Meet Jessica and Derek, and their two adorable kids.  Are they not the cutest family in the universe?  I knew both Jess and Derek as co-workers  in the past, and I was thrilled when they asked me to take some pictures of their family.  They are such nice people, as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.

I absolutely love doing family portraits, because for a couple of hours, I get to be a guest  in the lives of others, an insider to the special bonds that they share.  And because it’s FUN!

Here the boys are having a blast climbing a “mountain” and the taking a giant leap down!

Look at that big smile as daddy twirls her in the air.

And those soulful eyes…how could you ever say no to those eyes?  Jessica has her work cut out for her. ;)

I don’t know what it is that I like so much about this image.  Something about it evokes carefree childhood memories for me…

Little Miss ‘O.’ stops to smell the sweet clover blossoms.

Eeee!  A whole field of tall grass!  Was I in heaven?  You bet I was.

A stolen moment while the kids were off playing.

Jessica and Derek, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your family life for a little while.  I had so much fun!

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is getting to see a family grow right before my eyes.  I first met Rosalie and Chris over a year ago for maternity photos.  Since then, they have referred two couple for wedding photos; Vanessa and Matt, who were married in May, and Jessica and Danny, who will be married in August.

Rosalie and Chris, happily expecting…

Then this couple became a family of three when little miss Imogen was born…

I had the pleasure of returning for her 6 month milestone…

And now, it’s hard to believe that Imogen is 1 year old!  How she has grown and changed in such a short time.  I feel honored that Rosalie and Chris have chosen me to document their family’s growth.

I’ve been trying some different processing for a new look here and there; which one do you like better?

These photos make me chuckle. :)  We kept Imogen happy with a handful of Cheerios; here they are suspended in the natural catch-all of her poofy little tutu.

She is so engrossed in pushing the phone buttons…already at the tender age of one and she is embracing technology!

It took several tries to get her to keep her birthday hat on.  My favorite is the one in the lower right corner; the look on her face as she pulls off the hat is priceless.

Rosalie and Chris, thank you so much for once again allowing me into your lives.  I am already looking forward to the next session.  Happy birthday, Imogen!!

This is my adorable niece, little Miss D.  My sister asked me to take some springtime portraits of her in her Easter dress, and of course who could say no to an opportunity to capture a sweet little face like that.

Ah, springtime is finally here!  Winter snow is lovely to look at, but I am so ready to feel the sunshine and the breezes of spring in the air.  These shots were taken on my parents’ property; here at the edge of the woods you can see the field where the grass is starting to green.  And I really like the moss growing on the ground.  What is it about moss that enthralls me?  I love the color…the soft, velvety, blanket-y-ness that just invites you to touch it, maybe even take a lovely nap on it like a deer in the forest…it reminds me of childhood.  Note to self:  I must grow a moss garden some day.

Thank you, little Miss D. for being so cute and cooperative!

As promised, here are some pictures of Tanya and Josh’s little peanut, Wyatt.  What a cutie!  I never get over my amazement at how small and precious newborn babies are.  I look at my 4 year old daughter, and I can’t believe that she was this small when she was born…

Thank you Tanya and Josh for welcoming me into your home, and allowing me to capture these precious memories for you.

At last, it’s time to unleash my brand-spankin’ new blog!  After much labor and love, this baby is finally ready to go, and I am thrilled!

I can’t think of a better way to start things off than by posting about a wonderful couple and the maternity photo session I did with them recently.  One of the things I love about my job is getting to know super nice people like Tanya and Josh.

I think this one is so cute.  The baby is going to love his furry older sister, Molly.

I love the intimate feel of this image.  There is nothing better than spooning with your soulmate as you dream about the future.

Tanya and Josh’s little one was born not long after this shoot…pictures to come in the next post.  Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to subscribe or bookmark and visit often to see what I’ve been up to.  Thanks Tanya and Josh for helping me christen the new blog!!