Start of Summer = Strawberries! | Alexandria, VA Child Photographer

For the past couple years, we've kicked off the summer with not only trips to the pool, but also trips to a local farm to pick strawberries. One of the closest ones to our home is Shlagel Farms in Waldorf, MD. It's a lovely little farm that is celebrating their 100th year of farming. They have very easily accessible pick-your-own strawberry fields, a greenhouse full of blooming flowers, a chicken coop, a few goats, and a small playground and sandpit for children to enjoy. Pure simple fun.

Saturday was definitely not an optimal day to go strawberry picking. There had been heavy thunderstorms the night before which created big mud puddles throughout the fields. And traffic was expected to be horrendous across the bridge due to closure on the Beltway for roadwork. But the strawberry season is short and we definitely did not want to miss our window of opportunity, especially on a day with gorgeous weather.

So we loaded the kids into the car with appropriate footwear and lots of snacks for the car ride and headed to the farm. We had a fantastic time and came home with 13.5 POUNDS of berries!!! We have given some away to neighbors and friends, made strawberry shortcake, pureed and frozen some into popsicles, made smoothies, and have been snacking on them nonstop. And we still have a ton left! I think we'll have to freeze the rest before I turn into a strawberry myself!

     

     

Happy Birthday & Happy Mother's Day! | Alexandria, VA Child and Family Photographer

Last weekend was a big one for the 'C' Family, as they celebrated their little girl's 5th birthday as well as Mother's Day. Grandparents came into town for the big birthday festivities, so the mom thought it was the perfect opportunity for a photo session. It probably wasn't exactly what the birthday girl would have chosen to do on her big day, but what better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to capture three generations of lovely ladies all together! 

I met Little Miss 'M' when she was a baby and have watched her over the years blossom into an athletic, caring, and beautiful little girl. She swings on monkey bars like no one else I know, takes Taekwondo and ballet, and LOVES LOVES LOVES her little brother. Every time I see the two of them, I get envious of their gentle and caring relationship. If only my kids had a smidgen of affection towards each other like these two have... There is such a genuine bond between them - they even pout and grump together! So sweet!!!

I always enjoy my time with the 'C' Family. But an extra thanks to them for sharing such special holiday time with me and allowing me to capture their extended family during such a momentous occasion.

Happy Birthday and Happy Mother's Day!

Here's a sneak peak from our session:

The beautiful and lovely birthday girl!

Three generations of such lovely ladies, with the same glowing smile!

Three under Five | Alexandria, VA Child and Family Photographer

The 'D' Family was the first of our neighborhood playgroup friends to have three kids. Right now, all three are under the age of 5 and are all running off in different directions. The are all super sweet, but definitely keep their parents on their toes!

With everyone's busy schedules, I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the family much recently. So I was thrilled to run into the mom at the local park the other week. She mentioned that her eldest son has his first loose tooth and that she thought that this would be a great time to get new portraits of the kids before dealing with years and years of missing teeth. And that the baby girl, as the third child, just doesn't have the same portraits as her older brothers. I was more than happy to oblige to capture such a precious time in their lives. Gosh, 3 kids under 5 -- that still blows my mind!

We met on a lovely afternoon and the kids had a wonderfully fun time, running all over the gardens, free to be themselves. The eldest showed off his tree-climbing and modeling skills, the middle child played a little peek-a-boo with me and was a fearless jumper, and the little one was a rather skeptical of the whole experience, but warmed up with some playful interactions with mom and dad. The boys were so gentle and affectionate with each other and with their parents. So many kisses all around!

Thank you again to the 'D' Family for the opportunity to photograph your beautiful family. I love how my work allows me the excuse to spend time with friends that I don't otherwise get to see much!

 

Here is a sneak peak from our session:

     

So darling, trying to wear her mom's bracelet as a necklace. 

      

Joyeux Anniversaire to Adorable Baby A | Washington, DC Baby and Family Photographer

I went to see Baby A just hours before the arrival of her extended family, who were coming into town to celebrate her first birthday. The party theme was going to be Pretty in Pink in Paris, complete with little Eiffel Tower party favors - too cute! As always, she was a fabulous little model during her session with me, which hopefully primed her for the overwhelming attention she was going to get during her long weekend of family and festivities.

I have truly enjoyed capturing her development and sweet smiles several times during her first year. What a pleasure and privilege! I can only wonder what she'll be up to the next time I see her.

Here is a sneak peak from our session:

Starting off the New Year with New Wheels

My son had been eyeing a lime green bike on display at REI for almost a whole year, but was adamantly against helmets. We tried all sorts of persuasion, as we knew that he would enjoy having his very first bike. But safety first: no helmet, no bike.

But then on a recent visit to the store, my daughter climbed right on a cute purple bike on display and insisted that we buy it for her, complete with a pink princess helmet. Not to be outdone by his little sister, my son was quietly willing to consider helmets. We hadn't planned on buying bikes on a random day in the middle of the winter, but we jumped at the opening, before either of them changed their minds.

Sure enough, my daughter rode her bike only a couple times before deciding she wasn't interested anymore. But buying it was totally worth it. As we had expected, my son LOVES his new bike, is fearless, and wants to ride everywhere. And this winter weather has been so mild that we've had many opportunities to go out for a spin. His huge, beaming smile and hearty laugh totally warms my heart. I absolutely love these childhood milestones, full of pure joy and excitement about newfound independence. Thank goodness for having my camera on hand so that I can remember these moments and emotions forever!