Hey guys, I know it’s been a minute! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a great start to the new year. I actually have a bit of news to share with you all. I wanted to let you all know that I have recently been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. The good news is that we caught it early; the bad news is that I will still be having to undergo chemo treatments and surgery in the months ahead.

I started my first round of chemo a couple of weeks ago, and am happy to report that it seems to be going well so far. They have me on the toughest one first, and just based on how I have been feeling so far, the doctor thinks I will probably continue to be up and about, so that is great news! Based on this, I am tentatively going to go ahead and start opening up bookings for this first half of the year. I am going to make sure to leave plenty of room in the schedule, just to ensure we have lots of flexibility of dates to work with in case we have to move sessions around a bit. I also will not be scheduling any weddings or big events to be safe. If you are looking to book those, I’m going to go ahead and recommend my friend Christina MacMeeken over at One Love Photography–she’s great!

I should be wrapping up these chemo treatments sometime in June. I may take off a good part of the summer for surgery and recovery, then we can revisit the fall schedule at that time. In the meantime, I am going to be blogging some of my sessions from the past year, as I have so many that I never got around to sharing with you guys, and that makes me sad. Thanks so much for your support, understanding and flexibility through this all. I’m excited to get back to it and see you guys again! Much love to you all, and hope I get to see you all very soon.

Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based out of Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out this details page for an idea of general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start your own process of booking today!

The post A Personal Health Update appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

Every year I look forward to doing a year in review, and each year…well, life hits. This year has definitely been no exception, because, you know….2020. But even in the midst of the edits, and the cleaning and the repairs of shower curtains that the kids have pulled down (yes….that just happened about five minutes ago), I am finally making myself sit down and write out my thoughts and memories of the past year. Hopefully this will be the start of an annual tradition.

So, where to begin. I started 2020 off at an all-time high. I had taken the last two weeks off in December 2019, which was so nice to focus solely on my family and the holidays. I also love to spend the last week of December reflecting back on the year and looking forward to the new one, and I had had ample time to create new goals for myself. I was so excited to start the new year and these projects I had created for my business.

And then I got sick, the very first week of January. At the time, I thought it was maybe a really bad case of the flu. High fevers that kept coming and going, absolutely no energy to do anything at all. And every time I felt as though I were getting my feet back under me, it would hit all over again, and I would be laid out on the couch with no energy, sleeping the day away. It took me nearly two months to start feeling like myself again. Looking back now, it makes me wonder if it was the flu after all or if I maybe did manage to pick up one of the early Covid strains during our holiday travels. Who knows.

But the point is, by March I finally had started to get my energy back and was so excited to start tackling some of my photography projects that I had laid out for the new year. And then Covid hit, and everything shut down.

Like many of you, I had no idea what the future held for my little business. I was certain, absolutely certain, that it was done for the year…and maybe for good. Which is why I was shocked when the quarantine lifted…and people started to get in touch with me. Not only did my photography business stay afloat, it actually turned out to be the best year I have ever had. I had the same number of sessions in just seven months that I had had the entire year prior.

So thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for turning out to (safely!) support my business. It feels so wonderful to be able to make money doing what I love. I know that sounds cliche, but it is the absolute truth. I love providing these images for you, and it means the world that you entrust these memories with me.

That is the main thing I really wanted to touch on about this year. You are what makes my business. With your support, I try to spend my down time with my family, as well as educating myself further, so that every year that you return to me, it will be an even better experience. You help make that a possibility.

And while every year is full of its disappointments and fallen attempts, and this year has seemed to have more than its share…there have been some achievements that I am also proud to share with you.

1. In March, I was thrilled to be listed by Clickin Moms in their annual ‘100 Female Photographers to Watch‘ list. I’m not going to lie, this is a goal I had hoped to achieve someday, but really didn’t expect to actually happen. I can’t describe what it meant to see my name listed amongst so many of my personal photography heroes.

2. I was also excited when Click magazine contacted me to do a very short writeup in their May/June 2020 edition. Another goal of mine that I had not expected to happen this year!

3. I decided to enter the Shoot and Share contest for the second time. I’m happy to say that I had four finalists and one top 100 that placed #29 out of 47,626 images in its category.

4. I also submitted to the Voice photo competition this year, and had 2 images selected as top 15 within their respective categories, as well as 3 other semifinalist images.

5. And on a personal note, I finished my third consecutive 365 project, which I hope to do a blog writeup about soon (crossing fingers).

Thanks so much for sticking with me in this year in review and celebrating these little wins with me. While they are so exciting, they also don’t show just how much time is spent feeling like I’m slogging through mediocre image after mediocre image. But I guess that is what keeps us going. Every once in a while we as photographers make another image that excites us and keeps us going. So thank you again for sticking with me this year and entrusting me with your memories. I can’t wait to see what is in store for us all in 2021.

Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!

The post Year in Review | 2020 appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

So today, I want to do something a little different and give you a peek into one of the tools that I use that has helped me run my business so much smoother! If you have not heard of Dubsado before, let me give you a quick walkthrough of how it has impacted my business!

Let me take you back….

Let me start off by saying that running a photography business was not everything I envisioned it would be. When I first started out, I only imagined meeting up with clients (of course, so. many. clients!), getting to know them, taking their photos, editing their photos, them loving their photos…I never really imagined the part that turned into what 85% of running the business actually is. Emails. Contracts. Scheduling Appointments. Taxes. Forms. Model releases. More emails. More taxes.

As someone who had never even taken a business course before launching my own business, this portion turned out to be…slightly overwhelming.
The first few years of being in business was an experiment of how to save receipts, keep track of expenditures, and a hodge-podge system of how to organize and respond to my emails.

And then I discovered Dubsado, which helped transform my business. In case you have never heard of it before, Dubsado is a business managing system that helps streamline all of the backend portions of running a business. So let me take a moment to run you through a few of my favorite features that Dubsado has to offer.

Projects Tracker

Prior to using Dubsado, I was a 100% paper planner user. And I still am, but Dubsado’s online scheduler makes seeing the business end of my life so much easier. Not only does it have the standard calendar, but I am also able to set my own parameters of when I am available on a weekly basis, so I don’t accidentally book someone during a time when I may not be available. All of my projects are laid out chronologically, so I can easily see who is up next, who has signed their contracts, paid their invoices, and I can double check their answers to my questionnaires, which brings me to my next several points….

Contracts

This feature has helped make my life so much easier. Prior to using Dubsado’s contract feature, I relied on a paper system, which usually involved me printing out my contracts, remembering to bring them to our sessions, having clients sign the contracts right before the session, and then having a separate file for these contracts. It was a mess, and it really wasn’t fair to my clients to be seeing it right before the session.

Now, I have been able to send my contracts electronically with their initial booking email, so my clients have the chance to look over the terms and conditions well ahead of time, sign it, and get it back to me with plenty of time before their sessions. Dubsado offers sample contract templates if you have no idea how to get started creating your own–these are not a bad place to start if you have never put one together, but I definitely recommend sending copies over for your own attorney to look over and make changes to.

Invoices

This is another area that has changed my life. Prior to Dubsado, I primarily trusted clients to bring payment along to their sessions, which was also a mess. Sometimes, I received cash, sometimes I received checks (which I ended up washing not once, but twice on accident when I forgot to pull them from my pockets. That was embarrassing having to ask clients to resend payment. And I got stood up on more than one occasion, as I did not have a great system in place to receive deposits ahead of time.

Now, my invoice goes out at the same time as my contract, and clients have the option to pay their session fee in full ahead of time or simply the deposit and make installed payments after that. Either way, I have not been stood up by a client once in the three years that I have started using Dubsado, and I have never had an issue with payments (or accidentally washing my checks).

Questionnaires

This has been hands down one of my favorite features of Dubsado. Since I offer so many different kinds of sessions, it was always a little tricky to figure out how to best get to know clients prior to their sessions so that I could best capture their personalities. Now, I am able to create personalized questionnaires for clients to look over and fill out, which helps me so much with the planning phases! I am able to ask what type of locations they are envisioning, get a feel for how laid-back they are, whether they want something relaxed or formal, even how they hope to display their photos once they receive them. All of this is so handy when customizing sessions, and reading over client’s answers is my favorite part of the initial process.

Taxes

Finally, let me address how Dubsado has made my tax life so much easier. For every session that I book and accept payment for, Dubsado automatically keeps track of the sales tax, the profits and files it away by the type of income I have earned. When tax time comes, I can literally just click over to the last quarter to see what I have earned, what amount of sales tax is due, and make sure everything lines up with my bank statements.

When I am on my game, I also like to go through once a week and add in my expenditures, which I am able to categorize easily for tax time. This feature by itself easily makes up for the cost, as I have so many fewer headaches, haha!

In conclusion…

Writing all of this out has reminded me what a game changer Dubsado has turned out to be for my business. I have never considered myself to be very tech-savvy, but the platform has turned out to be easy and beautiful to use, and helps me present my business in so much more of a professional way.

Be sure to check out Dubsado’s website and see if it might be a great fit for you!

Christina Freeman is a baby and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!

The post How using Dubsado has transformed my business appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

I have a bit of a confession to make. I don’t have very many pictures of myself as a child. It’s not because my parents weren’t taking them…they certainly were. My dad was the dad with the camera at every event and family function. And he was great at getting them printed. We had printed flip book after flip book, neatly and candidly documenting the months of our family’s lives. Add to that the single images that my grandmother snapped on her Polaroid and immediately labeled, the school images that my parents dutifully ordered every year and the videos that my dad shot regularly, and we had a lifetime of memories to look back upon. And no wonder–my father had been a photographer for a number of years, and his mother was a historian. Recording our moments was in our blood.

And then the unthinkable happened. We had a fire.

I don’t have to describe how devastating the fire was. But the one thing I keep coming back to with so much regret are those photos. All lost. The iconic photograph of my father with his tricycle, the reels of slides that documented everything from the Grand Canyon to my grandmother swinging a baseball bat, my preschool photo of me in the big wicker seat and little pigtails….all gone.

Which gets me to my point. We live in a golden age of photography. It is easier now than ever to document our daily lives, and we certainly rise to the challenge. Every single day on Instagram alone, 95 million photos are uploaded to the site. Every. single. day. But while many of us are busy snapping the photos, we, perhaps more than ever, have a harder time managing our images. Whether it’s the loss of a memory card, a corrupted hard drive, a stolen phone, it’s every bit as easy to lose our images as it ever was, and perhaps even easier for them to get lost amongst the technology, never to be converted for future generations to see.

It is with this in mind that I am setting out in 2020 to make sure that my images are not only saved, but backed up, stored properly, shared and perhaps most importantly, transformed into physical prints that I can enjoy daily and hand down to my kids years from now. It’s a huge effort, which is why I will be breaking these tasks down into more manageable, bite-sized chunks over the next year.

And since every challenge is more enjoyable when shared with others, I am inviting you to join along with me over the course of the next 12 months. At the beginning of each month, I will put out a challenge that we can all take part in. Once you have completed each month’s challenge, simply post a picture of your completed task on that month’s post on facebook, and you will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to one of my favorite labs at the end of the year. The more tasks you complete, the more entries you will receive. But whether or not you win, you will be that much closer to having an organized, well-preserved system for your images, with the peace of mind that come the unthinkable, your memories will still be safe.

I hope you join me for this 2020 photo challenge! Stay tuned in the days ahead for more details to come.

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Christina Freeman is a photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. Get in touch if you have loved everything you have seen so far and would love to start a conversation today!

The post From Digital to Print: A 2020 Photo Challenge appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

If you have a little one’s birthday coming up, I would love to help document it! From the moment you get in touch with me, I love to hear all about what makes your little one unique. These sessions are all about capturing their little personality at this age, so I want to hear all about their favorites things to do and games to play. I highly recommend holding these sessions outdoors–not only does it provide a gorgeous backdrop, but part of what I love most about toddler birthday sessions is capturing the ways they explore the world around them. I always try to capture picturesque moments and portraits at the beginning, but most of the rest of the session is spent just running around and playing! With three little ones of my own, I know from experience how quickly their play habits can change, and I want to be sure to capture images that will remind you of just how rich their imaginations are at these young ages.

Thank you again for a wonderful second birthday session, beautiful Maci! I am so excited to get to see you again very soon!

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Christina Freeman is an on-location lifestyle photographer based in Anna, TX and serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. Click the link below if you have loved everything you have seen so far and would love to start a conversation.

Get in Touch

The post Second Birthday Session | McKinney Child Photographer appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

As a McKinney teen photographer, the last thing I want to do when photographing teens is to put them in poses or locations that feel uncomfortable or insincere to them. Before we get very far in the planning stages, I always try to get an accurate feel for their personality, what they will be willing to do and what is going to turn them off. It’s very important to make sure they wear clothes that they feel comfortable in and that match their personality so that we can plan the rest of the session to match.

I had the opportunity to meet and work with Mia through the magazine. We decided to meet in downtown McKinney, which always provides a variety of different locations to choose from. Mia is a part of her local youth theatre, so going into the session, we knew we wanted to showcase that interest for sure. We were able to utilize the local theater for her session, which turned out to be such a perfect location. Her personality is a little quiet, a little reserved and a little edgy, so we went with that and found locations and light to match.

Do you have a teen or tween that you would love to schedule a portrait session for? Please feel free to see more of my work with this age group, and be sure to contact me to start planning their customized session today!

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Christina Freeman is a McKinney teen photographer based in Anna, TX and serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. Be sure to get in touch if you have loved everything you have seen so far and would love to start a conversation.

The post Mia | McKinney Teen Photographer appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

I took these pictures at my favorite field ever up in Glenview, Illinois. It’s called Natural Springs Park, and it’s basically a nature reserve that was conveniently located within walking distance of where we lived. When we decided to move back to Texas, this was one of the things I knew I would miss the most. I always loved taking the kids there to walk the many trails, and loved that it was beautiful year-round. I could gain inspiration from the way the flowers and weeds would change and grow from week to week. It was beautiful even in the winter when it would be covered in snow and the landscape was encased in ice.

Luckily, I have found several locations here in the Dallas area that I love *almost* as much. I still wish I could find a field covered in daisies, though, so if any of you guys ever see that, be sure to let me know.

My daughter was just two years old when these were taken, and I was still in the process of figuring out who I wanted to be as a photographer. I had only just recently left my job with the US Navy at the time, and most of what I did throughout the day was play with my girls and experiment with taking pictures. There were several high-profile photographers whose work I had fallen in love with, and so much of this session was completely inspired by them. I had made this dress and floral crown for my daughter just for the sole purpose of taking her out into the daisies and practicing her poses. But once I got her out into the field, she wouldn’t cooperate with what I was going for. I would try to get her to look at me; she would look down. I would ask her to hold a pose; she would take off running in the opposite direction. It felt like I was completely going against the grain and all that felt natural for me. I wanted to walk away with fairy tale dreamy pictures, but what I actually got were images of a dressed-up two year old playing with pretty flowers.

And I loved them.

It’s such a simple thing, but this session helped me to realize an important thing about who I am as a photographer. Up until this point, I had been dreaming of the day when I could move into a studio and start taking the fairy tale baby and toddler images that I had been so inspired by. I almost felt as thought I couldn’t be a real photographer until I had that studio and could pose babies and kids perfectly. But it turns out that that isn’t who I am. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I tend to come alive as a photographer when I can playfully interact and observe. For me, capturing memories is more than pretty moments and poses; it’s about taking you back to specific times in your life so vividly you can practically feel them all over again.

This day taught me that I still love to take pretty pictures–sometimes I find myself nearly driving off the road when I see the open fields of wildflowers. But I also learned that it’s more than just getting a picture perfect photo. I am a better photographer when I can allow kids to run and be kids. I’m okay with wind-blown hair and dirt on the face; it makes those memories that much more vivid. I’m okay with exploration and not looking at the camera. The memories I capture may not be completely perfect, but my hope is that they will always be genuine.

Christina Freeman is an on-location lifestyle photographer based in Anna, TX and serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. Be sure to get in touch if you have loved everything you have seen so far and would love to start a conversation.

The post A Trip Down Memory Lane | McKinney Child Photographer appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

I have to take a second to brag about my husband. He’s such a good sport, he really is. He puts up with me carrying my good camera around to all of our family outings, waits patiently as I lag behind snapping photos, and even handles my sharing of less-than-flattering images with so much grace and dignity. He does great. But if your partner is at all like mine, he’s probably not always thrilled about being in front of the camera, especially for a formal family session. So if you have your session booked and find yourself desperately trying to pump up your significant other about family photos, I’ve got you covered. Here are 3 easy ways to get Dad in front of the camera.

1. Help Him With What to Wear

Okay, so this might seem like an odd tip to start off with, so let me elaborate. Nearly every time I plan an out-of-the-ordinary event with my husband, he’s usually all game until he starts thinking about what he’ll have to wear. The thought of going shopping or wearing tight(ish) pants is like pulling teeth for him. Your partner might be totally into getting dressed up and planning outfits, and if so that’s great! That makes this entire part of it easy and you don’t have to worry. But to be honest, the majority of the guys I photograph definitely give off the ‘please don’t drag me out of the house in something I’ll be uncomfortable in’ vibes, and if that’s your significant other, I’m talking to you.

And I really do mean you.

If you’ve booked a photo session with me, you know that these images are not aimed at capturing perfection. They’re not about getting everyone to pose perfectly for the camera or to tame wild little spirited creatures into perfect submission. This session is about remembering just who your family is at this stage of life and all of the emotions that go with that. So let your partner know that it’s going to be okay for them to be comfortable. Let them know that we’re not going to change their style. We are going to keep it simple and work with what he naturally gravitates towards. If you tell me that your husband doesn’t leave the house without sweat pants, that’s cool…we’ll either go for a super casual in-home session, or we will work hard to at least upgrade to a clean pair of shorts.

If you need additional help planning Dad’s outfit, be sure to check out my inspiration board on Pinterest–if you notice, I tend to keep ideas super neutral and simple. A simple t-shirt and a nice pair of jeans is usually enough. And if you are looking to pick up a few new outfits, here are a few of my favorite stores to shop for basic staples for Dads:

Target
Gap
Zara
J. Crew
Banana Republic

2. Assure him he won’t be humiliated

I think there is definitely a fear with many dads that I as the photographer am out to embarrass them. I see it in their eyes when they arrive. They’re wary. They’re cautious. They’re waiting for me to pose them awkwardly and recreate this image (that’s an amazing picture, btw, and I would be absolutely thrilled to recreate it if anyone’s up for the challenge).

But that’s not what I’m going to do. While I tend to get a few posed and look-at-the-camera shots right at the beginning as everyone’s starting to relax into it, most of the session, it’s completely okay to not look at the camera. In fact, I encourage it. If your significant other is nervous about producing a perfect smile, it’s going to show up and the stress will be what shines through in the images. That’s not what I want. I would much rather let him be himself not looking at me. So let him look at the kids. Let him look at you. The majority of our session is going to be spent following you guys along as you play and interact as a normal family.

Which brings me to one last point on this one. Since I always love to showcase each family’s personality, let’s make sure we are doing things that you would normally do. If you’re not a frolic-in-the-fields kind of family, we don’t have to do that! If your husband isn’t a rough and tumble with the kids kind of guy, let’s figure out what he does love to do and figure out ways to incorporate it. Does he play chess with them? Neat–let’s go set up at an outdoor table downtown and get a game going. Does he build model planes? Let’s clear out a corner of the garage and get a setup happening (garage light is amazing, btw). Does he bond over fishing? Let’s go! If you want to make memories of your family right now, let’s figure out how to capture the true essence of what makes your family uniquely you.

Which leads us to the last tip to get Dad in front of the camera..

3. Make sure you’re having fun, too.

This one’s for you, Mama. I want to assure you of a few things. I know you have invested in a session, so there’s usually a lot of stress that goes on behind the scenes. Getting kids dressed in outfits they may not want to wear (see tip 1). Wrangling them into the car. Dealing with meltdowns. Threatening to take away the planned ice cream trip if they don’t behave. I’m a mom. I get it.

So as a photographer and a fellow mom, let me just assure you. It’s going to be okay. Even if things don’t go as planned. Even if your kid’s outfit rips on the way to the session and you have to stop to get a new one (no sweat–it happens). Even if your kid gets out of the car and does this the entire time. Take a deep breath. It is going to be okay.

Because here’s the thing. No family is perfect, and that’s not what we’re striving for here. It’s not what I seek in my images. I seek to capture memories and stories. Lots of stories. And sometimes little ones are unpredictable. And sometimes they are crazy. And you know what? That just makes more stories that you can look back on and laugh at years from now. So yes, your child may wake up on the wrong side of the bed and hate everything the day of your session. But you’re off the hook because we aren’t expecting them to be perfect. We’re expecting them to be themselves, which is just what they are being.

So allow yourself to take a deep breath and just go with the flow. Try to see the humor in every situation–laugh out loud, even! If you are totally calm and relaxed, chances are the rest of your family (your SO included) will be as well. We moms are magic that way–we totally bestow our moods on the rest of the family instantly. If we are having fun with the session, our chances of being able to get Dad in front of the camera in the future will go up exponentially.

I hope these tips help just a bit as you plan for your session. Everything else aside, it’s such a wonderful thing to have images of your kids with their Dad in them.

Be sure to leave your comments below and get in touch if you are ready to start planning your own session today!

Christina Freeman is an on-location lifestyle photographer based in Anna, TX and serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. Click the link below if you have loved everything you have seen so far and would love to start a conversation.

The post 3 Ways to Get Dad in Front of the Camera appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

If you turn on the television for a few seconds or flip through the pages of a magazine, it doesn’t take long to recognize that much of our society glamorizes youth. Yet while we often feel the pressure to hang onto so many aspects of our younger years, there is a beauty in aging that goes far beyond what is skin-deep. As the photos that fill our memory-books can attest to, there is a deep richness to life that can only come with experience. And if life is made of experiences, there is no one richer in Anna, TX than Ms. Georgia Mosier.

Ms. Georgia was born on June 2, 1919, exactly 100 years ago today. A lot of things happened that year. Teddy Roosevelt passed away, the Greenbay Packers were founded, Babe Ruth was sold to the NY Yankees for a record-setting $125,000. Prohibition began with the passing of the 18th amendment, WWI ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, and women won the right to vote just two days after Ms. Georgia’s birth. While many aspects of life in 1919 would be unfamiliar to us today, there were many events that feel eerily similar: a wave of mail-bombings that began in April struck fear throughout the nation, becoming some of our nation’s first organized acts of domestic terrorism; meanwhile, many of the worst race riots in American history were breaking out throughout the country.

Ms. Georgia’s childhood was shaped by the roaring 20’s and Great Depression of the 1930’s. Shortly after high school graduation, Ms. Georgia moved to Anna in 1939 and has lived here ever since. It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to grow up in one place and watch it change before your very eyes. According to Ms. Georgia, back then everyone knew everyone and she misses that. A few things have remained the same, though. She still attends the very same Methodist church building that she has attended for 80 years, where she still sings some of her favorite songs: Rock of Ages, Amazing Grace and the Old Rugged Cross.

Even though I only briefly met Ms. Georgia, it was apparent that she is a woman of strength. This strength has been passed down through generations and lives on in the women in her life today. Her legacy, kindness and faith have continued to impact our little community for good, as some of her friends have attested to:

“Georgia is the meaning of Anna to me. She has been a person I have known and gone to church with all my life. Always kind and gracious to everyone. A true Christian lady.” –Brenda Hammack

“She is an amazing lady. Truly a woman of God. We could all learn a thing or two from this sweet woman. Happy 100th birthday, Ms. Georgia.” –Charlotte Gladden

“Ms Georgia makes me laugh every time I visit her. I tell her she’s beautiful and she tells me that I need to get my eyes checked. She’s so sweet and smacks me every time I see her. I guess it’s called a “loving pat”. Ms Georgia is one of a kind.” –Carol Chapman

Ms. Georgia, it was such a pleasure getting to meet and photograph you. From all of the Anna community, we wish you the very happiest of birthdays and thank you for all you have done for this community over the past 80 years. Happy 100th birthday!

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Christina Freeman is an award-winning family photographer in Anna Texas, specializing in families, newborns and children in Collin County including Anna, Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Farmersville, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs. Centenarians in the DFW will always receive a complimentary 100th birthday portrait session, so please feel free to contact her if you know of an eligible loved one!

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….which means if you’re anything like me, you’re probably scrambling for things to do with them in the months ahead. I will be featuring more great local activities to do with kids in the weeks ahead, so be sure to follow me on facebook to stay up to date with those ideas. For now, here is an A-Z Guide to Summer in McKinney, TX!

A: Al Ruschhaupt Park
Located on 96 acres, this wheelchair friendly playground has hike and bike trails, soccer fields and a splash pad. Friendly for kids of all ages.

B: Bonnie Wenk Park
This beautiful park spans over 200 acres and includes a dog park, hike and bike trails and a 5-acre fishing pond. June 15 will mark the grand opening of its phase 2, which will include 4 additional play structures for kids of all ages. A personal review will be coming soon!

C: Chestnut Square
The Heritage Village at Chestnut Square offers tours of its historical homes and sites, in addition to hosting weekly McKinney’s Farmer’s Markets.

D: Dress-up at Sugar & Spice
If you have a little girl celebrating a summer birthday, or simply have an itch to have your own girls’ night out, check out the dress-up party offerings at Made of Sugar and Spice in downtown McKinney.

E: Erwin Park
Located on more than 200 acres, Erwin Park is home to more than 10 miles of mountain bike trails and natural wooded areas.

F: Farm Museum
The Collin County Farm Museum is dedicated to developing a better understanding of Collin County’s rural heritage from its earliest settlements through the 1960s. Be sure to follow their facebook page to stay up to date with their pop-up workshops!

G: Gourmet Pops
Cool off at Frios Gourmet Pops located in historic downtown McKinney! Their creamy gourmet popsicles are made from real fruit, milk, cream and organic cane sugar.

H: Heard Museum
The Heard Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary is one of my personal favorite places to frequent in McKinney. The Heard is a private non-profit 289-acre wildlife sanctuary with plenty of trails, a butterfly exhibit (opening June 1), and an outdoor pioneer village for the kids. The inside of the museum is home to a dinosaur dig sandbox and multiple exhibits including native Texas snakes and even a Mosasaur skeleton found in Garland.

I: Ice Cream ( Paciugo Gelato)
If you’ve never treated yourself to gelato, do yourself a favor and get over to Paciugo Gelato in downtown McKinney. Once you’ve had this traditional Italian ice cream, you’ll never be able to go back.

J: Jump Into Art
This downtown art studio offers it all: children’s classes, adult classes, pottery and clay classes, adult workshops, events for children with special needs and more! Be sure to like their facebook page to stay up to date with their many offerings this summer!

K: Kids Workshops at Home Depot
I only just learned that Home Depot offers workshops for both kids and adults–I had no idea! Be sure to enter your zip code to find the classes offered at your nearest store.

L: Library
Okay, this one is a no-brainer, but make sure you check out the McKinney Public Library website to see their many offerings throughout the summer. See this page for their summer reading lists by age level, and be sure to stop by to sign your little ones up for their Summer Reading Program!

M: Mom & Popcorn Co.
If you love popcorn, you need to visit Mom & Popcorn on the square! This nostalgic shop offers over 50 flavors of gourmet popcorn, as well as old-fashioned glass bottled drinks, homemade fudge and a wide assortment of nostalgic treats. Be sure to download their treasure hunt list for your visit with the kiddos!

N: Nature Camps
Okay, so I already mentioned the Heard Museum, but it’s worth mentioning again to bring attention to their many summer camps! Available for ages 3-16, these camps help kids delve into the wonder of nature. Art camps are also available for kids ages 6-16.

O: Obstacle Warrior Kids
If your family happens to be fans of American Ninja Warrior, get over to Obstacle Warrior Kids to test their abilities in their indoor obstacle courses. Ages 2 and up.

P: Puppet Anatomy 101 Workshops
This is another shop that I just discovered in downtown McKinney, and it’s amazing! Stop by the shop to be amazed at the handmade sculptures and kinetic art, and be sure to check out her puppet making workshops for kids, teens and adults!

Q: Quiet Time
Okay…this is a bit of a cheat, but sometimes you just have to get out of the house and take in some quiet time! My personal favorites have already been mentioned: getting the kids to the library, or simply enjoying some alone time on some of the many hiking trails in McKinney.

R: Rock Out at School of Rock
Get your kids into music this summer with School of Rock’s many lessons, camps and workshops. Most camps end with a live performance where your kids can show off what they have learned on their instruments of choice.

S: Storytimes at Heard Museum and Local Libraries
Okay…another no-brainer is storytimes. Be sure to check out your closest library to see their schedule, or visit the Heard Museum on Fridays to be a part of their nature story times!

T: Towne Lake
Oh, how I love Towne Lake. This 108-acre park has so much packed into it: bike trails, playgrounds, sand volleyball, horseshoes, fountains, a fishing pier, even an 18-hole disc golf course. Such a fun way to spend an afternoon. Bonus: if you love long-distance hiking or biking, these trails connect through Al Ruschhaupt and Bonnie Wenk parks!

U: Urban Air Adventure
If you need something to do on a rainy day, consider checking out Urban Air Adventure. This adventure park has indoor trampolines, a warrior course, indoor rock-climbing, a sky-rider coaster and so much more!

V: Vacation Bible Schools
Each church near you will have their own unique offerings as far as Vacation Bible Schools go!

W: Walls of Clay
This downtown studio offers pottery painting, glass fusion and more! The last Saturday of each month offers Kids Create! for school aged kids; be sure to also check out their summer camp offerings for kids ages 6 and up.

X: Exotic Animals at Cathy’s Critters in Princeton
This one is a bit of a cheat, as it’s actually located up the road in Princeton, but take your little ones to Cathy’s Critters to let them fall in love with the farm animals! Check out her schedule to see more details on open farm days as well as their week-long summer camp.

Y: The Yard
If all of your McKinney activities have worked up an appetite, look no further than The Yard to satisfy your hunger. With an outdoor (pet-friendly!) patio, ping pong and play areas, The Yard is perfect for kids and grown-ups alike.

Z: Zen Kids Yoga
Help your kids build their concentration while reaping the physical benefits of yoga at Zen Kids Yoga. Classes are available for ages 4-12.

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Christina Freeman is a family photographer in Anna Texas, specializing in families, newborns and children in Collin County including Anna, Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Farmersville, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs. Contact her to start planning your session today!

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