Personal Post: Fun Weekend with the Puppies!

We spent this weekend up in Door County puppysitting my brother’s dog, Echo, the fluffy little mini aussie in all the photos with Pieper.  We weren’t sure what we were taking on since they like to spend 90% of their time together wrestling and we planned on having them in public all day, but it ended up being a wonderful weekend.  We took them into Sturgeon Bay to see a couple bands perform at Steelbridge Songfest, grab some coffee and walk around downtown.  The puppies were super good, just laying down, listening to the music and putting on their sweet faces in hopes of getting attention from concert attendees.

After a little picnic, we headed up to Ephraim for Fyr Bal Festival (which is the Scandinavian tradition of “burning the winter witch” to signal the end of a long winter - much needed this year!)  We walked down to Anderson Dock, let them do a little wading in the water at the beach and headed back for the bonfire lightings and fireworks.  It was a little drizzly but that didn’t stop the show, and we still set up our blankets and wrapped up with the puppies.  Pieper and Echo loved exploring all the new places and meeting the many people, and we loved all the attention two cute puppies bring. :)

{ Carter Turns Two Years! }

Carter is such a funny little guy - he is smart and talkative and spends his sessions making us laugh out loud.  Two year sessions are usually spent chasing our little subjects around and trying to keep their attention for that fraction of a second that creates a beautiful photograph.  With Carter it was nothing like that.  He watched the people around us with rapt attention, he followed all our posing directions exactly, and he found a way to be a part of each game we started.  Even with catching a little bug at daycare, he found a way to tough it out and be a perfect little model.  Happy two year Birthday, Carter!

Welcome, New Baby Morgan!

I can't even explain how much I love newborn photos.  There is such a sweetness to being one of the first people to see this brand new life, so tiny and perfect.  Morgan Jean was seven days old for her session, and spent the whole time in a deep slumber letting us wiggle, pose and wrap her any way we needed.  She did such a good job for us, as did big brother, Carter who joined us for the beginning of the session.  So many congratulations to the {K} Family on the arrival of their little girl!

Personal Post : Memorial Day Weekend Up North

Everyone has certain places they feel connected to - certain places that automatically feel like home whether they are or not.  Since I was a child that is how it has been for me with the house my Grandfather grew up in at the edge of Baileys Harbor in Door County.  It is a craftsman style farmhouse on rambling fields that once were orchards.  The land is dotted with various outbuildings all fastidiously up-kept by my Grandfather, who I find to be my kindred spirit, always making the choice to preserve rather than replace.  And if a house needs someone to maintain the structure, it also needs someone to make it a home.  That duty falls upon my Grandmother, Claudia, who fills the house with the smell of baked coffeecake, the sound of well-meaning Scrabble banter, and the feeling of fresh linens.  She is the person who sees the good in everyone, and knows exactly how to express it.

When I was a child my brother Joshua, my cousin Danielle and I would run wild up there.  We would climb the big crabapple tree, get lost wandering the fields and create houses in the "cedar palace" as we called it.  The overall feeling was an intense sensation of freedom.

As I've grown older, the place has remained close to my heart, and it was such a joy to find that Ben saw all the wonderful things I see in it, and that it could become a place we could cherish together.  Memorial Day weekend is always our first trip up there, and this year we were particularly excited to bring Pieper up for the first time.  We knew she would love exploring the trails, nights around the campfire, and playing with Echo (the cute, fuzzy thing in the photo under the chair).

We packed the weekend with the Maifest parade in Jacksonport, breakfast at the Carroll House, ice cream at Wilson's, and an evening at Skyway Drive-In...  all surrounded by various games of Scrabble, bocce ball and many rides around the field on bikes, four-wheeleers and (yes that is a) golf cart.  Ben and I took our film cameras along in hope of sharing the timelessness of how we experience our time spent "Up North".

www.wilsonsicecream.com
www.doorcountydrivein.com

Senior Rep from Southern Door, Nicole's Senior Portraits!

When we choose our senior reps we are looking for students who are outgoing and bold - students who have a zest for life and who aren't afraid to try new things.  That is exactly what we found in Nicole.  Nicole is the person everyone wants to be around because she makes things more fun - the girl who comes up with new ways of doing things and who can turn a dull event into something people would be afraid to miss.  Senior portraits are such a blast for us because they are like an adventure.  We get to explore new spaces, finding textures and colors that can bring out our subject and create stunning photos.  With Nicole it was no exception; we are happy to be working with her for the coming year!