christistonerphotography.com

Anniversary Session

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:26:00 GMT

Lancaster Pa, Anniversary Session

What a delightful way to celebrate marriage! It was a beautiful evening by the lake, bathed in light.

Michael and Lisa Family

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:45:00 GMT

lancaster pa family session

A beautiful October evening in Lancaster Pa for a family photo session.

aevin newborn session

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 02:00:00 GMT

lancaster pa newborn session

A cozy in home newborn session. We had beautiful white walls, lots of morning light streaming into the home also made for well lite images.

Dwayne and Kim Extended Family Photos

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:00:13 GMT

Extended family photos lancaster pa

As the summer days come a close, gathering outdoors with family feels all the more important. Quick sneak it in, while the evenings are warm and full of light. Enjoy the laughter together as the golden rays set. Extended family sessions are always a party!

Seth and Liz Family session

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:45:00 GMT

Lancaster Pa family photos

A beautiful evening at the park. It was warm and sunny, a perfect autumn evening for family photos in Lancaster Pa.

Downtown Lititz Family Session

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:52:27 GMT

Lancaster Pa family session

Golden sunshine. Loving Family. Charming downtown Lititz, Pa. It was a glorious July night that we took to the streets for this fun family session.

Jordan and Karissa Engaged

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:16:10 GMT

Jordan and Karissa Lancaster pa session

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful winter day! We had sunshine and just a little chill in the air. It was a perfect evening to capture Jordan and Karissa's engagement photos.

Jesse and Anna Engaged

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:53:42 GMT

Lancaster Pa photo session

It was a beautiful May evening to celebrate these two and their love for one another. The sun was shining as we walked around the park, we even found a flowering bush.

Drew Newborn Session

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 14:30:01 GMT

Lancaster Pa, Newborn session

Welcome to the world Drew! He had a whole family ready and waiting for his arrival. Surrounded by his sister and brothers, we captured his place in this family. He was clearly loved and there was much excitement as to his arrival. A newborn session with multiple children adds a whole new level of fun to a session. As a photographer, I enjoy watching siblings navigate their reactions to this newest arrival to the family unit. Some children are filled with nothing but joy and acceptance, while others are more timid about how to interact with a baby. Either way, it's a honor to be invited into these spaces and capture these moments.

Charlie Newborn Session

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:10:29 GMT

Lancaster pa, newborn session

It was a snowy morning, but by that afternoon, the sun had shone enough to melt off the roads. It was a delight to meet little Charlie. He was wide awake and cheerful for his moment in the spotlight. In home newborn sessions are a delight. Baby can be awake or asleep, your baby can't do it wrong.

Grumbine Acres Family Session

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 10:54:21 GMT

Grumbine Acres family session

When my friend Katie, asked about a golden hour family session on their farm in Myerstown Pa, I was all for it! Katie is a creator of many talents. She is not only a homeschooling mom, but also a former photographer, seamstress, & postpartum doula - just to name a few, there are more creative outlets that she has spent time in as well. But currently she has turned her creative jucies towards the flower world. She and her husband have opened Grumbine Acres to the public for flower picking, in season. As well as selling bouquets in season as well. Check them out here.

Jack Newborn Session

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:57:47 GMT

Newborn session

This sweet little guy, with his head full of dark hair, was so relaxed his entire session.

Greg and Joni Family Session

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 18:24:12 GMT

Greg and Joni Family Session- lancaster pa

It was a warm and sunny, June evening. These friends found a wheat field for their session. I was delighted to have them play in the sunbeams for their family/maternity photo session in Lancaster Pa.

Henry Newborn Session

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:21:15 GMT

Henry Newborn session Lancaster Pa

Mid-winter newborn session. This close-knit family was a delight to photograph. I loved the stately boy's room and the lovely girl's room.

Ivan and Marian Meadow Session

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 11:00:00 GMT

Family session, Lancaster pa

A sunny May evening, taking photos out in the meadow, in Lancaster Pa

Nolt Extended Family Session

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 22:04:39 GMT

Extended family session, lancaster pa

When family comes in from out of state, and others are getting ready to move out of state... it's a perfect time to get dressed up and come together for photos! A lovely warm June evening to meet at this historic site in Ephrata Pa.

Newborn Owen, Lancaster Pa

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 03:07:48 GMT

Newborn Owen, Lancaster Pa

In-home newborn sessions...it's so relaxing, being in your own space, documenting the memories made there.

Woodland Riley and Katharina

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:34:27 GMT

Woodland Session: Lancaster Pa

A beautiful summer evening in Lancaster Pa for this 30 minute woodland family session.

Felicity Newborn

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:37:18 GMT

Felicity Newborn, Lancaster pa

A quiet morning session. It was a delight to photograph my friend's newest little Love, sweet baby Felicity. The session was so relaxed and full of snuggles.

Aj and Jenna: Woodland Session

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 02:03:01 GMT

AJ and Jenna family Session, Lancaster Pa

Family photos are best done when the sun is warmly setting and the children are well fed and content. It was a lovely evening for this Lancaster county, Woodland session, in the woods. Thirty minutes goes by fast when you are having fun.

Life in the kitchen

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 15:30:00 GMT

life in the kitchen, Lancaster pa

What stories would our kitchens have to tell about the life lived within them?

As I looked through these images I saw a theme of busy hands. Specifically, a mother's hands...

combing her daughter's hair
feeding hungry bellies with snacks
preparing delicious pastries for the family she loves
washing dishes which keeps the home clean and inviting

In the kitchen there is dancing, hugs, & laughter. So many teachable moments happen in the kitchen. So many memories made.

Yes, in the kitchen work is done. Some days it's mundane work, it's not often glamourous. But, if we have eyes to see, it is the good work of knowing we are providing not only physical nourishment, but also emotional nourishment for the souls God entrusted into our care.

Camden Newborn session

Wed, 24 May 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Camden NEwborn SEssion Lancaster Pa

A delightful morning spent capturing the love of this family as they celebrate the birth of their second son. I love coming into your homes and documenting these moments.

Martin Extended Family

Tue, 16 May 2023 16:49:58 GMT

Extended Family Session- Lancaster

A beautiful Spring evening spent with the Martin family. Extended family sessions are a party! There is always someone in the background to make you laugh. Sessions consist of 1-2 whole family poses, then we do break outs of individual family units, grandparents with grandchildren, all the girls, all the boys, etc. I love when families come dressed up in lovely colors, armed with a determination to have a good attitude. This family did both. It makes for delightful photos!

Newborn

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 18:45:00 GMT

Newborn Session- Lancaster Pa

You're first baby, the one that makes you a mother...it's a season of highs and lows for sure. Regardless of the hard, its a delightful new season to enter into. For this family that first born child is a precious daughter, Ellowyn. A beautiful name for this darling daughter.

I love that I get to capture these love filled moments in the comfort of my clients' homes. It adds layers of meaning and sentiment to the photos...remembrance of this season in the very rooms that joy, love, forgiveness and growth happens.

Ethan and Nandri Wedding Day

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 03:45:00 GMT

Ethan and Nandri Wedding

I'm not a wedding photographer, I am a family and newborn photographer. I shouldn't blog these pictures because if I do, people will, understandably, will reach out and ask if I am interested in doing more weddings. Which I'm not... for the most part. But I know there are many people who love both Ethan and Nandri, who would love the see these pictures. Plus the photos from this wedding are just to beautiful to not blog. So here they are!

It was a beautiful March day for a wedding! These two were a delight to photograph. We started the morning off with getting ready at a friend of bride's home. I walked into the room and was meet with the sound of laughter and excited chatter. The flower by Bonita Beachy were gorgeous. Then we buzzed off to Akron park for first look photos as well as bridal party and family formals. From there we headed to Oasis Mennonite Fellowship for the ceremony and upstairs to the Silk Mill on Main for the reception. After lots of laughter and some tears at the open mic, the bride and groom swept through a sparkler exit and headed off to the honeymoon in the get-away car... or Jeep, I should say.

Newborn Quinn

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:52:03 GMT

Quinn Newborn session - Lancaster pa

The sweetest in home newborn session. Little Quinn was charming me and my camera the whole session long. Not only Quinn, but also her darling big sister. Her shy smile and big bright eyes were simply adorable! I loved the color scheme of cream, oatmeal, white and the pop of pink. The colors made for lovely, soft colored photos.

Sensenig Extended Family Session

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 18:08:12 GMT

Extended Family Session Lancaster- Sensenig family

A beautiful, but somewhat chilly, October evening for this extended family session. The goldenrods were still in bloom with their brilliant yellow. The family's choice of blues, whites, and tans looked great with all the yellow blooms. Extended family sessions typically last 60-90 minutes. Each family unit gets their own mini session. These sessions are priced by family units. You receive a client questionnaire to help ensure I deliver a gallery you will love, a style guide and access to download any and all of the images from the session. For the year 2023, extended family sessions are being booked on Thursday evenings, with very limited Saturday openings come the fall. Click the "book now" button to have a price guide emailed to you.

Zara Newborn session

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 01:01:37 GMT

Zara Newborn Session Lancaster pa

Welcome to the world Zara! It was a chilly winter morning but it was all cozy vibes for the session. I loved how Sharon had all the children in soft fabrics and neutral colors, perfect for a newborn session. It was fun to find pockets of the house to use, like bedroom with big floral wallpaper and the charming little nursery. Zara was awake most of her session and we all delighted in seeing her pretty eyes peering out. With lifestyle newborn sessions, there is no wrong way for baby to be, awake or asleep, both are perfect.

Calvin and Linda Family Session

Sat, 11 Mar 2023 18:55:31 GMT

Calvin and Linda Family session lancaster

It was a beautiful Oct evening when I met Calvin and Linda along with their nine children by the lake for their family session. We did family photos, individual photos of each child and plenty of fun action photos. Having a wide range of ages in the children can sometimes be a challenge, but this family was so flexible. I loved their joyful attitudes. The love mom and dad had for each other, and their children, was evident. What a delight to be part of a family.

Derrick and Ruth Maine Wedding

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 04:11:13 GMT

Maine WEdding

It was 5 degrees the morning of Derrick and Ruth's Feb 25th wedding. That's Maine weather for you! Thankfully it warmed up to a lovely 14 degrees by the afternoon...Brrr! Feet and hand warmers, wool leggings and snow boots were a must for outdoor photos! After a beautiful first look in the woods, followed by bridal party photos and family formals we headed to the church. If I counted correctly, 15 nieces and nephews paraded down the aisle before the bride made her appearance. After the ceremony we whisked off to the reception site, took some chilly, but heart warming husband and wife photos before entering the reception. Walking into the community room left me breathless! They had changed into a magical winter world complete with real fir trees and countless twinkle lights. During the reception the bride's brother auctioned off a piece of cheesecake in honor of the newly married couple. The winner, a cousin of the bride, was pleased to hand over $500 in exchange for the slice of cake. There was a hearty dose of joy and laughter along with it. The children were not to be forgotten! A piñata, shaped to look like a doctor's coat in honor of the groom, Dr. Swartzentruber, was the delight of many youngsters. The open mic provided much laughter and tears. Before ending the evening, the bride and groom quickly snuck in some extended family photos. What a joy to have so many souls to love you and call you family! The night ended with a smoky, but dazzling, sparkler exit. Blessings to the newlyweds being in the hearts of all.

Merryn Newborn Session

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:08:44 GMT

Merryn Newborn- lacaster pa

Sweet Merryn, not only a perfect Christmas season blessing, but also she is "baby number five"! She is blessed to have four older siblings who adore her. What a delight to be born into a home where so many hearts and arms are ready and waiting to love you!

Taya Newborn Session

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 18:57:54 GMT

Taya Newborn Lancaster Pa

It was a chilly December day but it made for a a cozy newborn session. Mom and Dad's love for their sweet Taya, and for one another, was delightfully evident. What a joy it is to capture love upon love.

Isaac Newborn Session

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:36:15 GMT

Newborn session - lancaster pa

A snuggly, in home newborn session. What better way to make it snuggly then to do an outfit change into darling matching pajamas! From the couch to the rug to jumping on the bed... it was a fun morning for all. It's always an honor to be invited into these spaces to capture the love of family.

A new puppy?!

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 02:42:55 GMT

Gold point Pups - Manheim Pa

Surprise...We are getting a puppy?!?! When you have 7 children it just seems natural that you should at least have two dogs, right? We connected with Amy over facebook and are delighted to have been chosen as her "guardian home" choice for this adorable English Golden puppy. Amy's care for her puppies is above and beyond anyone we've ever met. To name a few things that set her apart from others...

She makes a group chat for all the puppy buyers of the litter and sends daily updates, videos & photos
Lots of trainings- sounds, touch, potty, crate, etc
offers personality tests
plays with them/ provides toys
daily clean ups

The amount of time she intentionally invests into her puppies... it's amazing, clearly a full time job! Especially when she has more then one litter to care for at a time. It has truly been a delight to meet her and her sweet family of dogs. Read more about the dogs she breeds and the services she offers here.

Addy and Family Session Lancaster Pa

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 12:09:24 GMT

Lancaster Pa Family Session

The Jan chill didn't keep the smiles away during this lifestyle family session. Part indoor and part outdoor. The crisp air made for rosy cheeks and bright eyes!

Evelyn Newborn Session

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 02:54:10 GMT

Evelyn Newborn Session Lancaster Pa

A beautiful day for newborn photos. Nothing sweeter then seeing a new parents gently loving on their precious gift from God above.

Eila Newborn Session

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 23:01:38 GMT

Eila Newborn session- lancaster pa

A snuggly newborn session in the comfort of their home. So sweet to meet little Eila. She welcomed with great joy!

Josh and Alissa Family Session

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 13:13:03 GMT

Josh and Alissa Family session

Turns out Aug is a good time to come play in my creek! So fun to have this family come visit my home, based in Lancaster Pa, to splash and get wet!

Dustin and Irene Family Session

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 22:45:42 GMT

Dustin and Irene Family Session

This July, downtown Lititz Pa, session started with a suddenly dark sky and pouring rainstorm! We sat in our cars and I questioned if they wanted to reschedule, but seeing how they came from out of state and had a busy schedule visiting family, tonight was the night! So we made a mad dash for the covered porch and started the session despite the rainstorm. Suddenly, as fast it came, the storm lifted. We were delighted. I was so thankful to capture the beauty of their sweet girls, with their long hair, running and playing out from underneath the confines of the porch. Oh, how those curls did fly!

Travis and Janessa Family Session

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 17:04:22 GMT

Travis and Janessa

One of the last warm, early fall, evenings in Lancaster Pa. Perfect for family photos down by the lake.

Nate and Sarah Family Session

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 10:51:28 GMT

Nate and Sarah Family Session

It was so fun having Nate and Sarah come to my home, Lancaster Pa, for their family session. We hiked up to a spot in the woods where the children could play and the light was ample.

Hess Extended Family

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 15:59:39 GMT

Hess Extended Family

When the family is all together in the same state at the same time, it's a great opportunity to do photos!

Zander Newborn Session

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 17:12:47 GMT

in home newborn session

In home newborn sessions are so special. I am honored when people invite me into their home to capture these moments.

Martin Extended Family Session

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 16:52:36 GMT

Martin Extended Family- Lancaster pa

A lovely afternoon in Lititz Pa to gather for this extended family session.

Matt & Dorothy Family

christistonerphotography@gmail.com (Christi Stoner) — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 16:52:33 GMT

Matt & Dorothy Family- Lancaster Pa

Beautiful late summer evening to play in the sunbeams at Overlook Park, Lancaster Pa. A fun twist to the session was the pets that each child brought!

Rohrer Extended Family

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:01:00 GMT

Fall photos are just around the corner so it’s time to get this gorgeous fall session from last year posted!

Tip: For chilly days, bring a warm blanket to snuggle the little ones in.

The post Rohrer Extended Family appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Five things to expect at an extended family session

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 02:07:00 GMT

Extended family sessions typically last 60-90 minutes. I keep things moving as fast I can because I understand how easy it is for children to become unglued. I always suggest you come prepared with snacks and drinks to help the little ones keep from wilting as they wait. But its also true that extended family sessions have always been a party! The kids play with cousins and the adults chat. I love that I get to be a part of the family reunion.

1. Traditional Group Photo .

This means a photo of everyone in the group looking at the camera. This is usually the first photo of the session because I know that it’s important, plus all the kids are still willing to stand still. I do head swaps if I need to, but try my best to get it right straight out of camera.

2. Each family gets their own Mini Session .

We do the whole group. We then focus on Grandpa and Grandma. They get their own duo photos along with grand-kids only, adults only, individual portraits of each grandchild, and any other combinations that Grandpa and Grandma want. But after that I then focus on each family unit and spend about 10-15 minutes with each individual family getting photos of them.

3. Each family gets access to the entire gallery of images.

Extended family galleries are big. I promise 20 images to Grandma and Grandpa of the first set of photos with the whole group, grandkids group photo, individual head shots of each grandchild, candid shots, etc. Then I promise 8-10 images per family mini session. The gallery of high resolution digital files is open for downloading. This means you can make calendars, photo books, photo magnets, mouse pads, puzzles, blankets, mugs, prints for your walls, large poster size prints…the options are endless! Christmas gift ideas abound.

4. Lifestyle Photos

We do the traditional family portraits but, the candid photos still must happen! So you will also find lifestyle photos scattered throughout the gallery as well. These happen during the breakout sessions of each family as well as randomly during the session.

5. Portrait photos of each grandchild .

This is great time to update the grandchild wall or photo book.

One last note, to prepare your younger children for a photo session I advise you r ead this post.

The post Five things to expect at an extended family session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

romantic air bnb getaway: The Nest

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 19:20:00 GMT

It has to be beautiful and it has to be in a peaceful atmosphere. . . These are my biggest desires when it comes to a weekend getaway. The Nest was both… and more!

We loved that this charming little lake house was only an hour drive from home and yet it was tucked away in a quiet community. The set up of the house is cozy and romantic. There is a loft bed, literally hanging from the ceiling. We felt spoiled by all the fun little details that this air bnb offered. Such as a boat, super soft throw blankets, an easy to use fireplace… just to name a few.

The interior of The Nest was very clean, up to date with wifi, streaming tv, a/c, etc. And to top it off, it was charmingly decorated! I felt like I walked into a magazine and got to soak it up for three days.

Even thought it felt remote, we were just a 10-15 minute drive away from lots of fun little shops and cafes, as well as Cabela’s. Which became necessary to visits in order to be stock and well supplied for the fishing. We found the cutest coffee shop nearby. If you are in the Hamburg area it’s worth a visit, Cafe Four Twelve. We also enjoyed browsing the antiques shops that were on the same street as the coffee shop.

During our stay, we saw our share of wildlife. There was multiple deer sightings as well as some baby racoons, a fox, a mink family and many different kinds of birds. Most of the animals were seen in our travels to and from Hamburg and Kutztown for our breakfast and supper outings.

We had such a relaxing time at The Nest. We enjoyed slow, quiet mornings out on the dock reading and fishing, peaceful boat rides at all hours of the day, and star gazing on the dock at night.

We saw the glory of God in his creation as well as the building itself. This place has a history of being abandoned and left to rot. The new owners came in with a vision… There is a photo book of the renovation process. The whole place speaks of the beauty of redemption and new life! If you are looking for peace and beauty, this spot is worth a visit.

The post romantic air bnb getaway: The Nest appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Everlee Newborn

Wed, 18 May 2022 17:21:00 GMT

click here for 5 tips on getting ready f or an in home session . Or click here for more newborn photos

The post Everlee Newborn appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Eliana Newborn Session

Wed, 18 May 2022 16:14:00 GMT

For more information on newborn sessi ons click here. Click here to see Dave and Laura Family session.

The post Eliana Newborn Session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Dave and Laura Family Session Spring

Tue, 17 May 2022 19:19:00 GMT

To learn more about preparing your children for a sessions click here or to see more family photos click here .

The post Dave and Laura Family Session Spring appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Jeff and Michelle- Summer family session

Tue, 17 May 2022 18:43:00 GMT

The post Jeff and Michelle- Summer family session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Call me out of the boat…

Tue, 17 May 2022 17:32:00 GMT

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

Read Matt 14:27-32 for more context.

For the last few years this text has been very fascinating to me. And yet again today it strikes me deep in my heart. Peter asked Jesus to call him out of the boat …

And when Jesus calls, he steps out and he does the impossible.

But suddenly he realizes he’s in the very midst of the storm, he gets scared, he loses faith and doubts.

How I long to have the faith like Peter… and the desire, to want to be with Jesus so badly, that I’m willing to ask him to call me out of the boat. ..Just so that I can be with my Lord in the midst of the storm.

And yet…

And yet, I find myself able to relate to Peter in the fact that in the process of doing the hard miraculous things, I doubt my faith in his ability to keep me safe.

I sin. I sink. But I cry to Jesus to save me, forgive me! And immediately He saves me!!! There is the gentle rebuke, “oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

And it leads me to worship and thanksgiving.

The more I ponder this, I realize the “storm” for me is the daily dying to self in order to love my children well.

In this season, for me, the boat represents self-protection. But after a few days of pondering, I realized the boat is a false sense of safety! Jesus is a Sure Foundation, a mighty Fortress (Ps 18:2) and in a storm which is safer, a rocking boat or a fortress?

It was an awakening moment for me.

I have seven children.

Pretty sure everyone who follows me here already knows that. (Took four mothers to make that happen.) But really it was God, using a non-Christian organization, to bring our family together.

All that to say, I truly believe that this is the family God has for me. I do not question whether or not I am supposed to be a mother to these children. I have never question whether these children should have ever come. But I have a question my ability to love them well. I have questioned what does it look like to love these children like Jesus wants me to. To be clear, setting boundaries is not a problem for me. I am very quick to say- I need space, 10 minutes of mandatory table time, you can do it yourself, you will take quiet time, Etc.

Rather, my struggle is a not allowing myself to be a servant to the ones that Jesus called me to serve. To humble myself, to give up “my time” and “my space”. To give up what I would like to call “my rights”.
This is dying to myself, this is sanctification, this is not done without the help of the Holy Spirit… can I get an amen?!
Yesterday I looked for ways to love well, to die to myself, throughout my day. Because it encourages my is my spirit when I can look back at the end of the day and see what God did through me, despite myself.

Yesterday I read a book to a fussy child when I wanted to be busy in the kitchen. I stopped in the middle of unloading my dishwasher and danced with a child who asked me to. Again I read a book to end a squabble when I wanted to be sorting laundry. I went on a walk when I wanted to be getting my living room cleaned up.

It might not sound like much, but they were wins for me. When I want to read, dance and play- it’s easy. When it’s on my timetable, it’s easy to be a gentle loving mommy. But these moments listed above were during times of “I just want to get my work done, I want to be left alone.” Yeah, right there, that’s the attitude that needs sanctified. Remember I already said I do put boundaries in place, my children must take quiet time every day. There are mandatory “outdoor play” times. I have a helper twice a week…I get plenty of time alone. I’m not a doormat that my children run all over in unhealthy ways.

So for me, the right thing is to meet the needs of my children. Sometimes those needs are emotional needs and they need just me to be present and engaged, like dancing and reading books.

I want to be a mom who my kids can come to and I won’t shush them away. But it’s really hard because I’m task driven woman. (with seven kids there’s a time and place for that, don’t get me wrong.)

But I also want to be a gentle and loving mother who sees the needs of my children and is willing to put aside my schedule and my timetable to meet a need. I want to be like Jesus. He was grieving the loss of a dear friend, he went to the wilderness to grieve…and the needy crowds of people followed him! And I sit on the edge of my chair to see how he responds. . .

“I need some time to grieve, please leave me alone. I’ll be available in a few hours …”
Ha, No. Rather the Bible says he had compassion on them. Bingo. That’s the kicker to any busy, Jesus-loving, momma. I often pray for this kind of compassion!

Yes, I believe in refreshing my spirit- Jesus went to the wilderness (and fasted) for 40 days. There were times he said no to the crowds. But during his time of “refreshing himself” what was he doing? He was connecting deeply with His Father in Heaven.

So today, I’m thankful for the ways that I see him working. I’m thankful that I’m on the trajectory of becoming the woman he wants me to be. I’m thankful for the forgiveness and love and my precious children. I’m thankful that he gave all these children to me despite the effort and time that goes into raising them. I’m thankful for the many people that he has brought alongside of us in this parenting journey. I’m thankful for the prayers of the Saints on behalf of our family. I’m thankful that God is a God of redemption and that even my mistakes can be used by him.

This is not about me being the perfect parent, but rather me being willing to hear his voice and calling on him and asking to partner with him as I parent during the day.

The post Call me out of the boat… appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Musser Family Extended Family Session

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 03:04:00 GMT

I met with this family at Conrad Weiss Homestead. It was a beautiful July evening. There were grandparents as well as great grandparents, which made it an extra special session. This family clearly enjoyed being with each other. There was lots of laughter throughout the evening. Plus I love their choice of shades of reds and blues along with neutrals, looks so nice against the green backdrop.

With extended family sessions, they are a mini family reunion. We do the large group photos but then we do break-out sessions of each individual family unit. Meanwhile everyone else sits around and visits while they wait for their turn.

The post Musser Family Extended Family Session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Extended Family Session- High Family

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 01:44:00 GMT

It was a lovely October evening to have an extended family session in Lancaster Pa at the Middle Creek Wildlife Museum.

Choosing shades of purple as their accent color was perfect as it really popped them off the autumn backdrop.

The post Extended Family Session- High Family appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Brent and Ramona Family Session

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 14:44:00 GMT

It was a lovely fall evening in Lancaster Pa as we met to do a family session. The location not only had beautiful golden light but also horses! They were a highlight for the children.

The post Brent and Ramona Family Session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Newborn Session: Vylanna

Sat, 08 May 2021 04:19:00 GMT

In home newborn session.

The post Newborn Session: Vylanna appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Joel and Judith Family Session

Sat, 08 May 2021 02:59:00 GMT

Lancaster Pa outdoor family session, golden hour in October.

The post Joel and Judith Family Session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Newborn Eva/Lancaster Pa

Sat, 08 May 2021 02:51:00 GMT

Lancaster Pa Newborn Session. So much to love about a newborn session!

The post Newborn Eva/Lancaster Pa appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Extended family session, Lancaster Pa

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 18:41:00 GMT

Extended family sessions last 60-90 minutes. I advised everyone goes out to eat afterwards and make it a party!

What to expect at your extended family session.

The post Extended family session, Lancaster Pa appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Family Photos of the Garman family/Lancaster Pa

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 11:55:00 GMT

It was a lovely warm September day in Lancaster Pa to meet for this family photo session. We made our way to Blue Marsh with the anticipation of getting some family photos. The day was so warm and balmy that the water could not be resisted, which led to some really fun splashing photos!

The post Family Photos of the Garman family/Lancaster Pa appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Clayton, In home Newborn session

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 10:25:00 GMT

The minute I walked into Amy and Jake’s home I felt invited. The home was warm and welcoming. And full of joy at the arrival for sweet baby Clayton.

I love to grab some photos in the nursery if the light allows us.

Photos of mom and dad snuggling baby and loving on each other at the same time feels so important to me. It is the love of mom and dad that brought this baby into the world, it feels important to document it during the newborn session.

Thank you Jake and Amy for welcoming me into your home. It was an honor to be the one to document these moments.

The post Clayton, In home Newborn session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Adley Newborn In-home Session

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 09:51:00 GMT

Welcome to the world Adley! Your arrival brings joy to so many. I arrived mid-morning and spent about an hour in the home of Micah and Carissa. Adley was a little charmer, when he wasn’t sleeping, his little eyes looked intently around.

During a newborn session, the goal is the capture moments of you as a family loving on your newest member. My desire is that someday you can show your sweet babe these photos and your child will easily see how much they were wanted and loved. The photos show the delight you had in them!

Baby details are always important to document. Never again will those fingers and toes be so tiny.

Thank you Micah and Carissa for allowing me to come into your home. It was an honor to document this early season of Adley’s life.

The post Adley Newborn In-home Session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Lancaster city in-home session

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 16:19:00 GMT

It’s been a while since I did an in-home session, but this one was a favorite. I love going into old city homes. On thing about old homes, in general, is that the rooms are usually small. Not only small rooms but often times they have lots of windows, which is fantastic for in-home sessions. The challenge of small spaces brings me joy. I’m not exactly sure why that brings me joy, maybe because it forces me to be more creative with my photos.

A front porch with a swing? That’s a must use! Is there a neighbor’s trash can in the background? No problem. We can use camera angles to help us capture a beautiful image without actually moving the neighbor’s things.

Moving inside the home, I encourage families to play together. What do you as a family do together? Do you read books, bake, sing with an instrument? Whatever it is, lets do that and document it!

This home was a photographer’s dream with it’s light colored walls, warm wood floors, light colored rugs, and large windows.

We ended the session by stepping out back and doing some back porch photos. I love that in this session we had four different locations that we used, all in the home!

We were almost at the one hour mark, so it’s time to wrap it up, but first we need to grab some shots of just mom and dad. Back inside we go…

I love to grab some shots of just mom and dad. What a fun session this was! I loved meeting AJ, Jenna and Everett. Thanks for inviting me into your space and allowing me to capture these moments.

Thanks for reading and viewing this post. To see more of my work click here . If you have an in-home lifestyle session coming up, read this post on how to prepare your home.

The post Lancaster city in-home session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Flower Field Family Session

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 19:14:00 GMT

It was a wonderful way to wrap up those lovely summer evening photos, a flower field session. Judah and Bethany have been married 7 years. I love that they are obviously still in love with each other. During the last seven years of love and friendship, they’ve welcomed 4 little boys into the world. What a fun time it was at this session!

And that’s a wrap! What a fun time of playing games and loving on each other that session was. Full of life, energy and giggles! We ended it with the big boys waiting until mom and dad were halfway across the meadow and then I told them to go catch them. Lifestyle sessions are perfect for kids because along with the sitting still photos, we also do lots of movement!

Are you considering a session with me? Feel free to contact me below. Or if you have young children, read this blog post to help prepare them for your session.

Thanks for following along! – Christi

The post Flower Field Family Session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

5 things to expect with an Extended Family Photo Session.

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 01:20:00 GMT

1. Traditional Group Photo .

This means a photo of everyone in the group looking at the camera. This is usually the first photo of the session because I know that it’s important plus all the kids are still willing to stand still. I do head swaps if I need to, but try my best to get it right straight out of camera.

2. Each family gets their own Mini Session .

So we do the whole group. We then focus on Grandpa and Grandma. They get their own duo photos along with grand-kids only, adults only, individual portraits of each grandchild, and any other combinations that Grandpa and Grandma want. But after that I then focus on each family unit and spend about 10-15 minutes with each individual family getting photos of them.

3. Each family gets access to the entire gallery of images.

Extended family galleries are big. I promise 30 images to Grandma and Grandpa of the first set of photos with the whole group, grandkids group photo, individual head shots of each grandchild, candid shots, etc. Then I promise 8-10 images per family mini session. The gallery of high resolution digital files is open for downloading. This means you can make calendars, photo books, photo magnets, mouse pads, puzzles, blankets, mugs, prints for your walls, large poster size prints…the options are endless! Christmas gift ideas abound.

4. Lifestyle Photos

Yes, we do the traditional family portraits but, the candid photos still must happen! So you will also find lifestyle photos scattered through out the gallery as well. These happen during the break out sessions of each family as well as randomly during the session.

5. Portrait photos of each grandchild .

This is great time to update the grandchild wall or photo book.

To prepare your younger children for a photo session I advise you r ead this post.

Currently pricing for extended family sessions is the base price for “grandpa and grandma” (or whoever is the family member who pays) and then each family unit is an additional $50. Contact me on the contact form below for a client price guide or for any further questions.

The post 5 things to expect with an Extended Family Photo Session. appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Creation Museum and Ark Encounter with children.

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 15:40:00 GMT

We took 5 of our 6 children and did a fast paced vacation to the Ark and the Creation Museum. We live in Lancaster Pa area so it was a long drive and 72 hours later we were back home!

We originally were only going to take just our 12, 10, and 6 year old. But because of Covid-19 it changed all the schedules and so rather then leaving the two 4 year olds and our 2 year old home with multiple babysitters, it was just easier to change the plans, shake it all upside down and this is how we landed. We left our 2 year old, who HATES driving for more than two hours, with his favorite cousin and her family.

We left 9am on Wednesday. We stopped for lunch at 11:20am, perfect for beating the lunch rush. Which was good because all the restaurants at the truck stop were shut down (due to Covid) except the Burger King. Which, I might add, only had two employees working. We got there with 3 people in front of us. 20 minutes later were got our food and the line was about 6 people long and getting longer. I felt sorry for the poor ladies trying to man the one and only restaurant by themselves, especially as lunch hour was coming upon them.

Supper went better. Again we hit supper at 4:30pm and had 2 options and both were fully staffed. We pack grocery bags for trash, baby wipes, paper towels, and water bottles. This all helps with eating in the van in order to save time.

We also stored a little potty training potty in the van. Which was a good move for the young bladders. Every time you have to stop for a bathroom break you loose 15 minutes of travel time.

Unfortunately we hit traffic around Cincinnati. Due to moving from four lanes down to two did a number on the flow of traffic. But we are blessed to have a dvd play in our big Nissan NV passenger van , which helped everyone from having melt downs as we hit hour number 9 and then hour 10 of riding buckled up in a van.

As a side note, anyone who is looking for a review of this 12 passenger van , we have been very happy with it. My husband commented how nicely it pulled our pop-up camper. The seats can be removed for more space and storage. The down side is that there are no arm rests on the end of the row. Which for us has not been a problem, but others have minded it.

Back to vacation, we stayed at Big Bone Lick State Park. We stumbled upon this camp in desperation. Everything else we looked at was either too expensive (motel and Airbnb- lodging 7 people gets pricey) or at other camp grounds the bath houses were still closed, due to Covid.

As we combed over a map of the areas near the Creation Museum we eventually found Big Bone Lick State Park . And guys, it was so perfect! A 30 minute drive from the Creation Museum and 30 minute drive from the Ark. And the price, at $25 a night, was a beautiful surprise! While camping we discovered at least 5 of our fellow campers were also there because they were visiting the museum and the ark.

The state park itself was nice. They had some fun little hiking trails. Along with a buffalo herd. The park is called Big Bone Lick State Park because there is a natural salt spring and years ago it would draw the animals into it. Also, historically, people would come in horse drawn carriage to be in the salt spring due to health reasons. They have a whole trail dedicated to explaining the history behind the park. It was fun.

Ok to the main event, the museums. How did it go with young kids?

We got up, ate breakfast, and hit the road around 9am. After stopping at Starbucks, inside Krogers, for much needed coffee we were off again. We got to the museum and started our day by 10am.

We went through the museum first. The kids did great. They enjoyed looking at all the displays. They weren’t interested in all the written information so we went through it faster then if they had not been along, but overall I was impressed with how interested they were in the displays.

We then went out, got our packed lunches (no coolers allowed but lunch bags are allowed) and sat at the pavilion to eat. It was a VERY hot day. The pavillion was nice and cool and all sorts of birds gave us entertainment.

After lunch we played at the play ground and walked through the petting zoo, before going back into the museum for ice cream.

After ice cream we went into the planetarium for the 2:00 show. It was amazing! To realize how small we are compared to the known universe and yet God cares so much about us…it blows my mind. He is such a good God. The 4 year olds did really well, despite the fact that they didn’t understand any of it.

After the show, we split ways. Joel took our 6 year old along with the two 4 year olds outside to the walking paths, playground and petting zoo. I stayed in the museum and did another walk through of all the displays with our 12 and 10 year old. We ended up spending 20 minutes (and too much money) in the gift shop.

We walked out of the gift shop at 4pm and met up with the rest of the family. After a bathroom and water break, I then took the two four year olds back outside. Joel and the three older boys stayed inside for a 4D video. It had some strobe lights along with some other special effects that made me uncertain of how it would affect the younger ones. So rather then risk it, I took them back outside. They didn’t realize they were missing a movie and were delighted with more time playing on the playground.

We ended up sitting oppoiste the museum, across the lake to watch for Joel and the boys to come out. Once we saw them, we left to meet them at the front gate. We ended up leaving around 5:30pm.

It was a long day but good day. We picked up pizza on the way back to the campsite. We ate at the picnic area at the state park, attempted to play frisbee and then went for a small hike before going back to the camper for the night. It was hard to go to bed early due to it staying light until 9:15 pm.

The next morning we should have stayed at camp to recover and make sure kids got naps. But instead they all woke up earlier then they should have and didn’t sleep nearly as long as they could have. It should have been a warning for how the day was going to go.

We left by 8am, stopped for coffee and arrived to the Ark Encounter a little before 9am. We had packed lunches but realized it wasn’t ideal. We boarded coach buses that drove us up and back a winding road to the actual Ark. It was a little ways to drive and we would have to come back out for our lunches. We decided to skip going back for lunch.

When we got to the Ark, it was huge! But first we were unloaded at a welcome center type of building called the Answers Center. It had a large auditorium which had different videos and speakers all day long. You could stay there all day because something new was always next.

From the welcome center we then walked the path to the ark. It has one entrance and if you want to go through it again you walk back around to the entrance.

The ark itself is impressive. To see with your own eyes the size that it actually was… so awesome!

The younger kids did not do so great one day two. Was it because they were tired or because the Creation Museum did a better job of keeping their attention? I know not. What I do know is they begged to go to the playground when we were on the 2nd level of the ark, there are 3 levels. They were not interested in all the amazing fact and diagrams and animals in the cages.

One thing to note, there are no live animals in the ark. Not sure why I thought there would be. There is a small zoo along with a petting zoo. Both are located outside, behind the ark.

The playground at the ark matched it, huge and awesome! The kids loved it.

We went through all three levels of the Ark way too fast. Then walked through the zoo. Got to go in with the kangaroos, which was fun. Walked through the petting zoo and then ended up at Emzara’s Kitchen for lunch around 11:30am. It was a fun place to eat because of all the mounted animals.

Once again we did some divide and conquer. Ken Ham was speaking in person at 12 pm in the Answers Center. Joel wanted to hear him speak, I agreed that he should take the opportunity and go listen. So I took the kids to the playground and he went to the talk. About 30 minutes later, we were hot and tired so we all headed over to the Answers Center. We easily found Joel and joined him for the remainder of Ken’s talk. It was SO good. He discussed how we are all one race and that Darwin’s theory of evolution is full of racism. We ended up buying his book “One Blood for kids” . It’s been an excellent read.

After the presentation was over we all trekked back out into the heat and hit up the playground as well as walked through the zoo once more. Then we headed over to the outdoor theater to watch the 2:00 animal show about reptiles, which we all enjoyed.

Once the animal show was over we walked all the way back to the Answers Center and relaxed in the beautiful cool air conditioned room, listening to a live gospel concert. Once that finished, Buddy Davis and Ken Ham came out to do a children’s presentation about creation and dinosaurs at 3:30 pm. It was fantastic. Unfortunately, our younger three were at their limit for the day. One fell asleep on my lap while the other two did acrobatics in the aisle. This lead to them taking turns being escorted to the back of the room by their father in order to help them refocus and calm down. But eventually it was time to just leave. All things considering, we were glad we got to hear as much of the show as we did.

After leaving the show we once more divided up. I took the 2 youngest to play on the playground and Joel had his turn of browsing the gift shop with the three older children.

At the park I met a mom who also was doing the divide and conquer method. As we chatted I learned that her family was also staying at Big Bone Lick state park and she too was a previous foster mom to a total of 27 children! I love when God brings people into our lives, complete strangers, and yet they can encourage us.

After a trip to the gift, we deemed it time to go. The younger children were exhausted after two busy days, not enough sleep, and being out in the heat. We boarded the coach and ended up back at our van around 5 pm.

We then headed back to our campsite, ate a quick supper of leftover pizza and packed up. We had originally planned to stay at the site one more night, but we all missed Michael too much!! The children all voted to skip the campfire and drive through the night. We were back on the road by 6:30 pm and headed home!

We got home at 3:30 am and were reunited with our “baby” by mid-morning. It was a fun and worthwhile vacation but it was also SO good to all be home together again!

Things we learned:

The post Creation Museum and Ark Encounter with children. appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

If death has no fear over you…what have you left to fear?

Fri, 29 May 2020 19:24:00 GMT

Part two. Read part one here .

Surgery day came. We started it with prayers of protection and then headed out for the event. As we neared surgery time, the doctor popped in to say we were ready to go. I clearly remember him saying he just finished up the same surgery on the woman before me and I was next, “piece of cake” he said.

Seeings that it was a three hour surgery, I told my husband there is no reason for him to sit and wait around. I had a list of errands and asked if he would do them while I was in surgery. Remember six kids at home , so running errands is no easy task. To go by yourself makes multiple stops go so much faster. He was happy to oblige.

I remember going into the OR and the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery. The nurse was talking to me about something or another. If you had asked me I would have told you surgery went great! I actually woke up feeling better then I had going into surgery, the pain was less.

What I didn’t realize was that when Joel (my husband) got back to the waiting room, the receptionist was waiting for him. She immediately pulled him into a little room and told him that someone wanted to talk to him. A doctor soon came in and filled him in on the “excitement” that happened while he was gone.

Apparently, my heart stopped during the surgery. They called a code throughout the hospital, started chest compressions and gave me some sort of recovery med. Which let me just say, the next two weeks every time I sneezed or coughed my chest hurt, so I know that something had happened. My incisions were fine, it was my chest that hurt!

Anyways, the doctor assured Joel that there had been some overreaction to the situation. They should have just stopped putting the air in and my heart would have restarted on it’s own. It wasn’t as terrible as it sounded.

Basically, I had a reaction to the air that was put into my abdomen. (As a side note, my previous surgery I didn’t need air put into my abdomen so this was a surprise element. ) The air going into my abdomen cause a vagus nerve reaction which stopped (or nearly stopped?) my heart. It’s not a common reaction but it’s also not unheard of.

Later, the doctor told me this reaction, a vagus nerve stopping the heart, only happened one other time in his long career of surgeries. It gave them all a scare. They almost didn’t do the surgery. I told him I was SO glad he moved ahead with it. I would have been SO disappointed to wake up only to find out we needed to do this all over again.

But I admit, it was a very surreal feeling. I have thought often of it. The thing that I’m left with is this, I’m not afraid to die. If I had died, I know that I would be with God in heaven. My salvation is sure. My trust and faith in God the father, is secure. Jesus is my hero, long before surgery he saved me from death and gave me new life. To worship him in his radiant presence, the joy and peace that is there… I long for that day!

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. – Revelation 22:3-5

But I’m still here. And I’m thankful that God allowed me to still be here for the sake of my children and husband. And it’s this strange feeling of, it’s not a big deal, and yet it’s was, it’s hard to wrap my head around. If I had died, it would have been fine. I trust God that he would have taken care of my children and husband. He loves them more then I ever could, my deep love for them is just a small reflection of his great love for them.

It’s also strange because maybe it really wasn’t a big deal. No big deal, your heart stopped, don’t get sentimental over it. But I believe there was a purpose for all of this to happen in my life. I don’t really understand it yet. Maybe it was to strengthen the faith of my children or someone else. Regardless, I pray God will receive glory and honor in the way that He allowed this story to be written.

Looking back, if you had told me 15 years ago I would deal with infertility and then a hysterectomy, I would have lost it. I would have curled up and had a massive anxiety attack and depression would have set in. But God is so gracious. He has gently brought me on this journey and in the midst of the hard times he has been revealing himself to me and exposing my need for him. I am not the same girl that I was 15 years ago.

A lot of work was happening in my spirit as I anticipated surgery. It was a time of reaffirming my trust in God as I walked out a diagnosis that was anything but wonderful. I refused to doubt his goodness, I couldn’t. In June 2019, I knew I was heading into surgery and I was dealing with all the emotions of that. I wrote this in an Instagram post …

“I spent the first 20 plus years of my life living under a spirit of fear. I know anxiety well. I know shame well. But I am rejoicing today because I know the freedom of Christ! Yes, I still fight against anxiety and fear, no it no longer controls me. I have overcome because I had an encounter with Jesus Christ. I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing when I suddenly realized he knew me and loved me more then anyone else. It rocked me. I can always go back to that moment. I know that I know! That moment was the start of my release from fear’s grip. Fear, the kind that cripples and shames, is not from God. I learned to start renouncing that spirit of fear, in the name of Jesus. When you verbally call on the name of Jesus your enemy has to flee. The Bible says, “greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world.” I experienced that power first hand and I’m thankful. Bondage is no way to live. To live in Christ, is free indeed! I keep learning that I can not control this life that I live. So much is out of my power to change or manipulate. But I can face the unknown with courage and hope because no matter what happens in this world, I am God’s and he’s got me. Yes, I cry and get overwhelmed and I get angry and I make bad choices and I still sin. But at the end of the day, death means being swooped into the presence of God, my savior, my father. And friend, if death has no fear over you…what have you left to fear?”

I know that I am growing stronger in my faith and trust in Him, and that is by his grace. I can not take credit for his pursuit of me. It makes me weep tears of unworthiness and joy all at the same time. Please know this, the freedom in Christ, His love for those who love him, it is not out of reach for you. No matter your history or background, you are not without hope as long as you breath life on this earth. Seek him , repent of sins, claim him as your Lord and then start walking out your love in your obedience to him. Read his word, pray, worship. He desires that you be saved .

The post If death has no fear over you…what have you left to fear? appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

It was trying to kill me, so it had to go. . .

Thu, 28 May 2020 17:52:00 GMT

Part One.

Dramatic headline, I know, but it’s a true. Long story short, I ended up having my uterus removed, otherwise known as a hysterectomy .

If you have been following my blog you might remember this post , the one where I discovered I was anemic . That post ends with me getting two iron infusions and needing to get to the root of the problem.

Strangely enough, after my first iron infusion, my psoriasis started flare up like crazy. To date, I’m still trying to get it under control. But I will say, the iron infusions were worth it.

The rest of the story deals with some personal stuff. It’s tricky to know how to share, without over sharing. I will proceed with caution and I hope you will be encouraged as you read.

As you know, ” Anemia is a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s tissues. Having anemia can make you feel tired and weak.”- quote taken from Mayo Clinic.

To fully understand the part of the story that I’m going to share today, we need to rewind. Seven months prior to all this, October 2018, found me entering the operating room to have a mass removed from my uterus.

Fast forward 8 months to June 2019, I went back in for another ultrasound to determine what was going on inside my uterus. I truly felt like I could connect with the woman in Mark 5:25-34.

If you don’t know that account, it’s known as the woman with the issue of blood. She, unlike myself, was sick for 13 year, her bleeding never dried up. She spent her life savings on doctors. Finally one day, Jesus passed by. She said to herself, “If I could just touch the hem of his garment, I could be healed!” And it worked, she was healed just by touching his clothes. It’s a beautiful account. You should read it.

My favorite part about Mark 5:25-34 , years ago was explained to me like this, Jesus exposed her, to heal her. She was “found out” and still loved. He called her daughter. At the time, those words sank deep into my aching heart. I still hold them dear to me today.

Anyways, back to June 2019, the week after the ultrasound found me back in at the OBGYN. The doctor walked in, the results in his hand, telling me that the mass removed in October had grew back. Only this time it had double in size. He said it was too large to remove and the next step was a hysterectomy.

I was stunned. Everything seemed to happen so fast, too fast. Just four weeks ago I had discovered I was anemic and now I needed a hysterectomy?! We went ahead and scheduled the surgery, knowing that we could cancel if we wanted to. For whatever reason, I had to wait another 2 months to go in for the surgery.

The next 2 months were a blur. At first I cried. A hysterectomy was so drastic. Surely there should be some other options other then removing part of my body. Also it would be the final step in our infertility label, it would shut the door to the possibility of a miracle baby. It was a lot to process.

Yes, I cried at the thought of having to have surgery to forever remove my womb and all that it symbolized. But I also cried because of the debilitating pain it daily caused me. Everything got so very bad, that the last month before surgery they put me on a chemo med, which was a huge help. A little unnerving, but it basically stopped all my symptoms. Which was important because I still needed to somehow care for and manage my family.

Our children were 11, 9, 5, 3, 3, and 1… they really needed their mom to be present. It was hard. Thankfully I had helpers coming in, I couldn’t have done it without them. Looking back, I see that I was so very very sick. I didn’t go up or downstairs, I laid on the couch as much as I could, and took (approved) large doses of ibuprofen around the clock. I was functioning, but that was it.

My husband and I prayed for an answer, for clarity. Did God want to miraculously heal me? We were open to that! But eventually, clarity came one day as I was praying.

I had my eyes closed, asking God to hear from him. I don’t know how to explain what happen, but I suppose you could say it was a vision of some sort. I found myself at his feet, ready to touch the hem of his garment, just like the woman in Mark 5. Jesus stopped and extended his hand to me, palm up. In his hand was a hysterectomy.

His hand was actually empty but when I saw his palm extended to me, I knew it was a hysterectomy that he was offering me. I really don’t know how to explain it. But regardless, it brought me tremendous peace.

Fast forward to August 2019, I had some feelings of unrest the night before surgery. I wrote quick notes to all my children of my love for them. There was a sense of, I have peace, but at the same time surgery is full of unknowns. I wanted to leave my house “in order” in the event that something unforeseen would happen. I didn’t have a spirit of fear, but it felt important to be open handed with all the possibilities.

Surgery day came and the story that unfolded that day will never be forgotten. . . tune in tomorrow for part 2 of infertility journey.

Thanks for reading.

The post It was trying to kill me, so it had to go. . . appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Infertility, how it lead to a fruitful life.

Fri, 01 May 2020 02:18:00 GMT

Sometimes I forget that our family is “not normal”. I forget to see the beauty in our story, the miracle of our children. I can get bored and discontent with being a mom. I loose the vision of what God clearly called me to.

As a teenager, there was a lot of talk about discovering “God’s will for your life”. It was a big question. How was I suppose to figure this out? It felt overwhelming at times. There was a feeling of, I might get it wrong.

Fast forward to current day, looking back, I see that “God’s will” is not so easily missed or even complicated. Situations and opportunities come into our lives, we pray about them, realizing that God is ultimately the one who decides.

Sometimes we get to choose, sometimes God makes it so clear and we don’t get to choose but rather we submit to what he has chosen for us. He is a good father, a Holy God, he gets to be right, even when we don’t agree with what he chose.

In my life he chose to allow 2 healthy pregnancies and then then he closed that door. We prayed about having more children, we wanted it to be his will for us. Surely he’d want it to be his will too, right? Children, after all, are a blessing and God values children.

But God, in his goodness, valued me too. He could have blessed us with more biological children, but that is not how he chose to work in my life. Instead he made his will for me clear. Trust. Would I trust him? Would I love and worship him? Would I call him good and Holy despite not feeling his goodness?

This journey, of infertility, has wrecked me and redeemed me. I am not the same person I once was, praise God! The love that I now have for Jesus, my trust in God, my dependence on the Holy Spirit… our miscarriage and infertility was what God used to make that happen. Those months were the days of being undone and new thoughts were planted. A life shift happened for me and so much good fruit has happened in my life because of that sorrow.

This journey, of infertility, has wrecked me and redeemed me.

Ultimately, his will was not for us to more biological children. He made it clear, for that I’m thankful. My husband and I both went for testing. We both received news that there were major hindrances to having more children.

By the time we finally received that news, it had been well over a year of testing and effort put in our behalf. We did charting temperatures, progesterone & estrogen creams, as well as a few months of clomid , a fertility medicine.

The very last of many fertility focused appointment, the one that laid our journey to rest, was for my husband. We found ourselves being told the data didn’t make sense, there was some medical confusion. The doctor said at this point, the thing that made the most sense was that there was blockage somewhere. Our next step would be “invasive” in order to know for sure. He said he couldn’t “officially” say we would never get pregnant again but as things were, we wouldn’t. He gave us the diagnosis of “secondary infertility”. It was a such a surreal moment, we BOTH had the door shut to birthing more children.

At this point we had already gotten involved with foster care, (read more about that story here) . We sat in that doctor’s office, holding “our” 6 month old son, and were told that as of now another baby biological baby is not an option. We had already decided that if either of us had to anything “invasive”, that we’d be ok with releasing our pursuit of more biological children. We are not saying it would have been wrong to move forward with more treatment. But we, at this point, felt clear that God had called us to foster care and our dream of more biological children was already being replaced with the new dream that God placed in our hearts.

Regardless, the diagnosis was a loss of a dream for me. A miscarriage is a hard way to end your biological family. But I’m so thankful for God. He brings life and joy despite sorrow and death. You can read more about that story here.

As I think about God’s will, I realize more and more that he puts good passions and good desires within us. When we are willing to give those desires back to him, and tell him that he can use them in his way and on his time table, that is when we find ourselves in his will.

Wanting children is a good desire, but it can easily become an idol.

I desired more children. Wanting children is a good desire, but it can easily become an idol. I had to open my hand and release those desires. But now, 7 years later, I see that God didn’t want my desire for children to be satisfied with our two biological boys, because he knew there were four more children (and their biological families) who were meant to be part of our story.

I never expected this to by my life. I never expected being a mom to six kids, in a ten year time span, to be God’s will for my life. But he so gently wove this story together. Despite the sorrow, tears, and difficulties, God brought me to this place of being a mom to six. He did it in a way that has left me thankful for it, infertility and all.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. – Hosea 2:15

I recently had the realization, as I read Hosea 2:15, that my wilderness has been my infertility. It’s been a hard place and yet God drew me into that hard place so that he could expose his great love to me there. And that is what made all those dark days, worth it.

If you continue to read on, Hosea 2:16 it says, “And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.” What was once a wilderness to me, our infertility, God has made a fruitful place, a hopeful place!

Only God can take death and make it life. It compels me to worship him! I’m so thankful that he cares enough to allow sorrow, and that in the sorrow he doesn’t leave us.

As you walk through your wilderness, I hope you will find yourself turning towards God with your questions and your emotions. I hope you will learn to hear his voice speaking tenderly to you.

To read more about foster care click here . If you are interested in reading more of how God has worked in our life, you might enjoy this post.

The post Infertility, how it lead to a fruitful life. appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Lifestyle Newborn Session, Adelaide

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 11:17:00 GMT

Sweet little Adelaide was my last photo session before the coronavirus shutdown took place. We did an in home lifestyle newborn session. She was so happy to be held and talked to, she did great her entire session. I think that is one reason I love lifestyle sessions, the babies approve of them. Babies love to be held. They feel so safe and secure when they know mommy and daddy are there. It puts the little ones at ease. There is no pressure to get the baby to sleep. Awake or asleep, the photos look adorable. But often times, because they feel so at ease and secure, the babies do indeed fall asleep, like little Adelaide!

Adelaide is extra special because she is the first grand-baby to both sets of grandparents. She has eagerly been prayed for and desired. Welcome to the world sweet girl, you bring so much joy to your family, who loves you so dearly.

Thank you Matt and Briana for inviting me into your home. It was an honor to meet your sweet girl, she is so darling. Your love for her and each other is clearly evident. You’ve given birth at a difficult time, with all the shutdowns and not being able to see family and grandparents, that’s so hard. I’m so thankful you have each other and your trust in God to help you as you parent this new life. Your joyful spirits are evidence of your faith. Blessings!

The post Lifestyle Newborn Session, Adelaide appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Life with Psoriasis

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 01:33:00 GMT

It is what it is, I can’t change it.

Am I embarrassed by my psoriasis, sometimes, yes. It’s super obtrusive to the eye. But does it make me depressed, no. I try not let myself go any deeper then that.

I remind myself that I am thankful. My body still functions the way it should. My lungs breath, my eyes see, my legs move, my heart beats. My skin, well it has a mind of its own. It has fallen into the category of “the brokenness of sin”. Ok, that’s a joke. But only sort of. Adam and Eve sinned, thus we have brokenness in this world. Therefore we have sickness and disease. But these things, hardships on earth, make us long for heaven! I’m not sorry about that. Not only my skin, but my whole body, will be new and perfect when I get to heaven.

While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. – 2 Corinthians 5:4

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

So heres the deal. Sometimes my psoriasis goes in to remission. I love when that happens. I rejoice and praise God and thank him. But right now I’m in a season of a flare up. My husband prays almost every night for God to heal me, I receive that prayer. Yes, Lord Jesus may it be so! But I also had an experience a few months ago that taught me a different perspective as well.

One day I was worshiping God in my kitchen, before all my kiddos woke up. I turned and raised my hands to the window and as I glorified God, I found myself telling God he could have my flesh. My declaration caught me off guard. I started to cry. But I continued with my prayer. I told God, “I know you can heal me! But if covering my body in psoriasis brings you glory, do it! My flesh is yours.” I then saw myself giving my spotted skin to him, I just handed it right over. (That’s the grace of God. Only the Holy Spirit can prompt you to do the thing you fear the most)

Side note, the vision I had of handing my skin over, if you’ve never read the “ The Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader’ (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 5) ” it might sound like a weird thing to do. But in that book Eustace becomes a dragon. Aslan heals him, but first he has to take the dragon skin off. If you are still confused, just read the book, you will thank me later.

Anyways, I cried and worshiped and released. It’s a really refreshing place to be. That was three months ago, and He still has chosen to let me live with this spotted skin. So I wear it and try to be as joyful about it as I can. I desire not to complain about it. Sometimes I forget and have a meltdown. But then I repent and move on.

Jumping back to the morning, three months ago. During that moment of worship, Romans 8:26-29 came to my mind. I hang on to that truth with tenacity. Where else do we get the strength of enduring hard things without the hope of God? He says in those verses, he will use ALL things for good to those who love him. All things, even psoriasis, even infertility, even death, even ____________ . What about you? You fill in the blank. We all have hard things in our life. Your difficulties look different then mine.

I have come to realize, my obedience in trusting God, it blesses me. I have peace and joy, that is a gift! So I choose to believe that my psoriasis is for the good. When I want to complain about it, I now thank him for it. I think to myself, if Corrie Ten Boom could thank God for the fleas and lice, I can surely thank God for my itchy red skin! (If you don’t know that story, The Hiding Place (Radio Theatre) read or listen to it. It is SO good.)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. – Romans 8:28

Yesterday I fought a little inward battle. It was a beautifully warm spring day. I wanted to go for a run. But I knew my leggings under my running shorts would make me so hot. The question that caused the battle, am I willing to go out there, in short sleeves and “shorts”, for everyone to see me, covered in red splotches? I had to work through my feelings of embarrassment.

Thankfully the struggle was short lived. The question was answered by another question, what does God say to me about pride? Ouch. But really that’s what it comes down to. I’m prideful about how I want others to view me. It’s hard to be exposed when, what you expose, is not pretty. Yes, I’m talking physical but this also applies to emotional and spiritual exposure as well.

Years ago, during those years of counseling, I learned that to be exposed in the presence of God is the best place to start. He exposes us to show us our sin and then to show us his forgiveness when we repent. In that process, he shows us his great love for us. Exposure by God is amazing. Once you have been exposed by God and made it right, you no longer fear being exposed by mankind because you know you are in right standing with God. You suddenly loose “fear of man”. You loose the hold that worry had over you in regards to, “what will others think of me?”

Mark 5:25-34 recap, Jesus exposed her to heal her. . . that’s powerful!

² ⁵ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. ²⁷ She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” ²⁹ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰ And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ³¹ And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³² And he looked around to see who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” – Mark 5:25-34

God is more real to me because of psoriasis. I’d say that means he is already using it for good in my life. I hope that you are encouraged to take the hard thing in your life and opening your hand to God with it. Allow God to expose you. I pray as you do, that you will grow deeper in love and trust and faith. And that you will see his goodness to you in the midst of the hard thing.

Want to read more about God using hard things? Read this post. To read a quick history of my start with psoriasis, click here .

To read more about my vision for my photography business click here.

The post Life with Psoriasis appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Psoriasis Q&A

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 19:19:00 GMT

The point of this post is to give a quick history, for those who might be traveling this same road of psoriasis . As well as answer the most common questions I get about my psoriasis.

I got my first patch on my knee when I was 19 years old and working in a warehouse. I was constantly on my knees filling boxes. There is a link of the pressure on my knee that sparked the psoriasis to pop out there.

It took over a year to get a psoriasis diagnosis. I was told it was ringworm by one doctor, eczema by another. Finally when I got to see a dermatologist I was given the psoriasis diagnosis. It didn’t impact me at the time because it was just one patch and I was too young to care. But then it started “flaring”. Every few years I get a 1-2 year flare up and then I typically get a year or two of decently clear skin. This to date is my worst flare up yet. I assume it will continue to progress to be worse as I live longer, unless God would choose to heal me.

What treatment am I doing for it?

Psoriasis is not curable. You can treat it, but not cure it. I have tried LOTS of things. I have tried all sorts of natural remedies, and plexus, and sugar free, and exercising, light therapy, and steroids… lots and lots of things. To be honest I think some of them did help, but just a little. In the past, exercising and light therapy combined with steroids has given me the best results.

About six years ago, I had a season of life that I was very intensely involved in running. I did some 1/2 marathons so training was very time consuming. So not only was I involved in physical training, but I also was involved in counseling as well, which felt like spiritual/emotional training. These both happened around the same time. During those years my psoriasis did lessen and eventually it went into remission. Looking back, it makes sense that it would help the psoriasis go into remission.

Unfortunately, I have yet to find the time to exercise like I did 6 years ago. It’s a big commitment to run for 2 hours every Saturday, and that doesn’t count the 3 miles that need to happen three times a week as well.

I will say, I have chosen to not do any of the shots that are out there for psoriasis. I don’t think they are wrong. Who knows maybe next month my psoriasis will get so terrible that I will indeed try the shots. I’m just not ready to try them yet. Many of them have mental health side effects, like anxiety. I just laugh about that because I already have the self-induced anxiety thing down pat. I don’t need any extra help in increasing that area of my life. God has been doing a really good work in my life over the last six years, but a spirit of fear and anxiety, is not unknown to me. I’m not ready to open myself up to more of that then I already deal. Make sense?

Does it hurt?

Yes. Sometimes my skin gets so tight it hurts to bend or move. But if I keep it well moisturized that doesn’t happen often.

Does it itch?

Double yes!! I sometimes feel like a cat with fleas, I just scratch and scratch. The skin cells grow really fast and when they get scratched off the skin feels fresh again, like normal skin.

Does it embarrass you or make you depressed?

No, it doesn’t make me depressed. But I do feel embarrassed about it sometimes, if I let myself. The building up of skin cells is what makes it look so terrible. I feel like I need to make a PSA during the summer that I am not contagious or diseased. I can hide it better in the winter with long sleeves and tights.

To read more about my psoriasis and what God has been teaching me on this journey, click here . Or learn about me and my photography business here.

The post Psoriasis Q&A appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

From death to life.

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 19:50:00 GMT

How a vacation in the mountains became a turning point.

It felt like a death sentence had been laid on me. I was so scared. Fear overtook me. I just cried and cried. I felt paralized, unable to “move forward” with what needed to happen next.

April 2019 my husband and I celebrated 14 years of marriage. We decided to take a quick trip north to celebrate. We found ourselves in a charming airbnb in the Adirondaks of New York.

When in the Adirondack mountains, one must hike! Day one of our time away found us hitting the trails. It was then that my trouble began. We started with a short hike. I was so tired and out of breath the entire time. I was SO annoyed at myself. Why could I not hike? To be honest, I had gained some weight over the past 6 months and wondered if that was why I just couldn’t go any faster.

The next day we picked a longer trail to hike. About a mile into it my legs were cramping so badly that I had to sit down. As I sat, breathing heavily, I felt completly exhausted. I started to get scared. It felt like my body was shutting down. Why was it so hard to breathe? Why did my legs feel so weak?

A few weeks prior to our little trip, I had started to experience some leg weakness. Walking up one flight of steps to put kids to bed left me needing to quickly sit down, my legs felt like jelly! I’d sit in the rocking chair at the top of the steps, holding our youngest child, just catching my breath and waiting for my legs to start working again.

Looking back, I should have taken this more seriously but at the time, I told myself that I didn’t have time. I have six children, four of them at the time were 5 years and younger. I didn’t have time to book an appointment for something as random as leg weakness. Espeically since the weakness only bothered me when I was climbing steps or going up in elevation in general.

Now, here I was in New York, trying to hike a mountain with legs that refused to go any further and a chest that felt like I had an elephant sitting on it. It was then that I realized something was seriously wrong with me. It scared me.

That night, I was terrified. Why does fear become heavier at night? I believe it’s because we must be still and rest in our thoughts. If our thoughts are not taken captive, as it says we are to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5 , they can take control of us instead. I felt for sure I was actively dying, convinced that if I went to the doctor I would recieve a diagnosis of a problem that leads to a slow death. I have an autoimmune disorder, psoriasis . When you already have an incurable disease, a spirit of fear will run away with your mind telling you all that could go wrong, if you let it.

I knew I was mentally in a bad space. My husband knew it too because I started to cry. After discussing why I was so upset, my husband prayed over me. After he prayed, I too prayed, renouncing a spirit of fear in the name of Jesus. I was then able to fall asleep.

The next morning I assured my husband I was in a better mental space then the night before. I just wanted some solo time to worship and pray. After praying together, he took off to worship the Lord while scaling a mountain and I found a wool blanket, my coffee, Bible, and journal.

I was able to speak honestly to God of my fears. I was able to release my fear. I remember thinking that even though this feels like death, what if it’s meant to bring me life? I had that thought because I was remembering a time when a spirit of death was felt in my life, when we miscarried our third baby. That was so hard. I had prayed for and desired that baby. Eventually I also recieved an infertility diagnosis. (read more of that story here) . It was heavy, it was death all over again. That was a dark season of crying and questioning and a lot of soul searching. But it produced such richness in my life that as I came out of that dark season, I now can honestly thank God for it. He took that season of death and brought fourth life! I experience newness of life in my spirit and it also lead us into foster care and adoption.

As I sat wrapped up in that wool blanket, the air was chilly and it was starting rain, I remembered that in the past, even in what the enemy meant for evil in my life, God used it for good. I cried and worshiped as I physically and spiritually, opened my hand to God concerning my health.

The day after we returned home, I had a meeting in Lancaster city. As the meeting was coming to an end, I started having trouble focusing on the faces around me. It was so strange. I kept thinking it was because the lights were too bright. Driving home I started having double vision and a headace, thats when I started praying, hot and heavy! It again reinforced that something was seriously wrong.

The next day I saw the doctor. She seemed pretty unconcered with my fatigue and leg weakness. She too thought it might have to do with the weight I had gained. She advised water and exercise, and then she did a series of blood tests.

24 hours later I got a call from my doctor’s office. The lab had called my doctor with my results as soon as they ran them because my hemoglobin level was 7, normal levels are 12-15. They were very concerned with how I was feeling and advised I not do anything other then rest until I got more instructions from the doctor. The nurse confirmed that the fatigue, double vision, headaches, leg weakness, shortness of breath, even my weight gain, were all from my low hemoglobin levels, otherwise known as anemia .

Two days later found me sitting in a hemotologists office with the doctor telling me that he is not sure how I was able to walk into his office with my levels so low. At this point, I too, admitted that I was feeling pretty much like a shell of a person. All this time I had just assumed I was so exhausted becuase I had six busy kids and because I had gained weight. He told me he was going to schedule for me to get 2 iron transfusion, starting right away. I felt so incredible relieved to know that there was help for me!

The infusion took 20 minutes and I was so surprised that I indeed could breath better almost immediately after the infusion was done. It was amazing! My hands started to look more pink rather then orange too.

This was only the start of my journey with my anemia. Next we had to get to the root of WHY I was anemic. But I will save that for another post because it’s a pretty crazy story too.

The reason this post come to mind today was because I was thinking of the coronavirus as it is starting to break out here in the United States.

There are a lot of people struggling with fear of what feels like a death sentence. For me, I was really really sick and yet I was avoiding getting the help I needed. I didn’t think I had time and I was too scared to go and get a bad diagnosis, so I excused my symptoms away. It wasn’t until things got so terrible, until I honestly thought I might be dying, that I went to the doctor. Now I’m so glad I did, if I had waited longer, who knows what would have happened. My feeling of death was what saved me from a worse situation. And heres the thought that ties this all together.

What if this virus, that feels like a death sentence, (and yes, I realize for some it is) but what if it’s actually the thing that brings life? When I say life, I mean spiritual life.

What if the fear of death is what brings us to a place of repentance and worship of God. What if this fear drives us to desire realationship and oneness with God. If that happens, then we can say, by God’s grace it was worth it!

Obviously, we never wish or ask for painful things on us or others. But friends, on the flip-side, when painful things do happen, we are not without hope!!! When painful things happen, we have a choice. To be angry at God or to come to Him. When we open our hand to God, he in his almighty power and love, will use those very things, for our good. Do we believe He is able?

If this makes you fearful or angry, talk to God about it. He already knows you are feeling that way, so tell him. And then worship him. Even if you don’t feel like it. Lift your hands up and worship, in the midst of your tears and fear and anger, worship is still possible. And that posture of worship brings us in under his wing of protection. He will give us a sound mind (2 Timothy 1;7), one that is able to resist the panic of fear. Rather, we can rest in him and he will speak tenderly to us in that place of desolation, Hosea 2:14-15 . So pray, read God’s word, and worship. And that, my friends, is where the miracle of new life begins.

I daily pray for protection on my family, our nation and our world as the coronavirus spreads. But I also pray for a spiritual awakening. I want to see God glorified in this devestation. I want the enemy to know that what he intended for evil against mankind, that God is using for good. I pray for the salvation of God to spread as far and as wide as the coronavirus. That there would be, as a friend said, a pandemic of salvation! I am so thankful to know that there are others praying for God to move in this pandemic. Oh to see what God sees! That the world may know…

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Read more about us , as we are living life with six kids.

The post From death to life. appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Lancaster Pa, in home newborn session: Behind the Scenes Video

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:46:00 GMT

Here it is! The behind the scenes video. If you live in the Lancaster Pa area and are looking for a lifestyle newborn or family photographer, please watch this video. It gives a quick glimpse of what it looks like to invite me into your home for a baby session. Make sure you have the sound turned on.

Five things to know before you hire me…

A newborn session typically last 60-90 minutes. It’s super relaxed. You and your baby, you can’t do it wrong. Does your baby wants to be awake? That’s great! What if your baby wants to sleep? Again, that’s great! There really is not a wrong or right way for your lifestyle session.

It was said above, but I’ll say it again, I don’t pose sleeping babies in baskets or in bean bags. Those photos are beautiful too, but please remember, you hire me as a lifestyle photographer.

To learn more about an in home family or baby session, read this blog post . Or contact me below for a client price guide.

The post Lancaster Pa, in home newborn session: Behind the Scenes Video appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Vacationing with babies.

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 17:47:00 GMT

Well yup, that’s about what it felt like! I know, not a very flattering photo of myself, but its funny now. And it truly did sum up the inward thoughts of my life back then! I say inward, because I tried my best to be joyful, even when it was hard. But as you can see there were moments when my overwhelm and exasperation showed! Overwhelming yes, but looking back, funny times.

This trip feels like forever ago, but really it was only three years. A LOT has happened in our lives in three years. I am very thankful to be where we are now. Truly this season of life was so so incredibly BUSY that if we hadn’t taken these photos I honestly might have forgotten that we even did this crazy trip.

Three years ago, when we had (only) five children, two of them being only one year old, we DROVE to Florida. This is normal right? LOL I’m not sure what we were thinking other then, let’s do this! I have family in Florida and we really wanted to visit them, so we made up our minds to do it.

The kids actually traveled amazingly! We said lots of prayers and God was gracious. Twenty plus hours of crying children would have been miserable.

We were very blessed to have a friend who was available to come be a nanny for us. We paid for her to have a small house to herself. She’d come over in the mornings and spend the day. She had friends in Florida as well so most evenings she was able to spend time with them. This arrangement enabled us to have some time to get away with just the three older boys every now and then.

My parents were also down in Florida over the same time so that was a huge help in the department of childcare. We did a lot of “divide and conquering” between the 5 adults.

One evening we hit the beach to take all these family photos. Our “nanny” so kindly took them for us. As you can see we are a normal family when it comes to taking photos with little children. It was actually really hilarious!

There were more photos from this session but I think you get the point. Thankfully my husband and I were able to sneak a few shots of just the two of us in, despite the kids’ shenanigans.

Speaking of shenanigans, did you ever look up the word to see what it actually means? Well I did. It means silly or high-spirited behavior; mischief. That pretty much sums up our photo shoot with five kids, on the beach, 2 of them being only a year old. Good times!

Vacationing with young children is what you make it. I already knew before we went down that it wouldn’t be easy. We went anyways because we wanted to visit family. We also wanted to push forward with making memories as a family despite having two babies. I am so thankful for these photos, they remind me of a time in my life that was so amazingly busy that I truly forgot most of it! But we survived, we survived enough to be at a place eight months later, a very unexpected and unplanned place!

About eight months after this vacation found us welcoming another baby into our family. But that is a different story altogether. Want to read about how that happened? Click here for our foster care to adoption journey .

The post Vacationing with babies. appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

5 Tips to help prepare your children for a photo session.

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 19:55:00 GMT

Get excited: If you are excited, your children will catch your enthusiasm. Same goes if you are feeling grouchy about having photos taken, kids will then resist a session as well.

Show them a photo/video of your photographer: If you have young children this is especially important. I am a stranger to them. How many times have you trained them not to talk to strangers and then I come and need them to trust me. Showing them a photo of me and telling your 3-6year old child about me will help reduce tension or fear that your child might feel about meeting “a stranger”.

Let them help: Getting your child involved as you prep for your session brings them a sense of ownership. This might be as simple as having two options (such as; shirts, hair bows, shoes, you get the point) that YOU like and then letting your child pick which one of those two that they want to wear. But remember, if you give them a choice, you must follow thru with the choice they picked.

Promise a reward: Some call this bribery, I choose to say, I reward my children for the work they put into having good attitudes about the session. Let them know ahead of time of their reward. Once, when I did an in-home session with my children, I promise mini marshmallows. I gave out a marshmallows every time I switched things up or if they started to get tired of listening. It was amazing what a little taste of sugar did to keep the smiles on their little squishy faces. I once had parents who gave lollipops at the end of their session. I quick snapped some photos of that joyful time.

A reward definitely helps your children leave a session with happy memories. They will feel like they were able to accomplish the task that you asked of them without the tears and threats. Please, don’t skip this step with your kids! Lets make your session a happy memory.

Make Sure they are Fed and Well Rested: This might seem obvious, but it’s still worth noting. A quick snack before you change them into their photo clothes just might do wonders for your session. Avoid scheduling a session at nap time. And make sure they are well hydrated. Thirsty, hungry, tired… even we adults get grouchy! So pack a bag with water bottles and snacks just in case you see your child on the verge of a meltdown.

Having an in-home session? Click here for some tips on how to prepare . Or click here to learn more about a session with me.

The post 5 Tips to help prepare your children for a photo session. appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

Everly, Newborn in-home session

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 23:49:00 GMT

Sweet baby Everly kept everyone in great anticipation as she made us all wait longer then expected for her arrival. But her family would all agree, she was worth the wait!

Everly’s birth gave Sophia the sudden promotion to big sister. At only 18 months apart, I have a feeling that they will be best friends as they grow up.

Doing a newborn photo session with a 18 month old is a fun challenge. At this age, if you want smiles they must be genuine. If they don’t feel like smiling, they don’t. Its one thing about that age that makes them so fun. You know if you get a smile from them that it is the real deal, their joy is not fake or forced.

At this age they can often be convinced to follow instructions by using some sort of incentive. In other words, I am not at all against the idea of what some call “bribing”! I prefer to say, you reward them. Break out the candy or stickers, what ever works. Make if fun for the little ones, reward them.

Sophia did so great, but as the session progressed, we eventually started to get cues that she was done. She still had some energy left but she didn’t feel like spending it on being in photos. This is when you break out the rewards, before there is a melt down. You will not believe what mom discovered to be a great incentive, hand sanitizer foam! It made us all laugh, but it worked.

We really wanted to get some photos of just the two girls and the promise of that foam pumped into her hand, kept her coming back to give more kisses. You know your kids, you know what works! Make it fun.

Once we got what we needed with Sophia in the photos she got to be done and go play. This is another reason I love in-home lifestyle sessions. I was able to move forward with just mom and baby while dad occupied the toddler. When it was dad’s turn, they switched roles. It works so well.

Isn’t that velvet bow so darling!? I contacted a “small shop” owned by a mom who makes velvet bows like this one. She so graciously agreed to give you all a discount code for her etsy shop. If you are looking for bows, and want to support a momma in the process, click this link ! Use code THANKYOU10 at checkout.

And no photo shoot would be complete without photos of mom and dad together with baby!

I also like to try to sneak in a quick photo of just mom and dad. I believe the love they have for each other is the reason this baby is here. And for their little girls to continue to feel safe and secure, those babes need to see mom and dad still loving each other.

To all you soon-to-be parents or new parents, let me tell you, parenting is a good work, but it’s a hard work. Loving your spouse in the midst of the exhausting parenting years is really important. To remember that your spouse is on your team and not against you, it matters. So don’t forget to love each other. Daily take time for a long kiss and talk about how you experienced your day. Your kids need you to invest in each other, and you need it too.

Big thanks to Cameron and Victoria for inviting me into their home. It was an honor to meet their sweet little girls and to capture these moments of their love as a family unit. They made my job easy with their relaxed attitude and cheerful spirits.

Are you located in the Lancaster, Pa area? Are you pregnant? Looking to do a fun relaxed session with your family? Want to read more about doing a session with Christi Stoner Photography? Click here .

The post Everly, Newborn in-home session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

5 Tips for new foster parents

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 18:24:00 GMT

It’s been a roller-coaster, thrilling and terrifying all at the same time!

We started our foster care journey in Aug. 2011 and our first child came into our home Feb. 2012. Five years later (as we closed the door in our foster care journey) saw us with four adopted child and our hearts and home full to the brim! You can read more about our story here . But in the meantime here are 5 things we’d like to share with new foster parents. Obviously, we are not saying we are experts, these 5 tips come from our story and how we experienced foster-care. We hope you will be encouraged.

Remember the End Goal : The end goal is ALWAYS to reunite the child with their bio parents. My husband and I entered this as a way to grow our families. But God moved in our hearts and opened our understanding to the bigger picture. This was not about us growing our family but rather being a safe place for these babes until they could return home. (Yes, it was so hard to release my desires but it was worth it!) Teaching children to bond and trust us, always helps them in the long run. We believe that being with your bio family is always best, if it is safe. Adoption, no matter how good, still is brokenness. There is still going to be a lot that needs processed by the adopted child. We are praying that we can walk beside and support our adopted children as they process this part of their story.

Be Flexible : As foster parents you are signing up for a complete rearranging of your schedule. Visits get planned and then at the last minute rescheduled or time slots get changed. You get asked to do multiple visits per week, sometimes multiple hours long. Getting grouchy about it helps no one. Prepare your heart by knowing you can expect the unexpected, expect to show up only to be sent home, expect to put lots of time and miles on your car, expect this unknown schedule to be your normal. Set your mind to be flexible and you will save yourself frustration.

Be Kind to the Bio Moms: No matter the story of why the child is put into care, the bio mom is a person too. Usually a hurting person, thus the reason her children had to be taken from her. During our time as foster parents I often would take photos of the children and then print them out on the computer or shutterfly.com and take them to visits. I would write down milestones or funny moments during the week and then give it to mom at the visit. I made photo books for bio moms as Christmas or birthday gifts. I did my best to put myself in their shoes. What would I want to know about my child, or how would I want to be treated, if my child was taken from me? I also asked myself, if I had been exposed to the same things that my bio moms were exposed to, would I be any different then them? It is only by God’s grace that I am in a position to be mom to these babes. We have chosen to love our bio moms, we pray for them and we keep contact with them on social media and visits in our home. We are thankful that all of our bio moms told us that if they couldn’t have their children, they wanted us to have them. That is a beautiful gift my friends.

Respect your caseworkers: Over 5 years of being foster parents we went thru lots of caseworkers. Some we loved and others were… difficult. But it doesn’t matter if you connect or not, you respect them. They face a lot of stress and difficult situations. They do a thankless job, we have an opportunity to bless them for the work they do. They are real people too who have bad days and deal with hard things. Plus you REALLY don’t want your caseworker to have a reason to not like you. So talk kind, pray for them, respect them.

Educate yourself on loving kids with trauma: Loving kids who have been exposed to trauma isn’t enough. They look like your normal kid but their brain and memories have been exposed to some really horrible things. Their “bad behavior” is really easy to see and it’s not pretty. “You need to discipline that child more” is not always the answer. Sometimes what that screaming child needs is to be held close and rocked and soothed, just as if they were a baby. Because maybe when they were a baby no one did that for them. Understanding how the brain develops, matters. Understanding the importance of touch, matters. Understanding triggers and behaviors, matters. Understanding happens with experience and knowledge. We now have SO many good resources. Glean and apply what works. Our absolute, hands down, all time favorite educator is Karyn Purvis . She has since passed away due to cancer, but she was a gift from God to all parents. Find her on here youtube , watch and be encouraged! She was known to say, “ our children were harmed in relationship , and they will come to experience healing in relationship .” Her teachings are still being taught and explored by Texas Christian University. There is an AMAZING conference put on by Show Hope called Empowered to Connect . If you are a foster parent or even considering being a foster parent, PLEASE do yourself a favor and get the content from this conference. It looks like this year, 2020 they are changing it up a bit, so I’m not exactly sure what that looks like. But follow the links and it should be explained. It will change your life and how you look at your children, even your bio ones. T his video is my all time favorite because I can apply it to my bio kids and adopted ones.

6. Get Support/Community: BONUS TIP! We talked with family members and friends about our calling to do foster care. It was important for them to know what was happening and why. We want these people close to us to love our children and foster care can be hard for everyone. You get attached and then they leave. It’s good to be able to talk about these things together. We also loved going to foster care activities. We’d look around and be amazed at all these other people doing this thing of loving and releasing children, sometimes really difficult children. It was encouraging to tell the stories and know that they truly understood. Being in contact with other adoptive parents is still important. We are thankful for the ones that we are still connected to. We are also thankful for the support our family and friends continue to give by babysitting and caring about how our family is doing.

Are you on a foster care or adoption journey? What tips would you share with others? Each child that came into our home had a different story. I know so many others have amazing stories to share as well. I’d love to hear from you!

The post 5 Tips for new foster parents appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .

5 tips on how to prepare for an in-home session

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 10:32:00 GMT

5 Tips on How to Prepare for an In-Home Session

1. Tidy Up:

Mainly you want to focus on your floor and all table top areas, dressers, night stands, coffee table, etc. If it feels a little overwhelming to purposefully decorate those table top areas then err on the side of minimalist and push everything into a box and deal with it later. Yes, I’ve done that myself!

2. Pull out the White Bedding:

White or neutral bedding is a beautiful reflectant on the faces of baby and children who are laying on the bed. No matter what color, the bedding will reflect it’s color onto the skin, which is why white is a perfect bedding choice.

3. Know your Lighting situation:

Know your lighting situation: As the photographer it is my job to understand and use light well. But educating my clients before hand helps them with their expectations. If you want photos in the nursery but you only have a very small window, it’s best to know ahead of time that those photos will be difficult to achieve the dreamy creamy look. Also being aware that if you have a large room that only half is covered in light, we won’t be able to take photos back in the shadows. Yes, I can work some “magic” on my side of the camera. But as a general rule, we always stick close to the windows.

4. Prep your Children:

Make sure they are rested and fed. I come with games, tricks, and flexibility. But if a child is ready for a nap 20 minutes BEFORE I arrived, or if they are hangry… it pretty much doesn’t matter what I try, the session will not go well.

5. Buy a Plant

I know it might sound silly but just do it! For $5-$15 you can buy a pretty great plant. Check out your local home depot for some budget friendly options. Live plants add life and dimension to a photo. They also are really fun to shoot thru and use as layering.

Learn more about in home sessions by watching me work in this In home session video ! Thanks for your interest in Christi Stoner Photography.

The post 5 tips on how to prepare for an in-home session appeared first on christistonerphotography.com .