Kayla & Cameron - Denver Engagement

You might remember when my sister got engaged last December ... If you don't, you can read about and see her engagement here. Well, we got around to taking their engagement photos in June, and since we FINALLY got their Save the Dates sent out this week, I can finally post their gorgeous pictures!  Their pictures turned out just darling, but I am a little bias. :)

Here are some of my favorites from that beautiful June day!

Even though we didn't end up using these for the Save the Dates, we took a handful of "Save-the-Date" pictures that I thought turned out cute so I just had to share!

Here is Kayla and Cameron with their cute pups.

Isn't my nephew so dang cute?

Erin & Michael's Gorgeous Crested Butte Wedding!

Where to begin?  I was so, so blessed to be apart of this extraordinarily perfect wedding.  From the location, to the people, to the details, to the lawn games, to the celebration and the dancing ... simply perfect. Did I mention the location?!  This wedding was on top of Crested Butte Mountain and was GORGEOUS! The rain held out, the sun was shining, and the stunning mountain peaks in the background were breathtaking.

Here is the gorgeous bride and handsome groom ... stunning!

And without further ado, I will let the rest of the photos do the talking.  Enjoy!

This couple sure knows how to throw a FUN party!!  It was such a fun reception, and I always love a good sparkler send-off to end a wonderful day!

Congratulations Erin & Michael!  Thank you so much for having me be apart of your special day!

Kristin & Allen - A Beautiful Downtown Denver Wedding - First Baptist Church of Denver & The Tivoli

Words cannot even begin to describe how beautiful and perfect this wedding was!  I am so happy for Kristin and Allen, and I am so thankful that I got to be apart of this blessed day!  Capturing your wedding day was so much fun, and the love you both have for each other is contagious!  I think we can all agree that this was one GIANT celebration!  

Here are the beautiful and handsome bride and groom!  Kristin's gorgeous dress was from BHLDN and designed by Catherine Deanne.  So stunning!  Ladybird Poppy did all of the floral, and these bouquets were to die for!  They did such an incredible job!

The ceremony took place at the First Baptist Church of Denver ... a stunning church in the heart of Denver right across from the State Capital building!

Kristin and Allen have a LOT of people that love them!  They had such a fabulous wedding party, and tons of family and friends that came from all over to celebrate with them!

The reception was in the Turnhalle ballroom at The Tivoli.  It was gorgeous to say the least!  All of the food was catered by Relish Catering, and it was delicious!  They had ice-cream and cupcakes instead of cake ... so fun!!

The dancing and celebrating could have gone on all night ... everyone had such a fabulous time!

Congratulations to Kristin and Allen!  I wish you all the best in the years to come and forever after ... Thank you for having me capture your perfect day!

July Goals

Recently I have seen a lot of bloggers blog about their goals for the month.  So, not to be a copy cat, but I loved the idea so much, that I made myself some goals for the month of June.  I may not have crossed every single one off, but I can honestly say that it really helped me stay on track and helped to get things done for the month.  The summer seems to go by so fast, that it's important to make sure that you are getting everything done that you need to in the short amount of time that you do have!  Everyone says to me, "You're so lucky that you get the summer off" ... If you call shooting and editing weddings, managing my business, tutoring, babysitting, and all of the other various things that I do  "off" then, yes, I do get the summers off.  But, let me just tell you that even though it's incredibly nice to have a change of a pace, and a bit of different schedule throughout June and July, I am still working full time, running around like a crazy woman trying to get everything done!  So, setting goals is a great way to help me stay focused, get things done, and keep a balanced life.  When you set your goals, you need to make sure that you have a wide-variety of goals you want to achieve - personal goals, work goals, to-do list goals, etc.  I always make it a point to add one or two "me" goals, which include pampering myself or being healthy or reading a book ... whatever it might be!  

Since I loved my June goals so much,  I spent the morning thinking about and writing about my July goals, and oh boy, is there a lot to get done in this month!  Before I dive into my July goals, I'm just going to go over my June goals so you all can see what I accomplished!

Here they are:

June Goals:

#1 - Read 1 book & 2 magazines

Have I ever mentioned that I have a reading problem?  I read so, so many books all of the time that I never dive into the stack of magazines that I have piled up on my coffee table.  So last month I wanted to limit the number of actual books I read to only one, which was super hard for me!  But that's what I did!  I read ONE book, and spent the rest of my "reading" time looking through the wonderful magazines that I subscribe to!  They really are great reads so it was exciting to get through a couple of magazines and decrease the load on my coffee table :)  The book I did read was The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.  I'm sure you have heard about this WONDERFUL book since the movie just came out, which is exactly why I wanted to read it.  I always like to read the book before the movie comes out.  The book was incredible to say the least.  It's an easy and quick read that will have you bawling your eyes out by the end of it.  You fall in love with the characters and it's such an inspiring read!  After I finished it, I had to stop myself from immediately starting the whole thing over again.  Okay, I may have gone back and read the first chapter again, but I didn't let myself re-read the whole thing!  Yes, it really is that good!  And after reading the book, which my sister read at the same time, we went to see the movie!  We thought it would be fun to go on a double date so we dragged our boys along as well.  Cameron, my sister's fiancé, loved the movie (but he's always been a chick flick fan), but Brandon, on the other hand, slept through most of it!  Can you believe that?!  Yes, SLEPT through it!  I had to shake him every couple of minutes to keep him from SNORING!  How dare he!  I bring him to a nice movie, and that's what I get in return!

#2 - Finish grad school!

Yes, you read that right!  I technically "graduated" in May, but the program I was in, required us to take one more online research class before we actually get our diplomas.  It was the silliest thing ever, and I felt like I was done because I walked at graduation, but I really wasn't done yet.  Until now!  I submitted my VERY LAST paper on Saturday.  Boy, does it feel GREAT!

#3 - Do something healthy and active everyday

Whether it was stretching, going to yoga, swimming some laps, running, or doing a Tone It Up workout, I made sure to do something active everyday in the month of June!  There might have a been a couple of expectations, but for the most part, I stuck with it!

#4 -Crack down on triathlon training

This goal went along with #3, and my sis and I had all the right intentions for doing a triathlon.  We even started going to swim lessons, made a training schedule, and signed up for an outdoor swim clinic.  But that is where our triathlon hopes ended for this year.  We (and by "we" I mean "I") had a bad experience at this swim clinic.  Besides the FREEZING cold water (yes, I'm a water wimp), it was one of the hardest things I have EVER done!  Holy shmoly!  Having never really swam before, we decided we should probably  learn how to swim before committing to a triathlon.  The swim clinic made us realize that we need to be REALLY comfortable in the water so that's what we are going to do!  We are going to keep at it with swim lessons and training, and will hopefully do a triathlon next summer instead!

#5 - Stay on top of photo editing

Summer time gets a little bit crazy with all of the weddings, family shoots, engagement sessions, and everything else that comes my way in regards to photography.  Staying on top of photo editing is a MUST!  The last thing I want is to start the school year with a handful of shoots to still get through.  I'd say that I did pretty well in the month of June, but come July, I'm going to need to spend every spare moment that I have editing!

If you missed the latest wedding I finished, click here!

#6 & #7 - I can honestly say I did not do.  Let's be honest, #7 I probably will not get to over the summer.  Those are things I would LOVE to do, but will probably not happen.  #6 I'm adding to my July list because that has to get done!

#8 - Get a pedicure!

I got a pedicure on a lovely afternoon with my sister, and even used a gift card that I got from one of kindies at the end of the school year.  It was delightful!

Now, I'm onto my July goals!  This month I am going to be one busy bee!  The goal list as well as the to-do list is long!  Here it goes:

#1 - Prepare for teaching!

This is a goal that is both SUPER exciting but also really overwhelming at the same time!  Heading into my first year of teaching, there is SO much to do!  I'm not even sure where to begin with this one, but since this is my last month before school starts, I've got to get on it.  I have piles of teaching stuff all over my tiny apartment ... I need to get organized, get the keys to my classroom, set up my classroom, plan, prepare, and the list goes on!

#2 - Deep clean apartment

This also is a must!  My apartment is always clean, but it could use a deep scrubbing!

#3 - Clean out closet and desk

This was carried over from June, but this also must get done this month!  I do not want to start out the school year with a messy desk or closet.  A clean home will help me feel like I have it together :)

#4 - Renew Lease

#5 - Update website

I haven't added new photos to my website since last FALL!  Oh how I have really fallen behind!  I would love to get my website updated before the crazy year starts!

#6 - Stay on top of photo editing

Another must!  With a wedding to edit plus another wedding that I'm photographing this weekend plus another wedding scheduled in August, staying on top of my editing will be essential!

#7 - Go on 1 photo adventure

With SO many shoots throughout the summer, taking pictures for just myself seems to always fall to the back burner.  But, this month, I'm determined to spend some time taking photographs for just me!  (This might even happen this coming weekend! We will see!)

#8 & #9 - Spend more time outdoors & go to the pool at least 3 times

It's summer after all!  Why did I spend so much of June cooped up indoors??  I've only been to the pool ONE time (2 if you count the day I spent at the pool with girls I babysit for), and I'm determined to get my money's worth out of my apartment pool!  Call me up if you want a pool day!

#10 - Read 1 book + lots of magazines

This was on my June list, but I liked it so I'm adding it again!  I'm currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak which will be the one book I finish in July, and then I'm determined to get through the handful of Nat Geo's that are sitting around the house :)

There you have it!  10 goals for the month!  What are your goals for July?  I'll check back in August with how I did this month!

Ellen & Robert's Wedding - The Sanctuary

Ellen and I lived right next door to each other when we were little, and we grew up being great friends so when she contacted me about photographing her wedding I couldn't have been more happy!  It was so much fun to get to be apart of her special day!  Ellen and Robert's wedding was PERFECT in every way. They got married at The Sanctuary golf course in Castle Pines, which is an absolutely beautiful venue!  It had been a gloomy morning, and it poured down rain while Ellen and Robert were getting ready for the ceremony.  BUT, right before the ceremony started, the rain cleared up, and it ended up being a bright, sunny gorgeous afternoon!  Ellen and Robert met in college at the Colorado School of Mines and they are perfect for each other!  I knew that we would all get along great when they invited me over for pizza to go over all of the last minute details before the wedding!  They were both SO easy to work with and they were so laid back and relaxed about the whole thing.  Ellen was probably the calmest bride I've ever photographed ... nothing could have happened that would have stressed this bride out!  

The wedding was PERFECT (did I already mention that?!) down to the very last detail.  Look at how stunning all of these details were!

Everybody was so relaxed while getting ready.  The bride and her bridesmaids took their time, chatted, and munched on chips and salsa and quesadillas while sipping on some wine.  The groom and his groomsmen had to get cleaned up after spending the morning skeet shooting.

Here is the handsome groom and beautiful bride all ready for the celebration to get started!  Don't they both look so good?!  Ellen wore her mom's wedding dress ... isn't it beautiful?

The ceremony was both elegant and romantic...

It was so obvious that both Ellen and Robert had GREAT people standing by their sides on this special day ... they are SO loved!

I just can't get enough of this bride and groom ... simply stunning!

The reception was filled with great speeches, an amazing dinner, a delicious cake, and lots of dancing! The perfect end to a perfect day of celebrating!

Thank you to the Verkler and Wright family for having me!  I am blessed to have been the one to photograph this amazing day!

The Brown Family - A Backyard Portrait Session

This past winter, I donated a family portrait package to Greenwood Elementary School's silent auction.  The mom of the girls I babysit for helps put it on every year, and I always love an opportunity to support a good cause.  All of the money earned went directly to the school, which as a teacher myself, I am in HUGE support of that no matter what!  I am looking forward to continuing to do this for years to come, especially because it allows me to meet families I may never have otherwise gotten to meet!  It was SO much fun photographing the darling Brown family!  Aren't these boys just as cute as can be?!  They were SUCH troopers, and made my job a piece of cake!  I was so impressed with their incredible attitudes, fun personalities, and charming smiles!  Not to mention, how awesome is their yard?!  Yes, you got that right ... we did these photos at their house!  Can you say BEAUTIFUL!?  It was such a pleasure to meet this family ... Thank you SO much for buying my auction item!

Punta Mita, Mexico - Spring 2014

Let me start by saying how thankful I am to the O'Donnell family ... I am so blessed by everything you do for me already, and getting to go to Mexico with you guys was absolutely incredible! I was so, so blessed to get to travel to Punta Mita (a BEAUTIFUL little town just north of Puerta Vallarta) with the family that I babysit for.  I've been watching these kiddos for just about 8 years, and getting to spend the week with them on the beach was such a treat!  The six of us along with two other families spent the week swimming, surfing, exploring, building sandmen (yes, the movie Frozen was our inspiration, and lots of singing, "...do you want to build a snowman..." was involved), and soaking up the warm sun!  We couldn't have asked for better weather or for a better trip!  Everything about it was perfect including the nights that I got to spend watching Disney movies with six adorable kids!

Here is me with the girls ... now that is the LIFE!

It was only natural that I would become the photographer for the week, and upon returning, I realized that I may have taken TOO many pictures, if that is even possible!  I tried to be "choosy" for this blog post, but it was hard to decide what to include so bear with me! Here we are traveling to Punta Mita!  We had to get up at 5 a.m. on the morning we left, but boy, were we excited and anxious to get there!  I sat with Emmy and Cece on the plane ride there ... we passed the time by coloring, playing games on the iPad, and reading stories

Our first day there was spent by swimming in our villa's pool followed by meeting the other two families for dinner on the water!

We spent a lot of time on the beach and swimming in the pool!

One day we went to the town of Sayulita where we went surfing, ate the best fish tacos, and went shopping on the streets

We spent many evenings watching the sunset on the beach ... can you spot the whale in a  few these?

Just another day on the beach!  (These are some of my absolute favorite pictures!)

This is how I spent my nights when I was babysitting while there ... CUTE!

Our last full day there, Anna took me exploring in the tide pools ... we collected snails and hermit crabs, but we set them free a little while later!  Brady, Emily, and Cece joined us :)

And we had a LOT of fun with my under water camera!

Of course we took some good ol' family portraits while there too!

This girl didn't put a book down the entire trip except to go surfing :) She even read by candle light or by the light of a friend's iPad during dinners!

And FINALLY ... my absolute FAVORITE picture of the ENTIRE trip!

Drum roll please...

Featured Wedding // Chelsie & Chase - Blackstone Country Club

Chelsie's and Chase's gorgeous fall wedding is today's Wedding Wednesday candidate!  Enjoy!

Michael & Erin - Engagement - Cheeseman Park

Say hello to the soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Clayton!  Congrats to Michael and Erin who got engaged this holiday season!  Michael and Erin met in college at Western State and they are getting married this July on top of the Red Lady ski lift on Mt. Crested Butte.  I am so excited and honored to be the one who gets to capture so many memories for this couple!  Even on a freezing cold, snowy day, it warms your heart to be around two people who are so obviously in love and perfect for each other!  Thank you Erin and Michael for braving the 12 degree weather with me ... I hope your fingers have finally warmed up!

The Matthews & Reilly Family - A Beautiful Afternoon at Wash Park!

The Proposal - My Sister is Engaged!

Yesterday was a very special day for our family ... My big sister and best friend in the whole world got engaged!!!  Can you tell I'm excited?  After having to keep such a HUGE secret for so long, I am SO glad that it has finally happened and that I can share the good news with everyone!  Here's how it happened.  Thank you, Cameron, for letting me be such a big part of your special day! A few weeks ago Cameron and I went out for coffee while Kayla was at work.  He told me his plan and how he wanted to propose on Saturday December 21st.  Cameron was going to pretend that he was going to work like he would on any other Saturday evening, and my job was to get Kayla out of the house for a couple of hours so that he could decorate the house instead of actually going to work.  He had already got his shift covered and everything when we found out that Kayla had already committed to babysitting on Saturday night.  So ... quickly we changed our plan to Monday, which ended up working out better anyways!  Our new plan consisted of Cameron telling Kayla that he picked up a shift for the night, and my job was to still get Kayla out of the house.  So, a few days ahead of time I asked Kayla what she was doing on Monday evening.  Her response was, "I don't know.  Maybe the four of us (meaning Brandon, me, her, and Cameron) could do something."  So, I gathered that Cameron hadn't told her that he "picked up a shift" yet, and replied, "Yea, that sounds great!".  I waited until Sunday to bring it up again, and everything fell into place.  I asked her if we were going to all doing something tomorrow night still, and she told me that Cameron picked up a shift, but that we could still do something if I wanted.  Since I just recently got my tonsils removed, I suggested that we go to a movie since I can't really eat anything anyway ... that way her and Cameron could still go out to dinner after he proposed.  I told Kayla that I didn't want to be out late so that an earlier movie would be best.  I tried to get her to go to a 4:30 movie, but she said that was too early so we settled on the 5:00 show.

Monday arrived, and Kayla just so happened to be getting her hair cut in the morning, and my Mom had offered to take us to get manicures and pedicures after that so Kayla was all pampered and ready for her engagement that she had no idea about.  Kayla thought that we were just getting our nails done for the Holidays!

Knowing that Kayla has always wanted pictures of her engagement, I brought my camera into her house when I got there to pick her up before the movie.  So that Kayla wouldn't suspect anything I told her that I didn't realize my camera was in my car, and didn't want to leave it in the car while we went to the movies.  Since her neighborhood is prone to car break-ins, she didn't think anything of it.  (Haha .. I am so sneaky!).  Kayla and I said goodbye to Cameron (I even said to  him, "Have a good night at work, I'll see you tomorrow evening for our Christmas Eve dinner!") , and Kayla and I headed to the movies.  We saw American Hustle, which was SO good but ended up being SO long.  I told Cameron that we would probably be home around 7:30, which was actually when the movie got over. (Can you imagine the anxiety he must have been feeling while waiting for us?!)  As soon as the movie got over (FINALLY!), I went to the bathroom and texted Cameron that we would be there in 15 minutes, and made sure that he was ready.   We pulled up to the house, and I followed Kayla up the walk way.  She unlocked the door, and stepped inside.  Immediately she began freaking out.  Candles were lit everywhere and Cameron was standing there with a bouquet of beautiful white roses.  Somehow, I pushed my way past her, grabbed my camera and was still able to capture her shocked face!  The rest was a blur.  Cameron got down on his knee, opened the ring box, and asked Kayla to marry him.  Meanwhile, I was shaking, crying, and trying my hardest to take some pictures of the whole thing.  I couldn't even tell you what Cameron said to her because I was so focused on trying to take a decent picture.  All I know is that after lots of hugging, kissing, screaming, and a "Yes!"  Cameron put the ring on Kayla's finger, and then we all celebrated together!  We let the puppies out of their kennels, and they joined in on the celebration!  River even peed from his excitement (ha-ha!) ... or from his lack of bladder control, the little rascal!  Lots of group hugs and tears and happiness!  Cameron then told Kayla that they had reservations at her favorite restaurant down town, and after taking a few more pictures, they headed to dinner!

The day was perfect, and we couldn't have asked for it to go more smoothly!  Here are the photos!  I am so, so happy for you KK and Cam!  Love you both so much!

Holiday Mini Sessions!

About a month ago I spent the day taking Holiday photos!  I always wait to post about my holiday sessions until all Christmas cards have been sent out so that everyone can enjoy the cards without having already seen the pictures.  So, here you go!  Previews from my Holiday Minis that were oh so fun!  

Up first, the O'Donnell family!  I have been watching these girls since the oldest, Anna, was 3, and Emily, the middle one, was just a baby.  And now the youngest, Caroline, is already 4!  I can not believe it!  I like to think that I'm part of the family :)  This 30 minute session was filled with lots of goofiness and laughs ... oh how I love them!

Up next, the beautiful Lang family!  I met Angela about a year ago when I started observing in classrooms for my Masters degree, and now I'm going to be student teaching with Angela come January!  Not only is she a fabulous teacher who I'm so blessed to get to learn and grow from but she's an amazing woman who always brightens everyones' day!  Thank you for letting me take your family photos ... aren't her kiddos, Sydney and Cayden, so sweet?

And last but not least, the Yovich family!  I grew up doing gymnastics with Elizabeth, and we have stayed good friends through all these years!  I was so happy that they came to me to take their family photos!  I think they turned out great!

Mountain Adventures! Vail & Beaver Creek from September

It's about time that I got around to blogging some of my fun adventures I've had in the past few months.  I know that I should really blog about these things when they happen, but it is just so hard to find the time to blog when I am so busy with everything that I do ... grad school, photography, work, etc. ... so now that I finally have a break I am happy to be getting around to the posts that aren't work related. So, near the end of September (yes, I know that was three months ago) Brandon and I headed up to Beaver Creek to stay for a fun get-away weekend.  I wanted to take pictures of the changing leaves, and just spend some time taking photos for myself, and landscapes are the way that I do that.  Although I wish we would have waited a week or two until more of the leaves had changed, I was happy with the photos that I got, and it was such a fun weekend filled with lots of hiking, laughing, picture taking, and gondola-riding :)  This was also the first time that we got to see snow for the new season, which is always my favorite!

Stay tuned ... up next are photos from my fun Holiday Mini Sessions followed by my awesome trip to San Francisco and Fresno to celebrate Brandon's grandparent's 65th anniversary!

Congratulations to Chad & Cortney!

Well this post is a little late, but better late than never, right?  As I lay around after just getting my tonsils removed, I am finally finding some time to catch up on my blog posts!  I have a lot to catch up on including my fun Holiday mini sessions that happened a few weeks ago as well as some fun adventures I have been on recently, which I will blog about come later today or sometime this week so be sure to check back later! Anyways, in the beginning of November, Brandon and I went to California to celebrate his grandparents 65th anniversary!  How awesome is that?!  While we were there, Brandon's cousin, Chad, and cousin in-law, Cortney, announced that they were pregnant with their first baby, and asked if I would take a few pictures of them for their announcement.  The photos turned out super cute, and the announcement turned out even more cute!  After a lot of communication, editing, and revising, Cortney and I finally finished the movie poster announcement that you see below.  Super cute, right?!  Congratulations to Chad and Cortney ... I am so, so happy for you!  Thank you so much for letting me be apart of all this!

And here is the fun movie poster announcement we created!  I especially love how the puppies were included in it :)  So cute!

The Graden Family & Crimson's First Birthday!

It was so much fun photographing the Graden family!  I first met Erin when she was a bridesmaid in a wedding I photographed in October.  (If you didn't get a chance to see the beautiful wedding of Chase and Chelsie, you can view it here).  I photographed the Graden family a couple of weeks ago, and along with family photos we also took some adorable pictures of her daughter, Crimson, who turned ONE the other day!  It is always so much fun for me to get to set up a backdrop and lights, and take some fun studio portraits!  Crimson had never had this much cake before, and goodness did she love it!  Could Tannen (the 2 year old big brother) and Crimson be any more cute?!  Thank you so much to the Graden family not only for a fun shoot, but for being patient with me through the editing process since I had to get my tonsils removed the other day!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Chelsie's & Chase's Wedding : Blackstone Country Club!

It was SO much fun photographing Chelsie and Chase's wedding!  I first met this wonderful couple in March of this year when we met to discuss engagement and wedding photography, and boy, am I happy that they chose to go with me!  It has been so much fun getting to know them throughout this year, and it was so special to be apart of their big day!  Their wedding was beyond beautiful at Blackstone Country Club in Aurora with bright orange and red colors, a short and sweet outdoor ceremony, and lots and lots of dancing!  Although it was a bit windy and chilly, the entire family, wedding party, and, of course, the bride and groom, were such troopers!  Nothing could ruin their wedding day, and I'm so grateful to all of them who stuck with me through all of the posed pictures that took place in the crisp wind, and for Chelsie and Chase who had to spend even more time outside with me!  Luckily, a wonderful dinner and lots of dancing warmed us all up!  Thank you again, Chelsie and Chase, for letting me capture your beautiful wedding day!  Enjoy :)  

Amy & Andrew

A couple of weeks ago I was blessed to photograph this beautiful, beautiful couple!  Amy and Andrew got married in September, and decided to have an after-the-wedding shoot because they did not schedule a lot of time on their wedding day to take photos of just the two of them.  They wanted to have a fun shoot in a relaxed environment where they weren't rushed and things weren't chaotic ... like they always are on wedding days ...  And what a great excuse to put that beautiful wedding dress on again!  We decided to wait until the leaves were changing, and I am so glad we did because I could not have asked for a more beautiful setting.  We were worried that we might have to reschedule because of the rainy/snowy weather that was expected, but the weather held out, and the afternoon was perfect for a photo shoot!  Amy and Andrew were so fun to photograph ... they are naturals in front of the camera (obviously) and their incredible love for each other was so eminent that it beams in every photo we took.  Thank you Amy and Andrew for such a fun, gorgeous shoot!  

Summit is a BIG sister! Meet River, the new puppy!

About a month ago, my sister and I were driving in the car together when Kayla says to me, "I have something I need to tell you" in a very serious voice.  Immediately my heart fell into my stomach as fear took over me imagining what she might have to tell me.  Finally, after what seemed like eternity, she simply says, "We are getting a puppy."  

PHEW!!! Thank the Lord!  Just a puppy!

So, on Sunday morning Kayla, Cameron, and I (of course I had to go along to document the day!) hop in the car to head up to Mead, Colorado to go get River.  They got him from Crownpoint Aussies ... the same breeder that we got our first dog from as little girls, Sydney, our second dog, Lexey, who is now 13 and still thriving, and our other pup, Summit, who is now 4.  Needless to say, the breeder thinks we are great for we have given her lots and lots of business over the years.  :)

Once there, we waited eagerly as the breeder went over everything, signed papers, and FINALLY brought out the new puppy!  He was a little nervous at first, but his tail was wagging the whole time, and he quickly became excited, happy, and already oh so loving and sweet!

After getting to know him for a bit, we all got into the car to take River to his new home!  The car ride went okay...  He cried and howled and threw up once, but over all, he did pretty well.

And once we were home, he was completely fine!!  Summit and him met (she was a little tentative at first and wasn't sure what to think about him just yet), played in the back yard, and he has been adjusting well!

Summit tried to show off by showing the new puppy her frisbee and fetching skills ... River even was brave enough to run with her to get the frisbee!  Of course, Summit didn't let him have it, but it was a brave try by the little pup!

Here are a bunch of pictures from River's first day at home.  He is obviously so loving, caring, and just the cutest thing EVER.

However, despite his cuteness, we had to keep him a secret ALL day long.  Why?  Because Kayla didn't want to tell my Dad that she was getting a puppy, and so she decided to wait until she had River.  She didn't want to tell him because he has always said, "Two dogs is just crazy."  "Why would anyone want to have two dogs?"  "Two dogs is so much work."  So, Kayla decided to have him over once River was home, and that way he couldn't get mad because River is just too stinking cute to be mad about.  So we called my parents and invited them over to watch the end of the Broncos vs. Redskins game.  My Mom and Dad were out of town and their plane landed just in time for the last quarter of the game so we told them to stop by on their way home from the airport for some pizza and some football.   This was my Dad's reaction as he walked in:

(Excuse the blurriness ... It happened so fast that I wasn't able to get him completely in focus)

But his reaction quickly turned to this ...

And our Mama was obviously very happy to have a new Grand Pup!

Here are some more pictures of the pup...  Can you say CUTE?!

The whole time we worried about how Summit would react to having a new puppy in the house, but we soon found out that there was absolutely nothing to worry about.  If you don't know Summit, she is very dominant and protective.  She likes to play with other dogs, but she is very protective over her own territory and her own toys so we weren't sure how well she would do at first with the new puppy.  But, she has been GREAT! She loves him and plays with him and even snuggles him at night!  What a great big sister she is!  How cute is that?!

So, there you have it.  Can you tell that I love him maybe a little too much?!

The White Girls - DeKoevend Park

Such a cute Fall sister portrait shoot ... could these girls be any more adorable?  Thanks to their Momma who is one of my absolute best clients!  It is always a joy to photograph your beautiful girls :)  

Happy Wedding Day, Chelsie & Chase!

Happy Wedding day to Chelsie and Chase!  You may remember them from this incredibly cute engagement shoot.   I am so, so excited to be apart of their special day!  Congrats to the happy couple!