This year seemed to go by faster than all the years before, didn’t it? My kids seem to grow bigger by the minute, and I just want to slow it all down and savor every second. Hence the reason I have not posted on my blog in the last few weeks. I’ve been savoring every non-business minute in my day. You see, in the portrait world, we work our tails off in the months of September, October and November. Just look at the Facebook exchanges between photographers at 2 a.m. in those months … how many of us are sitting at our computer editing in the middle of the night. By the time December rolls around, our houses are a disaster, our laundry is out of control, and we are often exhausted and missing our families. Normally I try to get the last of my clients’ orders shipped out in early December and then take the rest of the month off to bake cookies with my kids, sing carols, and catch up on sleep. But thanks to all that crazy rain in Atlanta this Fall, along with our unwelcome H1N1 invader (which hit my house as well as a few clients), I had so many reschedules that pushed my holiday season into late December. So in order to savor those precious family moments, I had to let some non-critical business tasks, like the blog, go on hold for a bit.
But I can’t complain! 2009 was an another amazing year for me. In spite of this horrible economy, I was blessed with many clients, old and new, that kept me happily busy month to month. I met such wonderful families and children this year, beautiful inside and out. How grateful I am for my clients, who so cherish these images of their children and value their investment in portraiture! This year was also one of incredible personal experiences for me. Several new friendships came into my life this year, dear hearts that help mine smile. This year, I saw both of my sons baptized as they chose to welcome their Savior into their hearts, a day that can hardly be equaled. My boys are both thriving in school, thanks to teachers and others that have poured their heart and prayers into my children to help them succeed. And my daughter is 100% potty trained! After 9 years, we are diaper-free in the Holden house … can I get an Amen? 
My husband and I are humbled by the blessings we have received this year, and we eagerly look ahead to 2010 to see what God has in store for us.
I’m just as eager to see what is in store for Shannon Holden Photography in the coming year. I’m evaluating some new products as we speak, testing out some new print options, and brainstorming some other business changes, including my online catalog and client information site. I’m heading out to Imaging, USA in just a couple of weeks and I know I’m going to come home buzzing with new ideas! Do you have something you’d like to see from Shannon Holden Photography in the future? Please comment here or email me … I would love to hear your feedback!
I’ll be sure to share some of my holiday sessions that haven’t been featured on the blog yet, so stay tuned for those in the coming weeks. And I’ve got new sessions as early as next week! My January calendar is already full, but I have a couple of spots open in February, and I’m also booking March through June at this time. Call soon to schedule your Spring portraits!
May 2010 be an incredible year for all of you. I look forward to seeing your smiling faces soon!!
Much love,
Shannon
P.S. Posts are boring without pictures, right? These are some images I made of my cousin’s children on our visit to Washington DC over Thanksgiving. We try to see each other a couple of times each year. My kids positively adore their cousins, Riley and Jake, and can’t wait to see them on our visits. And soon our family photographs will have a new face among us, as Riley and Jake welcomed baby brother Hudson just a few days after Thanksgiving. Another precious blessing for 2009!
