It’s crazy  how fast time flies…. and it such a strange feeling running into someone and remembering the way they were when they were 5 years old. I’m not quite sure what to do in moments like those…. hug them?… or bury my head in my hands and try to make time stand still for just ONE second. The Kasperowicz boys are no longer boys…. they’re the Kasperowicz men. Crazy. I remember babysitting these three when they were all shorter than me. Now, they’re all twice my size.

Well, this year, their family chose me to take their famous holiday family portraits and we had a fun time traipsing around The Lab, in Costa Mesa, dodging the intermittent November rain. Jase, Neil, and Dylan…. you guys rocked these, and while I know taking family portraits isn’t your favorite thing in the entire world, I had fun with you guys. These were my favorites from the afternoon… Enjoy!

When I was younger, the change of seasons meant different things to me: warm sunny weather meant no school and lots of time in the pool, cooler weather and falling leaves meant the beginning of school and Santa Ana winds, and rainy weather with green leaves meant Easter was coming. While somewhat correct, my perceptions of the passing of time always fueled anticipation of what was to come, whether it was looking forward to opening Christmas gifts, or eating Easter candy. This fall means something different for the Howard Family…. not only does it mean leaves falling, Christmas coming, and the beginning of school for Ethan, but it also marks the last fall season they’ll be a family of four…. a 5th member is on the way.

Heike and Jeff wanted some photos of their boys (and a few of them as a family) to document this special time in their family’s life. Their oldest son Ethan started school recently, and their younger son Dylan is at a super cute and fun stage in life…. learning new words and loving new things like trains. Here are my favorites from the afternoon with them in San Juan Capistrano Los Rios Historic District….

Jeff and Heike, your family is SO CUTE. I’m excited to see your family grow and I had so much fun running around with your boys, climbing trees, looking at rocks, and marveling at the trains. You’ve been blessed with beautiful boys who bring joy to whomever they interact with… thanks for sharing them with me!

Last week I shot some super cute family portraits for some families from Irvine Presbyterian Church. Each family was different from the others both in age and personality. There was a super young family with sweet James who is just learning to walk…. an older couple who’s cute as can be and who’s been a part of the church since it first started years ago….  a family with two beautiful girls who love to laugh and have fun together…. and a couple whose daughters have both left for college this year. They’re all different people with different interests, and they’re all at different stages of life…. but also, they’re all still choosing to invest in the same church. I love that. I think that’s what church is all about. It’s not about where it is, or what building it’s in, or what “style of worship” it chooses to boast. It’s about sharing the joy of a new family. It’s about learning how to love deeper and sweeter from the older couple who’s “been there”. It’s about doing life with the family whose kids are the same age. It’s about weathering transitions together and finding joy in the adventure of it all. I guess I found hope in spending time with these great people… hope that church can still be as simple as loving one another.

And if you’d like to book a family portrait this year, I’ve still got some spots available. Click here for more info.

I’m excited to announce that I’m doing Holiday Portraits again! I enjoyed spending time with everyone last year and I’ve had so many requests, that I’ve decided to do it again, with even more to offer this year! When you get a second, check out the website I made specifically for the holidays (can you guess who did the awesome holiday music?)… and tell your friends!

WWW.HOLIDAYS.KATENOELLE.COM

Easy enough, right? Check it out…

Make sure you book quickly, because availability is limited and spots are filling up fast! You can check my calendar directly on the website to check availability!

You can even order fun and creative gifts for family and friends, like books, and cards and prints!

These offers will be available until December 10th, 2010… so be quick and I hope to see you behind my lens this Holiday Season!

And just for fun, here’s a shot my friend Amanda took of me while shooting a wedding recently… my arm was so sore the next day!