One in a Million

I could stare at this sweet boy forever. Of course, his baby blues stood out from the moment I met him, but it took me awhile before I realized how incredibly special they really are. Both of his parents have brown eyes and mom is fairly certain she does not carry the recessive blue gene. That truly makes this little man one in a million. We braved a bit of the Pacific Northwest drizzle and sacrificed some great heels to the mud to get these shots, but how can you not go all out for a one in a million kiddo?

Meet the McCombs

The moment I pulled up to our session I should have known Joyce was not your typical mom. Her mom mobile? A gigantic pick up truck.

Later as we talked about things the family likes to do together, she kind of chuckled. Apparently Joyce is in line to win "Adventure Mom of the Year". Her kids have been skiing or snowboarding since they could say "black diamond". She also heads up the Ski bus program at King's Way to bring a little bit of the mountain into even more kids' lives. When the snow melts, she pulls out their ATV's and heads to the dunes for a little four wheelin' fun. These kids are blessed with one fun momma!

Our session was a blast. Of course it was. With Joyce, how could it have been anything else? She's bread confidence in her children and I could see it in the way they walked, talked, and freely joked around.

Thanks McCombs family! You guys are fantastic!

Cutie Patootie

Ummm... melt my heart. Personality just oozes out of this little cutie pie - who happens to be one of my most favorite little models. I've been photographing her since she was born. Singing, dancing, and telling her mommy how beautiful she is - that's Miss Helaina. She had us both laughing the entire time.

Adorable...

Isn't she just the cutest thing EVER?? I felt pretty good about myself as we walked hand in hand within minutes of meeting. We played hide and seek, picked some apples, and read a few books. She smiled, made faces, and wore my princess crown perfectly. Soon, images of me winning the child charmer of the year award were dancing around my head.

And then just as I was about to walk on stage to accept my award, she was done. As if to remind me who was charming whom, she matter-of-factly looked at her mom and said, "It's time for her to go now, Mommy."

Me? Did she really mean me? There had to be some mistake. I could pull out bubbles or stuffed animals or pinwheels... but no, she was done. With me.

I love the way her saunter matches her personality. This little girl knows what she wants and she's not afraid do say it.

Dads and Daughters

Her dad's on his way to buy handcuffs the minute he sees these. I just know it. I can tell by the way she works those big brown eyes of hers that she has her dad wrapped around her little finger...and her thumb...and her pointer...and maybe even her big toe.

A girl's bond with her dad is a special thing. I adore the times I see my daughter curled up in her dad's arms or her hand wrapped in his. On the way home from a photo session tonight John Mayer's song about dads and daughters came on the radio. I didn't get to grow up in the same house as my dad, but when I visited one of the things I always looked forward to was him telling me how beautiful he thought I was. With all of my ten year old mad beauty skills, I'd curl my hair or put on headbands and I knew the minute I came out of the bathroom ready to go he'd make some big to do. The words were always the same, but I never tired of hearing them. He'd pull me next to him and tell me he had to keep me close to keep all the boys away. And sitting there next to him I somehow always felt like the most beautiful girl in the room.

Sisters

Shoots like this make me wish I lived closer to my sister or saw her more. The bond of sisterhood that these girls will always share is just magical. Daytime squabbles turn to nighttime giggles. They'll look back onto a life filled with memories of dressing up and dancing and hugging and doing things only sisters do. Every girl needs a sister. Some find it over time spent with friends and lazy summer days and shared secrets. These girls are lucky enough to be born into it.

Getting Goofy

6 kids under the age of 3 called for a box of fun. Thinkin' it was a success:)
Here's two of the cousins getting their giggles on.

The Brahmer Clan Part 1

Have you ever read a book and just wanted to jump right into the pages? I felt that same way as I walked into the Brahmer household. Kids running everywhere, a scrumptious buffet spread out on the counter, and love apparent. I felt like jumping right into the Brahmer family. This past week three siblings and their spouses gathered for a bit of a family reunion at their parents beautiful home along the Washougal River. Their clan included 6 kids under the age of 3, lots of laughter, and spontaneous renditions of favorite children's songs. Can we build it? YES we can!!

I'll be blogging more on this wonderful family, but today is Everley's day. This girl knows how to rock life to the fullest. Whether it's water, rocks, climbing through playhouse windows, or making silly faces. Life does not pass her by. Mom and Dad were simply amazing and kept our session fun and filled with smiles. They'll be welcoming baby number two to their family in a few months.

A Girl and Her Horse

I was silly enough to ask her what her favorite thing was - horses, of course. She's had Chip for awhile, but she's loved horses for as long as she can remember. Tall, blue-eyed, beautiful, and completely smitten by her horse, K's summer is going to be made by spending time with Chip at a couple of local fairs. It's a horse girl's dream come true, really. Days will be spent at the barn with friends and horses by her side. Judging by her her ability to maneuver Chip around for my camera, I think she'll do pretty well showing in the arena too. Good luck you two!