This is someone near and dear to me (my sweet neice!), and I feel so blessed to be able to capture her spirit during this important milestone in her life. We had a little a lot of fun together, and I’m pretty sure I’m earning a reputation as the ‘weird’ auntie…but that’s okay.  It makes life more interesting.

I love this shot…she just looks so full of joy.


She was totally rockin’ the peace sign! That’s what it’s all about.

A girl who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to make it known!  We had a whole wardrobe picked out, but someone had other ideas…   

I did not do any posing what-so-ever…she knows how to work it for the camera!  (i adore the upside down sunglasses!)

Without further ado, meet the second completely adorable family that was nominated for our Giving is Awesome portrait giveaway.  These girls were just amazing….full of life, and spunky too!

I have soooo many favorites from this session, but I’m loving these ones of the girls in front of the red door!  ….sigh….  They weren’t sure about getting so close, but I told them they are going to love having these images when they grow up!

Beautiful family….

so sweet….

Are they not the cutest couple, I mean like ever???

sweet snuggles….

It was truly a blessing to meet each one of you and to spend time with your sweet sweet family.  Your love for one another is so evident, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to capture a small bit of this moment in your lives.  

xoxo
dana 

P.S.  PLEASE VOTE for the Giving is Awesome Tour. It’s a chance to sponsor 12 photographers to travel the country in a tour bus and give the gift of portraits to families with children struggling with childhood cancer. It’s a great cause. PLEASE take a moment to REGISTER AND VOTE, and ask your friends and family to do the same. GO HERE TO VOTE.

This family was the winner of our big holiday giveaway. You can read their story here…

Where do I begin with this family?!!  They were just such a pleasure work with, and their love for each other is sooo evident.  It was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g, literally…like 28 degrees, so we were running in and out of the car warming up every 10 minutes.  The kids were amazing troopers through it all, even the lil’ 10 month old…for which I felt sooo bad making him take his jacket on and off!

I think it was worth it though, and hope that I captured a little bit of their love…and some memories that they can cherish for many many years.

Meet Miss Brooke…she’s a total sweetheart.

Sharing a little sisterly fun!

Faith is the big sister to everyone.  She’s more amazing than she realizes.

Here we were standing in the middle of a corn field, with very high and freezing cold winds…and look how sweet and warm their love is!

The whole kit and kaboodle.  I adore this image…really.

Thank you soooo much for sharing yourselves with me on a cold winter day!  Please keep me up to date on all the news on your soon to be new life in Italy.  (yep, they are being stationed in Italy come March!)

This family was actually our very first ‘official’ children’s session back in 2007.  Since then, they have become dear friends to me and have also added a new member to their family!  I feel so blessed to have been able to share their new little love with them, and capture her sweet, squishy, newborn spirit.  The first few weeks of life in the ‘outside’ world is such an amazing and beautiful time…it’s like we want to hold on to that moment forever.  But alas, they grow!  and grow and grow!  At least we can hold on to the memories.

Introducing the much adored, Amelie Noel…

She was such a dream baby to work with… she was so peaceful, and followed direction quite well!

This one ‘might’ be my favorite…  I love them all, so it’s hard to say.

I love this last little moment!

I think big brother is still contemplating how he likes his new role!

These kids are stunning… beautiful in and out,  through and through, and just as lovely as could be.  I think at this stage of parenting, when kids are older and involved in lots of activities, and life seems to be going a-million-miles-a-minute… it’s more important than ever to remember to photograph them.  They seem to literally grow up before our eyes, and before long they’ll actually be grown ups…  

Think about it.  Twelve is on the verge of being a teenager, which is on the verge of not being a kid anymore…which means 12 is almost on the verge of being a grown up!  That’s just crazy.  I have a 12 year old (can you tell?), and I’m tellin’ ya…that’s just crazy!  crazy I tell you!

Okay, enough with my neurosis…and on to beautiful children.  (not grown ups!)

Umm…yeah, they have awesome eye genes.

I have two words for him : utterly adorable

Thanks guys for being totally awesome, and up for all my demands!  I’m already brewing up ideas for next time… ;c)

There is so much great stuff to share, I wish I had more time to blog it all!    This session was really special for me, because I got to work with someone who I admire on so many levels; as a mama, an entrepreneur, and someone who’s not afraid to pursue her creative ambitions. (she’s currently working on an independent film!!!)  I was excited to not only capture her sweet and charismatic daughter, but also document her pregnancy!  

Sweet and shy, but warming up…love those killer eyes!

I ADORE this series of interactions…so full of Joy and Love!

She’s gonna be a great big sister…

I can’t wait to meet the new little one…keep me posted!

I just couldn’t resist sharing a few more images from this session!  It’s so apparent how much this little girl is loved.

These are defininetly favorites…

And I’m sure she knows just how much she’s adored!