california, part 1

I don’t know if there will ever be a place that we call home that will fill me with as much heart-swelling nostalgia as Pasadena, California.  I’m sure it’s because it’s where Derek and I started our life together.  We started our family there.  We experienced the hardest year of our marriage there and came through it stronger and more in love.  We learned so much about each other.  I learned so much about myself.  We both finished school and made amazing friends.  I learned so much about relying on God, about trusting Him, and looking back, I can clearly see ways that God provided for us, guided us, and loved us.  The 6 years we spent in California were, simply put, life changing.

Pasadena was our first stop on our week-long California vacation.  Derek wanted to go to his old school (Cal Tech) and visit with his adviser.  That sounded great to me because the campus is beautiful and such a fun place to explore with kids.  So while Derek visited, the kids and I watched the turtles–and by “watched” I definitely mean they tried to push them into the pond when I wasn’t looking and ran around like lunatics.  I finally found the perfect spot for them to burn off some of that energy.  It had been a long day of travel, and this was the perfect activity for them!

I sat in the grass with the biggest smile, watching my 3 favorite little people, enjoying the gorgeous weather and drinking in the beauty.  Houston is definitely lacking in the beauty department!  It was the perfect start to our vacation.

The last time we were on the Caltech campus was almost exactly 5 years ago for Derek’s graduation.  This was us then:

And this is now.

Be still my heart.  I love my family so much!

After we left the campus, we headed to the Kinsey’s house.  The Kinsey’s really deserve a post all their own, but with my horrible blogging track record lately, I’ll just give the abridged version right now.  I was a student at Azusa Pacific in 2001, and Beth was the nurse practitioner on campus.   Somehow by the end of my first visit to the clinic, we had arranged for me to meet her kids and possibly become their baby-sitter.  For the next 4 years, I picked them up from school, helped with homework, even baby-sat while Beth and Bob went on weekend trips.  But more than that, Beth and Bob took Derek and I under their wings.  Their kids, Jeff and Matt, became more like my brothers than just kids I baby-sat.  I still call Beth my California “mom”.   We started going to the same church as them where Derek and I met so many amazing friends.  Pretty much, Beth changed my life.  She is one of those people that I can think about and so clearly see how God provided exactly what I needed.  It’s hard to believe that Jeff is now in college in Boston (and we didn’t get to see him-boo!) and Matt is a sophomore in high school.  Matt was 7 when I first me him.  Crazy!  So anyway, Derek and I went to the Kinsey’s where we soaked up time and conversation with them.  And bad Megan!  I was so caught up in visiting that I forgot to take a single picture!   But I do have this picture of Matt, Jeff (holding Logan at just a few hours old) and Beth.  Love these guys so much!

We had an amazing first day in California!  And best of all, the fun is just beginning.

I love vacation.

So Happy

If I had to describe this couple in just one word, I would use the word happy. It was such a joy to spend the morning with them! I am so excited to see them become parents for the first time in just about six weeks. Although part of me finds that so hard to believe because I’ve known Caleb since he was about 8 and I’ve known Audria since she was in high school (or maybe even jr. high…) Caleb is the little brother of one of my very best friends, and even though he is all grown up now and has a family of his own, in my mind he’s still Staci’s kid brother. I think he’ll always be 10 in my heart of hearts.

But looking these pictures totally snaps me out of 1993.  Caleb’s all grown up now with a beautiful wife and a baby boy on the way.  There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to be an incredible father, just like I’m sure he’s an incredible husband.  Just look at how he looks at Audria!

I think that’s why I love so many of their photos (and I’m about to share a whole bunch…I just couldn’t narrow it down!)  They were so natural and comfortable with each other.  They were seriously a photographers dream and made my job so easy.

Now let’s talk about Audria for a minute.  She is gorgeous!  I mean really, it just isn’t fair.  I told her that she’s the kind of pregnant woman that others sort of want to hate except you can’t because she’s just so sweet and beautiful on the inside and out.  I grow like 14 chins when I’m pregnant, but not Audria!  She has the cutest belly and looks amazing.

I just have to share a couple more of both Caleb and Audria.  I love these three, all taken within just a few seconds of each other.

They are just so happy.  And so in love.  And so excited about meeting their son.  And I am happy and excited right along with them.


A senior first and last {Clear Lake Senior Photographer}

After a whirlwind month, I am wrapping up with my final senior of the season! Jonny goes down in Megan Thurman Photography history as being the first boy senior I’ve ever taken pictures of. I wasn’t really sure how it would go…I mean, senior girls are easy and I have loved photographing each and every one of them. But boys? What do I do with a boy? I had this same “I don’t know what to do or expect” feeling after I had my daughter following 2 boys. But any worry or stress was completely unnecessary because Jonny was great! He had some props, naturally posed all man-like, and had a great smile and serious face. He was relaxed and funny, and the very best part of all? He totally serenaded us with his guitar. And he is talented. I could have listened to him all day! In fact, I kept on making him take his guitar back out. You know, for the “pictures”. It had nothing to do with the fact that I just wanted to hear him play more. Ha!

Anyway, without further ado, here are your sneak peeks. Thanks for such a great session and making me realize that senior boy sessions aren’t so scary after all.

P.S. Tell me when your CD comes out. Because I totally want to get a copy of it!


Someday

Someday I’ll blog regularly again.

(If anyone still even reads this thing.  And even if no one does, that doesn’t change things.  Someday I will blog again.)

Man, I miss blogging!  The main reason for long silence on here is most definitely that little photography business that exploded with 9 regular sessions, 3 mini sessions,  and a preschool this month!  Must learn to balance…must learn to say no…but man do I love what I’m doing.   I love all the people I’ve gotten to meet.  I love capturing kids being their beautiful, goofy selves.  I love it all….minus the fact that it keeps me from blogging here.  By the end of the day (which most days this month is pushing midnight) I am completely tapped out.  My brain is mush.  And so I go to bed again without blogging.

But not tonight! Although now that I’m sitting here it’s like I can’t even think of anything to say.  So I thought I would go and look for some pictures to post, but that just overwhelmed me because it’s been so long since I last blogged!

I could blog about soccer season.


I could blog about the half-marathon that I ran…very slowly. I finished…that’s what matters, right? That’s what I keep telling myself. I wish I wasn’t so competitive and I could feel good about just finishing instead of feeling sort of embarrassed at my super slow time.


I could blog about our camping trip and San Antonio trip over spring break.


I could blog about the baby chicks we got to keep for a weekend that I was absolutely sure would not survive 2 days in the Thurman Casa with the cat plus a few kids who don’t really understand what it means to be “gentle” with something. But, against all odds, the chicks survived.


I could blog about how big Camryn is getting or how she likes to change her clothes 3-4 times a day or how she wore her new crocs for 72 straight hours after getting them.
I could blog about how Logan’s reading is really starting to take off and how fun it is to see it all come together for him.
I could blog about Connor and how it feels like we’re going to be coming up on a whole new set of challenges with peer pressure and negative influences at school.

I could blog about my pretty yard that I worked my butt off fixing up this spring. I dug up bushes, hardcore cleaned out flower beds, planted new flowers, mulched, and now I dutifully water each and every day since we haven’t had one dad gum rain storm since I did all that work a month ago!


I could blog about my cleaning lady who might just be my new bff, and how happy I am that I finally called her. It feels sort of life changing and liberating and I am already so very thankful for her and she’s only cleaned once! She is amazing.

I could blog about our vacation coming up in just 10 days! I cannot wait. We are headed back to Cali for a week of fun and friends and family and Disney! It’s going to be amazing.

There are probably a million other things I could blog about. But this is it for today. Just a little random writing about this crazy month.

All in all, life is really good. Life is really sweet. Things are busy, but good.

As precious as it gets {Houston Family Photographer}

I just loved meeting these two sweet kids (and their mom and dad, too, or course.)  But I have to admit, and I’m sure it’s no surprise, that I especially love the kids I get to meet.   Mr. R and Miss O were definitely a pair of cuties!  Their bright blue eyes, precious smiles, and adorable personalities made this session extra fun!

Miss O just turned 1 and seriously one precious little girl!  I loved the dresses her mom picked out and her sweet, shy little smiles just did me in.

And the blue eyes…and the lashes…just beautiful!

Big Brother R will be 3 in just a few months.  He was spunky and fun and such a talker!  I couldn’t get over how grown up he sounded.  Just like his sister, he was so stinkin’ cute with adorable curls and the same big blue eyes.

R and O are just 22 months apart and both under the age of 3, so I’ll admit to being a little apprehensive about getting some good sibling pictures.  You just never know with a 2 year old!  But R did great.  He was so sweet to his sister and acted like such a big kid.

While we were walking around the park, I stopped and snapped a few pictures of Miss O and her mama.  I love this one.  Such a sweet moment between the girls!  You can see it written all over their faces how much they love each other.  Pictures like this are one of the reasons why I love my job so very much.

Thanks so much, H family!  Loved meeting y’all and can’t wait to share the rest of your photos!