For the past 9 years, I have been overwhelmingly blessed as I pursued my passion for photography and fueled my insatiable appetite for artistry and beauty. Several years ago, I transformed my passion into a business, CharSee Photography, LLC. Business has been booming for years and I am so grateful to family and friends for all the love and support (and referrals!)--I really could not have done it without all of you. My clients have been the BEST EVER!!! The business was not born of financial need, it was created because I am good at what I do. However, when something you love to do turns into more hard work and sacrifice than you're willing to offer, it loses it's appeal...

Working from home presents a delicate balancing act between caring for your family and catering to your clients. My kudos to work-at-home moms because it is not easy to have your work weighing so heavily on your mind all the time while you attempt to fulfill the needs of your children, your family and other interests and passions simultaneously (you don't get to clock out at 5pm and head home--the work is always there.). After struggling for years to become a mother, my TOP priority is my kids, and I'm done with feeling guilty when I have to brush them off because I have a client deadline to meet. 

So today, I have officially CLOSED my business. It's not for lack of business, rather the opposite, in fact. I've been too busy for too long and my family needs me. 

This has been a very important, prayerful decision that I have struggled to make over the past year. I am filled with overwhelming joy at the prospect of new adventures and pursuing other interests. But what feeds my happiness most, at this very moment, is that I can be the kind of mom I want to be without feeling guilty that I'm not working round the clock for my clients. 

And when you feel such peace, you know you've made the right decision.

That said, I'm not giving up photography. I intend to continue learning and improving my skills, practicing on my kids for as long as they'll let me...or until bribery no longer works. ;) 

And family, I will still be honored to take your family's portraits, so don't be shy about asking.

I'm still in picture business. Just not the photography business.

 ...and storytime in jammies...

...and jammie snuggle time...

...but, more importantly, mess making. In jammies, of course.

Dads don't get snow days.

However, when they get home from work, dads LOVE to play in the snow.

Who needs a snowman when you can have your very own front yard igloo?

Leave it to my guys to figure out how to make an igloo happen!

This is one proud igloo-papa...

First it snows. Then it freezes and you've got ice. Then it snows again and freezes over into a thicker sheet of ice. Add, to that, a few more days of snow and a generous dose of ice. Then the temperatures decide to party in sub-zero zone and the snow and the ice never ever, ever ever melt. Snow and ice and ice and snow. And inversion.

An inversion is where arctic winter air gets trapped into the valley and warmer air blesses the mountains. The high and the low for the day are insanely cold in the valley; the kind of cold that numbs your extremities, as you walk outside, before your body can register the thought that ZERO degrees is FREEZING. And when it's that cold outside, you get frost. But not just normal frost. You get inches of frost, everywhere. It looks like a beautiful picture postcard from, oh, I don't know, Antarctica perhaps?! 

See what I mean???

That's FROST. Not snow, peeps!

Our poor pups, ordinarily outdoor dogs, have become garage dogs. It is WAY too cold for our furbabies to spend much time outside and after a few minutes of prancing about in the frozen snow and ice of the backyard, they are begging to return to the warmth of the garage. If dogs daydream, then I'm quite sure our pups are filled with images of hot afternoons splashing about in a cool river. 

Relocating to Bora Bora sounds like a really good idea right now. I'm just saying...

As a delinquent blogger, I have failed to adequately keep this blog updated, especially the past several months. I find myself being too happily engrossed in the glorious chaos of everyday life. However, there is always that nagging yelp in deepest reaches of my brain, reminding me to stop and write about what's going on, not only for any friends and family who might still read our neglected family blog, but especially for us, as a family. It's always fun to re-read previous posts and remember the good, and even the not-so-good, times. Perhaps blogging will be my new year's resolution. 

Here is a photographic recap of what our last few months of 2012 looked like...

The last warm day of the year. It was November 6th.

We had daisies growing in our garden...in NOVEMBER!!!!


So much for child locks. Those nicely folded kitchen towels never stood a chance!











Sick day with daddy.


First mini-piggies!











Christmas kiddos in plaid...






Cami had trouble waking up on Christmas morning.

Santa brought Cami a motorcycle!










And the final image of 2012...