Mom and Baby | Austin Family Photographer

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I had SO much fun hanging out with Jen and baby Cash (who is not only handsome and charming, but also has a fabulous name). Jen is a children's photographer in Austin and was such a pleasure to hang out with. She describes herself as pearls on the outside and granola on the inside, which I loved. She brought so many great props and fun ideas with her and the love between these two was palpable. Bonnie Berry is an Austin, Texas child, family and wedding photographer.

Growing Up

Ben is really growing fast. It is fascinating to watch him change and become his own person. He still doesn't like me to take his picture, but I sneak the camera up on him anyway. When they made Mother's Day cards at school Josh was out of town on business, so my card this year says "I love my mommy because my dad is out of town". Out of the mouths of babes. Bonnie Berry is an Austin, Texas child, family and wedding photographer.

Wait Wait

Josh and I had a rare night out without the children. Our dear friends Geni and Kell were gracious enough to take care of the boys so that we could have a respite. We went to a great Ethiopian restaurant called Aster's and then headed over to Bass Concert Hall on the UT campus to watch the taping of "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me". It was so great. I haven't laughed that hard in years. And the surprise guest was none other than the fabulous singer songwriter Robert Earl Keen, who besides being a talented musician is a very funny man. So definitely listen to this week's show on Saturday. It will make you smile.

The Hosts

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When Sam and I were in California in March we had the good fortune to stay with our dear friends Camille and Jason and their two boys. Here are some photos from our time with them, including our re-creation of the Jason and Zach shot (the original is the second to last and the new one is below it).

A Letter for My Boys

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Dear Ben and Sam:It seems like it has been way too long since I have written you both a little letter. I had a draft of one I started in January, but never finished. I had an outline of things I wanted to cover and reading it only 5 months later has been interesting because I have already forgotten half of the stuff you did just a couple of months ago. Ben: You used to insist that we take a detour to take you to school so that you could see this tree sculpture in front of this ultra modern house. You called it the spooky tree. You have started helping out by setting the table and letting the dogs in and out. For a brief period you were obsessed with this tacky bulldog statue that we received as a wedding gift from a relative. You called him 'Bah' and brought him everywhere and even slept with him. You are obsessed with video games. I love it when you are playing a game with dad and you tell him what to do. You love books and are often found sitting on the floor surrounded by them. You are becoming such a little boy--talking in funny voices and saying 'watch this'. You still refuse to go on the potty and it has become a power struggle. I keep telling myself that one day you will wake up and be ready. I still believe this, but now worry that it will be when you are in middle school. Now you are constantly saying "awesome dude", which is driving me up the wall. You are a sensitive child and I see so much of me at your age in you. And when I am yelling or losing my temper one look at you breaks my heart, because I can see exactly what you are feeling. I struggle daily to be a good parent and some days I do better than others. You deserve so much more than I seem able to give you. Mothers always seemed so selfless to me and I am anything but selfless. I am grateful that you have such a good and present father. I hope that will help in the areas I am weak in. I told myself when you were born that I would need to be vigilant to keep the constant depression at bay. I would need to take care of myself in order to be there for you. But I struggle to be well and to balance the person you need me to be and the person I am. Most of the mothers I know do not seem to flinch at their new roles and the loss of many of their liberties. I chafe constantly at the ropes I feel that bind me. Do you really need to know all of this? Probably not. But perhaps when you are older it may explain my mercurial personality and mood swings. And maybe you will not blame yourself and realize that my being weak did not make me love you any less. Sam: You are quite the little character. You seem to think we are all completely mad and you mostly go off on you own. You are extremely independent and stubborn. You come over to me for a quick cuddle and then once your needs have been met you are off on another adventure. You are giggly and ticklish. You still only say CAR and TUCKER and are obviously frustrated by not being able to communicate. I keep trying to teach you some signs but you seem to prefer screaming as a mode of communication. Awhile ago you were obsessed with this game our friend Kell taught you. You would hit your forehead against mine and then say BOOM OUCH. You could play this for hours although it sure hurt my head because you did not hold back. You love to 'help' around the house which is of course a bit of a nightmare. You seem somewhat oblivious to those around you with the exception of Ben who you adore. You are both becoming such handsome and caring boys. My only hope is to do right by you both. Love, Mom

Friday at Mayfield | Austin Family Photographer

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A couple of Fridays ago I was lucky enough to spend the evening with the adorable Nevita and her two beautiful parents at Mayfield Park. We had a wonderful time playing and I loved little Nevita's spirit. She knew what she wanted and what she didn't, which I respected immensely. And she got a real kick out of the peacocks. Bonnie Berry is an Austin, Texas child, family and wedding photographer.

Sweet Berry Farm

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Katherine is a new friend of mine in Austin. I met her at an Austin Photographers get together and it turns out we have a mutual friend as well. Austin is a small town. A couple of months ago we went to Sweet Berry Farm with all of our boys to pick strawberries. Ben is often shy with new kids he meets and I can never really tell how he feels about them since he is a bit of a loner. That was not the case this day. Katherine's son Seamus and Ben immediately took up with each other like they had known each other for years. They are such boys together--running around like wild animals. I finally got around to processing these photos and there are some cute ones. The handsome little one is Finn. Bonnie Berry is an Austin, Texas child, family and wedding photographer.

Missing Josh

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Josh is in SF this week on business and he is very much missed here. Ben cried out his name last name while he was sleep talking. This is one of my favorite photos of him. Bonnie Berry is an Austin, Texas child, family and wedding photographer.

Sunday With The Simons

Josh is out of town on business, which always makes for a difficult weekend alone with the kids. And I must admit that I have been in a funk lately. So it was extra nice to hang out with the Simons on Sunday. There is just something about being with them that feels like family. And since I have no family here it is a special blessing for me. Plus it was Kell's birthday so as a special treat for him I thought I would bring my two boys, who were starving for male attention, over to his house to pester him. At least I brought cheesecake too. Bonnie Berry is an Austin, Texas child, family and wedding photographer.