This adorable little blue-eyed cherub looks so much like her mama it blows me away. The older she gets, the more she looks like Chrislyn. I love seeing family resemblances. My own daughter looks nothing like me but so much like my mother-in-law’s mom and brothers. It’s so endearing to see features replicated over and over in families. I don’t know why that makes me happy, but it does. My son is sometimes a miniature replica of my dad, except with blond hair instead of brown. Sometimes just the way my boy looks at me freaks me out because it feels like my dad as a baby is staring me down. Anyway, Chrislyn is clearly a gorgeous momma, so Holland is a lucky baby.

Making faces in the mirror! I love how Holland is look straight at me in the one above. She was very intrigued by my camera.

Daddy Jason was the best man in our wedding, my husband’s awesome friend from college. One of my personal goals for 2012 is to help my hubby find more time to hang out with Jason. As time passes and things get busier and busier with the kids, James and I often don’t get many one-on-one moments with our closest friends. I know James cherishes his friendship with Jason (in a manly way, of course) and I’d like to help them find more time to do manly things together again (you know, like play video games, have some beers … and whatever else they do). Chrislyn, I hope to see you more often this year too! I always have so much fun talking to you and sharing recipes and crafty ideas together! Flashback! Here’s one of the staircase images we did when Chrislyn was still pregnant with their little girl.

Holland let us know when the session was over. Jason & Chrislyn, thank you for being our friends. Thanks for blessing us over the years with laughter, great food, beautiful handmade gifts (Chrislyn) and awesome conversation. We hope for many more get-togethers between our two families in 2012! ♥

I seriously think Maranda had to have practiced her facial expressions in the mirror because she had the perfect “looks” every time (she was just a natural, I’m sure she didn’t actually practice in the mirror … I’m the only dork who does that). And the breeze was really workin’ it for us that day, too. I’m so excited to give these pictures to Maranda. She’s the type of mom who has dreamed about having a baby forever. She blogged about her pregnancy and captured every little detail so she’d never forget what it felt like to have a little person grow inside of her. You could just see the joy in her eyes every time you talked to her about her little guy. She cherished every single moment of her pregnancy and shared the details with all of us who followed her blog.

Don’t worry. No moms or baby bellies were harmed in the creation of these middle-of-the-road photographs. Josh was looking out for cars and cyclists. I am a sucker for middle-of-the-road shots. I don’t know what it is about them. Maybe it’s the visual of the long road ahead (or behind) that a beautiful journey is just beginning? I love ‘em and I’m glad my client mommies are up for these types of pictures.

We brought along the balloons from Maranda’s baby shower and used them in a few frames.

Maranda, her family and Josh all love to go hunting. I love that she wore this camouflage-type shirt for the latter part of the session. I can totally picture Maranda’s blog post about her son’s first hunting adventure (several years down the road, hopefully). Maranda, thank you for letting me take your pictures! It has been a joy watching you grow into motherhood. Your energy and passion for mothering is refreshing and I’m so happy for you three. I just wish we got to see you all more often! xoxo

After a long night and eventful morning, precious little Noelle was born on June 30, 2011.

Thank you, Phu and Samantha. It has been a privilege getting to photograph such special moments in your life together!

That pretty mommy in the picture above is my childhood friend Brynne. It had been years and years since we last had a chance to see each other. Like, as in … the last time I remember a get-together we were playing with her awesome Strawberry Shortcake collection. Or we were at a skating rink for a birthday party. Or getting our exercise on with a Skip-It (yep, I’m bringin’ it back). My family has great memories of Brynne, her two cute sisters and adorable parents who were always, always kind and wearing smiles on their faces. So I was so thrilled when Brynne wrote me on Facebook to talk about getting her entire family together for a photo session this fall.

I told Brynne that we always loved getting the W. family Christmas cards each year. Brynne’s mom Jana would dress the three young girls up in matching Christmas attire and the photo cards we received were always just perfect. The ones you saved for years because they were just too cute to toss in the recycling bin after the holiday season (what? No, we don’t toss out Christmas cards! Of course not!). I was honored to be the one taking pictures of the gorgeous family this year. And when I use the term gorgeous, I’m not just talking about their smiles, their hair, their awesome attire (although they did put together the PERFECT palette for a photo shoot). The thing my young self remembers about this family is that they were just GOOD. Good hearts. Happy moods. Helpful attitudes. Welcoming smiles. Kind. Polite. In the years Brynne and I used to have playdates at each others’ houses and go to the same kiddie birthday parties, I literally do not recall one moment where Brynne was ever angry, frustrated or pouting. Not that she didn’t ever feel those things — just that I always remember her handling herself so well, even for a young girl. Classy.

Now Brynne’s dad is finally seeing more boys in the family get-togethers as he has two sons-in-law and one on the way (his youngest is engaged to be married soon) plus Brynne’s sweet cheeks little son Kaizo.

Brynne with her hubby Manat and little dude Kai …

… second W. family girl Tess and her husband Jeremy …

… and the youngest W. family girl Paige with her fiance Adam.

They’re the newly-engaged ones.

Just look at all those smiles. Genuine. It was so crazy fun meeting up not only with Brynne but to see her sisters and parents again. Her parents were almost exactly as I remembered them from my youth. And her sisters … I recognized Tess immediately and then just had a great time seeing Paige because I remember her as the baby. That’s how long ago it was the last time I remember “playing” with these W. family girls!

Yep, still wish I had sisters. Good thing God gave me some pretty awesome sisters-in-law that I love dearly.

I love this one of Jana with her girls. My mom sees Jana every now and then at the grocery store (because both Brynne’s parents and my parents still live in our childhood homes which are in the same neighborhood) and sometimes at school events because both of them work in education. So even before social net-working sites like Facebook, every now and then we’d get an update on what Brynne and her sisters were up to via those happenstance meetings between the mothers.

Seriously, how cute are his little cheeks and eyebrows? And his sweater vest?

Tess and Jeremy are the only Cougs in the family of Huskies. At least I had two allies that day in the midst of the purple and gold graduates!

Congratulations to Paige and Adam who had recently gotten engaged! LOVED her ring.

Paige actually asked if we could do piggy-back pictures and I was so happy at her suggestion. That’s a pose not every couple enjoys doing for pictures but one I think is so cute! Thank you, W. family (and husbands!). I had such a great time reconnecting with you after all these years and meeting the new additions. I hope you like your family photos — I’m honored you selected me to do these for you. Keep in touch!

I met Sarah while we danced together on the 2004 Seattle Seahawks Sea Gals squad. I actually didn’t get to know her well until I started taking pictures of her family and I’m so glad I did! Her home is gorgeous, her family is so kind. She always appears to have a good outlook on things. She and hubby Charles are right in the middle of a difficult season now, as he’s in Afghanistan off and on for long stretches of time. So Sarah’s at home with the new baby and the two older kids, holding down the fort and a full-time job. She’s pretty impressive!

That is one well-loved little girl right there. The only consistent thing I heard her older brother and older sister fight over was who got to hold baby Charlotte. Both wanted to hold her, snuggle her, kiss her for the camera. There are very few things more heartwarming than seeing the love between siblings. 

This is one talented young lady. She’s been in so many stage performances in the past several years and she always, always seems to be the lead role in the shows! She is chatty like any other young lady this age and it’s so fun for me to listen to her and her mom talk to each other. My own little girl is only 3.5 right now and I can’t even imagine her being this age … I know it will come all too soon. And I hope my girl and me are as close as Sarah and her eldest girl appear to be.

This young man loves that dog. And his baby sister, too. He is always polite and agreeable when we do these family photo shoots. I know it can’t be his favorite thing to do on a weekend, but he goes along with anything on our photo shoots and helps the family out by carrying the dog, the baby, the stroller … I appreciate his manners and respectable attitude toward his family. Pretty much totally grateful for this family and how much they’ve trusted me to capture their precious family moments on camera. I admire them for many reasons, but the biggest is just how much fun they seem to have together. That’s what I desire for our own family … that we can laugh with AND at each other, that we trust one another and watch out for each other. That it’s enough fun to just BE together. Sarah & Chuck, you’re in my prayers during this difficult season apart from each other. Thank you for letting me take your pictures again. I always have a great time and leave with a smile on my face (and way too many awesome images to cull through and edit … you’re such a photogenic family). Hugs to you!