Madeleine - 18 months

I love photographing kids as they grow up!! The last time I got to photograph Madeleine, she was only 9 months old and still very much dependent on mom & dad. A short nine months later, she's already coming into her own independence with a desire to take care of others. ;-) What a sweetie!!


At this age, she loves to feed the dogs treats..


... she likes to microwave her own (plastic) food...



... she may have a little bit of a drinking problem..


... but she's also happy to share...


... she likes talking on the phone..


... and she's a good listener...


I was really excited to be there for her first experience with snow and touching ice! What a joy it was to photograph her reacting to these new sensations!!








Dad got these cuddle rolls that they love to play in together..


Madeleine has a favorite blanket...


She's also coming into her own as a comedian... or perhaps... as a ghost....


She can even do mom's hair..


... and use dad as a ladder to reach her favorite food...


Did I mention she does a great impression of Popeye? HA!


She can climb the stairs by herself...


... and being in bed during the day is no longer about taking a nap...


I'm going to miss this family dearly when I leave Terre Haute! I loved getting to know them and photograph them!! Madeleine's mom has been a dear friend to me and I will sincerely miss hanging out together. ;-) Many hugs!!

Mary & Matt Engagement

Mary & Matt are one of those couples who just look like they were born to be together. We did their engagement session in the height of winter in Detroit, which can sometimes be a challenge, but starting in a nice warm conservatory helped to loosen things up!







These two are very active in cross-country and track for their alma matter, so I thought it might be fun to do a little bit of hurdling... much more difficult than it looks! HA!




After we spent some time warming up indoors, we headed out to Campus Martius, where there was an outdoor skating rink! I've always wanted to do a session on the skating rink and the weather was absolutely perfect - even with big white puffy snowflakes!!



Things started off a little rocky... but they always had each other to lean on. ;-)





Little known fact: Matt holds a WORLD RECORD for Snow-shoeing! How cool is that?! You can definitely see their competitive spirit come out when they're playing together.




MMmmmmmm... is right! Kisses are yummy! ;)


Aww...


I have to admit that my fingers were about to fall off from freezing when they decided it was time to go inside. ;-) I'm surprised my camera was still working after the temperatures we were in! Nothing like a little hot cocoa to make everything better...


Obviously it's not winter in Detroit right now! HA!! I'm trying to blog everything that I haven't had time to catch up on- so you'll be seeing some more winter pics to come!! Mary & Matt had a fabulous wedding that I can't wait to share with you too!!!

Katie & George's St. Mary In The Woods Wedding

Katie & George are a super sweet couple, and they were my first wedding in Terre Haute!! Fathom that- a wedding in the town I live in?! (Not for much longer though..) It so weird for me to just take the elevator downstairs to the salon where the girls were getting ready, but I'm not complaining! I loved being able to wake up in my own bed!


Yes, she was a vision of beauty. ;-) MWAH!


A little warm-up stretch before the ceremony...



The flowers were shades of purple and yellow and each bridesmaid's bouquet was finished off with a very special antique pin from Katie's grandmother, while Katie's bouquet was strung with little ribbons tied in knots, to resemble her grandmother's wedding bouquet.


Because Katie & George are so involved in their church, St. Patrick's Catholic Parish, there was a huge turn out... BEHIND the altar! They had several fathers, brothers, pastors, etc. who all had a part in the ceremony. It was really interesting! And check out the flower girls - ADORABLE!







I love it when I can nail a panning shot of the bride & groom as they rush back down the aisle!

George will be starting his own alterations business after this... (kidding!) ;-) Brides, feel free to cut those hanging loops out in advance so they don't creep out on your wedding day!



After a few portraits around the grounds of St. Mary in the Woods, it was off to the reception at the college's beautiful Providence Center, which is probably one of the nicest places to have a large event in Terre Haute with its tall celiings, large windows, and beautiful architecture!



I'm always up for a game of UNO!


Awesome toasts! Can you guess this impersonation? ;-)



Katie & George had a very special first dance because they actually wrote and recorded their own first dance song! To hear the song, click on any of the images in this post to open up the slideshow.


I couldn't help myself, this was too sweet, and I was in tears...


To make sure their guests had a great time, Katie & George had all kinds of fun at their reception! They had a dance instructor lead everyone in a few dancing lessons, and they even had a hoola-hoop contest!! How fun is that?!?!




Katie & George, I loved every minute of your wedding! I hope you never stop having fun together!!