Will and Jenn March 10,2012 by MC Life Portraits

The new Mr. and Mrs. Mackin. You couldn't ask for better weather last Saturday. I mean last year the weather in Akron was inches of snow. It was a little breezy but sunshine galore! Jenn and Will are a great couple! They were both easy going and we were always 20 minutes ahead of schedule. In all my years, I have never photographed at the church at Walsh High school. What a great place for pictures! There was an amazing rotunda with perfect natural lighting. We had a great time. Here are a few favorites....it was so hard to choose. To see more, please visit www.facebook.com/mclifeportraits.

A cute idea suggested by the bride.

So romantic. It's almost like I'm not there.

"Trying" to be serious. lol!

Girls will be girls. *sigh*

This rarely happens. This is the EXACT spot of the engagement proposal. Longest 8 seconds of Will's life!

Congratulations to Will and Jenn and may you have the best years of your lives a head of you.

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul." Judy Garland

Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your special day!

Happy Leap Day!

Today is Leap Day and it only comes around every four years. I want to take a moment and reflect on where I was four years ago and where I'm at today.

Four years ago (man I can't believe how fast it went) Maya was 16 months old and we took her to Sesame Street Live! Can you tell she LOVED Elmo. Also, you can barely see her boo boo by her bangs. That would be FIVE stitches from falling down in a store at Aurora Outlets. Hey, I never claimed to be "mother of the year". This was just a preview of her clumsiness. Also, we were about to get some very exciting, life changing news. We were expecting a second bundle of joy. *tears*

Today in 2012. I am a proud owner of a business named after my two joys. I get to live my dream and share my passion everyday. Although sometimes overwhelming, I LOVE my life and my family. I'm one lucky lady!

Today we are making a Family Time Capsule. We will put in it a photo of today, every body's stats of height and weight, our weekly routine and some current events. In four years, on February 29, 2016, we will open it and talk about all the changes and the memories. I encourage you to take some time out of your day today to create this memento with your kids. I don't know about you but excited to see what happens in the next four years!

My first Pinterest project.

Seems like everyone is pinning on Pinterest. Why not browse through great ideas and steal them! Brilliant! On the flip side I feel a little overwhelmed looking at everything. As a creative person already...it kind of adds to the chaos already in my head. I did, however, spot this really cute

streamer project.

I don't know about you but I'm a project starter not a project finisher. I have tons of unsewn fabrics, unfinished scrapbook pages...oh and I started crocheting for a minute. I can show you my half finished dish cloth. *sigh* So it seems that Pinterest would be fun for some people but for me its a reminder of things I would never finish. BUT then I did. I made it! I made something.

After I decided that I was not buying the Japanese silk ribbon it called for, I made an alternative purchase.

This is the before.

The results!

I'm glad that I finished this project and own a sense of completion. It feels good.

Maya turns FIVE!

In life there are those life alternating moments that you never forget. Five years ago a doctor placed a six pound 10 ounce new baby girl in my arms and my life changed forever. It's one of those surreal moments. You know it's happening to you but feels like you are watching someone else. Did I really just do that? Did another human really just come from me? It makes you feel mortal and at the same time so close to God. In my daily life, I get stressed, flustered and sometimes overwhelmed but when I look at my beautiful baby girl Maya, (Callie too) I am struck with that same overwhelming feeling of love and joy, that rushed through my body, on the day the the doctor placed the six pound ten ounce baby girl in my arms. Today our baby turns five. She is amazing and shines brighter than any lighthouse.

Copen Family

The weather Saturday morning was horrible. Cold and rainy! I lucked out because the Copen family has a beautiful home with many options. Also, mom shares my addiction to a certain website and had this wonderful pink owl hat. There are so many to chose from but looks like I'll be going back for a few more...since they live right beside a beautiful field and an awesome red barn. Can't wait!

Fun with Pugs!

I was so lucky to have a wonderful lady named Chris call me to come to her home and photograph some of her award winning pugs. We are only half way done, as I

will making a second trip out because she has so many wonderful little guys and girls. This was my first animal only session and after it, I would LOVE to do more. We had a great time. Here are some sneak peeks!

Molly's Miracles Event

Molly is an amazing 2 year old in the middle of a battle to save her life. This is her story in her mother's words.

"Molly was born a very healthy 8 pound 9 ounce girl on March 29, 2009. In august of 2010, Molly started to have difficulties with ears, breathing and allergies. We just figured she had asthma like her older brother Matthew. But with Matthew, with the breathing treatments he got much better... she didn't and she was on a lot of medication. In January of 2011 she got pneumonia. Our wonderful pediatrician (who we credit saving her life)... gave her antibiotics and told us to come back in four weeks because she wanted to make sure it was gone. Well...all the pneumonia cleared up but a spot remained...turns out it was a tumor in her chest causing all of the breathing issues. She was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma on February 28, 2011 at 23 months old. She was diagnosed with stage 4 because she had unfavorable histology and a small percentage in her bone. She has undergone 6 cycles of chemo and OU in Oklahoma and surgery in NYC. She will finish up the remainder of her treatment at OU which includes tandem (two) stem cell transplants, radiation to the site where the tumor was, retonic acid (accutane) and antibody therapy. The remainder of the treatment she has left is at least six months."

Here's how you can help. In the month of October I will be partnering with Heidi Whitestine, 31 bags and Gifts consultant, to raise money for Molly. Go to www.mythirtyone.com/hwhitestine, click "place an order" then click on "Molly's Miracles Fundraiser". These bags are mutifunctional and make great gifts for teachers, birthdays and holidays. Molly will receive 20% of all sales.

Also, I will be donating 50% of sales of all gift certificates ordered in October. So, if you want to plan ahead for the holidays or have a baby shower gift you need to get, email me at mclifeportaits@hotmail.com.

Please join me to make this even a success. Every little bit helps.