Sutton and Some Tulips

Sutton got a little toy camera from the Farneys when I took some photos for them a couple weeks ago. He's been telling me that he is going to come to work with me someday to take photos too.

We had the perfect opportunity on Monday. I had a shoot scheduled with some friends of mine out at the Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine. Have you been there?

A-mazing. Breathtaking. Beautiful. You should go.

We took a picnic since we were going to be there right around dinner time, so we ate our sandwiches first. Then it was time for pictures. I got Jen, Ruse, and Bennett right where I wanted them and crouched down to take their photos. This was the view to my left:

He pretty much copied my movements and everything I was saying. It was the cutest thing ever. Got some smiles out of my subjects too! He quickly tired of being a photographer and went through a short phase of wanting to be IN their family photos. Uh...doesn't really work that way, kiddo. I took his photo a couple times just to appease him.

We finished up their shoot and Bennett was needing some dinner, so they left. Sutton and I hung around for awhile. Part of the reason I'd brought him was to get him out of his daddy's hair while he worked on finishing up his thesis (he's SO CLOSE to being done!). But part of the reason was so I could take some photos of my boy in this gorgeous place.

He didn't really cooperate. After I took the following photos on these steps, he didn't want any more pictures.

I still snuck some in. :)

This is the whiny, I'm-about-to-have-a-meltdown face.

So instead I snapped some photos of the bright tulips that were in full bloom.

I think this one is my fave:

I've shot a couple weddings out here, and there is literally endless possibility at this place. Everywhere you turn is another neat detail.

Just exploring.



The swing under this gazebo was a lifesaver. We got smiles out of Bennett and Sutton here. :)

Such a fun evening with my sweet boy. We will definitely have to take Daddy back there with us another time. BIG THANKS to Jen and Ruse for being totally cool with my bringing my kid along on our shoot. Not something I would normally do, but everything worked out pretty great!

April Insta 2

For a Throwback Thursday, I posted this photo of Sutton around his first birthday. I have it as the wallpaper on my phone right now, and every time Sutton sees it, he asks me why he doesn't have a shirt on.

He likes to make "pizza" during his baths out of his foam bath letters and then "eat" them.

We had a cousin playdate a couple weeks ago, and everyone stayed in their jammies. Breegan let Sutton into her little safe place, which is a huge deal. They're such cute little buddies who kind of have a love/dislike (not "hate"...) relationship. :)

They all had mac n cheese on the deck for lunch.

We went with Scott to the Renaissance Festival a couple weeks ago and Sutton got to meet Mother Nature.

Just hanging out with my bruised up boy.

Sutton talked Daddy into buying him this sweet little motorized Lightning McQueen 4-wheeler. He just has to press a button and it drives. We took it all the way around the block one day. At 2mph.

Uncontrollable, delirious laughter one day before nap time.

Adam decided to braid my hair one night while I was working. Not bad for a boy.

I had a photography workshop out in my studio last week Wednesday. It was a great day and I met some great gals!

This is them. :)

I bought a new necklace that I love.

Sutton loves it too.



The boy and the daddy counted cars out the window while we waited for our food at Riverside Cafe one evening.

For another Throwback Thursday, I posted this. One of my favorite photos from the week after Sutton was born.

We had a visitor on our roof for a couple days last week. We thought maybe she liked this view cause she'd made a nest nearby, but I haven't seen her since the morning I took this.

Playing with cars...quite a common occurrence around here.

I drew an airplane on this paper, so he had to stand up on something to "fly" it.

We took Sutton to his first movie at the theater last Friday. We went to the Palace, which is a theater that shows movies that are a bit older and it's a lot cheaper. That way, we had less at stake in case we needed to leave. We got food and drinks and ate dinner in our seats. We saw Wreck It Ralph, which he'd already seen. Not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but we only lasted about 20 minutes before he kept kicking the seat in front of us and saying he wanted to leave. :)

Adam drank this at 11:30pm one night. Poor guy. His Master's graduation is May 18th. Can't come soon enough!!

My new second shooter Jen and I before photographing our first wedding together last Saturday.

We had to take our turn in the photo booth. Jen was messing with her crazy glasses on that last photo, but it made us crack up cause it looks like she's checking me out. :)



Sunday afternoon, we took Sutton to a carnival at a church that some of Adam's students attend. He had lots of fun in the bounce house, but it was hot that day and he got all sweaty.

One morning, Sutton was otherwise engaged, and I was cleaning the house. It was nice out, so I left the back door open, and Diesel just snoozed on the steps out in the sun room for like an hour.

Sweet little guy has been plagued by allergies or something this month, so during his bath one night, I doped him up on allergy meds (giving medicine to a 2-year-old can be quite messy, so bath time is an ideal time to give it to him) and let him chill in my bed and watch a movie while the medicine kicked in before I put him to bed.

Aunt Jessica took Sutton for the morning so I could get some work done Monday (thank you!) and this was our text conversation.

I taught another photography workshop Monday to these lovely ladies.

The family who modeled for my workshop Monday gave me this camera for Sutton. It was so sweet of them! And he loves it. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and Sutton insisted on bringing this camera along so he could take pictures of the doctor. And he did. About 100 of them. Haha.

A couple days ago, it was beautiful so we spent the morning outside flying a kite, blowing bubbles, and doing sidewalk chalk on the porch. And then we had our very first day in Sutton's entire life where he didn't nap. I don't understand this child.

Tuesday evening, I had a photo shoot and when I came home, my boys were watching a movie like this. It's a good thing I married a cute boy so I could have cute babies who are the same as him.