To say that I am excited to share these pictures with you is the UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR.  You see how I did that? ALL CAPS.  That is so you can feel just an inkling of my excitement!!

I don’t know if you are a Johnny Depp fan, or a Tim Burton fan, but I am a fan of both. I have always thought the idea of an artist having a “muse” is a little strange. But for the first time in my many years as an artist, I get it. Sometimes there is just someone who seems to make your dreams, creations, visions come alive, by well, just being them. I am certain that Johnny Depp is Tim Burton’s muse. And I am starting to think that just maybe this family might be mine.  (Is that an awkward thing to share?  Oooo…I hope not.  What is that you say, no one reads this part any way?  Phew.)  The truth is they just have a knack for making my photography dreams come to life and I am hoping that Lydia wouldn’t mind being referred to as a “goddess that inspires the arts”.

This photo shoot was a little bit of a baby of mine. After browsing Anthropolgie catalogs and stores for clients of mine, it became a fun little dream of mine to do a shoot like this.  There is just something wonderful and romantic and perfectly whimsical to me about bringing living spaces out into God’s living spaces.  I love the dreamy quality of it and longed to try and pull something like that together.  Long dreamed. Lots of coordination to pull it off.  AND birthed into a DREAM COME TRUE with the help of Lydia and James and Ruby.

When I came to Lydia and said, “I have an idea, so you need to hire me to take pictures of you and your family again!!” I wasn’t sure how she would respond to my bold request.  But she was excited!! and that made my excitement spin out of control into utter elation.  And thank God for James and Ruby who were willing to go along for the ride. After much coordinating, me robbing her house of almost all of it’s insides, and a lot of patience and dreaming together, we pulled it off.  And it was all totally worth it. I am over the moon.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

We started with some photos with Lydia’s parents in the flowers. They were visiting and I was so glad that they got to tag along for a bit! Got to capture the grandparents when you can, and these two were the sweetest grandparents ever!

After that came the vision….

I just love old books.

Soft sunlight.

Quilts that feel like they have a story in every stitch.

Pillows that saw the face of a new marriage and fresh love.

A lampshade where it doesn’t belong.

An old stained glass window that makes the sunlight dance.

Here is the space that I envisioned and the family that just seemed to know how to bring it to life with their love, laughter, and joy.

When the laughter fades, it gives a moment for the love to intensify…

Thank you so much for coming along on this dream with me….

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!

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!]

I got to do a photo shoot with Mallery when she was a newborn and again when she was 9 months, and then again a few weeks ago!  I can’t believe how big she is now at 18 months, and how much personality she has!  She is a total hoot who loves her mama and has a laugh the lights up the room… and I wanted to eat her up! If you were to ask me what my “goal for success” is as a photographer, it would be to have families that call me every time they need a picture, families that I would get to watch grow, year by year, and see their little personalities come out and shine.  Nothing sounds like more of a dream job to me than that. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that I have gotten to capture little Mallery from newborn to now…a true gift if you ask me.

Jen and Jeff and Mallery were actually the reason that I got to travel up to Sacramento for a work weekend back in May.  Jen has been a friend of mine forever and so when she told me that she had friends who loved my photography and wanted me to take their family photos, I didn’t believe her.  I mean, that is what every good girl friend is supposed to tell you, right?  That you are good at what you do.  I knew she was exaggerating.  So when I told her to go ahead and see if she could arrange a group of families on one weekend and that I would come up and hang out with her if she did, I was certain it was a long shot.  Much to my surprise, she totally pulled it off! And it was AMAZING!   To top off all the awesome families I got to meet up there, we had a weekend of bonding, girl time, and re-living all sorts of old memories from when we were kids, as well as trading mom tips for the here and now.  AND she made me watch Twilight (and I totally loved it).  Everything that a perfect weekend with a best girl friend is supposed to be.

To top it all off, we did a photo shoot so I could capture her little Mallery again!  Just wait til you see this little girl!

Because I was staying with Jen and Jeff, I got to snap a few pictures of Mallery in their home, just being her (my favorite kind of shoot!)  And I don’t know what it is about little babies showing skin, but I think it is the cutest!

Mallery is truly one of the smartest 18 mo. olds I have ever met…and I am not just saying that because she outsmarted me several times. (My mantra for the weekend became, “I AM smarter than an 18 mo old, YES I AM”.) All my usual 18 mo. old tricks got me the face below. I don’t know what you see in her expression, but I see, “This lady has got to be kidding me.”

Luckily, mom knew all the tricks!

I LOVE this set below! Just relaxing in the sun. Maybe it is my inner cat….but relaxing in the sun pictures just make me smile.

The next pictures have the pleasure of coming with a brief story.

I have thought for a while about doing a photo shoot in a field of flowers, or fruit trees, or corn….but those are all hard to come by in San Diego. You know, it is a desert down here, so fields are a few an far between. That being said, when I saw this giant field of mustard flowers on the side of the hwy, I started to drool. Literally. Jen had to get me a towel. So I did what every photographer does, put on my “please make my dream come true and I will beg and plead until you come with me” act, and I dragged the family to a mustard field that we passed on the side of the road. Needless to say, these last ones are all my favorites (but I am a little biased!)
I LOVE MUSTARD FIELDS!


I have always thought Jen would make an awesome model….can you see what I see here? She’s hot. Work it girl.

Got to love those large lollipops!

But ending with my very favorite….snuggles for mom.

Thanks so much you guys for making my weekend amazing! Getting to capture your little Mallery one more time was totally the highlight to me! AND THANK YOU for being willing to go out and make my mustard field DREAM SHOOT come true too! Love you all so much!

I truly have adored each and every family I have ever met, and feel blessed that it is my job to capture your life, your story.

With the S family they didn’t just make me swoon and capture my heart like most families do, they made me want to hang out with them every day. Yep. They are truly that much fun. I am not sure what the exact tipping point was that made me realize that I want to hang out with them every day, it is hard to pin point it. Maybe it was when Erin and I talked on the phone forEVER and it felt like we were old friends. Maybe it was when I saw that Erin is the type of mom I want to be and admire. Or maybe it was when I suggested letting her kids have ice cream for the photo shoot, which has been a long time vision and I have been DYING to do it, she was SO into it, in the way that a girl friend squeals over a cute dress that makes you look amazing. Or maybe it was simply because her kids adored the camera and the camera adored them.

Whatever the exact reason was I am not sure, but truth be told, they stole my heart.

S family. If only I could hang out with you everyday I would. You made me laugh, made a little old photographer’s dream come true, and you made me feel blessed to have met you. I had so much fun and dearly hope our path’s cross again one day!

Three adorable little ones…just warming up….

Thanks to mama’s help, WARMED!

Caroline is vivacious, and Brooke and Ben just sweet at can be. I am so excited…this picture just seemed to capture who they are; Caroline with her pose even has a little extra twist of the hip!  :)

Doorways with beautiful brick wall = love. Cute family in them = LOVE. LOVE.LOVE!

Can you see the reaction to the “peak a boo”? This picture makes me laugh out loud! I want to hang it on my wall in a giant canvas…for the days I need a smile!

[Sorry, I am going to say "love" a lot in this post.]  I LOVE this series! Isn’t Erin the most gorgeous mama of triplets you have ever seen? And the love she has for her kids (and they for her) just makes her glow!

And Scott sure did love his little ones too!  As requested, “Just the men.”  The handsome men. AWE. LOVE.

Silly faces are the best!

Here are three kids, triplets, looking perfect and calm like I am sure they do everyday!

Then we let loose for some candid shots. Here is Brooke dancing…and Caroline rushes to join her. How I love little girls!


The ever sweet Ben

Next comes my little dream come true: KIDS EATING ICE CREAM = CUTE OVERLOAD!!

Then we have the nice little family is just here eating some ice cream….peaceful…cute…perfect….

…then the photographer stirs up some trouble….

….sending everyone home sticky was my ultimate goal! Thanks S family for making my dream come true!

I could just picture him running around the house dressed up like a fireman.  The fights to take off the firefighter gear so they could go to the grocery store.  Explaining that wearing a fire fighter’s hat might not be appropriate for a wedding.  I don’t know if that is how it actually plays out at their home, but that is the image that popped into my head when she said it.  In the midst of having my vision I just said, “That is awesome!”.

I just love that kids are who they are.  They get into what they are into and then they are shameless about it.  Wear it everywhere.  And I LOVE AND ADORE parents who just let them embrace it.

So when Rebecca said that she might bring some of Hunter’s firefighter attire for our photo shoot, I am pretty sure I squealed.  I am not a squealer…but that day I did.  ”OOOOooooooooo YES!  BRING IT!”

This photo shoot was a-mazing.  I got to walk around the most gorgeous, lush park that I have ever been to.  I swooned as I got out of the car and saw the redwoods, green grass, flowers, duck pond.  Memories flooded as I reminisced what it was like to grow up with redwoods in my backyard (answer = the BEST thing ever.) And then when they arrived, the first thing I noticed was Hunter’s fireman boots.  I was in heaven.  I got to capture Hunter being the most fun, energetic, social, and imaginative boy I have ever met…and sweet sweet Lexi who the moment I held the camera up to my face smiled with the kind of smile that just makes you melt.

E family, thank you!  I had so much fun!

Check out this tree! Isn’t it gorgeous? And the light…and the family…and the…well, everything!

Introducing the sweetest smile in the world…by Lexi…

This picture kills me. Rebecca, I can’t believe you don’t get in front of the camera more often. We are all at a loss…. you are gorgeous! (Those eyes are natural folks!)

Introducing the fireman himself…Mr. Hunter!

Every fireman needs a fire pole to slide down….

…and some formal fire fighter portraits (I am in LOVE with these! Isn’t he the most handsome little guy? Hunter stole my heart!)

Sometimes firemen like to also hide in bushes and watch out for dinosaurs! (like every little boy!)

Then we rounded the troops for a little play time. This was SO much fun! I simply adore the way these shots came out…real family moments…..just playing and giggling like families do!


This shot is a more calm moment, but something about it makes me smile.

I am in LOVE with this series. I told Hunter not to smile. He held it for about a minute…but then burst into full giggle. It was the best.

And this one DEFINITELY makes me smile…and warms my heart. I love the love. I can’t fake that as a photographer. I can’t make a family connect and love one another…this family just did, and I was lucky enough to be there and be a part of it. Thank you E family for warming my heart!

Today I get to share with you “Part Two” of my first ever “two part photo shoot”!

In the spirit of drum rolls I would like to start by awarding this family with a couple prizes.  [During the shoot Dorinda revealed to me that she has a slight competitive spirit, so I thought it would be fun to award her some prizes...I mean they are totally deserved!]

#1 Shoot…The Wettest Shoot (only shoot I have had rained on!)

#2 Shoot….The Sandiest Shoot EVER (this family was willing to not only play in the sand, but lay down in the sand and get covered in sand!  I came home the sandiest I have ever been…so they I AM SURE brought half the beach home with them!)

#3…Best Muffins! (Dorinda made some muffins for snack at the shoot…and sent me home with a plate full!  Thank you SO MUCH Dorinda, they were SO YUMMY.  Let’s just say, only two actually made it home!)

Dorinda, Ruud and Joshua…I cannot tell you how much I adored being able to see and play with your family, not once, but twice!  You showed me that the words “play” and “photo shoot” can go perfectly hand in hand.  I have to say that I think God smiled down on us for the second half of our shoot, nothing but clear blue, very sunny skies, with a perfect San Diego temperature of 75 degrees.  Thank you so much for being so flexible, so easy going, and I hope you enjoy sharing these San Diego beach (with blue skies!) pictures with all your family back home!

Look at those blue eyes!  Isn’t Joshua the cutest?

Joshua was the happiest and FASTEST little man I have ever chased…he completely stole my heart…and I ADORED trying to capture him. This second shoot I made it my mission to try and capture how fast and busy he is.  It was so fun (and I think we got it)!

And we were able to snag a couple family shots too…

I love this shot below!  So romantic…with Joshua just peeking on…

And nothing makes me smile like kids being thrown into the air!  They just love it so much!

Below is my favorite from the shoot for so many reasons!  First, they were willing to lie down in the sand for me….and second to me it just captures their family so perfectly!  Definitely my favorite!

Before saying goodbye…a little San Diego sunset shot…(or a few)

Happy Mother’s Day!

In celebration, here are just a few of some of my favorite captures of motherhood:

Happy Mother’s Day …and wishing you many more smiles, hugs, kisses, laughter, love and joy…

Now as I was sitting there, I could taste my words.   I saw the dark rain clouds blow in and my heart sank.

When I first got to the beach the sun was peaking through, giving gorgeous light, and my spirits began to lift.  But as the minutes crept by, the clouds kept rolling in and the sun break disappeared.   As I met Dorinda, Ruud and Joshua, I think we all knew that this rain was not giving us any grace, but we optimistically decided to go for it.

I have to say, I couldn’t be more delighted that we did.  Not only was the light and the clouds a total dream to work in, this family stole my heart in a major way.  There is something about people who laugh easy and who you can tell just love life, that floods my heart with joy.  Add that to a family who is willing to run in the ocean and roll in the sand as the rain is starting to fall, and I am smitten.  I have never had to have a “two part session” before, but I can tell you that if the first part is any indication of how the second part is going to go, I CAN’T WAIT.

Dorinda, Ruud and Joshua, thank you again for your adventurous spirit and easy going attitude!  I can’t tell you how much I wanted to make the rain go away for you, but at the same time, I am so excited that we get to hang out again!  Hope you enjoy your peak from “part one”!

The one above kills me.  I LOVE Dorinda’s laugh!  Then we whipped out (by whipped out, I mean Ruud helped me lug it across the length of the beach.  What a great guy!) the MOST FUN PROP!  I was so excited when Dorinda talked about having a surfboard in the pictures!

Apparently on previous occasions Joshua was afraid of the ocean….and now…NO MORE. He wanted to do nothing but be in it! LOVE that!

Ingrained in them for SURE. Little boys love planes!

Are they not the cutest family?

Love this beach shot! LOVE.

See you guys again soon!

Now I KNOW.  THE. TRUTH.

How do you capture someone that you know that well?  You can’t just cling onto one fun characteristic and try to show that in your photos.  Like bringing out their quirkiness or their love for flowers.  NO.  That will not do!  You want to capture MORE.  Because you KNOW them. Really know. You have seen them laugh, and cry, and get married, and hold their newborn.  You know what makes them scream and what makes them glow like they are in love for the first time.  And you want to still in a photo each little piece of them that you love.  Leaving nothing out.  Trying to capture forever ALL that is them.  ALL that you love.

I can’t say that I captured all that is my sister in law, but I loved trying.  She is Daniel’s sister, so that means she is from the funny side of the family, which means we had a GREAT time while doing it too.  We laughed, and swung her one year around in “very safe” manner, and made all sorts of bad jokes (those are mine…remember, she is actually funny.  I, on the other hand, just attempt it….poorly.)  In the end I think I captured some of my favorite things about her….her energy, her super carefree and easy-going nature, her laugh, and her incredible beauty.

And her little Violet is still getting a hold on this world, only a year in it, so capturing her meant simply capturing her CUTENESS, and I think we definitely got that!

Hope you enjoy looking!

Every baby needs a pair of these.  How cute is that?

This next series of pictures I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. The blossoms. Uh. LOVE.

Violet gets a kick out of being flung around and I love this capture of it. (Don’t worry, no babies were harmed during this flying.)

We found this ramp on the side of a building and it had THE.BEST.LIGHT.EVER. Nothing like good light to make a photographer swoon. And I am pretty fond of the simplicity of the background too. Who says you need flowers and beaches to make a great portrait? Nah. Handicap ramps is where it is at.

And Violet liked the ramp too!

Had to grab this little series.  Up and over.

Whittier College has such awesome architecture. If you could eat architecture, I would eat this archway. YUM.

(to those concerned…baby Violet was being held in these shots…she just has a mom who is really gifted at hiding.)

I am having trouble picking a favorite…so this one below is favorite #534 from this shoot. SO CUTE.

And what girl doesn’t need some head shots? And this photographer was happy to brush up on her head shot skillz. Ain’t my sister the purrr—tiest!?