3/52.

I want to remember…simple Saturday mornings in Maine with my new little family.  The combination of moving to a new town and having a brand new baby slowed the pace of my life way down.  As a photographer, I am almost always working the weekends and rarely have a Saturday that is truly relaxing and Saturday-like.  But I have been so fortunate to take some time off, slow down and soak up time with this girl that is FLYING by.  Our new Saturday tradition here is to take a walk and then go out for a late breakfast.  There are so many incredibly beautiful place to walk here (and great places to eat afterwards!), we try to check out a new place each time but we do have a few favorites pegged.  I’m sure life will have a way of speeding up again and I know when that happens I will look back and wish for one more Saturday just like this.

I’m so excited that Ellen + Darrick’s wedding is featured in Minneapolis St. Paul Weddings!

2/52.

I want to remember…blinking my bleary eyes open to this face first thing in the morning. Followed by a snuggle right into my neck, breathing in sweet baby morning breath, little fingers in my hair, toes digging into my belly.  Tired has never been so good.

I’m embarking on a weekly photo project and though I’m often paralyzed by blogging (dang pefectionist tendencies) I’m going to give it a whirl. I’m loosly using “I want to remember…” as a guide to help me focus on things I want to remember about 2014. Chances are, as a new mother, most all of these posts will be about life with my (why yes, very adorable) baby…  But my ultimate goal is to keep it simple, keep it real and to keep it up.  Wish me luck and follow along if you like!

1/52.

I want to remember…our first Christmas as new parents.  This year, everything has been a first and so far, Christmas has been the ultimate first!  For years and years, I have helped decorate that tree at my grandparents’ house.  I feel so thankful to have strong Christmas traditions and memories…like lighting (with TONS of lights) and decorating trees, my dad meticulously hanging Christmas lights on the house, making lefse, kringle, hardtack (all very Norwegian treats) and cookies too, my mom taking so much care to decorate the house and find just the right gifts, CHRISTMAS CARDS!!!!, the Concordia Christmas concert, candlelight Christmas Eve church, Christmas morning in our pjs, I could go on and on.  I love being rooted in these traditions and I loved seeing Clara experience them for the first time and I loved seeing our families enjoy Clara and I love that we get to carry on these traditions and start our own too!

Oh what a sweet family! We did this session last time I was back in Rochester and it was freeeeezing. But these guys were troopers and oh so adorable. And Kristi is the face behind Urban B Photography in Rochester. I think it’s safe to say she is fantastic on both sides of the camera! 🙂

There has been lots of stuff that has been hard about moving to Maine but there has also been lots of good stuff too. High on my list of really good stuff is meeting these guys! Originally from Minnesota, a mutual family member/friend introduced us and they have been our lifesavers since moving here. It’s SO NICE to have someone to ask important questions like where to get your hair cut and where to find the nearest post office. As it turns out, they also had their first baby just a few months before us and also have a sweet springer spaniel that Ike is crazy for. We have appreciated this new friendship so much! Krista, Luke, Kjelten and Moose, thanks for being our main friends here (do Maine jokes get old?) We look forward to many more good times together with babies and dogs!  p.s.  Can a family get any more adorable?  Doubtful.

Mark and Sarah’s wedding was my first wedding in Maine!  And it was a good one.  They started their day out by having their first meeting at the Wire Bridge near New Portland, ME.  This place in itself is incredible, the bridge was built in the 1800s and is believed to be the only surviving bridge of it’s kind in the US.  Then we headed to the ceremony which was in Mark’s parents’ back yard on the beautiful Ira Mountain.  Add in the most perfect fall weather and more importantly, an awesome couple surrounded by their closest family and friends and that equals an incredible day.  Congratulations Mark and Sarah!

I photographed Chad and Carla’s wedding back in 2009 and met up with them again recently as they now have three beautiful babies, two of which are twins! I love photographing people in their homes, in their own element and I think it was especially fitting for them right now because life is busy and messy and beautiful. A perfectly orchestrated family portrait at a park was not going to happen with three little ones on a super cold morning. So they decided to embrace life as it is! An early morning session over a yummy breakfast followed by some shots piled on the bed in pjs. My goal when doing family photography is to create photographs that communicate the crazy, chaotic and yet beautiful life to new parents now and their grown children later. I feel like we accomplished that here.  Your babies will always know how much they are loved and I hope these are a reminder of this incredible (sometimes difficult but always worth it) stage in your lives.  XOXOXO.

I love this family!  I first photographed them when Jaxon was just a year old.  It has been SO FUN to watch their little family grow over the years.  OH.  And they have a dog named Ike too!  They welcomed their newest addition, Franklin, in September so we had to get some updated family photos and of course a few of just Franklin and his squishy baby self.  🙂  XOXOXO.

“Time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life.” Isn’t that the truth, Storypeople…

I have a bunch of sessions that I’m working on from my last trip back but I just had to post these quick. I love these images of these two adorable little boys that are growing up WAY.TOO.FAST.