Sweet 16

Sweet 16

On Thanksgiving Day of 2022, our Natalie entered her 16th year!

In honor of this very important observance, I wish to offer a Birthday Acronym:

Natalie is:


N – Naturally Nonsensical

A – Always Argumentative

T – Tiny Titan

A – Astonishingly Annoying

L – Lavishly Loving

I – Inordinately Impudent

E – Exceedingly Effervescent


If I were to go on through the rest of her name – Gianna Cecilia Heidmann – I could perhaps more fully capture the nuances of her personality, but this should do to give you the essence.

A while ago I purchased a nice big double-sided portrait backdrop pop-up with a vague idea of learning a little more about studio lighting and getting some more formal style photos of my kids in the process. I got a stand, I thought, to hang it on, but when I popped it open and put up the stand I realized I need another stand and a rod from which to hang the backdrop. This studio stuff is always more involved than I expect. Anyway, with Natalie’s help, I figured out a way to prop it up without the extra gear, did a little experimenting with the lighting and was able to get some birthday photos. I learned quite a bit in the process, and recognize that I need more light and I’ll have to save up for that. But I’m happy to have started!

Here are my first attempts at studio portraits.


Annette Heidmann

I homeschooled four kids all the way through high school and then fostered/adopted 7 more children. I am wife to a very smart mathematician; I dabble in photography, write and sing, paint in bright colors, and love being Catholic!

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