I’ve been taking their photos for the past SIX years!!

They have such a GREAT backyard!!

Thank you SO much for asking me to spend the afternoon with you!

I meant to schedule our OWN creek exploring family photos this summer and then time got away from me! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!

So we scheduled family photos with Megan at the end of October. But it called for rain. So we called them off. Then it was clear. So they were back on.

While we waited for Jared to get home – I took the boys out to get some photos!

FIVE. My baby is FIVE!! TODAY – HE IS FIVE!! Doesn’t he look SO grown up!?

And that Fitzy guy – getting closer to EIGHT every day.

Fitzy took that picture of me – it’s PERFECT!!

And those ones – I LOVE THEM!!

Enoch took that one of me & Fitz! With Jared being a creeper in the background!

And Fitz took those ones too!!

It’s a good thing I have super long arms!

He just gets more & more handsome! And he currently has a beard – with spots of grey in it – SWOON!!

And a shot of our japanese maple tree! I LOVE having them line our driveway!

The rain rain rain came down down down after all and we had to cancel the session that day – as she pulled into the driveway!

My sister came home for a long weekend in October.

We had an eventful Saturday – making glass pumpkins – going out for pizza AND Iron Kettle Pumpkin Farm!

Her hubbie wasn’t able to get away from work – but we needed some new pictures of Jack!

He’s gonna be FOUR after Christmas – CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT! FOUR! I seriously feel like I was JUST driving to NJ to be there for his birth.

I love that one!

His one front tooth is longer than the other – significantly longer – it’s ADORABLE! I LOVE IT!!

That Fitzy guy & Jack – they are kindred spirits!

Jack recently started speech therapy – he has quite the speech delay. Fitzy was in physical therapy when he was about 16 months old because he wasn’t walking yet. Jack walked late too.

My sister. She is calmer – gentler – more patient – much more chill than I am. Less selfish. She doesn’t have an agenda she “needs” to complete everyday.

She has literally soaked up every single moment of motherhood that she could.

Anyway – back to the speech therapy. She also made an appointment to get him into a child development specialist – with a RIDICULOUSLY long waiting period. MONTHS & MONTHS.

She had that appointment on Halloween – or right near it. She called me – and said – she said that Jack is on the Autism spectrum.

I listened – which is hard for me – something I am constantly working on. I asked how she was. Good. He’s a great kid. He’s gentle. Calm. Chill.

We had talked about it a while ago – years ago. The way he handles things – that’s the best way I can describe it. He’s so specific.

We’ve watched Jack while Samm & Xavier went out to dinner – once. He knows his trains. He is pleasant and sweet. Gentle and loving. The only time there’s any issue – when he has to share something or when something doesn’t go the way he wants – which is pretty normal – and not just for toddlers!

Fitzy is VERY specific about times. Being late – unacceptable. He lined his toys up. Sorted them. OVER & OVER & OVER again. Jack lines all the things up – always.

Enoch gets VERY obsessed about sorting his basketball cards. He was VERY obsessed with Red – she’s a bully – she pushes the other cows around.

Jack is considered very high functioning on the spectrum. I told my sister – I can’t say I’m sorry to you. Because there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s not broken. He doesn’t need to be fixed.

Some things are going to be harder – YES. BUT SO MANY THINGS ARE HARDER ALREADY. Life is pain. But there is so much beauty from pain.

He IS amazing. He WILL be amazing. And his mom and dad ARE AMAZING!! And remember – AMAZING means so many different things. We have to change OUR thinking.

Skipping rocks. Every kid needs to learn how to skip rocks!

Finding fossils. Every kid needs to search for fossils!

A creek. A jungle.

AND A ROCK PILE!

OH – AND an orchard! They’re going to have a FANTASTIC childhood!

WAIT – AND the house her daddy grew up in – being remodeled for THEM to grow up in!

He wanted a picture in his soon-to-be bedroom!

And she needed one in hers!

Heather & Ben – thank you SO much for being flexible with this crazy weather and schedules and STILL having a creek session in October!

I am SO VERY EXCITED for you guys! I can’t WAIT to see the house next fall!!

I’ve been taking Heather & Ben’s family photos for 6 years – I think!

This year they asked me to come to their new house & property – WITH A CREEK!

Do you know how I feel about creek exploring!? It’s our new favorite thing to do in the summer!

But – this wasn’t a summer session!

This creek has seen a LOT of changes this summer & fall – and LOTS of flooding!

We’ve hiked through the woods for our past two sessions – climbing boulders – trekking through the moss & mud – but this year – they are officially my adventure family!

Chilly hands – momma always makes it better!

Do you see the fog on his glasses – those little things – they’re my favorite!

The coolest part about their new property – Ben grew up here – so he gets to relive all his childhood memories & make new ones with his kids!

Tune in tomorrow for the rest of their session!

GORGEOUS!! AND the wind died down – just in time!

STUNNING!!

I ADORE that shot!

Time to get warm by the fire!

Such a precious moment – again – so much of photography is being in the right place at the right time!

Karen – THANK YOU SO MUCH for asking me to spend the afternoon with you!!

I wondered how Karen knew me – turns out I took her daughter’s senior photos – THIS daughter – only NINE years ago! NINE!

Waiting – impatiently waiting for the ceremony to start!

Can you see it? Can you feel it? SO MUCH EMOTION in that moment!

Time to get BUNDLED up and ready to brave the chilly weather & winds – because when you have a BEAUTIFUL view right out the door – you GO OUTSIDE & GET THE PICTURE!

SUCH A GORGEOUS FAMILY!!

I got a message from Karen on FACEBOOK – hoping that I would be available for her intimate wedding in October!

Can I confess something to you?

When I first started this business – intimate weddings were NOT what I wanted. Because successful photographers book BIG events. BIG weddings! LOTS OF HOURS! ALL THE WEDDINGS!!

Can I tell you how differently I look at them now!? Don’t get me wrong – I still love the BIG WEDDINGS – the 6 or 8 hours spending the day with you!

But I have come to really love the small weddings. The intimate ceremonies. Spending a few hours with you and the people you hold most dear on one of the most memorable days of your life!

We were really hoping to have the ceremony outside – but that WIND and the chilly temperatures kept us inside by the fire!

I dressed for the occasion – so I took a little walk with THE DRESS!

I absolutely ADORE the getting ready room at Pine Cradle Lake!!

She LOVED that dress!!

I might have a little too much fun with those reflection shots – but I JUST LOVE THE PERSPECTIVE!

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!

Stay tuned for the next two installments of Karen’s BEAUTIFUL wedding day!

ALWAYS with that giant smile! I JUST LOVE HER!

ALWAYS LET THEM BE LITTLE! LET THEM BE SILLY!

They have a picture from their wedding on these steps – six years ago!

We tried ALL THE THINGS to get him to sit still and smile. But sometimes – it doesn’t work. But the shots you DO get are REAL & BEAUTIFUL!

ONE LAST ATTEMPT – and it’s better than ANY looking-at-the-camera-smiling-shot!

And because she really wanted to show me her mask!

AND the side she designed! WHICH IS MY FAVORITE!

I used to post all these photos on FACEBOOK for you to see – and then I changed the process so that you see the bulk of your session in the blog post!

When I posted a handful on FACEBOOK – Amanda messaged me and said – HOW DID YOU GET THESE!?

When the parents are having a rough time because their little ones aren’t listening and aren’t sitting and are ALWAYS ON THE MOVE – I’m pretty sure they leave hoping that maybe there might be a handful of good shots. JUST A FEW.

When a parent says – WERE WE EVEN AT THE SAME SESSION!? HOW DID YOU GET THESE!? THAT’S MY GOAL. Because I know. I’ve been there.

I’ve had a kid with a lollipop in his mouth – nearly screaming – the entire time – and yet – they are HUGE prints on my wall – because that was our life then.

And through the eyes of someone else – someone who knows what to look for – where to be – someone who is not IN that frustration with you – you see your family and your life through their eyes.

And you see the beauty – when you convinced yourself that it couldn’t possibly be there.

That’s what I want to give you – AN HOUR IN THE LIFE of your family. A new perspective to your every day.

Amanda – thank you SO MUCH for asking me back into your lives each year!

I can’t believe that I’ve been photographing this family for TWO years already!

It seems like just yesterday that I met them in their backyard with a fresh baby boy!

Those shots – MELT MY HEART!!

Are you smiling yet? Because if you’re not – there MIGHT be something wrong!

This guy – he was ON THE MOVE THE ENTIRE TIME!!

I remember our family photo session when Enoch was two – it was a ROUGH one! He has a lollipop in EVERY SINGLE shot – or is reaching for said lollipop in EVERY SINGLE SHOT!

Thankfully – I get it. I have an ON THE GO kiddo – so I know.

THAT SMILE – it’s so very contagious!! STAY TUNED tomorrow for the rest of their session!