A Day on the Farm

Some of my favorite things (a gorgeous autumn day, time with fantastic friends, two cute kids, and getting to shoot a lifestyle session) all aligned to create a wonderful day with some great pictures!

I can't believe it's been two years since I last got to take pictures of my good friend Corey's family. Aedan has grown so much, and little Riley has been added to the mix!

The Brickers have a tradition of spending every available Saturday at "The Farm" in Milan with Jeremy's horse, Kal. I knew that doing a lifestyle session with them on one of those Saturdays would be a perfect way to help them cherish those memories forever.

Lifestyle sessions are my absolute favorite thing to do. Being able to capture real memories, moments, and expressions is just priceless. But before we embarked on the fun-filled day, we headed up to the hay loft to try for one quick family portrait. A little tickling had to be employed to get the boys to cooperate for this one.


It was fun to watch Riley observing every little detail around the farm.


Doesn't Aedan look so grown up?


I think he was waving at Daddy, who was with the horses.


Aedan was such a helper!



I love this expression!


When Corey was brushing Kal, Riley leaned in for a hug, and gently rubbed Cal's side. Oh, melt my heart...





Jeremy let Kal work off some energy before the family rides.


Aedan loves riding.




I had to be sure to capture some special time between Jer and Kal.



I'm so glad I got to experience such a special part of their lives! Check out their slideshow to see more of the day.

Fun Times Three

I had a fabulously fun time photographing the Carlson kids at Northville's Mill Race Village the other day! The location was delicious, the weather outstanding, and the subjects fantastic! They're such a fun family. It was seriously a treat!

I love this one:


There's a little bit of an uneven balance toward Sarah in this collection... She was such a great model I couldn't just pick one! I love what the sunlight is doing in this one.



This is only one of a long series of her various expressions. This girl knows how to work it!


Cory:


And Parker:


And yet another model shot from Sarah:



Oh the joy!

Frankie's First Weeks

I've been doing some lifestyle sessions of little Frankie during his first weeks in the world. He's such a sweet baby! Keep an eye out for more pictures in a couple of weeks!

Getting ready for his first bath:


He was so calm during the bath! He knows he's safe with Mommy and Daddy taking care of him.



So teeny tiny!




Katija is keeping watch:


He really doesn't cry much. I just love this one:



Burpy time!


Daddy's little guy. So sweet.

Baby Frank Anthony

I had the pleasure of seeing little Frank Anthony on his first day in this world. He's beautiful! I can't wait to take more pictures of him as he grows.

Congratulations to the happy parents!



The happy happy daddy!


He was so content and quiet the whole time except this one little moment:


But he calmed right down. Looks like he might be an easy baby!


Surrounded with the love of family:







Jeanette went to get a pedicure with a friend the night before she went into labor. The polish was supposed to be a beautiful, deep purple, but too many coats caused it to look black instead. It's so not Jeanette to be sporting a goth look, so we all found it qui


Welcome to the world, Frank Anthony! You are an incredible miracle, a huge blessing to all who are in your world, and loved beyond measure!

Up North

Labor Day weekend is one of my favorite holiday weekends of the year, and this time was no exception! The weather did not cooperate, but that didn't stop us from enjoying everything we could.

According to tradition, we spent Saturday with my extended family on Coldwater Lake. We were stuck inside the whole day, so I have no usual tales of water skiing, tubing, swimming, and the like. Still, it was fantastic to get to spend time with the family, catching up with cousins, and eating loads of amazing food.

We headed further north for the rest of the weekend, aiming to enjoy our early anniversary trip. [Our anniversary is at the end of September, but Matt always complains about how cold our anniversary trips are, so we thought going earlier in the month would be a good idea... ha! If only! I guess we might just have to get used to cold anniversary trips!] We didn't get to enjoy swimming in the big Lake like we had hoped, but we did get to explore downtown Petoskey, hike through Petoskey State Park, drive up to Cross Village through the Tunnel of Trees, and meander through Harbor Springs and Charlevoix. Most of all, it was just fantastic to spend a relaxing couple of days with just the two of us. And, we all know how much I love exploring Michigan... :)

Enjoying a "small" cup of cappuccino and a yummy lunch at Jolly's:


Our windy self-portrait by the beautiful Little Traverse Bay:

A Baby is on the way!

This couple is one of the most deserving people to be experiencing the honor of becoming new parents! Their immense love for children and family has always been apparent. They have always been generous in opening their home to family events, driving all over the state for other family functions, giving personalized gifts to each of the numerous nieces and nephews, attending events for godchildren and friends, and so much more. Their journey to having children of their own has been long and difficult, and it gives me immense joy to see this little miracle of God growing in Jeanette's belly now! They are going to be amazing parents.

Jeanette is gorgeous, by the way:


Between the two of them, I'm positive their baby is going to be absolutely beautiful!



Jeanette and, as niece Maggie calls him, "Buzz Buzz" like to cook together, so we thought it would be fun to capture some of their time in the kitchen:



This baby is so showered in love already! They can't wait to meet him/her!


Their session wouldn't have been complete without their other member of the family, Katija:


The little one is due in September! I can't wait to show you more pictures then!

Friends, Family, and Lakes!

I can't believe that summer is wrapping up soon! It's been an absolute whirlwind of fun, jam packed with family and friends. In the past three weeks, we've been to three family reunions! We've enjoyed spending time with our awesome new friends, visited some old ones, and had a blast with other family visits. And it's not over yet!

We spent a couple of days in Mt Pleasant recently with family. We watched some incredible dirt track racing at the Mt Pleasant Speedway with my cousins. I wish I knew how to post the videos I took, because it was so awesome! Then we enjoyed family reunion #1, where we got to see Uncle Frank and Dan's latest inventions (always fascinating!). Last time it was their pop-pop boats, this time Dan was in the process of building a camper from scratch:


And he seriously has every single square inch serving a purpose. It's amazing how he thinks!

We also enjoyed the traditional tractor ride, which Dan improved with "new" (re-purposed) seats, stairs, and a sign:


All-out country style! :)

One of the highlights for me during these last few weeks was spending a day with my college piano professor. She's such a blessing to me! We enjoyed relaxing at her home on a lake, and even ventured out on a paddle-boat ride:


Our cousins from Mt Pleasant came to visit us for a day as well. We enjoyed venturing through IKEA. Ah the joys of big city living! :)

After all of that, Matt spent a weekend golfing 70 holes with his brothers in preparation for their annual golf tournament, which they won for the third time in four years. Congrats guys!

While he was out golfing, I was sailing! As I've mentioned so many times before, I LOVE SAILING! This time, I took my friend, Laree. We had a blast! It was perfect weather, so relaxing, and filled with jokes and laughter.


This is Laree acting like she was going to fall out when we were heeling:


At reunion #3, we played on the beach, ate tons of food, paddle-boated around, and buried Benjamin in the sand:


It has fed my soul to be with family and friends, and around so much water! :)