We’re in the Smoky Mountains, east Tennessee style. Today, while the rest of my family goes exploring in a cave, I’m doing photoshoots in Knoxville, having weathered quite a storm while in a beautiful campground with my family last night.
I thought we were long overdue for a series of sneak peeks from the photoshoots I’ve done since leaving our home in the Frozen Tundra a week and a half ago. Here are some of my favorites!
I’m meeting a couple long time blog friends in person today for the first time, got all of our clothes finally folded and very organized into the closet and drawers in our RV, read Boxcar Children to my children with the lights off and rain pounding on the metal roof last night until they were asleep…and I have no desire to go home. Talk to you guys later!
cute cute!!
I have looked over these pics about 4 or 5 times the last couple days…can’t pic a fav. They are all so wonderful and each tell a story!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my baby in pic #1!!!! It was SO GREAT to meet you!!! I can’t wait to see the rest!!!
I think pic #4 is my fav
Oh my goodness, pic #4. Amazing!
I heart Knoxville! –My home town; I suddenly feel I know you better.
Happy Trails!
I e-mailed about this photo date and another one and never got a reply back from your or your blog admin. It was sent on March 25th.
What a bummer! You must’ve sent it to the wrong address or thought you sent one and didn’t. Nothing came from you on March 25, or anytime at all, actually. I’m all booked up now. Maybe next time!
Hey Jen,
You might want to check your spam filter.
I use Gmail for my business address and I know that if a e-mail is misspelled that the sender will get a response from g-mail letting them know the email has bounced.
Gmail gets a little cranky sometimes and can send emails with ‘safe’ addressess in the spam folder.
I can’t believe your family is so close by to ours! I had not checked your blog in a few weeks so I did not know about your trip. Our church family had been praying for Stellan during the time before and after his surgery and healing! We are actually only about 2 hours from where you are right now! If you want to see some gorgeous mountains, consider driving this way. You will pass TN and head into VA. Just in case your family is interested, I’m going to post some info. on my blog about our town(you can get that from my website url I listed.) Also, there is a small country RV park right in my town! Pray and consider.
Blessings, Shandee
ohmygawh… little argyle guy?? swoon!!
may i say, here…publicly jennifer? i had the best time today being your little assistant. i learned so much just by being able to be a fly {holding a diffuser} on the wall. what a wonderful day. i loved watching you interact with your clients… you’re super real, exactly how i pictured you’d be and an absolute delight to be with. thanks so much for letting me tag along today, and for sharing your sweet family with me. ohmystars… that stellan. his heart may be healed, but i see alot of heart breaking in his future! what a doll!
happy trails. can’t wait to see more!
Enjoying the pictures and tales from your road trip and thought you might like to take a look at this story – a family on the road for 11 years!! http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42381709/ns/today-todaytravel/
I just adore your angles and fun composition ideas, I get inspired seeing your photos. Can’t wait to buy a more professional camera and start experimenting…
“and I have no desire to go home”… aww, come on, Minnesota misses you, and I have a new baby to photograph
My favorites = #1 seriously cute #6 smile and dress to die for #11 priceless, timeless, perfect.
If you don’t mind me asking, for #3 were you using a wide angle lens for that? I have a photoshoot with a family in a couple of weeks – (4 kids -only one a girl – ha ha!) and so I am storing up configurations and poses in my head.
Loving the processing on these! Fab! Fab! Fab!
How did I miss that you were coming to Knoxville?! Now I want to just go drive around and look for your RV, LOL. Enjoy our beautiful city, can’t wait to see your photos from here.
I think you went to my favorite knoxville park for some of those–well, that is if it’s the one I’m figuring it is. We played a fantastic game of disc golf there, and my littles loved the path for running and all around good time having.
And we’ve been off the road for about five weeks now…I’m itching to get back out there! ^_^ You’re not helping!!! ha ha.
Oh WHEN are you coming to Australia to do photoshoots?!
I love the Boxcar Children!! And my hubby is so jealous of your family….getting to go around in this house on wheels. He’s wanted to do that since forever! His dream is to go around the country on a trip, with just the three of us and visit all of the cool places this country has to offer!! Way cool!! Love the pics!! Come to South GA or visit Tallahasse, FL and I’d get you to take some pics!!!
We had tons of fun this morning! Can’t wait to see our pics. I always make the weirdest faces….I hope there are a few with me in them that turn out okay. These sneak peeks are great!
You’re in the neck of the woods where I grew up.
Beautiful beautiful pictures!!
Love the picture of the boy with the guitar. Love boys with guitars…(although I’m a bit partial, since I have a house full of boys with guitars!)
beautifullllllll
Beautiful work! Glad you’re having a great trip. I actually thought of you when I was folding my mountain of laundry today…
Beautiful photos.
This article reminded me of your family… an 11 year-long roadtrip with four children born along the way!
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42381709
Wow, so many beautiful people. You’ve got America’s 50+ most beautiful people right here!
Glad that you all weathered the weather well.
I’d really love if sometime you could comment on how you approach building sibling relationships. I figure after this trip you’ll probably have an even deeper well of advice to draw from. I don’t know if it’s just the lack of sleep these days or what but I’ve been feeling like a floundering fish in the mommy department lately.
#4 has to be my favourite! And I’m sure you were happy to find that distressed turquoise bench!
I sure was!!
HI! I was just wondering if you could give me suggestions for hair bows/flowers/bands. I always love ones I see in your pictures
! Hugs, Emily
Hey thought of you today when I read this article. Maybe you guys too??
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42381709
We must be on the same wavelength as The Box Car Children was on my list to get this week at the library. I plan to start reading it to my 6-yer old. I love that story. Bless my first grade teacher for reading it to me. BTY-love the photos. May I suggest an RV-ing trip in your own backyard sometime (Mississippi Headwaters, Jay Cook) lots of beautiful nature and “a must” in teaching the kids about the great State they live in
Can’t wait to see you in NC! I was telling my daughter (she’s 5) last night about our upcoming photo shoot this Saturday and about you and your family. When I told her you were all driving here together in a “big camper” (she has seen campers but not RV’s before), she said “Mommy, that’s so nice, but it seems like a lot of work!” Then I told her about your kids and she couldn’t wait to come home and see their pictures. She’s looked at your blog with me before, but I guess it is different to her now that she’s going to meet you.
Have safe travels! Do the kids have fun things planned while you are in the Charlotte area?
What great photo’s!
These pics are beautiful. Next time you come to SoCal, I’d love for you to take pics of my kiddos.
I always say that when I lived in the north, I survived winters and now that I’m in TN, I survive springs! Glad you weathered the storm well… I often find that a good book takes my mind off of possible tornados =o)
Since you’re near Gatlinburg, your kids would LOVE the Aquarium there… ;o)
Jen,
Love the picture of Logan on the bench ~ I cannot wait to see the rest of the pictures ~ have a fun time in Knoxville.
Shelly
Great pictures of some very cute kids!
Oh my goodness! You are so completely talented! Wish we could get you to shoot us!
Boxcar Children were my favorite books from school!!! Enjoy your time in the Smokies!
Those are spectacular photos! You have an amazing talent for photography, Jennifer.
LOVE IT! I CANNOT believe the picture turned out of Paxton and Kellen walking in front of us! Of all the shots we got, I thought for sure those would be the worst…they were not cooperating at all!!! I cant wait to see the rest. Thanks for making awesome photography affordable!!!
Oh I just LOVE the second photo! The older girls hair is beautiful!!! What a gorgeous girl!!!
Ooo… soak up every moment of enjoyment from your vacation! I’m impressed you’re blogging at all!
Amazing photos, though! (As per usual.)
These are AWESOME – fave is number 4 (as indicated when I held my mouse over it) – the one with the “dark skinned” baby in the middle…an adopted love, I would guess.
All are beautiful – thanks for sharing!!!
Hey Sarah… This is just to inform, not to scold… we mothers with “dark skinned” children… don’t love it at all when they are described as such. NOT that we don’t love their beautiful skin tones… There are just lots of ways to describe that beautiful child, dark skinned doesnt need to be the top of the list. Just do the easy test, how do you think it sounds if I said what a beautiful pic.. I love the two pale skinned children next to the beautiful boy….
Take care..
Kristyn,
I just don’t really feel as though your comment to Sarah was needed. It is obvious from the tone of her post that she wasn’t meaning to create any kind of mean spirited words. In fact I think she was trying to be kind in what she said and how she said it. It would not have bothered me in the least to have someone talk about my child in such a way. I feel your words and sarcasim on the other hand were what was unkind! Thank you for feeling free to speak for all of us though!
Sarah #2… I can easily remedy that and say SOME mothers… thats no big deal.
My comment was needed, because I find comments like that offensive and although it was said innocently, perhaps with my comment on it, it won’t be said again.
I re read my comment, and there is literally no sarcasm in it,so I have no idea what you meant by that. *shrug*
As a person of brown skin and the mother of two brown skinned children, I feel compelled to put in my two cents here. I think that when we go to great lengths to avoid any mention of skin tone, we are making just as big a deal of it as if we were singling people out for discriminatory purposes. Sarah #1 was referring to the photograph she found most appealing. When describing one photo in a collection of eleven, all portraits of children, it makes sense to refer to the characteristics that stand out. In this case, the little boy is the only “dark-skinned” child in all of the photos. So to me, the way she described it made it easy to know which photo she was referring to. Other things that stand out are the twins, the girls in formal black dresses, or the boy with the guitar. If we lived in a society where there was a lot of prejudice against guitar players, then maybe someone would get upset by the description of the “guitarist.” But there wouldn’t be anything to get upset about. It’s just a descriptor, and a useful one in this case. When I visited Africa with my (white) friends, we were described as “the white people” almost every day. That’s because we stood out in that way, just as this adorable boy stands out in this photo collection because his skin is several shades darker than everyone else’s. To me, it’s a perfectly appropriate way to describe a photo. Now if she walked up to this family in a grocery store and said something like, “What a cute little dark-skinned boy you have there,” now that would seem weird.
Are you heading south to South Carolina? We have lots of great stuff to do and see in our state too! My husband follows you on Twitter and sent me a link about your decision to homeschool. We are planning on starting in the Fall with our 5 year old. And now I’m a Fan of yours on FB. I look forward to reading about you and your awesome family. I’m also interested in photography and will have to take the time to read our lessons!
I grew up on the Boxcar Children. Love em.
5 down, who is the person in the background looking at the pretty girl? I like to have the background stories for such poses! Cute shots.
Hope the weather improves on your journeys. We were hit hard in FL last night.
The pretty girl is my daughter and to my knowledge we don’t know who is in the background. I have 7 children and I am so excited to see how the others turned out. These are just awesome shots. Jennifer captures the beauty of God’s creation.
I have a 16 yr old daughter so this one caught me eye (as did the lurker, must be a mom of teens thing!). Your daughter is a beauty!
I need to get some of my daughter and would love some outdoor shots like this.
Absolutely stunning pictures.
Very glad you are posting about your trip and the fun and experiences you are having. I would love for our family to RV for a while, just going with the flow. Not gonna say jealous, just in awe to see how it’s all unfolding. Maybe someday.
You are amazing! These are precious, every single one of them. What a fantastic job you are doing. Keep it up friend. Have a great day!!
Love all of them!!
Are you coming over to the coast at all? We have some great camping (and great weather) over here in Charleston!
These pictures are great!! Even more excited to see ours now
Hope you have good weather in Knoxville for your shoots!!
We weathered that same storm last night! Glad that y’all made it through safely! The pictures are precious!
ah, those are all so adorable! makes me so excited to see the photos of Asher and still makes me really bummed that my Shawnie was so out of sorts…and is STILL out of sorts by the by. so glad that you weathered the storms. have a blessed day!
Cool, Melissa. She did my grandchildren, too! And my Macie (2 yo) was not cooperative, either!
The teen pic is awesome. I love pictures taken at all different vantage points. And this is why I love the photos you take. The ones you got of my kiddo in Atlanta were AMAZING and I cherish them still today. I am hoping that you one day come north and I get another session with you out here in the gorges and such!!
i LOVE LOVE LOVE the pix of grace, lilly, and connor!!!! i can NOT WAIT to get the cd!
I’m loving living vicariously through you on your trek around the states right now. Also wishing I could have snatched up one of those Charlotte photo shoots. Any chance I can talk you into doing a spur of the moment Virginia (central) photo shoot along your way? C’mon VA peeps, you know you want her to do it!!!
Awesome pics!!! When can you come to NY to take family pics for me?
i’m so excited to see this preview! i have a perma-smile on….i cannot wait to see the rest. you do amazing work and it was so much fun meeting you! safe travels!
Eeep!!!! I love Adalyn’s photo!! You rock!!! I am sooo excited to see the rest. It was so fun meeting you
thank you!!!!
Which one is Adalyn? I have an Adalyn too that Mckmama took photos of on Saturday! It’s not a common name, we rarely run into anyone else named Adalyn and spelled the same way too
We didn’t make the sneek peak though, bummer 
I was hoping to see how they turned out.
She’s the baby in the smocked dress!! I don’t know a single other Adalyn! She is named after my grandmother
I think her name is great, though I’m partial 
haha!!
Oh My! She is ADORABLE!! Love her little smile and the smocked dress
We don’t know of too many other Adalyn’s either and those we do don’t spell it the same way. There is one at our church and one that goes to the same gym as us. I believe they are both younger than my daughter who is 3. My husband actually found the name in a baby name book and we both liked it. I think it’s a great name too but I guess I’m also a little partial 
The pics are great. You just have to love those Boxcar Children. Several years back we got a xerox box packed with them at Good Will. I thought they were going to be $1 each and when I went to the register the woman said they are $5 by the box! Needless to say all four of our children have loved them (and still do if truth be told). I am totally jealous of your traveling lifestyle.
Oh my gracious! love them!
favorite, hands-down, is the fourth one, the two girls and one boy. HOW adorable. love the little girl in the smocked fish dress, too!
Looks like you guys left Nashville just in time. We had a doosey (yes, that is a meteorological term) of a storm yesterday!
We LOVE the smokey moutians/Knoxville area – have lots of fun!