I also love that we can incorporate things beloved by the family, and that we can go inside or out. . .

. . . and change outfits a few times.  And maybe, play peek-a-boo with your big sisters

As this awesome family can attest, an in-home session is a lovely choice!

I have to take a second and give HUGE props to these awesome kids. . . to get the lovely morning light ideal for pictures, we met at the beach just as the sun was starting to come over the horizon.  These kids were nice, polite, funny and really enjoyed each other’s company — a beautiful thing in and of itself, but before 7:00 a.m., well, I was very impressed!

Not only were the human kiddos happy, the furry one was, too!

Before their session ended, we had a chance to incorporate Mom’s idea of the kids wearing Dad’s old hockey jerseys.  I love adding that personal touch to a session

I especially love how they always find a way to incorporate their passion for hockey (Dad, after all, is a former NHL player who spent several years playing for the L.A. Kings).  The Kings surfboard was the perfect addition to a beachy holiday card from an awesome hockey family

And this handsome guy. . . he’s going to make a fantastic big brother!

I last photographed them 3 years ago, and this is the sweet littlest sister. . .

If that seems a bit familiar, when I saw those purple flowers near the bench at our session I immediately thought of one of my all time favorite photographs, which happens to be of the very same subject, photographed in 2011!

While this time, 3 years later, there was still plenty of sweetness, there was also a bit more spunk and confidence.  Certainly the mark of an upcoming 2nd grader!

Moving on to middle sister, who I feel an instant connection with, as a middle child myself

And finally, big sister, who I think has changed the most in the last 3 years, particularly if you only consider added inches. . . she measured up right next to me at 5’4″ and is just a hair away from surpassing her mother!

It was such a gorgeous evening and I was so happy to spend it with these lovely  ladies!

Super sweet sisters on their own, and even better together!

The love was also spread to “girl’s best friend”. . .

I think you can see why they were a “bright spot” for me!

With two big brothers (who really aren’t all that big yet, themselves), I knew I was in for a bit of wild time.  But when this was literally the first image I took, I knew there was also magic in that wild!

Such a handsome trio of boys!

Who also happen to be sweet, kind, funny and loving, too. . .

I think it’s safe to say that this handsome new addition has landed in one pretty amazing family!

The subjects wearing these great colors are pretty fabulous, themselves!

I dare you to peek at this next image and not let out an “awwwwwwww”!

As you can see, they had the smiles and swagger to completely coordinate with their fab outfits!

From little sister to big sister, the smiles were flowing. . .

. . . and a great time was had by all!

Who wouldn’t want to hang out with this cutie, right?!

Three is definitely a magic number!

My sweet model showed me how the Limelight Peasant Top, the Pointillism Big Ruffles pant and the Nancy in Chocolate headband could twirl, run, giggle, and run some more on the sand.

Visit the entire Paint by Numbers Collection to browse the dozens of absolutely divine pieces.  Did you know they also carry a line for grown-ups?  Go check it out!

Before we wrapped the session, we did “the” pose, which was suggested by one of the boys at their very first session with me years ago.  I love that I’ve gotten to capture this awesome crew so many times through the years!

Pigtails get me every time. . . and the set on this little beauty are definitely in the running for best ever!

Lest his little sister steal the show, this handsome guy was quite the ham, too.  It happened to be a very special day, his 4th birthday!  I was delighted that he’d share a few moments of his special day with me and loved hearing about his plans for the dinosaur birthday party on tap later that afternoon.

I’ll finish off with one great shot of the entire family, set in front of one of my favorite Bozeman backdrops. . .

The Bird of Paradise really is paradise for a photographer, a perfect subject for my Fine Art Friday project this month.  The bright colors, glowing in the midday sun, and the beautiful lines just pull me in…

For more beauty and inspiration, please visit Laura Meeks, Albuquerque NM Photographer, who surely has a treat in store for this month!

This is one family that loves to laugh and have a good time together!

And I mentioned how adorable these boys are, right?  Well, it’s worth saying again. . . I just love these smiles!

I mean, seriously, I just can’t stop grinning at these boys!

A beautiful family with 2 handsome little boys. . .

. . . just so much goodness to soak up!

We are an outdoorsy family.  We love to hike and camp and just get outside!  While having kids has slowed our pace down a bit, we still like to get out for a camping trip at least once a summer.  This past summer, however, we just never found the right weekend.  The perk to living in Southern California is that the weather is warm enough (and probably even better!) for camping in the fall.  This trip marked a first for us, however, with the rental of a pop-up camper.  We have been 100% tent campers up until this point.  But a few months back, my husband got an itch to put a hitch on our mini-van, knowing that it would make it look tougher AND that we could pull a camper!  So, we rented a little A-Liner for the weekend and headed to Ventura County.  My boys were in heaven!

It was cloudy where we camped, but we headed north through Ojai into the mountains.  We went over one pass and then the sky was completely clear blue.  We hit a fun trail that crossed a stream numerous times, which was quite the adventure for my little hikers.

As we got back to our car my husband says, “Well, we did it!  We found a place near L.A. that we didn’t see another person for over 2 hours!”

As we drove back toward our campground, you could see the clouds oozing over the mountains.  As we drove back up into it, it was so cool to see the exact line of 2 completely different weather systems colliding!

In my opinion, the downside to camping with a camper or RV is that most of the campgrounds feel more like parking lots than actual camp sites.  The perk of going in October is that the campground was only about 30% full, so we had plenty of space to stretch out and the other trailer pads made a great spot for bike riding and casting practice.

It’s not camping if there’s not a little relaxing, right! 

And my absolute favorite part about camping is the smores!

We woke up on Sunday and drove out of the mountains toward the ocean.  We found a fabulous little park and picnic area at Sycamore Cove in Ventura for our picnic lunch.

We had time for a little more casting. . .

Running our toes through the water. . .

Playing in the sand. . .

And we even had a little visitor, right off the beach. . . a sea lion!

When I get caught up in the hustle and bustle and crowds and rat race that is Los Angeles, it’s so nice to have a weekend like this to make me truly appreciate the beauty of California and the good fortune that we get to spend a few years living here!

Even though this was more like a “22 on 10,” I still do this as part of a project with some other fab photographers.  Head on over to check out what Chicago Photographer Britt Anderson has for this month!

Now, head on over to Durham NC Fine Art Photographer Leigh Ann Hines site to see her fine art piece this month!

Except for the fact that it was only 16 degrees F outside!  My poor little 4-year-old client was absolutely too frozen to smile!

But, after some snuggles and kisses from mom and dad, he warmed right up!

Since it was so bitter cold, I offered them the opportunity to come back for a few more photos during my afternoon sessions.  At least 30 degrees warmer, we didn’t even need mom and dad kisses to bring on the smiles this time!

I had such a great time seeing this dear family twice in one day — I’m so glad they were such troopers!