Personal Post: Our Second Anniversary Trip

So this post is a long time coming, but I wanted to make sure I had all our clients’ sessions sent out before I started editing on our personal work.

This October Ben and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary with a train trip to Albuquerque for their International Hot Air Balloon Festival.  I’ve always had a fascination with trains so as we were planning where to travel for the year, the first decision we made was that it had to be via train.  From when I drove Route 66 a few years back, I remembered that the hot air balloon festival fell over our anniversary week, and that got me thinking... perhaps the southwest would be a good destination.

We both loved the train ride; we stayed in a tiny convertible sleeper car called a “roomette” which reminded me so much of dreamy old movies like White Christmas and Some Like it Hot.  It had two chairs that faced in with a table that folded down between them.  At night the two chairs slid down to create a bed, and another bunk dropped from the ceiling.  If you know me well, you know I found everything about the quaintness and efficiency appealing.  The trip was a little over 24 hours on the Southwest Chief Line with a few stops along the way.  We had reservations for each meal in the dining car, which included french toast, mahi mahi, and buffalo burgers, and we spent our free time journaling, playing cards in the observation deck, and of course, taking an absurd amount of pictures. ;)

We did lots of little things in Albuquerque, but there were two main highlights: one was the hot air balloon festival.  The morning of our first full day there, we woke up around 3:45 am to make it to the balloon festival grounds to see the Dawn Patrol, which are the first few balloons that rise up during twilight and test the wind and temperature conditions (see above photo in the dark with lit balloons).  As the morning turned light, more and more balloons were launched until there were hundreds of all shapes filling the sky.  It really was an amazing sight.

The other big highlight came days later on the morning of our anniversary when we took our very own hot air balloon ride.  We were both a little nervous knowing how high the balloons went, and that the pilot only had control over moving up and down (not north/south etc, nor control over speed).  Part of me expected the ride to feel like capturing wind and being pulled, like how it feels to be on a sailboat or to parasail.  Really the sensation was motionlessness.  It was incredibly peaceful and the views over the Rio Grande were breathtaking.

{ Nikki + Tom = ENGAGED! }

I love our brave couples - brides who are not afraid of their dress touching the ground, grooms who think nothing of walking out into a field on a rainy day, and couples like Nikki and Tom who prepare to meet with freezing temps for some wintery engagement photos! A few days before Nikki and Tom’s engagement session, we were in contact about the weather: high of 7, snow. Usually we don’t keep our sessions on for that date if the temperature is below 20, but with this winter being so chilly at all times, any number without a negative sign in front of it didn’t seem so bad. Still, I would be in boots and a coat, with thirty shirts underneath; Nikki and Tom would be in their well-planned engagement outfits. She said it would be no problem and they weren’t worried. Sure enough, through wind and snow and cold, Nikki and Tom were laughing and smiling as though our high of 7 was a balmy Wisconsin 30.  Their courage paid off as we got the opportunity to create the perfect winter engagement photos including hot cocoa, a vintage sled and a cozy wool blanket.  We are looking forward to Nikki and Tom’s wedding coming up this fall; Congratulations you two!

Personal Post: Pieper’s "Adoptiversary"

Yesterday was one year since we picked up the tiny six pound puppy Pieper at the PetSmart branch of the Humane Society here in Green Bay.  We had stopped there the day before to look at a puppy my brother was interested in, but couldn’t resist the tiny little black and white mix who looked so melancholy wandering around quietly in her kennel.  Ben had never wanted a dog - he hadn’t grown up with pets and saw a dog only as an inevitability (since he decided to marry me) but something he could hold off on until he was ganged up on by his wife and future children.  When he held little Pieper in his arms and she wriggled her way right in, he had this change of expression, and I knew we were getting a puppy.

When we picked Pieper up, she was named Brianna and we were told she was a rat terrier/husky mix and would be a medium size dog... we were in for a surprise.  As the weeks wore on, she got longer, and longer, and longer, but barely any taller.  We had her in puppy classes where she started as the biggest dog in class (being a few weeks old than the other puppies) and by the end of those six weeks, she was by far the smallest.  Now, fully grown, she is just over 16 pounds.  I never thought of myself as a small dog person, but I don’t think Pieper knows her size; she is one tough little dog.

Yesterday Pieper and I celebrated one year together with a trip back to PetSmart for some goodies and a visit with her teacher, then headed over to the Howard dog park for a hike on the trails and some play time with other doggies.  Happy Adoptiversary, Pieper; we’re glad to have you as part of our family!

Camilla Turns Two!

Camilla is so fun to have in the studio simply because she is the best dressed little girl we’ve seen.  She always comes in with bright, colorful new outfits and accessories carefully selected by mom.  (Check out the satin snow-white-colored dress!)

With Camilla’s Birthday so close to Christmas, we spent a little time capturing some holiday shots of the two of them together.  We were very excited to use our new linen backdrop and tiny tree garlands; Camilla was very excited about our glitter-covered tree with the shiny star topper.  She’s a girl who knows what she likes. ;)  Happy Second Birthday, Camilla!

The { M } Family’s Portraits

Getting a big group together for family photos, makes for the most special images.  It is always difficult to combine schedules and choose a location, but when you make it happen the result is a group of photos that can be treasured as a family timepiece.

We just recently photographed new baby Ryan as he came into this world to the most loving family; now we have had the opportunity to gather together with not only his mom, dad, brother and sister, but also is grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle and cousin.  Everyone was in high spirits as they arrived for the session - laughing and joking and preparing to join together as a group.  It could not be more obvious that we were only days from the Christmas holiday!

Last year, we brought my family together for an afternoon of group photos similar to these and I cannot explain how much I treasure the photo that hangs on my wall from that session.  It is everyone I love standing side-by-side; something to remind me of the special times we share and all the memories we have built together. <3