Baby Landon

A few weeks ago my cousin Doug and his wife Erika welcomed a new member to their family. Landon was born on 12/27, weighing less than 7 lbs. My sister-in-law Lauren and I rushed over to capture some newborn pics of the wide-eyed little guy. Landon was a great model and I hope I get to work with him again!







Look at those wide eyes!



Dad might have him in the palm of his hand, but I'm pretty sure he already has dad wrapped around his finger.





He got a little upset about all the nudity.



But Dad calmed him down in a second.



And then he would sleep just about anywhere.



An adorable new family.







Sweet dreams to the little guy.

Tryg & Co.

Erik, Mindy and Tryg met up with me for some holiday family photos. Look at this adorable new family!



And Tryg was so smiley, he made it easy to capture his personality. He was always searching out his parents smiles - which were infectious for him.





Such cute little feet.



I love this father-son moment.



And peacefully sleeping with mom.

Taylor '10

Taylor and Jenn managed to pose for coat-free photos in 15 degree weather and still smile--all the while, looking great. Thanks guys!

Katie + Chris

My cousin, Katie, brought her fiance home for Thanksgiving (she lives WAY too far away--in Houston--right now). He got to meet the family in a nice, quiet dinner of 27 crowded around Grandma's table. The poor boy. But, Chris not only survived, he seemed to enjoy himself and impress the crowd to boot. I know he impressed me. I got to take the Texan couple out into the 15 degree weather for some photos and test this boy's tolerance for Wisconsin winters. It's possible that Chris's smile was simply frozen on his face, but he toughed it out while Katie acted like it was nothing (though we later found out she had added layers of long underwear and undershirts--unbeknownst to Chris). Anyway, check out this happy couple:












Mostly, I noticed that they like to laugh together (a lot), which made it not only enjoyable for me, but seemed a clear sign that they are right where they should be. Here's to laughter for years to come.

San Fran

San Fran has always caught my eye. For years now I've wanted to visit. Thankfully, my friend Kristen moved out there and gave me the final nudge I needed to book a flight. The trip was worth the wait. San Fran is an absolutely gorgeous city with interesting twists and real energy.
I played tourist some of the time...


(Full House house! Danny Tanner was not laying out in the park as I'd hoped...)


We took the Alcatraz night tour. They managed to create one of the most interesting audio tours I've ever been on. Fascinating stuff.

This is what the prisoners had to stare longingly at each night...

The operating table looked like it was straight out of a scary movie.

I was legitimately scared.



We also did a TON of walking around. I found Chinatown the most interesting area.



I took a trip on a Cable Car. I wish I had utilized them better to get up the crazy hills. My calves hurt for a week after this trip... The cable car museum (free!) showed us how the cable moves underground at a constant 9.5 mph rate. It confirmed that cable car drivers are much more skilled than we probably give them credit for...



The docks were gorgeous. With the bridge and Alcatraz in the background. Plus, Kristen ran around scaring birds for me so that I could get photos of them in flight.




And finally, these are some of my favorite random photos.

Riley & Gracie '10

What an adorable family. Check out their smiles in years past...
Riley & Gracie last spring
And last year