boyce :: family :: wake forest, nc

We always love a family photo shoot, but when the family consists of older children who listen and follow directions we really love a photo shoot! The Boyce family were awesome! They met us on a hot muggy morning, but they were such troopers and after a few snaps warmed right up to the camera! Older brother Caleb was so respectful and little sister Caitlin was sweet as can be. Both started out a bit shy, but by the end you would have thought the camera was their best friend!

And mom and dad...they kept trying to tell us that they hadn't been like that in 20 years, but I tell you what they were so natural together. The way they naturally "posed" and laughed and smiled at each other was so loving.

Thanks for spending your Saturday morning with us Boyce Family!

carlyn :: newborn :: durham, nc

What better way to spend a Saturday morning then with a beautiful newborn, her adoring brother, and loving parents in their beautiful house! That's exactly what Paige and I got to do a few weeks ago. We have known Nick and Amanda for years and have loved watching their family grow. When big brother Camden came along it was so neat to watch them as parents and now that little sister, Carlyn, is here you can see the love between them all! Carlyn's story is pretty amazing. Shortly after Nick and Amanda found out they were pregnant the doctors told her she had lost the baby. I remember being so heart broken for them and praying for comfort for them during this difficult time. They had to go to the doctor again and say their final goodbyes, but as the doctor did one last heart check they found the faintest heart beat...it was truly a miracle.

Amanda's pregnancy wasn't the easiest and because of health complications Amanda was induced a few week's early. Through it all I was so encouraged by Amanda's strength and the faith and trust her and Nick lived out!

I'm so thankful for them and their amazing story and we are thrilled to be celebrating another beautiful baby in our group of friends!

buckner family :: raleigh, nc

We had the pleasure of working with the Buckner family for a family session a few weeks ago. They had their little girl, Ella, back in the spring and she is cute as a button with her baby cheeks and beautiful blue eyes! It was a chilly afternoon, but the Buckner's were troopers and let us play with the beautiful afternoon light as we enjoyed our time at the park. Most babies only give us a few minutes to get their pictures before they're done. But Ella was made for the camera, she was so cooperative and was in good spirits the entire time!

Neill Family - Mini Maternity Session - Raleigh, NC

I have had so much fun getting to know the Neill family. We first met them a year or so ago when JJ and I joined the Faith 1 Sunday School class at our church. They have twin girls, Avery and Bekah, who are adorable and Aiden loves playing with on Sundays and Wednesdays! I was so excited when Emily announced she was pregnant to our Sunday School class (I love babies!), and it was icing on the cake when she said she wanted to do a maternity session with her family.

The day we decided on for pictures ended up being sunny, but so cold and windy. The Neill's were troopers though, especially the girls! They were probably a little more snuggly than they would have been if it wasn't so cold and windy, but them cuddled up to mommy and belly made for such sweet photos.

We loved our time with the Neill's and can't wait to meet baby James!

We went to the OBX.....in December.

This year for Christmas JJ and I decided to give each other a family trip to the Outer Banks. His family has a timeshare on the Outerbanks and their week in December was available. Going during the winter is drastically different then going in the summer. Not only is the weather completely different, but there are only 25,000 people on the OBX compared to 1/2 million visitors a weekend during the Summer. Many of our favorite restaurants and outings were closed, but thank goodness for The Kill Devil Grill and an indoor pool! Both boys ended up getting sick and there was a noreaster off the coast that made going to the beach impossible, but we had a great time resting, swimming, and exploring! We visited the Currituck lighthouse and the wildlife museum and saw Christmas lights at a local house that were like nothing I had ever seen before. It was the best present we could have given each other and the boys. We will never forget it!

Project52 - Brothers [25:52]

Richie Family - Raleigh, NC

We met the Richie family on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in December. When Kari first contacted us about a 1-year-old session for their son, Foster, they were hoping to have the session at the site of their wedding. Unfortunately, the location was booked that day, so we were planning to meet somewhere else. As the day approached a cold rain was predicted and that's exactly what happened, so we rescheduled. We were all glad that we did because it ended up being a beautiful day and we were able to use the location of their wedding! Foster is an adorable little boy and with the help of his aunt, was full of laughs and smiles the whole time! The property was beautiful and it was fun to hear them talk through their wedding day as they stood there now with their son. Thanks, Richie Family, for allowing us to capture this special time of life for you and at such a special place!

Gibbs Family

Let's just say... Gibbs family = FUN! Kendra, also known as "mom" of the Gibbs crew, is one of those people that no matter what the situation, if you're with Kendra, you are going to have a fun time! After spending a few hours with the Gibbs during their session, I can see now that the entire family is the same way! Even with 3 men in the family and it being a fairly chilly afternoon, we still had a lot of fun... well most of us did, we won't name names!

We've been so privileged to work with all of our families throughout this past year and the Gibbs family was no exception!

Powell Family - Raleigh, NC

I have known the Powell family for a few years now, and it has been a pleasure to watch George and Lilly grow up. Gary and Alison are so much fun to hang out with and George and Lilly, both hold a special place in my heart. Lilly is full of spunk and reminds me of myself when I was her age and George is a total sweet heart. A few months ago we were at a friends cook out and Aiden wanted to hang with the big boys even though they were all twice his size and three times his age. George came along beside him and followed him around making sure he didn't get into too much trouble, while allowing him to think he was just as big as the rest of them. We met them on a beautiful afternoon at the NC Arboretum. Gary wasn't all that excited about the idea of pictures, but he was a great team player! Glad we could capture just a glimpse of the love this family has for each other!