It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Hey Friends it's that time again! Holidays are coming and us Snelsons are getting excited. The leaves are falling off trees and there are so many amazing things to be thankful for. We are especially thankful this year as our little Charlotte June is here. I had a moment where I was slapped in the face with how blessed I am over the weekend. I was sitting in church holding my precious baby and praying for our friends who lost thier baby boy over the summer. I have never known such devistation or despair. My heart breaks for them daily and I am reminded constantly that everyday, every moment I have with Charlotte is such a BLESSING and should be treasured as such.

I know it may sounds cheesy but last year I asked my amazing husband, my parents and my brothers to make a list of 50 things they were thankful for. We read them aloud after Christmas Eve dinner and it was awesome. I'm challenging our blog family and friends to do this with their families and friends over the Holidays. It's awesome on so many levels. How often do we really sit down to be thankful for a roof, clean drinking water and our health?? I have way more than 50 things to be thankful for and it's great to take inventory of that every so often. SO there you have it, consider yourself challenged!

While we're on the topic of quickly approaching festivities it's time once again for Mathieu Photography mini-holiday photo sessions!! We will be offering 30 minute sessions on November 21st and 28th. The cost is $125 and will include sitting fee + online gallery + 1 digital negative to be used for Holiday cards. We will be shooting from 8-5 on both days so please tell all your friends and family and we look forward to seeing you!

Please email us at mathieuphotography@me.com to get on the list!

Here our some of our favorite family shots from the past year :)

Darby & Eric: MARRIED!!

As photographers we LOVE when our clients bring their own personal style to their wedding day. Darby & Eric brought sick amounts of funk to their engagement shoot so we were so excited to see what their wedding day would bring. They held a beautiful fall wedding and added all their snazzy personal touches. Darby's hair and bouquet were out of this world and her dress was killer! Our dear friend Brad rocked the ceremony as the officiant. We love all the friends we've made through Kara and her peeps at the Eli Alexander Salon.

Fall is officially here!!! Now let's all pray for brisk weather and maybe even some rain :)

Enjoy!

Times they are a changin'

I'm not a writer but I'm in a mood (go with it) ...

I've never been very good with change. It always seems that as things find a happy balance life weasels it's way in and makes everything different. Over the last few years I have left "home" to live with some of my closest girl friends. It was such a growing process for me. I graduated from college and learned to be independent, to pay ALL of my bills by myself and to create boundaries as a roommate to others. Shortly thereafter I got married to the coolest cat I've ever known. I had lived with 5 other people for nearly my whole life and now I would live with just 1 person. When Matt wasn't home I would be ALONE. And gosh, it was lonely sometimes. The hustle and bustle of people coming and going became a memory. But I have loved learning to be a wife. I enjoyed looking forward to him walking through the door and building our marriage together. It took me all of three years to feel like I had finger hold (not even a grasp) on how to be a wife. And then all of a sudden I was pregnant!! I really felt like I didn't know yet how to be a good wife and now I had to learn how to be a mother! As soon as I got used to the idea of being pregnant it was over and Charlotte was here.

She's has changed our lives. We're responsible for a perfect little person and the worry kills me sometimes. I feel so blessed. Charlotte makes us smile and we can already see her little personality starting to emerge.

I've never been good with change but now I find myself looking forward to it. I can't wait to hear her little voice and her giggle. I want to see her walk and make friends. I can't wait to see what she's passionate about. And I may even take her to a ballet class!! I guess after 27 years of not liking change I have fully surrendered to the idea that God is in control of all the changes. I'm starting to look forward to change and I have Charlie to thank for that.

I'm a blessed girl in more ways than one. Here are a couple of photos my friend Megan took. She's another huge blessing to me and I am so grateful for these pictures of my two favorite people in the whole world.

Happy Halloween and enjoy your weekend!

This one is for Grandma and Charlie's aunties... big pink bows and all things girlie :)

the Woman in Black

I look forward to shooting at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse every time. This time especially because one of our past grooms Ed McBride is acting it up in this one. The Woman in Black opens tonight...just in time for Halloween. This performance is pretty awesome and I encourage all who enjoy theater and/or ghost stories to check this out.



Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the Book by Susan Hill

October 30^th - November 22^nd, 2009

Directed by Stephen Hulsey

Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Reserve your tickets NOW! - Call 949-650-5269