It is my pleasure today to share a recent session with some wonderful people. This family has a special place in my heart…they are very dear friends who have always been there for my family and we’ve had some great times together, LOTS of laughs, our share of tears and many memories that will last a lifetime! A bit of history…my family moved to Puyallup 16 years ago and our kids started school at Fruitland Elementary and on the first day of school, our daughter met Jenny, the youngest of these girls and that was the beginning of a life long connection and friendship between all of us! As it turned out…these girls are the same ages as our kids, so we had lots in common and many shared activities throughout the school years! Of course, the kids are all out of school, but that has not been the end of our connection!
Kelly and Tammy are the anchors of the family…they were married when they were young and have shown that it can be done…their marriage is rock solid and what wonderful role models they are for their children and others who are looking for a good example of how to make it work! Together, they have raised two beautiful and kind daughters…who are not only bright, thoughtful, generous, but also funny and unique! Anna, the oldest, is 26 and has just headed out on a new chapter of her life. A few days after our session, she boarded a place for Germany…not to visit, but moving there, where her boyfriend, who is in the Air Force, was recently stationed. What an incredible opportunity and an amazing experience she will have…such a huge step, but what a monumental one that will likely change her life! It’s funny as we always thought Anna would never leave Puyallup, she’s been a homebody and now this move…so exciting! Jenny, the younger one, who is 25, is a kindergarten teacher and I can only imagine how her students must fall in love with her within the first weeks of school each fall! She’s petite, but has a mighty aspiration to give to these students a strong start to their educational career and a strong desire to learn and continue striving to learn more…I’d love to be a fly on the wall in her class to see her sharing her passion with the kids!
Tammy…another great and kind soul with a strong passion to help others! She has worked for years within the Puyallup School District as a para-educator inspecial education. Now, that takes a special person, someone with patience, understanding, a desire to see those who struggle excel at the simplest of tasks…and that is Tammy…and so much more! She’s a dear friend, and those who are fortunate enough to be a friend of hers, know just how special she is and that it’s truly a privilege to be considered a friend…I know I am blessed to count her as one of my closest friends! Kelly…wow, where should I start?!! Ha…he’s a GREAT guy who loves his girls SO much and has given them a special part of his heart and wants the very best for each of them, in whatever they choose in life! He has some passions of his own…which include cars, motorcycles, good food, the beach and of course, FAMILY! Another gift of Kelly’s is his business, Kelly’s Lawn Salon…and he’s taken his business from the ground up and is very successful. From maintaining homes and business grounds to completely landscaping a yard or grounds…he does it all and he cares about the little details and wants to make it right…for all of his customers. That is something that I feel makes someone successful in this economy…making it right and caring that customers are happy with your work!
So, without further delay…here are some photos from our session…which was so much fun…lots of laughter and goofing around, which shows just how this family is…loving and yet, they have fun and live life to the fullest!
Beautiful Anna, such a great smile and sense of humor…I know her parents miss her, but what a perfect excuse to plan a trip to Germany now that she’s living there!
And, the baby…Jenny, who is a beauty with a sparkle in her eyes and a zest for life…
Oh, did I forget to mention that this family are rebels…rules, who needs them (just kidding!)…we couldn’t resist a bit of fun here!
Anna and Jenny, close sisters who share so much more than clothes…and are often found together laughing…how proud their parents must be!!
Love this photo on the left of Tammy and Kelly…such a great couple and they both have hearts that are full of love and kindness!
We couldn’t leave the dogs out…Gunnar is the BIG one, with the crazy tongue…he’s such a lover and wouldn’t hurt a flea…and then there is Malibu (who obviously found something else to look at during this photo!), who sounds ferocious, but wants nothing more than to climb on your lap and get lots of love and attention!
Aren’t these young women both stunning! I love that they both have their own unique look in their eyes…Anna is thinking and planning for her upcoming trip and Jenny is happy with where she is in life and very relaxed.
Hugs from dad…they both love and admire him dearly…it’s refeshing to see such a great connection between them, even as they have both moved on to start new lives outside of their home!
Another one of my favorites from this session…no, not the one on the right, the one on the left!! LOL Kelly is a sweetheart, but hard to get to crack a smile in front of the camera…and here, he’s relaxed and at ease…this IS Kelly!!
Beautiful Tammy, she’s watching her daughters and I’m sure many thoughts are going through her mind during this moment….what pride she must have in seeing what great people they have become! And, no worries…no one was harmed during this…as I said, lots of laughter and goofing around was had this afternoon…a fine example!
And, one of my other favorites from this session…such a great looking couple, but most importantly, GREAT people!!!!
Kelly asks….are we finished yet? Ha…no worries, he really didn’t spray them, but that was probably because the water was turned off to this hose! Love the faces…and the playful spirit of this family! Thank you Grimm family, for entrusting me to capture some special photos of your wonderful family…you guys are AWESOME!!
What a treat it was to see this little beauty again and have the pleasure of photographing her! Little Piper turned two and we spent a couple of hours together one afternoon to capture some photos and memories for her parents and family! I first met her when she was about 4 months old and 
Of course, we started out on the playground…what little one doesn’t want to go down the slide!?!!
The smiles and expressions I instantly fell in love with…Piper was awesome and a delight to photograph.
Piper shows us just how old she is…so sweet!
Thank you, Piper, for a wonderful afternoon and a great session…you were so much fun…I hope you and your mommy and daddy enjoy the photos! 
What a treat it was to capture some special photos for Kinsley to commemorate her first birthday! This little sweetheart I met withing a couple weeks of her birth and it’s been wonderful to photograph and watch her grow throughout her first year! It was a bit of a surprise that she was walking…and not just walking…she’d been walking for a couple of months and was a BUSY little one who kept her mom and myself on our toes in trying to entertain her and keep her corralled in the studio! She wanted to explore…everything and anything! That is what I love about babies and toddlers…their desire and eagerness to learn about new things is NEVER ending and they are constantly searching for something new to touch, taste, smell and see just what it can do…if only we as adults were that eager to continually learn about new things…our brains would never go stagnant! Kinsley was very busy, but so sweet and I got many hugs from her and she even blew me a few kisses during the session…oh, how I LOVE the babies! I can’t wait to see this darling grown over the next year ahead…how blessed am I to meet these beautiful babies and be able to watch them as they grow into toddlers and children…and teens…oh, how I love my job!
What fun we had playing…Kinsley was into everything and I thoroughly enjoyed my session with her!
Isn’t she just adorable…I love her eyes…they say it all!
Curious and a flirt…she was priceless with this hat and knew she had her mom and I wrapped around her little finger!
I must say, the tongue came out several times and it was so funny…she had been working on some new teeth, so I’m sure it was a whole new feeling to have some teeth to feel and play with!
Now, don’t think that we were torturing her…this sad face was the only time she was unhappy…and that was because we kept moving her and she wanted to be where SHE wanted and not where we wanted her! I couldn’t resist capturing this! Love the close up…this was thanks to my mother in-law who was visiting and walked in at this time and Kinsley just quietly stared at all of us for a bit…so sweet!
And, the cake smash…one of my favorite parts of the one year sessions…and isn’t this the cutest crown that here mom made…she was AWESOME with this part of the session!
Terri’s dress was gorgeous, simple and elegant and other than the bustle, it was just perfect! After the ceremony, there was a bit of a struggle to get it bustled…there out to be classes for this!!
Ryan walked his mother down the aisle and gave her away…it was quite touching and special! The best man was Howard’s brother and the matron of honor was Teri’s mom…certainly a family affair!
The ceremony was attended by family and close friends….who all love Teri and Howard and were so happy to share this evening with them. Even during the ceremony, there was lots of laughter…along with a few tears…but the laughter was something that carried out throughout the whole evening!
I just love Teri’s smile…she has the best smile and was so happy that evening, I don’t think it ever left her face…a definite sign of true love!
Family – whether it be by blood or love or marriage, there is nothing better and more special! These two were a delight to meet and get to know throughout the evening, I only wish I’d had more time with them. Since Portland isn’t too far away, I hope that we will be able to get together again soon…they are a special couple, with a deep love for one another and for life….and that is just what LIFE should be!! Congratulations Mr. and Mr. Speelman! 
How blessed am I to have have had another senior session last weekend, with another beautiful young woman! Being that it was Mother’s Day, it just seemed fitting that I had the opportunity to meet and get to know Brittany and her mom, Amy, as well as Erin and her mom, Theresa. Brittany and Erin are GREAT friends and both play softball together at Kentlake High School and have been very successful with their careers in softball, which began when they were both very young. This was sort of a double session this afternoon, and I was fortunate enough to have my good friend and fellow photographer, 
Brittany and Erin…best of friends, talented softball players and beautiful young women…who know how to enjoy life!
As we started out this session, Brittany warned me that her eyes are sensitive to the light…I can relate as mine are as well…so we tried to find some locations that wouldn’t bother her eyes…above, you can see just how stunning her eyes are….wow, she is beautiful!
You may have noticed that it’s been a bit quiet here on my blog the past couple of weeks…that is because I was out of town, but I’m back and have some great things to share with you…and here is the first! While on my way home last week, I was in The Dalles, Oregon, staying with my brother and his family and had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Marissa. She is a senior who is looking forward to her future and has a wonderful smile and GREAT laugh! A couple of days before the session I was able to watch Marissa play tennis along with the rest of the school’s tennis team (who by the way won that day!)…her energy and enthusiasm on the court reflects how she approaches life! With plans to attend Western Oregon University, she is contemplating what she’d like to do in her future! She had talked about teaching English to junior high students, but is concerned about that with the lack of funding for education and so many teachers being laid off. It’s sad that someone who has a desire and passion for teaching is considering a different career because of the state of the economy! I just hope that whatever you choose, Marissa, you love doing it and have as much energy as you did on the tennis courts!
