It was a grey foggy morning when I pulled up to this family's home after a bit of a sketchy drive (because of the fog, not my driving skills!). But as you can see there was nothing grey or dreary going on once I walked through the door! I was greeted with so much warmth by Kassandra and Brent, as well as by the littlest cutie who was running around sans pants! Both boys totally ignored my camera which was a real treat, and we captured some beautiful, candid memories of them enjoying time together, with their parents and destroying a beautiful cheese board. There was also a very patient kitty thrown into the mix somewhere. It would be crime for me not to mention their gorgeous home...it was the perfect setting for an in-home family session and I will be stalking Kassandra's beautiful blog, Little DeKonings, for decor inspiration for many years to come! If anyone has any suggestions for how to convince my husband to redecorate our entire home, please send them my way ;)
Are you feeling it yet? That sense of impending doom when you realize that winter is really just beginning and is going to last foreverrrrr?! Well friends, fear not, because this family is going to show you how properly handle a freezing cold Saturday morning in the comfort of your own home. That's right, don your sweats and some cozy socks, break out an elmo snack catcher, cuddle up with your favourite people (and pets) and you're good to go! If your favourite people are a squishy baby boy and a sweet-as-can-be toddler, even better. Seriously though, Vanessa and Scott have the sweetest little guys and were the warmest and kindest people you could ask to spend a freezing cold Saturday morning with! Here's to hoping the rest of the winter's in-home family sessions are this cozy! Keep warm friends :)
Oh November. We have a bit of a love/hate relationship. Actually, it used to be just hate until Levi was born last November. But this year we saw our little man turn one. It’s hard to believe! Peter and I are enjoying discovering more about his little personality and it is pretty wild how quickly he is learning new things. We had a couple of dicey weeks with his molars coming in and I felt like I was going to lose my mind once or twice, but I am lucky to have the best mother-in-law who took Levi off my hands for a few afternoons so I could regroup (also my mom will want me to mention that she was off saving lives in Ghana otherwise she would have helped me too)! I think we have one more 1-year molar to go and then I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be done with teething for a while! Anyhow, I am marching along with the project and I think making it through this month was a victory. Hoping I can blaze through Christmas and then January and finish strong!
From the moment Nicole contacted me I knew I was going to love this family. So easygoing, flexible and fun, all ingredients for an enjoyable session! And the cherry on top? Peyton’s amazing hair and the fact that she was constantly yawning, which just might be the cutest thing a baby can do. She is clearly so loved by her big brother and parents. Nicole and Chase made two under two look effortless (don’t worry guys, I know its hard work!) and made me feel so welcome and comfortable in their home. I was honoured to capture these memories for them and hope that these photos will one day transport them back to that wild and beautiful time that they welcomed their baby girl.
In November Courtney and Ren welcomed their beautiful rainbow baby into the world! I had the pleasure of capturing their maternity photos and was counting down the days until I got to meet their newest family member! I trekked out to their cozy country home and got to capture some special memories of their first days together. Of course, when little Fay found out that I was coming she was far too excited to sleep! Luckily Courtney already knows this girl like the back of her hand, worked her mommy-magic and after some cuddles and rocking we had the sweetest sleeping baby on our hands. I’ll let her modelling skills speak for themselves. Courtney and Ren, I wish you many blessings as you embark on this journey of parenthood!
Phew! I wasn't sure this post was going to make it up, because I was SO inconsistent with my daily shooting this month. But when I started this project I told myself that if I missed a day I just had to fill it in with another photo, even though it was taken on another day in that month. Otherwise I'm not sure I would have taken on such a huge project...you need to give yourself a little grace sometimes! October brought the cold weather and a couple of colds with it. Poor Levi got a nasty viral rash from one of them (featured in many photos below!). It was super itchy and we had to smother him in calamine lotion. Luckily it wasn't chicken pox and not contagious, so the worst thing that came of it were a few dirty looks when I took him out in public. For Thanksgiving we went up to the cottage and enjoyed four days with family. This month we also celebrated Levi's first birthday with our families and he took his first steps (at his grandparents while we were out at a wedding, of course)! We had some fun dressing Levi up for Halloween...he was the cutest little lion and really enjoyed trick-or-treating to our next door neighbour's house, as you can see! Now we are just counting down the days until we can put up our Christmas tree :)
Being a mom is a blessing. We are gifted with these precious little lives that become so entwined with our own that it's hard to imagine life before them. It is also sometimes a bit monotonous, not very glamorous and at times frustrating (I'm assuming I'm not alone in this!). The thing I love about photography is that it is an exercise in observation and appreciation of what is right in front of you. As a mom it causes me to stop and think about the little things that I want to capture and looking back on the photos I have of the past year of Levi's life I am so thankful to have captured the little nuances of who he was at each stage.
I had the opportunity to capture Lindsey and her daughter Beth one morning in their home. It was so fun to document Beth and all the little things that make her who she is at this stage of her life. I look forward to watching this sweet girl grow!
I can't think of anything I enjoy photographing more than a brand new baby! So when little Olive joined this already adorable family I was beyond excited to document their first days as a family of four! Her big brother, River, was just the biggest bundle of energy and adorable-ness and her parents were so relaxed, natural and fun in front of the camera that they were an absolute breeze to photograph. This little lady already has a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out, so those of you who don't keep up with tween slang); she did not want to miss a single thing the entire session, but her mom Alison managed to coax her to sleep at the very end so we could capture her peaceful little face and details. I could probably rant all day about how much I loved this session, but I will let the newborn and family sweetness below speak for itself! Enjoy :)
I have known the J family for many years (15 years to be exact!), and was super excited when they asked me to do some extended family photos for them while their entire family was in town. We met at a beautiful park in Stouffville, and even though it was pouring rain on our way to the session the skies cleared just in time for us to start shooting! As you can see from the photos below there's a lot of love in this family and they were a joy to capture!
A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of going to meet this sweet little lady in the hospital when she was only 14 hours old! I've known Harlow's mom Sarah since high school, but we hadn't seen one another since grade 12, so it was so special to see Sarah and have a chance to catch up after all these years. Sarah and her husband Will were so kind and laid back and it is obvious that they will make wonderful parents to their sweet little girl! If you have a moment go check out Sarah's lifestyle blog and Will's photography portfolio...I think it's safe to say Harlow will inherit some serious artistic talent from these two!