excitement

I love this time of year. I am filled with excitement looking back to previous years as this was the time our two children were born. Now it is birthday parties, family vacations, going to the fair, and just enjoying the summer time together as a family. These are some of the things our family has been up to.


One morning we woke up and spur of the moment decided to take a trip to Chicago.
Landon loved the Shedd Aquarium
We met up with my parents in the evening at Navy Pier for dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co . Here we are trying out the crazy mirrors.

We had the privilege last weekend of seeing President George W. Bush at this event...
And of course it is birthday party time. Landon will celebrate his tomorrow and Elle two weeks later. We had a party for them: McDonald's for supper and then Miller Park to play.

Below Elle is wearing a pettiskirt and top from Oopsy Daisy Baby. We are so excited about this product line. We will be photographing Elle's 1 year pictures in it and hope to use their products in future sessions.


Her first attempt at digging into cake... She really wasn't into it. I didn't know if it was because she didn't want to get dirty, because she had no nap, or because she is still on baby food and is not familiar with real food. Maybe she'll do better when her actual birthday is really here.

Landon savoring his special day...cake, candle and all.
May you enjoy the family times that God has given you! :)

little farmer

When I saw this little guy's outfit, I was so excited. It is so cute on him.

I love this image because it looks like he is praying.


What a happy boy... it was a pleasure to photograph him.

sweet.sweet.family

This family is so nice. They kindly rescheduled when I had my stay at the hospital, and they didn't complain about the heat when their session actually came. It was hot! Their family is growing, and we are so excited for them! 

Isn't this little girl such a doll?

a few of his favorite things

Our little boy has some favorites in his life right now...

1) His beloved baseball outfit:

"Mommy is my baseball (outfit) clean?" I have to keep up with the laundry otherwise I have a disappointed little boy. When I tell him it is clean, he looks at his outfit, hugs it, and replies, "Oh mommy, thank you so much!" He seriously could wear this outfit all the time. The complete ensemble is his shirt, shorts, and shoes which you see pictured. There was a time when he wore it 3 days in a row - nonstop. I usually only allow him to wear it during play time or for bed. I think he will be sad when he outgrows it... actually I probably will be the sad one.

2) Playing baseball:

He loves for us to play baseball with him. I should count the number of times a day he asks us if we will play baseball with him. It is a lot! I love to see his face light up and the enjoyment he receives when we are playing together. We took him to the baseball diamond the other day for a quick photo shoot before running errands. We wanted to be sure to capture this time in his life!

(Notice the tongue out in a few of these pictures. He gets that from his daddy and does it when he is working hard or concentrating). I love this little boy!

the.midwest

What a fun family shoot we had...


We captured a bit of the midwest for them as their lives are taking them new places.



We were adventurous and found some tiny frogs that they played with for a bit. Oh they were so tiny and cute! Landon saw this picture below and now wants to go find them too.

such a sleeper

We had a newborn session yesterday. This little guy was a dream! The first image you see has special meaning. The great-grandfather of this newborn recently went home to be with his Heavenly Father. The flower was from the service, and this little guy's name honors his dad and his great-grandfather. so precious.

big sis~ what a bundle of energy. She is such a sweetheart and was so great during the shoot. We even did some special shots of her in the rain which was definitely her style.

thankful heart

What you see above is an example of our session albums. They are custom designed specifically for each client. They are a great investment in providing a keepsake for some or all of your images from the session. We especially recommend them for our seniors.

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I also wanted to say thank you for those who have helped us out this past week. For those of you who don't know, I was hospitalized with a kidney stone these last couple of days. If you've ever had a kidney stone you will know how painful it is! I also got one with our first child at 20 weeks and had to be hospitalized then as well. It is not fun!

I am so thankful for my family helping me and the love they showed during this time.

First of all to my wonderful husband...I am so thankful for your talents you have in the medical field. Your knowledge, experience, and care you give continue to amaze me. Thank you for always being there and helping me. I'm so proud of you and I love you!

Thank you to our family members who so willingly showed their love and helped out in the spur of the moment - without us even asking for help! Denise you are awesome... showing up at the hospital when we didn't know if we were going to be admitted and taking the kids for us overnight and all the next day. Mom and Dad for watching them in the evening and my Mom for helping me come home and get situated once again. Sara, thank you for babysitting when I needed a day of recovery. You all are the best!

It is in these moments that I realize how thankful I am for the love of my family, my health, and all the gifts that God gives me. I love you all! ~Haley