This is one of my dearest friends, Ashley Knight. She is expecting her 6^thbaby, and I’m really excited for her! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do maternity photos. Each child is a miracle and phenomenon when he or she is growing inside of you. You seem to savor every kick, every hiccup, and every movement. I know it’s not easy for her, but Ashley makes pregnancy look like a breeze.

Ashley was there for me at Elsie’s birth, encouraging me through each contraction. Ashley trusted me enough to do the videography for the birth of her sweet baby girl, which was a night I will never forget. She was the first person to bring me cookies after moving here! She’s made me laugh harder than anyone! I picked up a few amazing recipes from her, and she is someone who I continue to learn from. Ashley has such a hard work ethic too. She and Hiram built a house for her in-laws and then turned around and built on more to their own house. Ashley is constantly right there in the construction working hard. She is incredibly easy to please. Not to mention, she is one amazing friend.

Dear Ashley,

Thank you for being the first person to trust me here in Lovelock to do your family pictures. The way you swooned over them made my confidence soar, and pushed me to improve. It is because of you that I have been able to serve so many families here. Thank you for loving me in spite of all my flaws and weaknesses! You have the biggest heart. You are constantly finding ways to serve and love others. I have been the recipient of so much service.

I love watching you love your husband and children. You are an amazing mother to those lucky kids, and a sweet wife to Hiram. He’s a lucky guy. You both just make life fun. You have always been the instigator of entertaining girls’ nights, always including everyone. Ashley, I love you and your family so much! So grateful I moved to Lovelock to meet you. You have forever changed my life in the most amazing way!

Continue reading “Ashley Knight’s Maternity Session”

Wagner Family

If you don’t know the Wagner Family, you are really missing out! I am completely amazed by this family. They are close-knit and compassionate, and truly some of the most gracious people you will ever meet. They are the kind of people who drop everything to help someone in need. I witnessed that first hand at this session!

You may remember Eric’s senior pictures (total stud, now studying at UNLV) from last year. I really couldn’t wait to get the whole family in front of the camera! The Wagner’s literally made my dreams come true! This was my first family that agreed to a morning session, and not only that, but they brought THE most cheerful attitudes at 7 am! That’s not easy to do, ha! I was smiling and laughing the entire time; the Wagner Family is so much fun to be around!

These guys did ANYTHING I asked of them. I’m pretty sure if I would have said, “Hey, this cow dung is really cool, let’s sit right next to it!” that they would not have hesitated. (We did succeed at avoiding the manure though, haha!) They made my job so easy. I put Lilly to work holding the reflector, and she totally rocked it. I need to hire her!

Rich and Brooke are really amazing parents. They were playful, loving, and always encouraging. I loved watching the two of them together and how they made each other laugh. This session was a total dream, and I couldn’t have asked for more incredible people to photograph.

Remember when I said I witnessed first hand these people would drop everything to help someone out? Well, we were driving to the second location, and my tire blew (or at least I thought that was the problem). Rich, Eric and Brayden were all helping to get the spare tire on when they noticed it was a much worse problem and that missing caliper bolts would mean my car would need to be towed. Immediately they said they had a car trailer and could run and get it to tow my car back home, instead of waiting for a tow truck.

It was a busy Saturday morning for them with a family breakfast, basketball games, and getting Eric on the road back to college. They did not have time for my car problems, but they made time to help me for the rest of the morning. Honestly, I get choked up when I think of their incredible tenderness that day.

Dear Wagner Family,

Thank you for being a total blast at our session and for being willing to wake up early to catch the light! Thank you for trusting me with your family pictures. You guys brought so much joy to these pictures. I can’t thank you enough for slowly driving up the road in search of a small caliper bolt, for loading up the car trailer, loading up my car, and then bringing it home on a busy Saturday morning. Your selflessness is incredible and I am forever in your debt. Thank you for being so kind to me and my family while we’ve lived here in Lovelock. I love you Wagner Family!

Continue reading “Wagner Family”

I first met Kelly Brooks at a park in Lovelock. She was taking care of quite a few little kids (she was babysitting), and my thought was, “Man, she’s really got it together!” She is back to teaching math at the high school this year, and even though she is amazing with the little ones, she is really great with the bigger ones. Every time I ask her how teaching is going, her whole face lights up. I can tell by the way she talks about it that she is one of those teachers who really cares about her students and wants them to succeed.

Buzz Brooks is also a math teacher at the high school! In fact, most of Buzz’s family are teachers! I’m pretty sure its in their blood to be the kind of teacher that makes an impact for the rest of their students’ lives. You remember these teachers from your past. The teachers who made you laugh, the ones who pushed you, and then gave you the one-on-one time you needed to learn a concept. That’s the Brooks Family in a nutshell! How do I know this? Well, I’ve never been their student, but everyone who has had them as teachers has loved them. I am grateful to have these guys as teachers in this community.

Buzz and Kelly have these 5 beautiful kids, and literally my cheeks hurt from loving on their smiles! I think it was only 35 degrees outside and they still brought high energy and smiles from ear to ear. They really made my job so easy!

Dear Brooks Family,

Thank you for trusting me to take your family pictures. I cannot describe to you how much fun I had with you all! You guys all smiled in between the convulsions from the cold! I loved watching your kids interact with each other and help each other. I know you are a tight-knit family that has a ton of fun. Buzz and Kelly, you amaze me with all the balls you juggle, and the balance that you still maintain in your lives. You guys are incredible!

Continue reading “Brooks Family”

As I walked out the door to the Williams Family session, my daughter Leila was in tears. She begged, “I want to come see Giana and Grayson! PLEASE!” All my kids swoon over this amazing family. We adore these guys and really can’t get enough of them. I had the privilege of doing Giana’s kindergarten graduation pictures in the spring, and I was super excited to do the whole family this fall. The Williamses are whole-hearted people with high standards and integrity.

Dennis and Lindsey were high school sweethearts, and they continue to love each other more and more every day. They are a really great team. Lindsey is  soft-spoken and loving, and Dennis is very jovial and upbeat all the time! They are such a great couple!

Lindsey and Dennis have been really great friends to us, too. They don’t know this, but I get choked up when I think about the amazing friend Dennis has been to Brandon. It’s hard to put into words. Dennis has taken Brandon all over the mountains at insanely early hours to help him find deer during hunting season. And when they couldn’t go hunting together, Dennis would cheer on and encourage Brandon. He will text Brandon just to see how things are going which seems like a really simple thing, but it has meant so much to Brandon. Dennis is a true friend, and someone we are eternally grateful for.

Lindsey and Dennis are incredible parents. Being a mom doesn’t come naturally to me; I have to work very hard at it and even then, I really struggle. Because it’s so hard for me, I really watch how others parent so I can learn. And I have learned A LOT from Lindsey and Dennis. They both have an incredible amount of patience. They don’t get flustered with little things. Dennis and Lindsey are constantly encouraging Giana and Grayson to make good choices and treat others with respect. And I respect that!

Dear Williams Family,

Thank you for being such kind friends to our family. We literally can’t get enough of you! We are cheering you on through all your successes and adventures. Thank you for raising such sweet kids who are kind, loving, and fun! You all make me want to be a better person. Thank you for trusting me with your family pictures. I love you Williams Family!

 

Continue reading “Williams Family”

“Go Elanie!” is what I cheered all through this last soccer season! I love Elanie De Los Reyes’s name so much; it just rolls right off your tongue! I had the pleasure of coaching Elanie on my soccer team this fall, and she was such a bright spot on the team and a good friend to Kiera! Her smile feels like a million bucks. She is a great little player on the field, and I hope she and my daughter get to play on the same team again. That’s also where I met Laura, Elanie’s mom.

Laura is such a hard working mom, and also attending school at nights and staying up late to finish homework. She is a super mom whom I admire so much. Laura is a gentle soul full of selflessness.

Her sweet husband, Francisco De Los Reyes, I met at our session on Saturday. I could tell he has a very kind heart. He works hard to provide for his family, and I loved watching him snuggle and smile at Laura. They were such a fun couple to work with!

Alexander and Lucia were really great at this session. It was so cold out, but you probably can’t tell from the pictures! They were troopers at braving the cold and they still smiled and laughed for me.

Dear De Los Reyes Family,

Thank you for trusting me with your family pictures! You have such a beautiful, sweet family. Francisco and Laura, you have taught your kids to be kind and respectful, and I look up to you as parents. You are juggling work and school and parenting, and that’s super tough. I know how hard it is when your kids are little, day in and day out taking care of their constant needs. But these little smiles are really special and I hope seeing these pictures brings more joy into your home.

Continue reading “De Los Reyes Family”

When Laura Katsaris contacted me about family pictures, I knew her family was going to be pretty incredible. She was able to coordinate her two brothers, one in Reno, mom and stepdad, and grandparents! I don’t know if any of you have ever tried to get your family together for dinner, let alone family pictures, it’s no easy feat! Not to mention the stress of getting kids ready and wearing something that will keep them semi-warm in the cold is really tough! And wear something that coordinates with everyone else! They brought their A-game and rocked the session!

I loved having all the adults help the kids to laugh and smile! It was like I had nine assistants! Ha! Maybe I’ll hire all these guys for my next photoshoot!

These guys were so easy to work with, so willing to do the funny things I asked them to do. My grandparents are not longer living, but I really enjoyed being around Laura’s grandparents, the DeBraga’s. Really, this family is their legacy and one to be very proud of. They reminded me of my own grandparents.  The way they looked at each other was really special. I felt their love for each other and their grandchildren and great grandchildren. Something about grandparents just tugs at my heart strings!

Laura’s brothers have this cool swag about them, and Hailey, her sister-in-law, is such a sweet mom! They just made my job super easy! Jesse, Laura’s husband, was really fun. He has the biggest smile. Every time he could, he’d sneak in a kiss followed by this huge grin! What a sweetheart!

Dear DeBraga Family,

Thank you for trusting me with your pictures! I love how important family pictures are to you. Thank you for giving me a little peek into your wonderful, kind family. I’m guessing you all have a lot of fun at family dinners and holidays! You all seem like go-getters, and I loved learning from you! These cute kiddos are so lucky to have you! Hope you enjoy these photos!

Some of you long-time followers will remember this family, the Budd family. We did last year’s family pictures on the Truckee River in Reno. And you might remember that Courtney was a huge help to me at the hospital when Elsie was born. The Budd family has always been there for my family, and their kids have been a shining light for my kids. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve to know this incredible family!

Dan and Courtney are amazing parents, teaching their kids kindness, charity, selflessness, patience and hard work. These kids look out for each other, laugh with each other and serve each other. They are the type of kids you dream and hope your kids can learn to be someday. They cheer each other on at soccer games and they catch crawfish at Tahoe together. And they thrive on their Dad’s playful teasing and practical jokes. Let’s just say, if you were lucky enough to be a fly on the wall in their home, it would be pretty entertaining!

Dan and Courtney are such a powerful team, constantly helping each other out and lifting one another up. They had a crazy year with some unplanned house construction, and I watched in awe as they handled everything with far more patience than I would have. It’s really fun to watch them feed off each other with jokes and funny stories. My cheeks always hurt from smiling after hanging out with them!

Dear Budd Family,

Thank you for trusting me to take your family photos. You guys always make me laugh behind the camera! Your smiles are infectious, and your countenance is always positive. I can’t get enough of you all! Your quiet examples always show me that I can be better. I love meeting up with you at Tahoe to play in the sand, and I’m eternally grateful for your constant friendship. I love each and every one of you!

Continue reading “Budd Family”

Hi friends! Meet the Dagerman family! I have had the privilege of knowing this sweet family since it was established! I met Mindi through my husband, Brandon’s, work. Mindi and Brandon were both engineers for Southwest Gas. Mindi and I always say that she and I were friends before her and Brandon, haha! 

I had the honor of attending Bryan and Mindi’s wedding 8 years ago. Brandon and I knew their love would be one to last through the good times and bad. I love watching the way Bryan takes care of Mindi and their two boys. His heart is gold and his humble, kind manner is easy to be around. 

Mindi is one of those “I’m there for you no matter what” kinds of friends. She is such a loyal friend and I am so grateful for her constant kindness towards me. She has always supported my photography, and I couldn’t ask for anything more! 

I remember when Mindi was pregnant with her first son, Cameron. We were so excited to welcome him to the world! Mindi and Bryan have raised him to be incredibly smart, kind, and the best big brother. Those boys are inseparable!

Henry is 3, and he is such a sweetheart. Whenever he was nervous in front of the camera, Cameron would ask if he needed him to be in the picture with Henry. He always nodded yes. They made a great team!

Dear Dagerman Family,

Thank you for your quiet example of kindness and hard work. Thank you for continuing to be such loyal friends throughout the years. I love you all and I’m so thankful I have you for friends. Thank you for trusting me to take your family pictures and for making it fun! Hope you enjoy these as much as I love you! 

Continue reading “Dagerman Family”

Hi Friends! I’m so excited to share these pictures with you all. Those of you who know me, this family is probably really familiar. You may even remember their session from last year! Those of you new to the blog are in for a treat because this is my amazing sister’s family! Meet the Emerick’s.

Jared and Emily have been married for 19 years. They are an incredible team and the wonderful parents of these four beautiful girls. Jared and Emily are go-getters. They don’t settle for anything, but instead they strive for excellence, success, and accomplishment.

I’m always in for a good laugh with Jared. He can tell a really good joke, and honestly its hard to stop smiling when I’m around him. His story-telling skills are so entertaining, and he’s the life of the party. Jared loves sports and loves cheering his girls on in their sports. When they were having children, I remember asking Jared if he was hoping for a boy. He said he wouldn’t have it any other way, that those four girls have his whole heart.

Emily is my one and only sister. And really if I had more sisters, they’d probably feel left out because we are so close. She is the biggest fan of my work. It is because of her that I have grown this business to where it is today, thanks to her consistent encouragement. Emily knows how to balance a busy schedule. She works part-time, is getting her Master’s Degree, and juggles the activities of her four girls. She knows what her priorities in life are and how to stay balanced.

Not only is Emily my best friend, she is one of the greatest examples to me of an incredible mom. She has taught her kids to be independent, kind, loving, helpful, faithful, smart and virtuous. Emily is keenly aware of each kids’ hopes and dreams. She helps nurture their talents and hobbies, and really gives them the space they need to learn and grow.

The four girls, Macy, Halle, Sami, and Chloe each have such kind souls. They are the type of kids that look for the good in people, and they live by the golden rule and then beyond. I’m getting teared up as I write this because I am truly grateful to have them in my life and in my kids’ lives. I love when they “Marco Polo” me, and send me funny texts throughout the week. I never tire of hearing about their adventures and hobbies. This family really does have my whole heart!

Dear Emerick Family,

Thank you for believing in me and for always trusting me to take your family pictures. Thank you for your example of faithfulness, charity, and love. You, Emerick family, are beautiful inside and out. Anyone who gets to be your friend is blessed because of your heart. I love you all to the moon and back, and I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I truly loved taking them! I look forward to this every year more than you know!

Continue reading “Emerick Family”

Meet the Houston Family! Haha, ok ok, you probably already know these famous Lovelockeans. Lee and Emilee are incredible teachers. And you probably remember Taryn’s senior pictures! (And she’s already off to college!!!) But I want to tell you about this amazing family anyway!

I was so excited when Emilee asked me to do their family pictures. They are always busy with 6 kids, house projects, extra curricular activities, teaching, kids going off to college, etc etc!! So I was beyond thrilled we found a day that worked! They dressed fabulously and brought their “A” game with tons and tons of smiles!

The Houston’s are the kind of family that inspires me to be better. They humbly and quietly show me how to be a better parent and friend. Lee and Emilee are so patient with their kids, and they have taught them to be kind and respectful to everyone. Their whole heart and soul is poured into these little people, and their love is really palpable. They always leave me craving more time with them; it’s just never long enough! I have really enjoyed getting to know them and learning from their example.

My kids get along so well with the Houston’s. They have included my kids and really made us feel welcome because sometimes I still feel like I’m new to Lovelock! I loved their fun ideas at our session for how to pose and what pictures they wanted to take. It was really fun watching how good of friends they all are with each other.

Dear Houston Family,

I can’t thank you enough for your friendship. I’m rooting for you, Taryn, at college! You’re going to kill it, girl! Makenna, good luck this next year in high school! It goes by fast, so enjoy every minute! Lee and Emilee, you are exceptional parents and friends. I feel really lucky I know you, and will get to see you at school throughout the year. Thank you for sharing your kids with my kids and for your contagious happiness! I really love being around you all. Thank you for being awesome in front of the camera! I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I love you!

Continue reading “Houston Family”