G family, part II

Matt, Sara, Patrick & Jaden

Our dear friends, Matt & Sara, and their two boys, Patrick & Jaden, are moving to a new home. James and I (and more recently, Emma) have countless fond memories of good times at Matt & Sara's house. Sara is an awesome hostess and is always willing to welcome anyone in for a meal, a laugh, a talk. Matt barbecues with the best of them and of course Patrick is one of our favorite little entertainers. We've camped in Matt & Sara's backyard (oh, what a night), we've fought over the rules of so many games of Cranium/Catchphrase (competitive? me?), we've savored a ton of delicious milkshakes and lattes made by Sara. We've celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a traditional Irish dinner for two years in that house. I've cried in that house, I've laughed in that house. James and I are grateful for these friends -- these people who are not just friends to us, but family. I can't even write enough about how much we love these guys. So ... congratulations on your new adventure, Matt & Sara. We will miss your first home ... but here are a few pics so you'll always remember the place where your family first began.

Twins, Part II

I just LOVE this picture. Someday, I envision doing a similar one with the girls sitting in front of them, not in the car seats, but for now, I think this totally encapsulates what Brian and Lindsey's life is right now. They don't have to cart around one heavy car seat, but TWO of them. Everything they do, they have to do twice. Every night, they don't have one baby to soothe and snuggle to sleep, but two. I admire all they've sacrificed to make these girls the happy babies they are. I'm sure Brian and Lindsey would say that twice the work is exhausting, but it's also twice the love.





We got some of these pictures around their condo complex, to capture the memory of their first home together.













Super mom!

I was shooting pictures of Brooklyn, down on the floor, when I had to look up and get the expressions on the faces of her family members, all trying to make her laugh. So sweet.

Twins!

I'm not done editing all of these pictures yet, but here's a peek at a few pictures from my first shoot with Brian, Lindsey and the twins! Brooklyn and Tess are six months old and they are sweet, sweet, sweet! Brian and I have been friends since high school. Lindsey is such a kind, fun girl and James and I have gotten to know her over the past couple of years. I can vouch for the fact that she is a great team member on game night! GO GIRLS TEAM! :) Okay, more pictures coming soon!

4th Avenue Media

I was honored to be asked to take pictures for 4th Avenue Media, a new kind of advertising agency in the Bellevue/Seattle area made up of seasoned media professionals who have made it their passion to tell their clients' stories in unique ways. The team at 4th Avenue Media excel in media buying, advertising, story-telling and public relations. To learn more about this group, visit their website here or check our their blog here. Anyway, the business owners, Robin & Lucas, wanted headshots and group photos for their website and I was excited to be able to help them with this.

I faced quite a challenge with nature this day. The sun was really bright, the wind was so powerful and the air was bitter cold. That meant we had people squinting to keep their eyes open against the sun (even at times in the shade), hair flying in all directions, and freezing noses, fingers, toes ... brrr. I tried shooting in the shade and did get some good pictures there, but I really wanted to get the Bellevue skyline behind the 4th Avenue Media team and for our location, that meant we had to stand in direct sunlight. The wind never died down, but in a few of the images, I think the windblown hair actually gave a little more character to the pictures. Anyway ... I am hoping to get back together with 4th Avenue Media when the weather is a bit warmer to get some really neat shots at dusk with the Bellevue skyline (it is gorgeous right around 5:30 p.m.). Until then, here are just a few of the images we ended up with ...