I just love them. :)

it's funny...I've been staring at the beginning of this blog post for about fifteen minutes trying to describe to you who these people in the pictures are to me.

that's nearly impossible for me.

they are the people who loved me first.  they are my blood...my people.  they are the ones who were at every game/art function/piano recital/concert I've ever been involved in - even if it was 4:30 in the morning.  they are the ones who waited up for me countless nights as I lived life and helped guide me in this journey called life.  he was the one who steadied me as a walked down the aisle.  she was the one beaming with pride as I walked toward a new chapter of life.  they are the loudest ones cheering me on in each endeavor I face.

I just love them. :)

I loved getting to take these pictures of my parents...taken in a place that reminds me of them and their love of birds.  I love my dad on his motorcycle - it reminds me of getting to go to soccer games with him and then getting a hot dog at al's...my friends were envious and oh yes, I was super cool because of my dad.

and my mom.  she is simply beautiful...her eyes, they sparkle...she was made for pictures...these remind me of mental moments I have of her laughing (at probably something betsy has said at our ornament exchange) and laughing until she was crying...she makes me smile and I love her :)

beautiful girls, old barns + boots :)

What could be better than getting to shoot three extraordinarly beautiful girls in perfect forty degree sunny weather in the mid-west?  Not a whole lot I'm thinking if you like taking pictures...and these girls were super easy to shoot. 

I'm not a believer in witches + warlocks, etc.  But the three of these girls reminded me of three beautiful witches...each with a unique look, each with a unique attitude.  The crispness of the leaves and the creapiness of the abandoned barn added to the mystery of the shoot too, I think.

Thank you SO much ashley for making this happen!  It was a perfect note to end on for my weekend!

eric + jessie - save the date!

With their wedding invitation soon to be released I thought I'd post their save the dates!  I'm super excited to shoot their wedding in january!  Love them!

sneak peek - three beauties

here's a sneak peek of ashley, tamara + tiffany!

diva's, beauty queen's + hilarious ham's :)

this is for any of you that have older sisters...and those older sisters have really cool friends...the kind of friends that let you stay in their sleeping bags at an only big girl sleepover...only you will understand why I loved this shoot so much! 

nicole was that cool older sister's friend to me growing up...so I loved getting to photograph her and her amazing family!  obviously she is going to have a beautiful family b/c of how stunning she is...her little girls are rays of sunshine...grace being the hilarious diva and maddie being the quieter beauty of a girl.  nicole's husband drew gets the "coolest" award of the weekend...who else drives three hours to meet up with a photographer he's never even heard of...yes, I said THREE HOURS!  and their son caleb was such a personable, total "ham" of a kid...seriously funny with millions of faces he loved to pull out throughout the shoot...this family seriously made me laugh a ton and simply capped off the day with a huge smile...

thanks drew + nicole!

seriously beautiful girls...LOVED their headbands - butterflies and flowers!

this boy is simply hilarious! :)

this was my favorite of the three kids! :)

is it wrong to be jealous of a little girls dimples...cause I am...too sweet of a girl. :)

I love that she gave me a huge hug before I left!  loved taking your pictures grace!