Sleep, rest and stretch...

...that's how it's done! :)
My sweet 14 days old niece, Magdalene. A little doll!

Jumping in rain puddles - Ladybug in rain boots

We went rain puddle jumping this weekend, since the weather wasn't great for berry picking (which is what she was hoping for). She had a blast! See more images here.

Wonders

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."
~Angela Schwindt

Chasing waves - Cannon Beach, Oregon

We spent part of the day at the beach this past Saturday - she had a blast! I literally couldn't get her to sit still or interested in the camera not even for a half a minute :))

Her favorite thing was to run and meet the waves and then run away - eventually she would sit around for just enough time to make a few big splashes and then run. ...and then we got to take turns with her at chasing waves and being chased by them :)

A few places you might consider checking out if you happen to be there... Cannon Beach has the best pizza (there is no better pizza than Pizza-a-Fetta as far as I - and many others - are concerned ;) There is no better salt water taffy than the peanut butter salt water taffy from Bruce's Candy Kitchen (Audrey will tell you that - it's her favorite flavor).
If you want to eat the most tasty, fresh and really the best fish and chips in Cannon Beach, you should definitely stop by Ecola Seafoods Restaurant and Market for lunch or dinner. You will not be sorry!

Best Buddies ...and why photographing children feels so rewarding to me

Cousins and best buddies - I think this describes well and would be a fair sum up their relationship.
When I say best buddies, think of all that comes with being really close to another toddler's heart - love, hugs, being excited to see each other and to play together, to kiss each other's bubus and than fight over toys :)

I've been wanting to take pictures of the two of them together for a while now. With the beautiful weather and gorgeous sunshine in Portland, the evening seemed perfect. So on a whim we got together on a beautiful field of daisies and lupus.
However, when you are a toddler who didn't get her nap, and it is already past your bed time (8 pm) you don't care how excited your parents are to have pictures of you taken, or how pretty the field and the light are, and the least of your worries is which direction you should be facing. The thing you want most is to be held. And go home :)

I was very disappointed that I didn't even get a chance to really get them in the field. They had their own agenda and I just had to play along. But as always, I came home to find some true gems in the batch of images. Moments of them being who they are, with the smiles, the laughter and the tears, glimpses of their care free childhood that flies by, oh so fast.

It is these moments that I capture that make my heart burst with contentment - the pure and naive moments and joy and sadness and everything in between in a child's life. Memories that last a life time and are worth the world when they grow up and fly out of the nest to find and make their own way in life.