Thankful.

I have sat here writing and erasing many times over. I had a paragraph written on what the last year has meant for all of us. What the holiday season means to us. The missing of my father who is not here for his favorite time of year...
But truly. When I think of all of the blessings that are in my life, the only word I can come up with is Thankful.
It is not about the food, the decorations, the gifts. It's about being together as family with the people who love us unconditionally despite our shortcomings. It's about celebrating life because it's fragile and we do not know when our last day will be. It's about giving thanks for all of the wonderful blessings we continue to receive...
So while there may be a void in my world where my father is supposed to be, there is also so much joy in the little things that make up my every day.
And as you can see one of those joys is this amazing little boy who is a constant light in our lives. For him I am deeply and truly Thankful.

Wishing you and your families a happy and blessed Thanksgiving...

Much Love,
Krysta

Almost nap time...

Could he be any cuter? More from Brodie's at home session last week. These shots were taken minutes before he was going down for his afternoon nap. ...and look how happy he is. :)

Pure joy that baby boy is!

Happy Weekend!

Krysta

New Beginnings: The Brandt/Strode Family

Love Emma's foot. Seriously, I have a "feet" obsession.

Pretty much how the whole day went! :)

Kelsey:

Emma:

Michael:



Love this: I'm shooting Erin and Roger and who do I see peeking through? :)


Those two words together - New Beginnings. They carry so much meaning.
As we sat around the dinner table two years ago for my 27th birthday, Erin told us she had met someone and that he would be joining us later on. In walked Roger. He sat down and started conversing with all of us as if he had known us for years. Now, I'm just going to put it out there. Our dinner group is crazy. Every single one of us. The fact that Roger came and STAYED, is a miracle. ...and he came back! Something changed about Erin too. She was like a giddy school girl when he was around.
Time passed and he became a constant in Erin's life. They both spoke often about his three children. I had never met them until the day of the photo shoot. And guess what? They are just as amazing as Roger and Erin had described them to be. Michael is the classic comedian, Emma is the quiet (but feisty) observer, and Kelsey is so incredibly full of life. I loved being around this family...their energy was contagious. We spent the afternoon laughing and truth be told I would've loved to have just sat in a coffee shop with them to chat the day away. I'm not gonna lie, we were all Facebook friends minutes after the shoot wrapped. C'mon...you know you're "in" when you're a Facebook friend. :)
The one thing that got me is how much love there is between all of them. I know firsthand that love is thicker than blood and they are a true testament that family is what you make of it. Not only was Erin blessed with Roger. She was blessed with three beautiful, amazing children.
Here's to New Beginnings...

Much Love,
Krysta

Looky looky...

...who I got to spend the day with yesterday! Mr. Brodie who just turned one, Bella the bulldog, and my bestie Leah. We had such a beautiful day and this is just a teeny tiny peek of his one year session. More to come...

Next up: A really cute family with three amazing children...

Much Love,
Krysta

Fall picnic.

Well, sadly Mr. Michael has been feeling a bit under the weather all week. He was still pretty lethargic today. He even asked if he could go in his room and rest for awhile. SO, we've had a pretty low-key weekend here. However, it was 70 degrees out today and the sun was out in full force. We managed to get out for a lazy afternoon picnic at the beach. I was excited to just bask in the sun knowing full well in only a few short weeks we will be welcoming snow to the ground. Michael was just excited to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It is the smallest of things that make that boy happy. And HE makes me so very happy...


Mikey's messy face! :)

He wanted his chips photographed too...very important apparently.

He then tackled Daddy and stole his aviators. When Brady tried to lift his head to see how they looked on Mikey he said, "Daddy, put your head down. You're in my PICTURE!" We have a diva on our hands people! :)

I do not know. But cute nonetheless.

We went for a little walk on the beach. For some reason, this shot is my favorite. I love how sweet he looks.

The last shot on my camera. Hiding behind Daddy so I wouldn't find him.


What can I say? The child continuously melts me. As we were getting ready to go today, I was putting a headband in my hair. Michael waltzes into our room and says, "Woooowww...you look pretty (pause), but I always think you look pretty." He is going to be five in three weeks, but he's got a heart as big as his daddy's. I thank God for my boys every...single...day...

Jeromey and Leann

I love that her little niece, Julia, was the one who helped her put her shoes on. :)

Jeromey waiting to see Leann for the first time...

...and seeing his beautiful bride...

...first time as husband and wife. I love taking this shot because they always look SO happy!











First dance...



...and the photo booth which I love!

...and before I left I couldn't resist taking a picture of the three little flower girls with their three coordinating American Girl dolls. They were so proud of them and carried them everywhere they went that day. Adorable.


Well, I might need to think about doing a part two to this one. I haven't even gotten around to the group shots, but wanted Leann to have a sneak peek. I know she is patiently waiting like a good girl, but who am I to keep the girl waiting! :)
Can you believe Jeromey and Leann grew up 4 miles apart from one another and never met? They both ended up moving to California, meeting, falling in love, and theeeeennnn moving back to Minnesota. It's such a beautiful story to hear and validates the notion that I truly believe some people are just meant to be together...

You can see more of them here and here.

Sigh. So much beauty in two amazing people.

Much Love to you Jeromey and Leann,
Krysta

Mini Sessions Are Here!

Well, many of you have been asking so I listened. I am offering Mini Sessions for a short time during the holiday season. If you are interested, please e-mail me right away as I am only taking a limited number of bookings and my Wisconsin bookings are filling up fast.
For those of you in Minnesota, I will be in the Minneapolis area from November 25th - December 2nd and am opening up 3 - 4 bookings for you as well!
If you have any questions regarding the Mini Sessions, please e-mail me and I will be more than happy to answer!

Much Love,
Krysta