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tax day.

Today, I am putting all procrastination aside and finally completing my taxes. I do have an accountant, but I've waited far too long to file my paperwork, update Quickbooks, and organize all of my receipts. I've avoided it like the plague. Also, it's pouring down rain today, which does nothing to lift my spirits...

So, before Maggie and Caleb went to my in-laws for the day, I decided to take a breath, grab my camera, and let Maggie play in the rain for a bit before we left. (Caleb is still a little too unsteady for rainboots, but his day will come soon!) I love these photos of Maggie. Her sweet cousin, Lily, just gave her that umbrella earlier this week, and she was so excited to try it out. Also, she's wearing a dress (the same dress that appears in my "LOVE" post) because dresses and skirts are all she wants to wear these days. On a particularly cold day earlier this week, she grabbed a "twirly" skirt and pulled it on over her jeans... because she knew she'd want to get some dancing in on the playground. :)

I know that I say it with every new post, but she looks particularly old and wise to me today. Ready for a new baby, ready to start preschool in the Fall, ready to keep growing... And as much as I want her to stay little forever, I also love seeing her grow into such a thoughtful and sweet little girl. This photo shoot definitely helped make me feel a little bit happier this morning. Also, I'm not going to lie... putting off taxes even more to post these photos is making me smile!

baby carl | nine-months

I had so much fun meeting Carl for his nine-month session at Great Falls. He's getting so big! And I always love catching up with Angie and Craig. We've had many frequent photo shoots over the last two years... I am going to be so sad when they end!

Angie suggested that we meet at Great Falls because it seemed like a fun outdoor location for a winter shoot. It was pretty cold that morning, but Carl was such a trooper! And we had a great time exploring the park. It's hard to believe that this little cutie will celebrate his first birthday in just a few months. I'm really looking forward to it!








Thanks guys! See you again soon!

february | at a glance.

February.

-- This little dance party occurred on Valentine's Day after we spent the morning baking heart-shaped cupcakes. The baking and dancing were a perfect start to the day. The cupcakes, however, were disgusting and thrown away soon after cooling.

-- Though I would have enjoyed warmer weather, and I loved February. I loved watching Maggie very purposefully make Valentine's cards for all of her cousins. I loved eating heart-shaped candy. I loved the slower pace that comes with our winter schedule. I feel like our whole family took a deep breath, and it felt really, really nice.

-- This month, Caleb went from walking a few steps at a time to running waddling quickly across the room. It's so much fun to see him getting more and more independent! In fact, I've been enjoying his independence quite a lot lately. I'm starting to even think that taking care of Maggie and Caleb is easy. Don't worry, though. I'll be humbled again in August. :)

-- Maggie and I went on a last minute trip into D.C. to see Disney on Ice. (Specifically, the show featuring all the Disney Princesses.) She hadn't even seen an entire Disney movie at the time, but she can name all the princesses and sat mesmerized as each new character skated out onto the ice. It was so much fun, watching her enjoy the show. I love how much she got into the music and the dancing. She's been acting out the routines ever since! Also, she and her friend Caroline giggled and held hands during the show. It was such a sweet evening.

-- Caleb is officially obsessed with Tim. I used to think that he liked to call me "Dada" because that was his affectionate name for both of his parents. Now I'm convinced that he's just asking for Tim throughout the day.

-- Maggie and I headed down to Durham for three days at the end of the month to visit my dear friend, Lashelle. It was such a wonderful visit, and I felt like I was cheating because I only had to take care of one child the whole time! Lashelle is an amazing mom, talented photographer, incredible cook, and inspired gardener. Just being around her (and her adorable son, Hayston) was like a breath of fresh air.

-- After being away from Caleb and Tim for three days, I felt like Caleb had grown up exponentially by the time we returned. He's just such a funny and sweet little guy. And I absolutely love this age. He smiles easily, loves to hug Maggie, and is almost always in a good mood. And while he's mischievous, he doesn't really understand how to be bad. I almost don't want him to grow up!

That's it for now... More to come next month!

leah + evan | warrenton engagement

Over the weekend, I met Leah and Evan for a fun engagement session around Old Town Warrenton. After two unseasonably gorgeous days, Saturday was incredibly windy and we almost postponed the shoot. But we decided to go for it, and I'm so glad that we did! The light was just lovely, and I had so much fun wandering around town with these two. (And if nothing else, the wind made us laugh a lot!) Leah and Evan are a lot of fun, and I can't wait for their wedding next Fall. They are both incredibly genuine and so easy to photograph. I know their wedding is going to be a blast!

Just FYI: This next photo was the very first image that I captured. Can you see how easy they made things for me?!




The wind was definitely out in full effect!



I loved the sunset on this bridge.




Thanks guys! Can't wait to celebrate with you in September!