Mom Makeover

I got the wonderful opportunity to be a part of an outreach that my church did.  We reached out to a single mom that lives in the apartments near our church and offered her a free makeover.  Our pastor (my hubby :)) took her kids out to a movie while my sister, a stylist at Mary Kate & Co, gave her a new look.  We then took her and her kiddos out for dinner.  I documented it for the mom as well as our church.  It was great getting to know her and her kids!

Before...

After...

Katie & Micah's Engagement Pics

Remember when I got to be a part of Micah's proposal to Katie?  SO exciting!  Almost as exciting as when they asked me to take their engagement pictures!!  I was honored.  What an amazing couple - their story is incredible and a true testimony to God's faithfulness.  We had such a great time - we braved the heat and the humidty, and it was worth it!

I never had to tell them "act like you love each other" - it was NOT a problem!  These two are SO ready to be married!  Ha ha.  One of the places we went had such high humidty that we were being swarmed with bugs, but you'll see that Katie and Micah weren't phased at all!

Micah and Katie thought it would be funny to do some "cheesy" poses similar to pictures they had seen... so those are mixed in.  Hope you can tell the cheesy ones from the legit ones!!


Congrats once again Katie and Micah - I can't wait for your wedding!!!!

(Micah "braving" the bugs)

I love you two!!!!

Jackson Family

I met Jeff and Danielle through Joe back when he worked at Hollister.  It was awesome getting to know them as a couple, then as they welcomed their daughter Josie into the world.  Danielle gives me lots of "mom tips" for raising a girl, which I'm so thankful for!

Though there were a few sprinkles of rain, high humidity, and a decent breeze, we were able to get some family pictures taken!  The Jacksons were troopers and up for anything, so it was fun!  Josie didn't want to wear her sunglasses until her mom wore two pairs and made her laugh. :) What a great mom. :) Here are just a few of my faves...

Leighton!!

Just a heads up... this is one of my FAVORITE shoots to date.  Maybe it's because ever since I had a daughter there's just something about little girls... maybe it's because Leighton's mommy and I have known each other for a LONG time and it was great to catch up... or maybe it's because Leighton is just so stinkin cute!  Perhaps it's all of the above.

Michele and I were besties in high school and roomed together in college.  We were friends when I met my future husband, and friends when she met hers.  We shared many monumental moments and it was wonderful to reconnect with her!

Michele had been wanting to get Leighton's one-year pictures taken for a while... we missed it by a couple of months, but I think it still counts. :) Leighton is just a little thing, so she fit in her birthday outfit just like it was brand new.  We met at a nearby park and let Leighton do her thing - her sweet, toothy smile melted my heart!

It was a wonderful day - hanging out with a dear friend, and taking pics of a beautiful little girl.

I had SO many favorites, it was so hard to choose just a few... but here goes (click to enlarge):

Katie & Micah are ENGAGED!!!!

Katie and I go way back. We've known each other since she was in 7th grade and I was in 8th. We went to junior high, high school, and college together. She is one of my dearest friends... so I was SOOOO excited when Micah asked me to help with his proposal plan!!! I had to lie to Katie, but I don't think she cared. She thought we were hanging out at her place, but little did she know... Micah was in town! He called Katie and had her look out her window - we were down across the street holding "Will You Marry Me?" signs. I got to hold the "You"!

Micah making the call...

The team preparing to run across the street (my hubby Joe, Katie's sister Lisa, and Micah's friend Brett).

She could hardly contain herself...

FINALLY!

In true Katie fashion...

She said YES!

Sisters :)

I couldn't wait to hug her and congratulate her!

The happily engaged couple :)

Thank you, Micah, for including me in your plans. I was honored to be a part of your amazing day. Katie and Micah, I couldn't be happier for you and I can't wait for your wedding!!

Chase's Dedication

You may recognize the Karow family from their family pics back in November. I was excited (and nervous) when Jodie asked me to photograph Chase's dedication at church. Of course I was honored, but honestly I was a bit intimidated about shooting inside AND in such a low-light situation. Jodie was gracious, said they would be my guinea pigs, and told me she had faith in me. Thanks, Jodie. :) I think I did all right - I learned a lot! Here are a few from the day:

Jeff (dad) sang a song to Chase. So sweet.