if laughter is medicine...

(((which i beleive it is))) i got my dose from this family. i had the opportunity to work with this hilarious family once again and i was thrilled!  this family was up for anything and suggested historic saint marys college for their session. lil' guy declan reminds me so much of my little brother it is insane. he is a hilarious, free spirited ball of energy that adds an element of fun to his session. this kid had me laughing until my cheeks hurt. mom, dad & older brother were a pleasure, as always. once we wrapped up at the college we snuck out to piney point for a bit. i was thrilled the weather even allowed us to enjoy the beach.
once again, THANKS for the belly laughs, memories and amazing smiles. oxxo

                                                           
                                                            p.s. this kid---LOVE it!

it's not about waiting for the storm to pass...

but rather learning to dance in the rain. literally. i was debating rescheduling this session because of the rain. momma had her heart set on adam joseph's first birthday session; and i'm glad she did. this session is a simple reminder that a little rain never hurt anything. we had a blast and as we were finishing up the rain stopped and we were even able to do a clothes change. sometimes things  just have a funny way of working out. enough about the weather, let me tell you how thrilled i am to FINALLY meet someone that likes cake as much as me. adam wasn't feeling the whole picture in the rain idea until momma whipped out his cupcake. then he was all smiles. of course big brother also had a cupcake and the look on his face when i asked him for a bite had me in stitches. but as much as adam loved his cupcake, i think he loves his grandpa just as much. thanks cheri, this session is one that i won't soon forget. oxo

this family...

makes my world go 'round. their sessions are always full of kid outtakes, belly laughs and memories that I will treasure forever. I feel like I blinked and little brother hunter is now two. how did this happen?!? I remember the first time I met this lil guy and couldn't believe just how itty bitty he was. hunter has grown into a independent, dirt loving, deer stand partner kinda kid. he is incredible. his brown eyes will melt your heart. his animated expressions show just how much fun he is. this session was bittersweet as now we have transitioned from the quarterly sessions to the yearly. (((but i was thrilled when mom mentioned a new cousin is joining the family in january, so i will get to catch up with these kiddos then)))

i said YES!

now that i have your attention; i hope that you take five minutes out of your crazy schedule to read this blog post; it is worth it.

during my teenage years, i spent the majority of my summers taking care of the 3 spaulding brothers. i basically lived at their house and absolutely loved every minute of it. these boys were just like brothers to me and we spent the summers fishing, crabbing, riding bikes, playing kick ball, swimming and laughing. these boys were like the three stooges: goofy and mischievous. i always tagged along on their family vacations and my first trip to the ocean was with them. i never felt like just a babysitter, rather a part of their family. i am forever grateful for all the love they showed me. in this family i found the most amazing mother who took me under her wing and always told me i was the daughter she never had. i was beyond blessed to have this incredible family in my life.

fast forward to present day and the oldest brother; tyler contacted me on facebook. he mentioned he was ready to propose to his girlfriend and asked if i could capture the proposal. without a doubt, I SAID YES. i mean, of course i would love to be the creep(er) ehhh i mean photographer that is hiding in the bushes waiting for the magic moment. to say i was excited was an understatement. in all of my years of photography, this would be a first. we talked for a bit about dates and location and i pretty much said just give me a date and time and i'm there.

what i didn't realize is just how much thought he had put into this proposal. of course, anxious me began asking questions, just to gauge where he was at in the planning process. my jaw dropped and eyes welled with tears when he explained what he had planned. i could not wrap my head around the idea that i wasn't reading a fairytale, but rather text messages from none other than tyler himself.

1. he scheduled an appointment for his future mrs. at the nail salon to get her out of the house.
2. he set up a scavenger hunt in their annapolis home; where the final clue led the future bride to the pier where he was with the ring and their boat. the hunt, to include handwritten clues was beyond my wildest dreams. the clues included items in their home that brought back special memories. for example, "...The last time you wore this outfit, i could not take my eyes off of you." "These keys have played a major role in our relationship. You are the Co-Captain on the boat and in my life." i thought to myself, is this even real life?!? tyler put so much thought and love into this, i was speechless. each clue was better than the last.
3. he made sure to wear the outfit that she just loves so much, shoes included.
4. he downloaded her favorite songs to play on the boat and had the cooler on the boat stocked with champagne and her favorite beer. 
5. he made dinner reservations by boat to celebrate after he popped the big question.

once i was able to pick my jaw up off the floor; i realized he was serious, and seriously in love with this girl.

this girl; steph is one of those incredible souls. she has this sort of spirit about her that is classy and fun. she has a simple elegance that just makes her so unique. she is just as in love with tyler as he is her. 

this day was beyond perfect. i will forever remember this as one of the most beautiful experiences i have ever had. i know love is a feeling, but how refreshing it is that i can see it too.

i will let these pictures speak for themselves; i was speechless.

lily is smart, hilarious and fun...

did i mention she also turned ONE?!? this kid cracks me up with her faces. i don't think i captured the exact same face twice with this cutie pie. she has to be the most expressive one year old i have ever met. i first met this cutie when she was three months old, and before i knew it mom contacted me to schedule her first birthday session. mom picked Historic St. Mary's City and College for the location. i was excited as it had been a while since i had done a session there. mom & dad explained that they both met while attending St. Mary's College. when they were dating they watched sunsets on a bench overlooking the water. dad proposed to mom on that same bench and they had maternity pictures taken there as well. how stinking adorable is that?!?  so of course we included the bench in their session.
dad also played baseball and brought along some props for the birthday girl. this session reminded me just how much i love families, kiddos and love stories. this family is super awesome and i was thrilled to be able to capture these special memories. oxxo

this family...

rocked their session. this mom and i work together and she was eager to schedule a family session. we decided on greenwell state park- which if you follow my blog, is one of my personal favorites. there is something about the variety that really makes for an excellent location. by the end of the session, there were countless simile, laughs and memories. lil' sis is a firecracker and clearly stole the show. big brother gets his serious side from his dad; but was sweet enough to share some smiles. thanks again kia, your family is super fun!