I have officially kicked off my busy season in style!! Saturday started with a gorgeous Momma to be, her husband and their adorable little girl. It was so wonderful - Everyone was having fun, playing together and enjoying one of our first warm sunny days here in Swift Current. Baby is due to make an arrival in June, so you'll see more in a few weeks!

Sunday brought me the cutest couple - they are sweet, fun, and quick to try any crazy location. Ricki is graduating this year, and we are lucky enough to have time for a casual session before the big day (and gorgeous dress!). She brought her escort Taylor with her, and we wandered downtown looking for brick and concrete, , and wrapped up in the trees and old barn boards of Doc's Town. It was the perfect Sunday evening! Grad is just two short weeks away, and I can't wait to see that dress!!

Before I go, I want to let everyone know that I will be at the Women's Tradeshow on May 11th at the Palliser Pavillion. The Tradeshow features products and services directed toward women, and is a great place to shop for Mom!! I'll be there with a draw for a free session, two draws for gift baskets from Babble Maternity Baby Kids, so don't forget to stop by and say hello!

The Banadyga family is made up of Danielle, Zane, Tazmyn, and baby B (arrival this June), and your first impression of their sweet little family is spot on - honest, genuine and crazy about each other. They make you feel like you've been friends forever, and I'm always a little sad when the coffee's gone and it's time to go home.

Danielle is creative and always has a Pinterest project on the go - the amazing thing here, is she actually FINISHES them!! Zane's stories make me laugh 'till I cry, and Tazmyn makes you feel like you're a kid again... she is full of enthusiasm and energy, and best of all, LOVES the camera. I asked Danielle what I could share of her story, and the letter she sent was beautiful and perfect, so I am posting it just the way it is!

Due with Baby #2 ...... YIKES! Yes, that's the first thing that crossed both my husbands and I's mind when our doctor announced to us that we would be parents for the second time come June .... complete and utter fear, even though this baby was planned from day 1! Seeing as the "adventure" we had being pregnant and raising our first child, a beautiful daughter, we truly questioned our sanity and what we had done by changing our family dynamics and adding another child into our so called "balanced" life.
 
We welcomed our first princess into our family on May 5th, 2009. With a horrible and very scary pregnancy, delivery and recovery, we both swore up and down that Tazmyn would be our one and only child. She entered this world a feisty and strong little girl (thank god!) weighing in at a whooping 10.5 pounds! She came into this world as a diva, and sometimes as her mother, I wonder if and when it will ever stop ..... she's almost 4! Her spicy attitude towards life is what I think keeps our sanity as she grows up, as you see when Tazmyn was 3 days shy of turning 15 months old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (insulin dependent). Yes ....  our little princess, who had been terribly ill from the day she was born, was diagnosed with a life changing disease in September of 2010. A disease that not only changed her life, but all the people surrounding her as well. To this day, my husband and I often comment on how we as parents would have not survived the trial and errors of raising our first child the first 15 months of her life, if Tazmyn had not been so strong willed and determined right from the get go.
 
As a family, we have had some very huge highs and, unfortunately at times, followed by some very bad lows. Since Tazmyn's diagnosis, we have learnt the valuable lesson of living life to the fullest, not matter the circumstance or situation. So when Tazmyn turned 3, Zane and I started to discuss the slight possibility of having another baby. I think our biggest turning point was knowing that Tazmyn simply couldn't be an only child ..... we knew deep down in our hearts that she would make a wonderful big sister. So after many late night discussions and many tears shed because of fear, we started doing the research of the possibility and the safety of having another baby. You see, after I had Tazmyn, I ended up with an unknown and rare medical condition myself. She was born on May 5th, and a few days later I had ended up in intensive care in very critical condition .... all spiked from being pregnant. The possibility of this happening again, scared me right to the bone. It was after seeing my family doctor and many specialists, that I realized if all was managed well, another baby for our family was possible. I think we asked our family doctor 8 million times the chances of ending up with another diabetic baby as well .... and her response was always the same, "Type 1 Diabetes is something that just happens, it was nothing you two did as parents, everything will be fine." I also believe Tazmyn's positive attitude in life really sparked us to go ahead and expand our family.
 
So in October 2012, our family doctor announced to us that we would be parents again for the second time. Did it take time for the "special news" to truly sink in? You bet! After a couple weeks of feeling overwhelmed with the news,  we finally felt that things were going to be okay and that everything in life happens for a reason ..... even though we had already had the reassurance from our family doctor multiple times that everything was going to be okay. Tazmyn's spice for life and willingness to take on pretty much anything also helps! Seeing her as the JDRF Ambassador for Southwest Saskatchewan this past October, really sealed the deal for us. She stood up at the front an entire crowd (remember she's only 3) and was proud as the master of ceremonies talked about her story. You could just see the sunshine in her face! She cut the official walk ribbon that day, and made the conscious choice herself to share it with a family who had lost a young family member earlier that year due to complications with Type 1 Diabetes. We knew that she would be a great big sister, but also realized that this baby on the way will have such a great role model for years to come. 
 
We feel more than blessed to be adding another addition to our family this June! I think Tazmyn is the most excited out of everyone!

I am lucky enough to have a few great girl friends from High School that I have kept in touch with over the years. Friends that I have laughed with, celebrated with, and can't wait to call whenever something happens, good or bad. Tracy is one of those girls, and this past weekend I had the greatest time with her and her (pretty awesome) fiance Skylar traveling around Medicine Hat in search of fun locations. We laughed so much my stomach still hurts, and you can see how much fun we had in the results! Full of life, adorable and in love - these shots capture everything those two are, and I am so excited for the wedding this summer... I can hardly wait!

For those of you who have worked with me in recent months, you know about my little guy and you know about this growing photography & design business I have been building. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon an opportunity to take my love of both family and photography, and use them to give back to my community. The Gold Hope Project was accepting applications, and after submitting mine, I was all nerves and excitement just hoping I would be approved and selected to join. Today, my welcome email arrived!! I am officially a part of this amazing organization!!

Taken from The Gold Hope Project Mission page:

The Gold Hope Project is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. The Gold Hope Project is a group of International photographers that have come together to photograph families completely free, bring about awareness, raise funds for Pediatric Oncology Research and treatment.

These purposes include:

* Photographing families of children 21 and under, who lost their battles and share their stories.
* Educating communities in which we live about Pediatric Cancer
* Support, Encourage and raise funds for Pediatric Cancer Research
* Resources for families who are facing a recent diagnosis
* Support community of other families who are facing similar Cancer diagnosis
* To photograph any child 21 and under with a current or past cancer diagnosis. They can be at any stages of treatment or be a childhood survivor.

More precious than the gold that represents them, children are our future. This year alone, approximately 13,500 parents will have to listen to a doctor tell them, "Your child has cancer."  Can you imagine?

To apply for your fighter or survivor, see here
To nominate a fighter or survivor, see here
To tell the story of a fighter and apply for a Gold Story Session, see here

Our newborn session guide was such a hit, that I wanted to offer a family session guide as well! This little magazine has everything including what to expect from Jackson Designs, kiddo clothing guide, package information and much more!

This experience is all about you and your family, and knowing what to expect can help keep everyone relaxed and leave room for laughing and enjoying the day! You can find the guide here, and email me with any questions!

The only thing I love more than newborns and kiddos, is a Momma-to-be. There is a healthy, glowing happiness that seems to show through even when they are feeling tired and ready to burst. This Mom was all energy though, and we had tons of fun in the +2 C February weather we were lucky to have this past weekend. Not only were Mom and Dad ready to play and have fun, but big sister Alli was having a great time too! They were such a treat for me after the long winter months in Swift Current.

The most challenging thing about a maternity session is trying to sum up all of your hopes, excitement, dreams and expectations for a new little person, and figure out how to bring those qualities into your session. This Mom and I talked back and forth a few times using Pinterest and in person to come up with a few different ideas, and the results were perfect! Definitely tell your photographer if there are images or poses you love, and WHY you love them, so your photographer can get a better idea of what your style is, and how your family wants to be portrayed (fun, formal, goofy, etc.). Pinterest is the perfect resource, and you can just send along the link to your style boards to get the brainstorming started!

I didn't give it much thought when I set up an email account for my (then) 12 month old son, but someone recently told me it is something I should share with all the new Moms and Dads I get to chat with. So, in a nut shell, I set up an account in my name (You have to be 18 years old for an account of your own) using his nickname, and I email him once or twice a week. Sounds crazy to email a 15 month old, right? Maybe. But when he's old enough, I will give him the password and let him read all of the bits and pieces of our life together from my perspective. The tiny things that don't deserve a full length hand written letter (which I have done as well), but will give him insight into how awesome life with him really is.

I send him emails and pictures of all of those little things we forget as the years go on. The first Christmas movie he watched was How the Grinch Stole Christmas and he sat in his high chair eating and giggled through the whole thing. I wrote to him about the day he first said his name, the way I love how he laughs with his whole body, and  so many other every day things I don't know if I will remember when he has little ones of his own. I write to tell him I love him when we've had a bad day, I write just to tell him how important it is to treat people well and be responsible for his actions, and anything else I can think of that may help him become the kind of man every mother wants her baby boy to be one day. I hope that I can read these stories years down the road myself, but if I'm not here, I know he will have dozens, or hundreds, or thousands (if I am a very lucky woman) of little notes and pictures from his Mom, who loves him unconditionally and is thankful for every little bit of his being.

Some times the delicate nature of our children hits a little harder than usual. My little guy is 15 months old and is a busy little Chase Monster :) He spends his days climbing, exploring, and re-organizing our house, he loves cheese and chasing his kitty cat, and he has never fallen asleep without protest. Honestly. Sleep is a big struggle in our house.

Today Chase was sick, and this evening after his bath, he curled up on his dad's lap and fell asleep. It was so sweet and unexpected that I had to have a few pictures. What I didn't realize before I grabbed the camera, was that he was holding his teddy bear's hand. It hit me like a ton of bricks. This tough little tornado that never sits still is really a tiny little boy who won't stay this size for long. It may not sound like much, but him falling asleep with his Dad is a huge moment for us, and this picture I snapped is the reason I love what I do. The everyday moments that remind us how delicate our babies are, and how fast the time is passing. Every parent deserves these, and I would love to help you document your little ones' growing personality :) Let's set up a time to chat!

Never! Although Swift Current can be in a deep freeze most of the winter, there are still beautiful days scattered throughout. With quick warm ups in the car, hot chocolate and snuggles to keep toasty, a snowy winter session can be fun and beautiful.  {Swift Current Photographer}

So don't wait! Celebrate your family and the time you have together by booking a winter wonderland session today!

A huge thank you to all who came out and had fun at our Hugs & Kisses Valentine booth! I had tons of fun and spent the day with so many cute little people - it was absolutely perfect! I can't wait, so I am giving you a little taste of just how sweet my day really was!  {Swift Current Photographer}