In my profession, I get to see lots of fathers, be it during weddings or baby photo sessions. The way that Heather's (of Heather + Ben) dad shows his love for her is just how I imagine Bobby will show Millie...kind little gestures, lots of laughs, and big hugs! I adore his creativity in using the chalkboard in the TCU classroom Heather used to get ready for the wedding ceremony.
Oh, what an adorable little girl and and adorable mother. Your little family warms my heart! xoxoxo!
(03.14.11 @ 06:38 PM)There's only one Mills!!! And she's perfecto....filled to the brim with love! Yes, Kate and Bobby, you ARE Rockstar Parents! XOXOXO
(03.11.11 @ 03:54 PM)Little girls grow up...and get even more precious! Mills you are adorable and Bobby and Kate, y'all rock as parents!! Love you all.
(03.11.11 @ 01:53 PM)Wow! What a wonderful photo of sweet Mills (in this one she looks more like Emmy Jo than our thoroughly Modern Millie) and our grand-dog Noopsy. Miss you guys and hope to see you ALL soon! Love, GranLyn
(03.10.11 @ 04:42 PM)Why did you post this the day I decided to start my Cure tribute cover band?!
Now my mascara is running!!!
I am in amazement of you both DAILY!!!
I love you sooooo much!!!
presh. like, really presh.
(and that dog aint so bad either.)
You are such a sweet Mommy! What a precious way to show your love:)
(03.09.11 @ 05:15 PM)I LOVE this! Having a daughter that did this exact abrupt transition, I know what you're feeling :)
(03.09.11 @ 03:58 PM)If I can one day be HALF the mother you are, I know I will be doing an amazing job!
(03.09.11 @ 03:23 PM)Millie is trying to decide whether she wants to live there when she grows up...it is competition for her New York City dream. Whichever city she may choose, we will be sure to have a place right down the street from her. Yeah, we are THOSE parents. Deal with it. ;-)
On this trip, we visited my favorite, Chinatown, of course, as well as the ultra touristy but the best area to get a bread-bowl of clam chowder---Fisherman's Wharf. We also went back to one of Millie's faves, Zeum, at Yerba Buena. We also had the amazing opportunity to see San Francisco Ballet's The Nutcracker and it straight up knocked our socks off. Out of all of the places we have ever stayed in SF, this year we crowned a new king...The Palace Hotel. We will never stay anywhere else again. It was flawless and helped make this trip just what we needed.
I was in a different place with photography during this visit, in contrast to last year's visit. Last year I was ferocious about photographing everything, to the point of exhaustion on some of the days. This go round, I found it incredibly liberating to see an image that I might be interested to take, and choose to walk right by it without even touching my camera. My choice was to be JUST in that moment with my family instead of doing my typical "be on both sides of the moment to capture it" song and dance. Sure, I like the images I took from this trip, but mostly the ones of Millie. That is very telling of where I am in life!
Here are some shots I took on this SF adventure.
I need to figure out a way for you to come and capture my vacations on film; these are fantastic!
(01.20.11 @ 09:20 PM)I love looking at your photography! Really love the shot with the statue and the trees :) you freaking rock!!!
(01.19.11 @ 11:14 AM)Fantastic shots!! Absolutely love the one with the statue and the trees behind it :) you freaking rock!!!
(01.19.11 @ 11:12 AM)Fantastic shots!! Absolutely love the one with the statue and the trees behind it :) you freaking rock!!!
(01.19.11 @ 11:11 AM)I think it really all started with The Blind Side. Let's blame it on Sandra Bullock and her adopted son in the movie who happened to kick major ass at football. I cried. My heart broke and then yearned for another child to love. But guess what? Bobby had already had THE surgery. At my insistence. I mean, I even sat in the doctor's office, reading my Nylon magazine while the thing happened just in case my crafty husband decided to shimmy out the window to avoid the pain/celebrate his manhood. But one year later, I was really channeling my inner Angelina and thought hard about adoption. Bobby wasn't up for it. We had already had THE discussion of having more kids long before, and he had filed it away and moved on. But I hadn't. I thought I had, but I am human, and well...a woman. It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, and GOSHDARNIT, I've seen those billboards on the way to Houston and IT CAN BE REVERSED!!!
But no. It can't in our house. So instead, since I really felt like I had an abundance of love to give, I decided to rescue this precious creature through the Collin County Humane Society. God loves a terrier, and so do we. Meet Miss Hazel Nutt Mefford. I couldn't have asked for a more delightful fur daughter, and honestly, Bobby and Millie and even Noopsy are JUST as crazy as I am about our Hazel Cakes!
She's adorable! She and her little doggie Cousin Sadie look so much alike! We know she'll be so happy with you all!
(01.06.11 @ 10:40 PM)I could not be any prouder that you went the rescue/adoption route. You know I'm passionate about homeless animals and I totally appreciate the example you have set. Hazel is absolutely gorgeous and sounds like such a great addition to an already super fun household.
(12.30.10 @ 09:25 PM)I could not be any prouder that you went the rescue/adoption route. You know I'm passionate about homeless animals and I totally appreciate the example you have set. Hazel is absolutely gorgeous and sounds like such a great addition to an already super fun household.
(12.30.10 @ 09:25 PM)We love our new cousin!!! She's a sweetie!
(12.30.10 @ 08:14 PM)
There have been some major changes in my life over the past 12 months. Even looking at who is sending me birthday wishes has been very telling. I have parted ways with 2 supposed best friends---one that I had for years and one slightly newer one. The heartbreak from those losses has been healed, but not forgotten. My relationship with my father was tested yet again, as I opened my heart to the possibility of repairing what had been broken, only to realize that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. My mom and I have been on a roller-coaster but are on even ground as of today, hallelujah.
On a more positive note, there have been multiple things that have changed me for the better. The friendships I have made through the Foundation Workshop Forum (Team Heavy Flowpose for life: Kathryn Krueger, Ed Atrero, Jan Garcia, & Ryan Jones---represent!) have made my life so much richer in so many ways, especially over this past year. It continually blows my mind at times how people I so rarely see in person can offer such support, laughter, and care. I have also made peace with the burnout that comes with having your passion as your profession...there is so much joy that can come from seeing the image and letting it pass by as you take delight in it. My compulsive nature has calmed, at least where my camera is concerned. I've also learned to not shrink from being fabulous, to treat my body as a temple, and to be okay with that fact that I just love smutty reality television. Real Housewives drama is better that real live drama...always.
Though there have been many shifts, there are those things that are unchanged and will not be changed and make me proud to be me. I continue to love with my whole heart, no matter if it opens me up to possible hurt and rejection. I sometimes lose in that, but the wins are soooo worth it! I am still the open book I have always been...authentic to the day I die. My Bobby and My Millie (and even Noopsy and the new addition, Hazel) are the end all, and I love waking up each morning knowing that I have them by my side, often hand in hand.
And now, I'm gonna quite possibly bore you. Here are the 3 quotes that keep me being me:
1) Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise.
2) Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.
Thanks for being a big part of my life and I hope that you know that you mean a lot to me!
Kate, Kate, my Kate! This whole post sums up the reason why I love you! You are so authentic, so talented, so lovely, so compassionate, so funny, so lovable, so - ok, I could go on and on forever, but you get the point. You are such a genuinely terrific person, and I am so blessed to have met you 2 1/2 years ago! I look forward to see where life takes us and what it throws our way! Thank you for being so honest and so wonderful!
(01.03.11 @ 08:23 PM)So it's *your* birthday, but you give *us* the gift?! That just shows what a sweet, genuine and giving person you are, Kate and Bill and I are better people because we know you, your hilarious and sweet husband, and of course, super adorable and oh, so sweet, Millie. Thank you so much for sharing so much of yourself, your wisdom and your family with us and all of your readers. Belated, but warm, birthday wishes and hugs from chilly VA. Looking forward to seeing you next month in Austin! xoxo....a&b PS - Oh, and 34 is SO not old! ;-D
(12.31.10 @ 01:44 PM)You had me in tears!! I love that you are so open about everything and can share your secrets to all of us! You are one of the most amazing, beautiful, and clearly fabulous ladies I have ever met. I love ya Kate!!!
(12.30.10 @ 09:10 PM)Kate, I am so very glad to have read this beautiful post! I love that you can share intimate details of yourself freely, that in itself is a very powerful thing. Only getting to speak to you for a small moment at the Foundation Conference makes me a little sad, and also makes me look forward to FW9 to get to know you better. You obviously have an amazing heart and have a lot to teach those who are blessed to know you. I'll just be hitting the big "40" right before the workshop so this blog post is a nice thing to have to hold on to! Thank you:)
(12.30.10 @ 07:15 PM)i think, my wise friend, that i am gonna reflect on that.... and maybe follow suit on my deprived little blog. you inspire me always kate mefford! thanks for the birthday kick in the ass today! :) ( i also take great comfort in knowing that the foot in which you kicked said ass, was no doubt wearing a super darling shoe.) happy day to us both!
(12.30.10 @ 12:06 AM)Your reflections on turning 34 encourage and inspire me, just like your photos and the stories they tell. You should have no fear in celebrating your mid-thirties because you are one fun, bright, talented, kind, amazing gal who is just going to get even better with age. I can't wait to see what you'll be reflecting on when you are 40, 50, 60, etc.; I know it will be awesome and authentic! Happy birthday and may the TCU football team win the Rose Bowl in honor of your special day! Blessings to you!!!
(12.29.10 @ 09:42 PM)Kate my love, happy birthday! I am mesmorized by your design and your brilliance. You are incredible at what you do - living life well first and telling the stories of others' lives well. How delightful to have one of my best friends be someone who lives so honestly. I am better because I know you. May 34 be your most adventurous year yet. xoxo
(12.29.10 @ 06:18 PM)Kate! Thank you for being the amazing you that you are and sharing your heart with us! I'm so excited to meet you in person soon! :) That last quote is so deep... it will now be one of the quotes that keeps me going too! Gracias! Oh, and Happy Birthday! :)
(12.29.10 @ 06:00 PM)Happy Birthday Kate! You are fabulous and remind me to be too :) Love you! And my mini-Nancy, Mills!
(12.29.10 @ 05:48 PM)You are a beautiful person Kate, and I love your honesty and your brain. Thank you for sharing this, especially since I'm right behind you on 34!
(12.29.10 @ 05:43 PM)
Kate Thank you for capturing the little note I wrote for my daughter. As an old dad I will tell you, they are "the little things" that will be remembered for a life-time. Steve
(03.14.11 @ 08:26 PM)Oh, how he gave me such joy that day watching him. So so precious! Every girl should have a daddy just like that!
(03.14.11 @ 06:26 PM)