Congratulations to the THS wrestling team on a great season. Six of the varsity wrestlers will be advancing to the Semi-Sectionals next weekend. Advancing on are Jacob Coffey, Ryan Donovan, Alex Ostermeter, Will Peabody, Jesse Smothers and Lee Stokes. Good luck next weekend guys. We'll see you there.

Be sure to check out the newest arrivals at Matilda Jane. The new catalog will be out in a few days with the latest spring styles for girls. We love the look and the company. www.matildajaneclothing.com

We are excited to announce that we will be starting another new project for our younger clients. We have teamed up with Ford Modeling to offer a safe & professional way to submit your child's portraits for review. The best part is....the submission is free.

We are always interested in finding new models each year for our promotions & advertising, so if you would like to join our team, just give us a call for all of the details. It's simple, fun and along with the complimentary session you will receive discounts on our most popular items. We also have a special rewards program that you can use to earn free products.

Newborns through HS Seniors may apply.

Throughout the years we have had the opportunity to serve several charitable organizations, but if asked to pick our favorite, we would choose NILMDTS.

Maddux Achilles Haggard was born on Feb. 4, 2005, with a condition called myotubular myopathy that prevented him from breathing, swallowing or moving on his own. On the sixth day of his young life, his parents had to make the excruciating decision to take him off life support. But before they did, they called Littleton, Colorado photographer Sandy Puc' to take black and white portraits of them cradling their son. Puc' photographed the couple with Maddux at the hospital before he was removed from life support and after - when he was free from the tubes and the wires that had sustained him.

Those tender photographs documenting Maddux's eternal connection with his parents inspired Cheryl Haggard and Sandy Puc' to found a nonprofit organization that has provided thousands of families of babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns with free professional portraits with their baby.

Sandy and Cheryl founded the organization in April 2005 and called it Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep after the children's bedtime prayer. To date, The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation has nearly 3,000 affiliated photographers worldwide.

Giving to and serving others is always a rewarding experience, but serving families through NILMDTS is more than that. It has touched us deeply and emotionally. It has changed who we are and helped us to find who we want to be. Simply put, it has changed our lives.

We have learned to celebrate life and our relationships with friends and family at all times, never taking for granted that they will be here tomorrow. It has served as a simple reminder to us, as parents, how blessed we are to have our son, Chase. Spending time with these wonderful families has also challenged us to remember how insignificant many obstacles in life really are.

NILMDTS - Click here to learn more about the foundation and the founders.

Donate to NILMDTS - Click here to learn about donating to the foundation.

If you would like to directly support the local photographers in central Illinois we are in need of teddy bears. We give them as gifts to the little ones we serve. Call Witter Photography @ 217-824-3362 for more information.

We were just introduced to our newest little client, Olivia. Is she adorable or what? Her Granny made her the baptismal gown she is wearing so we had to feature this portrait. It is very beautiful and according to Olivia, very comfortable. We can't wait to see Olivia again.

Hey juniors, there is still time to apply to be one of our senior models for the 2009 class. But you better hurry because there are only a few spots left. Being one of our models is a lot of fun, plus you can earn lots of cool free stuff. Call Witter Photography today for more information.

Last weekend we had the opportunity to spend some time with our very first wedding clients (& friends) Marty and April. We were so excited to work with them again because they are always a lot of fun to be around.

As you can see from the portrait, they are expecting the arrival of their first child. They are soooo excited and we are too for them. Baby Owen will be here in February and we can hardly wait to meet him. I'm sure that there will be many more blogs this year about Owen.

We created several different portraits for M & A , but this is one of our favorites from their session. It really captures April's peaceful nature and the bond between her and baby Owen.

Check back in February for the first images of Owen.

Join us at the 4th annual Everything Weddings Expo & Style Show on Sunday January 27, 2008. This year's event is at the Orr building at the State Fairgrounds. Kirby Hames and I will be there from noon to 4 pm to answer any questions you may have about our photography and video services. Be sure to check out our newest style of flush mount wedding albums. Their cover choices are amazing and are certain to be the best new product of 2008. If you reserve your 2009 date at the show you will receive an additional $100.00 credit with your collection. See you there.