Young Family – I loved spending time with you and getting to know you more. I’m so excited to see what 2020 has in store for your family! Thank you for braving the windy city with me!

I had the pleasure of meeting Ashley Cozine during a very difficult time for my family and he was amazing to work with. I am so thankful he and his family chose me to photograph them this year, it was lovely meeting you all!!

This year looks different for the Stanley Family.  Just two short months ago, they lost their beloved husband and father, Thomas. While this would be tragic at the very least for any family to endure, it is particularly so in this case as they are my family too.  My sister and Thomas met when I was thirteen and started dating shortly thereafter. I have been incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to photograph them and their growing family over the years. The loss of Thomas has been incredibly difficult to bear. And while most people would believe the holidays to be the most difficult time – my sister experiences incomprehensible pain daily.  I believe that losing anyone is painfully hard, especially around the holidays – but losing someone as exceptional a person that Thomas was is wildly unbearable, even in the mundane. Our hearts our broken and our pain is all to real to push aside. There is no moving on, but learning to live in a different way as we all feel the effects of the gaping hole his absences has left in our lives.

I photographed my sister and their kiddos a few times over the last couple days.  She and Thomas (whether they knew it or not) have always been guide posts for me for digging deeper in faith and a relationship with God – as well as what healthy dating and marriage relationships look like. She is unbelievably strong and grounded in her faith and she continues to be a pillar for their family. I am in awe.

I look at these images and no one looks their age. My sister all too young to have been widowed – Charlotte (6) Peter (4) Claire (2) – have aged in a way I desperately wish could be undone.

If you’d like to bless the Stanley’s or show your support, a GoFundMe page was started right after Thomas’ accident. (Click GoFundMe)

I enjoy every session with the Linsner’s! They are sweet, kind people – our sessions are always filled with laughs. Thanks so much for choosing me to photograph your family! See you again next year!!

Thank you Schamaunn’s!  It was such a treat to photograph near your cabin on your families private land – it gave me all the #fallfeels.  I love your outfits – y’all made my job easy! I hope to see you again soon!

Fall is here and so are family sessions!!! Love this family so much! Thank you James, Colleen, Angelo, and Maggie – I’m so glad Teddy Roosevelt-Mitchell-Morris-Breitenbach was able to join us too!!

Happy Birthday Maddie girl! You are a true beauty – inside & out!

Welcome home sweet boy. Your Mommy and Daddy love you so much! You are destined for greatness little one.

The stunning Wolf Hotel is a historic hub for Underground Tunnel Tours, Sunday Chicken Fry, an Underground Old Fashion Saloon, and a Unique Stay in Central Kansas. All thanks to Chris McCord and his hard working crew for revitalizing this quaint Kansas town.