these three. so much love in one house. and how could there not be with this little blue-eyed lulu running around, spreading her magic all over. add some los angeles sunshine and a beloved crocodile puppet and voila, a favorite family session to date.
I always ask for the names and ages of the kiddos before any family session. seeing the names increases the chance of my terrible memory bringing them to mind and knowing their ages lets me prepare the appropriate amount of knock knock or fart jokes. when mama myrna wrote back saying her kids were pre-teen to full on teen age my stomach did a flip and all my middle school nerves rushed back into my heart. but these beautiful blonde babes couldn't have been more fun to photograph. they trusted me and twirled with me and even though it was clearly apparent that they're cooler than I ever have been or will be, welcomed me with open arms into their lovely family. enjoy
When Amanda approached me about doing a photo shoot with she and her sweet little girls as a surprise for her husband Ryan, I couldn't stand it - I love surprises! Love them. But more often than not the excitement of knowing the surprise overwhelms me and I end up either forcing someone to celebrate a holiday early by presenting them with their gift or have to hide in seclusion in effort to avoid spoiling it. (My Dad and older sister stopped telling me what we got as gifts for my Mom when I was about 5.) Thankfully, I didn't run into Ryan at all, but I did have to resist any early virtual bragging about how fabulous it was to work with these ladies.
Mind you, I had only met Amanda and her youngest, Elle, so I was expecting some warm-up time with the older girls before things really got rolling. Not necessary. Amanda had so well-prepped her girls that when they spotted me in the park they ran up giggling with excitement; they each knew my name, my husband's name (who wasn't even there!), and presented me with home-made cookies after the shoot. I know, right?
The next two hours (I couldn't stop myself they were so photogenic), we pranced and danced and climbed and enjoyed some tea and crumpets in Narnia - it was a blast! The cat is out of the bag and I can finally share these sweet little girls with you. Thanks so much for including me in your surprise, Amanda - Happy Anniversary!
