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!

I know I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again…. I think it’s SO important to be able to laugh. Lately I’ve been noticing the dynamic between couples, both newly married, and couples who’ve been married for years. Everyone has their quirks and bits with their romantic partners, but there are some that have that “special something” that seems to bond them together  more than the average couple. As they walk, he says something to poke fun at her. She kind of rolls her eyes with a knowing smirk on her face because she knew what he was going to say before he said it… and comes back with an equally sassy comeback. They both enjoy a good laugh over it, silently holding each other close. Andrew and Lindsay are that couple. She’s sweet, and quietly witty… and he’s got the hearty laugh that makes her smile. He’s a doctor in Loma Linda who moved here from Australia… and he’s an Aussie to the core. She’s studying to be a Marriage and Family Therapist and has a passion for teaching people how to love better. Together they’re Andrew and Lindsay…. that couple everyone’s jealous of because they love each other like they’ve been together for years.

And on their engagement shoot a few weeks ago, we laughed, they told stories, we talked about their dreams and passions…. and we took some sweet pictures to document their love. Here are some of my favorites from the evening at Casper’s Wilderness Park….

Andrew and Lindsay, I hope you feel each others’ love in these photos…. and years from now, as you look back, remember how you were “back then” and how far you’ve come. Keep loving each other.

I spent the afternoon with the McAlpine family recently to take some family portraits before Julia and Sara left for college. John, Susie, Julia, and Sara are one of the cutest families I’ve met in a long time and it was so much fun getting to know them. They all love each other so much, and it shows in their photos. I left that night, feeling grateful that I had the chance to meet them. Here’s my favorites from the shoot….