i have been looking forward to this shoot since april.  april.  yeah.  between the rain and the rain, we kept having to cancel.  you see, this awesome family has some awesome property and an awesome home which we really really wanted in their awesome shoot.  so we waited.  and finally…a partially sunny day with a chance of morning showers.  success!

this is kairee.  she is gorgeous and sweet and spends five hours every couple days to mow their lawn (alone) and is a mother of four.  see that nose piercing?  yeah…she's a babe.  and that is her man…brian.  he builds things and manages his own business and wears steel-toed boots.  yeah…he's a stud.  she really does stand behind her man…not just for this picture but for 15 years.  awesome.

kylee was a bit quiet and maybe didn't really want to participate in a photo shoot.  she would have preferred to stay in her jammies and recover from her late night at the eclipse premier.  but she played with us and it was stellar.  she is the big sister and seemed shy at first but really opened up after a few clicks.  it was almost as if i had an assistant as she came up with some awesome ideas for shots.  really glad she decided not to stay in her comfies…although i am certain she still would have looked just as gorgeous.

yeabsira…but i had to call him "yob" because i am not smart enough to say his cool name right.  he was such a sport to put up with me.  he handled my dorky jokes, did some rad stunts and even smiled with his teeth on request.  it was really cool to see how he stood out in the sea of sisters.  he too was quiet at first but his giggles towards the end of the evening still ring in my memory.

haylee was a bit more talkative off the block.  i could also tell she was my sarcasm sister.  she wore a pretty dress and had her hair done cute but there was some serious spunk in her.  sugar and spice.  loved it.  she also had an eye for moment, shots and backdrops.  i loved hearing her vibrant voice yell out to me the things that i should be taking pictures of.  she was always right and i loved watching her confidence shine through. 

gabby.  i think this is her "weird smile" that mama was trying to stay away from but as i flipped through the photos, i just had to have it.  gabby was exactly as her name states…gabby.  she was the one cracking jokes, doing funny poses in hopes of getting more pictures taken of her, and telling silly stories.  i could also see that she was a snuggle bunny.  i loved watching her lean in on her family and cuddle up to them.  she is that sweet girl that you just want to sit down with and ask a million questions because you know she has a million answers.  she is a million smiles.

after we got most of the standard shots out of the way, we decided to try something out.  what was i thinking?      

should have done this first! 😉  the kids (and parents) took turns jumping off one of the stumps in the yard and it was hilarious!  each person had their own style.  and it looks like they are clearing the barn.  sweet.

don't worry haylee.  i promise i will never ever share the shots were your adorable underoos were visible.  not even when you start dating…i promise! maybe…

momma and her first born.  i haven't had to go through the teenage years on the mother side of the tracks yet but i sure hope when i do, i can have half the grace as kairee does.  it wouldn't hurt to have their giggles either.

so this is the family that was generous enough to bid on/win this photo session at our church auction…as a means to raise money for our upcoming mission trip to guatemala.  doesn't that just make them even more amazing?  it just never ends from them does it?!    

         thank you sherrills.  it was such an honor to photograph your family and spend the evening getting to know you.  i will take that incredible love and generosity that i witnessed, package it up tight and take it with me to guatemala.  you guys are an amazing family.  thank you for allowing me in.