FULL FAMILY SESSION: Which one is your favorite?

If you haven't noticed, I've had quite a bit of Full Family Sessions lately.  

For those that don't quite know what I'm talking about, let me give you a little summary/compare/contrast...

During a regular family session, I focus on the family...all the typical 'smile at the camera', interactions, individual pics, and lots and lots of relationships and together shots...

During a FULL family session, the WHOLE family becomes that "focus on the family"...so we do big group shots, but hone in on the patriarch/matriarchs...we do grandkids/cousins...siblings...and then we are clicking fast to do individuals and a couple of family unit images as well...all the while, capturing the candids and relationships that are evident...
SIMULTANEOUSLY, attempting to get this all accomplished AND keep the littles happy by constantly switching things up and being goofy!

These sessions are a HOOT!  I love watching all the dads' antics to keep the smiles going...moms are my biggest helpers watching for stray hairs or dresses out of place whilst I'm putting toys and such on my head and talking a million miles a minute to keep those littles engaged!

This family was a DREAM!  The sibling camaraderie was apparent from the get go...and not just with that 2nd generation...but, that love has been passed on down to the grandkids too.  

I teased lots of these brothers and told them to just look at their "favorite" sibling!  It was so, so sweet because these boys would get all blushed red and wouldn't look anywhere...

it's because their kind hearts wouldn't dare hurt their siblings, even in jest! And yet, the sisters would burst into giggles and make light of it all...

It made my heart so happy to watch them...to know that these parents have passed down that same care for family through the years...even with large age spans too!

My summer schedule is already starting to fill up and I'm excited to have more of these types of sessions on the calendar!

I know you'll enjoy their extra sneak peek...














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CONGRATS to Lindsey & Ellie

A party to remember...

I walked up the pathway to the home and was immediately attracted to all the tiny details that were put into this celebration...from chalkboard signs to flowers, special cookies, friendship albums and balloons...

This was a time to commemorate all the years, the hard work, the growth and the friendship of Ellie & Lindsey. 

The house was bustling with family & friends from all over...people traveling in because these young women are worth celebrating...

I think the thing that struck me most, and I even mentioned it to their parents, was that it is so incredibly humbling and heart-warming to see our children LOVED so, so much by others...

to know that our children have made an impact, a mark on the lives of others in just a short 18 years is pretty amazing, I must say...

and by the looks of this party, Lindsey & Ellie have left their mark on many, many people...and in turn, these sweet family members and friends have invested into them as well.

The forecast that day was spotted with rain and we were praying that it would hold off, at least for awhile...the clouds were hovering around, but we were able to enjoy the day for at least a good 3 hours before the skies let loose a bit...

In that time, many hugs were given, laughs were heard throughout the tents and in the house...people enjoyed company over good food & drinks...

We even tried to sneak in a few family pictures before Lindsey & Ellie's attention was needed elsewhere...

Congratulations girls...It was an honor to not only do your senior pictures this year, but to be welcomed into your families, to share in your excitement...

I have no doubt, that I'll be hearing of happy and good things about you in the future! 







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FAMILY SESSION: All the difference in the world

She brings a joy that nothing else can...

I'm always amazed at how children bring out something inside of parents that they never knew existed...or if they did, they didn't understand the power that it held.

I love this momma's desire to capture the personality, the moments, the relationships...she understands well that time is fleeting and she wanted to grab those special moments before baby babble turned into full blown sentences...before silly faces turned into little girls smiles...before sitting on daddy's shoulders was a thing of the past...

We met on a beautiful late spring day and enjoyed exploring and seeing the world through the eyes of a toddler! 

They are dedicated, insightful and attentive parents...with their eyes on molding and guiding this sweet baby girl into all the God has purposed her to become!

I think you'll enjoy!











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Memorial Weekend 2017

Memorial Day is a day to remember, and to be thankful.

I am so, so thankful to be an American.  I came by it easily...My parents are both U.S. citizens and so no matter what, I would be apart of this great country.  Doubly, I was born here!

Therefore, I obtained these incredible "rights" as a U.S. citizen.  I didn't really earn them, it's not like I did anything to "deserve" them...they were given to me.

I do not take them for granted...Rather, I appreciate them and hold them with respect.  I am given freedoms that many others in our world are not able to enjoy.  Because of that, I try to show respect for the men & women that took my place on the battlefield, in the offices, in foreign countries, behind the scenes, carrying the burdens that I do not carry...

I show respect by honoring the offices earned by elected officials. I attempt to peacefully disagree with opinions without demeaning the soul of a person. I try to show reverence towards ideas that differ from mine and not attack fellow citizens but rather focus on issues. I pray for our military and for those in office as I have over the years, even when those in office do not reflect my beliefs. I enjoy my family and train up our girls to be respectful, to not expect to be given things on a silver platter...to work toward a goal and to not give up or blame others when they fail, but rather pick themselves back up and continue to do the next right thing...We are helping them learn to listen to others, instead of shutting others down...to have conversations, while still standing for Truth.

Because there are men and women fighting for our right to do so...and some have given their very lives for us to enjoy a backyard BBQ...they put my safety before their need to be close to their spouses & children as they fought on the front lines... overseas or long hours in offices...they aren't experiencing the luxury of speaking their mind & posting on social media & sipping a latte on the day to day...

We choose to show respect in others ways too that don't need to be mentioned specifically either...because the focus isn't meant to be on what I do, but on what they have already done!

And so, with a spirit of thankfulness...for Memorial Day each year, while remembering those that lost their lives so that we could enjoy the freedom we live out...we take the opportunity to invest time and build continued relationships with family...it's something we don't have much time to do throughout the year, particularly with my brother. He is a pastor and so weekends are typically out of the equation for him...and with growing children & activities, sports, etc...it makes it tough to see each other outside of Christmas and an occasional quick trip reunion/birthday party.

We haven't been able to make it happen every year, and I'm sure at some point the kids will tire of the crazy antics...but until then, we enjoy our time together by competing for the Champion Title after a couple hours of competition...

These are just a few snapshots of our day...and I'm happy to say that Totally Untouchable Torlones took home the crown this year!

Each game is either a relay (points or no points) OR it's something in which you can earn points...
This year our games consisted of:

Water Ballon Pop: This is where balloons were hung from trees and in the relay, each person tried to pop one with a plastic fork that was attached to a ball cap



Pool Noodle Golf: Another relay game where each person can only use a pool noodle by holding onto the very end and knocking a beach ball through the cones and back again to hand off to the next family member


Water Gun Balls: We lined up plastic baseballs and used water guns to shoot the balls over a finish line.  Each ball was worth a specific amount of points...this might have been the toughest game yet and trigger fingers got cramped!



Tipsy Waiter: This one made us laugh.  We didn't have bats to run around so we used larger water shooters.  Each person spun at least 5 times and then was given a tray of 3 cups filled with water that they had to dump into a container and then run back to tag the next in line.  The container with the most water at the end, won the game.



Sponge Toss: This one is always a favorite because we put the dads in the holes!  Each person gets 3 wet sponges and throws them to add up points.  At the end, the kids get behind and parents throw the buckets of water!!!  It always gets us laughs!


Water Balloon Fight: this one isn't for points but rather just for fun!  We purchased a huge costco package of 350 balloons and let the kids loose...they had a blast!


And our time wouldn't be complete without the Cousin Pyramid and finally the Champion ceremony to award the winner...



To the Victor goes the Crown!

Thank you to the men and women that gave their lives so that we could still enjoy ours with freedom.  Your loss and the losses of your family do not go unappreciated.

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I can't wait to hear from you!
"Teach us to number our days, (savor the moments) so that we may gain a heart of wisdom" ~Psalm 90:12

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