A Lovely Castle


As a young girl, if you asked me my favorite kind of tree, I'd tell you it was a willow tree (you can thank the newly released Pocahontas for that). And I have to say, it is probably still my favorite kind of tree; I blame Leeds Castle for rekindling that love.  It's grounds are so beautiful with many trees and flowers, a man made lake/moat, a maze and, of course, a lovely castle.

My husband was traveling to the south east of England for work, and we somehow managed to get tickets for me to tag along. AND my amazing friend was willing to go with me, so I would have a travel buddy while my husband spent all day working. She's in the picture below...her last name is my first name, which I have found hilarious since it is rare to meet someone who shares my name.

So, she tolerated me telling her where to stand and what to do. I tried my best not to go crazy taking pictures of her. We arrived at our hotel with just a few hours before closing, and by the time we were on the grounds we had a couple of hours. This was after 15 hours of planes/layovers and various underground and train rides, but worth it!

If you go to Leeds Castle, plan to be there long enough to see the castle, wander the maze, and have a picnic in one of the many serene spots. If anyone wants to have engagement photos there, or portraits, I'd be happy to be there again (and probably Rachel, too). I really do wish I'd spent more time there, and hope to take my whole family for a day of mazes, playgrounds and picnics.




Life has been filled with so many chores and kid duties lately, so my brain has craved creative outlet. Then I called a friend to meet me in an hour and a half and take photos. What a relief that was for me, and it was so fun to do some portraits! I can't wait to do more portraits, as well as some shoots for couples. 















Meet my longest friend; we've been annoying and loving each other for over 20 years. We don't annoy each other as much anymore, 6th grade on the other hand...

I'm so glad I got to stand by her in her wedding, and now I've watched her enter motherhood with such grace and beauty. I really didn't know she could get more beautiful! Love you, Bri, and that smile that radiates when you are with your man and your little boy!






Happy Halloween

This our first year to participate in halloween festivities, and it has been pretty fun. Until now, Soren did not care about dressing up, and in general was afraid of a lot. Now we have braver children, who enjoyed picking out costumes. Yay! We walked around in a parade with our neighbors and played, simple and perfect!
Adelaide would not be swayed from her plans to be BB-8. I suspect she heard her brother say she should be, and she'll do almost anything he says. I love that she is BB-8. It's what I wanted, but I made sure to offer her heroes, princesses and ice cream as her other options.
My new favorite photo of them! ^

He's always running, and she's always seeing what big kid things she can do. Love them!

The One Day It Was Cool Outside


"Now that I am 4, I can go down the big slide. We'll see what happens." And after 4 tries, he finally made it up two flights of steep stairs and down the slide. If you know my boy, you know he is cautious; the slide was a huge accomplishment, and I wish I could have caught a photo of his proud face. That 2 year old, though. She climbs things before she is probably able to do it well, and tried that slide. She ended up in a tangle at the bottom both times with tears. Next time baby girl.

Turning 2 & Turning 4


We crave simplicity in our lives often, so this year we just had grandparents over to celebrate our 2 & 4 year olds. Paw Patrol is pretty popular around here, as well as sprinkles, so I enjoyed making these little cakes.

I find myself shocked to have a preschool aged child, and we're officially out of the baby phase. Life is great with these two and so happy I get to be their mama. We're excited to see what 2 & 4 are like!

All Mine

Adelaide: you are bouncy and bright. You make everyone smile and lighten their day.
Soren: You are clever and sweet. You care about others and possess empathy I'm surprised to see in a young boy. You love to be silly and make people laugh, especially your sister.

 My new favorite photo of them.^^