Mark & Riley :: Wedding

2012 has been an awesome year so far... 

It seems winter skipped us and went straight from fall to spring, I got new running shoes that make my feet feel oh-so-squishy, Costco changed their natural peanut butter recipe to be nothing but AMAZING, and we have consistently been working with such sweet and beautiful couples each month. 

We started off the year with two Floridan's. I'm not sure that's a word, but my spell check allowed it to be (Ha!)... 

Mark & Riley live down in Florida, but decided to venture back this way, since Riley's family is here, to get married. I'm pretty sure Mark was in for it when the weather forecast called for snow the day of their wedding, he's like me and hates the cold! A man who loves his lady for agreeing to a January wedding in Michigan... Ha! Riley is worth every snow flake that fell... she is, seriously, the sweetest, most selfless person, so caring and loving. She made the day extremely special for all who were there. Mark and her were stunning together. Both of them compliment each other and suit each other so perfectly! It was such an honor to be a part of their day... what a way to kick off 2012 wedding season! 

A-Mazing!!! 

Congratulations you two... we had a blast and just wish you guys lived closer! 

Check out a few of my favorites from their day... (My slideshow program was lost in my computer shift... I'm working to get it back!)

Dress: Bella Bridal

Venue: Inn at St. John's

Wedding Cordinator: Linda Johnson

Flowers: Merri Craft Florist

Cake: Nina Kelly Cakes

DJ: Mike Staff Productions- Steve Klieman

 

Just Going with It...

What a week it was last week...

I am learning that once you have children, your life changes... BIG TIME! All for the good, but it's definitely WAY different!

The simplest tasks are not simple anymore, and life gets a bit more challenging. But with each new challenge brings joy and accomplishment. Quick trips to the grocery or to the mall or to anywhere are not "quick" anymore... Ha! And even longer trips, say to visit family in Indiana, have become longer and LOUDER.

This past week, I thought to myself, "What a great week to go visit family and to see my bestest, Stephanie, as she just had a baby a few weeks back!" I could make the quick trip down with Jackson, and we could spend a few days hanging with family. We are going to be getting pretty crazy with weddings soon, and it was the PERFECT time before life gets in full swing chaos. Little did I know that, long trips are super challenging alone. Ha! Needless to say, Jackson broke his screaming record of an hour and a half. I felt terrible, but there was absolutely nothing I could do in the car to entertain him. Oh well... we both survived, even if he's now sick with a cold. I'm pretty sure he would agree it was worth it and sometimes you have to learn to just go with it...

He loved visiting with his FAVORITE auntie...



Lots of playing with his cousins... Miss Izzy B... who he loves so much! Despite this photo, she wasn't trying to hurt him... haha!



And Miss Emmie... they loved playing or I should say, stealing toys back and forth from each other. They both wanted what the other one had... so funny!



Here is a short video of them playing together... it's so funny to see Miss Emmie get so upset that Jackson has the remote, but then gets so giddy when she gets it from him. (Emmie is very vocal compared to Jackson... he barely says a peep! Ha!)



Making a quick visit to Indy to see my bestie... Miss her mucho!!!



And her kiddos... Landon is such a great big brother!!!



Happy Monday... it feels good to be home!!!

Happy April!

Oh wow... I'm the worst blogger EVER!

I guess by now just know I'm trying to find time to fill you in on all the wonderful people we have been working with! Just trust me... they have been amazing!

I can't believe it is April now... APRIL! It's insane how fast this year is flying by!

We had a great Easter and our little love muffin has been nothing but pure joy to us... I say this since it's during the day right now, but at night is another story! Haha! He is getting his bottom two teeth, so it's been a bit of a crazy town here since his mama is all he wants at night. I feel bad for him, but these FOUR hours of sleep each night are not helping my fog during the day. I know he's worth it... EVERY sleepless night!

Over the next couple weeks, I am going to do my best to fill you in on the A-MAZING COUPLES we've been photographing, but until then you can get a few of our Easter boy!

This is one of his favorite toys... and of course it goes straight in the mouth! Haha!



Haha... he makes me smile!!!



Happy April!

Matt & Amy :: Engagements

March is almost over... I'm not exactly sure what happened to it, but what a month it's been.

We went from being really sick and miserable to having 80 degree weather, which allowed us to really enjoy some much needed fresh air and warmth. I have to say, last week I did not sit down much and my hips were on fire all week from the numerous walks we did around the neighborhood. It felt so nice to get out my summer clothes and actually get some more freckles on my face from all the sun.

Despite the beginning of the month being a plague, the month is finishing off to be quite nice and tomorrow we get to finish off with a super sweet couple's wedding... and that super sweet couple is worth more then the MEGA MILLION LOTTERY!

Speaking of that super sweet couple... (I know this is much overdo, but seriously, how to people get stuff done with active babies?!?! I'm clueless... but better late then never right?)

Matt & Amy are making things official tomorrow and we could not be more thrilled! I met Matt a few years back when I first moved here. He was a fellow photographer, plus an amazing runner. I not only got the chance to help him out with his track team, but I even got to photograph his sister's wedding as well. Both events were so fun, and now it's his turn to be front and center, or I should say next to his beautiful bride, Amy. She is quite possibly the sweetest, cutest, most loving person you have ever met! I think the two of them are absolutely PERFECT for each other and the way they look at each other is so SWEET!!!!

We are so excited and cannot wait to be a part of such a wonderful day!

Check out a few of my favorites... seriously, there were so many I really had to limit it! Ha!

Matt & Amy were engaged over at Mill Race... so why not re-create that sweet time!





They have so much fun together... it's so cute!!!



Can we say BEAUTIFUL!!!



HAHA...



Love Mill Race and all their historic buildings...



Aww... Adorable!



Rarr...



Are they seriously not the cutest?!...

The Plague of March

I tell you what...

March started out to be a little rough...

I thought it was going to be great, considering the weather has been turning out to be fabulous, and who doesn't love fabulous weather?!

Well March 1st came and I was hopeful. But I started to come down with a slight sore throat. I didn't think anything of it because I don't hold onto many bad germs too long and I like to think I have a great immune system.

Well sure enough, that sore throat turned into a stuffy nose, but nothing too terrible until Sunday rolled around and I was not feeling 100%. I decided a few Vitamin C packets were in order. The only problem... I think I took way TOO many Vitamin C packets and Sunday night, Monday night, Tuesday night, and again Wednesday night, my body was WIRED! Seriously wired... my mind was racing 90mph and I would close my eyes to drift off to sleep, and the minute I would start to daze I would have a surge of adrenaline that would cause me to stay awake all night long... literally ALL NIGHT LONG! Most of those nights, I would eventually fall asleep around 6am. only to get an hour or two for those nights. I decided after the firsts two nights, I would try all the "natural" remedies to get to sleep... warm bath, hot tea, warm milk, bananas... you name it, I tried it and NOTHING worked. How frustrating. Needless to say, no sleep equals a poor immune system, so this "slight" cold was holding on a bit too long. I decided a trip to the doctor was in order. So Wednesday I got the first appointment available, and off to the doctor I went. But what a waste of time... they didn't tell me anything I didn't already know and couldn't do much to help. Bummer!

So I tried to go on with my life as I was a walking zombie all week. Thursday night I finally got a few extra hours of sleep, so instead of the 1 - 2, I got about 4. I thought I was smooth sailing, until Friday rolled around... Dah dah dahhhh!

Let me back track... Wednesday night was a bit interesting as Todd was up all night with what we thought was food poison. But sure enough, Friday night I was up throwing up so it must have been a flu bug. So Saturday and Sunday was a bit of a downer... I felt so sick... I couldn't move much. I was starting to think that March was full of the plague...

But I woke up this morning, feeling much better, not 100%, but almost all the way put back together. Now if Jackson would just learn how to sleep through the night already, or at least not wake every couple hours to eat, I would actually be normal again. Haha! But I'm sure that will come with some more time, right?! I guess he just LOVES to eat!!!

Speaking of Jackson...

My boy just turned 6 months old... Can you believe it?!

He's getting to be so BIG, guess it's all that eating, and he's such a little sweetheart... He's so smiley and funny, and can make your heart melt!

Plus, he can do all these fun tricks now, like stick his feet in his mouth... that's talent right there...



He rolls all over the place...



He smiles like crazy and it is so contagious...



He's starting to sit up a bit... not all the way, but almost there...



And we can't forget those BIG BLUE eyes he's been blessed with...LOVE HIM!



Happy 6 months my love... I know it's a few weeks late!

That's ok! He'll never know! :) Hehe!!!

Happy Leap Year!

What a rare occasion to celebrate today... the fact that we get 366 days instead of 365 this year. Woohoo!

What a crummy day it is here in Michigan... rain, mud, gloom! Such a bummer of a celebratory day! Oh well...

Something to celebrate, though, is distractions... or I should say "more" distractions. It seems we have a lot more distractions here at the Veldman house with a growing "active" baby and I realize my blog here has suffered the consequences. I apologize and I promise I'm trying to stay on top of things and get caught up, but with a new roller in the house and the fact that I find myself looking at the clock and wondering how in the world it gets to be 5PM so quick, I barely got a chance to sit down for a few minutes makes for great distractions. Haha!

But we had a few great distraction come in town for a few days this past weekend. Lots of extra babies in town to love all over, which will never get old, especially when each time you see them they are growing and changing. It's crazy how fast time flies by...

Here is are a few photos from the weekend...

My sister and I's kids... Despite their faces in this photo, they did have fun. I think they are all in their own world and between schedules and nap times, we had a hard time getting a few of all of them together. Haha!



Lots of sister love was had...





And little Miss Emmie turned 6 months old a few weeks back... so we got some fun shots of her while she was here (Jackson's 6 month debut will be taken this weekend)





She was not a fan of the dog though... Haha!









Now I know why they call this yoga pose "Happy Baby"...



I hope you find a way to enjoy this EXTRA day somehow in your own special way!

Happy Leap Day!