This shot was taken two years ago in a library on the campus of UNL Chapel Hill with my dear friends Charity and Andy. If I could, I’d spend time with them every March as spring hits Chapel Hill earlier than Lincoln, Nebraska.

Inspired by Renae’s Photos from the Archives post.

She has three children under the age of four, so what does she do? Gets a puppy. A Havanese/Coton mix, to be exact. I’m crushed by the cuteness of baby Barkley, who looks an awful lot like Shiloh as a puppy. Somehow, adding a dog to the household makes absolutely perfect sense. Bring on the fun! I love those Bradleys.

What a difference a year makes! A year ago at this time Bethany’s tummy was beautifully full and the rest of us were content to wait for the birth of Andrew and Bethany’s first child. Now, Adeline is here and she is a delight. Her blue eyes seem so knowing somehow—I don’t think she misses a thing—and those chubby cheeks! Oh my.

It was a joy to spend some time with the Hansens to capture their young family in photographs. Really, it was a huge blessing because I’ve been able to enjoy Bethany’s friendship since she was in junior high and I, only a few years older, was her youth group leader. Hello, memory lane.

I hope you all enjoy these pictures as much as I do!

One of the fun aspects of being a children’s and family photographer is that I have to be quick on my feet. Little ones don’t stay still for long, for example. But on the day of the Steiner/Smith shoot it was my location that had to change in an instant. A race (marathon perhaps?) was taking place where we had planned on shooting this extended family of six adults and six small children, so we quickly relocated… and, as it turns out, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

The following shots are some of my favorites from our time together a few weeks ago. The cute kid factor here is very high!

I remember walking into Mike and Amanda’s living room just in time to see their second-born, Elsie, take her first steps. Suffice to say, it was a privilege to capture this family in photos after I’ve seen their kiddos grow over the years. Mike and Amanda are a lot of fun—their wit and joy for life is matched only by their great love for their family. Peter, Elsie, Tess and baby Clara are seemingly pint-sized versions of their folks and we had an awesome time running around the arboretum and climbing trees. Thanks for a great shoot, Wittmanns! I love you guys.

While visiting Andrew in Chattanooga, I had the privilege of hanging out with several of my blog friends. These are all women I had either met in real life many years ago or at least passed in the halls of Covenant College countless times. So I can’t say it was all that daring of a blogger meet-up. But it was a huge delight to see them in the real world and to watch their children play with Livia. The biggest thing that struck me was how beautiful these gals were in 3-D. Words and images on a screen can only do so much. They were all sweet, kind and lovely–and fun mamas to boot.

From left to right: Jocelyn of BryantChatt, Me, Moriah and baby Arianna of Please Pass the Salt, and Alli and Tebow of Always, Alli.

Livia ran around and played with all the kiddos. I think she and Fuller especially hit it off. Check out Alli’s adorable pic here.

Uncle Andrew’s been talking up the Tennessee Aquarium to Livia as long as I can remember, so it was pretty fun that we actually got to visit it. We met up with Andrew’s good friends Bo and Brynne, and their adorable daughters, much to Livia’s delight. She and three year old Maren hit it off and gave us some pretty cute photo opps.

The funniest moment of the morning came when we had the chance to feed stingrays. Liv, however, knows about the death of Steve Irwin—yes, we did share this macabre knowledge with her—and she shared it every time the word stingray was mentioned. But she watched carefully as Bo and Andrew laughed—with a slight hysteria in their voices—as they fed the rays bits of shrimp. I knew this was the one chance I’d have to touch and feed a stingray, so I did it too. Unnatural, that’s all I have to say.

Hey friends! We’re getting closer to the fundraising events for a new van for the Allens. If you want to participate in the golf tournament, you must RSVP by tomorrow. Also, there will be a wine and cheese reception on October 9—so RSVP for that as well!

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Keep reading.

Our Goal
…It’s our hope and desire to help the Allen Family purchase a van with a wheelchair lift. As Amelia grows up, it has become more of a challenge to lift her in and out of a vehicle. A new wheelchair lift will make going places much easier for the Allens and for all the volunteers who help with Amelia.

How You Can Help
There are three ways you can particpate:
1. Sign up for the “Give Amelia a Lift – Golf Tournament”
2. Join us for the Wine and Cheese Event
3. Make a Financial Donation

Golf Tournament
When : Saturday, October 9th at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Woodland Hills Golf Course – Near Eagle, NE
Details: 4 person Scramble • $100 per person
($55.00 for the green fees are not tax deductible)
RSVP to Andrew at andrew@weekslawpractice.com or call 402.310.6269. Please make checks payable to Redeemer Church with Amelia/Golf in the memo line. – 745 ‘D’ Street, Lincoln, NE 68502.
Sign-Up: The last day to sign up is Thursday, Sept. 30.

Wine and Cheese Event
When : Saturday, October 9th at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Rob and Carla Nixon’s Home – 3045 Van Dorn St. Lincoln, NE
The purpose of the Wine and Cheese Event is to raise money for the van, to learn more about families with disabilities, and how we can encourage and support them. There will be an opportunity to make a financial contribution at the event.

Financial Donations
Please make all checks out to Redeemer Church with Amelia in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to Redeemer Church at 745 ‘D’ Street, Lincoln, NE 68502. Our goal is to raise $25,000 to cover the cost of the van and wheelchair lift.

You can also watch this short video by David Houfek.

Some of you might remember me desperately asking for prayer for sweet little Amelia Allen about three years ago. Those were some very dark times when my friends Steve and Jen were doing all they could to help Amelia fight leukemia. An infection entered her brain when her body couldn’t fight it off and Amelia suffered brain damage at that point in time.

A lot has happened since then. I believe cancer has gone into remission and the Allens have moved back to Lincoln (where Steve pastors UNL students with RUF). Amelia is a beautiful little girl and is now joined by a little brother, Miles. I continue to be floored by Amelia’s work in therapy and by her parents and therapists’ work to allow her to communicate with others.

Because I love the Allens, I want to mention an opportunity we have to help in outfitting them with a van with a wheelchair lift and ramp. It’s a blessing to both give and receive—and I’ve been on the receiving end of gifts before. It’s harder to receive than one would think! At the same time, it would be remarkable if we could raise this money to bless this awesome family.

So think about it. And read the info below to Give Amelia a Lift.

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Our Goal
…It’s our hope and desire to help the Allen Family purchase a van with a wheelchair lift. As Amelia grows up, it has become more of a challenge to lift her in and out of a vehicle. A new wheelchair lift will make going places much easier for the Allens and for all the volunteers who help with Amelia.

How You Can Help
There are three ways you can particpate:
1. Sign up for the “Give Amelia a Lift – Golf Tournament”
2. Join us for the Wine and Cheese Event
3. Make a Financial Donation

Golf Tournament
When : Saturday, October 9th at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Woodland Hills Golf Course – Near Eagle, NE
Details: 4 person Scramble • $100 per person
($55.00 for the green fees are not tax deductible)
RSVP to Andrew at andrew@weekslawpractice.com or call 402.310.6269. Please make checks payable to Redeemer Church with Amelia/Golf in the memo line. – 745 ‘D’ Street, Lincoln, NE 68502.
Sign-Up: The last day to sign up is Thursday, Sept. 30.

Wine and Cheese Event
When : Saturday, October 9th at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Rob and Carla Nixon’s Home – 3045 Van Dorn St. Lincoln, NE
The purpose of the Wine and Cheese Event is to raise money for the van, to learn more about families with disabilities, and how we can encourage and support them. There will be an opportunity to make a financial contribution at the event.

Financial Donations:
Please make all checks out to Redeemer Church with Amelia in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to Redeemer Church at 745 ‘D’ Street, Lincoln, NE 68502. Our goal is to raise $25,000 to cover the cost of the van and wheelchair lift.

You can also watch this short video by David Houfek.

I suppose you could say I made some good friends at Horn Creek camp back in my high school days. The PCA youth leadership camp doesn’t even meet in the Sangre de Christo mountain range any longer, but that location will forever hold precious memories for me. I get a bit nostalgic just writing about it—and could go on and on—but for now, suffice to say that amazing, lifelong friendships were formed during those one-week sessions over four years of attendance.

Charity, Haley, Bryonie, Autumn and I now get together over Labor Day for a weekend of talking, eating, drinking, reading and general laziness. It’s awesome. I love these women. And Isaac, the newest addition to our girls’ weekend (though he’ll only to get enjoy this once).

You asked for photos, so enjoy!