Sneak Peek - The S Family

Two weekends ago, I hung out with the S Family. We had beautiful weather right up until the end of the shoot.  D and J were great subjects and  had a lot of fun finding things to do no matter where we were.  We trecked to a bunch of different locations, ending up at the Riverwalk with lots to trees to climb on and bridges to cross.

The S Family on the bridge

A pile of stones, a lake and the boys are happy.

Trees are made for climbing.

Off to explore. My favorite kind of shot.

All in all a very fun shoot!

Sneak Peek - The M Family

This past weekend I had the pleasure of hanging out for awhile with the M family.  We did some family photos but mostly focused on the two littlest cuties.   We had lots of fun with bubbles, bean bags and balls.  This late summer weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Their dog clearly has had some experience in posing.

A Happy Little Guy

This one cracks me up. She is clearly very happy in the midst of all the activity, ready for her moment!

The bubbles, well...they were a big hit!

Who wouldn't want to lay around in a basket, on a pillow, with a blanket and all the attention?

L was a good catcher!

This bench belonged to their neighbor and it was perfect for C.

Thank you to C & L for inviting me to their home and allowing me to spend time capturing moments with their little sweet peas. 

And so it begins...

My kids have started kindergarten. Honestly, I have no idea how that happened.  I'm pretty sure that just last week I was dressing them in adorable onesie outfits, complete with footies and snaps and they needed boppies to help them sit up.  It seems impossible that I have 2 five year old kids.  But alas, I do.  And time is fa-lying by!!!!

They were so excited about school and perhaps even more excited about the riding the bus.  I bought each of them a new outfit for the first day of school. Rookie mom mistake...I waited too long. Of COURSE all the fall clothes are out for the start of school.  But, seeing that it was still 80 degrees outside for the first day, I was looking for sundresses and short sleeve shirts.  There were almost none to be found.  At last, after 8 different stores with no luck, finally our trip to Kohl's was my answer.

We got dressed that morning and they were more than happy to let me get some pictures.  

Then, it was off to the bus.  They didn't hesitate for one step...off they went.

Sydney was going to be at the bus and they could hardly wait to see her.  Once all the kids were together, we let them cross the street and they could hardly go fast enough.

Finally, the bus came and everyone was ready to get on.  I managed to keep it together, only getting teary for a few seconds  here and there.    When they got home, everyone told me they'd be tired and starving.  Well, everyone was wrong. They were like little lunatics - running around, doing cartwheels....they all had more energy than I've had in the past month combined!

It's now been almost 2 full weeks of school and you would think they'd been going for 2 full years. They are little pros.  The stories are wonderful.  They are making new friends.  And, their excitement and happiness about being at school...we couldn't ask for more.  

Cottage Country

Many years ago, my great grandpa built a nice little cottage on a lake in Northern Ontario called 4 Mile Lake. The cottage itself was called Beatonia, as his last name was Beaton. I'm lucky enough to have some old photos of the cottage being built and they reside in a photo album that's falling apart. However, I just discovered that the photos scan in rather well.

My great grandpa Blake (left) on the foundation of Beatonia

Beatonia Taking Shape

Blake (great grandpa), Margaret (Grandma), Robert (Grandpa)

When I was 8 years old, my grandma and grandpa put an addition on to the cottage that included 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a laundry room. They took me up to the cottage in the middle of winter and surprised me (and Greg - a very close family friend) with a decorated Christmas tree in the corner of the new living room. I think that may have been the only time I was at the cottage in winter. Starting the following year, I spent 13 summers at the cottage, for 2 or 3 weeks each summer. It's such a huge, wonderful part of my life. From those years, I got to know and love people that were a big part of my grandparents' life who are now like family to me. It's a whole other aspect of my world. My grandparents and great grandparents are no longer with us, but the memories of this wonderful place are still so vivid in my mind.

The cottage is now owned by very close family friends, Roy & Lynda. I feel so lucky that I still have access to it and even more fortunate that I'm able to bring my kids to the cottage. I can't imagine not being able to share this amazing place with them and create our own family memories. M & P are five years old and I realized they have already been there 3 times. Happiness!

We recently came back from a family vacation and added more experiences to the memory bank.

We even squeezed in an impromptu photo shoot!

I had a great time off on my own, having fun with my camera, trying out a bunch of settings and seeing what happened. These images are snippets of what cottage life means to me. And, no matter where I am at the cottage, I still feel my grandparents all around.

Until next time....

S and The Red Ball

It's been awhile since I last posted. Summertime and the start of kindergarten...who knows where the time goes. I have several sessions coming up in the next few weeks so I'm sure my posting track record will improve.

Kevin and I went to his company picnic yesterday. One of our friends had their three kids with them, the newest and youngest having just turned one. She had this adorable black and white outfit on with the prettiest little headband. I couldn't resist taking a bunch of photos. I'll most definitely be adding big colorful kids' balls to my collection of props for upcoming sessions.

A Quick Look Back

As I started this blog after my first official photography gig, I thought I should take some time to post some photos from that first session. I was nervous as I headed into the day, considering I would be photographing six children. But what a wonderful day it turned out to be. We headed down to the Riverwalk and let the kids enjoy the outdoor air. The kids ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years. We let them explore and go where they wanted. I simply followed with my camera and had so much fun! Thanks to Sheri and all of her sisters for giving me this wonderful experience.