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!!!!!

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!!!!

Piper…and her Parents | {Olympia Family Photography}

This beautiful little girl, Piper, who recently turned three, has been fun to watch grow up. I first met her when she was just six months old and on the gorgeous day we had for her family’s session, it was delightful to see how Piper is growing into a beautiful and fun little girl! She really is stunning, beautiful hair and eyes that sparkle and shine and her personality is even brighter and she’s easy going and tons of fun to play with. This was the first time I had the pleasure of photographing her whole family, last year, it was just she and her mom…so getting all of them together was wonderful! Dad (aka, Brandon) warned me he doesn’t smile a lot and wasn’t as excited about the session as mom (aka, Varvara) and Piper, but in the end, he was great and I think (hope) enjoyed the time we spent “playing” with Piper. It’s funny, a three year old…nearly any three year old…is full of energy, independent, stubborn and cute as can be when they are doing what they want…and Piper literally stole the show on this afternoon! She didn’t always follow our suggestions, as most kids don’t, but she was awesome and I loved capturing her beautiful spirit and showing just what loving and caring parents she has. And, then there are her parents…who are a gorgeous couple and the love for one another is obvious…I SO enjoyed capturing a few of just them together! Just talking with all of them was enjoyable, they are such nice and down to earth people who are easy to talk to and are grounded…and are awesome parent and an awesome couple!

Oh, how I loved watching dad and daughter…it’s obvious that Piper TOTALLY idolizes her dad and that is a beautiful thing to see!

Gorgeous family….

Bubbles…always a hit with this age…oh wait, big and little, they all enjoy the bubbles!

This smile…lights up a sunny day!!

Oh how I absolutely LOVE this photo….you can see the connection between these two…such an incredible sight!

What three year old doesn’t love “swinging” while walking with her parents…you can see just how much Piper is enjoying it!!

Thank you, Brandon, Varvara and Piper…I had a blast with all of you…thank you for entrusting me to capture some special memories of your family!