Brianna & Tyler are expecting their first baby, a sweet little girl in about 9 weeks! Yesterday, we met up at Westlands Park to capture some pictures of Brianna’s growing belly. It was such a fun session, and I can’t wait to get to take newborn pictures of sweet little Gracyn in just a few short months! This is a fun year for me with maternity and newborn shoots, because about 7 of my friends are expecting new babies between now and February!! How exciting is that!!? Yeah, there must be something in the water, and I must have been drinking from the same batch! It’s good water and we’re glad to share! Ha!! We get to find out if our little bean is a boy or girl in 7 days…I cannot wait! Anyway, back to Bri’s maternity session, here are a few of my favorites from last night.

Doesn’t Brianna have gorgeous eyes?

This past weekend, I joined Aleena & Brodie’s family and friends as they declared their love for one another. Aleena said that the thing she was most looking forward to in being married was that she would get to have Brodie as her forever companion. I have to say, that their wedding and the weekend that surrounded it was one of the sweetest I have yet to experience. Brodie & Aleena, thank you so much for allowing me to document the beginning of your forever and for welcoming me in to you circle of friends this weekend. It was such an absolute pleasure!!

Location: Della Terra Mountain Chateau

These girls were SO much fun!! Thanks for letting me join in!

See that mountain behind Brodie? He and his groomsmen, and even his dad, climbed it the day before the wedding!!

Love this!!

While in Fresno this past weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting my cousins’ two week old son, Elim. He is cute as can be, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do an impromptu newborn shoot between church services on Sunday morning! Elim was WIDE AWAKE and calm as can be in the warm Fresno breeze. He is such a sweetheart! Nick and Ashley, thanks so much for letting me spend some time with your little guy! It was an absolute pleasure!! Love to you both!!

Here are a few of my faves from the session:

He’s Nate to his friends, but he’s Nathaniel to me. Nathaniel is my little brother, and he has asked his sweet (and gorgeous!) girlfriend to join our family! YAY!! This weekend, they flew me out to take their engagement pictures. I am so honored to be shooting my own brother’s wedding later this year! I truly consider it a blessing. Anyway, it was a whirlwind of a trip, like really…but so much fun!! We spent a good portion of Saturday traipsing around Old Sacramento taking pictures of the two of them, and there are so many images that I LOVE!! I also got to spend time with my sister and her new beau… hi Jacob!! And got to visit with friends and family…seriously, we crammed a TON into not very many hours including a newborn shoot of my sweet new cousin that I will post about later this week. It was such a great weekend, and I am so thankful to have these pictures of my brother and soon to be sister and their relationship with one another. It was so great to spend the weekend with you guys! I love you both!!

Okay, now for some faves!

This is how I see them….

Lauren, you’re stunning!

Okay, so you’re pretty cute too, Nathaniel…

It’s a new edition of What to Wear! With everything getting green with the warmth of spring, vibrant colors like this will really pop in an outside session. Don’t forget the accessories!

On another note, my husband Cary and I are taking a much needed vacation next week! I’ll be out of the office for a bit, but promise to return any messages or emails when we return on the 20th. Happy photo session planning!

As promised, here are more images from my latest family/engagement session. I had so much fun with this family, who is engaged to be married this summer. Each and everyone of them were so much fun, and full of personality.  Javi & Roni, thanks so much for letting me spend a few hours with you and your kids! It was an absolute pleasure!! Enjoy your sneak peek, and I’ll have the rest of your images ready for you to view soon.

Isn’t this family just gorgeous?? Let me assure you, they are just as gorgeous on the inside as out! Can’t wait to share several more images from their sesson shortly.

of sweet Lydia, just for fun.

I got to play with sweet, little, 7-day-old Lydia today, and she was a gem! She was so sleepy and cuddly. I just LOVE the newborn stage, and 7 days old is the perfect time to capture it! This cute little lady is so very loved!

Laurie, thanks so much for allowing me to spend time with your family today! I hope you love your sneak peek, and I’ll have the rest of your pictures ready for you to view soon!

Usually at iheartfaces.com, the competitions focus on faces, but this week their mixing things up. This week’s challenge is “hands-on fun,” meaning the focus should be on hands. I LOVE photographing hands. I think they tell so much about a person, and I love the details in them. This set of hands is one of my faves. I don’t know what it is about this image that I like the most… maybe it’s the dimples in her sweet little knuckles, or the memory of her clapping them together as her mom cheered on her smiles. Maybe it’s the pretty bokeh, or the softness of her curls, or the lovely green…. whatever it is, I love it!

To see more hands or to enter your own image, head on over to iheartfaces.com and join in the fun! It’s an awesome place for inspiration!