They were the perfect kind of family to photograph before I take a summer maternity break from photography.  Meeting Noah is right around the corner, and becoming a mama to that little boy…well I am thrilled.  After my session, my heart was lit with a little extra love for the little guy brewing inside of me.  Because it was watching, capturing and experiencing everything about them that made me more excited to walk hand-in-hand with Bryan on our little journey with Noah.  It was Kaesen’s little fall at the beginning and the countless cuddles that melted my heart.  Emerson’s big heart and curiosity of anything and everything.  The way Kelli loved her boys truly to the moon and back.  And, John’s smile that could tell someone a mile away how proud and thrilled he is to be a husband and a father to these three people who make up his whole world.  Most of all, it was the way John and Kelli looked at their boys and knew that this life they share and have is…spectacular.

This captures them perfectly.

Experiencing these smiles and laughs is indescribable.

Gorgeous family, I tell you.

Some K and E fun…

Just the perfect kind of photo to capture…family.

Have a beautiful day, friends!

When I think of family, I think of them.  It is such a remarkable transition to go from being husband and wife to a husband and father & wife and mother.  The center of your whole world changes.  Yes, you may not be going on Friday date nights or out with friends every Saturday.  However, your day starts with a sweet little face smiling at you or ten toes that wiggle when they are happy to see you.  You are a witness of God’s beauty in creating a little miracle that encompasses your heart.  Together, you get to tackle the good and bad days.  You get to embark on the most amazing and challenging adventure.  Family is about sharing your life and creating memories with the people who make your heart whole each day.  While I would photograph Ellie, I would catch that look of pure happiness on Chris and Stephanie through their smiles and laughter.   They became a family of three at the end of of last year, and I can say it looks good on them.  Really, really good.

This little lady is sure to brighten any day with these photos…

melt. my. heart.

Simply adore this family!

Finishing with a smooch sandwich!!!

Have a lovely Tuesday!

They live four hours apart.  But, you would think they live right down the street from one another.  Their bond…there are no words to describe it.  They love on him like there is no tomorrow.  They have a spirit that is free and fun.  Oh the fun.  And, the sweetest part…they are best friends with their mama and daddy.  As for the cute little guy with the straw hat that makes you want to melt, he is ALL about adventure and exploring.  His eyes make you melt.  On the spot, I should add.  And, he kind of adores his two older cousins.  A lot.  I realized near the end of our time together, no matter the distance, their bond will always be crazy strong.

Starting it off with a handsome little stud…

This hat…and the little guy wearing it…oh. my. word.

Now, for some twin cuteness.  Brace yourself!

Are they not the cutest little ladies or what?!

Happy Friday, friends!!!  Go out and do something fun this weekend!  xoxo

It is said one baby is the biggest blessing on earth.  So, two babies are double the blessing.  And, they changed Taj and Pooja’s world in the best ways possible.  After all, who can resist those darling eyes and cheeks?  As if their mama was not beautiful enough, Taj is now surrounded by an insane amount of gorgeousness who love him to the moon and back.  I have a feeling Taj and Pooja have a crazy-amazing future of adventures with their two beautiful, little loves!

How sweet are they?!

Those cheeks…

All bundled up and looking ever so adorable!

Leaving all of you with some of my favorite family shots…

xoxo

It only takes a moment.  A moment in which someone can impact your life in the smallest or biggest of ways.  A moment in which you feel awakened. A moment in which pure joy overtakes every inch of your heart.  This is how I imagine they leave everyone though.  It’s their smile.  Their unconditional love for their sweet Hazel.  The blue eyes of a little lady that can light up any room or heart.  Their beautiful souls, in which words do not have to be spoken of how truly happy they are to be best friends and raising their sweet little one.  It took me email exchanges to fall in love with this wonderful family.  So, I warn you, if you are blessed to cross paths with this adorable family, be prepared to be impacted in the smallest or biggest of ways and have your heart feel nothing short of bliss.  It’s kind of what they do.  It’s the imprint they leave on you.  These three beautiful souls.

It does not get much better than this…

Hey gorgeous girl!

Insert cute, CUTE cousin photo below.

Miss Hazel, you are stunning.

Hands down, one of my most FAVORITE photos to date!!!

Amazing what a pink swirly lollipop can do for a little lady!

Love every ounce of this photo!

xoxo

Life flies by.  Fast.  You blink.  And, the next moment, and entire year has gone by with many changes.  Last year at this time, Elliott was the newest addition to their family.  Today, he looks like the spitting image of his big brother who I photographed what feels like ages ago now.  And, his smiles…well, they are melt-in-your-hands sweet!  How is it that Liam is a talking, running, and never stopping toddler?  His animal noises are beyond precious, he cannot get enough of snack time, and he is so funny!   So, while life keeps flying by, this family keeps growing, loving, and learning.

Nothing speaks louder of a little boy’s childhood than his red tricycle!

This kid kills me.  One photo at a time.

His smiles…

Love lifestyle photos for these reasons!!!

As the saying goes, I saved one of the best for last as they helped me wrap up another fabulous 2012.  This family has been one that is dear to my heart as I have known their little K since she was in her mama’s belly.  And, through the years, she has grown into a beautiful soul who loves everything pretty, music and dance.  A gal after my own heart as I would say.  The one thing that ceases to amaze me year after year and spending time with this family is the insane amount of love Shannon and Sarah have for Kaitlyn.  They define the meaning of sisterhood.  It fills my heart with nothing less than joy as I watch the beautiful home and life John and Melissa have created for three very special girls who are each a big piece of their hearts.  In a season where we think what we are grateful for and say thank you for the blessings in our life, the one that comes on the top of my list after spending time with them is family.  Because it’s with family that you create a lifetime of memories that you could never trade for anything else on that wish list to Santa!

Can someone say Christmas card?!

Some of my most favorite photos are the ones that truly capture life’s little moments…

This photo is absolutely beautiful.

Are these two not a gorgeous pair of sisters?!

Sister love!

Three generations of beautiful ladies!

The happiest little lady I know!

Ending with two of my favorites…

Happy Tuesday!!!

If you were to look up “the world’s cutest family” in a dictionary, you would find a picture of this sweet bundle of four.  Seriously.  As I watched them curled up in bed with books and pj’s as if it were any normal Saturday morning, I was overcome with that warm, happy feeling.  They speak with an intense amount of love.  They laugh with an intense amount of happiness.  They have fun as a family of four making every day count from the previous one.  In my personal opinion, this is what memories are made of.  Watching your little lady play with her doll house and show you her gorgeous princess dolls.  Laughing out loud when your little boy smiles as big as the sun during a game of “so big.”  Feeling nothing short of being blessed when crawling under the covers and playing hide-and-go-seek with your littles.  Now, if you were to look up “the good life” in a dictionary, this is what it would describe.

Miss Grace and her beautiful doll house.

Is she not gorgeous?  (On a side note: how much do you love that wall and chandelier?!)

This little guy’s smile kills me.  It is so awesome!

Life.  The good life.

Love.

More love.

My absolute favorite series!!!

Is it really 70 degrees in December?!!  Happy Monday!

It all started when two people fell in love.  They got married.  And, then created five beautiful children.  Their five beautiful children grew up and married (if you have not already guessed) five beautiful people.  Through the years, little ones have been sprinkled into the family.  As this family continues to keep growing, one thing remains the same.  They have a crazy amount of love for one another.  In all my years of photographing and meeting people from all over the world, I do not think I have met a bigger and closer family than the Harris family.  They love like crazy.  They know how to bring all levels of silly out.  And, they truly know the meaning of the saying, “We’re one big, happy family.”  In their case, they are “one big, happy, GORGEOUS family!”

Someone please let me in on the secret of where to acquire these amazing genes!

These kids are going to have a blast in just a few short years together!

Two very proud grandparents.

Two generations…

This photo makes every inch of my heart melt.  What an amazing family they created and raised!

Love love love love.  And, then love some more.

The reason B and I wanted to be “honorary” Harris family members!  Can you imagine how fun the holidays must be with the entire family?!

Have a beautiful weekend, friends!

They just have this feeling they give off as a family.  A feeling of warmth.  Comfort.  Love.  It all comes so easy for them.  They have the sweetest little boy who is literally a show stopper.  At only four years old, he is quite the ladies man, and has a personality that can get any crowd laughing.  He is also a big brother to an adorable little lady who has a smile as big as the sun.  She beams from ear to ear when she smiles, and it is quite the sight to see.  I should mention that she has a very independent personality that will be extraordinary as she grows older.  Clay and Jana are two beyond blessed parents.  And as the Thanksgiving holiday was right around the corner, I could not help but take a step back and say a moment of gratitude.  For wonderful families.  Who radiate warmth, comfort and love.

Did I not tell you?  They are one glowing family.

Sweet Hayden.

Love.

A bond between a mama and her little lady.  Just beautiful.

The ladies man.

Brother-sister lovin’.

These little ones belong on the cover of J-crew kids magazine.  Just saying.

One of my absolute favorites!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!  Taking the next few days to spend time with the people I love, eat entirely too much food and thank my lucky stars for another very blessed year!  xoxo

It was a gorgeous November morning.  One in which I could not believe the weather.  Because in reality, it could be snowing right about now.  (Thanking my lucky stars for this gorgeous weather!)  It has been three years since I last saw them.  Imagine my eyes as I saw how tall Alex had grown, and what a gorgeous and lovely lady Diana is turning into these days.  However, as a family, they are just as I remember them.  They laugh.  A lot.  Together.  They tell all kinds of jokes.  They show love like there is no tomorrow.  And, the family bond they share is one of kind.  Truly.  This was their one Saturday story.

Starting with all the gorgeousness that is of this family!

Are these two of the most set of brother and sister or what?!

Alex has a smile that is truly as bright as the sun.  It can make anyone smile.

My favorite!!!

Diana is gorgeous.  Simply, stunning, and gorgeous.

A whole lot of family love…

Ending with this lovely little photo of a family who sure knows how to love and have fun!

Happy Tuesday!!!

Another six months have gone by.  Yet, they keep growing.  More beautiful.  Bigger.  Sweeter.  It makes my heart melt in so many different ways.  Miss Ella, she was less than two years old when I first met her.  However, she has not lost one ounce of those gorgeous blond curls.  And, as each time I see her passes, she becomes more and more the spitting image of her beautiful momma.  Then, there is Hudson.  Sweet Hudson who has stepped into the toddler role with his adventurous spirit.  Just like his sister, he can melt anyone with his baby blue eyes.  As I watch them grow and get the honor to capture their lovely story, I know it will continue being beautiful, sweeter and little ones growing only bigger.

Are they seriously not a stunning family?

These two little ones are by far the most adorable.  The blond hair and blue-eyes alone kill me with cuteness.

Oh Hudson, you are such a sweetheart!

Miss Ella, you are quite possibly, ever so gorgeous!

Sweet little man.

This goes in the top of my favorite momma-daughter photos.  Ever.

Ending with my favorite of this beautiful family!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

We met three years ago when I was still trying to find myself.  She does not know it, but our little chats at work did wonders for my heart.  Ever since then, she has encouraged me to keep going after my dreams.  On a gorgeous Saturday morning, I got to catch up with my dear friend, Jen, after much time has passed.  The best part, I finally got to meet her sweet boy, Max.  He is no longer this little guy that I heard about from Jen.  He is as tall as me and is quite the sports fanatic.  I should probably add that he is crazy talented at baseball.  The sweetest part of our session was watching the unconditional love that Jen and Max share together.  It’s truly a bond between this momma and her son that is unbreakable.

Meet this stud.  His name is Max.

Is he not ever so handsome?!

If only you knew how much this momma loves this boy!

Love the pop of color.

My favorite!

This area was filled with all kinds of artwork and splashes of color.

Ending with my absolute favorite of Max!

Check back tomorrow for another adorable family!  Enjoy this gorgeous evening!

At the very start of their session, I gathered one thing quite quickly: They like to have fun.  The simple kind of fun like making silly faces through a photo frame.  Or the crazy fun of making their parents smile by dancing.  One thing has been clear.  John and Kelli are very blessed because within two years, they were blessed with two boys who fill their life with nothing but joy.  Two boys who will grow up to be best of friends.  Two boys who are so different yet similar in personalities.  Emerson takes the big brother role very seriously.  He listens, loves and enjoys anything that involves an adventure.  As for Kaesen, he is curious as to what his big brother is up to, has a bit of the daring side in him and makes everyone around him smile and laugh at the drop of a hat.  This time I get to spend with these amazing families not only allow me to capture this moment in time, but it gives me a chance to see their family dynamic.  Each family has their own.  As for this family of four, they remind me of a simple, fun kind of love.

Starting things off right with a favorite!

How cute are these boys?!

This photo…melts my heart!

Meet Kaesen.  He is so full of life!

As for Emerson, he loves like no one else.

Ending with a round of my favorite, favorite family photos!!!

Hope all of you are enjoying yet another gorgeous fall day!!!

More often than not, I photograph toddlers and babies.  What can I say, it’s my specialty.  Usually the kids are two and four-years old or eighteen months and three-years old.  While I photograph little ones, I always imagine how close that sibling bond will become.  Recently, I got to see a different story.  One out of the ordinary for me, and it was nothing short of an honor.  I watched three kids, each with a four year gap between them as they loved on each other, hugged one another a little closer and laugh together at silly jokes.  It was amazing.  That bond I always imagined only grows stronger through the years.  Sure, each of them pick on the youngest, or they may be a fight or three, but at the end of the day, there is no greater bond than the one you have with your brothers and/or sisters.  Although it was quite a chilly morning, the only thought that crossed my mind was how truly blessed Wayne and Kim were to have three beautiful children who each represented a piece of their world and their amazing story.

Without further ado, here is the stunning trio…

Meet Bryce.  He is one of the most intelligent and laid-back eight-year old I know.

Julia, well, Julia is gorgeous.  Simply said.

Tyler is a stud and the protector.

Two of many, many favorites I had in this session.

I snuck Wayne and Kim in a few shots, and this is one that I love for too many reasons to list.

These three, they just make my heart melt.

OH MY WORD!  Leaving all of you with what I would say goes into one of my all-time favorite shots.  Ever.

Is it Friday yet?!!  Thank goodness for the halfway point.  Happy Wednesday!!!

Exactly a year ago, she was finishing up nursing school, and they were a family of four.  It is amazing to see how quickly life can change for the better in one short year.  Not only is Christina an amazing nurse, she is a mama to two absolutely adorable little ones with another little lady on the way (she could be here any day!).  On top of all of this, she is married to one heck of a stand up guy named Jason who stole her heart.  Would you believe me if I said they have been married for TEN years?  Yes, you read right.  Ten years.  Within those ten years, they have been led down a beautiful and adventurous journey.  A journey that blessed them with three gorgeous children, ten years of countless memories and a story that was written only for them.

Don’t they just make your heart melt?

Liala, you are stunning.  I’m serious, sister!

Cannot believe this little stud muffin is going to be surrounded by so many gorgeous women!

The only word that comes to mind: love.

The entire next batch are my absolute favorites!

10 years of marriage, 3 babies, two amazing careers and way too many good moments in life…still crazy-in-love with one another!

Happy Thursday!!!

I am not sure if my heart has melted the amount of times it did when I saw Aubrey.  There she stood with her cowgirl boots and a pink flower.  Because almost one year ago exactly, she was turning one with her little cupcake.  Then, I blinked and Miss Aubrey is turning two.  It’s true what the say, I guess.  Hold on to these years.  Because in just a short period of time (or so it seems), you blink and there is your little lady giggling about the funny guy playing peek-a-boo (aka Bryan) or squealing silly mommy.  It’s during these times that I get a reality check to remind me to enjoy life’s precious moments.  Those moments when a child giggles.  A kiss is shared.  Smiles fill the air because really, how much more sweet can life get when your heart is filled with one thing: feeling truly blessed.

One word.  Cute.

Miss Aubrey’s face is priceless.

Having the time of her life!

I will claim this as one of my favorite.  Yes, that is right.  There are more.

How big of a smile does this little lady put on your face?!

Love.

She belongs in a magazine, Ashlea!  Just saying.

And…here is the reveal of my absolute favorite photo!

Oh Monday, we meet again.  (sigh)  I suppose it is acceptable because I get my baseball fix tonight.  GO CARDS!!!

It’s a story that started many years ago.  Back when I was an intern.  Shelby and I, well we became friends instantly.  Call it our chatty personalities and passion for many of the same things, and we were best gals at the office!  It was during my internship that Shelby gave me that reality check of this thing called life.  Somewhere in between our chats about clothes and boys, she helped me realize that I had to follow my heart.  As for Shelby, she has done some amazing accomplishments with her best friend and husband, Scott.  The biggest one would be their twin, almost three-year old handsome boys, Brayden and Jack.  They have two of the best hearts, and their energy is something I wish I could borrow!  The best part was watching a dear friend transform from the Shelby I knew so long ago to the woman she is today-a phenomenal wife and mother who is surrounded by unconditional love from her ever so sweet boys!

We did not waste any time having fun!

Um, excuse me while my heart melts.  Seriously?!

Brayden, you rock the whole hand-in-your pocket look.  But, then again, I knew you were kind of a stud.

Jack and his passion for trains.  This kid, he has a heart of gold.

Family lovin’.

How adorable are these two?!?!

My absolute favorites!  Would you believe me if I said these two photos happened at the spur of the moment?  Love capturing in-between moments!

Have a beautiful weekend, friends!

They met in middle school.  Young love is what some would call it.  However, no one knew that  their young love would turn into middle school sweethearts who got married 13 years later.  Who vowed to be best friends forever.  And, somewhere along the way, their life became even more sweet when they welcomed the cutest, curly hair little boy into their world-Tyson.  I’ve known them for 17 years.  Since the first day of middle school.  And, not a memory I have is without the two of them.  Together.  Because that is how they have walked this crazy, beautiful thing called life.  Together.  And, now their memories are filled with their little man.  Together they love on their sweet baby a bit more as each moment passes, they laugh a little louder, and their eyes do the happy dance as they know their life is…complete.  Their story started 17 years ago, and I for one cannot wait to see the amazing chapters yet to come…

How cute are they?!?!

Meet Tyson.  He is a stud.

I should mention that Tyson…his smiles can light up a crowd of people.  You think I am joking?  Just look below.

What can we say?  He LOVES football!

Here come the line-up of some of my absolute FAVORITE shots.  Ever.

Happy Wednesday, Friends!!!

It has been three years.  With every year that passes, someone has grown taller.  Someone has mastered the monkey bars.  Someone is talking.  Someone is riding their bike without training wheels.  Someone is one step closer to becoming a teenager.  However, it never ceases to amaze me that their love…it only grows stronger.  Someone holds their brother in for a closer hug.  Someone tells someone else a secret.  Tickle Jack.  They all laugh.  Maybe a little too hard, but that is what makes their love for one another fun.  Someone asks for a piggy-back that turns into a pile-up on big sister.  Maureen, you’re smile is beautiful.  Someone runs like the wind with their free-spirit.  Someone smiles at their three blessings as they express who they are.  Today.  In the present.  Someone is a proud father who beams from ear to ear as his baby girl shows us her best skills.  In the midst of it all, they always remember the one thing.  That thing that makes their bond so strong.  Their love for one another so clear.  They are a family.

The three musketeers…

This photo was snapped.  A few moments later…

this happened.

Jack, when did you grow up?!

Oh, to be a kid again!

Brothers’ bond.

Ending one of my absolute favorites!!!

Hope all of you go out and enjoy this gorgeous fall weather!!!