WOW…what a awesome shoot I had with the incredible Wernke Family!!! I fell in love with them about 5 minutes into shooting because they were JUST that great!! Right when we went to start our shoot, it started to POUR. So, we waited it out….and waited it out. Finally, a break came in the rain and the Wernke’s literally jumped out of the car, went into position to shoot and instantly were naturals in front of the camera being soo fun and playful with the boys, everyone was ear to ear smiles and it was GREAT! I told them that it wasn’t my normal routine to barely introduce myself prior to jumping into shooting but in that case, we didn’t know how much time we were going to get! They were incredible in front of the camera…despite the fact that the rain left the air SOO thick and HOT that you could cut it with a knife!! I am soo learning the art of being able to go with the flow as a parent…even when it’s hot, everyone is sweating, having kids jump all over you, getting your clothes dirty, their clothes dirty, getting wet, having your patience tested, etc….and I have almost never seen parents handle all of that while staying in such a great mood, not getting frustrated, staying fun and just going with the flow as the Wernke’s! Mary was even totally prepared with treats for good behavior at the end of our shoot! You will see those at the end of this post! GREAT idea, Mary! Wernke’s…you are SERIOUSLY awesome!! Thanks for being soo flexible, rolling with the rain, heat, humidity and being SOO terrific for our shoot!! Can’t wait until next time!!

The reward for good behavior….I think they like it!

I just had to throw these in here because Mary asked if we could fit in a few natural, yet professional headshots for her. She is a Realtor. This is just to show…you can have great, unique headshots that involve your own style and personality….that don’t require a business suit and a gray background! I told her that I would buy a house from her any day with cute headshots like these!!

It was another awesome shoot with this fantastic family!! I love getting to see them every 4th of July weekend and spending the day on their incredible family compound!! It’s such a special place with soo many wonderful aspects! Not only does it have great meaning to this family, but it’s like a giant playground for kids and adults, complete with horses and donkeys, ponds, a pool, an amazing tree house, barns and toys of all kinds!! This family is just soo wonderful, kind and soo fun. I truly enjoy spending time with them and feel like it’s a tradition to spend time over the 4th with them, photographing them as their family grows! (literally, the kids get a foot taller every time I see them!) Grossman’s, Bostic & Fox families…I just adore you guys!! Thank you soo kindly for welcoming me into your family for the day and being soo wonderful to work with! Thank you also for enduring the crazy heat and humidity!! One day I’m just going to stay after the shoot and join the family and the fun…

The donkeys are a new addition to the family! So, of course we have to include them in the family photos! Who knew that donkeys were SOO photogenic??

Can you believe this treehouse?? It’s super cool!! We always have to spend a little time playing there….because it’s also super photogenic! As are all of these incredibly cute faces!

And it’s tradition to end our shoot with some pooltime!! And after sweating it out for hours for pictures…these kiddos deserve it!!