“She Is Yours”.  And with those three simple words from a judge half a world away, Izzie + Kelly officially became a family.

I am an adoptive mother + firm believer that families can be created in a multitude of ways, shapes, sizes and colors…and this sweet family of two embodies much of that for me.

So I was absolutely thrilled to have the honor of taking their first family photos.  Their joy with each other was completely infectious and left my soul smiling long after I’d left.

Meet the Haley’s and their baby bun-in-the-oven. Dear friends. Wonderful people. And currently accepting submissions for boy names.

But if you’re fresh out of boy names, and in the market for an A-MA-zing vet, look no further than Steve.  He can be found at Parkway Vet.  As a devoted pet owner, there aren’t enough adjectives to describe him and what he’s done for the furry members of our family, past and present.

And he didn’t pay me to say this.  He paid me to take his beautiful family’s picture.

Sometimes a girl’s just gotta dance.

And now for something completely different.

I never turn down an opportunity to work with the Oregon Humane Society.  It’s always guaranteed to be a blast, and given the stars of the show – completely unpredictable, and this weekend was no exception.  Santa got kissed a lot at their annual Santa Paws fundraiser, hosted by eight different Fred Meyer locations around the city.  50 fuzzy faced friends showed up Saturday at the Beaverton location for their debut with the big guy.  64 came through on Sunday at Raleigh Hills.  That’s …um….114 portraits in six hours.  And that was only two of the eight locations featuring Santa.  *Crazy, I know…I think the elves finally figured out that cloning thing.

Thank you so much for all the generous souls who shared their time and their friends with us!

Santa’s Apprentice“…and a partridge in a pear tree.”

A return to sweet, happy Claire.  Stage name, “FiFi”.  This pink poodle is going places.

Thanks so much to mom + pop + grandma for sharing your morning and your beautiful girl with me!

Meet the Pasions, one of the most warm-hearted, generous families I know. Example. For his 10th birthday, their son had a “philanthropy” themed party and asked for donations to Ethiopian Orphan Relief , a nonprofit his mother runs, instead of gifts.   Hello?  The world needs more Pasions.

They wanted a few holiday card photos, but as per me, the life moments in between are what I love the most.