Doug & Michele-November 20th

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. A surprise snowfall added a beautiful ground covering for this engagement photo shoot at Pool Forge Park in Narvon, PA. Doug and Michele are getting married in May and wanted some engagement portraits outside. It was the second time we rescheduled due to inclement weather so they decided to go for it this time. It was funny to see so many different colors of leaves on the trees and snow on the branches at the same time. It made this photo shoot seem like a rare treasure. You are amazing, God! These guys were a lot of fun and I am looking forward to their wedding this Spring. There is a lot of life coming forth from both of them. I kept trying to get them to do some serious poses, but they just couldn't wipe the smiles off of their faces. You two definitely have the joy of the LORD all over you. Enjoy some of my favorites.

Caitlin-November 16th

You just never know when it might snow. We had a few flurries fall on us when we were doing this photo shoot up in Mount Joy on Friday afternoon. Caitlin was ready to brave the cold weather to get her senior portraits done. I think her hands were almost blue untill we got finished but it didn't seem to affect her beautiful smile! She is a senior at Donegal High School this year and a good friend of my sister-in-law, Roanna. Caitlin, enjoy this last year of high school, it goes by so quickly. Blessings as you prepare for the next steps in your life. Your gentle spirit is captivating.

Chiques Rock Hike

It was a beautiful day for a fall hike in the woods and so we took advantage of it and went out to Chiques Rock. This is one of our favorite spots to hike and Gideon feels the same after our adventure this morning. The trees were absolutely gorgeous in all of their autumn splendor and the weather was crisp. The trail goes along the Susquehanna River and at one point overlooks the water at a high peak on these giant rocks. Here are a few pictures from our morning.

Darrel & Kelly-November 14th

Well, it finally happened...Darrel and Kelly got engaged! Darrel is my brother-in-law (Eric's brother) so we've been excited for the day when he would ask Kelly to be his wife. I had the honor of doing their engagement photos last night before the big rain came. They wanted to have them taken at Darrel's parents' farm. I love doing portraits for people I know, but family is extra special. Kelly is one of my wedding assistants so it was fun to have her as the subject instead of being behind a camera. These two are so in love so it wasn't hard when I asked them to do certain poses like kissing or holding hands. You'll see that they are both very photogenic. Darrel and Kelly, Eric and I are thrilled for you two and are anticipating a beautiful wedding day for you in June of 2008. Happy planning...enjoy this special season of being engaged. It only happens once in a life time. I love you both!

My Birthday

On November 7th, I turned 28 years old. Birthdays are a big reason to celebrate in my family and so I've always enjoyed birthdays. Most of my good friends know that I love to send cards and emails to them on their birthdays. They don't understand how I always remember, but how could I forget? My dear husband is definitely romantic and enjoys pampering me on my birthday. This year he gave me an iPod (I'm still trying to figure out all the features on it!) and made me a great ham dinner at home complete with a dozen roses. I was so blessed. He also had a surprise weekend get away planned for us. November is a slower month for weddings, so we have some free weekends which is unusual. Thank you, Eric for a great weekend. I love you!

Friday night we stayed at the Lancaster Arts Hotel (which is literally about 1/2 a mile from our house) and had dinner at the hotel restaurant, John J. Jeffries. It was an incredible experience. The food there is all organic so it tastes so fresh and rich. Our room was a suite complete with a king bed and whirl pool tub. It felt almost bigger than our house in the city! Saturday morning we traveled to Carlisle, PA to Pheasant Field Bed & Breakfast. It was a cute little farmhouse bed and breakfast right off of the Appalachian Trail so we got our hiking boots on and headed for the woods, one of our favorite places to talk and walk together. We also went to a family-owned winery and got a tour of the workings of how wine is really produced. It is very labor intensive, which explains why it is so expensive. It was a beautiful weekend filled with lots of fun and relaxation. I wanted to share a few pictures of what we were able to do together.