Benefits

One of the benefits of my job is that I get to meet many new people. I came across the Knights, by donating a gift certificate to a Breast Cancer silent auction benefit. Boy, am I glad they won the bid! Three, adorable, action-filled kids with bounding smiles was enough to make the donation worth it. I'm already looking forward to seeing them again.

An Apple a Day

The Montgomery girls love apples. They were crazy about them last fall when I saw them. And just like a tractor beam, another tree with red, juicy apples, sucked them in this year. Lainey was quick to pull one off, lick it (to clean it of course!), and devour it. I think she may have taken one for the ride home too. As for her little sister Jesa, most of her time was spent peeling off red peeling with her teeth and spitting it out. Her mom says she finds them all over the house when she's given an apple. Better than a Snicker's wrapper, right? :)

Down-Home Goodness

I can't even begin to tell you how amazing my day with the Bremerman family was. Fun and laughter is always in the Bremerman's schedule, so going into the shoot I knew I'd be in for some entertainment. While taking pictures of the whole group, I asked Rollie to kiss his wife, Faye. He said to me, "You know that's how this whole thing started," turning and pointing at his 6 beautiful daughters, their spouses, and 16 grandkids. They have built a strong family with beaming personalities. It was great to be with such a loving family.

After pictures, Grandpa Rollie put the tractors away and Grandma Faye had supper prepared. Just some down-home goodness — I was so glad to be apart of it.

Krusin' and Chillin'

Sydney Kruse is very laid back. There's not much that seems to bother her. She doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get crawling, and walking just doesn't appeal to her. Seems to me like she'd rather, sit, chill, and take the world in. Perhaps we should all be a little more like Sydney. More time taking life in, less time worrying, more time enjoying. I like it. Oh the life of a baby...

Every smile. Every laugh.

“I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it, it just isn’t that good.” – Anonymous

The Pilkowski's photos are pretty self-explanatory. Beautiful family. Exquisite color. And two little amazing girls with a lot of character and imagination. I relished every minute. Every smile. Every laugh.

Ponytail and a Camera

I've photographed the Frazee's children many times, so when we meet up they always know who to look for. As they were awaiting my arrival downtown, Aiden and his sister, Brianna, were trying to pick me out of the crowd of people. One time Aiden pointed at a lady and said, "There she is!" Brianna was quick to correct him and said, "That's not her, Kam wears a ponytail and a camera." I laughed as their mom retold this story to me. It's amazing to see what kids pick out in their minds. I guess I can never cut my "trademark" hair for the Frazee's sake. Once again, I enjoyed taking Aiden's pictures. What a beautiful fall afternoon.

Follow Me

The Kirsch girls are pretty automatic. If the busy, now-walking Arvie goes somewhere, not far behind is her older sister, Cyan. It was pretty cute watching them the day of the shoot. No matter where the younger one was the older one followed, guided her way, and occasionally helped up and brushed off Avrie's knees. It won't be long where the roles will be reversed, Avrie will be looking up to and following in the footsteps of her role model sister.

Grammy's Group

The Kalkowski family and I met on a brisk, fall morning. It wasn't long before noses were red and kids were running around to keep warm. Through the chill, Grammy smiled. One of her four son's spoke up and said they had never had a family picture together. How great they finally decided it was time! I was so glad to be a part of it. Grammy's group is quite the bunch... down-right loving, helpful, and enjoyable to be around. I couldn't ask for much more.

Choose Marriage

"Do you want to be married, or do you want a marriage?" was a question I heard over the t.v. the other day. Any more, people get caught up in buying the flashiest rings, sending the most extravagant invites, and having the most exquisite reception with exquisite decorations. Some get caught up in the material things and forget why the day is so special. Just the opposite was the case at Matt & Amy's wedding. Amy wasn't particular on how things looked, the reception was decorated simply, and marrying the man of her dreams was the most important thing on her mind that day. They both have great parents for role models, both married and exemplifying what a marriage should be. Even through Amy's dad's dementia, her mom was never far from his side. What a great example of how to have a marriage, not just being married.
(hands are those of the bride and her mother and father)