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!

Sue & Tim's Gorgeous and Fun Wedding: Evans Memorial Chapel & Denver Beer Company

Let me just say that I am beyond blessed that I got to photograph and be apart of Tim and Sue's special day!  I have never had so much fun at a wedding before with this awesomely fun group of people!  They were all so laid back, creative, fun, and seriously made my job a piece of cake!  I can honestly say that Tim and Sue had a blast on their wedding day, and everyone had a great time!  

The Perry Family

Where to start?  Let me just say that the Perry family made my job a piece of cake!  I am always blown away by how much ... hmmmm what is the word ... easier?  More compliant?   Whatever the word, photographing a family with grown children is a cinch compared to what I'm used to.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely positively LOVE the little ones (afterall, it's the kiddos that made me want to become a teacher), but it's always nice to mix it up every once in a while.  While I thoroughly enjoy chasing youngsters around trying to get them to laugh, smile, and stand still, I welcome the refreshing change of photographing a family where every member of the family does exactly what I tell them to do for every single snap of the shutter!  It's always weird when I am going through the original 300+ photos I took from a session, and 99% of them are perfect.  By perfect, I mean that all four of them were perfectly posed with perfect expressions on their faces.  I will admit that as easy as it is to photograph a family like this, it becomes incredibly hard when I am forced to narrow down 300 great photos to a mere handful or two.  Thanks to the beautiful Perry family for a fun, easy-going, refreshing photo shoot!

University of Denver Graduate Business Gala

A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to photograph the business school's graduate celebration at the University of Denver!  It was an amazing event with a fabulous turn out.  I believe around two hundred people showed up to join in the festivities, and how wonderfully fun it was to get to capture it all!  The night was complete with black jack and craps, wine and cocktails, and lots and lots of dancing!  (Not to mention the fun masquerade masks everyone was wearing ... They made my job easy by adding a lot of fun, excitement, colors and uniqueness to the photos!) Everyone seemed to have a blast ... I know I did!  Special thanks to Brandon Gayle and Elizabeth Yovich!  

First Communion!

I know it's been a while since I've posted on here, but boy, have I been busy!  Between grad school, volunteering in schools, studying for and taking huge tests, working, photography, and visiting friends in Boston (blog post to come soon of this short trip!), I can not seem to find enough hours in the day to get everything done that I'm supposed to!  So now here I am trying to get at least one photo shoot posted before I have to hit the hay to wake up early tomorrow and start my not-long-enough day all over again.  I know I said I would have a few shoots posted by today, but sorry to break it to you, that is not going to happen.  Hopefully I can post a few tomorrow between class and work, but we will see!  I'm not making any promises! Anyways, a few weeks ago I photographed the White twins and their good friend CC (you might recognize all these kiddos from family sessions I did last Fall) before their First Communion!  It was a special morning to say the least, and I am so glad that I got to be apart of it!  The girls were excited, happy, giggly, wild, and oh so beautiful in their big, white dresses!  It was also very special to get to include their sisters and Mom's in some of the photos as well.  Reese couldn't have been any more cute than she was in that stylish blue polka-dotted jacket, and little Charlotte was so happy to get to be apart of the action in her pretty dress as well!

Chelsie & Chase Engagement!

Last Sunday I photographed this fabulous couple!  I am so blessed to have met these two, and am honored that they put their trust in me to take their photos not only for their engagement, but also for their wedding in October!  Thank you Chelsie and Chase!  Oh, and by the way, aren't they a GORGEOUS couple!?!  Even though these photographs do not have the amazing mountain view sun set like we had planned for, I think that these capture the love that Chelsie and Chase have for each other!  Their fun, loving, easy-going personalities made my job so easy!  

Whitney & David Engagement

Last week I photographed this picture perfect couple.  I've known David since I was twelve years old and I'm so glad that I've been able to stay in touch with him all this time.  I met Whitney a few years ago, and could not be more happy for the two of them!  They got engaged a couple of months ago, and are planning a wedding for the Summer of 2014!  I am so happy these two are tying the knot!

Adventure Series #1: Bulgaria

After going on a lot, and a lot, and lot of adventures in this wonderful life of mine, I realize that I am not the best at blogging about them.  Sure, I occasionally posted raw, unedited images from these adventures right after I got back from them or maybe blogged about them a long time ago, but most of you have probably never seen what came of them.  Some of these adventures, especially if they are from over-seas, were never shown on my blog after I edited them.  So I've decided to make a series of blog posts in honor of my adventures.  These blog posts may be from Africa or Europe or Mexico or might even be up the road in the Rocky Mountains or possibly even from my backyard.  Wherever they, near or far, they all tell a little story about myself and remind me of the great times I've gotten to spend exploring this incredibly world that we live in through the lens of my camera.  All these little adventures have a special place in my heart, and that is why I am going to share them with you! First up is a little country that goes by the name of Bulgaria.  Have you ever been there?  I chose to start off my Adventure Series with this beautiful country because it is one of my all time favorite places I have ever been in the entire world.  It's a place filled with beautiful landscapes, wonderful people, loving children, and lots and lots of sunflowers.  I hope you enjoy!

I also couldn't resist posting a few photos of me while I was there.  I spent my time in Bulgaria tasting fresh honey, going on a jeep safari, playing with the beautiful, fun kiddos at the orphanage, and let's not forget, taking a MUD BATH!  Oh how I wish I could go back!

Happy Birthday Mama!

My beautiful Mama is 50 today!  (I'm sure she's going to get mad at me for telling everyone that she's 50 and for posting these goofy photos from the 90's when I was a baby, but oh well!)  Isn't she one beautiful Mama?!  She sure is a rock star!  I just love her so much... Happy Birthday, Mom!  

Before & After

I recently learned some new portrait editing techniques and thought I would try them out on some old pictures since I'm sitting at home bored tonight.  Bored?  Did I really just say that?!  To clarify, by bored I mean I really was just finding every possible way to distract myself from studying and doing homework.  With the amount of studying I need to do, I don't think it's possible to EVER be bored.  Well, at least not for the next year or so until I finish grad school.  Yet, here I am procrastinating doing my studying by editing old photos!  I'm going to post a few before and after photos so you can really see the difference between the unedited and edited pictures.  Here we go!  

First up is little Emmy Jane from way back in 2009.  I snapped a few pictures of her while playing dress up when she was all dolled up with bright red lips!

Next up is my beautiful big sister from her undergraduate graduation day also in 2009.

Here we have Emmy again with her big sister Anna from 2011.  Can you say cuties?!!?

This was a little boy that I met in Bulgaria while studying abroad in 2011.  I went to visit the orphanage he lived at for the day, and we quickly became good pals.  We spent the day together playing outside on the playground!

And last but not least, we have my little adorable cousin, Rylea!  Isn't she the cutest thing you have ever seen?  I took this picture while we walked around Williamsburg when I went to visit them in Virginia this past fall!

Isn't it amazing what a little editing can do?  Sometimes it even amazes me, even though I do it all the time!  These were all pictures that I would have never took a second glance at because I shot them quickly either with my phone or a little point and shoot camera.  I would have never thought to edit these because I never would have thought they could look like professional pictures in the slightest.  But, it's amazing what a little procrastinating and a little editing can do, isn't it?!

Baby Westin

A couple of weeks ago I was honored to meet and photograph the Tinniswood Family!  Mom, Dad and big brother, Landon, welcomed perfect little Westin into their family a few weeks ago so, of course, this photo shoot was centered all around him!  Westin wasn't a big fan of having to pose for these photographs all by himself, and was much more happy and comfortable in the arms of his loving Mom.  I mean, what two week old wouldn't be, right?  He was also a little apprehensive about the flash as well, but I think we ended up with some precious moments for sure!  Could he be in more adorable?