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.

Wernli Christmas

My sister married into a wonderful family, and they had a fun Christmas celebration - a sleepover, opening presents in their pajamas, and spending the day together. I was excited to stop by and observe the festivities! Though it was yucky outside, we got a few good family pics! These were special because they were the last family pics before Adam and Meagan moved to Oklahoma. Here are a few of my favorites:

Karow Family

Jeff & Jodie go to our church. The have a daughter named Jaelyn and recently had a son - his name is Chase. I was really excited when they asked me to take their pictures because it gave me a chance to get to know them a little better.

It had been chilly off and on, but the day ended up being perfect. There were still a good amount of fall colors to brighten our setting. I had so much fun with the Karows! They were up for anything and even got down & dirty playing in the leaves at the end!

Rogers Family

I have some fun connections to this family. Let's see... John (the dad) works with my Dad. John is married to Jan and they have three kids. Their son Justin, daughter Jennifer, and I went to high school together. Jennifer's husband Jake also went to high school with all of us. I was elated when they asked me to get some family pictures because I love big families! Now that all the kids are married and starting families of their own, it's quite a crew! Here are some of my favorites:

Taylor - 1 year

You saw Taylor in her newborn pictures and family Christmas pictures... now she's ONE! Time sure flies... her birthday party was so fun! She wasn't sure what was going on, but completely loved all the attention! The best part was watching her dig into her cake - every so often, she would look at her mom, Kristy, to see if it was really okay. :) What a blessed little girl - friends and family all around her, celebrating her life!