Meet a family of genuine, fun, and authentic people, who love each other to bits and pieces! Don’t worry, I mean that in a good way. Every year I donate one session for a silent auction to my church, and this year I was so excited to find out that Nathan and Leah purchased it!!! This family is always dressed so nice and I knew that sending them my style guide was not really necessary, but I did it anyways, as I do for all my clients. And they did not disappoint! This stylish family session was so much fun, and I am super excited to share these images with you!!!

It is always an honour to capture families; I don’t take that responsibility lightly (I think I might have said that before, once or twice, but it is so true). As a photography client, you should always feel like you mean the world to your photographer. At least, that is what I believe. Photography isn’t just a service, it’s a service that creates memories, that often are held for generations! That being said, you shouldn’t wait a few generations to have another family session… Having a yearly, or even bi-yearly family session will be appreciated so many years down the road. One day your grandchild will say, “Look, there’s mommy when she was just a baby! Was she walking before she was one already?” and then, “Wow, mommy was such a beautiful teenager!” You get the point. You are not just making memories, you are leaving a legacy!

And the legacy that this family is leaving is a wonderful one. Nathan and Leah live out in the country, have some free range chickens and even a few bee-hives! While scouting for a great location on their property to take their pictures, I saw this field in the distance, and asked (very hesitantly) if it was possible to go there. “Oh yes!” says Nathan, “That’s where my brother lives! And my parents live over there.” I had to chuckle; what a wonderful neighborhood that would be to live in, being surrounded by your loved ones!

Arie, their oldest, is going to grade 1, and he is pretty excited. Ella, the only daughter (and fashionista, just like her mama) is super duper excited to go to Kindergarten. I’m sure the house is going to quiet down somewhat when those two are gone, Leah! Levi and Seth are both such easy-going kiddos, Levi having the most beautiful smile, when it finally came out. Levi’s eyes lighting up when his mama sang to him was so incredible, you have a true mama’s boy there, Leah! All in all, this family is just precious, and I cannot wait to deliver their whole gallery to them very soon!

We love having Dads in the pictures, they are the third pair of hands that take a load off of my mind. Read more about why I love having Dads in the photos HERE, along with some other great tips.

His cast is coming off today, but it was part of their summer, so we included it in the pictures. I’m sure Arie is very excited to have full use of his arm again!

While Ella looks more like her Daddy, in my opinion, she has a smile as wide as her Mama’s!

Capturing a few moments with the parents is always a goal of mine. I know it’s not always natural to be without the kids, but I’m sure these images will be treasured! Nathan said it so perfectly, “It’s like our wedding day all over again!” And who wouldn’t want to feel that special one more time, years down the road?

Ella, Ella, Ella. You are a spirited, loving, joyful, and huggable four-year-old, and I’m sure your Mama is going to miss you so incredibly much when you go to school.

Levi, you are a treasure. You see things others might overlook, and you are such a soulful little man. I loved capturing these moment, especially because your smile was a little harder to tease out. That makes it all the more special when you did light up!

Six month old Seth was only interested in the greenery around him and anything he could get in his mouth. Isn’t he just the sweetest though?

Family Koppelaar, thank you for choosing me to capture this wonderful time in your life. You are blessed beyond measure, and I can’t wait to see your wonderful kids grow up! Just not too fast, I’m sure you’re going to look back wistfully at these someday and wonder where the time went!