Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I'm spending the day watching ONE of my love's flirt with his girlfriend, as they roll in the wet snow, share toys and sticks, take turns chasing each other through the yard, and an occasional "dominate dance" (that's all I'm going to say, you can use your imagination to figure it out! Haha!). Luckily, Todd is at work and Maddox is the one doing all the running around, we might have some problems if Todd was the one out back... haha!

Other than watching my one love play out back in what is turning into a mushy swamp and waiting for my other love to get home later today from work, there is not much planned. I hate to say it, but Valentine's Day to us here at the Veldman House is not really observed. I think Todd has always been the best friend/boyfriend/fiance/husband, and hasn't needed one specific day to remind me of that. I know that a lot of places, or where ever you go for that matter, really play it up, and kind of make you feel guilty if you don't buy your loved one that diamond necklace, that I know I would probably lose pretty quick, those stuffed animals with the sappy hearts on them, which would be tore up in less than five minutes if Maddox got a hold of it, or even those pink, red, and white M & M's, they do all taste the same, right?

I'm fine with eating a home cooked meal together, maybe get a little fancy and make dessert! That's asking a lot... Haha! I did, however, sneak a cute gift for Todd this year, even though I'm not necessarily "observing" the holiday, but rather using today as one of MANY days to remind him that I love him so much and life would not be the same without him.

Whatever you do or don't do... I hope you have a great one!!!!

Patrick & Rachael :: Maternity

Talk about a wake up call...

Shortly after Todd and I found out that we were going to have a baby, I had what usually would be just another portrait session, but this particular one was a bit personal, for obvious reasons since it was a maternity shoot. I was so intrigued and probably asking some pretty odd questions because at this point I was in SHOCK and overwhelmed at just about everything "BABY" related. I have to apologize to Rachael, if I asked some really random and out-of-the-ordinary questions... now you know! Ha!

But what made it even more "personal" was Rachael's sister came over for a few photos, as she is expecting her second child as Rachael is with her first. Why is that "personal" you ask? Well it just so happens that MY SISTER is pregnant with her SECOND child and is due just TWO days before me... talk about a coincidence! Seriously, what are the odds? But it was really cool to chat with both of them as they are so excited for each other and both had some super fun ideas when it came to photos!

But Patrick and Rachael are expecting come the beginning of March and boy how time is flying. It was extremely fun to document this point of their lives as they are so excited for this HUGE life change. They are both extremely sweet people and you can tell are going to be awesome parents! I can't wait to meet the little guy in just a few weeks...

Congratulations to your whole family!!! What an addition both babies are going to be!

Check out a few of my favorites from our sessions... there were so many I had to narrow it down a TON!

Such a lovely couple, I'm sure this kid is going to be gorgeous!!!



Adorable... and we got lucky to get some outdoor shots before the snow erupted on us!



I LOVE this...



Baby LOVE...



Such a precious moment...



I'm in awe... such an intimate moment...



Belly shots are breathtaking...



Soooo cute!!!



One is a girl... one is a boy... can you tell from looking at these? Haha... Just look behind at the color of their tops!

Life Will NEVER Be the Same...

When life gives you lemons, the best thing to do is make lemonade, right?

Well that is exactly what happened a few weeks back.

So here's the story:

A few weeks back, Todd and I celebrated Christmas with our families. We had some great times and enjoyed the time we had with both so much, the only negative thing was that we also got a visitor from the flu bug, which was not so great! Actually, I think it was probably the worst thing that has happened in a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY long time! I'm not sure I had ever been so sick in my life, other than back in high school when I had food poison which lasted a good 3 days. That could be a tie for worst EVER!

So we can fast forward through the nightmarish stories, which has since scarred some of my favorite foods that I "used" to love, including vegetable omelets... I miss you my friend! But cannot bare to think about without my stomach churning... blugghhh!!! Well after a few days, Todd started to feel better. We thought it was because he had a better immune system, and since he's around more people than I am on a regular basis, I agreed, even though I rarely get sick and take lots of vitamins and eat super healthy. Whatever! Haha!

A week had went by and I'm still pretty sick, not throwing up (Thank Goodness!), but the whole fatigue, weakness, nauseation, etc... was still there. At this point, it was also brought to my attention that there was another problem that quite honestly never dawned on me, due to some health and irregularity issues I was dealing with, that would made me think nothing could have been wrong other than Todd's advantage with working around people that get sick more often. With some convincing, Todd went and bought the THING that could determine what quite possibly would change our lives forever!

Without drawing this story out too long and getting into details that might steer people away from ever reading again... let's just say that:

Our Lives are Going to be Changing Forever!

It was a huge shock and one that has taken me a good few weeks to process, but now that we are in the "safe" zone and it is now become PUBLIC news, it's safe to let everyone know that Todd and I are going to be having a BABY! Yes, a baby... I have to keep telling myself that because it does not seem real yet other than the fact that I've been gaining some weight, stupid scale... I think it's broken, and the fact that some of my jeans are becoming quite snug around the waist, stupid dryer... I had to have shrunk them, right?!

Despite the initial shock, we are both really excited and plan to cherish the next months together, for the life we once knew will never be the same...

Happy Wednesday! Hope we didn't shock you too much... haha!


And of course, we will always love our first born. I'm not sure he understands what's going on yet, but he will... haha!

Ryan & Kristin :: Engaged

I love a good laugh... who doesn't though, right?

I love laughing so much it hurts, or there are tears seeping out of my eye balls, or my abs get so sore the next day it feels like I've had a HUGE ab workout... I LOVE THAT!

Well that is EXACTLY what happened when I meet up with Ryan and Kristin for a snowy engagement session. I had mainly been chatting with Ryan, and whenever I talk to him, he always has so much energy. I couldn't believe it. I was thinking, someone with this much energy has got to be someone I really want to meet. When we did meet up in person, he did not disappoint! He is SO passionate about life, especially being it was a bit snowy and cold! He wanted to make their session memorable, which I think is such a great way to look at situations and I'm pretty sure he succeeded in that task. Despite the snow and cold, he wanted it to be perfect for him and his beautiful fiance, Kristin. He loves life and he loves his Kristin! Kristin is such a doll... extremely sweet and extremely gorgeous, with such a great heart! Plus she helps keep him focused and on track. Ha! What a great wife she will be! I love how they interact, it's absolutely adorable! You can't help but smile and laugh at how much fun they have together!

It was definitely a session for my record books and I left there with a sore face from smiling so much... sooooo cute!

Congratulations you two... we can't wait for your wedding here in a couple weeks... I know it's going to be AWESOME!

Check out a few of my favorites... there were so many to choose from...

Adorable... I knew it was going to be a great session after just a few shots...



He LOVES her... She LOVES him... soooo obvious...



Haha...



LOVE the snow... oh and the couple!



He kept doing this... haha! I think he was impressed by his MAD ring making skills...



I love how fun and cute they are...



Absolutely stunning!

Adam & Melissa :: Engagements

Who doesn't love a good ice cream cone or "fake" ice cream cone for us who can't do much dairy... my belly just cannot handle the read deal very well so it's usually coconut ice cream for me...

But don't you LOVE it when you have the option to get the swirl version? Both chocolate and vanilla... or raspberry and vanilla... or some other flavor and some other flavor??? It's awesome... and when you taste your first taste, all the flavors combine into a taste-bud-palooza... Mmmm... I kind of wish I had some in front of me right now.

I sometimes feel like people can be the same way. You meet someone, they are extremely nice and fun, but then you meet another part of them, and in this case a fiance, and both of them together are 10x as nice and 10x as fun!

That is exactly what happened when I met up with Adam & Melissa....

You see, Adam was actually a groomsman in one of my favorite weddings in 2009. He remembered us from that wedding and mentioned to me that he enjoyed our work, ALONG with how much fun he had playing on this playground equipment for photos. I started laughing because what a moment to remember. I'm laughing as I write this because I remember that exact "pose", it was totally spontaneous and a bit hilarious! All the guys in this wedding were such characters and I loved every one of them. I was glad he remembered and it reminded me how fun that wedding was, PLUS he mentioned that for him and Melissa's wedding there would be a lot of familiar faces, so that is a big bonus!

But I had the chance to meet Melissa, and I feel in love with her... she's so sweet and fun and both together compliment each other so well. It's total chocolate and vanilla. They have such great hearts, and just by watching them for a few moments, you can tell how much they care and love each other! It's so adorable!!!!

I can't wait to be a part of another awesome couple's day! What a reminder of how fortunate I am to be able to do what I love as well as meeting some pretty amazing people along the way!

Thanks Adam and Melissa for stinking out the extreme COLD weather for some beautiful photos in the end!

Check out a few of my favorites from our session...

Such an ADORABLE couple!!!!



I love this...



Can you tell it was freezing, windy, and that Melissa had lost feeling in her face??? They still are so stinkin' cute and I love the way Adam looks at her... like she is the most beautiful girl in the world...



Which she is absolutely gorgeous...



They love having fun together...



And love to make each other laugh SOOO much!!!





Such a cool "hidden gem" spot... LOVE IT!!!!

Greg & Charis :: Wedding

I love a good engagement story...

I love hearing how people are brought together either by mutual friends, random "perfect" events taking place, twin brothers who fall in love with sisters (yes, that has happened), being friends already for many years, or whatever the reason. It's nice to hear people's "LOVE STORIES," as I call them. What girl doesn't like to hear them? We all picture it in our heads "oooo'ing" and "awwwww'ing" and smiling as big as can be, just knowing that both of those people are so in love.

What's even better is that everyone has a different one to tell, and ALL are so special!

I love Greg & Charis's "love story"!

I love how they met at church and knew right away that they liked each other, those "like" feelings turned into "more", those "more" feelings turned into "Will You Marry Me?" feelings, and those "Will You Marry Me?" feelings have now turned into "I DO!" feelings. The best thing yet is that their story is not yet over... it's only just beginning!

It was an honor to be a part of Greg & Charis's wedding. They were married at their home church, Oakland Hills Community Church, and what a beautiful church it is. From the outside to the inside to the people, you can tell it was filled with TONS of family and friends with all the warm hugs and kind words they received. Both Greg & Charis are two of the sweetest, most kind, and considerate people, so it was no surprise they have so much love and supporters there to witness their special day! Especially when it came to their dessert reception, friends and family all pitched in and brought lots of great snacks and treats... SOOO yummy!!!

I love how great they are together! They are so cute and just wanted to hold each other so close, which helped a lot when we went outside for a few "outdoor"photos. It was snowing a bit, so they did not mind what so ever. I love how great of spirits they had when it came to stepping outdoors for a few, despite the snow and the cold. Not only were they troopers and adorable and sweet and perfect together, but GREAT news... last time we shot at wedding at this exact location, we pulled up, I grabbed my bags and out came one of my most expensive lens's, BUT not this time! Greg and Charis are my lucky charm!

We had so much fun and felt so loved and one of the guests, it was such a great way to end our 2010 wedding season!

A HUGE Congratulations and Thank you to you guys... we are SOOOO happy for you two and hope Hawaii was amazing and WARM! Plus, we loved being a part of your special day!

Check out a few of our favorites and a slideshow with more from their day...

Dress: David's Bridal
Flowers: TBA
Cake: TBA
Desserts: Friends & Family

Charis has such natural beauty, I love how elegant she looked... so stunning!!!



I LOVE HER GIRLS... all of them were so nice and SOOOO beautiful!



Check out that handsome groom... I love that he wore a bow tie, not many guys wear them anymore and it's so classy!



Guys + Greg = AWESOME BUNCH...



Adorable...



All I have to say is this photo is probably one of my favorites of all time... it's so intimate and so romantic...



Entering their party with a bang...



Haha... RUTHLESS... P.S. Great photo Todd... I can't take credit since I'm in the background... haha!



I love a good exit... especially with sparklers...



Check out a slideshow with more from their special day...

Snowcapade 2011

I guess the weather report was "somewhat" true when it said it was going to snow... however, I don't see that HUGE massive foot of snow they were predicting.

Oh well... it was kind of fun to get all excited about this huge SNOWCAPADE, as I have been calling it. Haha!

I do have to voice one complaint, by saying that although the snow is gorgeous and just so fresh and clean looking, it is also EXTREMELY bright and the brightness of the white fluff has kept me awake since 4am on. So now, this SNOWCAPADE has left me with the BIGGEST headache known to man! But I guess in a way, it can be a good thing because now I have an excuse to lay down on the couch and take a nap as the snow keeps falling, I'm banned from driving on the roads outside, AND Todd is working from home today, so I can at least have a snuggle buddy for a bit. The little things in life that get us excited huh?!

I do have the greatest husband as he spent over an hour snow blowing our driveway, along with our neighbors sidewalks... Thank God for his kind and HUGE heart! What would I do without him???



And get ready for TOMORROW as we wrap up our 2010 wedding season...



Plus, GET READY as we will be beginning our 2nd Annual Photo Contests from sessions from 2010 this month... It's going to be a little different this year with a few 'secret' categories, but just a "hint, hint" you'll want to become a fan of us on facebook so sign in or sign up, find us, and "like" us! You'll be glad you did!!!