Cassie Jones Photography » Children

Preston – 3 Months — Searcy Arkansas Lifestyle Family Photographer

Cassie — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:13:38 +0000

I love documenting a first year. And I was SOO excited to meet up with our good friends, the Hannigans a couple of weeks ago to document Preston’s third month. I can’t believe it’s gone by so fast! It seems like just yesterday we were getting a call to go up to the hospital to meet this fun little guy.

Mr. P

Cassie — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:18:29 +0000

His mom and dad are special to us. And the entire morning we were stalking facebook, ready to see pictures of the newest member of their family. And I was thrilled to get to spend some time with sweet little P last Saturday.

A HUGE congratulations to Adam and Machelle and your families. We love you dearly.

Peyton — Searcy Arkansas Newborn Photographer

Cassie — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:00:58 +0000

I was beyond thrilled when Amanda and emailed me about photographing the upcoming arrival of their son, Peyton. We’ve spent the past several weeks emailing back and forth — I having just given birth and she, anxiously waiting on their son to arrive. From the first email, we were kindred spirits in new mom-hood.

The day finally came and the Talley’s welcomed Peyton into the world. And I got to spend time yesterday with them and several members of their family and friends.

Preston Scott — Searcy, Arkansas Newborn Photographer

Cassie — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 17:14:32 +0000

The Pruitt Family

Cassie — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:41:28 +0000

Over the past couple of years, this family has become precious to us. And it was such an honor to have them in front of my camera this past Saturday morning.

Michael and McKenna — we are so blessed by your friendship. We love you and your sweet, precious family!

Car Sounds + Nerf Guns + Peter Pan

Cassie — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:23:20 +0000

This weekend, your cousins got a nerf gun and a remote controlled race car and your daddy spent his evening shooting darts out of the gun and making them stick extra hard on the door by showing your cousins the “licking” trick. I, for one, didn’t know such a thing existed, but learned quickly–that by licking the plastic part of the dart makes them stick to any surface extra well. And leaves blue markings on the white paint if your tongue has had recent contact with blue icing.

I also learned that remote controlled cars have a battery mecca inside them, juicing down a whopping SEVEN at a time. Rusty also informed me that you can make this battery mecca last extra long by only driving your remote controlled car on hard surfaces like hardwood floors and concrete instead of off-roading it in the gravel.

And right then, I realized how much I didn’t know.

I was a girlie girl. Dress up. Make up. Jewelry. The works.

I didn’t make car sounds. And I didn’t make my airplanes crash. I did, however successfully light a leaf on fire once with a magnifying glass. (Let’s pretend that I meant to.) And I did own super hero figures. (But only so Barbie had someone other than Ken to marry.) But please, be impressed because once, I dressed up as PETER PAN for halloween. Because he could fly. And I thought that was way cool. So, you see, I’m not totally a lost cause.

I’m excited to learn about your boyish ways. Like how to make car sounds with my mouth and see what all kinds of things you’ll crash your airplanes into. And I’m thankful that your daddy is here to teach you the things I can’t. Like how to make a tool bench. How to play soccer. And how to carve a heart out of wood for your first girl friend like he did for me.

And while there are some things that I can’t teach you, I’ll be there by your side while you’re learning. Cheering you on. Always.

Casseroles, Brothers and Right Hand Turns & The Things God Uses to Teach Us

Cassie — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:17:13 +0000

“I made you a casserole,” was the text I got on my way home from work the other day. I had laundry waiting, editing to be done, and a supper to fix at home, so I called Rusty and told him I’d only be a second. So I took the next right hand turn I could find and headed towards my sister’s house.

I opened the door to the car after killing the ignition and before I even swung my feet out I could hear the front door to their house unlock and open, and the sound of giggles wafting through the quiet neighborhood street were enough to stop my heart for a second.

Sometimes, I’m pretty sure God uses opportunities like these to remind us of what’s really important. It isn’t the laundry or the dishes waiting to be done, and it’s not the work we do to keep our lives somewhat organized and on track. Sometimes, it’s about taking the opportunity to stray off the road leading us to our next project, taking that next turn and jumping face first into what is important: the ones who love us the most.

As I walked in the door, I was greeted by hugs, kisses, and shouts of excitement that I was there. And the dishes in my sink suddenly disappeared. And I talked to my sister for way longer than I’d planned. And I smiled all the way home.

A few days later, the same thing happened. We had work to be done at home and I was ready to strap on my cleaning gloves and attack my bathroom when Rusty announced that he was going to our nephews’ soccer practice. Another opportunity knocked, and I rode with him, hand in hand across town to our soccer complex to watch their first soccer practice.

I didn’t have my camera. Well, my “pro” camera. So I contented myself with watching instead of photographing, like normal. And I’m again, thankful that God orchestrated the whole ordeal because had I been focused on getting my exposure correct, I wouldn’t have noticed what happened next.

“Pick a partner,” the coach announced, his voice rough and hoarse from yelling across the field during their practice. I watched my nephews, brothers, on the same team were the only ones not running around looking for a partner. Instead, they ran straight into each others arms and hugged. Partners for life. While often, I see them arguing about who took whose toy or who hit who on the head — there’s no doubt they have a bond with one another that is stronger than any other. While they fight sometimes, there’s nothing they’d fight for more than each other.

At that moment, I was so proud to call them my family. Demonstrating there on a field of fresh cut grass the unmistakable love of a strong family to a crowd of witnesses– which is something that cannot be taught by two people, but lives within the depths of their precious little souls. I’m not sure if anyone else noticed their display. And maybe it was there for me to see. To remind me that no matter what we do in life, our families are the only ones who are there for us every day. Who love us beyond measure. And who love us THROUGH the good, the bad and the times in between. They’re the ones that always have our backs, call us out when we stray and pick us above any other as their partners for life.

By the time the boys were ready to leave the field, I remembered I had a point and shoot camera in my purse. <– Photographer Fail. So I whipped it out to grab a shot to remember the day. And to remind myself to stop more often and see the things God uses to softly break our hearts and put them back on track to strive for the REAL important things. It’ a blurry image. Not technically correct at all. And while as a photographer, I should be embarassed to show it off, I’m more proud of this image than any other. Because of what it means to me.

Christmas Gatherings

Cassie — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:51:37 +0000

Lately, we’ve been doing lots of running. I’m finishing up editing, working on taxes, while attending every Christmas program and party we can.

The other night, Michael had a musical. So as the cool aunt, I brought the camera and flashed away just like the other hundred parents in the room. But I couldn’t help but smile when I pulled out my big camera and flash and the dad next to me pointed to his wife and said, “we should get one like THAT.”

We were sitting pretty far away, but I still got some super awesome shots of my favorite six year old.

The Boyds — Searcy, Arkansas Family Photographer

Cassie — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:50:58 +0000

I became a part of Rusty’s family eight years ago — so when I rode around with her the other day, many memories came flooding back into my mind. We rode, ate sonic and listened to music as she navigated the streets of Searcy. I’ve ridden with her hundreds of times in the last eight years and so many things have changed. Now, she has a wedding ring on her finger, two car seats in the back of her (now much larger) car, but the rides are still the same. Every time I see her, our time together is full of heart-felt talks, catching up and lots of laughter.

The only thing that hasn’t changed is that I love my sister. And the one thing that’s changed the most is how much I love her. And her family. For each day it grows more and more. And I couldn’t be more proud to call her mine.

The Landis Family — Searcy, Arkansas Lifestyle Family Photographer

Cassie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:48:07 +0000

The October day couldn’t have been more beautiful. The sun poured through the trees painting a golden light on everything it touched. The grass, still green and soft yet a distinct fall orange was beginning to color the leaves. The breeze was cool, the sun’s glow was warm and laughter rang from the back yard of the Landis home as their little girl swung high in her swing and her mom threatened her with special tickles called snarffles.

“I don’t know what a snarffle is,” I told her, “but I sure wouldn’t want one.”

She giggled and told me, “It’s where Mommy blows on my tummy.”

I’m so blessed to do what I do. To meet new people. Make new friends. And catch a glimpse, if only for a second into the lives of a beautiful family. A special thanks to the Landis family for allowing me to tell their story and for loving one another the way they do. There’s just nothing better in the world to be welcomed into a home overflowing with it.