My kids are subjected to lots of photo sessions.  Not only do I love to document their childhood, I just love taking pictures.  Fortunately they're good sports about it.  While backing up my 2012 photos, I came across another "lost" photo session from our summer vacation.  Last summer we vacationed in Northern Michigan, and as part of that trip we spent the day at Castle Farms in Charlevoix.  Believe it or not, these buildings were once barns for animals.  Crazy!  I decided to take advantage of the beautiful setting and get some summer photos of the girls since I never took their official "3" and "5" year portraits.  Monkey wasn't all that thrilled to pose for pictures, but as always, I love how her personality shines through in the photos I did get of her!

Stone plus brick plus my beautiful girls...love, love love!

This next one is one of my favorite pictures ever of Monkey.  It's in the children's garden. (Her real name starts with an "E".)

This place is totally worth the price of admission if you're ever in the area.  It's not a real castle, but the kids don't know that.  There's a scavenger hunt, a children's garden, model trains, giant chess sets, and gorgeous architecture (even if it is just a fancy barn).  

Being a photographer, you would assume that I have walls full of photos of my family, tons of photobooks, and a nicely categorized hard drive full of my digital files, right?  Wrong.  I'm TERRIBLE at editing personal photos.  There are two reasons for this: first, client photos come first, and second, being a photographer, I can't resist shooting all of my personal photos in RAW and editing them the same way I do my clients' photos.  I know, I have a problem.  I'm working on it.  Anyway, back in May my family attended my cousin's wedding.  Naturally I took my camera and shot pictures during the ceremony and reception.  A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail from my cousin asking if he could see my photos.  I guess they're less than pleased with the work of their photographer and were hoping someone got some decent shots of the ceremony.  I was a bit embarrassed that I hadn't already edited those photos and sent them to him.  I honestly always intended to give him a copy (and not more than three months later).  So FINALLY, here they are, the photos from Joel and Laura's Memorial Day weekend wedding.  Keep in mind that these were not shot with my professional camera and were completely from the vantage point of an attendee sandwiched in the middle of the congregation, not a photographer.  

Isn't that dress gorgeous?!  I may be slightly obsessed with wedding dresses.

My adorable cousin Emily and her husband Tim.  We're anxiously awaiting an announcement.  Any day now!

My girls loved the wedding cake topper, but not as much as the individual wedding cakes on the tables (such a cute idea!)...especially Monkey, as you can see below.  In her defense, her Aunt Allie did it first!

Congratulations to Joel and Laura on your wedding.  Sorry your cousin is such a slacker when it comes to family photos.  Love you!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...there's nothing like dandelions to keep toddlers and preschoolers interested in a photo shoot.  

Check out my facebook page for the complete album.

Today was school picture day at preschool.  I don't have high hopes for Monkey's picture, especially since I was told she had a total meltdown right before hand about being in a pull up instead of her big girl panties.  So I packed a lunch and headed to the park with the girls after school.  After lunch I popped on my zoom lens and let them play in the dandelions.  Regardless of how the school pictures turn out, I have a few keepers of my own.  I'll have more to share later, but here's a quick one of my Monkey.  She's much happier when she doesn't know she's being photographed.