Happy New Year!

Yes, I know I'm a little late to the party wishing everyone a happy new year in mid-March.  Instead of repeated apologies for my lazy blogging I will just dive right into getting you caught up...

The year 2012 began just as every year before it had for me...with my birthday.  Last year I celebrated my big 3-0.  "Celebrated" may not be the best word choice.  I vaguely recall being curled up in the fetal position under the covers in bed, waiting for my AARP card to arrive in the mail.  Dramatic, I know.  As my days as a twenty something were fleeting I focused on all of the things that I wanted to accomplish before the 30 year roadblock but hadn't done so.  In my head I had this chore list that had met its deadline and I'd ultimately came up short on.  I did not welcome my 30s with open arms.

This year though, I met 31 with a fresh perspective.  I've decided to make this a year of growth, both personally and professionally.  There are areas in my life where I need to get off the bench and start playing.  I'm ready to get off the bench.  I'm ready to challenge myself more, trust myself more, and pick on  myself less.  Oh, and pick up a racquet and play tennis again (because that one's still on the chore list).  So, cheers to my 30s!  I will do my best to make sure they rock.  We will reconvene again in nine years when I'm staring down 40.

Now on to the pictures...In January we spent a week in Arizona on a family vacation with my in-laws.  It was a fantastic trip for two reasons, 1) it just was, and 2) we missed that ONE week of cold weather back in Minnesota that actually made it feel like winter this year.  Here are some pictures from our trip, which included hiking in the desert, horseback riding, rodeos, a trip to Tombstone, cowboy hats, whips, and shootouts with cap guns.  And thanks to my husband's uncle and aunt for their generous hospitality.  They invited eleven of us into their home for a week and didn't even threaten to kick us out once!

Enjoy!

New Arrivals {BRAND New}: Baby Nolan

I had the priveledge and honor of joining Brooke and Jason in the delivery room to document the arrival of their third child (and my second nephew), Nolan. It started with a routine check-up that ended in the delivery room; with some laughing, lots of waiting, Facebook status updates, and a tense and unexpected moment or two along the way. I don't really have too much to say on this post. I'm hoping the images kind of speak for themselves. It was a blessing to watch my new nephew come into this world and I look forward to watching him grow...and taking many pictures of him along the way! Congrats to Brooke & Jason, big brother Austin and big sister Paige.

On the Run with Miss O

First things first.  Someone needs to figure out a way to bottle a child's energy.  I would buy that. 

Meet Miss O.  I met her and her Mama at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony on a beautiful late afternoon in May.  I've taken pictures with little Miss O on several occasions, and after her mom and I had a good laugh over an embarrassing moment (self-induced) from a previous session, we got down to the business of making silly faces, playing and having all kinds of fun.  Miss O is super cute with an infectious smile.  And on this day she was all about exploring.  And I was all about chasing her, everywhere, in that adorable dress.  Isn't that dress so sweet?  Here are some pictures from our session. Enjoy!

Wedding Preview: Gary + Suzy

Gary and Suzy are a beautiful couple.  And fun.  And just a bit smitten with each other.  You don't need to spend a lot of time with them to see this.  I was so happy to be celebrating their wedding day with them.  And equally happy to once again have Brooke Wood second shooting with me.  Love her.

The day began as my other May weddings had...with rain.  And more rain coming.  Gary and Suzy had chosen not to see each other prior to the ceremony.  This worked out nicely because after the ceremony at the beautiful Faith Lutheran Church in St. Paul, the church doors were opened to a fabulous and unexpected surprise, sunshine!  We took a drive around Como, where Gary had grown up, and took some pictures.  Then headed over to O'Reilley Hall in North St. Paul for the reception.  My day started and ended with rain, and what happened in between was absolutely lovely.  Here are a few pictures from the day...

One of Brooke's pictures of the ladies.

 The newlyweds

 One of Brooke's pictures and one of my faves.  So sweet!!

 I loved the yummy light coming through Suzy's veil during their Grand March into the reception hall.

 Suzy surprised Gary with a Stanley Cup cake.

It was a good surprise.

I'm a sucker for funny and heartfelt wedding toasts.  Toast time is always one of the highlights of the day for me.  The best man and maid of honor both delivered. Big time.

What wedding would be complete without the groom treating the crowd to "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah"?  It really doesn't get much better than that, does it?!

 Oh yes, and this happened...

Catch Me If You Can: My Session with B & F

To say that I am a multi-tasker would be an exaggeration.  Actually, it would be a down-right lie.  My husband would tell you that I have a difficult time chewing gum and composing a complete sentence at the same time.  And I wouldn't have much of an argument, as I struggle to write this blog post and listen to music at the same time!  In fact, I just had to break from writing to do a little dance in my chair to SexyBack by Justin Timberlake.  Anyways...I do, however, love taking pictures, crazy cute kids, and exercise that doesn't feel like exercise.  Combine those three things and you have my session with B & F.  On our first attempt at their session we were rained out.  Weird, I know, it's hardly rained at all this spring (heavy on sarcasm).  We tried again the next morning with sunny skies.  There's so much brotherly love between these two.  So cute!  Full of smiles and energy.  The little man was going full speed ahead the entire session and was never without a smile on his face.  It was a fun way to start off the day!  Thanks for spending the morning with me boys!

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!