O’Brien Family | Seattle Family Photographer
I met Julie, Dan & Evan a few years ago and they are one of the sweetest family you could ever meet! Over the years, we have gotten to know each other better and Julie is such a sweetheart. She’s just one of those people you know you can always count on whenever you need help. No matter what it is. She’s just that kind of person and she has such a BIG heart! I’m so honored to call her my friend.
On the day of the photo session, it was cold but the scenery was so beautiful it was worth braving the cold.
Julie & Dan – I had such a great time hanging out with you guys! You guys are the best!
Happy Sunday!
-Dy
Schmahl Family | Seattle Family Photographer
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged and I’m so excited to start the blog off again with this family!
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know them over the past year and they are seriously a beautiful family inside and out.
We couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous fall afternoon. The colors of the leaves were perfect which made capturing beautiful images of them easy.
LOVE!!!
She’s got two older brothers that love her so much they were willing to let this pose request (Hannah’s idea) be captured 🙂
Never too old for a hug 🙂
She loves her daddy!
Nothing but love!
Love this one of Matthew!
Gorgeous family!
Thank you Schmahl family for letting me capture your story!
-Dy
Kaitlyn Turns 5 – Magical Unicorn Party!
Let me first start off by saying how much I love birthday parties with a theme! I cannot begin to tell you how excited I get each year when the kid’s birthdays come up and the discussion around the dinner table is figuring out what theme the kids want for their party. I must admit that I do try to influence them just a little to pick a theme that I’m super excited about :). In the end, it’s always a theme that we both want.
Well, this year is no different and for Kaitlyn’s 5th birthday, we decided on a Magical Unicorn themed party. Of course, I went straight to Pinterest (my latest addiction) for ideas. I found some really cute ideas; however, finding ideas for a unicorn themed party was harder than I thought. Fortunately, I got connected with Krista from Hoopla Events and she helped me scour the internet and she worked with various vendors to pull together a Magical Unicorn party for Kaitlyn! I have to add that she was able to help me pull all this together in less than 2 weeks! AMAZING! She did not miss a single detail!
Kaitlyn was beyond excited to see her party come together!
Turning 5 is great!
Unicorn horns – so much FUN!
I found this idea on pinterest and knew I had to make them for the party. By the way, have I said already how much I love Pinterest?!? 🙂
Everybody needs a little unicorn magic 🙂
Goodie bags complete with unicorn lollipops!
Krista – these turned out great!
I just LOVE the cake!
Wagner’s Bakery did an amazing job on the cake! It was delicious!
And the unicorn cake topper – ADORABLE!
My sister-in-law Lisa, who makes amazing cake toppers out of clay, has outdone her self again.
If you ever need a cake topper, please check her out – Jadestone Studios! She loves making unique designs.
How adorable are these mason jars (Smashcake & Co.) and paper straws (TomKat Studio)?!?
I just love them!
The best part of the party? Pony rides!
The kids eagerly waited for the ponies to come.
THANK YOU to everyone who came and helped Kaitlyn celebrate turning 5!
Thank you again Krista for helping me pull together one AMAZING party!
Event Planner: Hoopla Events
Party supplies: Smashcake & Co.
Paper straws: TomKat Studio
Party printables and banners: Sandpaper Custom Stationery
Pony Rides Sign: Two Crafty Teachers
Cake: Wagner’s Bakery
Burlap ‘Kaitlyn’ Cake Pennant: A Felt Affair
Unicorn cake topper: Jadestone Studios
Mini Cupcakes: New York Cupcakes
French Macarons – Chef Michelle Nguyen (email: myepicuriouslife@gmail.com)
Unicorn tank top: Kota Couture
A Day At The Beach
I had the pleasure of spending Memorial Day weekend with Lois and her Oregon grandkids. Visits from Nana Lois are always special especially since they only get to see her twice a year! Lois travels from Tennessee so she definitely makes the most of each visit with lots of snuggles, hugs and kisses. During this visit they were able to make it out to the coast for some fun at the beach. It was great to see the love and connection between Lois and her grandkids!
Lois – I had such a wonderful time spending the weekend with you and getting to know you better. The dessert you made at the beach house was DELICIOUS and having it before dinner was definitely a good idea! 🙂
Family session with a doggie adventure
When Alison emailed me to schedule a photo session I was excited as this has been a year in the making (they originally contacted me July of last year!). Alison and Brant were interested in having the session focus on their two dogs, Wrigley and Harley. I’ll be honest that I was a bit apprehensive as I have a slight fear of dogs (childhood fear that is still with me today) but I wanted to really do this. Of course, the park we selected was packed! This was the first summer like weather after weeks of rain so everyone was out enjoying the sun. Fortunately, we found a spot that was quieter so we let the dogs off the leash to capture them playing. We had a couple of adventures chasing after them but in the end, we captured some great shots of Wrigley and Harley 🙂 As an added bonus, Allison was able to bring Payton with her so we were able to capture some adorable shots of him as well.
Thanks Alison for the fun adventure! Wrigley and Harley may not have cured my fear of dogs but I’m on my way 🙂
I must admit, Wrigley and Harley are beautiful dogs!
Having goldfish crackers as treats worked for both the dogs and Payton! LOL
A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E!!! 
Grandmas are the best
My mother-in-law is a very special woman. She has shown me nothing but love from the moment I met her and has treated me like I’m one of her own daughters. She is the only surviving grandparent for my kids so it’s especially important to me that they have a relationship with her. Although we live hundreds of miles apart, and we don’t see each other everyday, I know there’s a special bond between them. The love that grandparents have for their grandkids is pretty amazing. I can definitely see the love between these three and I love it!
Thank you for always being there for us and showing us unconditional love. We love you Mom! Happy Mother’s Day!
Grandmas are fun to play patty cake with.
We didn’t let the rain get us down. The kids had fun chasing after their umbrellas! 🙂
Best mother-in-law I could ask for!
The best part of the photo shoot? Getting frappuccinos from Starbucks at the end! 🙂
Finding Quality Family Time
Hello! I know it’s been quiet lately on the blog but life was getting a bit out of control with our crazy schedule of work, before & after school activities for the kids and just daily life in general that my head was spinning. However, a couple of weekends ago, my family and I had the opportunity to take a weekend getaway to unplug from all the schedules & routines and just relax! We went to Suncadia, which is a resort just east of Seattle. What a great trip that turned out to be and the BEST part of it was that the drive was only a little over an hour! Before we knew it, we were there 🙂
The kids had such a wonderful time hiking, swimming, and just hanging out! It brought joy to my heart seeing them so happy and relaxed. I know that life can get busy but every so often you just need to unplug and step away from the craziness for quality family time. Each year seems to be blazing by and these kids are growing up way to fast for schedules and routines to prevent you from making memories. Spending quality time like this is a must for us now and we cannot wait to go back!
Kaleb talking to the clams rather than eating them 🙂
Roasting marshmallows for s’mores – a must do! 
From hiking and climbing rocks to just searching for fishes in the pond, these little adventures was what made us happy. Quality time together. 
Kaitlyn loves rocks so searching for special rocks was such a fun time for her!
One of Kaleb’s favorite past time is playing a game of chess…I just love his focus!
My husband saw a sand bunker but my kids saw a sand pit to build sand castles 🙂
He was able to give the kids golf lessons in between building sand castles 🙂 We had the whole golf course to ourselves since it wasn’t quite open yet for the season. 
We had such an amazing time on this quick weekend getaway! Just stepping away from the hustle and bustle of daily life was exactly what we needed.
Playing, hugging and dancing on docks – that’s what it’s all about!
Agreed! I love Suncadia and we are definitely going back!
Traditions
Phirum & Seth had a beautiful traditional Cambodian engagement. The vibrant colors, the jewelry and all the details were amazing. It’s so nice to see the younger generations of Cambodians continue to appreciate the traditions. Considering myself as a part of the younger generation, I personally know how hard it is to pass along these traditions to my own kids so being able to capture it is very important to me.
Phirum & Seth – Congratulations on your engagement! Thank you for letting me be a part of this wonderful time in your life. You guys make a beautiful couple and I had such a great time getting to know you.
Traditional Cambodian fabric – I just love the vibrant colors.
Greeting their elders as they start the engagement ceremony.
Through the Eyes of a Child
This past Christmas, Kaleb (my six year old son) got a point & shoot camera from Santa ;). He was so excited that Santa had gotten him something he loved even though he hadn’t ask for it. His exact words were “I can’t believe Santa knows that I like photography without me even telling him!”. I just love the innocence of children.
He was so excited to start taking pictures with it. He asked me for advice on what to take pictures of. My only advice to him was to take pictures of things that are interesting to him. It’s amazing what he has done with that. I truly love seeing the images he takes as it gives me insight into his view of the world and the memories he wants to capture. I’m such a proud mamma! Looks like I may have a partner in crime in this photography business :).
These are images he captured during our trip to Newport, Oregon.
He did an amazing job capturing the details of our trip to Leavenworth, Washington. 
He loves anything Oregon State so when he saw these OSU ornaments at the Kris Kringle store, he had to take a picture!
He nailed it capturing the beauty and energy of Leavenworth on our last night there.
Crider Family
It was a cold December morning when I met Steve, Tanya and Allison for their photo shoot. They braved the cold and we got some beautiful photos. I could not believe how good baby Allison was. She was so cooperative and did not cry the entire session! I could have taken pictures of her all day long!
Steve & Tanya – You have a beautiful little girl! She is such a sweetheart. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends and wish you a Happy New Year!
Love that sweet smile.
Mommy has her cracking up!
Daddy’s sweet baby girl.
Whitinger Family
Lisa and Dan are my in-laws and capturing their story has become an annual tradition now. I love seeing how much their kids have grown each year and documenting their growth through images. On the day of the photo shoot, the forecast called for rain ALL day long but Lisa and I were determined to not let that stop us from a great family session! It’s November in Oregon and rain is expected. So what do you do? You make the best of it and get some great family photos! 🙂
Lisa & Dan – I know it was wet and cold but you guys were troopers! The kids were absolutely amazing and I love what we were able to capture in 30 minutes!
10 years of marriage and you can still see the sparks between these two! Love it!
Gorgeous family!
Boyd Family
I meet Candice last year at the start of the school year during a fundraising event at our boys school. We were both waiting for the school bus to take us back to our cars. As we waited we got to talking and clicked immediately. I was thinking to myself that I like this girl 🙂 Our boys were in the same Kindergarten class and were quickly becoming friends as well. As the school year progressed and basketball season started our husbands teamed up to coach our boys basketball team. Through all these events our families got to become better friends and although our boys aren’t in the same classroom this year, our friendship continues to grow.
Candice & Brandon – I had such a great time hanging out with you guys. Your boys crack me up and I’m glad that our boys are great friends. Thanks again for the Starbucks – great way to end a great session!
Love this family!
Buddies!
This little guy cracks me up!
There isn’t anything that a kiss from Mama can’t fix.
Allen Family
I love fall. I love the colors of the changing leaves, the crisp cool Autumn air, and the beginning of boots and scarves season 🙂 But what I love most is the delight kids have in playing in the leaves! The joy of gathering up the leaves in a pile, jumping in them and then throwing them up in the air – so much fun! This is exactly what I did with the Allen family one fall afternoon. It was a gorgeous fall day perfect for this type of activity.
Alix & Cory – I still can’t believe we were able to wrap up the session just minutes before the rain storm came through! What a fun afternoon and I enjoyed every minute of it with you guys. You have a beautiful family!
Beautiful fall leaves – perfect for playing in!
The whole family joins in on the fun! Love it!
Another special member of the family came along for the photo shoot 🙂
Of course, we had to take a picture of the lego man that was also a special member of the family 🙂
What a sweetie pie!
Mapes Family
I had the pleasure of spending a beautiful fall afternoon with Christina, Jacob and their wonderful boys! We were at Discovery Park in Seattle and wanted to take some pictures near the lighthouse, however, the park is known as a ‘walking park’ so we needed to get a pass from the visitor center in order to park near the lighthouse. Well, with two little boys (who may not make it walking all the way there) and having to wait for the pass, we decided to take pictures near the visitor center instead. What a great decision that ended up being because we found a beautiful open field and captured some special moments of the family.
Christina & Jacob – You have a gorgeous family and two very special little boys! I had such a wonderful time exploring the park with you and capturing your story.
Such a sweet little boy! I love his smile.
Special moments with their boys. As a parent, I can attest to how quickly they grow so capturing these fleeting moments are important to me.
Christina and her boys! Christina – you’re the center of their world. 
May Lynn & Hilton | And Baby Makes Three!
I have known May Lynn since we were in high school and I’m so grateful we have managed to remain friends all these years along with 3 of our other girlfriends. Although we all live in different states now and don’t see each other as often as we would like, when we do get together, we have the best time! It’s amazing to see how much each of us have grown over the years but yet when we get together we are still the silly, giggly teenage girls with so much goals and aspirations. Love you girls!
May Lynn & Hilton – I am super excited for you guys and cannot wait to meet your little one. I know you guys will be amazing & fun parents!
Hilton – you’re a hoot! I love how you kept May Lynn laughing throughout the session.
I love this picture of you guys! 
Cichanski Family | Fun at Remlinger Farms
I first met Andrea at a birthday party for my daughter’s friend. I liked her instantly. Little did I know that we would have so much in common! T-ball had just started and both our boys were on the same team (we had yet to meet each other at the games), we both grew up Oregon and graduated from Oregon State University (Go Beavers!), and we had another mutual friend in common. It was an instant connection and I’m so thankful we started talking at the party because I gained a wonderful friend! Andrea is one of the sweetest, most generous person I know. She’s got such a big heart and she’s a GREAT mom to three beautiful kids!
Andrea & Seth – thank you so much for the beautiful day and letting me capture your story. You guys are awesome!
These two are not just sisters but best friends.
Lil’ Miss Alex – how adorable is she? Too adorable!
LOVE the laughter! I can still hear him laughing.
The cutest twins I know!
Awww…daddy’s little girl.
The kids are tired so it’s a wrap but I just love these of you guys walking back.
The Erskine Family
I love it when family sessions extend beyond the immediate family members and include extended family members like grandparents! We had so much fun with Mary & Roger in the session. Austin is a loved little boy!
Mary, Roger, Brittany, & Mark – thank you so much for the fun day!
Austin is all smiles!
Lots of lovin’ from Grandma & Grandpa!
Kisses from Mommy & Grandma 🙂
The Fraiser Family
I had such a wonderful time hanging out with Bob, Tanya and their kids on one of the most beautiful summer evenings in Seattle. Chris & Emily were so excited to get their pictures taken and were cute as a button! And they were so good! Listening to me and allowing me to take one more picture even after I said that was the last one. 🙂
Tanya & Bob – you guys were great! You have such a beautiful family and your kids are just adorable.
Making a wish before throwing money into the pond – I hope your wishes came true.
The Carrillo Family
Oh my goodness…where do I begin with this beautiful family?! Marlene and her kids were so easy going, it made my job taking pictures of them a breeze. It was a nice summer evening and we just had fun with it from being shy to smiling for the camera to piggy back rides. I love the bond between the two siblings despite the age gap. And how adorable is lil’ Miss Sophia?
Latham Family
Before every photo shoot, I always ask the family what is the one thing they want me to capture from their session. Becky just wanted me to capture her little boy in this moment – being happy.
I think we did that and more! I love capturing the love between a parent and a child.
Jett is a happy boy 🙂
Love how mom adores her family…it shows in her eyes!
Silent Auctions and Meeting New Families
I had the opportunity to participate in a silent auction for the Sammamish Little League earlier this year when my son joined the league for T-ball. I was excited to offer my service to help raise money during Opening Day ceremony, as the organization is completely volunteer based. This was my first silent auction so I didn’t know what to expect but had a great experience working through it. As an added bonus I had the pleasure of meeting one of the sweetest family. Matt, Kathy and their kids were such troopers throughout the session on such a hot day.
Matt & Kathy – you guys rock! I had so much fun capturing your story and getting to you know.
Dara & Yanin: Beautiful Traditions
Having sat through a number of traditional Cambodian weddings (my own included) I know from experience how much work and effort goes into planning one. Most Cambodian weddings are anywhere from 1 full day (12+ hours) to 2 or even 3 days depending on how many ceremonies the bride and groom decides to incorporate.
When Dara and Yanin asked me to photograph their wedding, I was honored. I was beyond excited for them. I knew I would enjoy capturing their wedding day regardless of how tiring it would be but what I did not expect was this newfound appreciation for my culture and what each ceremony symbolizes. I was viewing the day through different lens and seeing things in a new light. All the beautiful details, bright colors, and generations of tradition being passed from one generation to the next and I realize this is why it’s all worth it.
Second shooter: Mai Duong Photography. I loved working with Mai! She did an amazing job helping me capture the story of Dara & Yanin’s wedding.
Baby E is back!
Nine months ago I had the pleasure of taking newborn pictures of Ethan. He was just seven days old on the day of the photo shoot – so tiny and perfect! Now he’s back and has grown so much. Smiling, laughing, on the verge of crawling – so much fun! I love getting the opportunity to connect with families again and see how much they have grown.
Look at those arms – I just love the baby rolls 🙂
Kyla & Her Boys
Boys love their mamas and these boys are no exception. I have known Kyla for a couple of years now and have seen how much these boys adore her. Such sweet and adorable little boys!
When Kyla asked me to take pictures, the goal was to capture Owen, who just turned 5 years old, in this moment. Five years old, the age that seems to be a turning point where they become more mature and independent. As an added bonus, we were able to capture several other shots of Owen with Kyla & Eli to complete their story.
Kisses for mommy – LOVE!
How quickly they grow – such a big boy now!
Love this picture of the brothers just hanging out.
Kyla – your boys are adorable! Thank you for the opportunity to capture this moment for you and tell your story.
D Leng Photography 