A Mitchellish Christmas

Phew ! I can't believe Christmas is over all ready. I am always a mix of emotions this time of year. I love the Christmas lights , and the hustle and bustle of Christmas. But i am also ready for it to be over.

I have to say though , this was one of the best Christmas's I have ever had. Christmas day was spent with My awesome in laws at their home in Phoenix. The kids were spoiled as usual and the food was AMAZING ! I think my favorite part was playing Band hero with my hubby and all of his siblings.

The next day we had our Mitchell Christmas. The kids played with all of their cousins and had so much fun ! It is so special to be apart of this family. I grew up a only child and holidays were always kind of lame. My mom did her best , but I always felt the loneliness of wanting to be a part of a big family. I am so happy that my three girls get to grow up in a family filled with so much love.

So Merry late Christmas from laurenJean photography !! 2009 was awesome and I have even bigger things in store for 2010 ! Too kick things off next weekend I have a engagement shoot in Greer Arizona. SNOW !!! I am so excited !!! I can't wait to show you all the pictures.

In the mean time here are some snapshots from our Christmas. And at the end is my first attmpt a video. this is another avenue of photography i am excited to explore and learn more about in the coming year!

May you all have a blessed and Happy New year !!

Ashlynn spreading some Christmas love



Great Grandpa. I really like this picture .`


Great Grandma and Grandpa


The older cousins. Arent they all gorgeous ! ? And Myka with Uncle Brandon


and I hope this video makes you as happy as it makes me !

A Mitchellish Christmas ! from kennagurls on Vimeo.

If we are the body .

Sometimes I ask families to do some crazy things during photo shoots. I may ask a sister to give a brother a kiss on check. Or make you put your neck in a really uncomfortable position and tell you to ” smile and look natural “. One of my favorite shots to do with families is have them lay on the ground with their heads together and look up at the camera.

Most people look at me like I am crazy. Moms worry about double chins girls worry about hair getting messed up. Dad worries he wont be able to get back up. But when i asked the Runzo family to lay down , they all eagerly agreed. I made my usual disclaimer that they may get a little dirty and their oldest daughter looked at me with big eyes and smiled when she said ” it’s ok , we have lived in some dirty places “.

When they were all in place and i looked through my lens I almost cried. On the other side of the camera was a family who has given up everything for a higher calling .

There is a song by the group Casting Crowns that pops into my head whenever I think about the Runzo family. The chorus asks a very simple yet very profound question:

But if we are the body
Why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His words teaching?

And if we are the body
Why aren’t His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them
There is a way? There is a way?

This family is answering that question. They are going . They are the hands and feet of Jesus. I met Scott and Lisa when I was 11 years old. Scott was the youth pastor at my church . I remember when they had their first baby. Who is a teenager now !!! Yikes , I feel old. I also remember when they made the decision to move their family which included three small children to Latvia.

Being a mother of three small children myself I can’t even imagine what that must have been like. To leave my family, to leave the comfort of everything familiar and to move somewhere where they spoke a different language. Had different traditions and customs.

But they did.

They followed God where he led them, and they trusted him.

The internet is awesome for so many reasons. Over the years I read Scott and Lisas e mail updates and eventually their blog. They have been so honest about the ups and the downs of being full time missionaries.They have faithfully shared their joy and sadness with the whole world.

As they start a new chapter in their lives i was so honored that they asked me to help document some precious memories of this time for them .

Scott and Lisa, it has been a pleasure knowing you and you and your family will continue to be in my families prayers as you start your new adventure. thanks so much for hanging out with me and my camera !

Enjoy.

p.s if you are interested in finding out more about Scott and Lisa new adventure C.A.L.M click here

Just wow.........

A sneak preview from my session at the Boojum tree room.

All i can say is wow !

Just wow !

We are family !!

I photographed A LOT of families a few weekends ago :) Here are my favorite shots from each session. It was so great to hang out with everyone . I would love to write more and tell you how amazing each one of these families were , and how much fun i had with each of them . But , I am tired.
Hope you all are having a great night and a wonderful weekend !

Young love

I am way behind on blogging. Heck , I am way behind on life. But life is good . Things are busy. I like being busy. And these twolike eachother . They like eachother so much they are getting married ! I am so excited tophotograph the wedding. These two were naturals in front of the camera.

Congrats you two ! Here is your slideshow.

Pastor Ruth Mitchell

That title " pastor Ruth" seems strange to me . I'm going to honest here ( Cuz that's how I roll ) the title of pastor conjures a image in my mind of someone unapproachable , at least for someone like me.

trust me when i say that if you looked up the definition of approachable , Pastor Ruth's picture would be right next to it. You could also find her next to fun , sincere , and all around awesome .

And if you happen to be Alexis , Ashlynn or Myka , you would see her picture next to Go-Go . ( African for Grandma ) .

Check out pastor Ruth and all the other amazing pastors at City of Grace church . They have amazing ministries for the entire family .

Oh , do you agree with me when I say she so does not look like a grandma??

We love you Pastor Ruth "aka" Mom !

A trip to the pumpkin patch .

Some cool pictures from our trip to the pumpkin patch.

The bees were insane. I hate bees.

It was 85 degrees .

But we still had fun :) I would love to live somewhere that actually believed in fall

Erin , Dave , Carol and Anna.

This shoot was special for so many reasons. Erin is a friend of mine from my crazy youth group days. She was a few years older then me and i always thought she was sooo cool . And she is !
We were able to get in touch with eachother through facebook , and I was THRILLED when she asked me to take some pictures of her adorable family.
We were able to get some great shots of The whole family and the kids. Carol has the most amazing blue eyes. And Anna looks just fab in her mommies belly :)

Thanks Erin and Dave enjoy !

Happy Halloween !

It's amazing how life has taken on a new awesomeness since I started this photography gig. I have always loved holidays , but now I seem to go all out a little more because I see something that will look good in a picture. Anyone else pick out thier kids clothes because it will look good in a picture??

So today

I had

to
have this !



and it gave me a idea. I think a Halloween mini session is calling my name. I am thinking $25.00 for 5 studio style pics like the one above. e mail me at laurenkenna@gmail.com for more info. Or comment here:)

Over the moon happy !

This couple was so fun to work with ! They were up for anything ! They didn't even bat an eye when I asked them to take off their shoes and get into a lil mini creek we found. I loved this location , In Arizona it is hard to find a spot to take pictures without a cactus somewhere in the frame.

Congrats you two crazy kids !

I love my job ............

Because I get to photograph precious babies ! This little angel was so cute and sweet. And her big brother was very handsome. Thanks again for allowing me to photograph your sweet babies !

Enjoy

A well of creations

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love crafty people. I love pretty things. I met Robin at my MOPS group last year. She is AMAZING ! Her husband is serving in the military right now and she is home raising their daughter. Having been a single mother myself , I know how hard it is. In the midst of all this though Robin has found refuge in being a true artist. Her Blog is so inspirational. She is a fantastic writer , and she make's all sort's of beautiful creations.
If you want to be inspired check her out at http://joyfulstill.blogspot.com/. And if you are looking for the perfect gift for yourself or anyone else take a look around her ETSY shop .

Thanks Robin ! You are awesome.

Thinkin pink

What cancer can't steal .

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Today at 12:11pm | Edit Note | Delete

This is very personal and exciting to be a part of.

LaurenJean Photography is excited to announce a partnership with Think Pink Photography. Think Pink Photography was founded in October 2007 to support individuals and their families who have been touched by breast cancer. We are a charitable organization that serves two main purposes – celebrating life and supporting the cause.

Through our professional photographer network, we are helping breast cancer patients to celebrate life with charitable photography sessions. Individuals may choose to document their fight against the disease before or during treatment, or prefer to capture their victory by scheduling a session within 12 months after treatment is completed. Photographers world-wide are now available to donate time and talent to celebrate life and support the cause. There is no cost or obligation to the breast cancer patient. Clients participating in a Think Pink Session will receive a complimentary photo session, as well as a set of 10 small prints from the session. They will also receive a discount on any additional portraits they wish to purchase, although there is absolutely no purchase required at any time.

To support the cause, we have partnered with The Eric R. Beverly Family Foundation. All funds generated through donations and various fundraising efforts are paid directly to The Eric R. Beverly Family Foundation. As a 3-time breast cancer survivor, Danielle Beverly and her husband Eric joined together to form a foundation dedicated to promoting education, increasing awareness, and providing support and resources for families who have been touched by breast cancer.

Please subscribe to our blog (on the Think Pink website) and tell your friends and family about Think Pink Photography. Awareness is everything and we can’t be successful without you.

I encourage you to view our website, make a donation, or hire a photographer that supports Think Pink Photography! If you hire me, mention Think Pink and I will make a personal donation to the organization. If you, or someone you know, would like to schedule a Think Pink session, please contact me for details.

I am very proud to be a network photographer with Think Pink Photography, and am anxious to get the word out about this amazing program. For more information, you can contact me, or you can visit the Think Pink Photography website at:
http://www.thinkpinkphotography.org