1st Day of Grade 4!

The 1st day of school is always a bittersweet day.  Happy to be going back to see classmates and catch up on what everyone did over the summer, but it also means routines!  As a mother of three I don't like the first day of school, I LOVE having my children home with me and I love the carefree days of summer vacation. 

          Beautiful summer day at the lake filled with water sports,

campfires and family time!

After a few days of being back those summers days are a distant memory and we are back into the swing of schedules and routines.  I am of the mindset to enjoy the moment you are in and with back to school comes new opportunities for photos.  I did a new photo shoot with Grant this year and he really enjoyed setting up the props and posing for me.  He is a fantastic model for me! 

If you are interested in photos getting some photos similar to these it is not too late!  Book your session now!  I would love to capture these precious memories for you! 


Click the link for contact info and portfolio.
Beth Thomander Photography

All the best,
Beth

#iamthetype

I haven't shared this on here so I thought it was time to help raise awareness... On Dec. 9th 2013, Grant was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 7.  It was a shock to our family as there is no family history of Type 1.  It has been a lifestyle change for everyone in our house because life does centre a bit more around Grant than it did before.  I am so proud of how Lauren and Ben took on the role of caregivers for Grant when Todd and I were not around.  There was a lot to learn from, recognizing lows and highs, to counting carbs, giving needles, checking blood sugar, checking for ketones and I am sure there are more little things I am missing.

Getting his glucometer ready to check his blood sugar which he does about 6 - 12 times a day depending on his activities

 

Checking his blood sugar level
                                      

 

                                                          Happy with a good reading!

 The most common question people ask me is, how did you know to take him to the doctor?  The first sign for me was his water bottle was empty when he came home from school and I asked him about it and he said yes he drank it all and even refilled it at the water fountain.  One night that week before he was diagnosed I heard him up to pee in the night and I asked if he wanted to sleep with me because Daddy was away.  I had a hidden agenda because I wanted to see how many times he was getting up.  Well the news wasn't good, he got up 4 more times that night!  The tell tale sign for me was when he went to hockey on Saturday he couldn't make it through the hour of ice time without coming off to go to the bathroom. 
 
I took him to the walk-in clinic and he peed in a cup and I heard the diagnosis I didn't want to hear, but knew in my heart that I had known all that week, but was in denial.  The guilt then set in that I didn't take him sooner, but I wasn't ready to hear those words.  I knew it meant a lifetime of finger pokes, needles, checkups, highs and lows, living our life on a stricter schedule.  Thankfully, we still caught it early even though I waited those couple of days.  They credited me to bringing him so quick because no damage was done.  The doctors and nurses didn't know the turmoil that was going on in my head. 
 
Well life before Type 1 is a distant memory after a year and a half of living with it in our family.  I credit that all to Grant who is an amazing boy!  Days that he should complain, he doesn't!  Testing before hockey, before lunch, at birthday parties are all teaching moments for him.  He is proud of who he is and uses those moments to share with new and old friends what he has to do everyday to stay healthy. 

                                            

Getting his needle ready for his insulin injection

 

His thigh is one of the sites we use for his insulin injection

I am the strong and independent type!

 

I will share more of what life is like living with T1D periodically.  It is always changing for Grant as he grows.  I scrapbooked a couple pages on Grant's journey with T1D so he will know when he grows up how courageous he was at age 7 when faced with this life changing illness.

 

#iamthetype who will love and care for Grant

#controlfreak

 

 

 

Warmly,

Beth (and Grant's Mommy) 

Behind the Lens

Well, after a few fall seasons of friends asking me if I would do their family photos and me saying, "No, I don't do that" I have finally decided to do just that.  In August, I set up my website, purchased my domain name, made a facebook page and ordered business cards.  This all of a sudden became scary!!!  I was really going to do this and get paid for it!   What was I thinking, I didn't need more stress! 

My first project was to get my name out there to friends and the public to let them know I am "doing" this now.  So, I decided to do a photo fundraiser for Sackville Minor Baseball.  At our September tournament I took about 1000 action shots from the weekend and donated all of the sales back to SMB.  It was a fun day at the ball field and I in turn booked some family photo sessions from it.

Well my first family photo session was in September and I was terrified!  I have been taking photos for years and for an instant forgot everything I knew.  Deep breaths and told myself "You got this!"  Well, the pictures turned out great and they were thrilled with them!  Since that first photo shoot my confidence has increased and I am loving this new adventure that I have added to my busy life! 

Some of the fun photo shoots I have been on since September:

I have so enjoyed spending time with these families and all of my photo families and capturing their beautiful family memories.  If you want to check out more of my portfolio you can see some sneak peaks on my Facebook page and my website:  Beth Thomander Photography

I am looking forward to setting up my studio over the winter so I can offer indoor photo sessions. 

I can help you capture your memories as well...

Warmly,
Beth