Lily Turns One | Birthday Session

I met Lily back in June when I did her extended family session. I also did a mini session for her cousin, Makayla, when she turned one back in September. I'm so glad her momma had a mini studio session booked as it was super rainy all week. Here is sweet miss Lily celebrating her first birthday. She was the most laid back little girl and was so happy with her bunny and her `Hippos Go Berserk' book. Happy birthday Lily, it was so good to see you again!

{The picture below, where she is pulling off her sock, is my favourite.}

As the mom of two young boys, I was really loving all the pink. Isn't she adorable?! If you are ever interested in a mini session for one or two kids, please contact me for details.

Justin & Alicia | Wedding Sneak Peek II

I don't think I ever do more than one sneak peek but this is what I've been working on these days. Looking forward to having a one year old and a couple of newborns in studio this weekend!

Justin & Alicia | Wedding Sneak Peek

Just a quick sneak peek from the weekend. We had a great time on Justin and Alicia's wedding day. They had their photos done at several locations and this location gave the photos a bit of a rustic feel with tractors and semi trucks. You'll have to check back to see what pictures we got of the guys on the tractors, they made me pretty nervous! Congratulations Justin and Alicia, I hope you are having a fabulous time on your honeymoon.

Jessica, Alex, Noah & Connor | Family Photos

Jessica organized photos of her and her siblings as a gift for their mom. Such a thoughtful gift! It was a little chilly but the kids did so well with it...it might have helped that there were hot chocolates and timbits involved:) The priority was a group shot of the siblings and then individual ones as well. Anyone who has boys in the 6-9 age range knows that they can be a little monkeyish and these two were no exception:) I've included some of their antics because it's who they are and that's what it's about. Capturing who they are.

{We started out at Stewart Farms...}



{Noah, that picture is just for you.}

{Not necessarily what I suggested but very brotherly:)}

{And then we went to Crescent Beach, just 5 minutes away. So great getting a little more diversity in there!}

The older siblings, Jessica and Alex, did such a great job with the younger boys. Their patience and love for them was seen throughout our entire time together.

Jessica, I hope your mom loves these photos. I think it is such a thoughtful gift and you are a wonderful big sister!

Ben & A Baby Belly | Maternity Session

I met with Anita and Jon at Clayburn Village on an overcast January morning and it was perfect! The roads were actually closed due to flooding, but we made it:) Anita is about 37 weeks pregnant and we had a mini session to get to know each other a bit better before birthing day as I will be (hopefully!) capturing those first few moments/hour of life.

I realized that we have a lot in common in the short amount of time we were together. Like Gary and I, they are both teachers with a science background. Both Gary and Jon played on a university sports team. Anita is also a photographer (such an honour to photograph a photographer!). Both of us have 2 year old boys and we live very close to each other. That's a whole lot of similarities! Hopefully they like the pictures as much as I do:) Enjoy.

{Ben is showing off his shirt in the above picture. Such a cute smile!}

Anita and Jon (and Ben!), it was great getting to know your family and I'm really looking forward to the big day when we get to meet your little one too!

Surrey Christian School

This is a different sort of post. If you are not familiar with Surrey Christian School, check out their website or visit on Wednesday, January 19th, for their Open House. I just spent a short amount of time there last week capturing bits and pieces of the three campuses. I may have also spent 5 years there as a student in high school AND taught there for a few years too:) It is a wonderful place. A second home. Check it out. And now, for some photos...

{Wonderful music and art classes which includes an extracurricular Strings Program}

{Smiles and friends all around. I met my best friend in grade 8 at this school (formerly known as Fraser Valley Christian) and we are still best friends 20 years later!}

{Teachers that love and care for their students. Not just how they do academically, but caring for how and who they are. I can say that as I had the privilege of getting to know many students over my seven years there, and, I'm still keeping in touch with so many of them. I would also like to point out that the Learning Assistance Program is outstanding.}

{Everywhere I went, there were students reading. The libraries were so welcoming and were always full of students, even at lunch time at the high school!}

{Great technology at all three campuses. There are computer labs at each one and students of all ages have computer classes. Teachers at the high school have smart boards which are just a bit more fun than the good old overhead projector that I started with!}

{The playgrounds at the middle and elementary school are very well used. Even one of the principals was playing football with the grade 3 and 4's during recess!}

{The high school has recently had a huge addition. Pictured above is the Chapel, a Video Recording Studio, and the Performing Arts Center.}

{These kids make me feel old with all their access to technology. You can see the elementary school kids with their laptops, the middle school has a class set of i Touches and the high school has some new digital video cameras.}

{Gorgeous science lab at the high school and if I may say so, wonderful science teachers:) All the teachers are great, but you know, Gary is one of the science ones. That is how we met!}

{Look at all the beautiful art on the walls. There is a program, run by students, called `Kafe for Kids'. It is where they sell fair trade, organic, specialty coffees to raise money for athletics and for the Kabala school project in Sierra Leone. There are many other fundraisers put on, throughout all three campuses, which allowed for the building of a Christian School in Sierra Leone as well as sponsorship for the children that attend. Check out this link for more information on that very cool and life changing project.}

This was just a teensy peek into a very cool school. I didn't even touch on the athletic program at all. The senior girls recently placed first in volleyball provincials and the boys soccer team got second!. If you are at all interested, I would recommend you check it out. As a student I loved it. As a teacher I loved it. And now, as a parent, it is where I want my child to go. Where he will be loved and nurtured and known.

Ben & A Baby Belly | Maternity Photos Sneak Peek

I know this is such a super small sneak peek but it's better than nothing, right?! I'll share more next week but here is Ben and his momma's baby belly. I LOVED all the colours and textures of this session at Clayburn Village. Have a wonderful Sunday.

Chrissy's Baby Belly | Maternity Session

Chrissy and Jim are welcoming their first baby in just a few more weeks! Chrissy is currently 37 weeks along and she has a fabulous belly going on. She brought her sister along, as her sister is just a couple of months behind her. She may have said that she brought her sister as a prop:) It was a super cold day so we spent the first half in studio and then we ventured out for a walk around the neighbourhood.

{Just a few shots of her sister Angela's baby belly....}

{My sister and I have kids a few months apart and it's special. These cousins will have a great time growing up together!}

{Congratulations Chrissy and Jim! I hope that the next few weeks go really well for you and I'm looking forward to hearing if there's a little boy or a little girl in there!}

Curtis & Britteny | Wedding Day

Curtis and Britteny, who have been together for about 6 years, had a wonderful winter wedding in December. You might remember them from their engagement session here. Gary and I had the opportunity to go up to Pemberton, half an hour past Whistler, for this wedding. The roads were bare (although we had snow tires for peace of mind!) and we went up the day before to check out the wedding location; the Drumkeeran House. Curtis and Britteny were envisioning a small and intimate wedding and the house was perfect for their 50 guests. It was a great celebration and there was ample opportunity for them to spend time which each of their guests throughout the day. They even had the chance to get pictures with every single guest that was there!

{The morning started out at the salon in Whistler where the girls were getting all done up. The weather was overcast which was a bit disappointing as it made it difficult to see any of the mountains which the area is so well known for. Britteny was really calm and even got a bit of a hair cut in there!}

{Being that the wedding was just after Christmas, there was a lot of wintery/Christmas type decor. Their favours were red ornaments to go with the theme!}

{The guys got ready at the Drumkeeran House and then the girls arrived and got ready in another location at the house. They had walkie talkies to avoid running into each other:)}

{Can you see the dress hanging in the middle top window? This is the Drumkeeran House. It's actually another 10 minutes past the city of Pemberton. The ceremony took place in the main room where guests could get a great view of the beautiful scenery around them.}

{Gary got a few shots from outside looking in...I was a bit afraid to go on my own after the caretaker mentioned a family of bobcats had been known to be walking around in that area!}
{The majority of the portrait sessions were actually taken before the ceremony so below you see them seeing each other for the first time.}

{We took some shots around the house....}

{And then braved the outdoors. It was misty and raining a bit but everyone was in great spirits.}

{I love the wintery feel of their boutonniere's. We found a shed and the boys made use of the props there:)}

{I really like these next photos....}

{And then back in the house to warm up for a bit!}

{And then, it was reception time. I have to say that the food was absolutely amazing. It was catered by Riverside Cafe, a local Whistler business.}

{They had an ice cream station set up which was the perfect idea for Curtis and Britteny to have some one on one time with each guest. They served each guest and also each other.}

{There was some singing, speeches, a skit and slideshow, and then it was time to do some dancing.}

{As I said, they had photos with every person at the wedding. The picture above is one of their shot with their med school friends. Good job, everyone, for braving the cold outdoor air!}

{Congratulations Curtis and Britteny. We had a great time in Pemberton and it was fun to do something different! We wish you all the best with your studies and in your journey together!}