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!

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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!

 

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“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.

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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!

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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! 

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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!

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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!

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Meet the Shields family! They are the type of people who are kind to the core, and it was my absolute pleasure to be their photographer for the night!

I know I say this all the time, but I truly have the BEST clients! I knew they’d dress fabulously and show up for a good time! Often I hear from people that they aren’t excited about having their picture taken. There’s probably a million other things they’d rather do, but my clients always end up having a great evening and really enjoy the session. The truth is, I’m kind of a doofus behind the camera, so it’s definitely entertainment for the evening!

I love this Shields family! They were such great sports for all my crazy ideas and they just went with the flow. I really enjoyed following the kids as they played. They smelled the flowers, ate “breakfast” at the bistro table, and opened the gates for the show that we were inevitably always late to, haha!!! Roman, their son, was awesome and showed me his best macho moves followed by the best laugh! I love that the Shields family had ice cream and played Minecraft after pictures. It’s always such a great way to get kids excited about pictures through a great bribe!

Dear Shields Family,

Thank you for being so easy-going at our session! Bryce and Melissa, you guys are amazing parents. It shows in how great your kids are. Your love for them just oozes from every word and action, and I loved capturing that.  You are both patient parents, a quality that is hard to develop. Thank you for your kindness throughout the time we’ve been here. I will never take your kindness for granted. Thank you for finding this incredible oasis in Lovelock, and inviting me to be a part of it. I am truly grateful for your family and for trusting me to take your family pictures!

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