Lilly turns five!!

Here she is, my Lilly. She has had a pretty good year I would say. Her daddy came home from Iraq, she went to preschool,started kindergarten, she made new friends but also said goodbye to some good friends, she cut her own hair, learned how to write her name,grew a ton, played with her sister a lot ,visited Kansas....... and well,it has been eventful.
It is amazing to watch your child grow into a little person, and really develop a personality. Some days she drives me wild, but at the end of the day she makes me smile.
 In her preschool class Mrs. Carol said she was a leader, but not in a bossy way. She said Lilly was a role model for the others. She makes me proud, it is great to know that when your child is not at home they are minding their manners. Now she isn't perfect at home, we struggle with her a lot. She has a mind of her own, and is very stubborn. Oh I can't wait until she is 13(NOT!!).
 Last year when she turned 4 I did a photo shoot and interview for Lilly, just for fun. I thought I should do it again this year :)
Here is how the interview went:
 Me: What is your favorite color?
 Lilly:PINK!(still pink like last year) 
Me:What is your favorite music artist/song?
 Lilly: Taylor Swift! Sparks Fly
 Me: What do you like about Hawaii? 
Lilly: Rainbows and mountains. 
Me: What are you exited to do when we move to Colorado soon? 
Lilly: Fishing, and killing animals to eat of course. (obviously Joe talks to her about hunting lol) 
Me: Who is your best buddy?
Lilly: Audrey <3>
Me: What is your favorite toy to play with?
Lilly's first response: Lip Gloss!!! (Thanks Nana, and Grandma Ginger)
Me: Anything else??
Lilly: Ya, my dalmatian stuffed animal.
Me: What are you exited about being 5 and this year?
Lilly: Going to Colorado on a plane and saying bye bye to Hawaii, and starting school in Colorado.
Me: What is your favorite show and movie?
Lilly: Arthur, Dinosaur Train and Aristocats!


Ok, I could keep asking questions but she couldn't sit still any longer.Here are her pictures I took. Can I say photo-genic!!! Seriously, she is so pretty! I love to watch her be her beautiful self.

Chocolate!!

It's not every day you get to photograph loved ones get together and take a chocolate making class! Madre Chocolate is a local chocolate company, and not just any chocolate company. It is chocolate at it's finest! Here is a link to their website: http://madrechocolate.com/Home.html
When Sonja contacted me about the event, I was like..umm, yes!! I was able to capture them hanging out, making chocolate, I even got to make a chocolate bar of my own. And those dark chocolate truffles just melted in my mouth :) I am obsessed with chocolate, so I was lucky to learn (while taking pictures of course) what all goes into chocolate...it is actually a pretty labor intensive process.
Sonja and Mark were getting married the next day and before the wedding they wanted to get the close family members and friends together at the beach house they rented out. These people came from all over the place; Germany, California, Louisiana, and more that I don't remember for sure. What an honor! Thanks guys for inviting me to such a special day, here are some of my personal favorites from them participating in the chocolate class, as well as some beach photo's afterwords.

Christina {senior portraits}

While visiting Kansas I got some practice with senior portrait photography. It was a ton of fun, and a subject I hope to grow in!Here is Christina, she works hard on her grandparents black berry farm which is where we took her pictures. We even got a few shots with her horse! She is a beautiful girl, thanks again Christina for choosing me!