All the rainy weather the last couple of days has made me realize that the nice, warm sun of summer is probably close to gone for the year. I’m still not giving up my flip flops quite yet…maybe once it starts to snow, but I don’t want to think about that yet.

I took my kids out earlier this summer to try out a new spot. What kid doesn’t want to be dragged out to a field to be photographed, right? Mainly I got photos of them running around, but with enough bribery (this time it was an orange shake and some gum) they sat still for a second and pretended that they like each other. PS – bribery works wonders – if you’re opposed to it, let me know ahead of time. It’s a great last resort.

I think I told them to look for grasshoppers to get them to sit for a minute…

This is what I got most of our time out – someone running towards me or away for me. These kids don’t like to sit still for long.

The begging, pleading, and eventual bribery paid off in the end, and I finally got this photo. It’s being printed right now as a 30×40 canvas for our livingroom. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Almost exactly a year ago I photographed these two down by Como.  Bryce was just starting to walk at the time.   We met up again a few weeks ago for some more family photos, and Bryce is now a busy 2 year old on the move, and Teagan was the perfect model, as usual.  :)    Here are just a couple of my favorites from our session.

My summer season has officially started with a bang. Things have been so busy lately that I have barely had time to update the blog! I do vow to blog every session, so although it might be a few weeks late, it will happen eventually.

I had a great time meeting up with these guys for an early morning photo shoot a few weekends ago. I was pretty sure we were going to get rained out yet again, but was pleasantly surprised to see the sun shining when I woke up that morning. Finally – some nice weather on a weekend! I arrived early to make sure I got a good parking spot incase the place was packed. Yeah…I was the only one in the parking lot – LOL!

I still get butterflies before each session, but I love it when a family can totally put me at ease. These guys were so nice, and so much fun! Cal totally cracked me up – he was posing like he’d been practicing for weeks. Of course, we got a lot of the silly faces, too, which are always fun because that’s when the real personality shows through. Ethan was a little shy at first, but came around after some peek-a-boo. And the way he followed his older brother around just melted my heart. I’m pretty sure my kids would have been running in opposite directions the entire time, but these guys did great!

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy your photos!

So, ever since my youngest was born (she turned 2 in January), I’ve been trying to get a decent photo of her and her brother together, looking happy (or at least not having fingers up the nose or making dinosaur faces), looking at the camera, and not trying to kill each other.  It started when she was just a week old, and Jake (who was 17 months old at the time) wanted nothing to do with her.  I’ve been trying ever since, and I think I FINALLY succeeded!   I am going to have this blown up huge for our living room, because who knows how long before it will happen again.  I did learn that jellybeans and fruit snacks work great for bribing, now that Joss is finally old enough to bribe.  :)

I met up with Aidyn for some photos while her, her mom, and grandma were in town last weekend, and amazing still is not enough to describe this girl.  Aidyn is a heart baby.  She was born with a very complex congenital heart defect (click here for more info on CHD).  At just 6 days old, she had her first open-heart surgery.  At 10 days old, her first heart cath.    Just shy of her first birthday, she had corrective heart surgery, where she emerged with a fully functioning four-chamber heart.  Meeting her now at 3.5 years old, you would NEVER guess that she has gone through so much.  She was smiling, giggling, and running circles around the rest of us (telling us to “hurry up” when we weren’t walking fast enough – LOL!).   I am in awe of her – truly, she is a walking miracle.

In honor of Aidyn and all she’s been through, I will be donating $1 for every blog comment left on this post.    I had a great time meeting up with you guys, and I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

I have been photographing this cutie since he was just 8 days old. I can’t believe it’s been a year already! He has the most gorgeous big blue eyes, and a mischievous smile. He’s so full of personality! His mom has been plaining for this cake smash for quite a while, prepping him with chocolate cake so he knew what it was and happily dove right in when he saw it. Jess – you totally crack me up! We had so much fun, and I can’t wait to get some more pics of him outside once the weather warms up a bit.

And of course, clean up time afterwards.

I have been waiting to meet this little guy for a while, and when he was FINALLY born (about 10 days late), I couldn’t wait to meet up with him and his parents! Due to the freezing Minnesota weather we had at the time, we postponed his newborn session until it was a little nicer out (i.e. – above zero). He was 3 weeks old already at our session, and awake almost the entire time (can’t say the same about Andy – LOL!). It worked out great because he has the most beautiful eyes! Seriously gorgeous little guy, and super calm and laid back – just like his parents.

I had a great time seeing you guys – hopefully we can do it again soon. I hope you enjoy your pics!

I had the pleasure of meeting up with this awesome family last weekend for an outdoor session in the cold and snow.  They were SO much fun – totally cracked me up!  And despite the 25 degree weather, we had a great time, and no one lost any digits to the freezing temps – always a plus.   I have a ton of fun shots from our session, but I thought I’d just post this one for now.  Enjoy!

And, I just had to add one more because this one totally cracked me up, and shows just what a great time we all had goofing off.

This is Aidan, one of my baby planners – I can’t believe he’s already 9 months!  Seems like just yesterday I was taking this guys newborn photos.  I get to see him every 3 months, and it has been so much fun watching him grow up and seeing the new tricks he’s learned each session.  This time was no exception.   He was just as happy and smiley as ever, but this boy was on the move! Officially crawling – and he’s fast.    Next session is going to include a cake smash – I can’t wait!

I had a great time meeting up with Alice and her mom and dad last weekend for Alice’s 3 year photo session. This girl is absolutely adorable! Such a cute smile, and I just love her big blue eyes and how she cuddled her bear almost our entire shoot. And she had the CUTEST sweater I have ever seen! I know mom (and maybe dad) has great taste in clothes – and I loved that Alice had a few outfits to choose from.

I hope you guys enjoy your sneak peek!