I think it was late on a Saturday night in January when Heidi contacted me.  Heidi is my cousin’s wife and we often share random texts about where we are and what we’re doing..it’s our way of staying in touch.  This time, she was contacting me from Las Vegas where she and her co-workers were attending a convention for Scale Computing.  She was in a slight panic…her boss Peter just learned  that he needed a portrait of he and his wife together ASAP!  So, Heidi’s job was to make that happen the minute they landed back in Indiana.  Which was Monday.

Peter and Susan were interviewed by Entrepreneur Magazine about their lives as business owners and how they make it work with their marriage.  This is where I came in…the magazine needed images of Peter and Susan in their beautiful home to accompany the article.

Peter and Susan had literally been home only hours after taking the red eye home.  With coffee in hand, they greeted my warmly and never let it show how exhausted they must have been!  We talked a little about their work and the article as we shot in their family room and library.

We were shooting away and I noticed that Peter and Susan’s kids were home that day.  I had mentioned getting some family shots as well…I think the kids had the same idea!  Just about the time I had finished with Peter and Susan, Alyssa and Nicholas came down the stairs all done up and were dressed for the camera :)

Peter and Susan, you have a gorgeous family!  Thank you so much for a great morning so many  months ago :)

You can read the article in Entrepreneur magazine here. I love the title of the article…Is your business taking over your marriage?  Something all self-employed people have dealt with at one time or another…myself included!  It’s about finding the balance, something I know I’m always striving to achieve :)  Also, if you’re interested in learning more about entrepreneurial families, check out Peter and Susan’s website!

She’s a happy girl.  That’s how her mother describes Lila.  If you know mom Morgan, then you will also know that it could be said “like mother, like daughter.”  Morgan is a dear friend and I have cherished the time that I’ve been able to spend with both of her children over the last year.  It has truly been a family affair :)

We again chose Grandma Mitchel’s house as the location for Lila’s one year session.  The last time we were there, Lila was 6 months old and not even sitting up yet.  This time, we tried so hard to schedule carefully around naptimes and the family dinner that was planned…only to have it start raining again literally the  minute we stepped out the door!  Yep, that’s the kind of Spring it was around here…we all know it.  We decided to shoot indoors and wait out the storm as we were certain the rain would pass….

…but not before I put in a special order with Mother Nature for this to appear ;)

Lila didn’t care about the wet grass, or the mud, or the cold water from the pond in the back yard.  She just wanted to RUN!

And run she did, through the puddles and giggling like she had just broken free from Mom’s arms!

Miss Lila, how I adore your wrinkled up nose and your pretty blue eyes.  Hoping to get some days by the pond with you and your Mommy this summer ;)  Happy Birthday, big girl!

I met with Shannon and Jordan to discuss their coming wedding.  New Years Eve.  They were in the beginning stages of planning and their  ideas were just beginning to take shape.  They sat across from me and were somewhere between excited and overwhelmed…if you’ve ever planned a wedding you know exactly what that feels like ;)  They knew for certain of only a few things then.  New Years Eve would be the date.  But before that, they were looking forward to their engagement photos!

When we talked about their engagement session, both Shannon and Jordan jumped back to the excited end of the spectrum.  I knew they had already put some thought into what they wanted for their images..something that told of their growing up in a rural area, some images at Shannon’s home where the lake greets them at their back door.  A reflection of what their lives have been up to now.

Shannon and Jordan, I am looking forward to documenting the start to the next phase of your lives.  I can’t think of a more perfect date than New Years Eve!