This family was one of my first clients when I first started my photography business and I have had the privilege of working with them many times over the years. It has been so much fun watching them become first time parents and then add their sweet girl Meira. I still can't believe that Meira is already a one year old! I'm amazed again and again how quickly the first year goes by. For her first birthday session, mom suggested a short, abandoned set of railroad tracks near their home. They wanted something a little different for their family photos and this was just the right spot for what they were looking for. Big sister Kali wasn't too excited about looking at the camera during our time at the railroad track but we sure got some awesome smiles from her in some one on one time with mom while at home! The best smiles are always the ones we get when kids are playing with their parents or siblings.

​When it was time for Meira's cake smash, it was a family affair! Kali was standing by with a fork, ready to steal a bite when she got the chance. I even got a few shots of her getting a few forkfuls of cake! Who could resist?! Meira had so much fun digging into the cake. Once mom cut a little sliver into it, she dug right in and went to town! I love that mom chose to decorate the cake with little sprinkles, because it really shows detail in the photos. Sprinkles, sprinkles, everywhere!

I first met this sweet family last year when I did baby sister's newborn session. After going back and forth about scheduling her first birthday session, plus some reschedules due to weather, we finally settled on a date. Mama really wanted a sunset session and we finally lucked out with an absolutely gorgeous day! Big brother was such a ham - I really loved watching him play, goof around and love on his sister. They were all so much fun! This was the perfect family session to celebrate sweet sister's first birthday! 

In my not-so-distant past, I worked at the local children's hospital where I worked with some really amazing people. Over the summer, my former department was hosting a fundraiser for toys and materials to use with patients in the emergency department where I used to work and I donated a mini session for the raffle. I loved the idea of giving back to the place I loved working so much! And I was pretty excited when one of my co-workers won the session! Her girls are absolutely gorgeous and I really loved getting these mommy and me holiday photos! They have an amazing backyard and it was the perfect setting for the session - beautiful green and red trees were the perfect backdrop for holiday photos!

After a lunch break to warm up from the morning sessions, I was back to the tree farm for the afternoon sessions! These were really fun because they were all previous clients so it gave me a chance to catch up with everyone!! And two families were recent newborn clients so it was so fun to see their baby and how they've grown! It was a really fun day out at the Christmas tree farm and I hope to do this again for holiday minis next year!

What a fun day at the Christmas tree farm!!  Of course we woke up to snow and cold but everyone showed up and was ready for their photos! The snow was so beautiful - it was the perfect surprise for our holiday minis! I love how festive and beautiful everyone looked. And while we worked quickly in the cold wind, I think most everyone had fun playing around in the snow! These were my first six families of the day and after taking a break for lunch and a hot chocolte, I was ready to gear up for the afternoon sessions!