Family Photo Session!

Thanksgiving update coming soon, but first: I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I'm a card-carrying member (okay, make that dues-paying member, we don't have cards) of the Greenhaven Mothers' Club.  Greenhaven is the name of my neighborhood in Sacramento (our house is on a street off of Greenhaven Drive), and there has been an active Mothers Club since 1969.  I can't remember how I found out about it, but I joined the club back in April to solicit some daycare advice from its members.  That's how I found our daycare lady, Linda.  I haven't been that involved yet because I'm such a new mom, and Charlotte doesn't do that much yet, but I've been pretty impressed by their organizational skills.  It's a pretty impressive club -- most of the moms are working moms, and most of the children are probably in the 2 to 6 year old range.  Charlotte was one of the youngest, but no longer.  One of the activities that the club does is to provide homecooked meals to new moms.  So my first "job" is to make a meal to a second-time mom whose baby was born ten days ago.  The club is also how I received a gently used Exersaucer and a Bumbo seat, both given by members looking to get rid of their kids' outgrown items!

The club also chooses a charity to sponsor for the year.  This year, the charity is a local women's/children's shelter, the only such homeless shelter for women and children in Sacramento.  The women and children who stay there are down on their luck and/or escaping an abusive environment. I've already donated outgrown diapers (unused, obviously!) and some detergent.  Two weeks ago, the moms' club hosted its annual charity auction to benefit the shelter.  Members went throughout Sacramento asking local businesses and restaurants for items to auction, and there were some great items to bid on.

One of the items I bid on was a one hour photography session plus digital photos with a local children's photographer.  I was so thrilled to win!  I emailed the photographer the very next day to see if she could fit us in for a session in advance of Christmas, and she scheduled us for the next day.  We met her at a beautiful neighborhood park in Carmichael, and we had a lot of fun taking pictures.  Charlotte did great, even though it was getting pretty chilly near the end.  To view the photos, click here and then click on Clients.  The password is our last name.

Here's a preview: Charlotte had a blast in the baby swing!