This may seem like a lot of different families, but they all come originally from one family: The Kanaly Family.  I knew Ashley & Heather (formerly Kanaly) in my high school years and Ashley ended up marrying my brother, so now we’re sisters!  They are the youngest sisters of Jen & Mike.  Mike, as you’ll be able to tell, didn’t come to our fun 14 person session…who needs him!  (*Seriously though, Mike & Michele, you can still have your own personal session with me anytime!)

We ventured to Downs Park in Pasadena, MD.  I typically get wet when I go here, and last weekend was NO exception.  I needed to get ankle deep in the water at the beach to get all of them in my shot.  It was so refreshing!

Here are a few favorites of mine from each of their families.

Jen & Rob’s family…

Matt & Ashely’s Family (my bro & sis-in-law)

And Jason, Heather, Michael + a bun in the oven…

Madelyn has been my neighbor since before she was even a thought in her mommy & daddy’s minds.  She came in to this world almost one year ago, and to celebrate the occasion, we went to Downs Park to snap some photos of the birthday girl (and mommy & daddy, too).

Maddie’s mom wanted to get one shot of her for a photo birthday invitation.  I thought, “Oh, that’s cool.”  But when Colleen told me about her idea of a collage of photos surrounding the “one photo” I thought, “Whoa, that’s an awesome idea!”

Well, we found “the one” shot, plugged it in to an invitation, and then agonized over finding only 12 more photos to surround it.  Maddie has been such a blessing and light in her parents lives that it was hard to pick only 12 photos representing their best year ever.

Here’s a sneak peek at their photo session and, if you’re good, and scroll all the way down, you can peek at her invitation too.

Happy Birthday Madelyn!

Ugh…we are sick at my house!  Apparently Brooke, my littlest one, has Hand Foot Mouth Disease (not really a “disease) and has given it to my husband as well.  They are both tired, with sore throats, fevers, have sores in their mouths, and are generally just sick.  Emma & I are hoping to avoid this rampant disease, but we’re not sure if we’ll be so lucky!  Apparently swimming in the pool last week at Victory Jam with about 300 other campers could be the culprit.  Who knows?

On a lighter, and much happier note, I had the great joy of photographing the Stapler-Brewster family this weekend at Downs Park in Pasadena, Maryland.  They were nominated last December for the Giving is Awesome intitiative and won!  You can read more about Giving is Awesome here.  Jennifer & Dave’s family experienced a house fire and lost most everything they owned.  Luckily, all the family members in the home made it out alive, which they are very grateful for.  Jennifer told me the foundation to their new house is just now being laid and they are excited to get back to normal.  I was so glad to be able to have this chance to help them rebuild some memories through family photos.  Thanks Dave, Jennifer, and kidlets.  You all were great, and well worth the sand in my shoes!

Yesterday was my husband Josh’s and my sixth anniversary!  Can you believe it?  It seems like just yesterday that he was daily changing the color of his hair, contemplating his next tatoo, and adding his fifth earring!

I have been blessed with such a loving, faithful, understanding, patient, godly example of a man.  Now, this isn’t to say that Josh is perfect, and neither am I by any means.  And I don’t mean to give the impression that marriage is a walk in the park, because it isn’t.  However, I know that my marriage to Josh is worth the time, the tears, the effort, and all the love.  He is my soulmate and I am his.  And I just wanted to take this post to brag on him by showing you how he proposed to me seven years ago on a picnic.

Let’s set the stage:  It was May 24th, 2002 and Josh had planned a picnic for us at Downs Park.  I knew it was coming, it wasn’t a surprise, and I also didn’t expect the “gift” at the end.  Josh packed us peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, canned lemonade and I don’t remember what else…all inside a great picnic basket from his mom.  I had just finished my junior year of college along with some student teaching and I remember specifically having Josh help me on a lesson plan that involved Laura Numeroff’s book If You Give a Pig a Pancake.  So, when I opened the picnic basket and Josh had some more Laura Numeroff books for me, it was a pleasant surprise.  However, the next book he gave me was hand-made by him!  Here is that book…

And here is where I finished reading the book, and didn’t have a clue what was going to happen next.  Josh gave me the ring box, I opened it up, and finally got it!  Well, to speed things up, I said yes, we were married the next year, and have been together ever since.  Here’s to many more wonderful years, Josh.  I love you!