Blog post Part I of this set explains why I loved doing these photos at the park so much.  [Hint: I LOVE ME A CHALLENGE.]  But another thing I loved about these sessions at the park was the boys…all of them so sweet and snuggly.  [My heart is ready to meet our baby boy!]  For the LAST photo session post of the year….let me introduce you to more families who bless my life and continue to make my job the best in the world.

Meet King, Lea, and the ever-smiley and simply hilarious Gavin:

Meet James, Lydia, sweet Ruby and snuggly Elliot:

Meet Ben, Juli, the beautiful Alyssa, energetic Ellie, expressive Lucy, sweet baby Samuel:

So much thanks to each of you for making my last sessions of the year so fun, so memorable, so heart-filling!

OTHER UPDATES: I will stay updated with blog posts and Food Friday posts as I can…and of COURSE we won’t forget to introduce baby boy Sundin here….so stay tuned and don’t delete us from your Google Reader!!  For all those looking to book photo sessions:

I will be taking a maternity leave from November 1 2011- February 1 2012.

Looking forward to booking with you in the new year!

*Hugs from our family to yours!*

I think a good challenge makes life more exciting.  (Maybe that is why God didn’t give me a compliant or quiet little girl…but that is another blog post).

One thing that I am constantly challenging myself to do is to not give my clients what I call “cookie cutter” photos.  I don’t want to have a list of 10 poses and 3 locations and just pop different families into them.  My dream is to make each photo shoot fun, unique, and totally YOU.   That being said, my biggest challenge with the Mini Session at the park was taking 5 families to the same location, and coming up with 5 completely different session (each suited to the family’s personalty).  I am here to tell you, it was a bit of a challenge, but it was SO MUCH FUN.

I will have to save the anecdotes for next time I get to see these 5 beautiful families (as Mini Sessions get mini blog post), but let me assure you: each family was so different, and each so precious and beautiful.  Since there were 5, I thought it would be fun to break it into two posts.  Meet the first two families!

Meet Kristi, Mike, introspective but dare-devil Madelyn and hilarious & outgoing Bennett:

Meet Dawn, Joe, shy but goofy Andrew and sweet dare-devil Lilly:

Coming up next….a first time having chocolate milk, squeezing kids into boxes, and my first family of six. Stay tuned!

He sees the glass half full, I um….well….I just see the glass that needs to be filled.  He has gone on numerous outings with our daughter with no snacks….where I on the other hand am the  kind of mom who keeps snacks in my purse at all times, and even keep a few in the car “just in case”.  But I am convinced that is what makes us work as a couple, Daniel and I.  He is forever the optimist, and I…….well, I just like to be prepared.  ;)

When I set out to do these Holiday Mini Sessions this year for the first time, it is needless to say I was a bit hesitant to the idea….I will admit it, I was skeptical. One of my favorite things to do is spend 2 hours with my clients, and I inevitably fall in love with your family.  I could in no way picture myself falling in love with families in the 30 minutes allotted.

What can I say?   I was wrong.

It only seems fair to give a “mini blog post” for the “Mini Session”….but let me assure you…each of these families was a BLAST and I hope that they each book full sessions next year so I can hang out even longer with their smiles, laughter, fast running kids, and fun….

Meet the L family:

Meet the B family:

To those who know I am 37 weeks pregnant….yes…I am still going…..and LOVING EVERY MINUTE.  I decided to work until 38 weeks, just like I did when I had a corporate job, and I am having the time of my life.  There have been a number of moments during the photo shoots where I have completely forgotten I was pregnant!  And, although I am beyond thankful to be carrying a baby boy in my tummy, I haven’t met a women yet who doesn’t appreciate the moments during her 9th month when she is not thinking about the pregnancy.  ;)

Check in next week for this weekend’s Mini Sessions…..

I know I am at risk of getting a restraining order against me.  Maybe I should just get against myself and save them the trouble?

I love this family and I am certain that if I keep telling you about how much I love them, it may lead to me having a police officer on my front door step telling me to “keep it calm mam.”  But if you met them, you would know why I am willing to take the risk of a restraining order and keep telling you how much I adore this family.  I mean, she had snacks and water ready for me when I got there!!  You know, cause I am pregnant and am hungry and thirsty all the time. Yeah, I know: awesome.

Truthfully I think the thing I love the most about this family is not that Lexi always has snacks out for me, or the fact that this family has an affinity to the coolest chairs ever, or because Adella makes the best faces when she laughs out loud …. (although I think everyone in life should laugh with their mouth open)….

What I love the most is this:

I love that I have gotten to watch Adella go from adorable baby girl with a coy smile to an energetic little girl with TONS of personality the most hilarious expressions.

I love that the last time I saw Nolan he was so tiny and cuddly, and now he is just as sweet and cuddly (but not so tiny)…

and with a dash of hilarity himself….

…and the way the two of them have fun together …that is incomparable…

But it is not just the kids….

I love that there was a moment (when the kids had no interest in me or getting their photos taken) where Tim just grabbed his beautiful wife so I could take pictures of the two of them.

[ To that I say YES!  When was the last time you got a chance to appreciate your spouse on camera?  Your wedding day?  Too long ago.  Ask me to capture you two at your next session too...I would be my honor!]

I love watching the kids grow, the family grow;  feeling like I am a part of their lives

and have the gift of getting to capture them along the way.

(and sure, it doesn’t hurt that Adella reminds me of all the best parts of my own little princess)

Thank you M family for once again taking such good care of me and for putting up with me telling everyone how awesome you are. I know you tried to scare me away this time with having a teething one year old (poor guy!), but I am here to tell you…it didn’t work. I can’t wait til next time!
*Hugs*

“Nothing fancy. Just us and a blanket” the email read.

“No props?  What do you mean not fancy?  No lugging out an entire living room to a field?”  My heart started to race.  My palms were sweaty.  My hands started to shake. My head swirled with confusion. “I don’t understand.”

She wanted to capture JUST THEM.  Up close, personal, and just having fun, laughing, snuggling, loving, and just being THEM. No props.  No concern for the background.  Just them on a blanket being them. This wouldn’t shock me from a lot of families, but something that Kristy and I have swooned over in the past years are photographs from  photographers who lug all sorts of things into fields.  Not to mention that Kristy has incredible taste and style…so this simplicity caught me off guard.

But I was in.  Totally and completely.

Just blanket.  Up close.  Capturing all they are as a family.  Capturing all that makes their hearts overflow….

I love this family and I know that if you remember them from here or here, you already love them too (how could you not?!)  It is funny how each of their photo shoots with me have been so different, but I would still say totally them.

I did sneak in a book or two to encourage some close family time and snuggling….and we did end up climbing in some near-by trees, but I have to say that I love the simplicity of Kristy’s request. I love that we went simple this time; such a reflection of tearing away all the fluff in life and just concentrating on what matters truly: loving your family and your kids….something Kristy and Jeff do so well and I admire about them completely.

And of course part of capturing who they are right now was capturing the family member on the way…

…which did quickly turn into two sisters who excitedly wanted to share their affection with baby brother.

…and if you didn’t see the sweet sisters giving me a laugh last week (here)…make haste to check it out!

Jeff and Kristy, you know how much I adore you and how much I am so humbled by your trust in me as a photographer. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to meet your sweet family member #5 in just a few months and see how we will capture you all next year!