My Families Second Family...

Growing up this was our second family...

The mom, Catherine was the person to introduce my parents into taking in foster kids. I literally would not be where I am today, adopted into the most wonderful family I could have possibly have hoped for if it were not for her. She also was a key factor in the role soccer has had in my life. She When I was 6 she snook me onto my first U-8 travel soccer team. (Which of course just happened to be hers) (: She later housed our european soccer trainer who no doubt got my mind thinking about college ball. 

Most of all Catherine is known as "Momma Deam" for a reason. You can be a stranger to her but you won't be one for long. 

The eldest daughter took my favorite baby photo during one of the times I was staying with their family and now I'm a photographer....

Her sister Erica was my sister's closest friend growing up and really she was like another big sister to me. She took me to the zoo, the movies, got me birthday presents and would walk through our front door calling for "mom" holding a batch of cookies. 

We owe much to this family. This vibrant, life-changing, generous family. 

Today...We had a party to celebrate the living legend that is:

"Momma Deam." 

It was an honor to be a part of it.

Little Emma's Here!

Just weeks ago I was taking pictures of the cute little belly that was holding this sweet-pea.  How adorable is she!? Newborns typically don't have much expression but Emma had me crackin' up all day she already has so much personality. Look at this little smirk!?

 Does she not look like she's just having the grandest dream? 

What a cutie!!

Season 6...

You ever have those moments where someone asks you how old you are and you say the wrong age? Not even on purpose, you genuinely forgot the number? Well...That's me. Except it's not how old I am, rather, how many years I've been doing this. Melissa Marie Photography is starting it's 6th season. That's just crazy. Seems like yesterday I was panicking whether I could pull off starting a business. I am so grateful to be where I am in life and to work the way that I do. So first off...Thanks for hanging in there and traveling this journey with me!

The thing that keeps my business thriving for this long are referrals...Telling friends and family that you know of a photographer that'd be a great fit for them is everything. Potentially, no one does that more than today's couple and my dear friends Josh & Danielle. I should probably just hand them my pay check already. (:

I say that jokingly but for real, before our shoot I was filled with gratefulness for last year's progress and was especially thankful for Josh & Danielle's role in it. So here I am sitting with the warm & fuzzies when they get out of the car holding a gift. A gift for me. Are you kidding? This is so backwards! It was one of those gifts that you knew someone was listening and picking up on something that no doubt you would love. And I did...I LOVED it! To me, presents are tangible ways for someone to say: "I've thought of you, and I care enough to go above and beyond to to express it by taking the time to get this for you." I felt so loved. Thank you guys...Thank you for our awesome engagement shoot...Thank you for picking the one day out of every freezing (literally) one that it was miraculously 85 degrees out...Thank you for passing my name out to so many friends & co-workers last year...Thank you for my present (I love it)...Thank you for being my friends.

It's A Close Call...

This by far was the closest I've shot to some one's due date...Lets just say Kim was "due" 4 days ago and considering I haven't gotten an e-mail back from them I'm hoping it's because little Emma has arrived! (: 

I tell ya there's something in the water because I've been shooting preggo pics like none other lately. But what makes me excited well I should say one of the reasons I'm excited about this is that hopefully means I'll soon have a line-up of newborn pics!  And after joining in on the anticipation with the parents to be it makes taking a little one's first images all the more precious for me. 

Here's to hoping my camera and Emma get to meet soon. (: 

What A Gift...

I love shooting preggo pics when someone is expecting their first child. Maybe they're just playing it cool but I feel like often times I get even more excited then they are! I'm sure that can't actually be true but if I have butterflies with anticipation I can't imagine how they're feeling! Perhaps it's because more of my own friends are attempting to have children and for some haven't yet been able to that I have this sense of gratefulness for the new parents to be. What a gift. And in today's case we mean that literally.  This little bundle of joy will join the world soon. (:

Who Ordered The Wind Machine?

First let me just say I love these two! Jeff & Lindsey are as laid back and fun as I could ever ask for. Being those two adjectives in weather like we had the day of this shoot is just amazing!

Really...We should have had a video of this day's weather; it was just awful! Horizontal blizzardy sleet with a wicked wind to boot. People have no idea what some of these couples go through to get these pictures. In the end, I know I'll be able to get some shots that don't show the chaos that mother nature is enforcing on us but in all honesty... I don't know how people who aren't used to doing this everyday like I am are able to do it. Or at least how they're able to do it with such a positive attitude and trust that I'm not completely crazy. (: 

I am so grateful for the couples I work with!! Winter Tundra and all, I'll gladly shoot with you any day!

Custom...

So there comes a rare pocket of time where the shoots slow down a bit and I try to fit in everything that I'm typically not as able to get to during the rest of the year. 

The past couple of weeks I've been cooking, (Doubling the recipe & freezing it so when wedding season kicks back in we can have something other than canned soup on the dinner table) reading, (My favorite right now is "Pleasures Evermore" by Sam Storms, and ultimately bringing the creative visions I have on endless amounts of sticky notes to life. Last year you may remember I made Baby Boards, where I can in essence bring a studio to your home. Which was pretty epic. And now this year: With some help of other creative geniuses like my dear friend Karen I've decided to go custom. After what can easily be considered an excessive amount of time sketching, creating, re-creating, editing, proofing, crafting, and printing,  I'm finally launching my new custom bridal packets & packaging and I'm pretty stoked about it!