I thought my toes were going to fall from taking bridal pictures in 33 degree weather (That is cold in Arizona I promise!!) but I didn't care. It felt like this day would never come and I had been waiting for it for months and now it was finally here! I will never forget walking up to the love of my life with his back turned as my heart pounded with excitement. He turned around and his reaction was priceless. We continued to take pictures for an hour or so and I could not believe I would be getting married to my best friend in one hour.
In my religion, we believe marriage is meant to last forever, for all of time and eternity. You are able to participate in a sealing that binds you and your spouse and God. You make promises with God in a very sacred building called a temple and it is the House of the Lord. What takes place inside is very sacred and that is why everyone can't go inside and none of it can be photographed. I will say though, being sealed to my best friend was the most amazing experience I will never forget. To experience feeling that because of the decisions you made together, you have made it and are able to have the approval and blessing from Heavenly Father on your marriage is amazing. It doesn't mean its all smooth sailing from there and our lives are perfect. It just meant because we knew our love was going to last forever, we were going to treat it different. The rest of the day was filled with joy and laughter and was spent with family and friends. It was all so surreal and it was crazy being how young I was that I was starting my own life! All of the butterflies, the blissful happy feelings; I never wanted it to end. Thank goodness for pictures to look back and relive all of those precious memories. Huge shout out to Erin Householder Photography for our engagement pictures and David Palmer Photography for our wedding pictures!! I couldn’t have imagined anything better and more beautiful! I cannot imagine my life without Sean. We have been through so much together in the past two years and I cannot imagine anyone different to spend my life with. I love that we are best friends and companions. We love car trips because we can just get away and jam out to music but usually just end up turning it off and talking the whole entire trip. We are the type of couple that comments on things during movies and shows we watch together (that's probably why we never go to the theater... haha). He has always believed in me, even when nobody did. With his help and faith in me, my dream to be a photographer is becoming a reality. He was there to hold my hand for all of the tests, needle pricks, bad news, and scary times while we had our journey in the hospital. He already is the best Dad and works so hard at a job he dreads going to just to provide for our little family. These last two years have been such an amazing and crazy ride and I can't wait to see what our future holds. Love you babe!! :)
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I have been beyond excited for this session! Sydnee and Landon are SUCH a gorgeous couple and are so cute together! It was so nice to see familiar faces from back home in Arizona and be able to catch up with them! They were so awesome to be willing to model for me and do a session while we were in Salt Lake to look at the Salt Lake City Temple Lights.
Sydnee and Landon got married just a couple of months after Sean and me and will be celebrating their two years of marriage this February. This was my first shoot in pretty cold weather, and I just about died. This Arizona girl just about froze her hinny off. It started snowing at the beginning of the shoot even though it was supposed to be sunny, cold but sunny. Crazy Utah weather I guess I am just not used to. Sydnee and Land were such troopers and the cold did not even phase them. I probably looked ridiculous shivering in my puffy marshmallow looking winter coat. I was excited and a little nervous to shoot at Memory Grove Park in Salt Lake having never been there before. When I got there though I knew it was perfect and such a gorgeous place. I got super excited when I saw there was still fall color there and we were able to get some snow. I LOVE ivy walls and was so happy when I saw one there! I loved that the Utah Capitol Building was right next to the park! I had never been there either and was so glad we were able to take some pictures there. It was amazed how breath taking how big and magnificent it was. Even though I was freezing my buns off, I had such an amazing time with these two! Thank you so much again guys! You were amazing! As the days get colder, I like to think back when it was a little warmer and this wedding last month is definitely what comes to mind! I had the amazing opportunity to second shoot at the Ogden Temple with Lindsey Fronk! She is such a sweetheart and we had a lot of fun working together! I could not wait to meet and see Ben and Tori exit as newlywed husband and wife. I get so excited right before an exit and this one was driving me crazy with excitement! The emotion of pure joy and excitement on Ben and Tori's face as they came out of the temple was priceless! I do not think I have ever seen such a fun exit! Tori's facial expression says it all!! It was so rewarding to watch the newlywed couple greet family and friends as everyone gave their congratulations.
Fall was coming to an end, but during group pictures in the sun, it was super warm and the weather was perfect! When we moved to smaller group and family shots in the shade, it quickly got way colder! Ben and Tori were SUCH troopers as group shots seemed to never end but they just smiled away and did not have a care in the world. It was so fun to see all of the family and friends that came to support them! Ben and Tori had a huge fan club of loving people!! Bride and Groom portraits are always my favorite and I could hardly wait to be a part of capturing this adorable couple's sweet moments! As Lindsey posed them, Ben and Tori just did their natural thing which was so awesome! In between instruction and praise, these two could not keep their eyes off of each other, it was the cutest thing!! Ben and Tori have been married for a six weeks today! It is crazy how fast the time has gone! Congrats again guys! I am so glad I was able to be a part of your special day! :) I have been so stoked to share this GORGEOUS winter session! Yes, summer went quickly to winter as I returned to Logan Utah and it was back to the grind! I am not going to lie, I LOVED beautiful sunny Thatcher Arizona, but it was surprisingly refreshing to come back to the snow and the cold. It is so crazy in a matter of just six months, Utah has become my new home with my little family. My favorite part of the drive is coming down the canyon and having it open up to beautiful Cache Valley.
I was so glad it had snowed the day before because all of the snow had melted before! Pine trees are my favorite and I love that they are not hard to find in Logan or not far up the canyon! Let's talk about these two cuties because they ROCKED their session! Before I say anything, this is NOT an engagement session; sorry for all of Natasha and Matt's family that just got disappointed ;) Natasha and Matt are still just dating and enjoying their lives together and will be celebrating their one year anniversary next month! Natasha and Matt brought their little furry baby which made me so happy! I say "little" but their German Shepard was huge, but a softy! His name is Hulk and it seriously fit him! Like I said though, he was a big cuddle bear and was the nicest dog! He did so good and was perfectly calm during his part of the session! I seriously did not have to tell what Natasha and Matt what to do. At times I would not even say a word and would just be firing away getting the most adorable real candid shots that are my favorite to capture!! I love relaxed candid posing because that means I am taking pictures of PEOPLE and not POSES. Pinterest is my favorite but trying to copy EVERY pose from a saved board (Like I know we all do, I sure did for my engagements ;) keeps from there being creativity and originality with the session. I seriously loved how these pictures turned out! Thanks so much again guys for letting me capture this magical session!! 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! I have been DYING to blow up my blog and social media with this gorgeous couple's pictures!! You might be thinking I made a mistake and these pictures are from months ago and I just forgot to post them. I promise you these are from last week!! This is what December in sunny Thatcher Arizona looks like while having weather in the mid-sixties ;) I could not believe my eyes when we met at the River and I saw green and hints of oranges and yellows! I am so happy I got to capture it before "winter" comes and the color goes away there. Mitch and Heather were so amazing to help me out and be models for a mock engagement session. I did a mentoring session for my good friend and for the last half we took pictures of these two and had such a blast! I have known Mitch and Heather for years and even went to high school with them in Thatcher. They were a few years older than me and I graduated with Mitch's little brother. I was so happy when I found out they got engaged because they are so perfect together!! Seriously some of the sweetest people I have ever met! It was so fun because they ended up getting married a couple of weeks after Sean and I. They will have been married two years next month but you would think they were newlyweds being around them! Mitch and Heather kind of looked at me funny when I told them that and I reassured them that was a good thing!! I LOVE when couples are obsessed with each other and the look they have in their eyes for each other is priceless; you cannot tell someone to do that while taking pictures, it just is so natural. Mitch is wanting to go into his dad practice of being a chiropractic and will be going to a trade school for it in the next couple of years and Heather is wanting to go into nutrition. They don't exactly know what the future will hold for them but they said they will figure it out together! :) Thanks so much again guys!! You guys are so perfect!! 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! SO excited I got to be a part of this couple's gender reveal!! I met Jackie and Paul when they let me come along and second shoot an engagement session with them and I had a blast! Jackie is also a photographer in Logan, check out her work here! She was so helpful and answered any questions I had and I have loved following her work ever since!
When she asked me to take pictures to help announce what they were having, I got super excited!! Jackie and Paul wanted a mountain look with snow being an added bonus. After scouting around Logan where most of it had melted, I was able to find some and was so happy!! This was my first time shooting in the snow and it was cold, but super pretty and worth it! I loved their idea to use balloons and could not wait for the session. A half hour before we were supposed to start, Jackie texted me they might be a little late because the baby was being stubborn. I was so happy they were able to find out what it was because I totally have been there. When we were finding out if Boston was a boy or girl, the nurse wasn't able to tell us the gender and I was a little over 22 weeks. I couldn’t wait to find out what it was and was so happy when they said it was a girl! I remember when we finally found out what me and my husband were having and how ecstatically happy we both were. It then felt so real and it was hard to believe we would be parents in just a few short months. Crazy to think to our surprise we would become parents two and a half months sooner than we anticipated ;) I am so happy for these two and can't wait for them to be parents! They will be the best! :) 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! It has been WAY too long since I did a maternity session! This one just made me want to do more- it was that amazing!! The lovely Carly Jensen of Carly J Photography invited me to come along on her session and I was so thrilled! I was so grateful she gave me a ride to the location because it was in a place in Logan Canyon I was not familiar with and knowing me I would have gotten lost with no service in the canyon. When the gorgeous couple walked out followed by their two dogs, I knew this session would be a blast. It was my first session with dogs and it made it all the more fun! Paige's little baby bump looked adorable in her cute outfits and I could not stop taking pictures of her! She makes being pregnant look good my friends! Tia Celise did her makeup and if you have not seen her work, go check her out she is amazing!! It sounds weird but Paige made me a little baby hungry and made me miss my little baby bump. It is so exciting because they are first time parents and having their first little one, a little baby boy! It is so fun because Carly just had her first baby too, a beautiful little baby girl a couple of months ago. We swapped baby stories on the way up the canyon to the location and it totally took me back! I do not miss those exhausting days of no sleep from waking up multiple times in the night. Carly's little one is barely two months and sleeps super good though! Since Boston was so little when we brought him home (4 lbs 3 oz), he needed to be feed every two hours. THANK goodness for my amazing husband who took shifts with me and would take the night shift from 11pm-3am and I would do 3am-7am. Honestly thought it turned into most night being like 11pm-5am that Sean would take and let me sleep because he is amazing like that.
Thanks again to both Carly and Paige for letting me be a part of this! I had so much fun!! I promise I have not gone MIA, things have just been crazy busy lately!
I have been dying to share these pictures and what a better time than the day before Thanksgiving?! This is a very personal post and one that covers something I never talk about. I have been wanting family pictures for a while but just kept pushing it out of my mind for certain insecurity reasons until another photographer said something. She said don't wait for precious moments to pass you by that could be captured and documented over a weight loss issue. I HATE being behind a camera and being insecure about my body has always effected my life. I'm so glad I got up the courage to ask my fellow photographer and childhood friend Kalee Udall to take our family pictures. The day before the shoot we all got in the car and went in search of the hardest task- OUTFITS! Moms, doesn't this just stress you out to your wits end trying to coordinate looks?? It was at the beginning when we started looking for colors and patterns and started to get overwhelmed. *Stay tuned for next month when I will have a blog post JUST dedicated to helping you dress for success for your family pictures ;)* We went to Old Navy and they just happened to be doing an early Black Friday deal of 40% your entire purchase. I love to shop deals and got super excited! I was also brave and bought three things I have never worn before- ankle boots with a heel, a hat, and lipstick. When it was all put together I felt something I haven't felt in years- confidence!! I was able to be confident during our pictures and it gave my more motivation when I looked as some pics I really didn't love, to start to make changes so I feel and look even MORE confident during our next family pictures. It also gave me the confidence to dress nice more often ( yoga pants and hair in a messy bun is my go to everyday #thatmomlife) and so I can get that an even smaller size next time for pictures. I was hoping for some snow in our pictures because that is a rare thing in Arizona but it was already melted from the week before. Still hopeful, we headed up Logan Canyon and were able to find a little patch of it where we quickly pulled off of the road next to. Of course Boston smiles 24 hours a day at home but the second a camera is put into his view, he refused to crack even a smirk. He was SO fascinated by the cars whizzing back and forth and it gave Kalee only a one second window to when a car drove right behind her to get him even looking remotely at the camera. He did pretty good though, and it could always be worse ;) Now I am going to get a little sappy, but bare with me. Social media will be blown up with thankful posts tomorrow so I want to get in my two cents now ;) Because of the circumstances of how and when Boston arrived into our lives, it has always been a daily reminder to have a thankful heart. It is the best time of year to be thankful during November and Christmas, but why not make it a daily occurrence? I encourage you to say 'I love you' more often, be on your knees daily thanking God more than asking for things, and be thankful for the little things in your daily life. I would not be the person I am without these two boys in my life. They have forever changed me and I cannot wait to grow our little family in the future. My husband Sean does SO much for us and I couldn't have asked for a better companion to spend my life and eternity with. He works a 70+ hour week at a temporary job he dreads going to every morning at 5am. He does it without compliant (usually ;) so that we can have the things we need and so he can make my photography business a reality and not just a dream. Boston Boston Boston...where do I start with that boy? As much of a stinker he is, there is an indescribable feeling of blissful happiness I get each time he smiles at me, puts his arms up because he wants me, and rest his head on me while falling asleep. I could go on and on about these two but I will leave it at that and wish you ALL safe travels and the most wonderful Thanksgiving that is spent with people you love and care about you :) Photos by: YouDoll Photography Edited by: Me :) I am so lucky and privileged to have met this couple! Jorri and Carlos won a gift certificate at a community event where they lived that I had donated to and it is only by luck that we met! We met at a park in Logan and got started and had some great fun along the way. They were the sweetest couple and their personalities shinned during the session.
I ADORE the moment when clients are able to come out of their shell and you can see their true self and how much they love one another. I also love getting to know my clients a little before the session and in between walking to the next location and these two have an amazing story how they met! To make sure I got it perfect, Jorri was more than happy to share their story with me :) - "Carlos and I met way back when I had the chance to go on a humanitarian trip to Guatemala in high school and he was helping our group out with translation. I liked him a lot right away and was pretty pleased when he kept talking to me after I got home! We stayed in touch over the next few years as he served a mission and I went through my first year of college. The best birthday present I ever got was when he and my mom coordinated a surprise visit for my 20th birthday. He showed up at the Christmas lights at Temple Square and the rest is history! We went through a lot of struggles together figuring out how to make things work when we were countries apart, but in March of 2015 we finally got married in the Brigham City Temple. We currently live in Aggie Village on the campus of Utah State University and we love it! I'm working as a social worker for the state and Carlos is finishing his degree in computer science while working as a programmer. We aren't really sure where life will take us next but we're excited to figure it out together!" How adorable is that?! That would be so hard to have a long distance relationship THAT far away! Even though they were basically worlds apart, their hearts were still with each other. I am SO glad I got to meet and work with this tender couple and I wish them the best for their future! 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. Yay for fall air and snuggling with blankets! Tanner and Meranda were not hesitant to snuggle and be cuddly during their session and it was the perfect weather to do it! A nice overcast cool day at the Logan River Walk could not have been any better!
I have been dying to do these two cuties photo session for weeks because they are MODELS! Tanner and Miranda are our neighbors and it has been so fun to get to know them! A couple of weeks before their session Tanner asked with a worried if he would have to shave his beard. I laughed and said no and he breathed a sigh of relief. I know how guys can get about their facial hair, my husband definitely being one of them. It is like the equivalent of asking a cowboy to take off his cowboy hat for pictures. Woah there...you just do not do some things and that is one ;) Tanner and Meranda's story starts in high school, yes, high school sweethearts are my favorite! To make sure I got it right I wanted Meranda to tell me word for word so this is what she said, "Tanner had a crush on me for a long time and I had no idea! I always looked at him more as a friend because one of my friends LOVED Tanner. Well Tanner asked me out on a date that was supposed to be a group date and everyone else couldn't find dates so it was just us. We went to a corn maze and got to know each other. It was honestly the best date I have ever been on. Something just felt different. This was our junior year. I ended up asking Tanner to the Sweethearts Dance. After that everything just fell into place. We became best friends before we made anything official and I think that is why we are so close today. Tanner was sooooo scared to hold my hand, kiss me or hug me! It was the cutest thing! Tanner asked me to be his girlfriend with a rose in the high school parking lot on December 7! We didn't have our first kiss tell midnight on New Year's Eve. I went away to college at SUU for my freshman year so we were doing the long distance thing for a while. Valentines came around and I was completely oblivious of everything. Tanner took me up to Mantua Campground to have a picnic, we danced, ate dinner and where he proposed. We got married June 20, 2015 in the Salt Lake Temple. I am now preparing to apply to Dental Hygiene school and Tanner is working towards becoming a pharmacist. We love camping, watching movies, hiking and spending time together. We are those people that set up Christmas at the beginning of November. We plan to eventually have children when we are done with school and start a family!" How cute is that?! I would have left something out so I am so glad she was able to tell me their story in detail. I am so glad I have gotten to know these two and they ROCKED their session! Thanks again guys! Today and tomorrow are two of my little sisters' birthdays and they are becoming not so little! Yes these first pictures are WAY different because one was taken almost a year ago and my techniques have definitely changed. This lets me know I need to take recent pictures of my sisters!! Cambria on the left is 10 years old today!
Man where has the time gone! It seems just like yesterday I was holding her in my arms and could not wait to let my friends see her. She is spunky, imaginative, and very smart. Cambria and my youngest sister Jaiden, who is almost eight, are the best of friends and it is so fun to watch them grow up together. None of me and my other sisters were that close growing up so it is super cute! Alyson is definitely not a little sister anymore, she is going to be 17 tomorrow and I can hardly believe it! She is also a good two inches taller than me, but then again the sister right above her is also taller than me and the one below her is an inch away. Aly has always made me laugh till I almost pee my pants. In the last couple of years we have gotten close as sisters and friends and it has been the best! She is always up for a photo session to be my model when I visit! This last time I visited Thatcher Arizona me and Aly went out to the Safford Golf Course. She always is self conscious when she models for me, but I get her out of her shell by get her to laugh and we have a good time! Being the oldest of 6 girls, yes you read that right-SIX girls, is sometimes a lot of pressure. You have five little, well not so little anymore, people watching your every move, looking up to you and wanting to be just like you. It used to REALLY annoy me when I was younger for example I would start dressing a certain way and they would too or I would be obsessed with a new music artist and they would also listen to them non stop. But as I got older it made me watch what I would do and say because I knew 5 other eyes and ears were on the radar. I love my sisters so much and we are the best of friends. I would do anything for them and protective from anything or anyone, so ya better watch out ;) I get to see my family in two weeks for Thanksgiving and I can hardly wait! I will be counting down the days! Friends come and go but family will always be there for you! SO SO SO tired of all the post election day posts; I have refused to get on the internet and social media all day. Instead I spent the day editing these gorgeous people's faces!! Such a good choice. The goal for this shoot- Cute couple, amazing dress, pine trees! All three were a definite YES and turned out even more amazing that I could picture! I was nervous when a friend from cache valley told me last year the first snow came on November 3rd, but the weather was good to us and it was the PERFECT day! Magic was definitely made with these two. Hannah and Cayden are so in love, it was not hard to tell. I love when couples can't get enough of each other while the smile and giggle non stop as they look at each other. Hannah was born to be a model and Cayden was such a trooper and did whatever we asked of him! For individual shots of him, Cayden's model face was so on point! If he held it too long he would break it and start cracking up; it was the funniest thing! Jessica Nelson did Hannah's makeup and it turned out incredible! She is super talented and I love her work on brides for weddings! Conner Nesbit of Leuca Floral did the bouquet and I could not stop staring at it! He put his own creative spin on it and it was a beautiful arrangement! Last but not least at all was the jaw dropping dress of Petals and Promises! I loved the cream color to it and the pattern of lace was to die for! The second the veil went on Hannah I could not stop firing shots every two seconds. Enjoy as you scroll down below! Swooning is definitely allowed ;) Photographer: Jessica Ajeman Photography | Model: Hannah Feldt | Makeup: Jessica Nelson Makeup Artistry | Bouquet: Leuca Floral | Dress: Petals and Promises
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! When I hear the names Adam and Mindy, I immediately grin from ear to ear. I cannot help by doing the same while also looking at their pictures. Pose Giggle Laugh Repeat. These two were pros at it ;) This session was special because we went back to where it all started for their session- where Adam proposed! Past Green Canyon there is a medium sized cave up in the canyon we hiked up to get to the exact spot these two cuties got engaged. I definitely got my exercise and did not prepare myself for walking on a tiny rocky trail very high up off the ground. Having no sense of balance and being afraid of heights did not help me at all but I did not look down and hurried up the canyon. The view was breathtaking and made it all worth it though. Adam and Mindy had not been up there since they got engaged so it was way neat to be up there with them.
The cutest part of the story is Adam did not end up proposing with a ring. Weeks before he had asked Mindy if there was anything she would not be able to ever say no to and she said peanut butter M&Ms. True story- Adam proposed with M&Ms and Mindy of course said yes!! They went straight to Wal-Mart that night and picked out a ring to make it official until they ordered the actual ring and waited for it to come in. These love birds have been married a little over a year now and could not be happier! Adam and Mindy are our next door neighbors and we have a lot of fun when we hang out! The craziest thing was when we first met we found out both of our husbands went to the same mission for the LDS church! The SAME day my husband Sean left, Adam came in! They could talk about Lima Peru for hours and they do sometimes ;) These two make our lives happier and I am so glad to know them! SURPRISE!!! I was so excited when I started editing these I just could stop and decided to post Part 2 early! I hope you all do not mind ;) I still cannot believe how much of a dream this shoot turned out to be, and like I have said before, it only was able to happen because of same AMAZING vendors! Tia Celise and Sarita Dawn worked their magic to make our lovely bride look like a million bucks! If I could dream a perfect dress for the shoot, is was the one Petals and Promises let our model wear. The buttons, the low back, the lace, every single detail MADE this dress! Plant Peddler Floral's arrangements really made this shoot what it became. I was stunned by how all of the flowers turned out! I can not stop looking at these amazing colors!! If I could go back and change anything about my wedding day it would be the flowers! I got married in the winter but insisted on having spring colors haha. I would for sure have gone back and used a variance of these colors because they are MAGIC. Without the vendors this shoot could not have been possible but let's talk about our KILLER models because they deserve the biggest shout out! I seriously could not have asked for better models; I saw models but these two were married last month so this was not all that new to them ;) Lacey and Taylor were troopers for being willing to model for this shoot seeing that they had already done this three other times! They have been married one month and are in that blissful newlywed stage of their life and it was perfect! We hardly had to tell them what to do and just captured their intimate real moments together. I love seeing couples that are obsessively and madly in love with each other. It was a dream to capture their love, their smiles, their happy moments. Thank you again to EVERYONE that was a part of this shoot and made it happen and made Pinterest pictures come to life and knocked them out of the park and was a dream! Vendor TagsPhotographer: Jessica Ajeman Photography | Studio: Endless Photography Studio | Model: Lacey Hansen | Dress: Petals & Promises | Makeup: Tia Celise | Hair: Sarita Dawn at Studio 170 | Florals: Plant Peddler | Cakes: The Graceful Baker | Invitation: HoneyB Paper Co,
While everyone is getting their kids dressed up, trick-or-treating, and watching scary movies, I am still dreaming about this shoot from Saturday! To have a Pinterest board come to life is the most magical thing and because of some AMAZING local vendors, we were able to pull this shoot off! The night I decided to do a fall styled shoot I was so excited I did not sleep at all that night. After weeks of planning, contacting, and some more planning, the day came and magic happened! Plant Peddler Floral MADE this day happen and I do no know what we would have done without them. Flowers definitely make a shoot and these flowers did exactly that! The center piece arrangement, bouquet, flower crown, all of it turned out more amazing than I could have even imagined! I was blown away by how put together and how perfected each piece in the arrangements were. The Graceful Baker put together the most beautiful cakes I could dream of. She was so willing and excited to be a vendor for the shoot. Originally I asked for just one cake and she asked me if she could do three to give more of a variety, and of course I was not going to turn her suggestion away! Celise Artistry and Sarita Dawn worked their amazing magic on our model Lacey and made her look more stunning than she already was beautiful inside and out. Details are everything and I always try to capture them in my sessions whatever they may be. HoneyB Paper Co. put together an invitation suite that we all could not stop taking picture of because we were in love with how it turned out! Petals and Promises let out model borrow a dress for the shoot super last minute and were amazing to work with! The dress was so beautiful and made the shoot even more of a dream! Stay tuned for part two of this styled shoot that was taken in Logan Canyon that you will NOT want to miss! It will be blogged soon ;) Vendor TagsPhotographer: Jessica Ajeman Photography | Studio: Endless Photography Studio | Model: Lacey Hansen | Dress: Petals & Promises | Makeup: Tia Celise | Hair: Sarita Dawn at Studio 170 | Florals: Plant Peddler | Cakes: The Graceful Baker | Invitation: HoneyB Paper Co,
I cannot believe this time last year Sean and I were announcing we were expecting a baby and now it is already Boston's first Halloween! It seems just like yesterday we were telling our families and friends we would be expecting our fist little one that next April. Having to keep a secret for two and a half months was the hardest thing ever! This time brings back all of those memories and feelings of happiness and are now multiplied more than ever with our little miracle.
Sean and I have almost forgotten all about Halloween and have been looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. This fall was definitely different being in Logan where it has been fall for a good six weeks. We have already begun listening to Christmas music, had hot chocolate, and started to make Christmas lists. This is so not like me because I am the person who usually does not want to listen to Christmas music until a couple of weeks before. Back home in Thatcher AZ it just does not get cold enough for all of that until about then. Being a new mamma, I did want a picture of Boston at a pumpkin patch with some sort of Halloween onesie. I was worried I would not have enough light for picture by the time Sean got off work and showered, but we hustled! We loaded everyone up, got Boston in his outfit and headed off to one of the half a dozen pumpkin patched in Logan. A friend told me to go to the American West Heritage Center one in Wellsville so we went to that one! It was the perfect patch and was not crowded with people so we could take our time. The only downfall of going when we did was getting no smiles from Boston because he was tired despite all of the faces and funny noises Sean and I made. I was able to get picture though, and that is all I wanted so this mamma was happy ;) |
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