Family Photos & Giveaway!

I cannot tell you how much it means to this photography-loving Mom to have nice photos of our family! Several years we've managed to get a family photo by setting up a tripod and using a self timer, but I really treasure the times when we have the pleasure of being photographed by a professional! I already shared the photos of Ken & I in our anniversary post and today I'll share the family shots!

We got together with Ariana Del Mundo who took these photos (and happens to be giving away gift certificates for her photography on her Instagram this month, so stick around to the end of this post for details!)

That first photo is my favourite of the "everyone looking at the camera" style. Next up is this shot of everyone loving on me! I felt kind of silly in the moment, having everyone "attack me with love" but I truly love the way this photo turned out with genuine smiles all around!

Next up are these shots of my girls. I think each of these photos really captures my girls as they are at this age and I love having them!

When I used to do family photo sessions I always loved the more candid, lifestyle shots the best. Most everyone wants a more posed, "looking at the camera" shot (myself included), but once those are taken care of, I love this type of shot!

Speaking of "looking at the camera shots", I love this one of these cute sisters:

...but I adore this tickle fight shot! :) I think it captures their friendship and a little bit of the feisty side of their relationship too. Just looking at this photo, I can hear the wild squeals they make when they get hyper and crazy together!

Moving on from that cute sister relationship, we go to this Daddy daughter relationship and I phrase it that way because I love how these photos really capture the great relationship Ken has with our girls.

I'm so glad they get to have a Dad like him who is so invested in them, helping them learn and grow and recognizing their talents and interests and helping them to explore and discover those. I think you can tell from the photo that these girls love their Daddy. Aren't they a cute group? :)

Finally, we're on to me and my girls:

I love these two shots of Talia and I, laughing together...

... and this next one just speaks love to me. With an 11 (almost 12) year old, I'm learning a lot as we navigate this stage of parenting and it's not always smooth sailing. Moments like this, though? They tell me I'm doing okay and I am so grateful for this sweet girl in my life!

12 Days of Giveaways

Our photographer, Ariana, is hosting 12 Days of Giveaways over on her Instagram in December! She's got a lot of great shops on board who are giving away some great prizes (including gift certificates for Ariana's photography) and the giveaways have already started! You can find all the details about the giveaways on her blog now (including the shops participating). Be sure to follow her on Instagram to see what she's giving away each day and enter for your chance to win!