Blog

 by Terri

Kelsie…stunning!! | {Bellarmine Prep Senior}

What a lovely young woman….Kelsie May is a senior this year at Bellarmine Prep…graduating 2013. My first senior for 2013 and what a great way to start off the seniors! So much to say about Kelsie…I met her at the start of her session, but after reading her bio, I was already impressed, before I even met her. She’s got a great head on her shoulders, great shoulders…as she’s a volleyball player…and a lot of plans and ambition for her future! Joined by her mom, Becki, during the session…this was so much fun and we had some really nice weather. By the end of our session, the skies had cleared and the sun was setting…and the light couldn’t have been better…nor could my subject have been better!! Getting to know my clients during the session is one of my favorite parts of what I do…I can’t tell you how many GREAT people I meet and I’m always in awe of how many wonderful young people there are…embarking on the last year of high school and with specific goals for their future! Kelsie loves to fish and especially LOVES the beach and oceans…and I must say that she’s a girl after my own heart…water and beaches are my “serenity” where I find myself at ease and putting the rest of the world away while I’m around them. One of the things I asked Kelsie was how her parents would describe her…and she said they’d say she has high standards for herself, is hard working, has a sense of humor and is stubborn…wow, what great characteristics for a high school senior! I did ask for an example of stubborn…her mom said she won’t eat vegetables and at an early age, put her foot down and told her mom she just wasn’t going to eat them…too funny, this gal certainly knows what she likes…and what she doesn’t! As for her future…she’s looking at Gonzaga for furthering her education (great choice!) and interested in accounting…smart girl and a good head on her (strong) shoulders…she will certainly go places in her life!!  So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce Kelsie, class of 2013, to you…she’s such a great gal, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with she and her mom!!

Oh, I love how close Kelsie and her mom, Becki, are…it was so fun to see the two of them together…and there are definitely similarities between the two of them…they are most certainly related!!!Kelsie’s boyfriend, Drew, joined up for part of the session…a senior as well, at Charles Wright, he was a great sport and popped in during a break from practice! Super nice young man and he and Kelsie are adorable together…don’t you think!!??!!

Of course, the beach being so special to Kelsie, we HAD to go down there and what a great sport to get into the water…Washington waters aren’t exactly that warm, but she braved it for the photos!!This young woman is stunning…truly a natural beauty…what more can I say?!!!!It was obvious how close these two are…and you can see that they love to laugh together…what an incredible bond, such a special gift for both of them!

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

                                                                                                                              ~Eleanor Roosevelt~

 
in Seniors & Teens / Teens 2 comments
 by Terri

A hui hou kākou | {Maui = Beauty}

A hui hou kākou in Hawaiian means “until we meet again” which is how we feel about the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii! Earlier this month, we returned from a fabulous vacation there and although sad to leave, knowing we will return again, it made it easier to say goodbye! This is one of our most favorite vacation locations as we love not only the beauty of it, but the peaceful atmosphere  as well as the relaxed lifestyle! Often times when one goes on vacations, you plan every minute of vacation, so you can see and do all that the location has to offer…and when you return…you are exhausted and need a vacation to rest up from vacation. This is not how we feel about Maui…granted we have been there several times and have seen many things in the area, so we don’t feel as though we have to “go-go-go” while there, but we do keep busy, but it’s a “relaxed” busy, with things we enjoy and find not to be so tiring. A typical morning for us there begins with a glass of juice and then a long walk on the beach…which to us is just about the most perfect way to begin a day! After the walk, breakfast and get dressed, then figure out what we want to do for the day.

This trip was a bit different than past ones…we had three other couples join us during our stay there and we LOVED sharing with them what we love about the island…two of the couples had never been to Hawaii before, so what a treat to introduce them to “Hawaiian” style of a vacation! The other couple hadn’t been to Maui, so we were excited to share why we love this island just so much! Sharing our time with great friends, who we really consider more like family, was fabulous and SO much fun…and we did things we hadn’t done in a while…and even one thing I’d never done before…ever!!

There are a LOT of photos here…browse through if you’d like to see some of the highlights of our vacation…it was amazing and we were blessed to spend time where we love and better yet, with such amazing people…life is GOOD!!!

Our vacation begins…Hawaiian Airlines is the only way to go!!!First morning walk…ahhh, even better than I’d remembered, if only I could start every day like this!!While at another beach, this dog showed up with his ball…and just wanted to play…oh, I love this about the island…the dogs are so friendly and just LOVE life!!WhooHoo…love the sunsets and LOVE that I’m on vacation in Maui!While there, my husband and I celebrated our 30th anniversary…I can’t tell you how much I love him or how thankful I am for each and every day we have together…and celebrating in such a beautiful location, it doesn’t get much better than this! Dinner was enjoyed that evening at Mama’s Fish House….if you’ve never been there before, we HIGHLY recommend it…their food, service and ambience….all amazing!!!!Yeah…the first two couple arrive…Rick and Patty Palmer from New York and Allen and Brenda Swift, from Tennessee…in case you didn’t notice a bit of a resemblance, Patty and Brenda are sisters…and I have sort of adopted them as my sisters as well!!Amazing sand art…made with just a rake…wow, that’s incredibly creative!!Finally, we were on the island when the lavender farm in the UpCountry was in bloom…and wouldn’t you know, it rained…and rained and rained…drats…oh well, we’ll just have to return again someday when it’s blooming! Still pretty!!Rick Palmer…what a great guy…loved that he and Patty joined us all on vacation!A trip to the only winery on the island…Maui (or Tedeschi) Windery…great wine and the tour is very interesting, lots of history about the area and the industry on the island!We saw a rainbow nearly every day we were there…a great sign that we were to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of this island yet another day!        Cheers…here’s to great friends…and family!! The Palmers had two days of travel before they arrived and the Swifts had one VERY long day of travel…we were so excited when they all arrived!And, finally Kelly and Tammy Grimm (also friends who we consider family) arrived…not quite the long travel time the others had, but we were just as happy to have them arrive to join us all!FRED’S…our favorite Mexican restaurant on the island…yummy, fish tacos…the BEST!!We attended the Old Lahaina Luau one evening and it was wonderful…excellent food and the entertainment was great…and the location and sunset, wow, we couldn’t have had it any better! It had been at least 12 years since we’d been to one, so it was great fun to share in this wonderful island tradition!Now, the guys were watching these girls quite closely…and they said they were studying the moves and that it was all about science…us gals didn’t quite understand the “science” part of it!! LOLTim….our server, he was awesome and never let our drinks go dry…he was right there with whatever we wanted…such great service and he was very entertaining!The Palmers, Swifts and Grimms each rented a Harley for two days…they ventured on the “Road to Hana” their first day…we have done that, so stayed behind, but it was fun to watch them all getting set to go!
Kelly…the leader of the pack!!SURPRISE…this year both Allen and Brenda are celebrating their 50th birthdays, so we threw them a surprise HAWAII 50 party…what a fun evening…a great way to start a new decade in their lives (and they also celebrated their 30th anniversary earlier this year…what a big year for them!)And, I said I did something I’d never done before…ride on a motorcycle…and a Harley at that! The second day of their rental, Brenda rode in the car with Rick (my Rick!), and I rode with Allen…wow, what fun and so beautiful! If you’re going to do something like this, I can’t think of any better place to try it! We rode north of Lahaina on a narrow road (one lane in many parts) that goes along the coast – so beautiful and what an incredible feeling to have the wind (and a bit of rain, not much, though) on our face! Imagine that I had a camera in my hand most of the time!!Yep…that’s me!!Sunset cruise for dinner…what a perfect way to spend the last evening that Palmers and Swifts would be there…such fun and so pretty!!Love these pics…and I must say that Tammy and I both were “chastised” by the crew for doing this…evidently, it’s dangerous, or they thought we were really going to go down the slide…whatever, we were safe and had no intentions, other than getting a fun photo!! Rebels, that’s us!!
Beach shot with all of us…July 3rd, and the night of a full moon…such a great evening!!LOVED spending time with Brenda (and everyone else)…hated that they were leaving!  A bit of history…10 years ago we went on a cruise in the Caribbean with Allen and Brenda, to celebrate our 20th anniversaries, 5 years ago we cruised with them to Alaska and for our 30th…it was Hawaii…now to figure out our 35th…can’t wait!!Fourth of July…beautiful sunset and hardly any fireworks…didn’t miss them a bit, this little cone on the beach satisfied our need for fireworks on this day of Independence!We ventured to the Nakalele Blow Hole with Tammy and Kelly…it was a bit wet and windy, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the beauty of the location!!Honolua Bay…such a beautiful view from above…many of the snorkeling catamarans go here and you can certainly see why! In the photo below, if you look closely, you will see a turtle!While at lunch, this little guy at the table next to us was “tempting” the birds…couldn’t resist snapping this shot…too cute!The LARGE Banyan tree in Lahaina…such an incredible sight, it takes up nearly an entire city block!Beautiful view above Ho’okipa Beach on Maui…love going there to watch the surfers and wind surfers…so much fun and so beautiful!!Yoga on the beach!!!Ahhh….love these two and this photo!Kelly…always keeping us on our toes…and I think he takes the prize for “rebel” over Tammy and I!!As I said…you never know what Kelly will do next!! LOLIt took a bit to get us all in the air…Rick counted for us and the first several, he was the only one in the air for the photos…as you can see…but we finally got it…yeah for vacations with friends!And, here we go again…Kelly was trying to be romantic and “dip” Tammy…but it didn’t quite work out the way he’d hoped…as you can see!SAD day…time to head to the airport…not quite the same faces we had when we arrived at the start of our vacation!Aloha, Maui…we will return again, soon!!And, yet, another rainbow…another great day!Back in Seattle…heading home and back to reality……………..

in Just Because / Kiwi and Kiki / Love / Personal / Travel 2 comments
 by Terri

Welcome to Ava | {Bremerton Newborn Photography}

The best gifts are those that are unexpected, or maybe not expected when you receive them! This beautiful little baby, Ava, came about 3 1/2 weeks early, not what her parents expected, but what an incredible blessing she is to them! Besides her parents, she joined her big sister, Brylee, who I had the pleasure of photographing over two years ago for her newborn photos as well. I had been on vacation and while I expected to come home and soon be planning a trip to meet Ava, I was surprised when I received an email saying she was here already…wow, this little girl certainly had her own idea of when she was going to enter the world! This family is always a delight to be around and photograph and on this happy occasion, it was even better to share such a joyous time with them. It had been just a week before I left on vacation when we did mom, Jessica’s, maternity photos…boy, what a good thing we did them early, or it wouldn’t have happened! Life with two precious little girls will keep mom and dad, Rick, busy, but oh, the love, memories and the blessings they have ahead of them are truly priceless! Big sister, Brylee, certainly loved little Ava and is very tender and gentle with her…I can see that besides being sisters, they will become great friends and that special relationship with last a lifetime…what wonderful adventures and memories they have ahead of them!!

Meet Ava Joy, just 13 days old!

Congratulations, Rick and Jessica, your new daughter is beautiful and so very sweet! I loved the time with all of you and can’t wait to capture more memories for all of you in the year ahead! Enjoy each and every day, they are precious and you will see just how quickly your “babies” will grow up…cherish it all!

in Babies & Bellies / Families / Love 1 comments
 by Terri

Beautiful Mom…Expecting | {Leible Family Growing}

It’s my pleasure to share this blog with everyone…of a delightful family who are expecting their second child, another girl who will join big sister, Brylee! When you have the opportunity to follow a family with photos, over time, it really makes my job extra special and enjoyable to see such wonderful things happening to wonderful people!  I met the Leible Family about 2 1/2 years ago when they welcomed Brylee to their family. She was so tiny and sweet and I instantly fell in love with this family…there is just something about them, it’s hard to explain. They are so kind, thoughtful, appreciative, GREAT parents, dedicated to making a great life for their family, not to mention beautiful people!! When I photographed Brylee for her second birthday, I was SO excited to see mom, Jessica’s, little baby bump and thrilled when they asked if I’d be around in July to capture some more special photos for their family! I loved the time with them for Jessica’s maternity photos and having dad, Rick, and Brylee share in it, was just perfect! At 35 weeks, Jessica is gorgeous…and she looks incredible…she certainly makes a beautiful pregnant woman!! As with my last session, also a maternity session, also with a two year old, my husband was wonderful at entertaining and playing with Brylee during the session when she wasn’t part of the photos…I’m not sure who had the most fun…he or Brylee! I’m counting down the days until I get the call that little “AVA” has arrived and I get to come and meet her!!

You can see just how much Jessica and Rick love one another…they are a very special couple, not to mention great parents!!

I love the artwork of children…after the photos with the chalkboard, we let Brylee add to it…what talent she has!!

Didn’t I say Jessica was stunning?!!!!

We couldn’t leave their other “child,” Beasley, out of the photos and the second one is priceless…love Brylee’s expression!!

Such a sweet and beautiful family…I’m so excited for them and know that Ava will be just as beautiful as the entire family is!

Jessica and Rick…thank you for such a fun afternoon…we had a wonderful time with you and Brylee…and are so excited for Ava’s arrival…it won’t be long now!!

in Babies & Bellies / Families / Love 1 comments
 by Terri

Baby #2 On The Way… | {Swift Family}

Oh, the joy and excitement a couple has when expecting a child…it’s a wonderful, scary and at times, overwhelming feeling. And, when it’s the second, everything might be a bit more heightened….thinking what are we doing, adding another little one that means you now need four hands to take care of two, less sleep, another mouth to feed and possibly more tears…but the rewards, more love to give and to receive!! This couple is anticipating their new little one, due to arrive at the end of July…a boy to add to their sweet little family – a baby brother for big sister, Abigail…such excitement! It’s especially exciting for me to see this family at this stage of their lives…I’ve known dad (aka, Michael) since he was four years old and we lived in Tennessee…he and our son were good friends and went to school together. We moved away from Tennessee, but have remained close friends with his family and I met mom (Allison)  before the two were engaged and then had the pleasure of doing their engagement photos as well as their wedding. When they were expecting Abigail, I was a bit sad since they lived in Tennessee and I was in Washington…I was missing out on the possibility to photograph their new little one. While I didn’t get around when she was a newborn, I did have the opportunity to photograph her (and her parents) whenever I visited Abigail’s Nana and Papa out there. Spring forward to Fall 2011…guess who moved to Washington?!! Talk about exciting for me (and my family)…and sad for their Tennessee families…they even live in the same town that we do…and shortly after getting settled, they announced they were expecting! Oh, we were thrilled for them and are so excited to meet their son next month! Big sister, Abigail, is a sweetie and so darn smart…I always am laughing when I’m around her…and when we did their maternity session…she had us laughing a lot. Of course, she’s two…so she didn’t always want to do what we wanted her to do as two  year olds will do, but that was okay…she did her thing and it was just fine! Mama…is truly glowing…I loved being able to capture some of Allison’s beauty and the excitement of this time of their lives. We had nearly perfect weather this morning and I couldn’t have been more excited about the photos afterwards. I know that they are really anxious to see the photos, so for now, this will have to hold them over until the rest are ready…

Michael and Allison are wonderful parents and so excited about their newest little one’s upcoming arrival!!Isn’t Allison just stunning?! Such a beautiful person…inside and out and this pregnancy has her glowing that much more!Abigail was excited to show Mom and Dad the feather she found! I must say that my husband is the BEST…he and Abigail went on adventures during most of the session and he made it much easier to photograph them without keeping track of a two year old who likes to explore!!

What a beautiful family…I can’t wait until I get to introduce you all to their son next month when he arrives!!

Cute, precocious and very smart….she keeps you on your toes, just ask her parents!!!

Michael and Allison…I’m so excited for you two to welcome your son and love that I’ve had the opportunity to capture some special memories for your family! We love having you close and know that we consider you as our family…and for your Tennessee families…I know you miss them all dearly…come visit often and know that we are always here when they need anything! CAN’T wait until our next session!!!!!

in Babies & Bellies / Children / Families / Love 2 comments
 by Terri

Landon and his PARENTS | {Puyallup Family Photographer}

This little guy is SO darn cute and it was a delight to spend time with he and his parents. Landon is 6 months old and has such a great little personality and was awesome during the session…I loved hanging out with him! His parents, Eric and Jennifer, are actually neighbors of mine and I must admit that I didn’t know them that well before this session. When they contacted me about a session, I was excited and looking forward to seeing Landon and getting a chance to get better acquainted. Another reason why I was so excited about this…Eric serves our country in the military and will be deployed shortly and being able to capture some special photos and memories for their family was something I was more than happy to do for them. First time parents, they are amazing with Landon and watching them love and care for their son was incredible…I will never tire of seeing new parents with their first child…it’s priceless! Mom and Dad are GREAT people, easy to talk with, fun, and have a great sense of humor…they were good sports and fun to photograph! I’m so glad we had such a beautiful day…given the weather we’ve had this month, it was a real treat! Here is a VERY cute little guy….

It was funny to see Landon sticking his tongue out…it was something he had just recently started and they guessed because he was drooling a lot, that there must be some teething working their way in.

Such a CUTE smile and the eyes were amazing…they sparkled so brightly…you can see just how much fun this little guy was by his smiles!!A beautiful family…such a wonderful sight!A very happy and loved little guy…what a blessing to his parents!Thank you, Eric, Jennifer and Landon…I really enjoyed your session and I’m excited for you to see these  photos! Eric, thank you for your service and you will be in my prayers while you are gone…and Jennifer, don’t hesitate to call if you need anything while he’s gone!

in Babies & Bellies / Children / Families / Love 2 comments
 by Terri

Happy Father’s Day | {to ALL the dads}

Father’s Day…according to Wikipedia it is “is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.”  On this day, we make the time to let our dads know just how much they mean to us…not that they don’t know that, or at least they should, but it’s a day that we make extra effort to let them know just how special they are to us and how much we love and appreciate them. Dads can be birth dads, step dads, or just a male figure that has had a great influence in our lives…it might be a grandfather or an uncle, or just a friend, but it’s someone who has impacted our lives and made a difference. Many have had to say goodbye to their dads…and sadly can’t tell them how much they love them on this special day, but remembering the great times, the love and difference they made in your life is a tribute to them.  My dad passed away over four years ago…and still to this day, I miss him every day, there are things I want to tell him, share with him, photos to show him or just to tell him I love him. I’d love to hear him tell some of his great jokes or sit down and just visit over a good Manhattan or margarita with him. He was awesome, he loved his kids unconditionally, was encouraging and supportive…and trusted us to know we would make the right decisions…he’d given us the tools to do that, along with our mom…and for that, I’m eternally thankful! I know that I’m not the only one missing my dad more than usual on this day, but oh, what I’d give to just be able to tell him one more time how much I love him and thank him for EVERYTHING!! My amazing husband has been a wonderful dad to our two children…and is there to support and encourage them along the way…to listen, give advice, lend a helping hand if needed and to let them know they are loved…what more can you ask for in a father…I know that I’m so lucky to have him in my life and to have shared together in raising our two great children!!

With my job, I have the pleasure of meeting some GREAT families and I especially enjoy watching parents interact with their children…and seeing the young families starting out is such a joy! It’s fun to see just how much more involved dads are with their little ones today…and it’s an AWESOME thing to watch! This past spring our daughter and her husband because first time parents and it’s an incredible thing to watch the love that grows by leaps and bounds each day between a new parent and their baby..and it is about the most amazing thing ever. The gift of a child and the gift of the love for that child…truly priceless and irreplaceable!  Our son has been a dad for 6 1/2 years and I never tire of watching he and his daughter together…the love between them is so strong and it warms my heart when I see them cuddle or say they love one another…

So, in honor of ALL the amazing dads out there, I’d like to say HAPPY FATHER’S DAY and thank you to each and everyone one of you…for being great role models and loving your child and your family…it really is the best gift you can give them!

Here are some photos of my family…and some of the great families I’ve had the pleasure to photograph so far this year!

My dad, mom, myself and my brother, nearly 5 years ago at my daughter’s wedding…what a wonderful day!!

Our son, daughter, granddaughter, myself and my INCREDIBLE husband!!

My sister in-law, father in-law, mother in-law and my husband…his great family!!

Our granddaughter and her dad, our son…so cute together!!

Our daughter, her husband and their new daughter…who’s cuter than cute!!

The Jacobson Family…dad, Jason, mom, Katie, and children Indy and Joe, such a sweet family!

I love this photos of Ed and his son, Max…sorry for not including mom and daughter in this, but to me, this is such a GREAT father/son photo, I had to use this one…aren’t they both so handsome!!

Marzano Family…brand new parents, Jerad and LeeAnn, with their handsome new son, Carson!

Another set of new parents…Thomas and Magi welcomed Ryder into their family…he’s a sweetie!!

This couple, Brandon and Varvara are wonderful parents to their beautiful daughter, Piper!

More new parents…Eric and Jennifer, with their adorable son, Landon. I’d also like to thank Eric for serving our country…another job that is just as important and for he and all the others, I’m forever grateful for their sacrifice…and for their families for their sacrifice…you all ROCK!!

This wonderful family, Michael and Allison are going to welcome a new addition to join big sister, Abigail, this summer…they are a special family that we love dearly…our “adopted family” from Tennessee…love you guys!

And last, but certainly not least…the Leible family…Rick, Jessica and Brylee who are awaiting a new little girl in the next month…such a delightful family!!!!

in Children / Families / Love / Personal 0 comments