The Guessing Game Comes to an End...

What a CRAZY week last week was!!!

I started to forget what day it was and I apologize I was unable to post much. I guess you have weeks like that, and last week was surely one of those.

It was a BIG week over here for Todd and I as we venture into the next phase of our lives... the GENDER of our baby!

We had our anatomy ultrasound on Friday morning, which was absolutely incredible! Who would have thought that from our first ultrasound at 8 weeks, that the tiny little tadpole, that seriously looked like an alien, swimming around would turn into an actual person with a normal shaped head, arms, legs, and cute little belly! Although we chose not to find out if our baby was in fact a he or a she at our appointment, it was still really fun to see how much our little tadpole had changed.



I know for me, I have always wanted to wait to find out the gender of our baby until they were actually born, but Todd wanted to find out as soon as we could, so as a compromise we decided to find out after the appointment with friends and family surrounding us in anticipation, smiles, hugs, and a warm atmosphere without my naked belly showing. Haha! Plus, we LOVE parties, so why not plan one that would reveal such fun and exciting news, right?!

During the actual ultrasound, we let the tech know our plan, and how we just wanted her to write down what the gender was on a card we brought and have her seal it. After the appointment, we took the sealed envelope to my favorite cake designer, Nina from Nina Kelly Cakes, and she made a cake, by dying the batter either pink or blue, depending on if the card said "Girl" or "Boy", then she iced it, and added an amazing design the that was incredible! I swear this girl has more talent than Cake Boss! She's AMAZING! Plus, her stuff is DEEEEELICIOUS!!!

So the waiting game began... until... later that night, when Todd and I went out to eat to celebrate the success in our plan. We came back home to watch a movie, as usual when a movie pops into the DVD play, I'm out like a light. But after a few hours, I was woken up and told to go get ready for bed. I was half asleep and had no idea what was going on, all I knew was that I needed to find the bed upstairs. I was SOOOO tired! But low and behold that was not going to be the case and there was a knock on the door and in comes....

My bestest...



WHAT???? Seriously, someone needed to wake me up ASAP. How did she get up here without me knowing? TODD!!! How'd he keep that from me so long? I was so confused, but all I know is that they are both pretty sneaky. It just goes to show you why these two are two of my favorite people... I LOVE them so much!

Anyways...

Saturday came around, which the anticipation was extremely hard, but since my bestest was in town, she was keeping my mind totally occupied. Plus, later in the day, my mom made the drive up for our party as well. I was so excited! We all had a great day hanging out and after picking up the gorgeous cake...



and 8PM had come around, it was time for the reveal... I felt like it was our wedding day again, the excitement, the anticipation, the emotions were all so overwhelming, yet it was TIME for our lives to move forward and find out what this baby growing in my belly would be... PINK OR BLUE!!!



We're having a BOY!!!



We are so excited...



And the famous ultrasound that was being passed around of our baby boy's gender... this is as close as you're going to see and one day our son might kill me for posting this photo. Haha! Let's just say that there is an arrow that points right to deciding factor of how they know it's a boy... haha!



Luckily, I have some awesome friends, one of those being my dear friend and fellow uber talented photographer, Jenn Anibal, who offered to bring her camera and provided us with the reveal photos... I couldn't have been more excited about that, considering Todd and I were debating on who we should give the camera to. Ha... we can't be two places at once, huh?!

We are both so excited and are so glad we were able to find out the way we did... what a memorable moment to share with our loved ones!

One of my TOP 5 moments of my life!!!

The Guessing Game Begins...

Saturday's are usually BIG days for us here at the Veldman house... particularly between the months of May - October, with a few here and there between the months of November - April. Ha!

People sometimes ask us... "Does it ever bother you that you work weekends during the summer?" And right away, my answer is "NO. I don't mind it one bit!" I say this because I am very blessed to be doing photography as my full time job and I can always take a day off during the week or two or three or get all my work done in one day and relax outside in the sun for the next... hehe! Which in that case, I do not mind one bit working on Saturdays!

But THIS coming Saturday is going to be a Saturday that is going to go down in our history books. It is not one of our typical Saturday events, nothing like getting our camera equipment all packed up in the car, taking tons of photos while a loving couple say some extremely sweet vows to each other, no fancy reception dinner, and no witnessing of tons of people dance to the "Cha Cha Slide"...

We are going to be spending our Saturday anxiously awaiting until around 8 P.M. when we will cut into a cake that will determine if we will be having a GIRL or a BOY! Up until now, we have had a hunch of what we think it is and we have quite a few people put in their guesses, but it will all be "OFFICIAL" come THIS Saturday!

I can't believe how time is flying by, but we are all so excited especially Maddox.

He is seriously screaming with excitement.... Can't you tell??? Haha!



We will keep you all posted, but feel free to add your guess to the mix....

And it Continues...

Some of my most absolute FAVORITE photos have been taken from those moments where people are not expecting a photo to be taken.

You know the ones when someone is in the midst of laughing so hard they want to cry, or when they are first announced as husband and wife, the music starts, and they begin that treck down the aisle with a huge applause or standing ovation, or when when they are so wrapped up in each others beauty tears start streaming from their eyes (LOVE THAT!), but even when they are trying to be serious and one of them breaks out into a monkey impression... oh yes, that has happened before! Haha!

But moments like those can really speak to you and looking at it makes you smile from ear to ear... which brings me to my NEXT category of contest:

2010 FAVORITE WEDDING MOMENTS THAT MAKE YOU SMILE... (again there were seriously so many, but I had to choose 5 of my favorites!)

Here are the finalists (in no particular order)...

#1 Brian & Sarah



#2 Jason & Julie



#3 Neil & Jennifer



#4 Garry & Jen



#5 Josh & Carrie




I LOVE them all, but now it's your turn to share your LOVE and pick your FAVORITE moment that made you smile as well.

The winner will receive a 6 x 6 gallery wrapped canvas and the FRONT spot to the wedding moments section of our website.

Voting takes place via Facebook, so travel on over to our Veldman Photo Page, "Like" us, and then head to the photo gallery "2010 Wedding Moments Photo Contest Finalists", "Like" your favorite one (ONLY "likes" will count as votes), and go ahead and share it with all your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc... Remember you must "like" our Veldman Photo Page first or else you will have trouble voting. Enjoy picking your favorite... Voting will end Friday, April 1 at 3PM EST, so get going!

Happy Friday!!!

Baby Isabelle :: Newborn

43 weeks... seriously!!! That is a REALLY long time... and that 43 weeks is referring to how long Baby Isabelle's mom was pregnant with her. Wow!

I could NOT imagine, but I guess that could be me as well here in a few more months... ummm... YIKES! Time is sure flying by! I guess ONE of my biggest fear is that I'm going to go WAY over my due date, but going THREE weeks over... I think at that point, I might just go out and buy a trampoline, and hope that the baby falls out that way! Not sure if that will work or not, but let's hope I don't have to find out!

I'm pretty sure that Isabelle's parents agree that she was so worth that 43 week wait, even though mom was trying everything to get her out. Ha! But Isabelle is one of the most adorable little babies I have ever seen! I actually don't think I even saw her awake, as she slept the entire time, so her eye color could totally be a weird shade, which would throw off the whole "cuteness" balance, but I somehow doubt that!!! I'm pretty sure she is adorable awake or asleep! Of course, her mom and I didn't mind she slept the entire time because it gave us plenty of time to get some cute shots, and she did so well the entire time. I'm 90% sure she had a blast... but I guess we'll have to ask her when she is awake next! Haha!

Congratulations you two... she is SO beautiful!


Check out a few of my favorites... she was so adorable it was hard to choose!!!

She did start off a little camera shy... and who could blame her, it was her first photo shoot... Ha!



But then totally perked up... (can't you tell... HA!)



LOVE those little toes of hers...



Adorable!!!



I LOVE this one... it's just precious!



She kept making some really funny faces on her belly... she's so cute!





And then she was SPENT... but who doesn't love a cute, crying face like this... Awww...

And the Winner is...

Brad & Ashley!



Thank you all for voting and making this beautiful couple the winner of our engagement contest! All the couples that I photographed last year were AWESOME and what a tough choice to pick your favorite, and you all seemed to agree since it was practically neck & neck up until, literally, the last minute. How fun and suspenseful!

Check them out on our website under the 'engagement portraits' section, and Brad & Ashley, I will be in touch with more details!

Enjoy this week... I'm so excited for the great weather we are going to be having... Wooo...!!!! Oh and stay tuned for the NEXT contest, I'm so excited to do this again!!!

Congratulations to you all!

Ryan & Kristin :: Wedding

Phewww... I'm so glad last week is over with!

I was not feeling so hot and I think I slept the entire week away, and who could blame me with the weather being all gloomy. I think it was screaming, "SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP!!!" Thinking about it, I'm not exactly sure what even went on, I was in such a daze. Ha!

But I've beamed back to earth and I'm feeling alive. The weather forecast sounds so exciting this week that I'm so glad that I decided to venture back to this planet. I will definitely be living it up and hopefully enjoying what is to come. Fingers are crossed that the meteorologists are right for once... that would be AMAZING!

Which brings me to an extremely AMAZING couple that received VERY nice weather for their winter wedding: Ryan & Kristin!

I was so excited to shoot their wedding because I had so much fun during their engagement session, that I knew it would be a BLAST, and I have to say they did not disappoint! PLUS, it was our first wedding of 2011 and what a day to start off the year.

Ryan & Kristin were married over at Kensington Community Church where they attend. What a beautiful church it is! Their ceremony was so cute and you could tell they were both just so excited to be "in their special moment", and what a moment to be in and to be cherishing.

After the wedding, we quickly headed over to Penna's of Sterling Heights for photos and to partake in the rest of the evenings events. I have to say that I have NEVER been to a reception quite like Ryan & Kristin's! (I'm saying this all in a GOOD way!) They were introduced and as they entered the room EVERYONE was on their feet by the dance floor, they got the warmest entrance and they seriously danced for like 10 minutes to drums, a singer, and some keyboard... it was so loud and the energy was AWESOME! Both Todd and I looked at each other with huge smiles on our faces, and I'm pretty sure the ENTIRE room had those huge smiles as well! You could just feel all the love and excitement that Ryan and Kristin have, and it just went to show that through their extremely special day!

We had so much fun and this was definitely a wedding to remember!

Congratulations you guys... we hope Florida treated you guys well!!!

Here are a few of my favorites and a slideshow with more from their day...

Dress: Maria's Bridal Couture
Flowers: Flower's by Renee
Cake: Sweet Dreams
Limo: Lavdas
DJ/Band: Mazin
Video: TBA

Wasn't Kristin absolutely stunning...



And all of her beautiful ladies were so gorgeous... LOVED their dresses!



Ryan was very studly as well... LOVE the bow tie!



And who doesn't love a good group of guys that are both fun & handsome?!!!



LOVED them together... so great!



And so fun...



They totally work well together... what do you think?



And their whole wedding party together was awesome!



Check out more from their day... especially all the fun dancing they did coming in...

Worst Idea Ever!!!

Worst idea EVER... and it was not my call!

Tonight we decided to opt out of our ritual, for I'm not really sure what the reasons were or who's idea it was to do so (not mine), I think what a terrible idea it was to do so. Wednesday's in our home, especially lately, mean we eat dinner together, catch up on what's going on in our lives, and sometime between 7-8PM we get in the Jeep, and drive our ourselves over to TCBY for Waffle Cone Wednesday!!! But as I sit here writing about that crunchy, sweet cone, filled with sweet heaven, my mind not only wonders what flavors they would be serving tonight, but my mouth is drooling over what flavor I would be shoving in that crunchy, sweet cone and WHY we are missing it... MMMMmmmm!!!

I think from now on, we should NOT switch up our Wednesday ritual or else Todd is going to have to deal with one unhappy lady and I will have anxiety over what flavors I could have sampled!!! Ughhh!!!

I will see you next week my heavenly filled cone!



But stay tuned this week for more of Ryan & Kristin...



And Baby Isabelle... (adorable!!!)

I'm soooo over this SNOW!!!

Today marks the day...

The day I'm soooo over winter! I might have been over it a few months back, but today is the day I officially am declaring my hatred towards everything white, cold, fluffy, and wet, besides vanilla ice cream!

Todd told me this morning that we are suppose to be getting MORE snow... and I think I about croaked, especially being in the morning. I had to think about it all day and hate it even more... ughhh!

In frustration, I got up, stormed out of the room, gathered all my snowmen decorations up, and put them ALL in boxes until next winter. I'm hoping that my actions will allow the snow to switch directions, cause a warm front, and bring spring here SOON, I'm talking a couple days max soon! Maybe if everyone chants with me, "WE WANT SPRING! WE WANT SPRING! WE WANT SPRING!" it will happen?! Well I'm hopeful... and I guess we'll see how much longer we have to dread this awful cold weather... Blugghhh!

See you next year, Snowmen!!!!

LOL...

Funny photos are my favorite...

They always bring a smile to my face, a quiet chuckle, or a flat out laughing out loud moment! You know the ones where you laugh at something and you are alone, then you laugh harder because you are by yourself and you know it, then that becomes even more funny? Am I speaking to anyone besides myself? Haha!

I love funny photos so much that I decided to devote an entire wall to them in our hallway upstairs. It's kind of like my "happy wall" that makes me smile every time I walk past. I think that is a HUGE reason why I love photography so much. Remembering those moments visually is awesome, especially since I feel my memory is fading each day that passes! Ughh... I have got to find a drug that helps with that.

Well this past year, I kept a few photos that seriously made me laugh out loud to myself as I spent MANY hours editing with crossed eyes and a sore tailbone.

I hope they make you laugh as much as they made me laugh...

HILARIOUS...



Haha...



What a great groom trying to get all the bugs out of the MANY layers of dress she had... I don't think he realized just how many layers there were... Haha!



Haha... I seriously think this is how most guys feel...



Haha!



NOW you know how I took photos of all those puppies... MANY, MANY shots of this kind... haha!





Haha... Todd always does this... crazy guy!



Oh wow... what am I doing... haha!!!



Happy Thursday!!!

Quick Visit...

Don't you ever wish there was more hours in a day, especially and ONLY when you are having fun?

Ughhh... I wish for that so much, but it never seems to change! Where's that bottle with the genie in it so I can use one of my three wishes for that... the other two would be teleport powers and powers to control the weather! Haha!

Well this past weekend, Todd and I traveled down to good ol' Indiana to join in the birthday festive's with my sister. This year was a big one, as she was out of the 20's and into those 30's... YAY! We actually didn't know if we were going to be able to make it down due to those snowy forecasts, but like always, they were wrong! We did enjoy the scare as we planned to leave earlier, which then in turn left us some extra time to stop at the outlet mall along the way, even though when we pulled up, half the stores were out of business. Bummer! But once we made it, we enjoyed some fun times with the whole family, especially that little Izzy B, who is getting to be quite the character. She always says, "Abby-Todd," which is smart considering we come as a pair. But she also is so sweet, giving her kisses when you have a boo boo, giving you hugs when something is wrong, making you laugh at funny things she does, or laughing at everything you do. It's the cutest thing! It was hard to leave, considering it was such a quick trip, but I guess that is part of life... there is never enough time!

I did take a few photos while we were there, although I was busy playing, visiting, or eating... haha!


Izzy B was REALLY excited to see us when she woke up on Saturday... Haha!



I did get to see one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jennifer... so fun!



And we were there to watch my sis blow out all those candles... all 30 of them! Ha!



This was so funny... can you guess what Izzy did? Yep, she was getting the first lick... haha!



Happy Tuesday!