She definitely stopped me in my tracks more than once during our session!  This little girl is just beautiful, and her thoughtful gaze was just as eye catching as her adorable smile and laugh. What I loved even more was photographing her with her mommy. They have such a loving and special bond – a mommy and daughter connection – and it’s clear that they are the best of friends :) It was really, really super sweet. And of course, watching daddy with his baby girl made my heart melt – daddy is truly smitten with his little angel. She is definitely a beauty…she is extremely charming…and very spunky!

that beautiful, firey red hair can give you a pretty accurate bit of insight about this little girl. Just as her mom described her – she is definitely a red-headed ball of fire! Full of sparkle & personality, that’s for sure! And of course, her little brother was equally fun to photograph. He was one of the most relaxed babies I’ve photographed. A content, happy little guy with stunning blue yes (just like his mama’s). And would you get a load of those sibling shots?! Super cute duo indeed! What makes it even more lovely? They actually enjoyed being next to each other – which is not always the case when I do sibling shots at their ages :) An overall super fun session that also got me some much needed cardio as I chased big sis around!

The science behind a fabulous photo shoot involves…..toys!  In this case, building blocks, inspired by – what else? Science! How cool are these blocks?! I think our little guy may have a future in science just like his momma :) I wouldn’t be surprised at all – because he seems to be a very smart boy. He has some amazing concentration. When he was doing an activity he enjoyed, he was totally focused – he’s going to do amazing in school! He’s also one of the sweetest boys I’ve ever photographed. He’s gentle and sweet….and very loving. You can see just how sweet he is by the way he smiles. What a little angel :)

I know what you’re all thinking…something along the lines of “Oh my gosh, how cute, how absolutely cute”, or “He’s sooo adorable, I just want to squeeze his chubby wubby cheeks”. Yes, that is what I was thinking during our shoot, too :) Aand, would you look at big sister – so incredibly charming I must say. I can’t believe that the last time I photographed her, she was small enough to sit in a bucket and wasn’t even crawling yet :) Now she’s an energetic, funny, beautiful preschooler! My how time flies…and I just love that I’m able to capture these special times as their family grows!

…photographing this beautiful little girl and her equally gorgeous mommy any time, ANY time. They have such a warm, loving connection…a special mother-daughter bond that is so clear to see. Baby girl just loves her mommy, and mommy is definitely smitten, too! The icing on the cake is how gorgeous they both are – wow, what a sight for sore eyes!  There were a few times during our photo session when I had to stop for a minute because I was literally overwhelmed by how gorgeous they both were, how contagious their connection was, and how perfectly the sunset light set the scene for their genuine, loving interactions. I also loved how daddy was so amazing at making his little girl giggle. As he told funny jokes, she was laughing sooo hard – which was the cutest thing because she has such an amazing laugh :) It’s been a real joy photographing this sweet girl over the past 3 years. I can hardly believe that when I first met her, she was only a few weeks old…and now she’s a lovely toddler! My how time flies!

It’s a good thing we had grandma and grandpa with us during our photo session, because these two were on the go at all times! And the extra set of hands were so, so much help! Of course, this is to be expected for *almost* 2 year old twins :) They did give me a few moments of sitting still – which, for toddler sessions – is nothing short of a miracle! I can’t believe how fast they have grown. When I last photographed them, they were 8 months old and just learning to stand on their own – and now, they are running (not walking) faster than fast and stealing the hearts of everyone they meet! Max is such a charmer with his million dollar smile…and Mia is so sweet and pretty, with her soulful brown eyes :)

It’s like kids have a sixth sense about things. When we really want them to take a nice long nap so they’re well rested for a fun photo shoot, they of course – DON’T NAP! This happened to two families I photographed this weekend. It’s happened to me before as well…seems like my son always skips his nap on the day I need him to rest the most. Familiar, indeed. Despite the lack of naps for the wee ones, they did awesome for our shoot. Just look at this lovely, lovely family!

…he’s *still* as cute as he was as a baby (wink). Trust me – I love a soft, chubby, cuddly baby as much as I love a bowl of ice cream + brownie, but I must say, 3 year olds are just as cute :) It seems as though most (if not all) boys love trains. I’m not sure what it is (maybe it’s the huge size or the cool sounds) but kids just looove trains! So we headed down to these really cool deserted railroad tracks to play! Of course, we weren’t there for a photo session – oh no! We were there to check out the tracks – and he just *happened* to be dressed up all cute and spiffy as he yelled “All aboard” about 101 times. And, as with most children’s sessions, 30 minutes is all I needed (and it’s also the longest a kid will last for photos)!

…i’ve been feeling so very blessed. I’m always feeling extra thankful this time of year, but what makes me appreciate all that I have even more, is witnessing how the wonderful families have grown and changed throughout the year. This sweet guy below is a perfect example. I’ve been photographing him since he was only days young. To see him now at just under 2 years old really amazes me  - our babies grow up so (and too) fast. Although it is bittersweet to see him grow up so quickly, it’s also so lovely to know that I’ve been able to capture all of his sweet babyness – so that in a way, his mommy and daddy have it safe and sound forever. The greatest compliment is hearing from families that they feel like I am also part of their family…and for this family especially, I feel the exact same way :)