Twinkle Photo

7 days of beauty.... longest blog post ever?

2011-05-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

To everyone I have photographed in the past 2 months that didn't make it to the blog, I am so sorry. Ever since the warm weather came along I have been so busy that I haven't been able to blog, but this week I hit a mile marker on my photography journey, so I have made myself find the time to write.

This past week I had at least one photo shoot scheduled every day! This is a first, and a rather crazy undertaking, and although very busy... exciting and beautiful; and in my book, blog worthy! Here are the awesome families and couples that I got to spend time with this week illustrating pieces of their stories. And hopefully some fun photos of my own family scattered in between the shoots:) 2 shoots that I was really looking forward to got canceled this week due to weather, but I think you will find there is still a lot of fun in this post!

Friday- At my grandparent's farm in Limeport PA with Brady and his parents. I have been photographing Brady since he was a newborn, so when Sarah emailed to see if I could take this little guy's 2 year photos I jumped at the opportunity. It has been so fun to watch Brady grow up through my camera lens. I loved watching him climb around the trucks, and boats, and tractors up at the farm... a 2 year old's dream :D

Sunday- Scott and Becky's Engagement Session at the Little Lehigh Parway in Allentown, PA
I have known Becky now for quite a while, and it has been inspiring to see her heart for God, and people, and life... and the way she lives her life authentically according to the passions of her heart. After all, how many women do you know that leave their lives behind to pursue missions work in Africa. So when I heard the excitement in her voice last year as she began to talk about Scott, my heart couldn't help but get excited too, about the new chapter in her story that God was beginning to write. Scott and Becky, I am so happy for you both... I am so thankful to be capturing your special day for you this July, and look forward to all God has for the both of you as you begin your new life together!

Monday- Matt and Sam family shoot at Trexler Park in Allentown, PA
I spent Monday evening over at Trexler Park with Matt and Sam and their absolutely gorgeous kiddos Lucas and Isabella. I love spending time with this family! They are as fun as they are beautiful. Our boys had fun running around the cherry blossoms, and the although the babies don't really know it yet, they will be buddies soon too ( Izzy and Ruby are only a month apart :) I loved watching big brother Lucas as tried to hold his baby sister, and her reaction as they fell... you can already tell they are going to be good pals! The photo of Izzy in the basket may just be one of my favorite baby photos I have taken yet :)

Tuesday - Family Shoot with Rich and Meghan on the family farm in Nazareth, PA
I first met Rich and Meghan about a year and a half ago when they called me to do a photo shoot for their one year old Ava. Meghan was pregnant with their second baby girl back then, so it was very exciting to meet up with them this past week for baby Mia's 1st birthday family photos. What a beautiful location for a shoot, and especially beautiful because this is their new home on Rich's family's farm. As we walked down the lane together to the spot where Rich and Meghan were married I was so happy for them! With my own families farm being so close to my heart I can only begin to imagine their joy to be raising their family on such a treasured gift!

Wednesday evening I spent at Triden Farm LLC in Bethlehem, PA photographing these super fun organic farmers and their chickens!
What is the funnest thing you ever found on Craigslist? You are looking at mine :) I met Stacia through Craigslist when i was looking for bunnies for our bunny photo shoot. Stacia lent us the famous Henry and Ben that showed up on all of the bunny photos on Facebook. Well, this past Wed. our family was invited back to her family's little farm while I took some photos for them. We all had a blast. Noah loved holding the bunnies, and chickens. He even got to see some bunnies that had only been born the day before. Even Ruby got her first chicken encounter, poor thing... I think she wanted to eat him for dinner! Stacia's girls are so beautiful, and so sweet, and I am just really impressed at how much fun the entire family has working together. I have so much respect for people who have a vision of what they want for their family, and who go for it; and growing up a farmer's (grand)daughter... I think farming is quite a noble way to live! We plan to be spending more time with our new friends this fall, and can't wait to see the AMAZING tree house they are building.... this is a photoshoot waiting to happen :D

My own little egg heads...

Noah got reunited with Ben the bunny!

Ruby meets a chick.... poor chick :(

Noah was a bit more gentle!

Thursday evening I spent with Matt and Clair on Main St. in Bethlehem, PA

This amazing, and obviously gorgeous, family are true treasures! Matt and Clair moved up to PA from Texas this past summer when Matt accepted the job as an associate Pastor at our Church, New Covenant Christian Community. For all it's worth, I need to say that our Pastors chose well. Each member of this family is such an awesome gift to our church family. I spent some time getting to know Clair at a playdate a while back while our boys attacked her walls with toy hammers. I walked away from that afternoon so refreshed. We got to share pieces of our stories, and how Christ had made all the difference in our lives, and shared memories and our mutual love of our times' living down under as well. She is creative, and passionate, humble, and real.... no kidding a friend and I spent a good 5 minutes bragging on her over the phone the other day. Thank you guys, for leaving so much, to follow your God up here to this little town of Bethlehem. You are a perfect addition to our family, I love the vision and inspiration you have brought with you. I am so excited for what God has waiting for us all, and our neighbors as He leads us forward together!

PS- Joel, next time we hang out buddy.... you need to ham it up for the camera like your big brother :D

Friday evening I spent with this beautiful family doing a maternity session at the Rose Gardens in Allentown, PA
I has been emailing with this beautiful expecting mamma for a few weeks now, and it was so wonderful to meet her, her husband, and their adorable little girl! They are such a cute family, even " Buddy" their 2 1/2 year old's favorite teddy bear posed so beautifully for photos. I am so excited to meet your new addition in just a few weeks... a lucky baby girl she will be, being born into such a joyful loving family!

So, that was this past week in a nut shell... as beautiful as it was spending time with all of these lovely people, I am a little tired just looking through all these photos. It was a long, but good week! Hopefully I can stay more consistent with blogging... there are so many more shoots and a ton of my own family I would like to share, but not enough hours in the day it seems; but at least here was a peek into my busiest week to date :) Thanks for taking the time to look.

Spinning Beauties...

2011-03-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

Just seconds...

2011-03-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

6 seconds with a 5 year old....

3 seconds with a 3 year old...

just one second with a very handsome one year old :)

Cuddle Bunny....

2011-03-09T08:34:00.001-08:00

Birthday Boy....

2011-03-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

The coolest little dude I know turned 3 the other week, and his crazy momma made him fun George cake to celebrate. Spoiled? maybe. Loved? most definitely!

Sweet Hearts...

2011-03-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

Sneak Peek ....

2011-02-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

Our little man turns 3....

2011-02-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

Noah turned 3 yesterday! I can't say we were ready for it... it still feels like only last year that we brought newborn baby Noah home from the hospital, and now we have this fantastic singing, running, jumping, painting, spelling, story telling, make believing, potty training Noah 3.0 .... so "ready" or not, we had a weekend full of celebration in honor of this awesome little dude God gave us as our son :)
Here are some photos from Noah's jungle safari party with his buddies Friday morning. The boys had lots of fun, and with a house filled with babies, toddlers ,and pre-schoolers there were no tears or temper tantrums, so I would say it was a huge success!

Noah and his buddies (and some mommies) in their jungle fort with paper towel roll binoculars.

Safari hats! short lived! Noah was in no mood for photos... Lisa and I had the same idea on how to cheer up our little guys, what boy doesn't love kisses from his momma ;)

Our attempt at a family photo... thanks Jill! Sorry the birthday boy just wasn't having it ;p

Then the SAFARI began.... "follow the tracks, follow the feet... what kind of animal will we meet??"

A MESSY ELEPHANT left peanuts all over the kitchen!!

The boys line up to follow more tracks....

to THE BRAVE CAVE !!

collecting slimy spiders in the brave cave.

my brave ( and messy) little 3 year old !

this should be a pic of the kids... but I really liked this shot of Samuel's loot bag :)

\Fishing for frogs in the "tall grass", and a surprise visit from a lollipop throwing kangaroo!

Frog balancing act!

What's in the hole????

SNAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hunting for snakes! They totally love it.

Our little explorers eating "jungle stew" (chili).

and what safari would be complete without CUPCAKES :)

"CHEEeeeeeeeSE"

Happy Birthday dear Noah..."

" Happy Birthday to you!"

Timothy enjoying his GREEN icing, Ruby enjoying her hands...

and Noah's face says it all... a very happy Birthday indeed :)

Love Letter #2.... 50+ reasons I love my hubby :)

2011-02-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

Because you are my love bird...

and when I am with you I know I am surrounded by love...

because we are in this thing together...

and we are equally yoked...

and things don't always work out like we hope..

but it's ok because we know we are part of something so much larger than ourselves...

and God has put us in a good place together...

You drink life to the fullest...

You are strong...

and gentle...

Silly...

resourceful and creative... (coconut football)

You're sometimes a dork...

which brings me back to the equally yoked thing...

But we have fun!...

you're a nature lover...

you love your cat...

but you must love me more, because you let me do things like this to him! ...

We work well together...

And our tevas have gone some pretty amazing places together...

like Amalfi...

and New Zealand...

and Florence...

You are as sweet as gelato...

I love waking up by you...

and you always make me breakfast!

You are thrifty~ (John inside our $12 tiny walmart tent we thought we could use to camp Hawaii Volcano National Park :)

Adventurous...

You always share your ice cream...

you are super friendly...

and totally freek'n cool!

We have shared lots of these...

and these...

You are lucky...

you have good taste in women (and fruit)...

and you think I'm pretty....

you get me...

and you brighten my days...

Because we almost crashed, and yet we kept on flying....

because we believe in our dreams...

We have been friends forever!

You were my high school crush...

and we still got it going on...

You said "I do" and meant it...

You keep my secrets...

You are totally GQ...

My very own "Mc. Dreamy"...

the only man that I ever wanted to have your babies...

and we've made some pretty spectacular babies...

You have passed your good looks onto our son...

We are a family on a mission...

You are the best daddy ever...

always patient....

lifting our kids up to God (as in Jesus Christ, not to be mistaken with the giant native American in the backround :)

Our kids look up to you...

and sometimes so do I...

You are my resting place...

You fill my moments with joy...

there is no place else I would rather be...

and you are the love of my life!

*some photos in this stream were taken by Beauty for Ashes Photography, and Alison Conklin photography.

love letter #1..... She Makes Me Better.

2011-02-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning next to my daughter. It was early morning just as the sun was peeking through our window. Ruby is a rutchy and snorty sleeper and was trying to get comfortable. In the process of her tossing and coughing her hand came flying over into mine, and suddenly she was at peace. Our hands met and she found her comfty spot, and fell right back asleep. I watched her as she slept with those little baby dreaming smiles, and couldn’t help but think home much better my life is since she has entered our world.

I’m not going to lie, bonding with Ruby was so much different than it was with Noah. Noah was an easy baby, and from day one his little cuddles overwhelmed my heart with crazy love. I remember telling a friend while I was expecting how much I loved the newborn phase and couldn’t wait to have a newborn in the house again. This friend has two children who both were colicky babies, and she replied something like “Oh, good, I’m happy for you… I always looked forward to when that was over, and we could enjoy each other a little more.” I didn’t really understand her insight. Looking back on my easy little baby boy snuggling up under my chin, I couldn’t see how you wouldn’t enjoy the newborn phase… until we brought my precious Ruby girl home.

Ruby is not an easy baby. I guess she was at first; but at about week two colic set in, and life got pretty complicated. I don’t think anyone can ever understand the meaning of that word unless you have had a colic baby. And it was a rough couple months. I quickly realized how much I like to think I am in control when suddenly I had no control over the hours of crying. I realized how much I am threatened by failure when none of my efforts to calm her helped. I realized my selfishness when I would find myself leaving the room and screaming in frustration because I just wanted things to be quiet. And I realized my need for grace, grace, abounding grace, when I felt depression creep in or my “togetherness” or joy unravel.

And then it stopped, the colic that is. Ruby began to smile more, and coo more… and each one was like a precious prize we had won… a priceless gift we had waited for. And through all those nights of crying, I realized I had become her safe place, her peace… and she had made me better. She has made us all better. She has made my story richer, she has made my soul want to live and love more deeply. Ruby has made me want to beautify myself inside and out because I look at her and I see beauty. She has brought a new thirst and need for my spirit to be more saturated in God’s presence. Looking at my daughter, I have so much more love and respect for my mother who held me as a baby through tear filled nights at just the age of 16. Looking at her makes something deep inside me girlishly squeel with delight. She inspires me want to put on pearl necklaces and twirly skirts and plan magical tea parties and ride unicorns through fields of daisies. Looking at Ruby makes me want to study the thousand hues of pink in roses and paint my toenails all those colors. Ruby has brought to me a love for beauty and femininity that I had forgotten a while back on this journey. She has brought a new romance to my life. She has made me better. Our first few months together were not quite a fairy tale, and yet when I look in Ruby’s sweet little eyes she radiates to me all of the most beautiful things this life has to offer, and all the stuff that eternity is made of. And my prayer for her, my beautiful precious little princess is nothing more than a thousand million happily ever afters… saturated with grace, grace, abounding grace!

hanging out....

2011-02-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

Nap Time...

2011-02-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

The Little Engine That Could...

2011-02-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Meet baby Colin. Looking at this adorable new family, and their beautiful healthy smiling little boy you would never know what the past 3 months have held for them. Jen had her baby boy in early November. After complications in birth Colin was medi-vacked to CHOP, and spent over the next month in an intense uphill battle for his life. Just having given birth to a baby myself, I cannot begin to imagine the unwelcome roller coaster ride of emotions Jen and Keith's hearts have been on these past months, but as they shared pieces of their story with me as their sweet baby boy napped in his awesome nursery his mommy had made for him, it was overall a story of celebration and victory. Colin, " the little engine that could" , as he was nick named at the hospital, came home the day after Christmas... and is thriving, healthy, as gorgeous as a little boy comes, and surrounded by the love of two very awesome parents. It was my privilege to meet these guys and take a few photos of celebration for them!

Happy New Year !!!

2011-01-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

Hello there, and happy New Year!! For those of you who have been stopping by these past two months and wondering where I have been... I hope this post helps bring us up to date. Our beautiful baby girl, Ruby Elizabeth was born 11.1.10, and the past two months have been a whirlwind of recovery, sleepless nights, colicky evenings, double the diapers, and the absolute most precious coos and smiles a mama could ever ask for. We've been busy, but we are SO blessed, and I am so amazed and grateful for new our family of 4. Big brother has been adjusting awesomely and aside from the occasional moment he adores his baby sister as you can see in the photos. There is so much I could say about these first two months of Ruby's life... but I will let the photos do the talking :)

I hope 2011 brings your family much joy! I am finally booking sessions again, so if you are interested please email me at tassia@twinklephotostudio.com . Happy New Year!

My Newest Favorite Person :)

2010-10-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

This precious little girl is the newest of my favorite people on earth... Eden Noel was born Sept. 30th to some of our very best friends Kevin and Lisa, and my heart (and theirs obviously) have been smitten ever since. She is just so sweet! I took these photos Monday morning when we were hanging out at Lisa's house. Eden, we love you so much beautiful girl... and Aunty Tassia is working on a new little girlfriend for you to play with very soon! This family is like our family. Two years ago we were all so excited when Lisa and I both gave birth to baby boys who are now best buds, so we were all amazed to learn that this year we were both expecting daughters... we are all feeling very blessed. Congrats Kev and Lisa, and big brother TZ!

Meet Miss Isabella...

2010-10-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

I am so proud to introduce our good friend's Matt and Sam's beautiful baby girl Isabella, who I can hardly believe was born a month ago already! These photos were taken when Isabella was 2 weeks old when a I spent a wonderful rainy morning hanging out with her momma while our boys ran wild through their house. I am sooooooooo blessed by all of these little beauties being born into our family of friends. This photo of her little feet really gets me as I think I'll be holding my little girls feet in just a little over a week from now! Congrats Matt and Sam, we love you guys!

Little Miss Madi.... a year later.

2010-10-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Madison is another little beauty that I got to photograph last winter when she was only a few months old. So it was great to meet up with this little girl and her family last weekend, and yet again see how fast our children grow in less than a year. Last time I saw Madi, she was by all means a baby with her beautiful long eye lashes and cute pouty lip, so it was really fun to see that sweet little face "all grown up" (ok maybe not quite yet;) keeping mommy and daddy busy as we followed her around the park.

Here is a look back in time... little Miss Madi last year, still one of my favorite photos of all...

Little Mr. Handsome...

2010-10-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

I met up with this adorable two year old and his parents for a photo session at Lockridge park last weekend. Ben is such a sweet little guy, and he has some of the most handsome little eyes I've seen. I was so glad that his dad was able to convince him on the family hug... even having just met these guys their interactions said so much of their love for each other, and I adore this shot!

Sarah and Evan....

2010-10-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Although I usually focus on my photography on children ,this summer I had taken some couples and engagement shots for friends at the beach. I really enjoyed these sessions, and it was a welcome surprise when I got an email the other week from Sarah asking if I could take some photos of her and her boyfriend Evan. Both Ocean City graduates, they are hanging out in PA for the moment as they go to school at Temple and Elizabethtown Universities. They are a beautiful young couple and it was great to capture a bit of their love on camera and dream with them through these images about what the future holds.

Little Miss Audrey...

2010-10-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

I met up with little Audrey and her parents last weekend at Lockridge Park for a photo session. This joyful busy little girl has grown up so much since last December when I last photographed her, and it was a lot of fun to follow her around as she explored the park. This is an exciting time for her family as Audrey is going to become a big sister early next year! It was so great to see you guys again, and I cannot wait to meet your new addition to your beautiful family!
Here are Audry's photos from last year....

Another little girl is on her way....

2010-10-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

A precious little girl is about to join this beautiful family. I joined Tim and Kristin and their boys last week for some maternity photos at Covered Bridge Park. Anna is going to be a lucky little girl with these two big brothers to look out for her. Kristin and I are due the same week! I am so excited for you guys, and so thankful for to be sharing this time of anticipation with you too.

3 bears....

2010-10-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

I met this amazingly adorable family up at the farm last Sunday to take some pics of their little boy who has taken on the nickname "bear". Xavier is one of my little guy's buddies from our mom's group, and I absolutely adore him and his momma... so it was so great to meet the papa bear that fit this equation. It was really great to "run around" (as well as you can when you are as big as I am these days) with these guys and capture some of their interactions with each other... their joy is worthy of a celebration!

Waiting for baby Juliana....

2010-10-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

I met Lyndsey and John last week for a last minute maternity session as she was due the following weekend. As it turned out it was more last minute than we expected. Lyndsey gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby Juliana on Wed. I can't wait to see this little one in a couple weeks for photos. Congratulations guys on your beautiful new addition!

Still waiting for their little Pumpkin....

2010-10-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

I took these photos last Sunday as Kevin and Lisa (and big brother TZ) were still awaiting their "little pumpkin" to arrive. We are so proud to announce that baby Eden was born this past Thursday, a beautiful healthy little girl. Stay tuned for adorable baby girl's photos soon! I can promise she will be a star of this blog for years to come :)

Just when you thought a family couldn't get any more beautiful.... they are about to :)

2010-09-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

As I write this our dear friends Matt and Sam are probably holding their newborn baby girl in their arms who was born earlier this morning! I am so excited to meet baby Isabela in a couple days. It is hard to believe that these photos were taken 2 days ago... pregnancy is such a wonder. I am so truly blessed by all of the new additions coming to our family of friends this fall. Check out handsome big brother Lucas... what a big week for this little guy, a new preschool and a new baby sister all in one week! We love you guys and can't wait to meet your new little Brazilian (Pa dutch) beauty!

Baby girls, baby girls, baby girls ....

2010-09-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

Colin and Rebecca are a beautiful couple from our church anticipating the birth of their first baby... another baby girl dues later this fall. The pastor's said that their are 12 of us who are pregnant at the moment, clearly we have gotten the memo to be fruitful and multiply ;) A few years ago it seemed like everyone at our church was having baby boys, and this fall is the season of girls! We met up with Colin and Rebecca after church on Sunday and I just happened to have my camera in hand so I snapped a few photos of the parents to be!

Waiting for baby Eden...

2010-09-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we rushed out to take some maternity photos of some of our closest friend's Kevin and Lisa, as Lisa was told rather enthusiastically by her doctor that baby Eden could arrive any day now! Dodging rain, wet ground, and a flash that wasn't working we still managed to get some really cute shots of their beautiful expanding family... but every day since then has been beautiful and sunny, and we are still waiting for this wonderful baby girl to make her entrance. Check out soon to be big brother Timothy, ADORABLE!! Any day now ;)

Looking forward to baby Ruby... Our Maternity Photos by Pranee Loffer

2010-09-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

The photos above are a sneak peek, but please follow this link to see Pranee's entire shoot!
Our Maternity Photos by Pranee Loffer
Last week we had the chance to go camping for the weekend in VA with our great friends Pranee and Malachi and their kiddos. It was such a wonderful relaxing time, and so good to spend time. Pranee and her family are some of the people closest to my heart in the entire world! While we were there Pranee, who happens to be the best photographer I know, convinced me to have her shoot some maternity pics for us. I have been rather shy about my huge belly, but Pranee and her awesome talents have shed a whole new light on the beauty of this pregnancy with her photos. This is why I love photography, what a gift to capture the beauty of someone's life in a frozen moment they can cherish forever. Looking over these photos I am so thankful for my beautiful family, my amazing friend, and the precious baby girl growing within me.
After she took these photos for us it got me excited to go home and start photographing all of my other pregnant mamma friends... there are a whole bunch of babies heading our way these next few months :)

Lindsay...

2010-09-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

This post officially makes me feel old, because it doesn't feel incredibly long ago that I was running around photographing an 8 year old Lindsay on our grandparents farm for my college photo class... and if I think back just a little further I remember going to my aunt Linda's house as a girl to check out her teddy bear nursery that was waiting for baby Lindsay to arrive, and now she is a senior!! My cousin Lindsay is one of the most beautiful women I know. She is radiant with love for life and people and God, and with brightest future ahead of her it was such an honor to try to capture some of her beauty in photos in this transition year of life. I am so excited to see what dreams she has ahead of her. Lindsay, I am so proud of you... you are beautiful from the inside out, confident, caring, creative, and wise... and as I now wait to meet my own baby girl, it is my prayer that she is a lot like you!!!

Double Rainbow....

2010-09-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, many of us will unfortunately remember the crazy double rainbow you tube video from this summer. I know I will, because my youtube crazy hubby must have watched it a bunch because my 2 year old can now act it out for you... "Double rainbow, all the way, across the sky! Oh my gosh (we make him say gosh) Oh my gosh.... looks like a tripple rainbow!" Anyway, I was not thrilled at this memorization, but it did make for a cute dialogue when we actually saw a beautiful rainbow at my grandparent's farm later in summer! Here are my boys enjoying their "double rainbow"!

The ABC;s of Ocean City...

2010-09-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

This summer I was so blessed with the fulfillment of my childhood dream, which was to become a children's book author and illustrator. This photo was taken at a book signing for my book "The ABC's of Ocean City" at a local bookstore downtown. The book signings were a lot of fun as I got to meet families who love OC and got a lot of great feedback from them about my book. Some families had said that they had read it every night of their vacation, other grown adults commented on how the pages brought back moments of their family's 20 years of vacationing in this awesome sea side town... it was really an amazing feeling to know that I had contributed something small but good to such an awesome community! I felt like I was pretending as parent's brought their children up to "meet the author". As I signed books for these wide eyed little vacationers I could remember being their age not so long ago and spending my days writing stories and drawing pictures. As they lined up to buy my newest story I felt beyond blessed. I am so grateful for the talents that God has given me, and a community that is willing to support me in them... and to have my smart little boy by my side as he sang the ABC's and pointed out the letters in the book :)

Star Fish....

2010-09-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

With this summer being so busy, I was really quite lazy with the camera... this morning though we headed out to the beach for a breakfast picnic (which was partly stolen by some pirate seagulls!) and I came prepared with the "big camera". It was a good thing too because there happened to be a perfect little starfish planted on the beach for Noah to find (with no help from mommy and daddy of course ;) I love these shots of my little guy exploring his new found toy. He sang "twinkle twinkle little star" to it the entire ride home!

Engagement photos on a work break from Surf Mall :D

2010-09-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

I took these photos of another work friend of mine, Elyce, and her fiance, on a 20 minute break she had taken from the stand. We are a pretty blessed group that we got to stare out at this beach all summer long... but it was great to finally get out there a couple minutes together and take some photos. Elyce, you are gorgeous! All the best to the two of you... and I can't wait to hear about your wedding plans next summer :)

Summer Lovin'... circa 1954?

2010-09-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is my summer work buddy Danielle, and her longtime boyfriend Pete. It was fitting to me to photograph Danielle at a sunflower farm, because she was often the bright spot of my long work days at surf mall, just one of the most genuinely joyful and kind people could meet ! I loved spending this time with this couple and meeting the "Pete" that I had heard so much about. What an awesome pair! Stylish, classy, sweet, and cute in the best sense of each of these words... their love for each other beamed through in every shot! I miss you guys!

Garden State...

2010-09-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

New Jersey gets a bad rep... these photos were taken at a picture perfect little sunflower farm right over the bridge from Ocean City. We met a friend there for some photos before work , it was a beautiful morning and Noah had a lot of fun on the old truck. It's nearly impossible to get a candid photo of him now that he is two and half.... he is sporting his new "smile" in a number of these photos, and hamming it up as usual :) This was also the first pics we took of my baby Ruby belly, as Noah offered his baby sister a kiss in the sunflower field. He is going to be such a good big brother.

Happy Birthday Brady!!!

2010-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Brady is one of my favorite little guys. I met him and his parents last year this time when he was just a newborn, and it has been such a joy to follow this family in photos over the past year and get to know Brady a little bit as he grows up. Such a happy, handsome kiddo! Sunday we followed him around the park as he practiced his new walking skills, stopping only to cuddle with mom and dad, or explore many rocks and sticks along the way... I think the rocks made it in to a few of his pics too :) Happy Birthday Brady!

Bluebells, round 4... Abigail

2010-04-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

It was so great to see little Miss Abigail again over the weekend. I met this cutie when she was just about a month old, its hard to believe over half a year has passed already! Daddy asked for some photos of her sucking her thumb, a true sign of the (8 month old) times... precious, and check out those stunning baby blues :)

Bluebells, round 3... Noah Love's Mima

2010-04-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

We went back to the bluebells with my beautiful mom, Noah's "mima" on Tuesday. Noah absolutely loves his mima as you can see in the pics, and it was so fun to get some pics of these two enjoying each other. We decided on the name "mima" because my mom felt too young to be called grandma... but no matter the title she is an amazingly cherished person in my little guy's life and it has been such a blessing to see how much joy they bring each other!

Bluebells, round 2... Stephanie

2010-04-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I went back to the bluebells with my cousin Steph for a walk and some pics. I think the bluebell field was a fitting place to take Steph's photos. Bluebells are not loud and do not command attention like some other flowers, in fact from a distance you could almost miss them... but when you come closer they completely put you in awe of their quiet beauty. They are friendly, pure, and peaceful... so joyful that once you spend time in their presence you walk away feeling a little bit closer to their Creator. Steph, you are truely beautiful and I am blessed to be spending more time with you lately!

Bluebells... round 1

2010-04-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

I spent the other afternoon with our friend Danielle, her amazingly handsome two year old, and brand new baby girl. Noah and Mr. G had a lot of fun running around the not so manly bluebell field while we tried to get some pics of baby V. who wasn't too thrilled at my crazy ideas of taking her from mommy and putting her in a basket. Minus a run away phone :( this shoot was so much fun, I absolutely adore the folks in these pics, and it was great to spend time with them!

Hello Handsome...

2010-03-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hello handsome... yesterday I got meet little Mr. Brady, his personality matched his good looks, such a sweet little 3 month old. It was awesome to spend time with him, his mommy and daddy and his best bud Bailey (the golden retriever). Love that little smile!

Two too cute!

2010-03-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Last November I met this adorable couple when I photographed them while they were still expecting their twin boys. This past weekend they invited me back to meet and photograph their beautiful new arrivals! Braydon and Landon are such awesome little guys, and I am convinced their parents deserve some sort of award... they juggle the responsibility of twins with such ease it was a joy to spend the afternoon with this new family!!

Little Mr. Andrew...

2010-03-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

This Sat. I got to spend time with baby Andrew and his parents, and their two fun pups too. It was my first shoot back after focusing on the book these past 2 months and what a joy it was to meet this precious family. Andrew is a blessed little boy, mom and dad are so excited for their new addition, and I think these photos caught a glimpse of his "newness", and cuteness too :)

Snow day...

2010-02-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

This past month I have taken a break from photography to finish working on a book I am going to be publishing this spring... but thanks to the snow I found some extra time today to enjoy the blizzard with my wonderful little man, and hubby too! It went a little something like this...

This morning Noah was looking out the window at the snow. "Snow! Eeeewe! Yuck!" Yes, he actually said those words, but rather awkwardly because he had a look of wonder and joy at the same time.

Judging by his commentary, I didn't think he was a big fan of the snow. So when I asked him if he would like to go outside, I was quite surprised when he turned around and said "fa-ease" (please) with a smile! Mommy was so proud to hear her little man say "fa-ease" in response to a question!

So away he went....

I think the story tells itself from here...

Snow storms rock!

O Tennanbaum...

2009-12-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

C is for Cookies....

2009-12-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

Last night Noah did some baking.....

He carefully spooned out the cookie dough...

into his mouth :)

After throwing a small fit when mommy took the cookie sheet away, Noah was amazed to look in the oven.... "hot" he kept reminding me as we watched his precious creations!

and then they were done... he could hardly wait to eat them... he was kissing the glass trying to get a taste!

"cookies!!" he said with a huge grin on his face as we lifted up the lid...

"mmmmmm..... cookies"

everyone wanted some cookies.....

and milk....

baking is delicious.... to the last crumb :)

Tis the Season.... to be adorable!!!

2009-12-18T09:07:00.000-08:00

Could these photos contain anymore joy? This little guy is one of my favorite boys in the whole world....our godson and Noah's best buddy....Timothy Zane! His parents, Kevin and Lisa are some of our favorites too... such great friends we count them as part of our family. Lisa asked me to take some photos of them for their Christmas cards this past weekend, and boy did we have fun, "Uncle John" had Timothy cracking... and his laughter left a smile on all of our faces. Later Timothy's grandparents all came over for a family pic on the stairs (which I messed up a little on quality) but I happen to love the content :) We are so blessed by these guys... they are part of what makes our Christmas merry for sure!

A Miracle to reflect on this Advent....

2009-12-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him." 1 Samuel 1:27

As we celebrate the Advent season and the miracle of the birth of baby Jesus over 2,000 years ago, my heart is overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving to be celebrating with our friends the anticipated birth of their very own miracle baby. A child had been the desire of Eric and Eileen's heart for some time now, and when doctor's said no...God said Yes! Over a year God promised Eileen a baby boy in a dream and told her that she would name him David... and next week she will hold him in her arms! He is faithful! This baby is going to be a blessing to so many people all over the world. Eileen's mom flew in all the way from Cameroon, West Africa to be with Eileen and meet her grandson... what a beautiful mother and daughter! We are so excited for you all, and cannot wait to meet your little boy.

Worth the Drive...

2009-12-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I took a drive through the snowy mountains to a beautiful lake community where I met this adorable couple and their bubbly baby girl. As I walked up the stairs to their home I was greeted with the sweetest little voice calling "hi" , as I rounded the corner I saw this joyful little pumpkin in a santa dress.... and I knew this was going to be a fun shoot! Such a nice family, it was so fun to watch them play together in the snow as they showed me around their lake. I loved this shoot, and you guys were so worth the drive :)

Moving beyond "Cute"...

2009-12-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

I spent some time with these guys Saturday afternoon during the first snowfall of the season. "Mom", was my birth instructor while I was pregnant with my son. It was so great to meet her family. These guys are awesome! They are the first non toddler family I have photographed, and aside from helping me expand my after shot vocabulary beyond "cute", they actually made me look forward to the teenage years of parenting ( not an easy task)! The kids seemed to genuinely get along, and it was cool to see the relationship that Dawn and her husband have with each of them. Plus, we realized they are basically our neighbors... so Noah has some very beautiful babysitters I will be contacting in the future :)

Beautiful....

2009-12-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

Look at those eyes...precious!! I love this little girl...I met Ms. J and her parents at the beginning of the year when she was just a few months old, and I was so excited when they asked me to come take her Christmas photos. Dad joked that it was like a wedding shoot with all of her outfit changes and me photographing mom getting her ready... Ms. J is such one lucky little girl, she has two truely awesome parents who love her to bits. I always love spending time with these guys, they are a genuinely awesome family, and I am thankful to share in their story.

Handsome....

2009-12-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, so we all think our little cuties should be models... but this little guy seriously has what it takes. Not only is he amazingly handsome, he was by far the most cooperative 4 year old ever. He was right on cue with every photo and even listened when mom directed him on his smiles. What a guy! It was so great to meet and photograph this fellow and his parents last weekend. (Silly me, uploaded small files for these pics... so the quality isn't all that great)

I'ts beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-11-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

It's this beautiful baby girl's first Christmas, and what a joy she is to her family! Such a sweet heart. The weather didn't cooporate with us for outside photos ( it was rainy and cold)... so we made our own weather indoors with a little help from photoshop. I think these should make for some super cute Christmas cards! Now, I need to start working on my own ;)

Oh Boy, Oh Boy....

2009-11-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I spent some time with this adorable couple who is anticipating the arrival of their twin boys this January. How exciting! Next time I see these guys their family will have grown by 4 feet :) In the meantime, they wanted some family shots with their awesome pup while he is still the "baby" of the family... he was filled with kisses for his "mom" and "dad".

Some End of Fall Fun...

2009-11-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

I think this will be the last of our fall fun photos... but not bad considering we are at the end of November all ready :) I spent some time running around with these beautiful kiddos on Wed. afternoon at their grandparents house. Their "poppy" had raked up and saved the last of the fall leaves for the kids to jump in. Another fun shoot, with another beautiful family... I love these last shots with the grandparents, so precious!

Happy Birthday Ava ....

2009-11-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

Tuesday evening I spent some time with baby Ava, her mom, dad, and her super friendly puppy dog. It's an exciting time for her family... she is turning one next week, and expecting a baby brother or sister in just a few months too. It was so fun to follow her around the park as she sported her one year old walking skills and found lots of treasures with her mommy. So much love!
P.s- I know the pup pic isn't the greatest quality, but I had to put it up, I just love it so much:)

If you're happy and you know it....

2009-11-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

It's official... I love this kid ! I first met Mr. B and his parents when he was just over 2 weeks old. I got to see him last month for a little at the pumpkin shoot, and this weekend I spent some time with him and his parents taking 6 month/ Christmas photos. He is soooooooooo smiley... I love the way he folds his hands together at his chest when he smiles with pure delight. I think I had a smile on my face the entire time I was editing, he is such a happy little guy!

Birthday Boy...

2009-11-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

This adorable little guy turns one on Thanksgiving day this year! What a lucky little guy he is to have such a cool family. These guys were actually the largest family I have photographed yet, and it was a fun learning experience. I was so amazed with mom and dad and how they lead the troops... I get stressed with one kiddo sometimes, and these guys juggled 4 with ease. What a beautiful fun crew they have!!

Sneak Peek....

2009-11-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

I met this wonderful family this past weekend. Mom had shared a bit of their story on the phone with me when we spoke the week earlier, and I was moved by the love in her voice when she spoke about her children, her family, and the journey they had been on these past few years. Her smile fit her voice when she answered the door on Saturday, and then I was quickly greeted by an bright eyed six year old girl who was just as beautiful as her mom had described her. "Miss B" we will call her, took me in and introduced me to her adorable baby brother who was almost half the size that she was! :) I will call him "Mr. S"... and maybe S is for silly, because his smile was quite contagious! He was so proud of his big sister as he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Dad was very cool too... and to boot they had two fun cats... and one was named Tasha :) It was a joy to meet these guys and photograph their beautiful family! Here is a sneak peak into the shoot.

Fun at the Farm... sneak peak

2009-11-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon I met up with Eric and Lillian to take some new family photos for them. I had photographed Lucas just after his first birthday last winter, and as soon as he saw me.. I think he remembered, because I was greeted with a look of " oh no... not again!". This time was a lot more fun though for sure... cows, tractors, electric fences :0, cats that try to follow you home, swinging high in mom and dad's arms.. a farm is a fun place for a little boy. Hey, lets be honest... I think a farm is a fun place for anyone. I wonder if I actually convinced Lillian who is a relocated New Yorker?! Anyway, I had a lot of fun with these guys... another totally awesome family!!!

Fun at the Park Round 3

2009-11-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know a blog post is supposed to be short and sweet... but this one is going to be long and sweet (photo wise anyway) because there were just too many adorable photos from this shoot to pic a "few" of my favorites. I photographed Erin and Justin at the park last Sat. afternoon then... and ran around with them and their little man just before sunset. Caleb was totally haming it up for the camera and had such a good time with his awesome mom and dad...What a cute family!!!

Fun in The Park Round 2

2009-11-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

I met Tara yesterday at the park to get a few photos of the girls in the leaves since the ground was so wet last weekend. They are so cute, I just can't get enough of them... and Noah "Joey" (as Lyla called him :) had a lot of fun too!

Fun at the Park

2009-11-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I met this beautiful family at Trexler Park to get some last minute fall photos. Unfortunately, it had rained pretty heavy the day before so we had to dodge a lot of wet ground.... but with these fun families it was hard to go wrong! I had photographed Tara and Ben's family (at top) earlier in the year, and it was so much fun to catch up with them and their adorable girls! Tara's sister Erikka brought her beautiful baby girl along, this was Brynn's first photo shoot, she is a born model though, look at that smile : )

City of Brotherly Love....

2009-11-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Time to play catch up... before we went on vacation I got to take an adventurous walk through downtown Bethlehem with these awesome little men and their very awesome mama. Our walk was complete with running, jumping, yelling, and even licking walls... so much fun exploring a city through the eyes of two little boys! Noah loved it too as he was along for the ride :) We love you Miss Leah and your adorable crew too!!

Welcome Baby Laila...

2009-11-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

While we were in Charlotte the other week John and I got to meet up with our good friend Ali, who we had lived with for 3 months in New Zealand a couple of years ago. This was the first time we had seen Ali since then, and it was such a huge blessing to reunite, and meet her 2 week old baby girl Laila Sol. What a beauty, not that I am at all surprised with such a beautiful mommy! God bless you guys!

Awww Shucks....

2009-11-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

I took these photos at Aw Shucks Farm while we were visiting Pranee and Malachi in North Carolina. Oh how I wish this place was closer... its like a trip back into the 1940's , so many fun places to shoot... and my models were a lot of fun too. We miss you Hannah!!! Pranee and I had gone here earlier in the day , and I foolishly decided to leave my camera at home at her house! So, once we got back to Pranee's, John and I ran to the thrift store for some overalls for the kiddos, hijacked Hannah from her nap (she didn't protest;), and headed back to the farm . I couldn't get enough of this place!

This last shot of Noah looking up at John is one of my favorites yet, once I finally get around to printing photos out for ourselves, this one is going up in the living room for sure.

Noah's Refurbished Pad...Painted By Noah's Super Rad Dad ;)

2009-11-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

We are finally figuring out how to get the photos large on the blog.... John took these shots of Noah playing in his "new" awesome refurbished club house. John bought this on Craigslist with an attached swing set for $45 :), and totally repainted it... it looks awesome... I wish the before pic was big enough to post. Noah loves it... good on ya' da da!

2009-11-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

2009-11-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

2009-11-03T19:42:00.001-08:00

2009-11-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

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2009-11-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday Miss Hailey...

2009-10-26T15:02:00.001-07:00

I did a first B Day shoot before we left for vacation.... she certainly takes the cake on cuteness!

P is for Pumpkin, and PLEASE don't put me in there :)

2009-10-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we had our second annual pumpkin shoot.... here are some of the adorable troopers!

And some beautiful families that stopped by too....

and more cuties....

and my cutie, last year... and this year!
clearly noah loved being stuffed into a pumpkin as much this year as he did last year... who wouldn't ;)

Pumpkin Patch...

2009-10-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday "Grandma"...

2009-10-08T16:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my beautiful mother in law turned "29";) I tried my hand at making one of those cute birthday cake flower boques for her.... Happy Birthday "Grandma" as Noah is working on saying ... so far he has "happy" down pat :)

Meet Miss Abigail...

2009-10-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

I photographed baby Abigail with her mommy and daddy on Saturday, just before her two month birthday. Abby wasn't too terribly into the photo shoot, but its hard to go wrong when there is this much love in a room :)

rub a dub dub

2009-10-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Is Noah's daddy Santa Claus?

2009-10-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Behold.... Noah, climbing the mighty stuffed animal mountain. Well, its that time of year again... the time of year when toys start flying out of our house into the arms of happy children around world.... and you have to begin to wonder is Noah's daddy Santa Claus?? John's ebay prep for Christmas sales is in full swing. Tonight he was busy sorting through some of the stuffed animals we have collected over the summer in order to start taking pictures and post. Noah was busy too, climbing the mountain of plushes that filled the living room. Let me just add a disclaimer that our living room doesn't usually look like this, although Noah certainly doesn't mind the mess!

Joyful Adventurers...

2009-10-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had the joyful experience of photographing Olivia, Joshua, and Nathan. This adorable set of twins and their awesome big brother were so much fun and you could just see their love for each other as they ran around exploring the park. What a great family!

Fall Treasures and Surprises...

2009-09-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I wanted to write and tell you about all the fun mommy and I have been having in this new season called fall. Fall is filled with fun!

Yesterday afternoon we explored some puddles in our backyard. (Don't worry grandmas, mommy didn't let me out barefoot too long).

Then today we went on a walk and found some great fall treasures . On the way there were lots of pretty "fa-lowers" ( i'm still learning the word leaf :) falling through the air. I caught one and carried it all the way to the playground!

On the way home, mommy gave me this thing. Isn't it amazing!? I said "Oh wow!" almost the entire walk home. I thought the coolest part was the goo that came out of it.

Fall is filled with fun surprises! But, the biggest surprise was waiting for me when we got home....

Some men were doing road work down the street, and a great big digger was parked outside my front door "Oh wow!" I said. Fall is filled with all kinds of fun surprises!

Football fun..... toddler style.

2009-09-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

^ Your seeing it here first guys.... Eagles starting lineup 2029! Currently undefeated ;) ^

My men looking all athletic.... check out Noah running!!

Kev with Timothy in the football hold ;)

Rob and his adorable boys!

Not the best photos, but these boys are way too cute not to post.

Dinner party. check out Timothy toasting his mommy!

Yesterday Noah's buddies came over for a playdate while their daddies watched the game. Afterward we all went out for a wet but fun mini shoot with all the cool retro Eagles outfits Aunt Lisa found for the boys. What a fun afternoon..... but ladies, I think we need to work on some little cheerleaders for next year's season, we are way outnumbered by testosterone! ;) I couldn't imagine it any other way, I am so thankful for all these little guys, and their daddies too.

Madeiras... fun on the farm.

2009-09-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

I spent Monday night photographing Tim and Kristin, and their two wonderful growing boys Jacob and Samuel. After the boys had some fun showing off their muscles in a soy bean field, and smiling to the word cow manure (in place of cheese), we went to the top field to let the boys climb around on an old rusty truck. (Thanks for trusting me on that one mom and dad!) I'm surprised Jacob and Samuel didn't get the old beauty running again, their hands sure did get messy trying! That was about the end of our shoot, as I misjudged the time of sunset.... but it was great spending time with these guys while the daylight lasted. Madeiras... you guys are an awesome family, and we are so glad you are in our lives!

Brrm, Brrm, Brrm!

2009-09-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

"Brrm, Brrm, Brrm".... seems to be one of Noah's favorite expressions these days as he pushes his cars and trucks around the house! Last Sat. while yard sale shopping we found a shake and go race track for him. For some reason he likes to sit in the middle of the track, which leads to a lot of race cars crashing into his feet. He doesn't seem to mind.... he just looks up and yells "Boom"!

Grace and Beauty

2009-09-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Early last spring I got to photograph Kelly, one of my best friends younger sister's. She never made it to the website, because she's not really a child.... so although it comes a little late, I thought she deserved a place on the blog.
Kelly, is to me, beauty and grace personified. She carries herself in such a way that her natural beauty radiates praise to our wonderful Maker!
It was a privilidge to photograph her, and run around the fields with her and her crazy fun sister. Thanks girls.

2009-09-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to have a photo shoot this morning, but it was rescheduled due to the rain. So we took the camera out in our own back yard and took some pics of Noah sporting his froggy rain gear... thank you mima!

2009-09-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

" Dear Auntie Pranee,
I think my mama is finally starting a blog.
It only took her a year to do it after you suggested it.
Let's see how long she keeps up with it. He, he, he.
Love you,
Noah
P.s
Please tell Hannah, my betrothed, I send my love!"

Noah has a fascination with the buttons on my laptop, of which he is not allowed to touch. So, to ward off temper tantrums while mommy is blogging, Noah has been given use of this very stylish 1940s typewriter. As you can see he is hard at work, typing and driving a matchbox all at the same time... what a multi-tasker!