Vintage Romance: Mr. & Mrs. Lewis

I've known Kim since middle school... and have so many good and hilarious memories with her growing up, through high school and field hockey and school dances and sleepovers and visiting her when she was away in college in New York to our weddings... I could not be happier for her in her marriage to Mike and was so excited to get to capture a few images of the two of them at Longwood Gardens this past weekend. I have always admired her style and eye for beauty, the way that she mixes vintage and feminine and color and classiness and the way she appreciates the past.

Here are a few of my favorites from their vintage romance session :) 

We began in a grassy area between tall trees that was full of tiny purple crocuses... love. 

And the blooming magnolia trees were our next stop :) 

A romantic stroll through the woods was next on the agenda...  

Followed up by these gorgeous shots in front of a gigantic ivy covered wall.

The one below is one of my very favorites, both in color and in black and white (the black and white version is shown on my facebook page)

Dancing through the (forbidden) topiary gardens :) 

This was a re-enactment of the dance they had together on their wedding day.

And finishing up with a few photos in front of this beautiful pavilion... 

This last one is another favorite for sure :) 

Thank you so much, Mike & Kim, for giving me the opportunity to photograph the two of you together... I hope these photos will be ones that your grandchildren look back on someday and know that you've always been just as crazy about each other as ever :)

Surprise! We're Potty Training Isaiah!

With Drew we talked about when potty training would start and what it would mean for months before we did it. The day after he turned three we started, and within two days he was doing it like a pro.

I was planning to wait until Isaiah is three at the end of August to start with him as well. (Having a nursing infant makes it hard to drop everything and assist in the bathroom whenever needed... by the time Isaiah turns three Jaden will be almost a year and I thought that would be an easier time to start...)

But Isaiah is super independent. And he starts things on his own timeline. A few months ago he started using our little elmo potty before bath time some nights. About two weeks ago he started going upstairs and taking off his own pants and diaper and going potty without even telling me. This was great!! (Except when I would find him half naked running around the house after pooping....) He asks me to take him to the bathroom at church, and he wakes up in the middle of the night asking for help in the bathroom instead of going in his diaper. All very encouraging and exciting (I mean, we are DEFINITELY ready to not spend so much on diapers every month!!) It's just made things a little more complex around here as far as multi-tasking for me.

This is the interesting thing though... it seems he only wants to go in the potty when he's wearing a diaper. If I try to put underwear on him he inevitably has an accident in them. Yesterday, for example. We were outside and I was clearing out all our flower beds and vegetable garden (and this morning I am soooo sore!! From pulling weeds!! I can't believe it... I mean there were some really tough vines I worked on pulling for awhile, and I ended up landing on my but twice from pulling so hard, but sore muscles??!) Anyway, Isaiah was in undies while we played outside... And then I saw him go into the shed and close the door. My mother's instinct said I should have followed right away. But I didn't. And when I finally did open the door he was standing in a puddle of pee and informed me that he had pooped in his undies too. So I carried him dangling out in front of me up onto the porch and started taking his clothes off, and Drew was expressing great concern that our neighbors were going to see Isaiah naked, and Isaiah was wailing about having to take off his jeans (He LOVES his jeans... like, he has an insane amount of desire to wear certain clothing for being a two year old) Then I carried my naked little boy into the downstairs bathroom to start wiping off the poop that was all down his leg... And in the midst of my frustration and trying to get him cleaned up he is bent over in half looking back at me between his legs saying "peek a boo mommy!" and making me laugh in spite of myself. And then, as if he didn't just pee in the shed, he says "uh oh," and starts peeing on the floor while I'm cleaning him up. ISAIAH!!! For all his great independence and potty training progress all on his own, it seems every bit of those skills left him for about 20 minutes yesterday....

So this is where we are. It seems potty training has visited our house whether we (meaning me) were ready for it or not. Surprise!

Hartman Family: Brycen Turns One!

This is my first shoot back since I had Jaden, and it was so fun to get back into it!! I am fully booked from now until the end of May, with several summer shoots scheduled as well, and I am practically bursting with the sparks of creativity that have been held back for the last five months...:)

The Hartmans are wonderful friends of ours, and their sweet little man is turning one!! Brittany wanted to do a cake smash as well as some outdoor family photos and some four year old shots for their daughter Kaylynn who just had a birthday as well. Our shoot was planned for a gloomy, rainy day that just so happened to become sunny and warm right when we needed it to. :) Love that!

So let's start with the cake smash, shall we? :) 

He is having an elmo themed first birthday party.

"I am One!!"

Love the one below with his little tongue sticking out :) 

This boy knew how to get it done!

Moving on to my favorites of the four of them: 

Love, love, love the two below:

The sweetness! :

 Love this one:

A few of mama and daddy with their little birthday boy:

Love this little man!

Miss Kaylynn is four!!

A favorite for sure:

And a few of just Brittany & Kyle:

Usually I would just stop there, show you the perfect, wonderful, edited images where things went like we were planning, or the candid moments were just sweet beyond words and call it a day. But the truth is, every shoot has its share of out take moments that are equally memorable and fun and hilarious too. So this time I want to give you a little glimpse of the laughter and fun and crazy that it is behind the scenes.

Here are a few of my favorite out takes, Enjoy! :) 

In case you didn't already know this... I really like the photo shoots that I do to be an experience of fun and genuine interaction that you can look back on and remember the good time that you had just getting the pictures taken. For this reason it doesn't stress me out at all if a little one just isn't having a certain pose or setup... I like to just go with it, and see what real life gives us as far as photo worthy memories. Honestly, the out takes that show the hilarious laughter and smiles and tears even are some of my very favorites. I was seriously almost peeing myself at one point I was laughing so hard. This is what makes family, this is what makes real life, and although I love to show those moments that are gentle and sweet and calm, I adore the moments that are a bit crazy and unruly just as much :) Here's to real life! 

Thank you so much Brittany and Kyle for asking me to do these for you... I had so much fun spending the evening with your family :) Love you guys so much!!