dawn & co.

When Dawn called to book this session, I was so excited. Three kids. Two of them older. And she just sounded so sweet on the phone. When the whole gang met me for photos, my hunch that she was sweet was proven tenfold. Suffering through the worst case of seasonal allergies I've ever seen, she still managed to laugh, to be a patient Mommy (who brought along carrots for snacks) and somehow evenly split a mini-SNACK bag of M&M's with the whole family. And even shared one chocolate M&M with me. The kids were. Too. Much. Fun. I had to rummage through my mental Bag-o-Tricks for the older ones, and I must say, I think they were big fans of the Jenn Bieber concert I performed for them. And when the littlest one in your group (who happens to be the biggest ham) asks for a hug at the end of your first photo session (just as Mr. Nathan did), you walk away with a big smile of your own and counting down the days until you get to see them all again (just as I did). Dawn and Tracy, thanks so much for bringing your family out to see me! I had so much fun, and enjoy your sneak! Baby, baby, baby, oh ...

dena & co.

Two of my favorite little muses recently met me at the Arboretum for a family session. When I first met Lydia and her parents, Bennet was not in the picture (literally), and we were supposed to shoot at the Arboretum. But it rained, so we went studio-style instead. Since then, I've had the pleasure of working with them a few times, but always indoors (B's maternity and newbie sessions). So this was my first time to play with the kids outdoors. And they loved it. During the family pics, Lydia could not stop herself from snuggling up to Baby Brother. And who could blame her? Adorable does not begin to describe the little guy! Smiles were abundant that morning, and so were laughs and giggles. One of the things I love about this gig is that I really get to see a family grow. When Dena's family consisted of 3, I really didn't think she could have had a sweeter child. And then she had her son. And during his newborn session, Bennet made me rethink that. And this past weekend, when he had nothing but the sweetest smiles for me, and Lydia couldn't keep her little cheeks off of his, I was in heaven. Dena, as always, it was so much fun! Thanks for the smiles, and I'll see you guys in the fall!

li & co.

My session with Li and her lovely family had been rescheduled so many times, I honestly thought I would never meet her. But finally, against all odds, I was able to this past Saturday. And I am so glad we were able to make it happen! This family of four consists of the lovely Li, her ever patient and sweet husband Jian (pronounced Jin, and no, he does not watch Lost), their four year old daughter Emily, and their one year old, Allison. As a mother of two children, I am constantly amazed at how different one child is from the other. The differences in Allison and Emily were not only so clear, but so very entertaining! Emily is so quiet, almost shy, and so very sweet. She is one of those children who seem so much older than they really are. An old soul, if you will. And smart as a whip. And Miss Allison ... so much personality in that little body! And those eyes! Such a cutie, and she literally had us laughing and running around the grass. Both girls were so very sweet, and the family was an absolute delight! Li, I'm so very glad we finally got to meet! Thank you so much for the honor, and enjoy your sneak!

julie & co.

Richard, Julie and Megan met me at the Arboretum this past weekend for a fun filled session! Megan just turned two in March. But she's definitely Smarter (and almost as tall!) as a Fifth Grader. And just too cute for words. She happened to bring along her most favorite book in the world, The Hungry Caterpillar, and was beyond eager to read it to me. And, by golly, she really did! Of course, she also enjoyed a spirited game of The Hungry Photographer (where I would pretend to eat her little toes) which, thankfully, made for some great smiles (and didn't seem to freak out Julie or Richard too much). Richard, by the by, was ever the helper, not only holding reflectors and such, but insisting on carrying around my gear! And Miss Julie is photographing a family wedding this summer; is that not the sweetest thing. Ever? Such a wonderful family, so much fun, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Thanks, guys, for such a fun session! Enjoy your sneak!

missy & co.

She will wed in 25 days. She will move to Washington DC in 40. And my kindred wanted her bridal portraits done in the bluebonnets. To forever remember the vast Texas fields upon which she grew up. Convinced we only had a few moments before the predicted rain would fall, we raced to Bluebonnet Hill. Where, for the past 7 years, I've photographed her with my own babies. As I watched my sister through the lens ... her beautiful dress blowing in the breeze, her golden hair shining in the sun ... my heart broke. Just a bit. Oh sure, I am beyond excited for her. For her future. For her husband. For the adorable nieces and nephews they'll make for me to photograph ... But, in that moment, when the winds were so strong they almost blew the umbrella out of her hands, when the skies were full of white, fluffy clouds and made the most dramatic backdrop, when my sister looked like a heroine straight out of a Jane Austen novel ... I was sad. But lest I start to get all weepy whilst writing, I'll cease with the bittersweet talk and just let the pictures speak for themselves. I will, though, point out that most brides would not be willing to (nevermind insist) traipse through fields in their bridal dress. Weeks before their wedding. Let alone lay in a field of sunny flowers. Nor would they agree to let their sister post the pictures online. Weeks before the wedding. But she did. And I love her. And I will always remember that morning. On Bluebonnet Hill. With my kindred. In the bridal gown I bought for her. And laughing in the wind. Enjoy your sneak, Missy. I love you.

jessica & co.

I arrived for my session at the Arboretum with Jessica at 8:45. I was approached by a lovely young lass, asking me if I was waiting for Tatum, at 8:50. I told the young lass no at 8:51. And then I waited for Jessica. I watched as others joined the lass' group: a lovely blonde and her adorable hubs and baby. And I still waited for Jessica. 9 o'clock came and went. Still no Jessica. And I noticed that Tatum's photographer hadn't shown up either. I wondered if maybe there was some sort of traffic delay outside the grounds of the Arb that was preventing Jessica and Tatum's photographer to arrive ... And then I decided to call Jessica at 9:05. At that same moment, the leggy blonde in Tatum's group received a phone call. "I'm sure her photographer is calling her to tell her she's running late", I thought to myself. Jessica answered the phone after one ring. She literally sounded like she was standing right next to me. And that's when I realized that she was. And that the leggy blonde who joined Tatum's group was Jessica. And that's when Jessica told me that Tatum was her daughter. The adorable baby in stroller, for whom Jessica requested I bring my vintage pram and angel wings. With that awkward introduction out of the way, Jessica's clan and I headed inside the gardens and proceeded to have so. Much. Fun. Joining Jessica and Tatum were (in no particular order): Dylan (Tatum's daddy), the Vickster (Jessica's sis and mom to:) brothers Tyler and Tross (whom you can call Tom, thank you very much) and Diane (but you can call her Princess D). As most of you stalkers know, I come from a large family. And I simply adore these types of sessions. Cousins, sisters, aunties, uncles ... the dynamics, the moments, the fun that is made during my time with them always makes me homesick, and Jess' session was no different. I'll be seeing the darling Tatum in a few more months for her one year session, and I am absolutely looking forward to it. Until then, enjoy your sneak, guys. And thanks for all the fun!

nicole & co.

On the drive in to my one year session with the divine Miss M, I spied a gorgeous field of red poppies. And I called Nicole and David and told them to meet me there, before moving on to our predetermined spot. So they did. And we placed Miss Madeline in the flowers, and there she sat. She seemed very interested in one flower in particular, so I gave it to her. And she stared at it. And then she licked it. And we laughed. And then she put the flower in her mouth. And we laughed even more, commenting what great shots these would make. And then she swallowed the flower. Whole. And started choking. The kind of choking where you don't make a sound and you slowly turn blue. And the entire time she was choking, I just stood there. Muttering an inaudible "Oh, dear!" here and there. And praying to God that she would spit the flower out. Thankfully, thanks to quick action by Nicole and even quicker thinking by David, she did spit out. Whole. And so began our session. I must wholeheartedly commend both Nicole and David for being so unbelievably calm during the drama. I was seriously on the verge of passing out. Maddie rallied after that, and we moved away from the field of choking hazards. And the rest of the session was a lot less eventful. I can't believe the little girl smashing into the pink cake on Saturday was the same little girl I photographed in Nicole's belly over a year ago. Such a huge milestone. Definitely a memorable morning. And such an honor that Nicole and David have trusted me to capture these moments for them the past year. Thanks, guys. Enjoy your sneak ... and next time I promise to be certified in child CPR.