My little toothless wonder

There are some things not mentioned in the what-to-expect-while-you're-raising-your-children handbook. Things that are obviously included in the package deal, because you yourself experienced them as a child, but are oblivious to the fact that you'll get to experience them again one day in a different capacity. That realization smacked me in the face when Sydney had her first "wiggly" tooth. Oh ya, she is going to have to lose her baby teeth to get her big teeth...and she might need some help doing that. I wanted to run and hide. The thought of looking into those eyes full of fear induced tears was one I'd rather avoid. Perhaps answering the question of "will it hurt" with "probably a little" wasn't the most comforting response. But isn't honesty the best policy? Parents everywhere will answer that with a resounding "No!".

So here we are, five missing teeth later. A proud girl showing off her gappy grin. She just keeps growing and I keep learning. I'm discovering that as your children grow the experiences associated with the "firsts" change.  They are not all easy breezy. In fact, some of them are downright exhausting! The thrill of hearing your child say their first word doesn't come with the same anxiousness as watching their first successful ride on a bike. Regardless of the new first we're celebrating though, the size of my smile remains a constant. :)

Austin All Dressed Up

So when a four year old brings a tuxedo along for his session where do you take him?  The Guthrie obviously!  How adorable is my nephew?!  He picked out the colors for the tux himself.  Well, almost.  He had black and white shoes picked out but mom used her veto power and switched them to all black on the sly.  You could tell that he felt pretty dashing, strutting his stuff all over the place.

Had to bring Austin up to the amber room outside of the Dowling Studio.  Some tricky light but fun to play around with!

The weather was beautiful the morning of our session.  We got Austin changed into some more casual attire and took a little walk.  It felt fantastic to have part of the session outside!  Long overdue!

Engagements: Gary + Suzy

This was an engagement session months in the making.  The weather just never worked in our favor so we finally decided to surrender to mother nature and meet up at my good ol' faux spring standby, the Como Conservatory.  I've been there enough this past winter/spring that you'd think I should know more about the plantlife.  Instead, references such as "that pink spiky thingy" are as technical as I get.

Gary and Suzy are getting married very soon so I was grateful that they could take time out of their busy, last minute wedding planning schedule to shoot some engagement pictures.  They are a fun couple and I'm really looking forward to their wedding in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the pictures!

Como Session with E + B

I met up with E & B at the Como Conservatory in St. Paul for another faux spring session.  I need to express my love for the Conservatory.  It is a fantastic and beautiful place to shoot; HOWEVER, I am highly anticipating getting outside for some actual spring sessions!!  I write this holding back tears as I watch the rain drizzle down my window.  Again.

The obvious must be stated, by the way, that these two adorable kids have way more style than I do.  I'm not ashamed to admit it.  They are snazzy little dressers!  We had a lot of fun running briskly walking responsibly around the Conservatory and even got outside long enough to lose the feeling in our fingers and toes.  Thanks for a fun morning out with me E & B and Mom, too!

Weddings: Jessica & Toby

As I was making the drive up to my hometown of Pine City, MN for a wedding this past Saturday, I couldn't resist channeling Alanis Morissette and belting out the lyrics, "it's like ra-i-ai-nnn on your wedding day!".  I've been singing lots of songs with the word "rain" in them this spring, mostly "rain, rain, go away"...and also too many songs with the word "snow" in them.  I have no business singing "White Christmas" in April.  Oh well, at least the mosquitos aren't out yet!

Jessica and Toby were married on a rainy day at the Lighthouse Church in Pine City but the weather certainly wasn't dampening anyone's spirits. There were many thoughtful and personal touches throughout the day.  Like when Toby delivered a wedding day gift to his bride before the ceremony.  Note to all grooms: Bride + Wedding Day Gift = Melt into a puddle.  Then, to my surprise (and utter thrill) the church doors opened after the ceremony to sunny, blue skies.  A good day!

Here's a preview of some of the love and fun from Jessica and Toby's big day!