Well, here we are on the warm beachs of the Outer Banks in North Carolina.  We headed down immediately following Courtney and Nate's wedding on Saturday.  We are having a wonderful, relaxing time with all of Jeremy's family.  I had hoped to post our absence prior to leaving, but we were busy trying to get as much done, so that we could actually enjoy our time away.  We will be back to the grind on Tuesday, July 1.  We are checking email and responding in between our trips to the beach, the hot tub, the pool, shopping, put-put... :)  Thanks for your patience and we can't wait to share more from our trip.  We also have a lot to share from some of our recent weddings and portrait sessions, so stay tuned...  Blessings to you!

Claire is loving this! 

Gabe and his throwing abilities. :)  Can you see the shell?  He is in beach heaven! 

Oh, the sweetness of sisters...and Brooklyn and Gracie are just that.  We had a wonderful time with these two and have been fortunate enough to have documented them in the past.  Actually, we have documented a lot of their family and love the friendships that have been established over the years.  Brooklyn came ready for the camera...even to the point of having her own outfit picked out. :) Gracie was a bit more reserved, but I'm sure that she will have her shining moments in the future when she is a bit older. :)  Enjoy these precious girls...    

Every little girl needs a field of flowers where she can spin in circles...

Love this one...every girl needs her mommy.

Love the candidness of this one... 

It was so cute because she kept holding the flower up by her face...

I had to include this series.  She was completely rockin' this session.  This is only a handful of the shots taken during a series of several moments.  It was all her...

Luke and Kayla couldn't have dreamed of a better day.  Thankfully, their outdoor wedding took place prior to the incredible amounts of rain we have received recently.  The weather truly was gorgeous.  On top of that, was the location.  Luke and Kayla chose to get married on the property of Kayla's parents and talk about wow!  Every little detail was considered, thought of and remembered.  The best part of this whole day was watching Luke and Kayla interact.  Obviously, their love for one another and their families will be something that will last forever.  Thanks for letting us share in this beautiful day!  Blessings to you both!      

The guys' idea of getting ready... :)

Favorite!  The wind caught her veil perfectly.

M-F-E-O...love this one!

How adorable are they?

Precious!

Jeremy's view...

My view...

A beautiful, peaceful ending to an amazing day...

We just returned from Mike and Katie's wedding in Chicago this afternoon (more on that to come soon :)...and I wanted to share some very quick pictures of Jeremy with Gabe and Claire...and I mean quick...we literally sat a chair in our front yard.  This was more to humor me than anyone else. :)  

Anyway, it is Father's Day and I wanted to share some special thoughts about my dad and the father that Jeremy has become.  Ever since I was little I looked up to my dad even though we had our moments...I guess that's what happens when your personaliities are so much alike. :)  However, now that I am older, not only do I look up to him, but I admire and appreciate him.  My dad has always been the head of our home, but wouldn't be afraid to share his sensitive, concerning side.  Now, I understand how much he has cared and loved us over the years.  Even when he had to work longer hours and couldn't always be there to support me physically, I knew that he was supporting me in his mind and spirit.  I have always been inspired by my dad's spiritual journey.  Even when life didn't give him the best card, he still persevered and trusted that God's plan was much better than his.  It has been an honor to have two God-fearing parents who taught my brothers and I how to love, not only others, but God.  I love you, dad.  

Then there's Jeremy...:)  He has been everything and more in his role as a father.  When you have been blessed with such a positive experience as a child your expectations climb to a whole new level when it comes to your own children.  However, Jeremy loves and adores our two children.  His patience and willingness to be a part of all that they do brings joy to my heart.  I also know that his relationship with Christ is well-founded and that these principles will be carried out as we raise Gabe and Claire.  It is comforting to have confidence in your spouse, not only in our marriage, but as we embark on this journey to raise the miracles that God has blessed us with...as individuals who walk daily with Christ.  I love and appreciate you, Jeremy...Happy Daddy's Day!

The rest of these are for the Grandmas...:)

Coming next...Luke and Kayla. :)

It is amazing how small the world can be at times.  Mike and Margaret live in the Denver area, she's from Chicago, they will be getting married at Notre Dame...yet somehow they managed to find us. :) Actually, they found us through an event company out of South Bend called MichaelAngelo's, that worked with Mike and Andrea last fall.  They did an amazing job and were so wonderful to work with.   They had requested some images from Mike and Andrea's wedding and in return put a link to our site on their site. :)  

Well, all I can say is that I am truly looking forward to their wedding at Notre Dame.  As we continued to talk and got to know each other during their session, the more I realized how wonderful they both were.  Margaret and I had only talked a few times over the phone.  Their engagement session was multi-purposed with pictures and discussing products,etc.   Their personalities were so genuine and their love is so evident.  I know their day will be nothing short of amazing and I feel truly blessed that our paths have crossed to celebrate this time in their lives.  Can't wait, Mike and Margaret!!

I'll start with a favorite...

...and another.

Notre Dame means a lot to both Mike and Margaret...they both graduated from Notre Dame, they met at Notre Dame, and a good number of Margaret's family graduated from there as well.  To top all of that, Margaret's grandmother also married on the campus of Notre Dame...talk about memories.  

We climbed several trees during their session. ;)