Welcome back, guys and gals!

I recently had a stupendous session with the Perry Family. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I truly have the best clients ever! This family was no exception, either. The Perry’s kept me laughing during the entire session with funny jokes and the silly things they would say to each other. They are also so very sweet, they had some of the nicest things to say about me and my business, which made me blush.

We met at the Perry’s farm which I fell in love with!!!  I loved shooting there because their cotton was in full bloom and has gorgeous views. I was so excited to be able to photograph their family there.

For our shoot, the Perry’s brought out their old tractor.  I was able to work in their tractor, my vintage couch and the outfits they chose, which really made for some amazing photos.

Okay, on to pictures of the Perry family!

Wow! I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by but what a beautiful year it has been. From the laughter to the wonderful memories, it has truly been a joy as I continue to pursue my passion for photography. Time certainly does fly when you’re having fun! I feel blessed to still be doing what I love to do and all because of my most amazing clients. It’s only because of you I get to make a living doing what I love most and for that I am forever grateful.

This past year has been my busiest yet and below are a few things I enjoyed the most.

~ I loved capturing each and everyone of my clients, I loved hearing all the fun family stories shared with me, I loved all of the baby snuggles, high fives, fist bumps and hugs I got from the kiddos, and most of all I loved being able to capture memories for all of my clients to have for a lifetime.

~ I did a couple of photography courses this year and truly learned so much to advance in my style of editing and photographing. This is an accomplishment I have been wanting to achieve for so long and I can proudly say, I have improved in leaps and bounds.

~ I took a road trip from Arizona to Minnesota over the summer with 3 kiddos which tested my patience for sure, LOL. It was a long 2 days of driving there and back but it was worth it being able to see all of our family. The kids had a blast hanging out with their aunties and cousins. It was an eventful two weeks that is for sure.

As you can see, this year has taught me so much–as a photographer, business owner, mother, and wife.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks so much to everyone that gave me the opportunity to work with you; you all shine your light in unique and beautiful ways. My photos can only be as good as the amazing people that trust me to document their lives. Happy New Year and I cannot wait to see what 2019 will bring you and your families.

Hi again, ladies and gents!

Let me stop for a second to tell you that I am seriously the luckiest photographer in the world. My clients are always so wonderful to work with. That’s true of my session with the Barr family, too!

I met up with them at Scorpion Gulch and the weather was perfect but it was the Barr family that made this shoot such a success.

The Barr family consists of Mom – Amy, Dad – Eric, Rosalie who is 8 years old and she has been on the honor roll since she was in kindergarten and loves spaghetti, Melody who is 6 years old and has the cutest little dimple on one cheek and loves babies, and Baby Luna who is just 2 months old and loves to smile at her daddy.

“We like to watch a new movie, eat some snacks in our pjs on the weekends.,” says Amy.

As you can see from the comments above and the photos, this family is not only photogenic, but also a close-knit group who clearly loves spending time together. Amy, Eric, Rosalie, Melody and Luna are lucky to have each other.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

So we meet again, dear blog readers!

The topic of discussion for today is none other than the cutest little boy, David. If the name or face look familiar to you, it’s because I’ve photographed this family before. Because my last session with this family went so well, I knew it wouldn’t be any different this time around. And I was right! Check it out for yourself:

I was over the moon when I got a email from Lisa saying she wanted to book a cake smash session. When I asked her the theme and vision, she had told me she wants it to be like the movie coco. I about went crazy and threw in the idea of doing a taco smash session instead! Mom was totally on board and I have never been more excited about a photo session in my life. We of course still had to include a little cake 😉

As expected, Mom and Dad did a wonderful job preparing David for our session. They brought all sorts of props and the cutest outfits to incorporate their culture. I mean how is this not the cutest session you have ever seen!

Having hungry kids at a photo session is almost always a recipe for tantrums.

While, ideally, you want to schedule any shoot with your children around meal times, this doesn’t work out for everyone. Even if you have planned your shoot to fall between meal and snack times it is always best to have something on hand just in case. Here are some healthy snack ideas that won’t leave your kids a sticky mess.

1. Apple slices and grapes.

Fruit is always a great snack and when you want your kids to remain mess free, apples slices are the best option. Apples tend to not be as messy or sticky and are easy for kids to eat without getting juice all over them as they would with other fruits. Grapes are also an easy snack to pack on the go and kids love. If you have younger kids be sure to half them before you head out the door.

2. Veggies sticks and hummus.

For a fuss free healthy snack slice up a variety of veggies like celery, sweet peppers, carrots and cucumber and pack some hummus for them to dip in. Combining hummus and veggies will help your kids feel full so you won’t have to worry about them asking for more minutes later.

3. Trail mix.

Trail mix is a super easy healthy snack idea you can have fun with. Combine nuts, dried fruit and whole grain cereal.  Use your imagination and you can make a variety of different trail mixes to keep things interesting.

4. Whole wheat wraps.

Use some small tortillas to create turkey, lettuce and cheese wraps. You can cut these into bite size portions to make it easier for your kids to eat. If want to cut back on the bread products leave out the tortilla and wrap the cheese and turkey in the lettuce.

5. Home made muffins.

Most prepackaged muffins are filled with artificial flavors, sugar and other ingredients you don’t want to give your kids. For a healthier alternative, try making your own muffins. Banana walnut, zucchini, oatmeal raisin muffins and even apple cinnamon muffins can be made to cut back on the sugar and increase the nutritional value. Plus, muffins are easy to transport, don’t need to be refrigerated and cause little to no mess aside from a few stray crumbs.