"JOSH" 2010 Spring Valley Sr.

Josh's senior session went GREAT last week, I think we all had a good time! He wasn't the least bit nervous like some guys are when they come for their senior session. Maybe where he came with both his older brother and sister during their sessions, he was just an old pro at it by the time it was his turn! LOL!!! We really enjoyed visiting with his Mom, Susan & sister Christina and also meeting his girlfriend Shayla. We even managed to talk her into having a couple taken with him! This makes us feel good to know that people like what we do so much that they keep coming back. Josh is the 3rd senior we have done in this family, and if I'm not mistaken I think he has 1 more younger sister. We look forward to seeing her in a few more years. Josh was very photogenic, I especially loved some of his more serious looks...with both the cowboy hat and the ballcap on backwards! Well I better quit rambling too long or else I won't get these posted today like I promised him I would. I hope that everyone enjoys this little sneak peak at Josh's senior session. :)

"CONGRATS" BCHS CHEERLEADERS!!!

We are soOOOOOOo proud of these girls and want to say "WAY TO GO BOYD CO"!!! They have been so very busy these last few weeks or months, with practicing hard and getting their routine perfected. Well I tell you what, I just watched their performace routine that they did in Bowling Green at the state competition and I literally thought it was a collegiate squad or something!!! These girls looked GREAT and hit every single one of their stunts and their tumbling was phenomenal!!! They really deserved the winning trophy but as it turned out they were presented with the first runner-up, but that is definitely something to be proud of girls! Also they just recently returned from Nationals in Florida and they didn't do too shabby down there either. They really represented this area quite well and were named 2nd place in the NATION!!!! So the girls have been out there busy collecting all kinds of trophies to add to their collection, LOL!!!! Also just want to say Thanks & Congrats to Misty, Kelli and all of the others who worked with the girls that I don't even know who they are. But also one last word before I close, a great big "THANK YOU" to all of the girls parents who work so hard all year long & are always doing anything and everthing (car washes, bake sales,etc.)they can to support the squad. Not to mention running them to practices and tumbling and always being their #1 fans at all of the games & competitions!!! Without all of these people and the true team spirit and effort that it takes to win, none of this would even be possible. Yay, BOYD COUNTY CHEERLEADERS you all are the greatest and make us so proud!!! :))

Childhood Winter Memories

For me the cold winds and snow of winter makes me recall my youth when we lived with my Grandmaw in Carter Co. Although Grandmaw's house was a very nice home, it didn't have all the modern comforts that we are so spoiled to. The outhouse was about 150 feet across the backyard. It was actually built over the creek, but before anyone tells me that it polluted the creek I'll mention that the creek had red water running in it. The water running out of the old coal mine corrected the problem with the outhouse. There was no central heat in the house, there was a warm morning stove in the living room and a fireplace in Grandmaw's bedroom. While the stove put out more heat, we sat around the fireplace. By the time we went to bed on a cold winter night we had baked our shins. The real fun was the next morning when we had to get out of bed. It may not have been cold enough to freeze water in the bedroom but it sure seemed like it could have. Also in the winter Mom did most of the cooking on the big flattop cook stove. While we got hot around the fireplace and froze getting out of bed, it is from this time that my best memories were formed. We had to carry in firewood and coal, we did have running water but if often froze up in the winter and then we carried water from the well. In the winter the big hill behind the blacksmith shop provided hours of riding a sled. Our sleds were made by my father and while they were just a plain old sleds, they were great! We lived 3/4 of a mile from US 60 on a gravel road and by late winter there were more mud ruts that gravel. Dad had to milk the cow and mom would gather the eggs. We lived about 2 miles from Wilson Creek grade school. Mom had to learn to drive and get her driver licenses to take us to school and back. The one room school was heated by a potbelly coal stove. The outhouses were on the back side of the playground which meant that no one used them in the winter unless you had to really go.

While I have many more memories of winter, I think the memories from ages 7 to 9 are the best. While we lived a rough life compared to today somehow this was a very happy time for me. The only winter weather that I don't like is ice. If I can I stay indoors when there is ice on the ground and sit and look out the window and for a few seconds remember the warm family that provided all the love that a little boy ever needed. This has to mean that I have forgotten just how cold that seat in the outhouse really was!

BCHS Basketball Homecoming Dance

Saturday nite is BCHS Basketball Homecoming Dance and we will be open from 3:30 till 7:30. We just got our new background in on Monday for the dance and it looks GREAT!! I think it will look so good with all of the different colors of dresses!!! And if anybody is still trying to decide where to go eat, Callihan's is open now at the mall. Bill and I ate there on Monday and it was really good. I can highly recommend the stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer!!! Hopefully the snow storm that they are talking about just passes us by and doesn't cause any problems for Saturday plans!! Bill and I always look so forward to all of the dances because we just love seeing everyone all dressed up and having so much fun. I have posted the packages that we will have for you to choose from and the prices & packages are exactly the same as they have been for several years. Just give us a call if you wanna make an appointment, but as always walk-ins are welcome too. We never turn anyone away!!! Feel free to call the studio at 928-5854 if you have any further questions, we look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday nite!!! :)

Theresa and I would like to Thank everyone that made 2009 a great year at Whitlock Photography. We love photography. It is exciting to meet new faces throughout the year, plus it's great to see the old friends that return for additional photography.

I am debating making a few changes in the business side of WP. We made a trial run at the end of the year and the changes were well received. I will make my mind up in a few days and will post them here. The objective is to provide better service and increase the value of our portraits. Unfortunately there will probably be a small price increase. We haven't changed our prices in at least three years. We are looking at a new line of framing and think that it will be a great addition to the mouldings that we currently offer.

A change that we want to make is, we want to do more on location sessions outside of the studio. Since I find photography as exciting after 30+ plus years as the first year in business. I am going to be easy to talk into doing location work. If you can catch my interest in where and how you want to be photographed the session fee may be waivered completely!

Thanks Everyone,
Bill and Theresa

Mickie 2010 "BOYD CO."

Oops......I totally missed posting Mickie's images from his senior session a couple of weeks ago!! I am so scatter brained these days with Christmas stuff and having to cope with the idea of my Daughter & her family getting ready to move to Australia. Knowing that we won't get to see them for almost a year is really hard, but hopefully the time will go by quickly. Thank goodness for webcams & "SKYPE"!!! Okay, well I said in an earlier blog that I was gonna try my best to make shorter blogs & make a sincere effort to limit my ramblings. So I'm not off to a very good start,am I?!? LOL!!!! Now back to Mickie's images, he was just a SUPER nice guy and had such a pleasant personality & so easy to be around. Also he was extremely helpful during his session, everytime we changed backgrounds or were moving props in & out.....we just might have to keep him around!!! LOL!!! The ones of him with his hunting stuff turned out GREAT, it's just kinda' weird thinking how that really was a couple of deer head skeletons. Also I thought the ones of him in the black shirt turned out really good, especially loved the one with the smile! He better get ready because I have a feeling that all of the girls will be in line to get one of his wallets with "NO SHIRT" on! Well if I don't stop before long this blog will end up being like my typical posts that go on forever. So once again, I sincerely apologize for not posting this sooner but my poor little pea brain kinda' got lost in baby "Isaak" mode for the last couple of weeks!! LOL!! I hope that everyone enjoys this little sneak peek of Mickie. :)

My Best Christmas Present " E V E R " ! ! ! !

This was something that my kids did for me & Bill today on Christmas that made us happier than anything else possible!!! I just now heard from my daughter & they have made it over half way back to Wilmington N.C. tonite & the baby slept all the way. It is the preferrable way to travel for them these days, when Isaak is sleeping and understandably so. He is so full of energy and doesn't like to be confined to a carseat for long periods of time. I am missing that little guy already and can't hardly wait for him to come back in a few days. We want to share every moment possible with them before they move to Australia again in a couple of weeks. I want to say Thank You to all of my family for making this happen for me & Bill today. It was sort of a group effort to accomplish this.....first off I want to say thank you to my "HUBBY" for being such a great photographer & having all the knowledge to set the camera & lights. Then thank you to both Jason & Natalie, our beautiful children for their loving smiles & helpful caring ways. They were so good at co-ordinating clothes on the spur of the moment. Also I want to say thank you to my son-in-law who was suffering with a migraine headache for being so gracious to allow us to do this while he wasn't feeling so well. Also thank you to Isaak for being just so "STINKIN' CUTE" and doing so good when he was really tired from his nap being cut short today!! Then thank you to my Mom for actually being the one to push the button on the camera & being the photographer for the day. And doesn't she look great?!?! I look like I could be her Mother. LOL!!! And then last of all thank you to my Mother-in-law who was such a good sport for going along with all of this when she had "NO IDEA" that we were even gonna do this. Actually we didn't either. LOL!!!! But that's how our family tends to do things.........we just go with the flow and we're very last minute, spontaneous kind of people. We have tried for nearly the last 5 to 7 years to do our family portrait so I am just thrilled that we could finally make it become reality. That is why this is the best christmas present "EVER"!!! I just want to take this time to wish everyone a MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS from our family and hope that your family is equally blessed as ours was this beautiful holiday season.