What a difference a year makes.  I first met this beautiful family a year ago when they welcomed home Owen, their newest addition. Emerson was so excited to show off her baby brother and was equally excited to show me her new room and some toys.  She and I hit it off at that session and spent a good portion of time playing together and became fast friends!

Several weeks after our session my husband delivered their wall gallery out to their home and was greeted at the door by Emerson’s mom.  She expressed her gratitude and in the process got a little shaky and seemed on the verge of crying.  My husband, not knowing if this was the “norm” when people received their framed prints, said he would pass her message onto me.  She stopped my husband as he was walking away and asked him to also tell me that Emerson had been diagnosed with cancer earlier that day.

Since then I have stayed in contact with Emerson via her Caring Bridge site.  Reading about her journey has been nothing short of awe-inspiring.  Emerson is truly one of the bravest little girls I will ever know.  All the spunk I saw on the day we met has definitely carried her through this ordeal…she is one tough cookie to say the very least!

Luckily, Emerson’s family serves as an amazing support team.  Her little brother, Owen, has been such a trooper throughout this process.  Something tells me he will grow up and be a little protective of his big sister.  I simply cannot wrap my brain around what it has been like for Emerson’s parents to have a child diagnosed with cancer with a newborn at home.  Watching them carry their kids through this with such grace is amazing.  It was an honor when they invited me out to take family photos this summer.

When I arrived Emerson didn’t skip a beat.  Just like before she wanted to head straight to the toys and play…and play we did!

She started out by calling her imaginary friend and ordering a batch of grape cupcakes for her play date with me:

While we were waiting for her friend to arrive with cupcakes we set up a pizzeria and had one big pizza party.  The pizza party was followed by “story time” where I sat with Emerson’s animals while she read us all a story.  I love that we both use the same page-turning technique:

And then there’s her sweet little brother.  Oh, how he loves his big sister!

He wanted to read a book, too.   What a performer this little guy is!

A sweet moment caught during some down time on the day of the shoot:

We wrapped up the day with a trip to a nearby park.

Emerson sent me an e-mail after our session…it’s one I will treasure forever!

“Dear Jamie,
I love your butterfly friend and I’m glad you came over to see me. I want you to come over again sometime so I can see your butterfly friend at the park. I love you. And I love the color pink. “

(Emerson showing me her muscles)

I told you she was a tough cookie!

Until next time, Emerson.  See you soon!  Your friend, Jamie

Clint, a 2011 Stillwater High School senior, was such a trooper throughout his session.  It was one of the hottest days of the summer and he didn’t complain once!  About half way through the session I found out that he and his family have a cabin in Hayward not far from our place.  It was one of those “small world” moments and I think chatting about life on the lake helped distract both of us from the near unbearable heat we were dealing with.  Clint, best wishes as you head into your senior year.  I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you get into your first choice of colleges!

This little love was so incredibly easy to photograph…she went from pose to pose without much assistance and kept her eyes on the camera the entire time.  Her mom and I were having a VERY hard time containing our laughter throughout the session.  Something tells me she is going to be a ham for the camera over the years!

There’s nothing quite like watching a one-year old explore new surroundings.  This adorable little girl with a head full curls ran around touching, feeling and smelling everything around her.  She was delighted with each and every new critter she found including a caterpillar, ladybug, butterfly, and a spider too big for my taste.  What fun it was to sit back and watch this sweet girl enjoy a lazy summer day.

When little miss Finley arrived for her session I just knew she was the perfect fit for an old baby buggy I’ve been saving for just the right occasion.  The buggy was a Christmas gift to my mother when she was five years old and living in Germany.  My sister and I both put the buggy to good use when we were little girls and my mom just couldn’t part with it over the years…THANK YOU, MOM!! It was such a treat to have the perfect opportunity to use the buggy again!  I couldn’t have asked for a better subject than Finley…she was an absolute delight to work with!