Julianna and I grew up on the same street when we were kids but we hadn’t seen each other in years.  We reconnected, thanks to Face Book, and I am so happy I was able to be a part of her wedding day!  It was so great  to see her and her family again and to be able to meet, Travis (now, her husband!) for the first time.  When documenting a wedding day,  you get to know your clients and their families really well and I was delighted to work with two wonderful families.  Julianna and Travis are a beautiful couple and I wish them all the happiness in the world.  Here are a few of my favorite images Jaci and I captured on their wedding day.

In honor of the NFC Championship Game, I created my own little battle with Brody and a few cupcakes.  As you can see he tackled them like a true champ!  Perhaps this is a sign of what’s to come.

 Go Giants!!!!

Although the weather in Southern California is perfect for a photo shoot, almost every day of the year, one of the things I missed while living there was autumn.  Until now, I could not remember  the last time I had an autumn photo shoot.  College, maybe?  I was so excited when my friend Linda asked me to do to family portraits in the park, in November!  The weather was gorgeous, the colors of the leaves were amazing and the Dettos are a beautiful family.  I had a such a great time working with them.  I couldn’t have asked for a better day!  Here are a few of my favorite photos from our session.

As some of you may already know, since Buddha passed away,  I have been volunteering at Jersey Shore Animal Center whenever I have free time.  Since the holidays are approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to take some festive photos of the dogs for their website.  So many people purchase puppies as gifts this time of year and there are so many amazing dogs that need good homes.  Please, if you are thinking of getting a dog, check with your local animal shelter.  Chances are, they have the perfect dog for you!

I am thankful for so many things this year.  First and foremost, I am thankful for Brody. He has changed my life in so many ways and I love that I am learning and growing with him every single day.  I am also unbelievably blessed and grateful for having such a wonderful family and so many amazing friends.  Each person adds something unique to my life and I love each and every one of you.  I am thankful that I have a job that I love, that allows me to create my own schedule, so I can spend majority of my days with my son and still have enough income to support us.  It doesn’t get much better then that! Finally, I am grateful for Buddha and Hoshi for opening my eyes so that I was able to see someone for who they really are.  For that I will be eternally indebted.

I also appreciate that Brody napped long enough to allow me to write this post!

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of capturing Rayne and Zee’s wedding in North Carolina.  The weather was perfect, the couple was stunning and the location was absolutely beautiful! I loved every second of photographing this gorgeous day.   Rayne’s sister, Ragen, is one of my closest friends and over the years I have met her family on numerous occasions.  Knowing them, gave each photograph a special meaning to me.  It  was extremely difficult to decide what photos I wanted to include in this post because I like them all. I know how special this day was for the entire family and I am honored they chose me to document the day.

First, I must say that I just LOVE this couple!  Laura and Ricky are beautiful people and I enjoyed working with them so much.  They are so sweet and so in love and I am happy that I was able to capture their wedding day.  The wedding took place on Long Beach Island, NJ at Brant Beach Yacht Club.  My sister, Jaci and I had a hard time deciding where to shoot because there were so many places to choose from.  Here are just a few of my favorite photos from their gorgeous wedding day.

In honor of tonight’s opening game, Brody and I did a mini photo shoot.

GO GIANTS!!!

Nothing says “welcome back to work new mommy” like a family portrait session, at the beach, with seven children!  Meet the Schlueter’s.  They wanted to surprise their great grandparents with a photo of all the grandchildren together.  Have you ever tried to get the attention of seven children, all at the same time?   It’s not an easy task but I had a blast capturing each individual personality. Here are a few of my favorite photos.

On July 5th, 2011 at 8:10 pm, my son, Brody, was born and life as I knew it completely changed.  (for the best, of course!)  Not only was Brody the most incredible thing I have ever laid my eyes on, he was actually the biggest newborn baby I have ever seen!  hahaha He was 9.14 pounds and myself, my mother and the doctor just could not get over the size of him.  He is beautiful and I have been in love ever since that moment.

As ready, as prepared and as excited as I was, there really are no words to describe what it felt like to see and hold Brody for the first time, realizing, I grew this perfect little person inside of me.  It’s mind blowing.  It is incredible to watch him learn and grow everyday.  I have been so overwhelmed enjoying and taking care of him that I haven’t even picked up my camera! None of the photos in this journal entry were taken by me. (crazy, I know!) Luckily, my sister, Jaci has been capturing many special moments for me. She took the photos of Brody getting a bath. So far that seems to be his favorite time of day!

Brody and I are so lucky to be surrounded by our amazing family and wonderful friends who have all been so loving, welcoming, generous and helpful these past few weeks.  You have all made these past few weeks that much more beautiful.  You know who you are and we thank you all. I would also like to give a special thanks to my sweet Buddha for giving his life so that we would be exactly where we belong.