ELLIS FAMILY | DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO | 2018

When Ashley contacted me about booking her family portraits for this fall, I was so excited to plan their session! We met through our local MOMS Club when I moved to Castle Rock last fall. She is such an amazing mama, and I am honored to capture her family.

These beautiful sisters are the same age as my two babies! I might be biased, but it truly is my very favorite age to photograph. I often get parents saying, "Oh my two year old is really going to make you work for it!" But the truth of the matter is that's okay! While I do take a few moments to grab a portrait with everyone looking at the camera, that's not our main goal here. I want to tell the story of your family so you and your children can look back at these images with THEIR families and see something really special.

I love this sweet mama's boy!

This might look like a quiet, stolen moment, but nope, there's a baby on the hip. And it doesn't get more real than that for a family of five...

Sometimes the littles reach a point where they are just D O N E with a capital DONE, and that's totally expected. They had so much fun playing and exploring for an hour straight! They were rock stars. But I love that Ashley and Will decided to include some of these outtakes in their gallery because this is a perfect way to remember the whole gamut of faces they see on a daily basis. It's not all smiles and giggles, and that's life with three under five!!

Thank you, Ellis family, for spending a beautiful evening with me and allowing me to capture your family as you were in this very moment.

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ENTENMANN FAMILY | CASTLE PINES, COLORADO | 2018

It was my absolute pleasure to meet this adorable family this summer! Nicki is a witty blogger documenting her life as mommy to the cutest little duo, Paisley and Jack. (Check out Luck of the Irish Twins!) As a stay at home mom myself, I can totally relate to so many of her experiences... from remembering to put our marriages first when daily life revolves around sweet baby faces and wiping butts... to the struggles/enjoyment of life in leggings and a dirty ponytail.

Paisley just celebrated her second birthday, and Jack has number O-N-E coming up soon! (You know, Irish twins and all.)

How happy are these guys?! It's no secret that my favorite time of day for family portraits is the hour leading up to sunset when the sun is the softest and most dreamy. But with two littles under two in the middle of the summer when sunset is way past bedtime, that just isn't going to happen. So if I have to choose, I choose rested and happy kiddos, and we find a location that will work for us. Mission accomplished with this great park just minutes from their house!

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VERBER FAMILY | FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION | DENVER, COLORADO | 2018

I am so excited to share this family session! It gave me extra special joy because this is my second cousin! Jenny and Mark's son Sam is turning one year old, and I had the opportunity to capture their family during this milestone! How incredible is this toothy smile?

Jenny told me they had this great park really close to their house. When I went up to scout it out before their session, I knew she was right! And that Denver sunset did not disappoint!

 Sam wanted those fingers in his mouth the entire time!

Bye, Sam! Happy Birthday, buddy!!

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HARTFORD - SMITH FAMILY SESSION | COLORADO | 2017

This family lucked out with a beautiful wintry backdrop for their family photos! The Denver area didn't experience much snow in December, so this was a treat. Hudson's red sweater was the perfect touch for this session I shot right before Christmas.

The session took place at Columbine Open Space which has this beautiful old barn. It was a must for their photos. 

Right before their session began, I spotted what appeared to be a coyote playing on the property. With all the wildlife you can encounter at this location (including a federally protected jumping mouse!) real dogs aren't allowed. Lucky for us, Hudson was quite content with my little wolf pup stuffy.

 The last time I photographed this family, Hudson wasn't quite himself and was feeling under the weather. There is no question that this little joy had a great time in the snow playing with his parents today!