The Collier Lifestyle Session- Grand Rapids, MI

When Brooke emailed me months ago asking if I'd be interested in taking a trip to Michigan in order to do a family session for her, I was quite excited. Brooke and I had been online friends since the first month I lived in Madison, the same month she moved away. I somehow came across her lovely photography online, and found out that not only did she live in Madison, but she was married to Tim, who I went to college with and had met a few times at school. However, my excitement didn't last long as she emailed me back saying they were just leaving Madison, moving to Grand Rapids Michigan. So instead we followed each others work online over the past three years, and got to know each other that way. What a treat it was to finally meet her family for real. Her and Tim were fantastic hosts, as we stayed overnight the night before I was to do the session. We talked about details of the shoot, I persuaded them to let me creep into their room just moments after Hazel awoke (and consequently woke everyone else), despite bed-head and sleepy eyes. What sweet moments, getting to witness the way a family starts the very first hours of their morning. I was honored to be able to document their morning routines; reading and snuggling in bed, getting the kiddos dressed and ready for breakfast, cooking and chatting together, playing outside and enjoying the cooler weather (hence the fire in July- what a treat!), and just doing what they do any other Saturday morning. Thank you Tim, Brooke, Hazel and Gus, I feel honored and blessed to have been able to capture this peak into your lives.