Four Big Sisters Got Their Little Bro - Meet The Whittles :):):):):)

I must preface this with the fact that I ADORE this family, and looking at these just makes me love them even more!  They are as beautiful inside as they are outside, and what an honor it was to capture some of their first images of their Baby Boy Garrett with his Big Sisters and his Amazing Parents.

I have known Jason since he was in Junior High playing football with my twin Bros.  Back then I was in high school approaching college, and I had the typical mentality of a girl of that age - I didn't really pay much attention to Junior High peeps.

Fast forwarding through the years, there were family gatherings with Jason's family, and the memory of his Mom teaching us how she could do a double back-flip.  Which my Mom tried 15 years later at a family reunion, and ended-up with a collection of metal in her leg to fix the multiple breaks in it!!!  It's not what you think, but on the lead up to it, my Mom landed very wrong!!!!

Fast forward 2 more years, while we were caring for my Mom in our home as she was dying of Cancer, and me walking into my home from running an errand, and I find a house filled with my brothers and Mom, Jason and his gorgeous wife Natalie, their kiddos, a nephew,  Jason's Mom (one of my Mom's most treasured friends), and the most amazing arrangement of Sunflowers that I have ever seen.

Our house was filled with the laughter that story telling generates, and lots and lots of farewell tears.  It is quite a site to see a professional football player and his family that emotional, and as I think of it now, my eyes are over-flowing with tears.  (I know that is shocking to you regular blog followers - LOL)

It is one of my most treasured memories of that very hard and sad month, and I can still hear my Mom reveling in the fact that they made the drive to St. Louis to say their goodbyes.

Anyway, I wanted to give the history of the connection with these customers, because they so deserve the recognition of how incredibly amazing and thoughtful, and truly good that they really are . . .

Without further ado - The Whittles & Their Newest Addition . . .

I know I mentioned that Jason was a professional football player (for 4 teams!!!!), and yes he was in

a Superbowl with the Giants!!  It was very cool seeing him on tv during the Superbowl.

I loved this helmet idea.  Isn't it amazing how little he is?!?!?!

Dear Jason, Natalie, & Kiddos,

As always, I can only say the kindest of words to you all.

You are an amazing family.  You are the kind of people that everyone

loves to be around.  I'm soooo incredibly blessed to know you.

How lucky was I, to have the honor of capturing these for you?

I can't thank you enough - 

these give me so much happiness :)

Biggest of Hugs,

Kelly

P.S.  Huge hugs to you Lolly!  I miss our email conversations, and hope

you are doing awesome!

Reminders of a Great 2010!!!!!

So my final activity of saying "goodbye" to the prior year's holiday season is always taking down the Christmas/Holiday cards from my friends and family.  I always put it off until the end of January, because I soooooo bask in the joy of having a wall full of familiar faces, coupled with kind and sweet thoughts, decorating the space surrounding our television.

This year was no exception.  However this year, I added another category of great peeps to that holiday card "art display", and it was my customers who were kind enough to share a holiday card with me.

Glimpses of these on a daily basis reminded of what an incredible first year of business I had, and how truly blessed I am to earn an income doing what I absolutely love with every fiber of my being.

Thank YOU from the bottom of my heart to all of my Customers :):):)

Thank you all for spreading the word about my dream of doing this for a living.

Thank you all for being sooooo encouraging and supportive.

And, thanks for making my 2010 business year a success beyond what I could ever have imagined :)

GIANORMOUSLY HUGE HUGS!!!!!!!!!!

Kelly

My BFF & Her Fam :)

I'm not sure how I managed to get my BFF's family session blog out of order (I think it was the enormous amount of Fall business I had - THANK YOU TO MY FABULOUS CUSTOMERS!!!).  However, it is evident by the looks of quite a few of these (there is still wonderful Fall color in some of the backgrounds), and I must apologize to my BFF for neglecting her!!!

Anyhow, here is her family's gorgeousness.  It turned into one of my favorite shoots of the year, because getting 3 little kids with energy levels that exceed a local power plant - to be still - is absolutely hilarious.  And, the shoot had this adorably sweet ending, with my BFF being the awesome Mom that she is to her so-cute-I-could-eat-her-up daughter, Kates . . .

Dear BFF (& Fam)!

I love you guys.  I'm a better person for having you all in

my life, and I am blessed more than words

could ever describe, by having you there all of these years :)

Thanks for being your awesome self, and thanks for being

an amazing friend through thick & thin.

The Biggest of Hugs,

Kelly

Meet The Collop Family!!!!

I was really excited and nervous for this inside December shoot.  You see, I'm pretty much an outdoor photog.  I haven't had enough experience with indoor shooting to feel like I have an indoor comfort zone, so I was very nervous.  Luckily I have a very good photoging friend (yes it's Lisa), who gave me the idea to shoot in St. Charles at The Foundry, and I ended up loving the backgrounds and the lighting it granted us!!!

The Collops came to me via the "Grandkids" Shoot (thanks for passing my info. along Kathy :).  Not only are they a beautiful family, but they were wondrous to shoot as well.  Isabel has done some modeling, and knew exactly how to contrive magic in front of my lens, and for a 3 year old, Michael was a little charmer.  Oh, and their parents were as nice as I could have asked for, and welcomed whatever I suggested - I LOVE people who are this great to work with :)

I also loved the fact one of the kiddos looked exactly like Mom, and the other kiddo looked exactly like Dad.  Observe for yourselves . . .

Dear Collops,

I can only say the most positive of things about you :)

What a sweet and beautiful family you are, and how I will look

forward to the day I get the pleasure of shooting you all again!

Best of everything for each of you, and I hope 2011 brings you the

changes you are seeking, Emily ;)

Hugs,

Kelly