hide from the mother who is tracking them with her nose. So something like this, something that in the midst you want to cry but looking back actually will be the story you will tell their future spouse. So along with the writing I would also like if you could put a photo with your story. The photo doesn’t have to be of the incident it could just be of the cute little troublemakers themselves. All stories need to be e-mailed to me at sara@lazioimages.com and I need to receive them by Mid Night on Wednesday February the 24th. On Thursday I am going to select the top 5 stories and post them on my blog.  You will then have Until February 28th at Mid Night to get your family and friends to vote for you. Whoever has the most votes wins!!!! The Winner will be announced on March 1st!

So get those wheels spinning and start writing I can’t wait to get the results!!! This contest is qualified for EVERYONE. Even those lovely people in the Bahamas. If you win I will send it to you. I know there has to be some fun stories from the Islands so let me hear them.

Have an awesome weekend.

That was the question asked by my Brother in Law a few weeks ago.  He said I checked your blog and you need to update it.  My answer to that was in a sense yes I have fallen of the Earth.  The reality is I have been transitioning in many many ways to a mother of 3 fabulous boys! Photography is a passion, but nothing gives me so much joy as my family.  We are all doing very well and Aaron is  coming up on 5 months this week.  I am simply savoring every second of these growing boys.  However I am adjusting and getting into a much needed routine, creativity is flowing and I am so so excited about the place I am at right now.  This week I am going to be introducing a FUN give away.  Then following the give away there is a big announcement. Lazio Images is extending it’s self….but that is all I am going to say. Keep coming back in the next few days. I will be sharing stories, funny moments and a really awesome give away.

I missed you blog and blog readers.