the j family

typically, i don't like to go to people's homes to shoot. only because it is inevitable that the gorgeous garden they want me to come photograph their family in is in the worst part of the yard for the best of the light. so to actually get the kids in the best spot, in the garden, with the sun NOT shining directly in their eyes, i've safely accomplished getting the neighbor's four-wheeler, drooling mastiff and hijacked cable lines in the background. or the fountain that is recommended because of its great backdrop potential is the size of a small beagle and promptly covered up by one child, much less the whole family.
now, for those of you who have tried it and it's worked, all the power to you. to the families who've had me over with mixed results, God bless you. that's why i like to go where i can keep things in control without strapping children to the ground. luckily, i've had two lately that have worked wonderfully. the first was the j family who had me come to their house in the early morning so we could take advantage of their son's superhero costume collection and their toddler's fondness for walking around in diaper. they were not only darling, they were laid-back and nice as can be. my favorite kind of people.

beautiful jen

jen is my yoga instructor. jen could do things eight months pregnant that i will never be able to do in this lifetime. she is an incredibly strong (like wonder-woman-strong) woman and such an inspiration. i couldn't wait to photograph her! we had a great time doing both sessions (although we were the target of a lot of hungry mosquitos and cut our outdoor session a little short). she is so fun and relaxed and had great clothes and super energy. and i am really excited to see what she has (if she hasn't had it already!) see you back in class, jen!

updates

I will be updating the blog, soon. There are a few weddings and maternity sessions and several families that are ready and waiting.
We are also almost completely booked for 2008 for families. We have a few spots left in the fall and a waiting list started. If you were waiting to schedule, email Sarah ASAP! Especially you regulars that call in September. :)
We are out of the office next week, but she will be checking email.
Happy summer!
mindy

april and jason

april and jason met when april was a cheerleader for jason's arena football team. jason kept noticing her and hearing what a nice girl she was. she didn't seem to want to do much with him, at first.
jason is now playing for the barnstormers and they are getting married in arkansas this year. they are, again, as nice as they are darling. (and smart as whips!)
the thing about engagement shoots and weddings is being able to blend what the couples want, keeping some artistic freedom and getting a few "mom shots", to boot. we had a great time mixing it all up.
i'm sorry i won't be able to photograph your wedding, as i'm sure it's going to be a beautiful day. but i'm glad i got to spend an afternoon with you both.
good luck!

yuk.

i tried to show my mom this blog on her home pc last week. yuk. the photos were outlined in royal blue, the background color was missing, the font was gross. then i went to my website. same thing. background was missing, all sorts of things were amiss.
i don't know if that's a mac/pc thing or if my mom's computer just sucks. but i hope that's not typical and you all get to see the version i'm seeing here.

anna and jon

i'm shooting anna and jon's wedding in august.
we did their engagement session downtown, since we'll be at the park for their actual wedding. they brought along their dog, who was very sweet and a tad hyper. i think she was on to me.
anyway, i'm looking forward to spending some time with them in a couple of months. their wedding has all the ingredients for one of my favorite kinds of days. cool couple, outdoor ceremony, kick-back reception.

the r family

this was one of my first sessions back outside this year. i was so happy to be back in the park. these little darlings were so easy and fun. what a great start to the 2008 family sessions.

according to his mom, these rain boots are an essential item and worn nearly every day.

amy & john

amy & john were married in may at st. ambrose with a beautiful reception at wakonda in may.
we had a marathon photo session after the ceremony, before the reception began. i think we went to 12 different spots! it was a lot of fun to have the time to hang out with them and not be rushed to the next event. we just got some beautiful shots and had a great time with their wedding party. they were a lot of fun.

amy got john some cufflinks and placed photographs of his father and grandfather in them that had passed away. john got amy a crystal heart with a love letter rolled up inside it.





























the light at wakonda was phenomenal, so we rushed right outside in the middle of the reception. there was a little miscommunication with the wakonda staff and they didn't really know we were getting golf carts until we went whizzing by the reception. they kindly escorted us for the rest of the session.







john and amy, you two are a great couple. paige and i had a great time capturing your day. you two are the kind of couples that we dream about photographing. you are as kind and fun as you are darling. have a great life together!

the joy of gina

this week my friend gina lost her fight with cancer. she truly was an exemplary human being, always looking out for everyone else and seeing the best in all of us. i can't possibly put into words how this petite little woman had such a huge impact on the community, my child's school and our church. but let me just say that her life and her death has had a profound effect on my faith and there is no way that i can begin to describe, in this one little blog, how much she has done for me and how much we will miss her. i will definitely be a better person because of gina.
please keep the neibergall family and gaps children in your prayers in the coming weeks.
God bless you, dear gina. we will all miss you terribly.

paige and jason

paige, jason and i had a great time at their engagement shoot. we even grabbed a six-pack and had a beer while we waited for the perfect light! it was like high school all over again. except paige was in fourth grade when i was in high school, so that would have been really inappropriate.
anyway, this was really an incredible shoot. the light was perfect, there was just enough breeze to rustle paige's hair up, jason was in a good mood, they dangled off of cliffs for me . . . it couldn't have been better.
paige and i have shot over 150 weddings together. that's just insane. and she was only 20 when she assisted me for the first time. so we've had a lot of talks over the years about what it would be like when (and if) she ever married. she was at one point convinced she'd be better off single. :) even though we aren't that far apart in age--humor me--it's been really fun to watch her grow up and fall in love. jason is the perfect match for her and i really couldn't be happier for the both of them. their wedding is going to be a real tear fest and i am very excited to have the best seat in the house for the whole thing.
much, much love to you both.

tami and garrett

sweet tami and garrett are getting married in november, so it is great that we got to do a session outdoors in the spring. we canvassed the town looking for the perfect magnolia tree and ended up sneaking onto someone's front yard (ready to bolt at any second.) we were convinced that an old lady with a gun would come storming out, but we were successful in our covert operation.
they are adorable. look at them. they're that cute in real life, too.
i'm very excited to be a part of your wedding day, you two.
happy spring!

coming soon . . .

i did paige and jason's engagement shoot yesterday. i'm supposed to be going on vacation today, but i can't tear myself away from the photos. we has such a fun night and they turned out so great. they are darling together.
i'll post a sneak peek today and then post the rest in a week or so.
i am so happy for paige. i could go on and on, but i'll save that for later . .

meredith and j.r.

we still aren't in full-swing wedding season, yet. that starts this weekend. but we did get to shoot an april wedding for meredith and j.r. at st ambrose. it was a little chilly for april, but it was an absolutely gorgeous wedding.
i know i sound like a broken record sometimes, but we just get the coolest couples. these two are from great families, they're smart, fun, cool and have a great relationship with each other. we're just lucky to get to work with such awesome people.
meredith got a little bonus as she married into a family that knows a lot about flowers. it was a stunning wedding. (that and her mom was quite the organized m.o.b./planner.) we'd never seen the marriott look so beautiful.
paige and jason are pretty good friends with these two, so i think i'll have an excuse to stay in touch with them.
best of luck to you both!



by paige
























by sarah

the paci fairy

my friend melissa just published a book to help kids give up their pacifiers when it's time. neither of my kids took pacis, although i really gave it my best with both of them. but i've seen a lot of my friends struggle with this, so i thought i'd pass it on.
i met melissa through my friend jay spence. she sort of took over as his best girlfriend when i moved back to iowa and it was always good to know that there was someone out there keeping an eye on him. he was both of our daughters' Godfather, so we know he is watching over them. melissa is honestly as sweet as she is beautiful and i know she put a lot into this great book.
if you're getting close to the milestone of giving up the paci or have a friend who needs some help, please check out her book. it's really, very sweet.
http://www.thepaci-fairy.com/
best of luck to you, melissa!