Melissa and Joe welcomed their third baby boy on the evening of Saturday, November 11th. Wade is just so sweet, and it was apparent that they are overjoyed with their newest addition to the family. I was fortunate to meet Melissa when our boys were in a playgroup together, in the Severna Park Mom’s Club, a few years ago, and I am grateful that she chose me to document this milestone for their family.
Hannah is turning one! When mama, Lauren, chose me to document Hannah’s Winne the Pooh themed cake smash, I could not wait to bring her vision of Hannah’s Hundred Acre Woods to life. Winnie the Pooh is a classic that I grew up with and have taken the time to introduce to my boys as they grow. Lauren and Adam have accumulated a collection of the original plush characters and everyone was in tow for a beautiful evening at Downs Park in Pasadena, Maryland . . .
Meredith and Fabrice have been inviting me into their home in Washington, D.C. to capture their family photos for years, and it’s been an honor to watch as their family has grown and changed over those years. From the days of their first maternity session with their 3 rescue pups to their life as parents of two, every photo session has been about capturing life as it really is, in an environment that is comfortable for the whole family.
When your family only gets together twice a year, you must take the time to document it! I was overjoyed when Stephanie called me to book an extended family session while her parents and brother’s family would be in town. Being December, we did a lot of watching the forecast and discussing locations and I think all were happy that we settled on Downs Park in Pasadena, Maryland as the perfect backdrop for their family photos.
When Manuel and Yani reached out to me to document their family, as their littlest one, Leonardo, turned one, we planned for a family photo session at a park in Annapolis, Maryland. As the date of their family photo session approached, the weather took a sudden turn for extremely chilly! I am extremely grateful to have options like The Annapolis Studio nearby so that we could take our outdoor session indoors!
Andrea, Elliott, Mac & Lulu first came to see me at the Christmas tree farm last year, where we played amongst the trees. This year, they decided they would like for me to come to them for a relaxed and fun backyard session, that included grandparents, Mac & Lulu’s Nonna & Shaw . . .
I have not moved as much as many military spouses/families have to, but one thing I have learned from my few moves, or from having friends that moved, is that I often find out how strong friendships are when there are miles between us . . .
The Reynolds’ family regular family gatherings were interrupted, as so many lives were, by COVID19 and so Nancy and Tom were thrilled to have their four daughters and their families at their home for a 4th of July family fun week this summer. Nancy wanted to take the opportunity to document this time in their lives in photos, and I was given the honor of capturing these moments the day after the holiday at Nancy and Tom’s home in Annapolis, Maryland . . .
I feel so fortunate to have the ability to homeschool my boys, and even more blessed that it leads me to meet people like Meghan and her beautiful, intelligent girls, Gabi and Camilla. I am even more fortunate that Meghan trusts me to capture photos of her family, and decided to gift her mother a family session with me, from her and her brothers . . .
Watching babies grow has to be one of the most joy-filled parts of my job, and when Nicole contacted me to do sweet Nicholas’s cake smash photos, I was so thrilled to document this milestone. I had the privilege of capturing Nicholas’s newborn photos, at their home in Pasadena, Maryland, exactly one year before we did his in home cake smash photo session. It was so fun to see how much he had grown and how very much he is loved . . .
Capturing memories and moments with families is something I just truly love to do, and when Jessica told me that she went through several websites and that she loves my style and had determined that she really wanted me for her family photos, I truly couldn’t wait to get this family of four in front of my camera . . .
If your spouse or parent is in the military or you have a close friend whose spouse is military, you know that the whole family sacrifices and serves alongside the active duty family member. This family recently faced a tough deployment (not that there is any such thing as an easy deployment!), and wanted to celebrate their reunion and acknowledge their service and hardship with a patriotic family photo session at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland . . .
I have been blessed to call Meredith a friend for a long time, and even though we sometimes go months without catching up with one another, every time we talk, I find out more and more how grateful I am that she is a part of my life. I’ve watched this woman handle both life’s struggles and triumphs with such grace. She shows leadership and intelligence in every interaction. I feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to be a witness to both the hard times and the joy in her life. So when she sent me a message this summer that she was due with a baby girl in September, I was both excited and honored that she asked me to capture some moments of her family before they became a family of 4, plus 2 doggies (who were their first babies).
What a year. Whether the year was good or bad or a combination of the two (the most likely scenario), I think one word can describe it for us all, it was certainly memorable. I don’t think I need to recap the world events for anyone. You lived them, you know. But I want to recap my year and reflect back on all of the things that I have to be grateful for . . .
The highlight of our time together was when we decided to put half of the family members on other’s shoulders. I imagined the kids going up on shoulders but had not imagined that Michael (Bubba) would be putting Bonnie (Bubbie) on his shoulders . . .
Melissa’s birthday is November 7th and she thought that family photos at her home in Annapolis, Maryland, would be the perfect way to wrap up her birthday weekend and to celebrate herself and her family. And she felt overdue for family photos, not having had them done since sweet Holly (who is 20 months old) was born!
Megan and John have such a beautiful home on the water in Severna Park, that it’s no wonder they wanted to capture some memories there. This time in their lives was especially important to them to document, as they are looking at a potential relocation and they’ve raised their two sweet little girls in this home.
Heather and Marcus are living in a house with 10 animals. At least that’s what their daughter, Jessica said, since, in her words, humans are animals. Recently engaged, they are combining their families, each bringing three children into the home, a beautiful new home that they JUST moved into in Gambrills, Maryland. Lucky for me, that home backs up to woods that make the perfect backdrop for a fall family photo session.
This family holds an extra special place in my heart. I met Kandace at a mom’s night for moms of children who went to Budding Voices for speech therapy and other therapies. I felt an instant connection with Kandace and have been incredibly grateful that our friendship has continued to grow. Last year, I had the honor and privilege to both witness and document the birth of her second sweet little boy, Amos Lee. I was so happy when she asked to have her family photos documented again this October.
That cool fall weather set in quickly here in Maryland, but no one was complaining on a sunny Sunday with a cool breeze as James William Largen was baptized by the Reverend Dr. Peter M. Antoci, at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Parish in Prince George’s County.
