Baby On Board!

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.
(1 Thessalonians 3:12)
Soon, this family will have another little one to love! We had a beautiful day for catching their smiles as they eagerly anticipate the arrival of Baby 3. Big brother and big sister were happy to play and get cozy together for the camera. I am so thankful for the opportunity to capture a few moments with these dear friends!
The photo of the feet was my idea--I think that jumble of toes is so precious. I hope to photograph some teensy tiny toes with this family a few weeks from now...

The Close of a Chapter

Today, a retirement party was held at Ewing Manor in honor of Dr. Deborah Gentry, who is retiring from ISU. She's also my mom and Nana to my girls. Here are some photos from the event...
Of course, I have to work in a few photos of my kids. They had fun exploring the grounds and twirling around in their sundresses...

Mom and colleagues...

Mom and Dad...You know what they say, "Behind every good woman is a wonderful man." That's what they say, right? Well, anyway. They lift each other up and neither would be where they are without the other.

More Michigan...

On Wednesday of our vacation, we visited a local ranch and Danielle got a riding lesson! Her instructor's name was Morgan and the horse was Lacy. With wide-eyes, Danielle learned about a horse's hooves, brushing and grooming, and how to properly put on a saddle and bridle. She learned how to lead Lacy and then got to ride. She learned how to "click, click" to get Lacy to walk and to say, "Whoa" to get Lacy to stop. The girl was in heaven up there in that saddle! Every time Lacy would whinny or neigh, Danielle would laugh and laugh...






We spent another day at the beach, too. It started out cool, but quickly warmed up. The lake was still freeeeezing, though, so the farthest we went in was our knees. Elisabeth got to feel her toes in the sand for the first time ever. When the water would come up around her feet and the sand beneath her sank, she would get so thrilled. The girls shared some quiet, close sisterly moments on the shore...

Time Together

Hello, from Northern Michigan! We're on our first vacation as a family of four. So far, the trip has been great. BTW, Dena, the driving plan worked!

Our first stop was at Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, MI.... We had close-up encounters with giraffes and saw lots of other animals.

Our final destination: Boyne Mountain and Petoskey, MI. Here are some photos from the beach at Petoskey State Park. The water was freezing, so we didn't swim, but we made a sandcastle and collected shells and petoskey stones.

Here is the condo where we are staying. We're upstairs. Very comfy. We're the only ones in this building with small kids, though. Not sure the other vacationers appreciate our 7 am wake time each morning.

We spent time yesterday on some hiking trails. Elisabeth went in the backpack carrier on Mark's back. Danielle and I hiked. We weren't sure Elli would like the carrier at first--she put up quite a fit. But, she settled in and got so relaxed that she fell asleep in there!

We hiked up a local trail and had a nice view of Lake Charlevoix, an inlet to Lake Michigan.