During our session, we had old brick, leaves, lots of color, and plenty of balloons to help capture his personality.  Kale was a real trooper, too.  He was all grins and giggles the entire time.  I’m not sure I heard him fuss at all.

A happy baby makes happy parents! 

I love that profile, tiny little button nose, long lashes…

Time for cake!

and maybe a ribbon or two…

Ha!  Yum Yumm…

I’m pretty sure we laughed the entire time.  This little guy was too much fun!

Just take a look at that HUGE grin.  This is one HAPPY KID!  I bet his momma and daddy have it so easy.  What do you think?

Of course, they’re pretty fun themselves.  Maybe Rhett is rubbing off on them. 

I know I was grinning from ear to ear the rest of the night!

Once again, I couldn’t resist having them play in the leaves a bit.  These were PERFECT leaves, too.  I was wishing I was more creative so I could grab a handful to use in some sort of Fall arrangement or art project.  BUT, photography is about as creative as I get…

Seriously, have you ever seen someone grin this much?  Sheesh!

For a mini, this family is going to have one REALLY GOOD SET of photos.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, mini-sessions ROCK!

I even talked Mom into getting a couple of shots for herself.  WE women are never in photos!

Doesn’t she look amazing!  I love how “REAL” that smile is…makes me smile, too!

Well…I have to admit, the youngest member of their group was not all that keen on having his photo taken.  I had to become really good at distracting him a bit right before snapping a perfect shot or two.  In all, we got some awesome ones, but he sure made us work hard to capture them! 

Not to worry, though, I can totally relate.  I still hate having my photo taken, photographer or not!  AND, he was a pretty cool kid!

These two were so lovey dovey.  It’s nice to see that in a couple these days…

really.  how cute are they.

I had a great time with you guys!  You’ll have your disc VERY soon.

Happy Thursday to you all!

speeding bullet? lighting?  You decide.

That’s how fast this blog post is going to be.  I’m SUPER tired.  No really, SUPER SUPER tired.  It’s after 2am and I’m trying like crazy to catch up on all these sessions for you folks.  I know it’s taking me FOREVER to get your sneak peeks up and especially to mail out your discs.  BUT, be patient.  There are some really great looking photos coming your way!

The Crusoe family was the easiest session I think I’ve ever done.  I know I’ve said that before, but this really was THAT easy.  So easy, in fact, it’s really difficult to even narrow the photos down for proofing.  Sheesh!  Not one of them blinked during ANY shot!  How does that happen?

I can’t wait until Ty loses his front teeth.  It’s gonna be so awesome!  I LOVE a toothless grin in photos!

These kids were so much fun and had perfect smiles the entire session.  When I told sweet pea here to throw some leaves for me, she was VERY happy to oblige.  Aren’t those colors spectacular!

This guy was all grins, all the time.  So, for the above shot I asked him NOT to smile, except maybe a tiny tiny bit.  He did EXACTLY as he was told and I love the result!  Aren’t those blue eyes killer!

I can’t wait to send the disc out to these folks.  I honestly don’t know how they’ll choose what to have printed.  It’s so tough!

Even Mom and Dad are good-lookin’ with every hair in place.  I kept teasing this dad about having the ‘coach’ look.  He reminded me of my softball days.  Any second, I expected to get yelled at or told to run laps.  Pretty funny, huh.

Okay, that’s it for this crew.  I told you this was a lighting fast post.  Your just lucky I’m making sense.

I do hope to be back later with more photos for a few other peeps (just don’t hold your breath – I don’t want to be the cause of any unneeded deaths around here).  Until then, have a wonderful Wednesday!

I had sore cheeks from smiling so much during their session.  Whew!  Just thinking back on it makes my cheek muscles tired!

It was a great start to a long day of shooting ahead.  It’s easy to see where they get all those cuddly attitudes, too.  Their parents are some of the nicest people I’ve met, so laid back and relaxed.  You know the type.  Fairly soft spoken, but somehow their children know when they mean business.  I like that about them, and I have a feeling they are spectacular parents.

I hope I get to continue to photograph this crew for a long time to come.  I’m pretty sure I’d miss them if I didn’t get to see them frequently.

Our goal for this session was to get a “pretty” good group shot of all the kids and then spend most of the time left getting shots of this BIG girl who turned 3 years old recently…

She’s a feisty little thing, I’ll tell ya that much!  BUT, you know how much I love SPUNK!  It’s the best part of getting to meet new kiddos.  Every now and again, I get to meet a spitfire like Cali.

And, of course, we can’t forget this little sweet pea.  She was only a newborn the last time I saw her.  Look at her now!

I can’t wait to see what these kiddos toss at me next time around.   They get cuter and cuter each time I see them!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

The gardens are gorgeous.  All the leaves are changing, the grass is still green, and there are tons of nooks and crannies to sneak in a shot or two.

The smallest member of the Camacho crew LOVED exploring the gardens, especially when he noticed all the acorns.  This kiddo had a thing for acorns!

Did I mention all the beautiful flowers and Fall colors?  It’s a Fall wonderland there right now.  Just check out all the neat backgrounds!

It’s the perfect setting for family photos.  OR…it was perfect until they changed into Texas colors.  That sorta ruined the scenery for me…  I thought about charging extra, but I was feeling nice that day. 

This kiddo has some major eyelashes.  Wouldn’t you agree?

He was having so much fun lying in the grass tossing leaves in the air.  The best part was when those same leaves landed on top of him.  He thought it was hilarious!

I’ll be busy shooting sessions and celebrating a delicious holiday until Monday.  Have a great weekend!

Blakely is my cousin’s little girl – my cousin who is Carly’s (my sister) age…  The funny thing is even though she’s such a young momma, it was ALL totally planned by the Lord from the day she was born.  We’ve always known she was going to be a great momma.  She knew it even more than the rest of us.  So, she married young (also not by accident) and started her little family.

and THIS is pretty much how it’s gone ever since…

Blakely is the center of their world.

Just as she should be.

She pulls them in tight with her chubby little fingers and keeps their family knitted ever so tightly together…all the while with a sparkle in her eyes and a big toothy grin on her face.  I can’t possibly think of anything better in the world.

AND, neither can they.

She’s a daddy’s girl and a momma’s girl all rolled up into one!

Blakely is turning the big “1″ soon!   Of course, there’s a party in the works with lots of friends and family planning to be in attendance.  I can’t wait to see what Blakely’s momma has planned for her fast-moving, happy-go-lucky little gal.  I’m sure it’ll be quite the event.  Just ask Blakely.

I wonder if she’ll get to wear her Uggs, cause they’re way too cute!  I’m pretty sure she has them in more than one color, too.  So stylish!

As I’ve mentioned more than once on this here blog, the best part of a 1st birthday session is getting to eat LOTS of cake.  I’ll tell ya, Blakely does not agree with me.  She’s not the first and probably won’t be the last.  BUT, the worst part for her was just having all that goo ON HER!  I think if she’d had eating utensils, like a big spoon, she might have been just fine.  Seriously, what were we thinking not giving her a spoon?  What kind of uncivilized people are we?  Sheesh!

Uh oh…she’s got some on her toes….

and things just keep getting worse…

At this point, the photographer (ME!) was laughing so hard, she could barely keep the camera focused.  Don’t hold it against her if these seem a little blurry!  HA!

I guess it’s time we cleaned up the VERY IRRITATED birthday girl and got rid of that HORRIBLE cake!  What a mess!

and she’s happy once again!  Twirl, twirl, twirl…da da dee dum…shake it, shake it…

She likes to “move it, move it”.

Keeping Blakely happy helped her momma and daddy feel good, too.  Smooch, smooch.

and they all lived happily ever after….

Her momma and I could barely keep up – we definitely got our exercise, didn’t we, Denice!

Kylie loved being at the botanical gardens.  She ran from flower to flower touching and smelling each one.  Her excitement was evident and her enthusiasm was contagious.  Oh, to be one year old again with fresh eyes and no worries…

AND, in a tutu, no less!

Why, hello there, beautiful….

I think the VERY BEST thing about being one has to be the total “okayness” (ya, I know it’s not a word) of all those chubby wrinkles!  I guess it’s not so cute when you’re 30, huh?

Kylie’s momma chose the perfect birthday outfit, too.  Just look at that #1 tank and fluffy tutu!  Even her shoes have little pink hearts!  She couldn’t be more adorable.  Man, what would I do with a little girl around here?  Do they make tutus in camo?  I’m just curious is all…

Bring on the cake!  It’s the best part of a first birthday session.

I bet the clean up crew at the botanical gardens don’t like them very much, though.  Please, forgive us.  We always try our hardest to clean up the mess – but, there are times when you need a power washer and one just isn’t available…

Getting a bit sleepy after all that sugar…

Okay, okay…enough with the cake…I need a drink!

This family was so much fun!  I truly had a great time with them and told them more than once how they’d fit in VERY well around our place.  Earle (yes, his name is Earle) was a lot like Josh, very full of mischief…if you know what I mean.  Poor Stacy has her hands full – what with all THREE kiddos and everything… HA!

Okay, fine.  I’m just kidding, Earle.  BUT, you did deserve that – especially after I got home and read over the contact sheet.    Pretty funny, actually.  AND then there’s Stacy, who couldn’t have been any cooler.  She is the complete package – Earle, you’re a lucky guy.

PLUS, I kept thinking she looked like someone I knew.  Then, after I started proofing, it hit me!  She looks a LOT like Melanie Griffith.  Of course, she’s much younger than Melanie, but the resemblance is there!  Don’t you think?

Alright, alright…

speaking of complete packages…

Is she a doll or what!  Claire was adorable and spunky!  I convinced her I had a ladybug living inside my camera lens so she’d slow down long enough for me to snap a shot or two.  It was hilarious!  She was looking for that silly bug all night!

I’d say I got more than a “few” good shots.

She was pretty excited about the ducks behind me in that last shot.  It was too funny!  She was quacking and squawking to get their attention.  I’m not sure what she was doing right at this moment, but it made for a funny photo, didn’t it.

We can’t forget about little Cale (a.k.a. “Mr. Man” as his daddy called him).  He just had a VERY BIG birthday!  You know the ONE don’t you?

He had some of the funniest expressions!  I could’ve done an entire storyboard displaying the many faces of Cale!  Hilariously awesome!

The next shot was a bit overexposed, but rather than trash it, I decided to play a bit.  I gave it a bit of an urban flare, and I think I like the finished result.  What about you?  Is it too much?

In case you’re wondering, lollipops work wonders for busy kids.  These two sat still for a good 5 minutes to eat these.  I was snapping pics the whole time!

By the time our session was ending, it was all about having FUN.  I thought I’d end with this next set.  I think if this was my crew I’d have to print these in b/w and display them REALLY BIG in my house!  There’s something mystical about them….Daddy’s little girl.

I had a great time you guys!

Still.  How can anyone resist this face?

This is Caleb.  He had a VERY BIG birthday yesterday and I was lucky enough to be able to celebrate it with him…camera in tow, of course.  We met at the Myriad Gardens and were hoping to squeeze is as many photos as possible before Caleb’s naptime.  I’d say we did a pretty good job.  I had quite a bit of trouble narrowing shots down for the blog – his momma will be VERY happy!

I’m pretty sure the little man has some teeth coming in.  After having a chance to look through the photos, I realized just how many shots of him include tiny fingers in his mouth.  HA!  Just wait until he finds out how delicious his toes can be!

I was so glad when Caleb’s momma pulled out some of his favorite toys to play with.  It makes a session special when you can include some favorites for the little ones.  They’ll remember the days when he was so happy to play with his rubber ball.  Let me tell ya, HE LOVED IT!

If we wanted him to pay attention or to look a particular way, all we had to do was bounce his blue rubber ball.  It worked wonders…even dried up a few tears now and then.

Daddy had some tricks, too!  Just look at those grins!

The grass was still pretty wet when we arrived to shoot some photos.  So, we kept mostly to the sidewalks and tried to get as many pretty backgrounds in as possible.  It was super funny, though, Caleb started walking up on all fours to avoid the scratchy sidewalk.  It was SO CUTE!

I did mention it was Caleb’s birthday, right?

What would a birthday be without a super cool birthday hat!  Apparently, not that cool.  He wanted it off his head!

We saved the cake for last.  Unfortunately, the little guy was getting pretty sleepy and didn’t want anything to do with it.  Either that or it had some really nasty tasting icing!  HA!  Is there such a thing as nasty icing?

Yep!  That’s the face I make when someone smears me with cake.  Uhm…I mean…offers me a bite….

As a whole, I’d say we had a pretty successful day!  He was adorable and cute and chubby and giggly and….

The list goes on and on!  Thanks for a fun day, Caleb!