Happy Birthday | Little Jack and Sami

One year ago today, my sister Jantina gave birth to `Little Jack' as we call him.   We call him Little Jack not because of his size (you should see how much this kid can eat!!) but because my dad is the original Jack:)    His big sister, Sami,  had her 3rd birthday just a couple of weeks ago as well.  We met up at Mill Lake to get just a couple of photos of the birthday kiddos.  Poor LJ had fallen asleep on the way there and wanted to be napping but look at him...pretty chill kid!   Happy birthday to my super cutie niece and nephew!!

Tammy & Christopher | Fort Langley Wedding Photos

Tammy and Christopher had a lovely wedding day surrounded by a lot of family and some beautiful sunshine. We were just with them for a shortened portion of the day but still got to take part in most of the major festivities:)

I've actually known Tammy since she was really little as we attended the same church and she was in my younger sister's class. We didn't know each other well but it's always fun to have that connection. Tammy and Chris' adorable daughter, Sam, was a big part of the day and it was so fun for her to get all dressed up with her hair and make up done too! Enjoy.

I started out at the salon with the women as they were getting ready...

{Then, the bridal party went to South Abbotsford Church to continue getting ready. If I could do my wedding over again, I would definitely have a pair of shoes like brides these days. Somehow my white strappy sandals aren't all that exciting:)}

{The guys tried to take care of some last minute sewing as a button popped off of a suit. A little white thread and all was well...}

{Above you can see Tammy reading a card that Chris wrote for her. Love that touch! And seriously, how beautiful is Tammy below?}

{Some of my favourite pictures from the day come from receiving lines. Sounds strange, but usually the wedding party and families are so celebratory and smiles are in abundance.}

{We then went to Mill Lake for family photos and the pink blossoms were everywhere. I don't usually include family photos but here are some formal portraits.}

{After a quick stop at Tim Hortons, while it rained just a bit, we went to Fort Langley where the sun was out in full force!}

{We crossed over to Brae Island for a bit more greenery and I'm glad we did as the purplish pink blossoms at the end were my favourite!}

{Don't you love those blossoms?!}

{Gary stopped in mid reception for a few photos of the dancing and fun was had by all!}

Congratulations Tammy and Chris! I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon and all the best to you two, and your beautiful daughter Sam, as you continue on as husband and wife!

Sami | Family Photos

Sami (Samantha) is my super adorable niece. She is 5 months old and such as sweetie. She rarely cries, actually, I've only heard it once. She is definitely daddy's little girl. When I look at her, I see her daddy. When she smiles, I see her mommy. Jantina, my sister, is the third girl (out of five) in our family and she was our monkey. I can see Sami being a little trouble maker too. I love having this bundle of cuteness in my life and look forward to being able to capture pictures of her over the years to come.

{Jan, good thing everyone is looking at your cute daughter instead of your lovely nail polish job!}

{Sami has inherited the lovely bald gene that exists in our family so Jantina is forever covering her head in various hats and headbands. Enjoy the outfit changes:)}

The picture below and to the right deserves some sort of caption but I just don't feel witty enough. Something like `Can you believe the size of the flower on my head?'. Just bugging you Jan:))

{Sami can't quite sit up yet so you can see Jan holding on. I love the angle of this shot.}

I hope you like the pictures! I think you guys are adorable. Thanks for the salmon, Doug! That's what happens when you're family, you switch photos for salmon:)

Jantina's Maternity Pictures; Part II

About 7 weeks ago, I took some maternity pictures of my sister Jantina. We decided to go for a walk at Mill Lake in Abbotsford and I took my camera along. Jan lives in Mission so it was the perfect in between meeting place. We met early in the morning and enjoyed a leisurely walk around the lake while taking just a few pictures. I'm so excited that the next pictures I take of her will have her little baby in her arms! Not much longer, Janny Bear!

As a side note, if you are having a maternity photo session, it is usually best if you have several different outfits and if possible, have a friend, partner, or kid with you. It just mixes up the photos a bit:) Doug had already gone to the first one, and wasn't interested in a girly chat around the lake, so that's why he wasn't along. Often men are not interested or comfortable going into photo shoots, this is totally normal. If they wanted, for a maternity shoot, I could just photograph their hands and arms around the belly so it's super easy to do. Also, almost every man has said `Oh, that was actually fun!' afterwards. It's a lot more about capturing natural connections between you rather than forcing uncomfortable poses. Regardless, I would recommend getting some belly shots, whether they are your own, by a friend, or by me. It's a beautiful way to celebrate the life inside of you and it's a great way to remember how wonderfully pregnant you were.

Pam, Nolan and Lyra

I've always wanted to do a shoot at Mill Lake so when Pam suggested it, I was excited. It was a bit of an early morning but well worth it because we didn't have to deal with bright sunlight. We just walked around the lake and stopped where Lyra wanted to and took a bunch of photos. Lyra turned one last month, loves puppies and ducks, and has the most amazing blue eyes.