{anticipation of new life}

What better way to start off this holiday season than with the anticipation and excitement of new life! Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet a friend of a friend for some maternity photos. It was my first time photographing an expectant mother, so I had a lot of fun. Poor mama probably thought I was crazy asking her to lie in the grass while I experimented with my photography. Not to mention, as warm as it may appear in the photos, it was freezing cold. She was such a trooper as I dragged her to a couple different locations. I just remember being that far along barely being able to move. So thank you, Shauna! :-)

She was the cutest little pregnant woman I had ever seen -- doesn't she look amazing?!?! She was 37 weeks here and she is presently the proud mommy of a little baby girl (they didn't know what they were having). I'm so happy for their new little family!

Shauna, I hope you're enjoying mommyhood and I hope you enjoy looking back at these photos of that little life you carried inside of you. :-)

{treasure beyond measure}

This is the last family from my Madison photo shoots. And this family has a special place in my heart. I was Hannah's assistant at the firm I worked at in Madison before we moved. We clicked immediately and became fast friends (5 years ago now...can you believe that, Hannah?).

I'll never forget on my first day of work, Hannah took me out to go grab a cup of coffee at one of my husband's and my favorite coffee shops...I knew we were kindred spirits right then and there. ;-) How many attorneys take the time to do that with their assistants? Come to think of it, I was blessed because I had 3 attorneys I worked for who would take the time to do that with me frequently (I was spoiled for sure).

Wow, there are so many memories I could sit here and reminisce about...the laughter, the tears, the funny and not so funny. But one thing is for sure, this woman has the biggest heart in the entire world. She is one of the most incredible people I have ever met. She never ceases to amaze me with her kindness, and her genuine passion for life is contagious. I can never figure out how she does it all...she pours herself into everything she touches and still has more to give...she is completely selfless and absolutely amazing.

And her beautiful daughter, Makeda, is a reflection of all that her mama is and is equally as beautiful inside and out. I can't tell you how honored I feel to be able to call them my friends. And by now I'm sure I've made her blush (hehe), but she deserves all the admiration I can give and I know I don't tell her enough how much her friendship has meant to me over the years, even though we certainly don't get to spend much time together anymore. Hannah, you are like a sister to me and I love you...you are a treasure beyond measure! :-)

{Sunny Sunday Giggles}

This is a continuation of my Madison photo shoots I did for friends.

These kids belong to one of the attorney's I worked for in Madison when we lived there.  We have kept in touch since I've left and it was great to catch up with her and her adorable kids again.  Her little boy is only a couple weeks older than Kaydence.  I'll never forget the day I told her I was pregnant and she said "me too."  Unfortunately, we were already living miles a part by that time, but I have been privileged to see them on several occasions since.  These kids were so fun and full of life and completely gorgeous, as you'll clearly see by the photos.  











And a bonus one. lol Lets just say, the kids were pretty much done with photos by this point. ;-) They did really well though. :-)

{Double the Fun}

Here is another beautiful family from my Madison mini-shoots. We didn't have a whole lot of time because all the kids had a soccer game they had to get to, so we just had to take what we could get. Aren't these twins so sweet? I felt bad we didn't have enough time to photograph the kids on their own, but they are adorable just the same. They were so quiet and well behaved...and couldn't be cuter.

I know this one is silly, but I still love it.

{Bursting with Life}

Here is another beautiful family from my Madison shoots. Let me just say, this little girl loves her mama! Those smiles are all for her mama and what a lucky mama she is. :-) Both her and her big brother were bursting with life and I had so much fun trying to capture some of it.