Happy Birthday! Nachshon's 3rd Birthday Party // Milwaukee Photographer

A couple weeks ago I was honored to photograph a very special birthday for my very dear friend!

In February, Nachshon, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. He underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor and has had intense chemotherapy treatments to fight the disease that spread to other areas of his brain and spinal cord.

Right before his third birthday, he had an MRI to see how effective the treatment was. With immense gratitude to The One Above, Nachshon's scans came back showing extremely positive reports!

It was a truly humbling experience to be privileged to photograph such a monumental birthday party, for my super special friend and her family!

Aside from reading ALL.THE.BOOKS (that kid loves to read - or have books read to him), his one birthday request was... Quiet. 😉. He wanted the whole throng of family to take their voices down to a roar. Which they did. For one whole minute!

I have to mention that the spread that Chai Lifeline Midwest put out was so impressive! I was truly touched to see the generosity, and fullness of heart and spirit they put in to making Nachshon's party an amazing event! The food, the music, the Tzitzis, I mean it was truly awesome!

And of course continued wishes for a full and speedy recovery for Nachshon. (Nachshon Meir ben Temima Chaya Sara Shlomit).

January 5 on 5 // Foggy Days // Milwaukee Photographer // Family Photojournalism

I'm generally a sun person. I love sunny days. They make me happy. But once in a while when we get fog - that makes me very excited too. Yes, everything is gray and damp. But the depth and dimension, or seeming lack thereof, gets me every single time.

So when I woke up on January 3, and saw that it was foggy, I knew I wanted to find a park with a tree-lined trail so I can get some really cool photos in the fog.

But I have little opinions that matter too. And when my 2 year old insisted on going to get her morning treat from her grandmother, (part of her daily routine), I realized that my illusion of a picture perfect foggy photo won't happen that morning.

And I also realized, that this is really our reality. Our busy street, cars coming and going, people walking, and no symmetrical pathway with trees on both sides. But when my children look back on these photos, they'll remember the street we lived on. The way leading to their grandparents home, and they'll surely feel the excitement they always feel when running down the block. And the photos I took on this day are the picture perfect photos for our family.

For more picture perfect everyday images, check out Jennifer, who is a Maryland family documentary photographer.

Family Fall Fun // Southeast Wisconsin Family Photographer // Milwaukee // Family Documentary Photography

Well, November was a pretty long month. I can't believe it started out still in the 70's and we are now well into the 40-50's (my kids are wearing their winter coats already). But on the very first day of November we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went on a little outing.

Fall in Wisconsin is hanging on for longer than I expected. It's been so nice here this week and it's supposed to continue going into next week. I decided to treat my kids to a picnic dinner the other night - hello November 1st and 73 degrees!!

We had an easy dinner (and no mess at home - score!), and then went on a gorgeous little hike on a path in the "woods". And to top it all of (Oh, haha, pun intended!), there was a perfectly sized hill that the kids had an amazing time rolling down, until one of them said he's going to throw up. Comment if you think he did.

These memories are precious to my children and myself! I want you to have beautiful memories too to share with your children and grandchildren. Sign up here to receive my TOP 6 TIPS TO HELP YOU PHOTOGRAPH YOUR EVERYDAY MEMORIES.

Make sure to check out my friend Danielle's local outing of the month here! She's a Family Storytelling photographer in Upstate New York.

Of friends and cookies...

Don and Jerry have been close friends for close to 50 years now. I was recently honored to photograph Don's surprise 80th birthday where all his friends celebrated such a monumental occasion. Jerry asked Barbara if he could say a few words, and Barbara said as long as you keep it short, light and funny. Which in Jerry's words, "is fairly simple, because pretty much everything with Don is funny!"

Jerry and his family owned Milwaukee Biscuit Company for many years. About 41 years ago, when Jerry turned 40, his friends - Don included came over and figured they'd be funny and brought him a package of Oreos. Just so you all understand, the makers of Oreos were Jerry's biggest competitors, and he really disliked them because they were the best selling cookie on the market. They tried very hard to find a chocolate and cream cookie, but no matter what he found and sold for cheaper, he couldn't beat the Oreo. He made a personal commitment to not eat an Oreo in his life. So when his friends brought him the package of Oreos, he found a place to put the package, pretended to be angry, and that was the end of it.

So when he spoke at Don's 80th birthday, he thought he could relate this funny incident that highlights their unique friendship. He then proceeded to take out a wrapped gift for Don. As you might have guessed, it was a package of Oreos. "In honor of your 80th birthday, I would like to share an Oreo with you", said Jerry. And together they opened the package of Oreos and split a cookie. "So how did that taste", asked Don. And Jerry said "It was a huge disappointment".

This story and these photos are so much more than two men eating a cookie. It is a testament to their friendship spanning many decades and highlights their close connection.

Local Outing - Blog Circle // Milwaukee Family Photographer

I am so excited to be taking part in this monthly Local Outings blog circle. Firstly, it will make sure I'm blogging consistently. Second, it will be fun to explore new and different places around the city.

This summer has found us exploring activities we enjoy doing together. Our local libraries are always a fun place to visit. On August 11, we visited the Wauwatosa Library to join a special Lego activity. John Payne, an architect for many years, has amassed quite the lego collection and helped guide the children with their project. Each child received a board, and a card that indicated the type of building they were to build to create a lego city. It was delightful to see all the little projects slowly form a colorful, bustling virtual city.

Please make sure to check out my friend Susan Ryan Kalina's fun outing in Downtown Chicago.

Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas for fun local activities - especially as we move towards fall and winter!!

A Beautiful Evening with the Morales Family

I first "met" Whitney through a local Facebook photography group. We hit it off online and then even stayed friends once we met (insert wink eye). She has the two most adorable girls, Addalyn and Finley and a super funny husband. I was so excited for her vote of confidence in letting me capture her awesome family! 

I will let the photos speak for themselves, but I will share what Whitney said to me after she saw her images. "Every time I watch it I see something else that I love! Most importantly...several months ago I was watching a video from Wildflower Photography of her family and I wanted that to be my family. Now seeing my family in that light, I realize that it's already that awesome. You just don't realize that as you're living your every day life. Sometimes it takes seeing yourself through someone else's eyes".

So there ladies (and gentlemen, for those of you reading), this is what it's all about!!

Lucy's Second Birthday/Child Photographer/Lifestyle & Documentary Photographer/Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Two year olds have got to have the most energy!! This little girl played a super energized game of peekaboo with me! After we warmed up, she didn't care that I was there, and just continued about her busy two year old morning. Water break? Check. Doll playing? Check. Coloring, stickers... Oh so many things to do in an hour!