mandy + travis: engaged

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I grew up with Mandy. She and I went to the same church, elementary, high school, youth group, etc. She moved to Wisconsin where she met Travis (a Miami Dolphins fan … I know, weird). Anyway, I’ve seen her happy on numerous occasions. Now, if memory serves me (this always gets dangerous), Mandy’s middle name is Joy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her live up to her middle name as much as she did when we met for her engagement session just over a week ago. Wow, these two are in love. I smiled during the entire session. I’m really excited to be partnering with Nikki again to shoot their October wedding. There is no doubt the day will full of joy, as God’s been planning it for quite some time.

If you have just a little fun today, it’s a sign that maybe the future will hold even more fun for you. Fun isn’t just fun – it’s hope. – Linda Richman

There are a few more shots of this adorable couple in the slideshow below.

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what makes a great fifth birthday party

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1 – games

i hope his face is like that when he’s sixteen and behind the “real wheel”

2 – fear of charles e. cheese

this is exactly what I do when I see mice, too

3 – the longest candle-blowing-out moment in the history of.the.world.

see connor so badly wanting to show him how to get those flames extinguished?

4 – one beautiful girl who called me her best friend by the end of the day

world’s most adorable two-year-old. no question

5 – one very special boy that we would drive across the state to celebrate with again in a heart beat.

happy birthday, Master Owen!

 

he’s growing up

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It’s bible school week at church. There will be a follow-up to share all of the hilarity that goes along with sugared-up preschoolers but I decided to take the first three days of this week off because 1.) I needed some time with CJ and 2.) I inevitably wind up with a migraine by the end of bible school week because it’s just.so.much.

We swam for a bit Sunday and Lindsey’s elbow accidentally met Connor’s front tooth (the last man standing, if you will) and knocked it loose … well, a bit more loose than it was already and then it hit me. I realized just how much he’s growing up. His face is changing; his vocabulary is expanding; he catches more of my sarcasm; and, teeth are nearly flying out of his mouth at this point.

After a busy couple of days with cousins and friends and bible school, I decided today I was going to soak up as much of the day as I could with him. He snuck into my bed sometime around six and then slept soundly until 8:30. We ate breakfast on the deck, got dressed and headed to the driving range. He nailed a couple of great drives and when he got frustrated that every ball didn’t go that far (or even fifteen feet, for that matter), he started talking about grass growing in the sand. Change the focus much?

We came back, showered up and headed to Kalamazoo for some fun at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Can I just say how awesome it is to have a free museum nearby? We paid for a planetarium show but that was all (aside from parking) and walked out of there with treasure crafts (a crown, a couple wooden bracelets and two wooden tops that he was able to decorate) and non-stop chatter about all the cool exhibits inside.

For the first time in a long time, too, I asked him for a few pictures and he obliged. He never does that. I just wanted to capture his face … just as it is right now. He likes smiling with his ridiculous tooth hanging out but he also gave me a couple sweet grins and all I knew was that my little guy is no longer so little. He’s a boy … my almost first grade boy.

toothy grin

My silly boy.

mooth with a looth tooth

My growing-up boy.

high school senior in training

 

amazingly beautiful

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My sister and I were honored to shoot a wedding today in one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever step foot in. Today wasn’t the first time I’ve been in Hope College’s Dimnent Chapel, but I’ve never been lucky enough to have my camera in hand.

I have to say that today, though, someone overshadowed the church. Continue reading

diy: what some might call “ruining wood”

My awesome brother-in-law (I’ve talked about him before) had a dresser he’d purchased a year or two ago at a garage sale because it was real wood, beautiful and cheap. I needed a dresser. I saw the dresser he had stored in his barn and it looked sad … like it needed a home … in my bedroom. Continue reading

along for the ride

I’m not sure if mother nature is extending hours in the day at this point but seriously, is it still Monday? ‘Cause … I’m over it.

Anyway, in super happy shiny news, I went to Chicago for an overnight with the ladies this past weekend. Sadly, that 28ish hour period went by much more quickly than this past one has. Continue reading