Author: Becky

Many of you know that both of us are from and have family in the Cedar Rapids, IA area. Our hometown, as well as the town where we went to college to the north, has been hit very hard by the flood waters from the Cedar River. Our families are safe and dry, but are shocked by the current state of the city. Becky’s mom says that places you never thought would flood are now under water. There are updates and some amazing photographs on The Gazette’s website.

We are excited that the summer bridal show is quickly approaching! It is such a good time to show off new albums and connect with couples that are getting married. Stop by our booth, which is #202, by the main entrance, to see what new offerings we have. We are really excited about the new Proof Books!!! You have to come check them out!

The bridal show is put on by The Wedding Planner and Guide (the same people that do that really big one in January), and it’s next Wednesday, June 18th. The doors open at 4pm. You can check out their website to purchase tickets early, or you can purchase them at the door. Be sure to sign up for the prize package! There are a lot of good things included in it, and best of all, an engagement session by us, with an 11×14 portrait or guest book.

I’ll update soon with a recap of May weddings!

This year, we once again did the Madison (formally “Mad City”) Marathon half-marathon. Again, we had our friends, Becca and Tim, joining us. Training was a lot harder this time around. Having three children now, finding time to fit running into our schedules was next to impossible. We also did our part to help break the record for most brats sold at the Brat Fest. And, I think I may not need to eat another brat until next year!

I can’t believe how fast the time is flying by! I am already missing all the baby stages with Henry, and he is only six months old! He is acting like he could crawl any day now, but as any parent knows, that doesn’t mean he will. Here are two images from his session. I love the close-up because that is a smile I see a lot.

I don’t know why, but May is always crazy for us, both with the studio and at home! Our schedule is looking full already, and we are only a week into the month. In April, Madalyn celebrated her First Holy Communion and turned eight. The image of her is from her eight-year session. The image of Lydia finishes her two-year session (only a bit behind) and shows off her HotSling, with Baby inside. We kicked off our wedding season in April. Congratulations to Dave and Angie! Angie put so much work into all the details of their big day! Here are a couple teasers.

Tonight, Madalyn has her dance recital, with ballet, tap and jazz dances. Chris makes his “dance recital debut”, as fathers are included in the ballet portion. He’s feeling a bit nervous, but I’m sure they will both do great!

Okay, it’s actually more like a “Honey Do” list than a “Spring Cleaning” list, but we have been busy making improvements around the studio! We have created more seating in our entry area, with Chris building another alcove seat (which we both tend to call a “window seat”, though it lacks a window). We now have a larger viewing area in our meeting room. The leather couch is a comfy addition to the room, too. And my favorite, we now have a mini coffee bar! The world wouldn’t be the same without coffee, and now we can share the caffeine with all of our friends!

Wow! We are amazed at how many brides and grooms we have met with that are already booking weddings for 2009. We are excited to see so many organized couples! It appears that some of those prime dates will be filled earlier than usual for next year. We do still have a couple dates for 2008, so feel free to call to check availability.

There was a great story on The Today Show this morning about Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, a non-profit organization, for which we volunteer. Here is the link to check it out: Today video

Henry was baptized today. He actually seemed to enjoy having the holy water poured on his head! Here he is, in his 3 month photograph, which shows his Christening gown. It took us a bit of work to find a simple gown for a boy, as we wanted something traditional that could be passed on in the family. We found this beautiful gown at Goo Goo Gaa Gaa in Brookfield, WI. They were so helpful!