There are a million things I could say about this little man joining our family but instead, I will just tell you that he gives me this smile & gets me laughing 

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  

He is such a chill little dude...

& SUCH a goofball! 

Of course, I never miss a chance to take a few shots of his handsome big brother...  

I am finding so much joy in watching these boys grow up although, like every other parent out there, it feels like it's all happening too fast. I would love it if they could stay my babies just a little while longer...

I mean, just look @ this little guy as a newborn - he's changed so much already! 

We have to move forward.  Embrace change & see what life has to offer. Otherwise, imagine how many things we would miss out on!  For me, my most recent life lesson on that is this little man.

We talked a lot about growing our family before we decided to go down this path again so while getting pregnant wasn't a surprise, I still don't think I ever felt ready for it this time around... I really felt like I had finally found my groove with being Zack's mom, our business was really growing & no matter how excited I was, a part of me was scared of how many things were about to change again.

I spent so much time trying to think about what he would look like, what his personality would be, how Zack would respond to him & how we would all adjust to everything... & now that he's here - I couldn't picture him any other way & It's hard to imagine how things were before him.

He has the most amazing habit of just staring @ me... I'm sure Zack did the same thing but for some reason, I get this feeling with Dexter like I've known him my whole life.  I know that probably sounds strange but I seriously get lost staring back @ him & thinking about that...

He also must be the most easy going babe I've ever met!  

The first month of his life he spent mostly grunting when he needed something & although he has definitely found his voice now, he still saves it for when there is truly something wrong.  Of course, when there is something wrong, you can probably hear him down the street - lol - but overall, he's just a happy little dude :)

And just when I think I can't love anymore, I see these 2 together & my heart explodes.

I knew Zack would be an amazing big brother but I am still surprised every day by how much he cares, loves, & wants to take care of Dexter.  That's one thing I hope never changes.

 Hello again!

Life has been a little crazy since the last time I added anything to this blog so I'm sorry for the huge gap in time...

Our business has grown & we've added so many schools to the calendar that honestly, I've even had to turn a few jobs away.  I never dreamed when I started on this journey that it would grow so fast - I am SO blessed!

The biggest change & blessing though would be that our family grew as well, adding this amazing little human we call Dex to the mix in January!  I will post some pics of his cuteness soon but first I'm excited to show you his room that I finally finished today!

The first step was putting a much smaller bed in the room since this will room will also need to double as a guest room for now.  Everything robot in this corner actually came from our baby showers :)  We were lucky enough to have 2 of them this time around - one with a few close friends & another with our new friends @ Zack's co-op!

A mobile was really the only thing I knew for sure that I wanted to make for him since I had made one for Zack.  We went all out for Zack's room but this time around I found myself with a lot less time, energy, budget & for most of my pregnancy, I believed that we would be moving soon after he was born so I wasn't sure there was much point...

So I seriously did NOTHING until about a month before he arrived & then decided to see what I could come up with.  Luckily, I had leftover felt from other projects so it ended up costing me nothing & actually came together pretty quickly!

For the next project, I fell in love with a book that my friend found named Boy + Bot & really wanted to incorporate it somehow but didn't want to ruin the book or make it so I couldn't actually read it to him so... I decided to make some copies instead & I am loving how it turned out!  The other picture above the crib is something that another friend of ours bought for Zack to color so he got to have his little part in the room as well :)

 Next is my favorite project that was a last minute idea that popped into my head.  We had this HUGE corkboard in that room already from when it used to be my office & when we took it down off the wall, I really had no idea what to do with it.  And then I leaned it up against the wall on it's side & it started to look different.... I found a smaller corkboard that we also had no use for & a robot was born! lol

 I did have to buy the chalboard paint, square shelves & baskets for this project but I think it was worth it since that wall looked so empty before... not to mention the best part that the boys will have another activity in that room as well!

So, I'm excited to say that I can finally mark this off my to-do list!  

It may not have an awesome mural like Zack's room (check that out here if you want!) but I'm still loving how it turned out & hopefully Dexter will feel the same - once he actually knows whats going on - lol :)

I remember the excitement & wonder of babies when each one of my nieces & nephews were born but none of them came home with us & changed my entire world.  

And that's what babies do, they change everything!

It must be a lot for a 2 year old's to wrap his head around...  Luckily, this little guy's mama made the moment so special with a teddy bear exchange & coloring page that it became such a sweet moment for this family!

& somehow, I have the most amazing job that allows me to be a part of moments like these...

I am SO blessed!

Welcome to the world baby girl & I will see you later today for your 1 week newborn shoot!  EEEEEK!!!!

The last time this little guy came to our house to play, he was just learning to sit up so we were a little more limited on what we could do - but just look @ him now!!!  Pretty soon he'll be running behind all his other cousins & getting into all kinds of things!

A big plus for me is the fact that I get to watch all these amazing people become parents & somehow they become even more amazing.  

I love watching them interact & play & comfort & just become that little person's whole world.

Of course, we have to leave a "little" room in his world for his BIG brother & sister :)

Happy 1st Birthday little man!

Can't wait to see all the places you'll go :)

& you don't get much more loved than this!

She already has lots of Winnie the Pooh stuff so we wanted to stick with that theme... 

& her grandpa made a custom "Honey" sign to make it even cuter!

I was laughing so hard when editing these next few pics - I love how she starts out in the thinker pose...

Gets a little more intrigued...

& then screams "Hey! Give me that boob back!"  lol 

At least that's one of the many captions I imagine her saying :)

Such personality already!

& I will end it with one that I wasn't sure I would keep since she still had a paci in her mouth but it was just too sweet not to edit... & it was the closest we got to a sleeping baby all afternoon! :)

The biggest & warmest congrats to one of the best couples I know... you guys are going to ROCK this parenting thing & I can't wait to watch this little girl grow up!

Since the moment he woke up Saturday & found his surprise bike & train table, this weekend has been filled with trains, balloons, friends, cupcakes, & awesomeness.  I'm so glad I decided to not skip a party this year... our living room fills up fast so we were hoping to be able to go to the park but the rain kept us indoors & we had to narrow our guest list down quite a bit. 

The bright side of that though is that a small space gets decorated much quicker & a few big items make a huge difference!  Add to that, the fact that my house is already filled with train stuff & you have a party that came together in a little over a week instead of the months of work I put into the first one.

A good friend tagged me in a photo of something similiar done with cupcakes & I had to ditch the Safeway cake & give it a try... I love that the #2 worked out & that I finally got some use out of the Thomas mini train that I ordered by mistake @ Christmas!!

I found the big mural @ Party City for less than $10 & it made a HUGE impact!  It also came with a few smaller ones that I used on windows & a fairly good sized "Happy Birthday" that I used by the train table... score!

I still have it up & trying to think of a way to remove it carefully enough so I can use it again - so fun!

Another cute idea I found was the "chugga chugga" for drinks & "choo choo" for utensils/ napkins... I don't know who comes up with this stuff but I can get into real trouble if I spend too much time on Pinterest - there are so many creative people in this world & I just love all the little details - my head gets filled with them when these things start to come together!

We put our whiteboard & Thomas magnets to good use & did a little spin on "pin the tail" with "get on track"

& I was able to use the amazing blue boxes that come from The Honest Company again to make a little bean bag toss game... I forgot to get a pic of the other 2 sides but there is a freight car on all sides so multiple people could play it @ once.  I didn't really take into account how crowded my living room would be & the lack of play space but the boys still enjoyed it :)

& then the party started & I was too busy playing to capture anything more than a few phone pics - thankfully, my other amazing friend Kimberlee sent me this last one of my little man right after blowing out his candles!

Thanks to everyone who came over to celebrate the 2 years that we've been blessed by this little boy!

Happy Birthday Zack!

I feel like everything I'm about to say are things I've heard a million other parents say a million other times... about how time is flying by so fast & this boy is growing & changing every day, right before my eyes.  I'm doing my best to slow myself down, be in the moments & soak it all up but it still feels like it's slipping away from me...

The joy & love that this guy has brought into our home has been like nothing I've ever felt in my life. 

  Each day is a new adventure & while a few of them have seemed big & scary @ first, he always finds his way through...

& comes out smiling!

Happiest of Birthdays to my baby BIG 2 YEAR OLD!!!

I wish I had as much energy & time & space to do a big party again this year - I really do love creating & bringing all the little details together... & then being surrounded by family, friends & laughter - it was an awesome day!  

For some reason, I can't get over how little he looks in this next picture!!!

HUGE thanks to everyone who celebrated with us (especially the one who drove from Portland!), to everyone that helped me prep & decorate & even use their home to host in, & to Chelle again for catching these moments :)

One of the biggest lessons I'm working on seems to be pulling myself out of my own head & appreciating where I am, what I have, & most importantly, who I am with. 

And today I felt so blessed!

Two of my amazing friends took me on an adventure in Seattle complete with a trip to the Children's museum, a Monorail ride with front row seats, & some running around at the Artists at Play playground at the Seattle Center.  It was just the dose of joy & laughter & goofiness & friendship I needed...

We even got a little sunshine!

I really just can't say it enough times - THANK YOU ladies for making today so special!

A little baby girl will be joining them in just a few months...

 Right after this little man turns 2!!!!

Such an amazing family these two are building...

& what an amazing year this will be for them!

Not only will little sister be arriving soon but this little man got a surprise for his birthday that every little boy dreams about!

  His very own puppy!

This is a moment where I wish I was taking video instead of photos...

the giggling & squealing in these few minutes was just too cute for words or a still photo to do it justice!

BIG thanks for letting me be a part of such a fun surprise!

& I hope 2016 is FILLED with more amazing joy & memories like this for you guys!!!!

Not only is there all the excitement leading up to it with decorations & light displays & Santa visits but there's also days like today after Christmas has passed when you hang out in your pjs a little longer than usual & play together for awhile :) 

Another perk of today is that I finally get to post some pics of this beautiful family that I've wanted to share for a few weeks! (We didn't want to spoil any Christmas surprises.)  One of my favorite families braved a VERY cold, foggy morning to make these happen but I think it was worth it!  I just love the setup & location this year & I can't say thank you enough times to the 2 ladies who made it happen (you know who you are :)

I could also fill this blog with nice things to say about this family & how truly BLESSED I am to have them in my life but I will save you some time & just tell you that my camera could never do justice to how truly beautiful these people are.. inside & out. 

I just love them so much! Enjoy :)

Such a beautiful family! & possibly the cutest pjs EVER... & also how we knew that the session was over! lol - did I mention that it was COLD that morning?    Merry day after Christmas everyone!   

Merry Christmas to you & yours!

I am such a sucker for pilots... especially when they are this cute!

We were so lucky to have some nice weather after we got rained out over the weekend... 

Which means we were able to catch a few moments with her auntie who was on leave from the air force & was in town to meet her for the first time :)

So much love for this little one! Merry FIRST Christmas baby girl!

We drove through quite a bit of rain to get to the location, the whole time watching blue skies ahead of us & just hoping we would have some luck... & besides a few sprinkles, it ended up being a gorgeous day to play in the woods!

Just look @ this guy!  Could he be any cuter? I've got a couple more of Zack in this cozy setup as well but I think I'm saving those for Christmas Cards :)

Big thanks again to Westin's mom for having this vision & helping me make it happen!

There was a lot to explore but I have a feeling Zack's favorite was the trains!

Both boys had a lot of fun writing messages to Santa in his office...

& Zack finally got a closer look (& kiss) from that GIANT teddybear that made him giggle @ Costco not too long ago! 

I know quite a few of you already have your trees up but this was our first little dose of Christmas this year & now I'm ready to dig out the decorations & make it CHRISTMAS! yay!

& don't let this next picture fool you - she was not about to sleep through such an exciting day!

Of course it wouldn't be a newborn session without @ least one breakdown... followed by a hug from dad to make it all better :)

Only 2 months into the world & so much adventure in front of you baby girl.

May your path be FILLED with love!

We met up with our friend Hunter for Halloween last week & ended up with the best short story about a couple hard working little boys...  There are so many captions I could add (& there's already talk of recreating a pose from the bench scene when the boys are in their 20's lol) but for now, I'm gonna let the pictures tell the story :) 

We would much rather have them bring her back... the sooner the better!

Whether it's offering encouragement, advice, a helping hand or just a warm cup of tea, this wonderful lady has always been there for me & this past week was no different. 

I can't even put into words how blessed I am by her...

Thanks for all you do for us Oma!

Just look @ this face!

It was such a needed, long overdue, dose of joy & friendship that it's hard to put into words...

Thankfully, we put it in pictures :)  

I read an article recently that changed my perspective once again.  It was written by someone who had been doing a blog for awhile & decided to take a break.  She felt the need to be present with those she loved & from what I could tell, felt she had already missed out on so much because she had spent years focusing on sharing moments online & connecting to everyone except the people who matter the most - her family.

Time with Zack is going so quickly already that I really don't want to look back & feel the same... so - I am changing the rules a bit for myself. 

I will still pick up my camera daily & get back to chasing beauty & taking pics for ME.

I will not however, be sharing them daily or putting this challenge above being present for those I love.

Instead, I will soak up all the little moments that make this life amazing (like earlier this week when we finally got to see Oma again! :)

& say goodbye to my short lived daily posts :)

Day 27 - enjoy your moments!

I was tempted to bring my camera anyways & almost wished I had because the location & view were amazing!  But I read an article the other day about being present with those close to you & it hit home... so I decided to just enjoy today :) Of course, when a beautiful bouquet gets left like this, I couldn't help but take a quick pic on my phone.

Congrats Peter & Dasha!!!

Ron's had it since before we met & in fact, the first time we ever spoke, he said "Hey baby" as he walked passed me & when I responded "Are you talking to me?", he claimed he was talking to this Nova parked next to me :)  There's also the night he picked me up from work & the wipers stopped working... in the pouring rain... that wasn't stopping anytime soon... so we ended up tying a rope to each wiper & made it home with our arms out the windows, pushing & pulling the wipers so we could see!  As frustrating as it may sound - we laughed so hard the whole way home that I still smile when I think of it :)

& a few more bonus pics that never made it to the blog last week... cause why not?!

What a life :)

Day 20

Day 19

Always searching for that silver lining.

Day 18 (taken yesterday)

Day 16

Day 15

The last 10 years (7 married) by this man's side have been the best of my life & I can't wait to see what's next on our adventure!

Day 14 - Happy Anniversary to us!

Day 13

Day 12

Day 11 

Day 10

Change has already started.

Awesome is right around the corner.

Day 9

Day 8 - Federal Way, WA

While making dinner I received another change in perspective as I watched the sun go down.  Last I read, we have over 20 fires burning in Washington & while it's been smokey most of the day, you could really see the haze as the sun dropped below our trees.  Right now there are brave men & women risking their lives to fight those fires as well as some who have already lost their life.  There are families that have either lost their home already or in danger of that happening very soon :( Suddenly, my load seems a little lighter.

Day 7 - Praying for all of you affected by the fires tonight

& after putting a few puzzles together tonight (his new favorite thing to do) he was finally comfortable enough to surprise her with her first Zack hug!!!

 Thanks again for making the visit mom & safe travels home :)

Day 5 - taken @ Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA

& a couple bonus because he was SO excited to see giraffes in person :)

& a few bonus pics because sometimes I like the way things look when I turn off auto focus...

Day 1

As much as I love my new role as a mom - somewhere along the way I feel like I lost a part of myself. 

My camera used to go with me everywhere & the world looked different because of it. Now, it adds weight to our already stuffed diaper bag & so I end up leaving it behind. I used to work 14 hour days, traveling all over Washington & Oregon, & was never too far from a sunrise or sunset or just a new location with amazing lighting.  Now, my world revolves around my family so my radius has gotten much smaller. Even when I have photographed this summer, I haven't posted or shared anything with anyone... anywhere!  Why?  No seriously... anyone know?

A wise woman recently told me "Don't live in fear" & then that thought echoed in my head for days. There is so much I fear! Sometimes I think that the things I love the most can be the scariest. And then there's the fear of losing those things that I love! That's even scarier & it's not even a for-sure thing!! I am literally scared of something that doesn't exist. So what do you do when fear is stopping you from doing something you love?

Well - if you're like this guy, you hang on tight to those you love & then you walk through it.

This boy is obsessed with trains recently. He giggles & talks & waves to them daily but today as we talked about actually getting on one, it suddenly seemed like a very big, loud, & scary thing... He shook his little head & said "no" in his cute little voice a couple times & then papa whispered in his ear "Everything is alright, I won't let anything hurt you" & that was it. He may have been afraid & hung on tight for most of the trip but he also got to wave to people outside of the station, meet a little boy & his family in the seats behind us, check out a waterfall, & when it was all done & we were walking away, he clapped his little hands & then said & signed "more"(I'm not exaggerating here - this guy is that cute).

So - now it's my turn.  

Here comes my scary.  

I'm going to pick up my camera & do what I love to do.  

I'm going to chase beauty & share what I find so that others can see how amazing this world is.  

I'm going to use this medium to raise money for charities & small businesses & find other ways to help those around me.  

And I am going to do this daily. 

As of now, I'm not sure what I will take a picture of tomorrow... pretty sure I'm spending most of the day cleaning so it should be something amazing! lol  I'm sure most of them will end up being of my boys & that there will be days when it's the last thing I want to do but that's ok. I'm going to keep it fun & forget the rules starting out so you may see a few phone pics sneak in there as well.

I started thinking last night that I needed to have a good start date for this daily adventure - maybe New Years?  Too far away... Our Anniversary?  Then I remembered that someone AMAZING had a birthday the next day & I couldn't think of a better way to start...  This lady is so inspiring to me!  Having her in my life gives me the energy, strength & confidence to board this train.

Happy Birthday Aunt Zack

In fact, there's a love of aviation in my family that goes back to his great grandfather who worked for Lockheed/ Skunkworks designing aircraft & even invented a flying car!   That plane-mobile now sits in my brother's driveway who has worked as an engineer on a few planes himself & even worked for NASA for a little bit! (pretty proud of my big brother :)

As for me, I was actually working on getting my pilot's license before life got in the way & I made the sudden move to Washington.  I still believe that was the best decision I ever made but there's a big part of me that thinks often about the freedom I felt in the air & how exhilarated I was the first time I solo'd (& landed safely!)... & I dream of finishing what I started.

  Of course, my priorities have changed quite a bit since then!  

I don't know when I will find the time or the $ to pick it back up but that's the great thing about goals - even when they seem impossible, they give you something to run towards!  

It's been fun sharing my love of flying with Zack so far & I hope some of that adventurous spirit rubs off on him...  As he becomes more & more of his own person each day, I keep wondering what kind of things he'll be drawn to... 

Will he love animals? trains? superheros?

I can't wait to find out :)

Seems like just yesterday he was coming over to play with Zack for the first time & back then - that mainly involved laying on their backs next to eachother, kicking & occasionally holding hands :)

Now this guy is starting to walk, talk, & explore everything!

He's also a huge fan of big boy food so I was excited to see him try cake for the first time...

& I'm pretty sure he loved it! :)

Since I had Zack along to "help" me, we decided to let the boys play on the swings for a bit before leaving...

& it was Westin's first time swinging!!!  

I'm so excited for spring & more days spent at the park!!

It's been so fun to watch you grow & learn little man & I'm so glad Zack gets to call you friend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WESTIN!!!!

This little man has been in front of my camera before (here)... 

but this time I got to hang out with the whole family!

& I seriously couldn't think of a better way to spend my day :)  

I could be a little biased because their mom & I have become close friends over the last couple years but these kids (all 5 of them now!) are just amazing... so smart & talented & polite!  Every time I'm around them I think of how blessed I am that Zack will have such great role models to grow up with :)

I'm so glad mom thought of doing a few pics @ the library before heading to Tacoma because even though the sun was shining that day - it was FREEZING outside!

But these kiddos toughed it out & we ended up with some of my absolute favorite family pics :)

Seriously - can this family get any cuter???

Thanks again "Thompson 7" for spending the afternoon with me!  

I can't wait until the next time I get to see you :) 

December has honestly been a roller coaster for me this year & I've gone from being super excited about this guy's first Christmas (!!!!!) to missing some family members terribly in a single day :(... over & over & over again.  I'm sure lack of sleep isn't helping anything either but it really comes down to the fact that I miss them.  I miss decorating the tree with them, & baking cookies with them, & getting orange julius @ the mall with them, & sharing all those other small magical moments that happen this time of year with them.  My parents did a great job making Christmas special & I hope I can do the same for this little guy.

It's such a different feeling being a parent this time of year & so I'm focusing on that now...  I can't wait to see his face in the morning!!!! & I'm sure the excitement will grow even more each year as this guy gets older & starts to understand what's going on & counting down the days with me.

 I can't wait to decorate the tree with him, go shopping for presents with him, bake cookies with him, & make our own traditions & memories... like our Christmas Eve movie & pj night!

or the classical freaked out by Santa pic we managed to get this year lol!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

I hope your tomorrow is magical :) 

The warm house I'm sitting in, the dog snuggled up on the couch next to me, the husband who works hard every day to provide for us & the little amazing boy sleeping in his crib right now... the list goes on & on but very high up on that list is this family right here. 

I've known them almost as long as I've known Ron! 

We were still just "friends" back then, playing a couple rounds of pool when he introduced me to these two & I remember thinking right away how easy they were to talk to...

It's been fun to watch their family grow & when we found out I was pregnant, they were there to celebrate with us & pass on loads of advice... I feel so blessed to know them!

Time is flying by so quickly! 

This gorgeous lady was just a little girl when I first met them...

& it seems like just yesterday that these 2 boys joined the party...

So - in case I haven't told you guys lately - I am so lucky to have you in my life!

Thanks for always treating me like family :)

Luckily, every year we would pack up the car & make a trip to my grandma's house in Northern California for Thanksgiving. 

That is where I fell in love with fall. 

There was a crispness in the air, a warmth inside sitting by the fire & lots of time spent with family.

I'm so glad that I now live in a place where I get to experience that every year & share those warm fuzzy feelings with Zack.

I actually used to work @ the Carpinito Bros. pumpkin patch when I first moved up to Washington & so taking Zack there was something I had been waiting to do for a long time. 

I thought a lot about who I was then compared to now... & also how many times I saw parents bringing their little ones to pick out a pumpkin, just wondering if that would be me some day - & here we are! 

These are my moments!

...& I love them all :) 

Happy Fall!!!!

Always laughing, always loving & so of course, Kohl (who is about to graduate this year!!) is an amazing guy.

 Music & art just comes naturally to him.

He's not only taught himself how to play guitar but also to do these really cool spray paintings of planets & he even gave a few to our little Zack for his room :)

He's taking a photography class this last year of high school so it was fun to talk about how much that changes your perspective on things...

I took a class as well my senior year but "back in my day" we worked in a darkroom where as now they learn Photoshop... much more practical for this day & age but there's still a part of me that misses that whole process & wishes film wasn't fading out.

Either way, I'm curious to see what he comes up with & where he takes that inspiration & skill.

I have a feeling no matter what he does, it will end up just as creative & inspiring as everything else we've seen so far.

Best of luck on your last year of high school Kohl & your many adventures after!

I'm sure sleep deprivation has a little something to do with it but for a few weeks I felt like I was running in place & stressing about things that I have no control over. 

And then along came my change of perspective.

A last minute shoot to welcome this soldier home reminded me of how much I have to be grateful for.

& how many sacrifices are being made every day by our soldiers & their families.

 The distance must be so painful.

The worry has to be overwhelming.

But the homecoming is overwhelmingly sweet.

Thanks again for letting me capture such a wonderful moment you two...

& WELCOME HOME SOLDIER!

That quote happened to be on a card displayed @ this little man's house & it kept popping into my head as I photographed this amazing miracle of life... how we all start out so small, & innocent...

& perfect in every little way.

Baby Burke was only a week old when we got to visit...

& already a Mariner's Fan!

Congrats again on your handsome little man -

He is absolutely perfect from head to toe!

This lil' man's name is Hunter & how handsome is he?!?

We did these portraits a little later than most newborns so he was WIDE awake the whole time (although I did see him yawn once or twice :)

I watched a lot of my friends have children when I was in my 20's & always wondered if I would have anyone to share pregnancy with when we finally decided to have kids of our own...

So - when I found out that this guy was going to be born just a few months after Zack, I was beyond excited!

His mom is beyond AMAZING & I'm so lucky to call her one of my closest friends :) 

She threw my baby shower for me & came to my rescue after our first night @ home when I hadn't slept & Ron had to go into work.  I really don't know what I would have done without her...

I'm sure this won't be the last time you see this guy up on the blog since I take every chance I can get to hang out with this family... & you won't believe how much this lil' man has changed since we did these portraits!

So - we'll take one last look @ lil' Hunter because we all know - they grow up WAY too fast. 

We used to spend our lunch break photographing whatever city we were in, wake up early to catch a sunrise before our shoot, & honestly - she is the reason why my passion for photography grew into what it is today.

This beautiful, amazing, talented lady's name is Chelle. 

If you've never seen her work - do your eyes a favor & check out her website: http://chellenicole.com - the way she sees the world & is able to share that through her images is a true gift. 

Another gift that she has been giving lately is mentoring... not only did her & a partner hold a workshop this spring (& hopefully more to come soon) http://madetocreatepnw.com but she started offering mentor sessions to local photographers & teaching them a few tricks she uses to capture the amazing light we have during these summer nights. 

And last night - I got to be a part of that!!!

Like every other time I've been around her, I walked away with so much knowledge, inspiration & great images but today - I'm just going to share the one that took my breath away...

HUGE thanks to the models that put up with 6 photographers all pointing their cameras @ them & to Chelle who continues to share her talent & build a sense of community among local artists :)

This is such an amazing time for Sadie!!

On the verge of 18, one more year left of high school & then she's taking the world by storm!

There is no doubt in my mind that this lady is going to do great things.  Just this summer she went all the way to Texas for a national culinary competition & her team won 5th place!!  Her dream is to open up her own restaurant when she gets out of college & I can't wait until the day I can write about how amazing the food is there :)

She's just about to start her last year on the varsity volleyball team...

& has a serious passion for football (& SEAHAWKS of course)

Most of all, this girl's happiness is contagious & we laughed the whole session! 

Although I think some of that may have been because she brought her best friend for a few pics :)

I have a feeling these two are rarely serious around eachother!

& when she finally gave me a glimpse of her serious side... it was breathtaking!

Best of luck this year Sadie!!!

Thanks for making my job such a blast!

Meet Westin!!!!

I feel so blessed that this little cowboy & his family have joined our lives.  Westin spends a few days each week with us & since he was there on Zack's half birthday - he got to join in on the fun!

He's only 10 days younger than Zack & just so very handsome!!!

While some days these boys completely wear me out (parents of twins - I'm in complete AWE of how you do it 24/7!), I'm really enjoying watching the 2 of them interact & grow together.  When they see each other for the first time each morning, their faces light up & they start an instant conversation :)  They are just so sweet to each other!

So, of course I had to get @ least 1 shot of them together :)

Big thanks to Westin's mom for letting me share this handsome guy!!!

6 months.  Half a year!  Feels like it was just yesterday that we were bringing him home but @ the same time - it's hard to remember life before him.  There's so much in front of us & the fact that he is constantly changing excites & scares me all @ the same time.  I can't wait to see him run & play & talk & learn but a big part of me doesn't want to let go of the happy, giggly baby that he is. 

He's made me realize how precious all these little moments are in life & how important it is to record every single one of them!  If we are friends on Facebook - I apologize in advance because there's just no way I can stop sharing all the amazing things this boy does.  Every day is a new adventure & I hope I can bring you just a little of the joy he gives me :)  

He's also made me think twice about how I spend my time which is why after 6 years as a manager for Teddy Bear Portraits, I decided to stop working the 14 hour days & stay home with him as much as possible.  Which then led me to a "now or never" decision with R&S Photo... I've put it on the back burner for so long but I've never stopped thinking or dreaming about it. 

So I choose NOW!

NOW is the time to make this dream come true.

I will keep chasing beauty & capturing it so that others can see how truly amazing this world around us can be if we just look @ it with a new perspective.

I will sell & donate our artwork to raise money for local businesses, communities, & charities.

I will catch every moment that I can & create images that my clients will love for a lifetime.

& most importantly, I will do what I love & I will start NOW!

So - are you in need of a photographer? 

We are available for portraits, weddings, events, even pets!

No moment is too small to be remembered so please let us know if we can help you do just that!

"Barberry Freeze"

with mozart roses

These 2 pieces took me a little longer to put together considering I had to roll & glue each one of those little paper roses... a great idea I found on Pinterest that soon turned into a "what was I thinking" project :) 

All in all though - I'm loving how they turned out!

And now they're on their way to a charity auction for a great cause!

Valley Cities Counseling & Consultation.

I may be a little biased since Ron actually works for this great non-profit organization but they do alot in our community to help people from all walks of life dealing with all sorts of challenges. 

Let's hope this small donation can raise a little $ to help!

It started as an epiphany moment in the shower & has turned into something I can't stop thinking about. 

While I'm still working on all the details to make this dream a reality - we were given the chance to donate to a charity auction being held by a local school - Faith Baptist Christian Academy in Federal Way.  Since then, a couple more opportunities have presented themselves so I'm hoping this will be the first of many :) 

I'm so excited to show you our 1st Donation!!!

"Frosty Fall"

Each donation will be a little different since I had to come up with a way to do this without breaking the bank. 

Which leads me to the fun part...

My plan is to find materials for as little $ as possible & assemble them myself to keep costs low & raise some money!  This may not seem fun for everyone but I love searching clearance aisles & thrift stores to find treasures... the 14x26 frames above only cost me $7 a piece! (I also like bragging about my good deals ;)

So wish me luck & if you would like to get involved - don't hesitate to contact us!!