TAISIA GORDON photography

Out for a little run this past weekend.

A few months ago I was lamenting over my lack of consistent running.  I just couldn't seem to get into a regular running routine.  What I needed was a plan.  Something to motivate me.  Something to guide me.  Something to strike enough fear into my heart that I would go for a run no matter what.  Running is a weird thing for me.  I love it.  I LOVE it.  But when I don't stick with a routine it's easy for me to forget about it. 

So I decided to sign up for the Go! St. Louis Half-Marathon which took place this past weekend.  There was the full marathon too but, let's get real, I was not equipped to handle that just yet.  It has been 9 years since I ran a marathon.  9 YEARS??!!  How did that happen??!!  I was in my 20's with no children, no business to run, and had lots of free time and lots of great running trails.  So anyways, now in my 30's with 2 kids and a business to wrangle I decided to go easy on myself and start with the half.

My dear husband Terry (who has always been so super supportive of my running) took one picture of me at 6:00 Sunday morning before we headed over to the race. 

Notice that 26.2 sitcker on my car?  The day before I decided that it was the perfect thing to slap on my car as a reminder of what I've done before and what I will do again.  However, during the half-marathon I kept thinking to myself that as soon as I was done I was going to rip that dumb sticker off my car because DO I REALLY BELIEVE I CAN RUN DOUBLE THIS DISTANCE????  In fact, during the race I saw one guy holding a sign that said "All this pain just for a sticker on your car".  Now that was funny.

I love all the witty signs and motivational shirts to read along the way.  Some of my other favorites from Sunday:

"Your feet hurt so bad because you're kicking so much a$$"

"Pain is weakness leaving the body"

"Sweat cleanses from the inside.  It comes from places a shower will never reach"

"Don't crap your pants"  (seriously, someone had that sign)

Terry and the girls were there to cheer me on.

 
 See those guys, those are the leaders of the marathon.  I was NOT in that picture.  Those people are amazing and inspiring.

See this guy.  This is Terry trying to take a picture of me.  Only he hit the flip button on his camera phone and took a picture of himself instead as I ran by.  He is NOT a professional photographer.  Bless his goofy soul.  This is my favorite picture from that day.

 

At the end the girls were very excited until they came over for a hug.  Kira was so horrified by the amount of sweat on me she wouldn't even touch me.  I'm proud we're raising our girls to be so compassionate and loving but smart enough to draw the line at hugging sweaty people.

In summary, it was a great day for a 13.1 run.  Do I want to do 26.2?  YES!!  

I couldn't help but think back on the Chicago marathon I ran all those many moons ago and the poems I presented to my husband and mom.  (I wrote one for my sister as well and also another friend who also came along to cheer me on).  Without further ado...

To Mom

With a mother’s love
The warnings abound
You’ll hurt your joints
By pounding the ground

You’ll damage your knees
Your uterus will drop
You’re getting too thin
Your heart may pop

A marathon is too long
I hope this is your last
Drink plenty of water
And don’t go too fast

Yet here you are to root for me
Even though you worry and have all these fears
And I see how your love is faithful and true
Lifting me up with encouraging cheers

Your support for my running
And all the rest of my life
Strengthens our bonds, together
Forever through laughter and strife

With love and thanks,
Your daughter, Taisia Marie

And....

 

To my Husband

For eighteen weeks I have
Trained for this day
And I’ve felt your support
Every step of the way

You always held an interest
In all my running tales;
Copperheads, lactating bra,
Squats along the trail

My new longest distance,
And stolen Gatorade
Whether big or small – shared
Enthusiasm you displayed

Not only by me
Were sacrifices made
Time, money, and love
That can’t be repaid

You never complained when
Running pushed aside
Snuggling on the sofa,
A game of tennis or long
Bike ride

Birkenstocks, stability shoes
Wicking shorts, every sports drink
Hotel costs, registration fees –
Not once did you blink

You seemed to recognize and
Accept so effortlessly
How important running this
Chicago race was to me

And when you talk about my
Future ‘thons like
You’re my biggest fan
I realize once again how truly lucky I am

 

A New Year

 
Is it 2011 already?  or finally.  I've taken a step back from all electronic things this past month.  I've focused on family, spirit, and  health.   I do still have a few weddings and engagement sessions to post from 2010 so I'll do that along with some other fun changes to my website in the upcoming months.

I've been spending time thinking about this past year and what I'd like to see for 2011.  I've never
been a huge fanatic about new years.  It feels like an artificial marker of time.  But nevertheless, I do like to periodically take stock of my life and goals, to re-evaluate where I'm at and where I'm going.  And the start of a new year seems the perfect time to do so.

2010 was a difficult year in many ways.  The most difficult I've ever faced.  At the start of the year we were told my mother had 1-2 months left to live.  Faced with this devastating news, my sister and I put everything on hold and did all we could for mom.  Mom fought and never did give up, lasting 8 months longer than we were told she had.  2010 was filled with countless doctors appointments, sleepless nights, anxiety-filled days, and an oceans worth of salty tears.  At times the situation felt hopeless and grim.  After all, even with good days we knew what the end result would be.  2010 marked the end of my mother's precious life.  A life that she cherished and held on to dearly.  2010 was the last time my daughters would have a chance to hold their grandmas hand or I would hear her voice.  It was the first year I've marked a birthday without my mother and I have to admit, it hurt a lot.  It still does.

However... there is always hope and love and peace if you look for it and focus on the good in life.

2010 was also a year filled with countless hours worth of precious time shared with my mom, sister, and me.  More lessons for me in humility, patience, fortitude, and faith.  I saw my mom come to peaceful terms for God's plan for her, to feel her hand stroke my hair and tell me it's allright - allowing me to be her little girl one last time.  Our children learned the sacrifices you make for family, and the rewards you reap.  At times I've never felt so alone and yet I felt so many friends and family lifting us up in support and love.

While all of this was going on I continued to watch my girls grow and reveled in their happiness of life.  I grew closer to my husband in ways I could not have imagined.  I learned just how hard I could lean on him and just how deep his love and devotion are to me, my mother, and his girls.  I learned that one of the greatest gifts my mother gave me was not my own life or her love, but the life of my sister because without her - I would have been utterly lost and bereft this past year.  I learned that friends can still amaze me with the ways they comfort, care, and share laughter.  Ok - maybe I knew most of those things anyways, but this year I saw them with crystal clarity and immense gratitude for all of the blessing in my life.

2010 has been a year where I fully recognize how short life is, how every moment should count and be filled with love and kindness.

Throughout it all I continued to photograph and to share with people their children, families, and special moments in life.  How lucky am I that I get to be at a couples wedding day - a day filled with family, friends, love, and joy?!  I am surrounded by blessings and I get to see that each time I'm at a wedding.  I didn't share much this past year of what we went through as a family - partly because it was too painful, partly because it seemed too personal and deep to put on a frivolous blog, and partly because it was my mom's story - not mine - to share.  But when I did share...the compassion and caring that came from so many clients (is there a word for clients who become friends because I really need to know that word... cliends?  frients?) touched me.  When I first started my business 6 years ago I dreamed about how I would be this amazing part of someone's wedding... how years from their wedding day they would look back lovingly at their wedding pictures and still be so happy they chose me.  Families would pull out pictures of their kids, pictures that I took, and brag about me to all of their friends.  Yes, I did want to take awesome pictures and make people super happy - and I wanted all the glory and referrals I could get.  Ha!  Now.... now.... hmmm... this is hard to put into words and I'm SURE it will sound cheesy and sentimental.  But now...  NOW I see that actually everything I give my clients  they give back to me tenfold.  I know that happens in friendships, in church, in marriage - why did I not think that would happen with work as well?!  The glory is not about me and my mad skilz as a photographer (ha!) but about them, their relationships, and their hearts.  And I am just lucky to glimpse a part of that and share in it for a while.  This revelation has strengthened and encouraged me this past year.  My clients truly have made me a better person.

So,

It's my hope that in 2011 I can take what I've learned in 2010 and apply it on a daily basis.
I have a list of goals for 2011.  Perhaps when I'm done I'll share it here.  I think if I share it I'll feel more accountable  which is always good for me.  

2010 was a bittersweet year.  Here's to more sweetness in 2011.  And, mom?  I love you.

 

Living Room redo.

Since 4 years ago, when we first moved into our beloved old home, I have plotted and planned for this.  A total living room redecorate.  In the past we have purchased furniture or painted or decorated based around things we already had.  While practical, it does kind of limit how far you can go with redecorating.  So this time I decided to create a vision and then pull it all together from scratch if I had to.  

I would say a large part of the need to redo the room came from a struggle to tame in some way the chaos that my life has been this last year.  In many ways I felt out of control when it came to life... and death.  I wanted a space that calmed me down and made me feel peaceful and energized.  I wanted a room that reflected where I was at in life (or where I wanted to be anyways).  A room where our family could be creative together.  Where my girls could relax and play and be comfortable.

It took 4 years because that's how long it took to convince my husband that the wood trim must be painted.  I LOVE wood.  Wood trim, wood floors, wood furniture.  I mean, really, I married a forester.  A home needs elements of nature all around it.  However... however... it gets to be a bit much with wood everywhere.  Because while I do love hardwoods I also love light, bright, clean, fresh, and white.  Our living room needed some balance and a breath of fresh air.  So after lots of creative persuasion on my part ;-) Terry agreed and a choir of angels sang a glorious song.  Once he relented I didn't hesitate. 

Before (with furniture moved around and the room kind of torn apart):

 

 

 

And after:

 

 

 

 

Some more before and after comparisons:

Before:

 
After:

 

 

Before of the fireplace which I wanted to paint but Terry really couldn't handle that thought so this was a compromise:

After:

 
 

Some of my favorite parts are the unplanned elements.  The entry way also had dark stained wood trim and the same yellow wall color but I forgot to take any before pictures of that area.  Here are the after shots:

 

 

I had been searching for a solution for hanging pictures.  I love to hang pictures, artwork, etc. but I also love to switch them around quite a bit.  Our outer walls are 2' of solid brick which means every time we drill a hole we were drilling directly into the brick.  It felt like a huge commitment to hang a single picture - like I had to love it forever.  I needed something that would let me switch out pictures easily.  I looked into a bunch of different tract systems.  Besides being very pricey (which I would have done had I found the perfect solution), they seemed heavy and limited as well.  Then I saw this homemade tract system in a magazine and fell in love with the idea.  Now I don't have to drill into brick or patch holes everytime I want to change frames.  And it is so flexible and easy to use that our girls are even more excited to paint or create something new to hang.  

 
 

 

 

In the end, I am completely and totally in love with it.  It really does reflect us suprisingly well.  Kind of modern, kind of retro, with a little rustic love, some new, some old.  The best thing in the room though?  These people:

 

 
 
 

13 Years

On Monday the 13th Terry and I celebrated our 13 years of marriage.

 

And if we had to do it all over again, we'd still choose each other's faces to smash cake into.

I met Terry when I was 17, started dating him when I was 19, and married that man when I was 22.  I thought I wasn't going to get married until I was about 30 but somehow he changed my mind on that score.  It sounds cliche but he really is my rock, my inspiration, and he makes me a better person.  In light of some of the serious issues we're going through as a family, I thought I'd put together a slideshow for my husband showcasing all of our worst, silliest, and ugliest pictures because I think it's most important to be able to laugh your way through life.  If you have 4 minutes of your life that you'd like to never get back here it is...  (hit the play button to start the video loading, and then hit pause while it loads the rest of the way - that way you can watch it without all of the stops and starts as it loads).  As a side note, one thing Terry really enjoys is the super cheasy posing for the camera in front of landmarks which I hate doing and I hate taking pictures of it.  He also enjoys pretending to smoke when I'm taking his pictures - it's lovely.  And he likes to kiss me and rub my feet - I'm okay with those ;-)

13 years from Taisia Gordon on Vimeo.

Photo sessions and my mother

This is one of my favorite images of my mom and my daughter Maya from a couple of years ago.

And this is an email I recently sent out to Columbia and Jeff City clients...  If anyone from that area is interested in scheduling a session for this fall please read below.

 

Hello to all of my Columbia and Jeff City friends!

I have had a lot of emails recently asking about dates that I will be in the Columbia and Jeff City area for fall photo sessions.

 

I love that so many people think of me for their family photos and am honored that year after year my clients call me back to document another year in their families life.  Capturing relationships between families, parents and children, husbands and wives, are some of my happiest moments in photography.

 

My own family this year has undergone quite a few changes.  Besides my eldest, Kira, starting first grade and my youngest, Maya, starting preschool my mother came to live in our home.  She has been fighting cancer for a number of years and, in December of last year, we were told that she is in the terminal stages of the disease.  While it's been a hard year in many regards, it has also been a blessing to have her sharing this time with us.  We've already had many more months with her than her doctors indicated.

I'm sharing this with you so you might understand that my time for sessions this fall is somewhat limited.  Besides providing the day-to-day care for her I am also focusing on spending whatever free time I have this coming fall and winter season with my family and creating as many memories with my children and their grandmother as I can.  However, since my photography work with so many of you brings me quite a bit of happiness, satisfaction, and peace I also look forward to our photo sessions. 

 

Having said all of that, I do have a very limited number of dates that I can schedule for the Columbia area.  I will have to schedule these on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Once those dates and times are full I won't be able to come to the Columbia area again until probably after the new year.  I will still be available for a limited number of sessions in the St. James area throughout the fall and winter.  If the dates for Columbia fill up and you are still interested in a session then please do feel free to contact me for a session around the St. James area. 

 

Dates for sessions in Columbia:

Sunday, Sept. 12th  (9:00 am, 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, 4:30 pm)

Friday, Oct. 15th  (12:00 pm, 2:30 pm, 5:00 pm)

Saturday, Oct. 16th  (9:00 am, 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, 4:30 pm)

Sunday, Oct. 17th  (9:00 am, 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, 4:30 pm)

 

If you are interested in a session, please email me with the date and time you're available.  I will email you back to confirm your session.

I will do my best to accomodate everyone!

Thank you so much!

~Taisia

A perfect day.

Blue skies.  Clear air.  Eagles.  Quiet.  Just the two of us.  Perfect day.

  

2009, you were awesome.

Just a few of my favorite family images with my beautiful girls from 2009.

Gordon family 2009 from Taisia Gordon on Vimeo.

Happy Father's Day

I'm lucky enough to meet a lot of caring, fun Dads - both at photo sessions with young families and at weddings where fathers give their daughters away.  It makes me realize how quickly it all passes and how important father's are to their children.  Here's to my Dad and to my husband, the amazing man who makes my daughters some of the luckiest little girls in the world...

 

 

 

 

For Father's Day the girls helped me create a crazy little video of them in action.  Set to one of my favorite songs - "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz.

Father's Day Dance from Taisia Gordon on Vimeo.

this is my legacy

I can only hope that as my girls grow I'm able to teach them things they couldn't learn from anyone else.  Things that I learned as a child and that have stayed with me through the years.  Things that I hope will shape them and influence who they become as people.   

A few days ago I fulfilled this dream when I taught them the fine art of sticking whirlygigs to your nose (aka helicopters, or samaras if you're lucky enough to have a forester for a husband).

 

cooking

A few days ago the girls and I decided to make a batch of cookies.  Maya is finally big enough to stand up on a chair and "help".  Kira now feels like the big girl showing Maya how it's done. 

She tells Maya "First you stir it up".

"Then you stir it up some more"

"Keep stirring"  Wow. This is really complicated. 

Thank goodness Maya has Kira to explain how it's done.

"No, Maya don't lick the spoon"

"No, No, Maya.  Don't. Lick. The. Spooooon!!!"

Maya:  "What?"