I have THE cutest nephews in the world.  Don’t pretend like you don’t agree with me ;)

With summer being so busy around our house, I am sad to admit that I haven’t seen much of my nephews recently  so I was more than surprised to find how BIG Killian has gotten!  He is already sitting up and soon to crawl (if he hasn’t started that in the few weeks since we shot these.)

I wish I had a picture of my brother at this age I could post….Killian is the spitting image of his daddy.  The face, the smile..the red hair :)

I am in LOVE with his knee rolls!!!!!  Nothing better than a chubby baby ;)

And we can’t forget about big brother Rogan!  Now Rogan looks like his mommy…but acts like his Dad!  He is non-stop GO all day long!   He always makes me smile and freely gives kisses whenever I ask.  He knows how to keep Aunt Erin wrapped around his finger ;)

Love to both of my boys today and always :)

And now, part two of Erin and Matt’s engagement…this time in downtown Chicago!

After shooting their farm session at my house, it seemed only fitting to meet on their turf!  Their front steps were a perfect place to begin :)

Confession:  I have never been to Chicago before!  I know, I know.  I have driven through but I’m pretty certain that doesn’t count ;)  Matt and Erin wanted a lot of well-known landmarks incorporated into their session so they led the way!  SO GLAD Matt volunteered to take on the traffic!  What’s so fun about shooting in a place you’ve never seen is that while Erin and Matt pointed me to the locations they liked, it was a fun challenge to find the best light in those places…which sometimes meant finding a new location within another!

It’s official.  I’m in love with this city!  Subways, cute bus stops and the L?!!!  Yes, please!

One of my favorites below!  Erin and Matt are such a classic, classy couple:)  It was so enjoyable to tour the city with them.  Matt would give me details about the architecture with bits of history and Hollywood added in.  I’m sure when I wasn’t shooting them, I looked like a stupid tourist ;)

A quick change followed by a stop at Millennium Park.

Erin you are sooo gorgeous!!!

Back on the road, we attempted to get to another area of the city…but traffic was horrible!  We gave up and headed over to Wrigley Field for a few images outside the stadium….or so we thought ;)

What we weren’t expecting was to shoot INSIDE the stadium!!!  Still outside, Matt walked away from Erin and myself to talk to a gentleman selling Cubs tix (he was legit and worked for the stadium!).  Erin and I could not figure out what he was doing!  Erin made a comment that Matt was probably smooth talking his way into something grand….and she was right!  He returned to us grinning like a little boy, holding three tickets to tour the field!

Matt.Was.Giddy.  Being a huge Cubs fan, Matt has been to many games, but never has he sat on the bench in the dugout, stood in the batters box or touched the grass.  We were very limited on where we could go during our tour and the light was not ideal…but we made it work!

One of the best afternoons I’ve ever spent with a couple :)  Erin and Matt, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!  I have so enjoyed our journey thus far and am beyond giddy myself looking forward to your wedding and reception this fall.  I’ll be back in the city before we know it!

This is a story I’ve been dying to share in detail with all of you!!  The story of how I came to know Erin and Matt is one that still blows my mind sometimes :)  First, let’s back up to about 8 years ago.  Tim and I had been married a few years and had added our daughter Evie to our family.  We had outgrown our home and had hopes of buying a farm near Decatur at an auction.  I still remember Tim calling me that morning (I couldn’t make myself go to the auction in fear someone else would walk away with MY house…) and simply saying to me, “Pack your bags, Baby!”

Through the process of closing the house, we met Kathy.  Her parents had left her the house after their passing and had decided to sell.  I know it was hard for her to let the house go as it held so many memories of her childhood.  But I was just as eager to start making memories of our family within its walls.

Fast forward to two summers ago.  Now a mommy of two and new business owner who reveled in over booking herself  (I was a crazy woman), my days were very hectic.  I remember it being a hot day, and my first day with no sessions in WEEKS.  The kids were at Grandma’s and I refused to get dressed and padded around the house in my pj’s all morning.  That’s when the doorbell rang.  I RAN upstairs to put on acceptable attire and when I came back down, the car was beginning to leave.  I stepped outside to wave the car down.  Out of the car came a smiling woman who I didn’t recognize.  She must have known it because she said, “Do you remember me?”  It was Kathy :)

I welcomed her in and apologized profusely for the mess..and hoped she didn’t think I had trashed her house!!  She asked about my work and I gave her a business card so we could keep in touch.

Here’s where it gets fun!

Last summer I got an email from Erin.  She was struggling to find the perfect fit in a photographer for her wedding.  She mentioned it to her mother one day in passing.  Guess who her mother is ;)  KATHY!!  They looked me up..and within a few days, I was on the phone with Erin discussing plans for her wedding.

Erin and Matt  make their home in Chicago and wanted to shoot the engagement session in their beloved city.  I also thought how great that I now live in her Grandparents house…we could shoot part of the session HERE!!!!

Erin and Matt came down to visit family over Mother’s Day weekend…when it seemed to rain more than anything here.  They arrived at my home and we shot a few out front before the rain started to drizzle.  The front of our house has stayed virtually the same for years, so I hoped it would feel just like old times for Erin.

We took cover in one of our barns, where Erin remembers playing as a child.  It was so fun to hear her talk about what she remembered about the place!   To be honest, it was a little nerve wracking meeting them for the first time and taking them around to all the places where we store our JUNK..but Erin and Matt were so incredibly sweet…and the camera LOVES them both!

Then over to the second barn on the property.  Another admission…I’d only been in the loft once before and wasn’t sure I liked climbing up the ladder to get in there again!  Oh, but it was sooo worth it!

Can’t decide which is my favorite.  Aren’t these two smokin’ hot??!!!

To be continued……images from our Chicago session coming shortly!