Grandma's Feather Bed - or the I love Barbara Scriver fan club

I am a total John Denver fan. There - I said it :) In public and all.

As I was editing this session, the song that kept running through my head was Grandma's Feather Bed. Click here if you want to watch the Youtube version, and here if you too would like refresh your memory on the lyrics as you sing along and view the following pictures.

Onto the fan club stuff . . . I've mentioned before about how much I love my midwife, Barbara. She helped me bring both of my wonderful babies into this world, was an amazing counsellor for the 9 months of prenatal visits (which, for those of you considering midwifery vs. hospital birth - you get hour - or more - long prenatal appointments with midwives, and talk about everything under the sun.) Barbara was the very first person I called when I discovered I was pregnant with Isaac. She was an incredible support all through my pregnancies, and after my boys were born.

And, its not just me who loves her - Mike and I joked we should have more babies just so we could keep visiting her. When I have photography clients who had Barbara for a midwife, our sessions last for twice as long as we spend a couple hours raving about her.

So, when Barbara called me a couple of days after Christmas to see if I was free to take family pictures, as her whole family was around for the holidays, of course I said yes.

This is why the feather bed song got stuck in my head. Where else are you going to take photos in Edmonton, in December when its -30C?

Look at all those lovelies!

This is Barbara and Stephen (Mr. Barbara Scriver has his own name! - and is just as wonderful as Barb.)

Here are their children, Jason, Alia and Luke, inspired to look through their family photos after our session.

Jason
Alia, who coined the term "Barbara Scriver's fan club". Does she look like she has 5 children of her own?!

And Luke. He does not look like this all the time, but I love this picture! He had the idea to do his picture like his grade 4 picture, when he couldn't quite figure out the whole smiling thing.

Kessa, Mona (Barbara's sister, who makes a wicked corn chowder and biscuits) and Luke. Luke and Kessa are Mona's godchildren.

Kessa and Marita (Jason and Heather's daughters)

Is she not one cool chica?

Kessa is so sweet. She came to thank me for taking their family photos after our session.

Here are Alia and David's 5.

Hunter
Quinnlan - she looks like a beautiful fairy.

Hayden - of the mile long eyelashes. (I hope he's too young yet to be embarrassed by that!)

Sammy, the cutie-patootie

And, the newest edition to the family, baby Nina.

And, just for a little reality check on the fabulous Barbara, this is Mona asking Barbara what the h#!? this item is doing in her kitchen (it is a cookie sheet that looks like it was backed over by a truck several times.

It was wonderful to spend the day with you all. Thank you.