“I just want you to capture who we ACTUALLY ARE.” her voice rang over the phone, and I let out a sigh of relief.  ”That is what I LOVE to do.” I replied.

I have attempted for many years to seem more perfect than I actually am.  But something happened when I had Dayla. I realized that there is joy in just being who you are, messed up, full of little errors, but still “just right” in the eyes of God.

The older I get the more I attempt to leave in the dust my perfectionist ways, and the more I LOVE to surround myself with non-perfectionist types.   I admire them.  And I always seem to let out a sigh of relief when hanging out with them.  My shoulders relax.  I feel at ease. When I got off the phone with Kristin, she seemed to me like one of those let-out-a-sigh-of-relief-just-relax-and-be-yourself kind of people.  I just felt so perfectly comfortable and at ease after talking to her, and I was SO excited to capture her family just as they “actually are”.

Hayden is HILARIOUS.  A performer.  Full of spunk and not a shy bone in his body.  He had me laughing out loud as he showed me all his “tricks”.  He could spin, jump the highest, and most definitely lead his brother with confidence.  A natural born leader.

Jordon is shyer, but by no means a push-over.  He seems as though he will be the silent strong one.  He had no problem following his brother, letting him have the lead, but also was confident in who he was.  He was not lost in his brother’s shadow, just content there. As he pushed his mom’s hair out of her face, and then paused lovingly before he planted a kiss on her cheek, I could see that he is also the gentle, thoughtful one.

Each brother was so different from the other, but each one “just right” in who they were.

I love my job.  I love falling in love with these families and having the challenge of capturing all that is “them” in just a short two hours.  I love meeting new people and feeling like I get to be a part of their family for just a brief time.  I love getting to know guys like Gary who are fighting for us overseas, a guy who sacrifices his family time so we can have ours.

Kristin, Gary, Hayden and Jordan, thank you SO much! I had so much fun laughing with you guys and attempting to capture all the beauty and uniqueness that radiates from your perfect (or should I say, “just right”) family!  Thank you!

Meet Jordan…

Introducing Hayden (look at those eye brows!? AWESOME skill!)

Jordan and Dad. I love the *real* smiles…we caught one!

Brothers on Dads shoulders.

I love being able to capture couples too! This is a game I like to play that I like to call, “Who is better?” I believe we each bring something fun and unique and important to the relationship, so why not recognize it once in a while? I love to see how couples respond. And you can see Gary is a humble guy. Hahaha!

Okay, I LOVE this shot! I have wanted to try this pose for a while, but have been saving it for just the right fun couple. Kristin and Gary totally fit the bill! Fun, right? (And you have to give props to Kristin, cause that takes some ab muscles!)

Kristin told me she wanted green grass and loves bright colors (MEEE TOO!)
That being said, it is no surprise that I LOVE THIS SERIES! AH. And add in two cute little brothers who are the sweetest….. *swoon*


And mama loves her boys!

FAMILY lolllipop time! Bring it. Here is where I told them to hide behind their lollipops and I totally loved that Jordan kept turning his upside down. Couldn’t have planned it better myself.



Lastly, dad and his boys!

I mean, it IS officially summer now, right? I think it is only fitting that Food Friday gets a little time away, a little bit of much needed relaxation.

We are SO BLESSED to share the news with you that we bought our very first home!! The feelings I have when I think of it are pretty indescribable. It is momentous moment, a milestone, an incredible joy. But if we are going to call a spade a spade, it is also a TON of work. A house that we put a offer on a year ago (yes it has been a year of practicing patience and trusting God, as noted here as well), we are now attempting to make into a home to call our own. But two years of an uninhabited house has left us with our hands full. Take out meals have been our friend for the past month, and dirty clothes, paint stained hands and aching backs have been a truth of our days. But I can’t WAIT to show you all that we are doing/done/get to grow our family in!

To get just a small idea, here is a “before” shot of our new house…our new home….

and the back…(yes, those were waist high weeds…)

(Stay tuned for the “after”!)

That all being said, as you can imagine, take out meals from Cotixan and Panda Express, as delicious as they are, don’t make great Food Friday posts. So, as much as I HATE to announce a hiatus for Food Friday, my plate is officially full….and sadly to say, not with food.  We will come back with more meals to share once we fire up that new gas range in our brand spakin’ new home! For now…don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for a dose of the cutest little boys you have ever seen…with dinosaurs…and silly faces galore!

Nothing quite melts my heart like a dad who is willing to snuggle or kiss their little one for the camera. It not only melts my heart, but I also believe that never does a man look so strong as he does when he is not afraid to be soft, affectionate and loving with his children.  I LOVE my job and love every time I have the honor of capturing a “daddy”.

To all my awesome dads and all the dads out there…..Happy Father’s Day!

In celebration, here are just a few of some of my favorite captures of the dads and fatherhood:

[ And of course a quick shout out for my husband!  I was so excited to see who he would be as a father, and he is a better dad to Dayla then I ever could have imagined.  To one of the best dad's I know...to my husband...to the love of my life and one of the greatest blessings God has ever brought into my life...truly my better half.....Happy Father's Day babe!]

Last week Daniel had to fly to Dallas for a couple days for work.  I realized when he was gone that I eat differently, mainly just not as well or gourmet as I do when he is cooking!  HA.  The other thing that I realized is that when he is not home, I eat a lot of my meals standing up in the kitchen.  It is not out of necessity or because I am in a hurry by any means.  I am not sure exactly why I do it, I think I do it because it just feels less lonely.

I wouldn’t recommend this way of eating, eating while standing that is, for as a friend of mine pointed out, we should slow down, appreciate our meals, make it a ritual that is to be blessed and not taken for granted.  Meals should be not just a necessity, but also a time of love, laughter, and blessing.  We should let the food nourish both our bodies and our family time.

But heaven knows, there is a lot of out there who eat some meals standing up in the kitchen.  So this week’s Food Friday is in support for all the people who eat standing up.This is a taco I made from all the little odds and ends in our fridge one night when Daniel was away.  It was pretty gourmet compared to the bowl of oatmeal I usually endure.  And of course, it was eaten standing up.

Today’s Feature: Everything in the Fridge Taco

I am totally sure that every little girl at one point in her life modeled in front of her mirror.  Flipped her hair around.  Pretended to walk the runway.  Kristi told me she never did it.  Once you see her pictures though, you won’t believe her, just like I didn’t.  Although I will admit, maybe there is some truth in her statement, because I totally DID model in front of the mirror as a little girl, and practiced my runway walk down our long hall, and I am a complete goof in front of the camera. In that case, the lesson here is , you may actually be a better model if you have never practiced.

I don’t know what wrong with me the day of her shoot, but I was like, CRAZY tired.  I mean, like I just wanted to close my eyes and fall asleep right on my camera.  No joke.  On my camera. BUT THEN Kristi got in front of my camera and we snapped some shots.  She was a natural in front of the lens!! (you know, cause she didn’t practice modeling as a little girl, like the rest of us did) ..and THAT was when I suddenly forgot how tired I was.   My heart started racing, my blood was pumping, my eyes opened up, and I was SO EXCITED.  If you asked Kristi she would probably verify the story.  I went from strangely sluggish and sleepy-eyed into a giddy school girl, squealing with delight.  Cause that is just how I get when I know we are going to have fun and get some great shots!

A beautiful girl with a gorgeous maternity glow, who is a natural in front of the camera, in a stunning downtown setting, that is the recipe for AWESOMENESS.

Then Mike met up with us and the recipe went to WAY AWESOMENESS.  Two naturals. Two of the most laid back, coolest, and fun people ever.  And to top it all off, Kristi is pregnant with TWINS.  Doesn’t that just add to their total awesomeness?  It does.  I know.

This little spot is a hidden pot of gold right in the middle of downtown. I was dying to shoot here, and I LOVE LOVE the images we got! Totally my style…fresh…clean…kinda Crate and Barrel -ish, no? I want to get pregnant if only to do my own maternity photography session here!  The one above and the next 3 are all in the same little spot!

Like this one. LOVE. I am in LOVE with this image. If I could, I would marry it.

Isn’t this brick wall the coolest looking ? I have driven by it at all times of day, wishing and dreaming the light would hit it right, with no luck. On Kristi’s photo shoot day, the day was overcast…and I said…BRICK WALL here we come! Overcast skies is a like a photographer’s candy.

And lots of color? Yes please.

Told you she is a natural. Just look at this girl.  Stunning. WORK IT GIRL.

(and yes she is laying on the street downtown…but that is just one of the many reasons that Kristi became my hero that Saturday)

We passed this patio and I loved the way it looked so I asked Kristi to jump in for a shot. I totally love this, the urban nature of it, and the way she looks like she is on a movie set or something. Then I realized we were totally on the patio of a BAR and she is PREGNANT. Whoops. But still, I love this picture…..

Next we headed to Seaport Village and met up with Kristi’s husband Mike.

Who knew that Seaport Village had these awesome trees? These roots rocked my world.

This is right after we got kicked out of Seaport Village since apparently there is no “professional photography allowed” there (who knew?).  That is when Kristi became my hero…but that is a whole other story.  The ending….we kept on shooting…and got some of my favorite maternity images of ALL TIME.  I mean, who says that lollipops have to only be for toddlers?  That is right, I brought a lollipop to a maternity shoot…cause I thought it just might be this awesome.



And here it is…ending with my very favorite maternity image of all time. A vision that came life just the way I hoped.

Another BIG canvas to put up in my office one day. *LOVE*

Thanks to you both for a ton of fun and being stunning models that I had the pleasure of capturing! I am SO excited for you and the journey and blessing you have ahead!