New Blog

Hello! Thanks for stopping by the blog! I have an announcement to make...after doing some research, I've decided to switch blog sites. I know it may seem early to do that, but I figured the beginning was the best time to do it before I had a ton of posts to transfer over. I was able to import all of the previous posts and comments to the new blog, so I was stoked about that! Nice and easy. :)


So, head on over to my new blog to check out new posts from here on out!


kallenphotog.wordpress.com


Thanks for visiting!! :)

Triple Surprise Birthday - {Just for Fun!}

EDITED: Please check out the new blog at kallenphotog.wordpress.com to leave any comments. Thanks!


Dan saw Mandy making cupcakes, and thought we were celebrating my Ben's birthday. My Ben saw me making cake balls and thought we were celebrating brother Ben's birthday. Brother Ben heard a few things and thought we were celebrating Dan and Ben's birthdays. None of them had a CLUE it was for them! Each of them. :) And oh man, it was SO much fun putting it all together with the girls.


It started when Mandy had the idea to get Dan a keyboard (he is an amazing pianist!) for his birthday, and wanted to give it to him when we were all together. We realized my Ben's birthday was only a few days before Dan's, so we should do a joint party! And then we remembered that brother Ben was in Iraq for his December birthday so we should add him to the fun too. So the plans fell into place!


Dad and the boys had a "man day" that afternoon so the girls could get all set up! We all met up for dinner and then the girls rushed home afterwards to finish setting up and getting in place to get pictures. Mandy chose a cowboy theme, which was PERFECT, and picked out all the decorations. 

Loved the table set-up! A little cowboy hat for each of them. :)

Dan & Mandy - {I Love Session}

EDITED: Please check out the new blog at kallenphotog.wordpress.com to leave any comments. Thanks!


They were childhood friends, secret high school crushes, who eventually found themselves separated by the inevitable time and distance of growing up. They hadn't talked in a couple of years, but God was not done with their story, it was really only just beginning. A dream and a mom's prodding, 2 mother's hopes and prayers over the years, and an email picked this love story right back up and it hasn't slowed down since! 


They got engaged while Dan was deployed, and were married only a couple of weeks after he returned, so they never had a chance to have engagement pictures taken. Enter me! I had emailed Mandy a couple of months ago to ask if she and Dan wanted to do a photo shoot the next time they were in town. Within minutes I received a resounding YES! back from her. :) She's been planning out her outfit ever since! I love her. 


We had an absolute BLAST doing these pictures! 

Mandy really wanted some pictures of Dan in his army get-up...I don't blame her! 

Gha! Look at those smiles!

  

Love, love, love this one!

Oh Mandy, you are GORGEOUS!!! And what is it with guys and straw in their mouths? I like it. :)

Lovely afternoon light on a beautiful couple!

  

They adore this house in the background...Mandy wants to live there someday. :)

  

Love you two!!!

All Together...Finally!

EDITED: Please check out the new blog at kallenphotog.wordpress.com to leave any comments. Thanks!


Yesterday, my sister asked me for a copy of a family picture we took a couple weeks ago. It made me realize how amazingly far behind I am on editing and blogging (and facebook posting!) all of my pictures. So, this is just a quick post, but after opening up the picture last night, I remembered how much I absolutely love it, and I had to blog it.


A couple of weeks ago, on Friday, April 22nd to be exact, our whole family was together for the first time, EVER. There are no words to describe how much we had ALL looked forward to this day, and it went by too quickly...but we know there are many more to come! So, how is it that we have never all been together? Well, let's see...in the past couple of years, we have added 3 new members to our family, and let me just say, they are a PERFECT fit. Since all 3 came into the family, however, there has always been someone missing from our family events and get-togethers:

Annual New Years Nags Head Beach Vacation (we like to beat the crowds): This 2009 vacation was right after Dan and Mandy started dating (and really, right before they got engaged--yes, it was that quick!), and almost everyone was able to go...but Jarrett ended up having to work, thus leaving the family total at 8.

Mary and Jarrett get married! Mandy flew out from California to come to the wedding as she was already part of our family, but her fiance Dan was deployed in Iraq during this time. Although he was able to Skype in to the wedding, it just was not the same...thus, leaving the family total at 8. (Well, 9 if you count Grandma)

Photographer, Kim Wilson of Wolfcreek Photo

Dan and Mandy get married! We all flew out west (well, the parents RV'd it across the country) for California's biggest wedding of the year! Unfortunately though, brother Ben was now deployed in Iraq and could not even join us through Skype...thus leaving the family total at 8.

Photographer, Karri Koenigs

And then comes April. Brother Ben gets his 2 week leave from deployment, and we all plan around him. It was a short evening, but oh it was wonderful...we were all together...the family total was at 9. Life was good. :)

We took a couple family shots that evening to capture this momentous occasion! 

This first one is totally a Christmas Card picture...the "us" that people think we are. :)

Who am I kidding...THIS one is totally the Christmas Card picture! This is the real us! Crazy, weird, fun, a whole family. One of my favorite shots ever!

(Even our 2 pups made an appearance in the picture!)

I love my family!