Having a laid back family to photograph is such a blessing! The Altenas purchased my ATLAS donation of a family photography session and the Lord continues to bless me with the sweetest families every year!!
Watching all of the cousin love happening here hit so close to home. Aria ADORES her cousins as well and I think it is such a blessing to have cousins that you love and live so close by.
Thanks again to this wonderful family for making my job that much more fun!
Read MoreA Sioux Center Family Session
Do you like surprises?? Right here. Mark & Natalie surprised the kiddos with a PUPPY at the end of the session so that they would be able to focus for photos in the beginning. Although their guesses were an elephant or a doll, their hopes were not let down!
Little did Natalie know that Mark was on one knee behind her while watching the kids play with the puppy. It was such a beautiful moment that I am still honored to be apart of.
Mark & Natalie I wish you two the best and have fun planning a WEDDING!!
Read MoreMy Brother and Sister are expecting baby number two in about a month! I often times forget that my sister Steph is pregnant because she is ALL BABY! Doesn't she look fantastic?? Yes Darren, you also look great!
Big brother Brody is getting ready to play his part. You'll notice in some of the photos him pointing and pulling on his mamas belly.
Steph is expecting another boy and I'm already dreaming to see if he'll have Brody's naughty eyes or not. :)
Being able to photograph all of the big moments in my siblings life is such an honor and I am so thankful I get to be the one to do that for you them! Congrats Darren & Steph!
Read MoreI absolutely LOVE summer weddings. Especially when the colors consist of lavender. Ben & Megan were married at Hagge Park in Sac City, Iowa. Ben & Megan actually met at their job. They are both teachers! Most romantic way to meet? Probably...
Once they started dating they had to keep it a little hush hush because we all know how kiddos can be when they hear two of their teachers are DATING! It wasn't long until they shared the news because they knew they had found the one.
They shared a beautiful outdoor wedding where the breeze was perfect enough to keep cool from the warm sun that was shining. Their reception was so relaxed and FUN! They had live music, a s'more bar, and lots and lots of friends and family sharing the joy.
Read MoreDo you love dogs, the Yankees and the love for our soldiers?? If so, CHECK THESE TWO OUT!! Tyler & Allison met working at Hy-Vee together! Anyone else a fan of those supermarket love stories??
Allison is currently in school and planning an amazing elephant/geometric themed wedding! Umm.. yes please. I cannot WAIT to see how everything comes together on their wedding day. Tyler is currently in the army and I just want to thank him again for his service!!
Read MorePiper Faith is almost ONE! Why does the first year always seem to fly by more than others?? Piper's personalty is so light and sweet. She is curious and would be content with a simple rock..(which she seemed to find wherever she was sitting!)
I love when clients continue to come to me for photos throughout the years. I actually shot Piper's parents wedding, and now they have a soon to be one year old!
As most of you know, I love planning.. So when I found out they are having a WATERMELON themed birthday party… I geeked out a little bit. :) Especially when there is a matching dress involved. :) Happy birthday Piper! Enjoy!
Read MoreCoopers' sweet mom, Maria, emailed me and was a bit worried since apparently Cooper didn't want to take a nap the day of our session! Things like this seem to happen a lot with littles and pictures. Either they just bumped their head or got scratched, it just shows with kids, you need to go with the flow!You would never know that Cooper didn't get his daily nap in!!
He had so much fun and did a fantastic job! He was quite the poser and showed Maria and I his inner model skills. Seriously though, check out his adorable BIG BROTHER shirt. :)
Cooper shares the same love of 'Daniel Tigers Neighborhood' like Aria. Yes I did sing the theme song for Cooper and he didn't mind one bit that I am not as good as the regular!! I love making memories like this with my kiddos and being the one to give them a congratulatory sucker. :)
Read MoreSaturday, May 13 was a beautiful day for Jenna and Eric’s wedding at St. Mary’s Church in Hawarden, Iowa. The couple has kind of a fun story – they met about eight years ago and dated for a few weeks, but then Jenna ended up moving down south for about four years.. When she came back and started living in Minneapolis, Eric called her up for a date! They’ve been inseparable ever since. :)
This couple is clearly in love and meant to be together. How cute are their portraits?? We took pictures in Oak Grove and it was one of those perfect days where it’s not too hot and not too cold, plus the bugs aren’t out yet! For Jenna's 'something borrowed' she carried a pink set of pearls around her bouquet that belonged to her grandma – what a neat memory!
Read MoreI finally had my first photo session with Aria!! She’s 22 months old, so it’s kinda sad that it took me this long, but here’s to new traditions :)
We were finally able to do this because my friend Jenny (of Jenny Marie Photography) is doing Greenhouse Mini Sessions later in May and she wanted some models, so of course I said yes! It was so much fun!!
I will say though, Aria was NOT impressed and would not even LOOK at the camera! So I wasn’t able to get the traditional pictures of us looking at the camera like so many parents and grandparents crave, but I do LOVE the pictures I did get with her. They really showed off one of her defining traits and exactly what my days consist of: Busyness. And that is just fine with me!! While we all have those days where we wish our kids would just sit still and relax, I am reminded again and again that Aria has been the biggest blessing in my life; busyness and all. She has pushed me in more ways than one. Her personality is so silly and tender-hearted and it’s been such a joy to watch her grow and learn and love these last 22 months. And while she might not love taking pictures, I did discover she loves to LOOK at pictures, so there’s still hope that there’s a little photographer in her! A mom can dream, right?? :)
Read MoreThis is my friend Lauren, she's pretty awesome. We attended Unity Christian together and were always great aquaintences. We didn't ever really hangout in college but we shared some awkward laughs here and there... We became great friends last year around the time when I started attended the same church as her. Now it's almost like I can't imagine what it was like not having her as my close friend!
I am so grateful for her and the laughs and comfort she always brings to our conversations. You see it's kind of cool, I have gotten to witness her thrive in this brand stinkin' new business she just launched!! We were sitting at Butlers having coffee one day discussing our lives and our passions. She opened up to me a bit about her love for writing and how she would love to do that for a living, along with her great job at JFA.
Read MoreOn April 29, Joel and Hanna were married at Calvary CRC in Orange City, IA with the reception following at Living Water church. I’ve known Hanna since high school – we were in soccer together! – and it was such a joy to be able to capture their big day and be reminded of all of our laughs and inside jokes that we used to share on the field.
Joel and Hanna had a simple yet elegant wedding that fit their personalities perfectly. And what a beautiful time of year to have a wedding! It was a little breezy, but the trees were blossoming and the lighting was spectacular and the wedding party was a dream.
How cute are the umbrellas? It may not have been raining…but that doesn’t matter.
Read MoreCaleb & Sarah had a beautiful plum & birch themed wedding! They got wed at Immanuel CRC in Orange City, Iowa with a beautiful reception to follow at the Terrace View Event Center. We were all thrilled since they had AMAZING weather for February! You know, that kind of weather you can't decided whether you want to wear a coat and be a little warm, or not wear it and be a little chilly. :)
Sarah brought DIY to a whole new level. There were SO many great details to capture I couldn't possibly post them all! Although, I wish I could. :)
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