Good-bye, Bro. Dennis...

You will be sorely missed; but go on to your reward - your work here is over!

-BYRD

Alvie C. McKenzie

October 17, 1959 - June 3, 2008.

We still miss you, Alvie!

Katie & Matt

I haven't posted in a LONG time! I've been SO busy, I guess I've just lost track of blogging. We're in the middle of a HUGE kitchen renovation; and I can't wait to get it finished and post some pictures here! I was off work last week to work on the kitchen - pretty much ALL week; and I didn't hardly know if I'd survive at times!
Anyhow, last Saturday, I got a quick break and drove over to the quaint little city of Ringgold, Georgia, where I had the priviledge of photographing Katie and Matt, who were on their way to the Ringgold High School Prom! They looked great; and we had a fun time down at the old railroad depot in downtown Ringgold! Thanks, Katie & Matt, for including me in this special day; and I hope you guys had a great time at prom! Here's a couple of sneak peeks (click on the pics to enlarge)!

-BYRD

Back up!

That's what happens when you let your domain expire! Yikes! Anyhow, we're back up and running! Proceed!

-BYRD

website down...

My website is down, maybe for a few days. If you need me, email shannondbyrd@gmail.com, or call or txt 423.802.9314.

This Day in History...

92 years ago today, December 29, 1918, my great-grandparents, Ira Emmett Hinshaw and Nannie Helen Jacks, became man and wife in a civil ceremony in Lincoln County, Tennessee. The story goes that Emmett "stole" (as her mother put it) seventeen year old Nannie from her bedroom window and the two eloped across the state line from Paint Rock Valley to Lincoln County, Tennessee, to marry. Their marriage would produce nine children - Etta Epsie (Bird), Mary Jane (Long), John Lawson, Lester Donald, Opal Ernestine (Craig), Bertie Lou (Stapler), Alvin Ray, Shirley Fay (Lohenitz), and Helen Dean (Young). Sadly, Nannie died hours after the birth of her youngest daughter, Dean. She passed away at the age of 43 years old at the family home on Alpine Street in Huntsville, Alabama, and was laid to rest in the Neal's Chapel Cemetery in Big Cove, Alabama, where the family had settled around 1922. Emmett moved to Florida a few years later and finished raising his family with help from the older children, a few of whom had already married. He eventually returned to Madison County in the mid-70's, settling near New Market, Alabama. He passed away January 22, 1982, at the age of eighty-five. He survived Nannie by thirty-seven years; but never remarried. Emmett was laid to rest in Big Cove, Alabama, beside of the wife he loved so dearly, Nannie.

This photo is of Emmett and Nannie Hinshaw and was taken in Big Cove, Alabama, around 1941. The little boy running in the side of the picture is their son, Ray.

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

I hope you all have a wonderful WHITE Christmas!!

-BYRD

This Day in History...

I'm sure I'll post something about Christmas morning sometime tomorrow; but while we're busy getting ready for Santa Clause, I wanted to take a second to mention that 200 years ago on Christmas Day, my great-great-great-great-grandfather, Dr. George Lee Bird, was born near Crawfordville, Georgia. He was the son of a wealthy plantation owner, and had a fairly affluent lineage and had but one child with his first wife, Salina Chivers. That son was George Marshall Bird, who left Crawfordville shortly after his father's death and just before the Civil War. It was this George Marshall Bird who eventually settled in the Big Cove Community in 1904.

Kellie and Mackenzie and I took a trip to Crawfordville back in 2003, just before completing the book I wrote about our lineage. There, we were able to visit Dr. Bird's house, which still stands on the Taliaferro County square, adjacent the courthouse, as well as Dr. Bird's grave - a story Kellie loves to tell - ha, ha! I blog about that later.

Off to finish our Santa prep's - Merry Christmas everybody!

-BYRD

This Day In HIstory... John Elbert Adams

Seventy-five years ago today, my great-grandfather, John Elbert Adams, passed away at the young age of only forty-two years. He was born August 24, 1892, in Roanoke, Alabama (Randolph County) , and was the third child of James Thomas Adams and the former Miss Martha Eldorada Butler . As a very small child, John relocated to Marshall County, Alabama, with his parents and siblings; and eventually settled in nearby Madison County.
John married Rosie Lee Winkles on February 10, 1910 , in Huntsville, Alabama. Rosie, whose name can also found listed in some media type as Rosa , was born September 19, 1896 , and was only thirteen years old when she married John, who was then seventeen. Rosie was the daughter of James Winkles and the former Miss Ann Brumbalow, and was an orphan at the time of her marriage to John.
Over the next eighteen years, John and Rosie became the parents of thirteen children. Four of these children – one girl and three boys – died shortly after or at birth. Their names are unknown; however, their graves are marked in the Moon Cemetery near Owens Cross Roads. The nine surviving children were Rachel M. (1912), Albert Lonzo (1913), Bertie Lorene (1914), Ruby Nancy (19--), James Walter (1919), John Junior (1920), Sammie Ligie (1922), Rosie Virginia (1926), and William Jasper (1930). All of these children were born near Owens Cross Roads, Alabama.
John Elbert Adams died December 17, 1935 , at his home in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama. According to his death certificate, his death came almost five months after undergoing a nephrectomy (surgical removal of a kidney). The actual cause of death and minor contributory thereof is not clearly legible on the certificate; however, the cause is listed as “(unclear word) of left kidney”. The death certificate also indicates that John was a forty-two year old farmer (he was actually forty-three), lists his parents as J.T. Adams and Martha Butler, and lists his surviving spouse as Rosa Adams. The informant is listed as S.F. Adams, which is John’s youngest brother, Santford Adams.
John was buried in the Moon Cemetery in Owens Cross Roads, on December 18, 1935.

The photo below is of John Elbert Adams "Poppa", and Rosie Lee Winkles Adams "Granny".

Give the Gift of MUSIC!

Still looking for some great (or maybe just "good") stocking stuffers?!? Give the gift of MUSIC! We have the following CD's still available for sell:

• The Alvie McKenzie Family: Not Another Tear ($15)


• The McKenzie's: Volume II ($15)
  
• Chosen: Power in Believing ($10)


• Christmas With... (an all NEW Christmas CD featuring several of your favorite groups... and us!) ($15)


• New Harmony: The Journey (some of our friends from Huntsville) ($15)

If you're interested in any of these projectss, give us a shout and we'll hook you up We'll even do FREE shipping for the rest of the month!

-BYRD

This Day in History...

On this day in history, December 8, 1964, my great-great-grandmother, Mattie L. Black Stapler, passed away at the age of 85 years. My mom, who was raised out of state, remembers seeing her great-grandmother a time or two growing up; but of course, she passed away before my time. Grandma Stapler was laid to rest in the Green Valley Cemetery in Big Cove, next to her husband, Willias Silas Stapler. Here's a couple of pics of her. One of her as a young woman, and the other is of Grandma with her sister, Leona Hodges.

-BYRD

Weekend...

I don't know why, but for some reason, it seems like we can fit more activities into a two day weekend than we do the other five days of the week. Saturday, we photographed my niece, A.J., for pretty much all day. We were going to do pics of my girls that evening for our Christmas card, but it was rainy all day, so we didn't get around to it. We went to church Saturday night, and rescheduled our pics for Sunday. I try not to ever miss church on the account of pictures; but I knew if I didn't get something done yesterday, we weren't going to have cards this year. So Sunday morning, we get the kids all dolled up and took them to Chattanooga for pics. First, we had to run to the mall to finish-up their outfits; but we finally got over to the downtown area; and what do you know - it starts SNOWING! Not much, but it was spitting snow. That's how cold it was! We were freezing - especially the girls; and so we barely got enough pics for me to build a card with. We came home; and I built the cards and got them ordered. Kellie and the girls went to church at Higdon; and as soon as I got finished with the cards, I took off to the funeral home at Huntsville. When I finished there, I went to church at Big Cove, and then went to visit my parents for a few minutes afterwards, and got home at midnight. So there's my quick weekend update; and here's one of the pics we got Saturday. We hope to do a full session with them if we can catch a warmer day in the coming weeks!

-BYRD

2nd post for the day...

Okay, a little more detail from last week. Saturday, I photographed some bridal photos in Big Cove, then rushed home and picked up the wife and kids and we set-out to the Smokies! Sunday, we re-visited the Gatlinburg aquarium. We've been before, but I'm not sure if Makayla has ever been and Mackenzie couldn't remember going. The girls had a blast! If you've never been, they really have a great aquarium! Ashley and Brooke came up that evening, so we met up with them at Texas Roadhouse for supper.
Monday was Makayla's actual birthday, so Kellie cooked pancakes in our condo and we gave her a present. I can't even remember what we did for the rest of the day; but I think we shopped and hung out in Gatlinburg some more. I still can't believe Makayla is five! I think I mentioned in Mackenzie's birthday post about the kids each having four names. Makayla's is Makayla Kellie Lorene Byrd. Her name was "supposed" to be Madeline, called Mattie; but Kellie and I couldn't agree on the spelling so we just went a different direction. Makayla actually came from Dr. Quinn Medicine woman; but it went good with Mackenzie so all was cool there - ha, ha. I pretty much begged Kellie to let me use Lorene as the third name, as that was my late grandmother's name. We were unsure of the second name and Kellie just decided last minute (after Makayla was born) to use "Kellie". No, it doesn't flow too good; but hey, it works! :)
Back to our vacation, Tuesday was when we were headed out, and we gave the girls one more treat. For some reason, Mackenzie has become fascinated with the Titanic. I think she must have watched part of the movie at my mom's or something. She has asked me countless questions about it! So we took them to the new Titanic exhibit in Pigeon Forge. It was awesome; and the girls loved it - it was the highlight of the trip for both of them! Of course, anything that has to do with history is right up my alley, so I had a blast myself. I even transcribed part of an old letter that the currators of the museum had previously been unable to read. I've read so many old wills and census records and letters that it was very easy for me to understand. I looked at it for like a minute and was able to tell what it said, so I went and got an official and let them know. It was cool.
Wednesday, I worked on Christmas pictures all day - ALL DAY! We went to church that night; but I spent an exhausting day at the computer!

Thursday, we did Thanksgiving at Kellie's grandparents and took Mackenzie that night to Scottsboro to meet my parents, who were going to keep her a couple of nights.

Friday, we shopped. We got up like at 3 a.m. and went shopping. We were in and out at Wal-Mart; but Target was a different story! I stood in line for almost three hours there to get an iPod for Mackenzie. And now stinkin' Santa Claus will get all the credit for it! Grrrr! :) Anyhow, we shopped all day long and got home that night and went to bed.

Saturday, we went to Big Cove to get Mackenzie and hung out with my parents all day, and then spent all day yesterday at church.

This Day in History...

Thirty-five years ago today, November 29, 1975, my grandmother, Bertie Lorene Adams Bird, passed away at a Huntsville hospital, after a long and tiring bout with diabetes. Unfortunately, this was about three years before I was born, so I never got to know her; however, I have missed her for my entire life. I wonder sometimes how different life would have been for me had she lived as long as Granddaddy did (he passed away in 2003). I've heard so many wonderful things about her from my family and others in the community - I know that I really missed out now knowing her.

Also, I learned today that Mr. Mark Tucker passed away this weekend. Mark played Santa for a few Christmas shoots that Marty and I did at New Hope and Owens Cross Roads Schools over the past few years. He was always a pleasure to work with and genuinely enjoyed his role as Santa! Our prayers go out to his family during this Holiday season. Here's one of my favorite Santa photos of my girls with Santa Mark - I think from 2007!

Happy Thanksgiving...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We all have so much to be thankful for - I know I do. I've got everything I've ever truly wanted! No, not a new car, new house, plenty of money in the bank. But everything I ever truly wanted - a great wife, healthy beautiful children, and most of all, a loving Savior. And on top of those things, I'm thankful for our 2002 Ford Escape with 230k+ miles on it - until now, we've never really had a minutes trouble out of it and never had to spend a bunch of money on it (besides gas and tires) to keep it running good. A nice home that keeps me warm and dry - one that I can afford. And this coming February will mark ten years that I've been at my present employer - they are really good to me and I while I don't make a bunch of money, what I make gets us by week to week. And there is so much more besides this that I could name.

This past Saturday, Kellie, the girls and I went to the Smokies for a few days. It was the first time just the four of us had gone somewhere in a long time. We did the aquarium in Gatlinburg, shopped some, and the highlight of the trip was probably our last day. We went to the new Titanic museum - Mackenzie had BEGGED us to go. She loved it. Makayla did too! It was really neat. And, while we were gone, Makayla turned FIVE! I can't believe it. I still plan to post more about her soon; but right now, we're fixin' to head out to Kellie's grandparents' for Thanksgiving, so I'll have to do that later. They're calling me to "come on!!!"

Happy Fifth Birthday Makayla! Will blog more later - in Smokies! :-)

New Harmony in concert with THE ISAAC's...

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I got my tickets today to see my friends, New Harmony, on stage in April 2011 with THE Isaac's! Tickets went on sale today and are selling out fast. If you're interested, better hurry! I'm in the middle of the third row; and can't wait!

Go to http://www.perfectharmonypromotions.com/

Thanks!

-BYRD

Weddings are BACK on the menu...

I should probably change the name of my studio to Wishy-Washy Photography! :) In the past year, I cut out weddings altogether and intended to focus more on family photography; however, due to a variety of circumstances (if you want the boring details, feel free to ask) including my latest health set-back, my plans have changed. I'm swapping horses (again) and planning to ditch a large portion of family photography and invest most of my time in 2011 in weddings. I started out in the business shooting weddings; and after some not-so-gentle urging from some of my friends and peers, I've decided to return to my roots and add weddings back to the line-up. Although it's hard work and time-consuming, it does have it's perks and it is always an honor to be included in such a special part of people's lives. SO - more details to come on that as the year rolls around. If you are planning a wedding for 2011 and would like more information about our wedding services, please drop us a line!

This Day in History...

Eighty years ago on November 16, 1930, my paternal grandparents – Walter Lee Bird & Bertie Lorene Adams – were joined in holy matrimony in a double civil ceremony in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, with Granddaddy’s first cousin, Winfred Bird, and his bride, Lorene Rhoden. Granddaddy was eighteen and Grandmother was sixteen. Over the next thirty years, their marriage brought forth ten children; and in fact, Granddaddy and Grandmother were still having children after they had already become grandparents!
They were together for forty-five years when the death angel called Grandmother away in 1975; and even though Granddaddy married again to a lovely woman several years later, his love for Grandmother never diminished. I still remember well, sitting in the back-yard swing with Granddaddy in the 1990’s, asking him about the day he married Grandmother. And as he began to tell me about it, his dim eyes lit up and he smiled as he spoke. I could tell in his voice that although she had been gone for many years, he still held her very close in his heart.
I never knew Grandmother; and Granddaddy left us in 2003 – but the love they had for one another is still reflected in the lives of their children, and fortunately, passed down still another generation – to my generation – in their grandchildren; and I hope to instill that same love in my own children as the years go by.

The photo is of Granddaddy and Grandmother holding my dad, Ronald, in 1954.
-BYRD

Happy Birthday Makayla...

I don't have a lot of posting time this morning; but I did want to throw a few pics up from Makayla's 5th Bday party, which we had this past Saturday. Her actual birthday is not until November 22; but with that being so close to Thanksgiving, we bumped up the party a couple of weeks. She had a great turnout and got lots of great presents! All the little girls dressed-up in their princess costumes, and some of the little boys even dressed up like princes and kings! :) They play "crown the princess" (kind of like pin the tail on the donkey) and a few other games. My mom made an AWESOME castle cake, from which we took the top layer off and froze it until Makayla's "real" birthday. All the kids, especially Makayla, seemed to have a great time!

I'll blog more about my precious little five year old closer to her real birthday!

See ya!

-BYRD