Little Brother “feels like a bouncy ball.”

And he already gets LOTS of kisses.

Tage isn’t the only one eager to meet the newest member of the family. Mom and Dad are counting down the days until they get to hold their new sweet boy.

But while they wait, they are making the most of their last days together as a family of 3.

Love you, Wilson Family! March will certainly be a month of celebration!

The Ballards are an adventurous bunch, so we headed into the mountains in search of the white cold stuff that is usually hard to find and o-so-fun to play in.

Moments of wild fun and sweet cuddles were had by all.

I had to watch out for The Corbinator (Corbin)…I think you can see why. 

Caelan was Helpful Mama Bear while Phil, Amy, and I were rounding up the troops for group photos. Doesn’t she just take your breath away?

Ethan Bean was the fastest to strike a pose for me which was surprising since I usually can’t even catch up with him long enough to steal a hug.

And with the newest member of the Ballard family (Jonah), Papa was the hero easily extracting all kinds of giggles while Mama showered him with kisses and snuggles.

Speaking of Team Papa and Mama Ballard – who despite insisting that they are winging the whole parenting gig are ROCKING it with 4 small people – I think they were made for each other…agreed?

Ballard family, I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you for taking me along for your Snow Day Adventure!

After some running, skipping, and balance-beaming, Ivria and Mira (best names EVER) were ready for their close-ups. Ivria is a Professional Question Asker. Luckily, her mom and dad have ALL the answers!

Meirah – nickname Meems – is the comedian. She is also an expert negotiator when it comes to fruit snacks.

Jim and Krystle rock. They love their two girlies and each other with lots of laughs, patience, and teamwork. Detail info: Krystle made her necklace! If you want to know where you can get your hands on something that cute, look here at her Etsy awesomeness!

Pyette’s thank you for spending the morning with me!

I’ve known these two for awhile now since my husband is their youth pastor. I must admit, it took me a full year to remember which was Josh and which was Matt (sorry guys).

Matt & Josh have a fan club pretty much anywhere they go. They are loyal friends, give excellent advice, and know how to have fun. They also both love baseball and will play for Sumner High School in the spring – Go Spartans!

Side note: I had lots of fun rolling around in the grass and dirt on the baseball diamond…

I’m pretty sure it says in a Brother Handbook somewhere that you must torture your brother for a certain amount of time each day. The Haleys follow this rule religiously.

There is also a rule in the same Brother Handbook that declares any brother to be one of your closest friends. (Mom of the Haley Boys, this one was for you.)

Isn’t she just fabulous!? I am telling you, this woman is truly SuperMom. Pregnant with 3 kiddos under the age of 7 is not a state of bliss and easy living, but you could never tell by spending the afternoon with Amy.

She is a mama I totally look up to. I love that she relished every moment she felt baby Jonah kicking, rolling, or elbowing her in the stomach.

Amy Ballard, I am so grateful to know you and your family of six. Thank you for being a woman of joy.

You are beautiful. And wise. And tear-streaming, abs-sore, ugly-laugh hilarious. Just sayin – if I was Jonah and you were my Mama, I would be a lucky little dude.

Over the last 5 years, Aaron and Tara have developed some similar hobbies. We started our day on the golf course where Aaron sunk his first putt.

Since Aaron had the official golfing pants, he offered Tara some free lessons.

When the Walkers aren’t golfing together, they can probably be found sipping espresso.

These two make me excited to celebrate my own 5 year anniversary with Mr. Hale. They love each other well, work hard as a team, and aren’t afraid of looking ridiculous. Side note – I watched these two perform a hip hop routine while wearing matching parachute pants. No I don’t have pictures. I wish.

Aaron and Tara, I am so grateful for the way you two serve our church and serve each other. Here is to many more years of marital bliss!

Our time together was filled with awkwardness and giggles and beautiful yellow flowers.

You know that friend you have who knows all of your favorites and finishes most of your sentences and can just sit with you and do nothing while simultaneously making fantastic memories? That’s what Lauren, Grace, and Tara are for each other.

Along with her stunning eyes, Lauren has the most infectious laugh you will ever hear. She gets excited about everything in that way that makes me love life more just from being around her.

Grace and I share a love of books and singing. She was at my wedding even though we barely knew each other at the time – I love that she was a part of that day. She has that special talent of transitioning seamlessly between ridiculous fun and meaningful depth – always keeping me on my conversational toes!

Among many other grand memories, Tara and I are nerd buddies. Especially when it comes to LOTR (Lord of the Rings for you non-nerds). Tara isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Someday you’ll be reading her novel that will knock your socks off.

One very important part of our adventure together was dandelion discovery. Let me tell you, it takes extreme skill to blow the seeds off a dandelion without puffing your cheeks up like a monkey or crossing your eyes.

Now on a more sentimental note, I am blessed to know these 3 friends and am anxiously anticipating all that the future holds for them.

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/bffl/feed/ 7 lkayephoto http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/the-wilson-family/ http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/the-wilson-family/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:57:49 +0000 lkayephoto http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/?p=51 Continue reading →]]> I knew Tage when he was a little squirt who was learning to roll around on the carpet. Now I have to have my running shoes on to keep up with him.

There was lots of exploring to be done at the Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park. The docks, turtles, and jungle gym kept us busy.

Swings are a personal favorite of Tage’s – a preference we both share.

This little man comes from a family who loves him and each other to pieces. We even had the special privilege of having Tage’s grandma with us.

Dan and Revon are inspiring. They support each other and work well together. They love their family and are pros at having fun.

Wilson family, you are amazing!

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/the-wilson-family/feed/ 0 lkayephoto http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/the-leider-family/ http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/the-leider-family/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 23:00:13 +0000 lkayephoto http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/?p=42 Continue reading →]]> The Leider family is very good at having fun.

I’ve known this family for almost 2 years now, and their game-playing, living-room-dancing shenanigans always bring a smile to my face.

This is Ikuko. Mama Leider is the most gracious hostess ever. If you ever stop by her home, she will be ready with drinks and snacks. She was also one of the cutest pregnant women I have seen (Ayaka Leider was born in January).

Ayumi is a rockstar. She gives great hugs and loves tickle-fights with her daddy. I want to give her kisses all over her sweet nose and cheeks, but she only lets me on special occasions.

We had one moment of unhappiness during our time together, but Daddy Leider Bryan helped out with a quick recovery by covering his head in toilet paper (long story).

This wonderful family, loved by so many, will be headed to Japan in a few short weeks. I am so grateful for the time we’ve had together and excited to hear about their next great adventure. Thank you, Leiders for sharing your lives with me!

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/the-leider-family/feed/ 1 lkayephoto http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/valm/ http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/valm/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 18:29:11 +0000 lkayephoto http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/?p=12 Continue reading →]]> On one of the most beautiful days we’ve had so far, I was soaking up the sun at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens with the fabulous Valm family.

As you can see, we had no fun at all exploring, frog hunting, and falling in fountains…well, I was the only one who fell in the fountain, but I’m sure that was fun for everyone to watch.

The ladies of this family are o so beautiful and o so photogenic which made my job super easy.

The men were up for any adventure, including attempted flight.

I’m hoping both kiddos took a good nap for their mama after this eventful morning. There were only a few pauses between scrambling over rocks and wrestling in the grass to admire the hummingbirds and take a quick breather.

Thank you Valm family for the privilege of spending a gorgeous morning with you!

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://lkayephoto.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/valm/feed/ 2 lkayephoto Valm Family Mama & Daughter Dad & Son