“Little girls leave a little sparkle wherever they go.” When I heard the second session we would be doing for the Kylee Ann Workshop was a lifestyle family shoot, I got super excited. I got even MORE excited when I heard the family had five little girls. The Buckley family was so sweet and have a GORGEOUS home in Hyde Park. The huge open windows, details, and colors were so immaculate in their stunning home! The mom, Emily, runs the Cache Valley Family Magazine and loves in home family style sessions with her girls.
The session was such a blast with little girls everywhere dancing, jumping on beds, hugging each other, and giving sweet sister kisses. It was the oldest girl’s birthday that day and she turned 9 with the youngest being 10 months old. The precious two girls in the middle were twins and I could not get over the spunky personality of the second to youngest little girl. All of these sweet girls were not camera shy and loved having their picture taken. Kylee suggested that the girls dance to their favorite song and when asked what was their favorite song they all shouted Call Me Maybe!! They had the best time dancing and twirling in their Matilda Jane dresses while singing the words to it and the second to youngest even had a couple of break dance moves for it! I could not stop laughing and my cheeks hurt by the end of the session. I was so amazed how not one time any of the girls fought; not ONCE! My mind definitely was reminded of what it was like to have five little sisters. Life was busy, schedules were always filled, yes there was drama but there was also a bond and friendship that was indescribable. Yes I will never know what it will be like to have a brother but I do not regret it for one second. Girls rule boys drool was often said at my house, expect for my dad of course ;) I am so grateful I was able to be a part of this adorable family’s session and to have met all of those precious girls! I will always remember how sweet and adorable they were to each other.
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My last mini session in Thatcher was a great one to end on! These kiddos were the cutest things ever!! They are cousins to the adorable five girls I took pictures of a couple of days before them. If you missed their session you can look at it here! I was so lucky to have beautiful weather for all of my sessions! No cold kids in the wind and chilly weather; it was perfect!
Even with getting yelled at by some old grumpy men to leave and go home, this session could not have gone any better! The light was gleaming through the trees and it was so perfect! I loved their bright happy colors and they looked so good! I could not believe how good little Todd was for pictures! He was so adroable in his shirt and tie I could not get over it!! Again, no tears or tantrums! It must run in the family ;) I had such a blast taking this family's pictures!! Their kids are at the most fun ages and I loved I could talk with their boys about school and their hobbies. I didn't have to jump up and down, make funny noises or dangle candy in front of their faces; they were so perfect and gave me the biggest smiles! All of their outfits looked so good and were perfect colors for Christmas! We met at The River in Thatcher and besides having to avoid a dead elk carcass, trash, and bones, it ended up being beautiful!! I just cannot stop mentioning the warm beautiful weather there because it blew my mind!! The clouds rolled in for about half the session and created nice magical even light that made this family's faces glow!
I loved capturing those priceless candid moments shared by this adorable family! The kids had so much fun and I loved watching them giggle! I told the kids to do things like tickle each other, run towards me, and they kind of looked at me funny, looked at each other and got super excited! I had to stay on my toes to catch them but it was so worth it because their smiles say it all! Brock was cracking me up the whole session and his smile is so contagious! When he heard we would be taking some pictures by water he got SO excited! He said "Aww man, why didn't I bring my bathing suit?!" I tried to convince him that it would have been way too cold to swim in but he was still disappointed he could not go in the water. He was also a little confused and said "How do you know us??" I said I knew both of his parent's families and he was so surprised. I recently took pictures of Rikki's brother and his wife in Logan; if you missed that session you can view it here! I also grew up in Drew's parents' church ward and have known his family for years! Thanks again guys for letting me capture your adorable family's special moments! I had such a great time and could not stop smiling! Coming back to the Gila Valley makes my heart happy that I get to see family and friends and do my favorite thing- take pictures!! :)
Mini sessions are my favorite to do because it’s short and sweet, quick and easy! Dragging an hour and a half or even two hour photography session for little kids can be difficult! Half an hour is perfect because kids leave happy, and mammas are satisfied with the number of shots I am able to take! I like to get right to the point and start right off the bat while also having a good time in between with natural laughs and giggles! Seriously the most adorable little girls ever!! I can't even get over it! I couldn't believe my eyes how dolled up and adorable these girls looked when we met up. Everything went so perfect and you would think they were professionals! No tantrums, fits, tears, just adorableness and happy smiles that weren't forced. I loved taking pictures of these cute sisters and I could not believe how well behaved they were! Big happy smiles were something I didn't even have to ask for and I was so amazed how photogenic these girls were! I could seriously stare at their doll like faces all day. I won't even try to write out and spell all of theirs names because they are all so unique and beautiful I would not want to mess them up!! Just trust me when I say they are ALL darling names! This session reminded me when me and my sisters were little and brought back a flood of memories! My family has six girls so I love seeing girl power and sisterly love like these cuties. Being the oldest was a tough task at times, but I wouldn't trade anything for my little sisters! We are so close and I wouldn't have it any other way! YES girls bring drama sometimes but I would never trade that closeness we all were able to share at times growing up but especially now and I can honestly say we are all the best of friends! Thanks again girlies for being so awesome! I couldn't ask for a more perfect session! :) Oh my goodness I have been counting down the days till I would be doing this family's session in Thatcher Arizona!! I have known them for almost 10 years since they moved to Thatcher and I spent MANY days at their house!
Mandy and I have been friends since 6th grade when she moved to Thatcher and were always together. When we weren't trying to survive high school, you could find us chilling out at Sonic, watching Super Natural together, or staying up late talking in her room for hours. The Matthews house became a second home to me that I loved going over to and it was just down the street from my own house. Morgan and I even roomed together while in college for six months before I got married! Even though it was short it was super fun and she always was like an older sister to me that I always looked up to for an example. She has the CUTEST little girl and I cannot believe how big she has gotten and she turned one last month! Chandler didn't cry at all for pictures and was super good! She kept me on my toes and probably thought I looked crazy chasing her around with a camera to my face! That's what probably made her run faster away from me ;) We headed out to the Golf Course and made sure to go far enough out to avoid getting hit with golf balls. It was a beautiful sunny day and the light was so perfect! I have been enjoying the September-like weather I have not felt in a couple of months here in Arizona. Soaking up that 65 degree weather and bright sun is making me not really miss Logan where it is twelve degrees and snowing while I was shooting this session!! I could not stop laughing and grinning the whole session because this family is hilarious! All I would have to say was look at each other and they would just start laughing which made me laugh so hard! Congrats you guys for having a perfect photogenic family!! You guys were seriously so awesome!! I always get super excited when I get to take pictures of my family members but especially when it is on such a special day! My sister-in-law and her family were sealed to each other in the Gilbert Arizona Temple yesterday and it was such a wonderful day spent with family. Sean, Boston and I were able to fly down and be there and I am so grateful we were! Any excuse to come to Arizona and see family is a good one but this was one we especially looked forward to for months. I will take high 60 degree weather over the 20s ANY day of the week. The bright sun and a cool breeze felt like about how September does back in Logan. Krysta and Brandon will have been married for four years next April and their ADORABLE little girl Brooklyn is 18 months. It has been so fun to watch their little family grow and I remember the night we found out they were expecting and how exciting it was! Brooklyn and Boston are best buddies that don't know it yet ;) They are 9 months apart and at the ages they are now, they do not quite know what to think of each other. Brooklyn is so used to being the smallest of all the kids she interacts with so to see a baby even smaller than her kind of freaked her out. Boston is kind of a lot to handle I do not blame her ;) Anytime he would get near her she would bawl and cry until he left her alone; it was the funniest thing. For pictures though, it was the opposite and Boston had just woken up from a nap and would not take a picture at all with Brooklyn. The best I could get out of him was him looking at Brooklyn and she was as happy as could be.
Living far away makes you appreciate the time when you do get to see family that much more special and memorable. It is hard living so far away but I am so grateful for the relationships we have with this adorable family and the rest of our families! Seriously the cutest family ever!! It was a chilly day in the Logan Canyon but little Ella was a trooper! We made it quick, painless, but still getting all the shots her momma wanted! Elizabeth contacted me after seeing my Winter Mini Session Special and I couldn't wait to do their session! This was their first time having family pictures with their new little addition with adorable Ella being two and a half months old.
Elizabeth and Colton met going to school down in Price at USU Eastern while he was going to school and she was finishing hair school. I wasn't going to go to school because I was just finishing with hair school. It was not your typical 'love at first sight' but Colton was persistent and their relationship started to grow. They became best friends and Elizabeth said it was so easy to talk with him. Elizabeth and Colton started dating in April of 2012 and both served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Before they left, Colton asked Elizabeth if she would wait for him and if she would marry him when they got back home and she said it was a no brainier to say yes of course!! From 2013-2015 Elizabeth and served in the South Dakota Rapid City Mission and he served in the Jamaica Kingston Mission. They kept their promises and got married one month after Colton got back in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple in October of 2015. When I asked Elizabeth what their life is like now and what the future holds for them she said- "I am a licensed cosmetologist but am a stay at home mama and I absolutely love it! Colton works hard going to school and works full time. I'm grateful for his hard work! He is going to school for Agriculture Business. We don't know where we'll end up in the future, but would love to have a few acres to fulfill Colton's dream of having horses. Being married to Colton has been the best decision I have ever made! I love him so much we've been married for a little over a year and have a beautiful almost 3 month old daughter, Ella. She brings so much light into our lives and we are so thankful she is a part of our family!" So grateful I was able to meet and take pictures of this adorable little family and meet precious Ella! I forget how tiny and sweet babies can bet! Like I promised, the blog would be filled with this cutie's face! Boston is 9 months today, 16 lbs. wears 0-3 month clothes, and size 2 diapers. He is a crawling machine and gets into everything in reach. If you hold his hands he'll walk across the room and more. He has started pulling himself up on the couch and trying to stand up in his crib. Boston loves mimicking us with sounds with our mouth and shaking his head no. I am so glad we were able to go to the park as a family last Saturday on Sean's day off. River Hollow Park is just down the street from where we live in Logan and is the perfect little park. The light was leaving fast and it was getting chilly but we were still able to snap some pics and this mamma was a happy camper! I was lucky enough to get what was left of the fall color before it snowed yesterday here in Logan. Yes you heard me right- SNOW! We came out of Walmart last night from doing some last minute shopping and I could not believe it. I am not ready for the cold and miserable months yet!! It'll be fun to actually have a white Christmas though :)
Anyways, today being Boston's 9 month "birthday", it is also World Prematurity Day. Every one in ten of all babies worldwide are born premature which makes up the 15 million babies that are born premature every year. Not only was Boston born 10 weeks premature but he was diagnosed with having severe IUGR. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) refers to a condition in which an unborn baby is smaller than it should be because it is not growing at a normal rate inside the womb. Fewer than 200,000 cases per year. Delayed growth puts the baby at risk of certain health problems during pregnancy, delivery, and after birth. With this condition, a baby is born weighing less than 90 percent of other babies at the same gestational age. When I got admitted into the hospital at 27 weeks, Boston's ultrasound showed he was measuring in the less than 1 %tile. I was told by doctors that I am at risk is now tripled for never carrying to full term and even having still born babies. That statistic is not going to make me not want to have any more kids in the future. If we are meant to grow our family, it will happen in the right time. I feel so privileged God trusted me with a miracle. In that time I had to be strong, really strong, stronger than I thought I could be. And when it was over, I knew I could survive anything. Watching Boston's tiny little fragile body fight every day to live was an experience I will never forget. He is my hero and I'm proud to be his mamma! ;) I feared because it was too early, I cried because it was too soon. Yet I underestimated the strength in one as small as you. Moniek and I have been planning this session for about six weeks and making this session happen was definitely a challenge! Schedules with work and school are always hard to plan around but mostly the stinking weather was not in our favor with two Saturdays in a row it POURED rain. The outcome of the session was definitely worth the wait though!! Rhett and Moniek were dressed for success and ROCKED their session! We first took a couple of pictures with their adorable dogs Penny and Abbie. They were so cute and waited patiently while Rhett and Moniek finished the rest of their session. Their story starts with city girl meets small town boy; Rhett and Moniek met at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher AZ from their friends Alex and Dalton. Recognize those names?? I was able to take help announce their new addition coming to their family April 2017. If you missed their session on the blog, you can view it here! A way cool thing about Moniek is her family is from Holland and her and Rhett have since been able to go back and visit there together! Rhett and Moniek dated for almost a year before they sealed the deal. They were married December 20th and will soon be celebrating their three year anniversary! I will always remember that date because it it also MY anniversary with my husband, just a year apart to the exact day. My husband and I met Rhett and Moniek back in Thatcher when we were in the same marriage class in college. I am so glad we got to meet them and have become friends since then. It is the best feeling to have friends from the same hometown when you are fifteen hours away from it. Rhett is going to school and is in Utah State University's Engineering Program and Moniek works at the Perfect 10 salon here in Logan. If you're needing a new hairstyle, color, highlights, or eye lash fills, she is your girl!! I am SO glad this session finally worked out because magic was made. Rhett and Moniek were so relaxed and patient and did whatever I asked, even if it felt a little different at first. Thanks again guys!! First session with a dog=success!! I swear this dog acted better than kids do during family pictures! It was the funniest thing! I was lucky enough to go along with MarLyn Hill on her mini sessions a couple of weeks ago and the color was perfect at Green Canyon. I am so glad I got to meet her and work with her couples because she is the sweetest human being.
I am sad to say the color is not there anymore and winter is around the corner. We can still dream fall is here so I hope you do not mind the pics ;) It was so funny trying to pose Natalie and Ryan and first with their adorable dog Izzy. Jokingly Ryan would hold up Izzy like you would with a baby for a family photo. He and Natalie thought it was the funniest thing and could not stop laughing. Their giggles were definitely contagious and we all could not stop laughing. Like I said, Izzy was so well behaved and waited patiently while Natalie and Ryan were able to take picture together. When it was time for her turn to be in the pictures, she stood still and would "pose" looking straight up at the camera. It could not have been more perfect!The light was starting to fade fast though and me and MarLyn were talking about having to turn up our ISO on our cameras (I will not bore you with what that means haha) and Ryan piped up commenting on it also. Ryan is a videographer and knows all about the settings and functions of a camera which became a little more pressure because he knew exactly what we were doing ;) It was a good challenge though, and it made for good conversation! I had a blast with these happy people and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet them all and be a part of their family pictures! Meet the Miller family!! This family was so perfect for pictures and we had a great time! Mom and me were trying to schedule a session day and time at Denzil Stewart Park that would work for them and it was stressful! The only day they had open was when it was supposed to rain...I watched the weather every day and then hourly the day of their session with fingers crossed! It was a miracle because we ended up beating it and it was perfectly cloudy day with nice even light that made their cute little faces glow! Their little girl is at the exciting age of four and she was full of energy and loved to pose on her own. She would do the cutest pose with her hand on her hip with her other hand pointed out by her side. She said that was her "princess pose"; CUTEST thing ever!! But their little boy wins the prize of best behavior for pictures!! I am not going to lie, I was a little worried when Mom told me their youngest was eight months old because it is always a hit and miss with that age! I will have sessions where babies cry and refuse to smile and then some where they do not cry, but I can get no smiles out of them. This little boy was the opposite and just as happy and attentive as ever! All I would have to do was say his name and he would quickly turn his head right at the camera and smile! So. Perfect! I really get in my element when taking pictures when I am not looking at my settings, worried about posing, or stressing over smiles. The session is then not work or something I HAVE to do, but rather something I am so privileged to do and LOVE to do with all my heart. The best advice I heard from my idol photographer and role model Katelyn James is when she said "Have your business be less about pictures and more about people.” My mission is to bring light and joy into peoples' lives through photography. It’s right there in my Instagram bio ;) I love when I can just sit back and take pictures and document families interacting with each other just how they would at home. The Millers helped make this happen! Thanks again guys!!
I loved fall colors at Denzil Stewart Park because they were perfect for family pictures! Meet the Christensen family! You may recognize three of these lovely people because they have been in previous pictures! I recently just did Elysa's senior pictures and her sister Nicole and her husband Nate were part of the Leven's clothing shoot I did! It was great to see familiar faces and to meet some new ones! The Christensen's have not had family pictures in a long time, and I was so grateful to document their family! The weather has been rainy and cold in Cache Valley lately, but the weather was good to us while at Denzil Stewart Park and it ended up being the perfect day for pictures! Their youngest is fifteen years old so it was a different experience not having to deal with hyper little kids and make funny noises while waving my hands in the air, and I almost would just being used to it! Not having to bribe the kids with treats was a relief and it was amazing how they just fell into order with posing in no time at all! Some people (men and teenage boys *cough cough*) dread when family pictures come around and try to avoid it at all costs. The boys, well I should say men because they are not boys, did such a great job and I was very impressed! I felt like the session went quick and easy with everyone enjoying each other so hopefully that was avoided! Well at least I think it was because everyone was smiling still by the end of it and not at each other's throats! ;) I love to see how families interact and when personalities come out, especially between the siblings! Thanks again Christensen family! I had a blast!
What is more perfect when taking pictures with a ivy wall background on USU (Utah State University) campus than this adorable little family's baby girl is named Ivey! Her mamma Jasmine and I connected through Facebook when I posted about needing a babysitter for when I go on photography shoots out of town for hours at a time for my son Boston. I had just moved to Logan and knew nobody and was a little nervous about who would answer back on my Facebook post. Jasmine was one of the the first ones that answered back and I ended up picking her! She has THE cutest little girl and her and my son Boston are only a month apart! Jasmine has babysat Boston a number of times and Ivey and him are buddies. I had so much fun taking pictures of Jasmine and her adorable little family. Ivey is soooo adorable!! She was grumpy all day according to her mom, but was super happy and smiley for pictures! Ivey waited patiently while I took a few pictures of her parents and played with her toys while sitting on the grass. She loves to chew on anything and already has tons of teeth!! While she was playing in the grass she was going to town checking on her favorite toys, especially her toy medal.
Jasmine is a new LulaRoe consultant and is already loving it! These clothes are SO comfortable and stylish! Both the dress, leggings, and top Jasmine is wearing is form there. Here is also a secret, her hubby is wearing a shirt from it too ;) Guys can wear them too! Baseball tees are so in right now and have the perfect fit for men! Contact Jasmine through her Facebook page to find all of her newest inventory and be up to date on deals and giveaways! These beautiful pictures started with a crazy start of me getting super lost driving to the Great Saltair and driving on a farm road that was blocked with teenage boys that were not too fond of me...It all started when Goldust Photography let me know of a family session she was doing that I was welcomed to come to at a super location, so of course, I was SO there! I found a babysitter and headed off on a little road trip of an hour and a half. I love to drive and looked forward to the little bit of alone time I was going to get. I was so happy that traffic was good and I arrived at my googled destination 15 minutes before the shoot was suppose to start. I looked around and something didn't seem right and then my heart sank when I realized I was in the wrong place. After a half of dozen calls to the main photographer, I tried to find my way to the location and was became frustrated when I realized I still had another 30 minutes to go. When typing it in again in Google Maps, my phone continued to say the location did not exist. I was soooo angry... My dumb phone then led me to a farm road literally feet away from the highway but I was only able to go 35 mph which was not helping my case. I then squinted up ahead and saw the road blocked with three or four cars and I was forced to come to a sudden complete stop. A group of teenage boys were blocking the way and after several minutes of me waving my arms angrily for them to move, they regretfully did. I then started to drive by them more mad then ever and I guess they did not appreciate that because a couple of them started to bang on my car. I quickly speed off and did not look back. I looked ahead and was so relieved with joy when I was the ACTUAL location! The Great Saltair! It was such a cool building right off of the Great Salt Lake and the beach was right next to it. I found the main photographer and the family and they did not disappoint! They were the cutest little family with the perfect outfits! I was so glad I was still able to get some adorable shots! Next time I will definitely triple check an address before adventuring out to a session location I have never been before. You would think I would have not made that mistake only living in Utah three months and have no idea where anything is.. Enjoy these cuties down below ;)
This mommy and me session back in Thatcher Arizona was such a blast! Everett just turned 14 months and is such a handsome cutie!! He was a ball full of energy and definitely kept me on my toes! ;) Everett loved running away from all of us in the grass as fast as he could! His outfit was to DIE for, and his gorgeous mommy did an awesome job picking it out! Megan brought an adorable jacket and hat and Everett thought it was funny to try to take them both off as fast as he could, and it turned into a little game. Put the hat on, one two three pictures and it was off again. Glad I was able to get some pictures with it on because it made Everett even cuter!! Megan would tell Everett to give her a hug and it was so cute to watch him squeeze her so tight and mush his face up to hers. The love between a mother and child is so precious, special, and unlike any other. Being a new mother myself, discovering this love when I had my son was an amazing feeling. I would do anything for him and he is my everything. Becoming a mother came quickly and unexpectedly to me at a time I thought I was not ready to be one. I felt unprepared as well as nervous but the moment my Boston was born, everything kicked in and I felt so grateful to be his mother. I am so happy I got to be apart of capturing this adorable mommy and me session while having so much fun! You are so lucky to be a mamma to such a cutie Megan! Megan's super cute shirt is from: The Wear I was so excited to visit my family back in Thatcher Arizona this past week, but I was more excited when I knew I would be doing what I love-taking pictures! My husband and I have known Sharon and Sean for almost two years when we were in the same marriage class in college together. We were both engaged and so excited to start the next chapter of our lives as we had fun while learning so much in that class. I was so thrilled when Sharon contacted me to do their first family pictures because I knew they had added not one new addition to their family, but TWO! Two of the sweetest girls at that! Hadley and Braylee were so precious and did amazing for being only two months old and so new to the world. Their outfits were to DIE for and I could not get enough of them. I hardly put my camera down and just loved every second being with this adorable family. These two cuties hardly cried and actually followed me and my camera with their eyes wherever I went, it was the cutest thing!! Taking their family pictures made me want a little girl so badly and excited for hopefully when I get to have one someday and dress her up all cute and pretty. Sharon and Sean are definitely super parents and I give them props for juggling two jobs and being parents to their little ones! Being blessed with these two angels means the rest will be a piece of cake right? ;)
I am so ecstatic I was able to document this family's first pictures together and see the love they have for each other. Congrats on your little ones you two, they are darling and you guys rock being parents to twins!! Love this adorable little family! It was their first time taking pictures as a family, and they nailed it. Kalee and me have been friends for over 10 years now and it has been so fun to watch our little families grow. Her husband Spencer is in my husbands grade and are also friends and we are all from the same hometown! We both started dating each other at the same time and would hang out together and plan group dates that were lots of fun. Kalee and Spencer got married a week after us and we have all been friends together ever since. We both got pregnant and our due dates were 2 months apart, well that is would have been two months apart if my baby Boston had stuck to the plan ;) He surprised us all and scared us all at the same time being born 10 weeks early. Their little boy's name is Bryson and is just as cute as can be. He already has two teeth and is only 3 months old! It has been so fun both living here in Logan and I can not wait to do play dates soon! So excited to continue to watch our families grow and let the fun times begin!
I recently was able to go to a class taught by Katie Van Dyke in Malad Idaho and it was a blast! We started with practicing shooting a family session with the cutest models ever! The Daniels family could seriously be in a magazine. Lacey and Kooper are the cutest parents to their little Adilee. Adilee was tricky to get to look at the camera at first, but by the end of it she was loving it! I even got a couple adorable smiles in there! She was obsessed with the grass in the fields and loved playing with them. There were some horses there for another couple and Adilee was so interested with them. Her daddy Kooper put her on top of one and she loved it! She is a little daredevil and tried to jump off herself but Kooper saw it coming and she jumped into his arms. I could take pictures all day of this picture perfect family. So glad you guys were able to come model and I am so happy I could meet you and your little family!
Introducing the Fitts Family! Jessica Fitts won a free session of her pick of a giveaway I did earlier this month and I was so excited to take their pictures! She is from my same home town also! Such a small world! They live in Provo so we met up in Murray at the beautiful Murray City Park and it was so pretty! I loved how formal they were, and the kids outfits were to die for! Blake in her tutu was too cute to handle and Nixon looked so handsome in his suspenders and bow tie. These little kids were full of energy and were hard to catch and snap a picture of but it made it all the more fun! So glad I got to meet you and take your family pics! Thanks guys!
Loved this session! Got to second shoot with the talented Jacki Marchant of Jacki M. Photography at the beautiful Ogden Botanical Gardens for this family shoot. The Wheelers were super fun and playful and made this session a blast! So glad I was able to meet them!
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