Connor Turns Two!

I remember when Connor was just a tiny squirt. I've had some fun with him as he has grown, like the time we visited his grandparent's antique bridge. Now, he's a "big boy" at two and even has a baby sister to boot!

Check out those beautiful blue eyes!

Silly boy!!

Little Miss Sunshine?

The thing with kids--especially babies--is that you just never know what kind of mood they are going to be in. They get hungry/sick/tired at the most inconveinient times for their parents....like when you've scheduled a portrait session. lol! How well do I know! My kids are the exact same way.


Lily was having an off day for some reason. She's usually pretty smiley according to Mom, but on the day of our session, it was more like...

Not even the bright colored walls could chase the blues away!

Meanwhile, big bro Toby showed us how it's done.

She looks like she's considering a smile....

Toby kept the smiles comin' (it might have been with a little bribery--mom was taking him to White Water Bay the next day) ; )

Maybe she was checking him out for some tips...




Yay! One toothy grin!

Family Togetherness

Hold on to your seats because the next two images have now become two of my all-time favorites!

*Gasp!* See??? Isn't it beautiful?? Kenlee LOVES her animals...I mean she really L-O-V-E-S them, so I think this shot speaks volumes to that end. At least it does to me.







Then again...maybe this one does! A beautiful horse (that totally looked like Bandy Bo Jay--the horse I had at Kenlee's age) and a beautiful girl with killer dimples and blue eyes... I don't know if I could choose between the two if I had to!




But let's not forget little bro. I caught Tate hanging out by the pond near the end of the session. Barefoot boys sitting by a pond...if there's not a country song with those lyrics, someone needs to write one! :)






What a beautiful family and a beautiful evening! It was an overcast day, but it was cool and the wind was still (the pond was absolutely reflective). That is a rare thing in June in western Oklahoma, my friends!



The blue shirts were absolutely the perfect color choice! For those of you who struggle to break out of the "white shirts + blue jeans" box when preparing for family photos, remember: the key is not to match exact colors, but rather have everyone wear something in the same color family.

Have I ever told you how much I adore old red barns. What's not to love???




Toye & Cody were celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary this year.

Her gift request? Family portraits!

Now, that's my kind of gift!

When the Toye contacted me about family photos, she asked, "Do you have much experience photographing animals?" I admitted that I have done several photo sessions that incorporated animals though I couldn't exactly claim it as my specialty. "Good, "she said, "because we're hoping to get a picture with my family, our three horses and several dogs." We were able to contain the horses long enough for a family photo, but the dogs were running circles around us--lol!

One last sweet image--four generations of men. Gotta love that!

Thanks so much for the wonderful privilege of photographing your beautiful family!

Sneak Peek: Brin

Here's a quick sneak peek for Brin's family; the rest should be posted later this week in the family gallery.

I wish my kids were younger; I'd make them go back to this location and recreate this image so I could hang it in my living room! Heck, I might just make them do it anyway! :)

Aren't those pink ruffles the cutest??

Oh, to be two again. So carefree!

I love this one! It totally says "childhood" to me!

I was surprised that I actually was able to get the focus to fall on the dandelion because she was moving so quickly!

Anyone with a two-year-old totally understands that...

Doesn't she have the prettiest blue eyes? Thanks for playing, Brin!

Adorable Avery

I have a sweet spot in my heart for girls named "Avery" because it's the middle name of one of my daughters. But even if this little one had been named Alfalfa or Timbucktoo or some other ridiculous name I still would have adored her. A squishy two-week-old babe with fuzzy red hair...what's not to love?

Oh yea....we even managed to work Big Bro into the shoot. Don't ya love his vintage bike?

Fresh From the Oven

Who can resist a freshly baked baby? Little Eli was so precious, I just wanted to take him home with me!

Well, almost....I still remember those sleepless nights!! {lol}

All wrapped up in Grandma's hand-knit blankie...

...in Daddy's strong hands...

...equally-precious big bro (Have you ever seen such beautiful eyes?)...


...and the parents that love them both very much!

The Many Faces of Bobo

I know: Bobo is a weird nickname for a kid. Surprisingly, there is no backstory to it either. It's just something that came out of her daddy's mouth one day & it kinda stuck.

She is a quirky little creature. Unlike our oldest who has always been soft-spoken and a little shy (she once told her Sunday school teacher, "I only talk to kids."), Bobo has pretty much been her exact opposite: loud, boisterous, goofy.

Last week, she was in a indulgent mood and allowed me to take her picture. After one or two, she suddenly began striking poses of all variations. Crazy kid.

Lathan & Kate

You've already met Lily & Zach...now meet Lathan and Kate!

These two were cutie patooties. Lathan wanted to show me all of the tractors and trucks that he got for his birthday & Kate told me all of the names of her babies and bears (hint: they are all named after her). And the cutest thing ever: Lathan asked his mom if I could stay and play after we took pictures. Awwww!

I love these little hats!

You know how much I love the serious look!

Added a little texture to this one. I love how she is holding on to her big brother's arm and how he looks like he will always protect her. So sweet!

And for art/photography enthusiasts (because this means absolutely nothing to a regular person): check out the Rembrant lighting. (Rembrant lighting, produces a triangle of light no longer than the nose and no wider than the eye on a cheek).

Lathan was pretty proud of the fact that he helps harvest this wheat field, so I had to get a couple of him with his soon-to-be crop!

Kate had a tea party with three of her closest doll/bear friends (who just happen to share her name--lol!) Her kitchen was so cute~I want one!

One more of big bro...




...and one more of lil' sis.

Thanks Lily, Zach, Lathan & Kate! I had fun! :)

Heartstrings Contest

I thought it would be fun to have a little contest here in blogland! I have randomly selected ten adorable faces from 2007. (It was hard to just pick ten!). Take a look at these cuties and tell me:

Which one image tugs the most on your heartstrings?

Check 'em out then vote below. The poll will be open until 11 p.m. CST on Feb. 13th. Winners will be announced on Valentine's Day.

The prizes are as follows: 1st place: a free photo session + a free 11x14, 2nd place: a half-price photo session + a free 8x10, 3rd place: 2 free 5x7's of your choice from previous or future photo sessions.