Archive for the ‘families’ Category

lucy: new life

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

sweetness abounds.

early on in the session, we must have done something to offend this poor dear because she was not happy.  and just when we had started to lose hope for “contented baby” pictures, we stripped her down.  apparently all she wanted was to be free.

little did i know when i first arrived that this grammy is a mennonite girl.  and she can cook.  and if that still doesn’t make any sense to you, go buy this and thank me later.  all i have to say is: paska.

thank you gorgeous family…you’re one blessed little babe, lucy!

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Posted in baby pictures, families 6 Comments »

the teers

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

for anyone who knows this family, you will know what i mean when i say “the best”.  they are loving and kind and fun and quirky and beautiful (like seriously, how did they all get so beautiful)…the good stuff.

they’ve spent a lot of time in the hospital lately as there was a health scare (which is putting it SO lightly) with “the matriarch” 🙂 (is it okay if i call you that miss j?).  when all seemed to be crumbling, this family united in a way that was so unbelievable and so pure and so not of this world…it was something you don’t see much of these days.  it seems that often in times of crisis, people turn on one another and look for someone to blame, but these good people turned TO jesus and drew together so tightly that there was no force on earth or any other place that could break them.  their faith was increased instead of weakened.  and as they loved God and each other, they saw healing.

so why am i telling you all of this?  well, the family was back in the hospital this week.  but this time it was a celebration.  and i got to be there (i may not have been invited, but that’s what’s so great about this family…they said “come on in”).  they just added a little girl to their brood and their boys were on their way over to meet her for the first time.

and then there are all the gorgeous aunties.  so many gorgeous aunties.

how much do you love how this papa is looking at his baby girl?

i didn’t even plan on blogging this, but i felt like a thank you was in order and this was something small i could do to say it. thank you for the amazing example you have set for me of what it means to believe.  and hope.  and really love.  like really love.  even this mama, who lost 40% of her blood post-labor the night before, says about 5 minutes after i got there…”and how are you?”.  like i said: the best.

Posted in baby pictures, families 10 Comments »

dueck family

Friday, July 8th, 2011

sweet.  lovely family, abandoned property, golden light, impeccably dressed children…and mosquitos.  and blackberry bushes.  and drug dealers?  or maybe we just imagined those.  still, it was quite the adventure!  seems it always is when i’m involved 🙂  thankfully these guys fully went along with my whims and followed where i lead.  made for some pretty pictures, if i do say so myself.

i should clarify.  though kris is a builder and a newly instated realtor(check him out through landmark realty), he did not build, nor did he buy or sell the home above.  just so we’re clear.

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Posted in families 5 Comments »

three girls.

Friday, June 17th, 2011

i was one of three girls.  so i know what it’s like.  especially looking in that dad’s eyes…i recognize that look.  that “love my little girls even though they drive me crazy sometimes and i’m not sure what to do with them…they’re so beautiful and i would do anything to make them happy…though i know the teenage years are coming and if ‘anything’ means letting them take my car to meet their boyfriend they’ve got another thing coming…but thankfully i’ve got a few years before that so i should really soak up every moment they are still daddy’s little girls” kind of look.

these girls were SO into exploring.  we could barely keep them still for a moment…they were so excited to discover something.  anything!


it just wouldn’t be right if i didn’t wrap it up with a little “mischief”…what else can you expect with three girls!!

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Posted in families 4 Comments »

art is good.

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

one of the many fabulous contacts i made at the old school market was with the lovely debbie.

she invited me to come to the grand opening of the 4Cats arts studio here in abbotsford to document the festivities.  i had heard of 4Cats before, but had never been in one of their studios.  what an incredible place!!

i really wanted to let the kids feel comfortable and like they didn’t need to perform, so i tried to capture natural expressions instead of forcing everyone to say “cheese”.  it was amazing to see the range…from intense concentration to pure elation.

one of my favorite things about this idea is that it gives kids a place where they can totally unleash their creativity and it allows parents to take a step back and really see how artistic their kids are…while not having to worry about cleaning up the mess!!  you just walk away.  they get to do things here that you secretly dream of letting them do at home.  and kids do not disappoint, i tell you.  you would not believe what they are capable of.  i’m so excited that our city finally has a place like this and i can’t wait to enroll my kids in a class.  congratulations, debbie and your 4Cats team!

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Posted in corporate photography, event photography, families 8 Comments »

the toropocs

Monday, June 6th, 2011

it’s been awhile since i got to take pictures of a little little baby and i have to be honest, i was kind of nervous going into this session.  thankfully, this dude was a perfect gentleman.  he slept a little and then was awake a lot…he even obliged his affectionate sister and stayed still while she showed him a little love.

you may remember this family from a shoot we did while breana was pregnant.  we had planned then to do some pictures right after their little boy was born, but i got a call the day we were scheduled and they told me tudor’s mom had suddenly passed away.  he had to travel home to romania immediately and was gone for two weeks.  i was so sad to hear this news as we had just been talking a little bit about his mother when i had been with them a couple of months before.  in the midst of all of this, a series of verses kept coming to mind that are found in the bible in the chapter of isaiah:

“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”  to see this beautiful little boy and the joy that he brings to this grieving family…i can’t help but feel like he’s a living testimony to this verse.  not to minimize the sadness, but to know that even in sorrow there is hope.  and new life.

you guys are an amazing family – i’m so blessed to know you.  tudor: your mom would be so proud to see the father you have become.

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Posted in baby pictures, families 7 Comments »

the nyvalls

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

i first had the privilege of meeting this lovely lady at a women’s group i attended a few years ago, back when i was the pregnant mother of one and she was expecting her first.  oh how times have changed!

she had been asking around to see who could do their family pictures and had a friend recommend me…we hadn’t seen each other in quite sometime and she had no idea i was even a photographer!  it was so great to reconnect and meet her beautiful family.

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Posted in baby pictures, families 1 Comment »

happy birthday, keith!

Friday, May 13th, 2011

i got an e-mail from kristi a few months ago requesting a photo shoot with her daughters which they wanted to surprise their dad with for his birthday.  one of the stipulations was that we re-create an old picture from when the girls were little.  while mom had just wanted to get a nice picture of the girls together on the first day of school, rachel made the mistake of saying something offensive to elena and little miss e. couldn’t quite hide her disdain for her older sister.  thankfully rachel wasn’t phased 🙂

with that out of the way, our only mandate now was to have fun.  kristi had her eye on a sweet little farm down the road, which provided a great backdrop for some shots of the three of them.

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Posted in families 3 Comments »

my peeps

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

this is my dad’s family.  since doing maternity pictures of my cousins and sessions with both of their newborns, my auntie norma has been saying that she wanted to do some of their whole family.  so when my cousin contacted me to do pictures as a gift for my aunt’s milestone birthday, i was delighted knowing she would be so happy to receive them.  i won’t tell you how old she is, but i will say she looks amazing for that age and you’ll just have to trust me!

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Posted in families 3 Comments »

more cute to be had.

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

september 2009.  camp charis.  breana and tudor are expecting their first child.  lots of anticipation (maybe a little stress) and so much joy.  to see tudor talking to breana’s belly… he said he wasn’t ready, but he was ready.

and now here we are.  a year and a half later.  bundle of joy in the flesh.

and another one on the way.

and as all you parents of toddlers out there can relate, as quickly as it began, it was over.  she was done and that was that.

but what great fun it was while it lasted!  (and little does she know, i’m coming back for more when her brother arrives.  oh yeah.)

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Posted in families, maternity 4 Comments »