Well now we ain’t strangers anymore…
Only my name’s Carolyn…. Carolyn Fox!
Today is cold… and miserably snowy and windy… and all of my sessions needed to be rescheduled on account of the fact that even my hubby said: “Ha! You’re not going anywhere today!” If you already know Mr. Fox, you’ll also know that there was at least one expletive in that remark. lol Soooo… I decided that now would be a good time to blog a little bit about myself. I love getting to know people and have a keen knack for asking far too many questions that are truthfully none of my business… but boy - it is not as easy talking about oneself! Shoe is officially on the other foot! Let’s get started!
I am a wife and mama to two pretty cool kids. Dylan - aka. The Boy is 10 and on the cusp of becoming a man… or at least a prepubescent teenager (this kid hits every milestone far earlier than necessary), and Sawyer - aka. Bean, Miss Beans, Beaner (seriously - we have friends who don’t even know her real name) who is 8. Sawyer is my beautiful feral child with the most wildly creative imagination. Dylan is my realist, and my rule follower who has yet to learn that life will sometimes have a whole lot of grey area in-between the black and white. Mr. Fox and I have been married for almost 15 years and have created a comfortable little life on the Manitoba prairies. We have two dogs (Logan and Kash) whom I am sure you’ll see a lot of if you stick around, and two cats (Boots and Turbo) who are literally the equivalent of having newborn twins as they wake me (and only me) about 1,843,589 times a night with their nocturnal need to be let outside, and then back in again. But my daughter loves them dearly and so I deal with them.
Beaner plays hairdresser. They push each others buttons constantly but what kind of a mother would I be if I took pictures of them bugging on each other?! lol
She was screaming at him two seconds later, but the love is there most days!
My girl Kash… She is my rescue girl from Manitoba Underdogs, and she is the sweetest, saddest, most loyal girl ever. She sticks to me like white on rice. I had to use my ‘mean mom voice’ to get her to stay that far away from me just take this picture. I love her.
And Logan. You need to know him to understand him. He is literally the world’s biggest baby when it comes to our kids (Beaner in particular). She has him wrapped around her little finger. But watch out if he thinks you don’t belong on our yard - he takes his job very seriously. He was rehomed to us almost two years ago and he completes our family.
It’s no secret. I LOATHE Manitoba winters. But… if I have to endure them, I might as well make the most of them. And we do! From December to March you can find us on an ice oval track somewhere between Beausejour MB, and Eagle River WI. Mr. Fox and The Boy absolutely LIVE for this sport. Even Miss Beans has spent the last 4 years on a machine turning laps. We have seen many checkered flags come and go and made many lasting friendships with other race families. We are all cut from the same cloth. Mr. Fox is a grade-A coach, and lead mechanic. Dylan graduated from the kids track last winter and is now racing on a much bigger and faster track. My mom nerves have grown into nerves of steel as I’ve watched him reach new speeds and new levels of competition. If you want to know more about this sport in Manitoba, check out https://mmsra.ca. Oh, and did I mention it makes our winters fly by that much faster?! Boom! Highlight!
All. Winter. Long. Nothing but checkered flags.
None of this would happen without Mr. Fox coaching.
We like to stay pretty busy here at the Fox residence. We work hard, but we also play hard. Summers are spent gardening, camping, and quadding. We spend more time outside than inside. Most evenings you can find us soaking up the last of the sunshine on our wrap around verandah. It is my happy place. My home in general is my happy place. I love to leave, but I love to come home even more.
Beaner in the corn
The little gardener.
He could do this all. Day. Long.
The cleanup is a little tedious though.
My little beach babe
When I’m not spending time with my most important people, you can find me in the studio. My other happy place. Lately I’ve been obsessing over fine art children’s portraiture, and photography as an art form. I think it’s safe to say you’ll see a lot more of this in my newsfeed in the coming year. I want to create images that not only tell a story and evoke emotion, but that are also art-worthy of finding a space on your walls! I’m looking really forward to slaying 2020 not only in my personal life, but also in my business. I have plans in place to do more creatively, to push myself to grow my business, and to give back more! I know that I have been blessed beyond measure so far in this life. I know that my work is a gift and that a memory made and captured can be invaluable. To share your gifts and talents, is to experience true richness.
Cuz you gotta werk, werk, werk, werk, werk…
Photo cred: Jenn Doran - LilyPeg Creative
If you’ve read this far, well then you win the grand prize! Just kidding… there is no grand prize. Wait… on second thought, yeah… let’s offer a grand prize. If you’ve read till the end and book a session with me, mention that you’ve read my first blog and I’ll give you a complimentary digital file of your choice from your session!
On that note, let me leave you with this little confession: I hate having my picture taken. Like, I’m really bad at it. Anybody ever watch Friends? The Chandler Bing engagement photos episode? He is me. I am him. True story. But, I’ve learned that when you have a relationship with your photographer, it becomes so much easier. Oh, and a good makeup artist helps! (wink!*). Luckily, I can help you out with both of those!
Yes, that silver lining is all mine - and I love it!
photo cred: Aaron Sivertsson - Sightlines Photography
Thanks for reading, and God bless!