Andrea & Tim

The weather was beautiful, the skies a perfect shade of blue... The band was playing and the drinks were flowing. What a perfect way to spend a Saturday, surrounded by friends enjoying another Badger football game. That is of course until the Northern Illinois fan started harassing Andrea about whether or not the seat she was in was actually the one her ticket was for. Andrea turned to her friends and muttered, "what a jerk!". Funny how time can change things...... By the half Tim had become a bit less of a jerk, and by the end of the game the two rival team fans had both grown a bit smitten with one another. There was a spark of love in the air that day and it landed right in the middle of row 68.

Andrea & Tim thank you so much for allowing Mike and I to photograph your incredible day. It was truly a privilege! Talking with the two of you as you made your wedding plans it is so very obvious to me that the two of you were destined for one another... I guess Bucky knew what he was doing. Congratulations on the start of an incredible journey together.

The cuteness level was off the charts!

From a fall first meeting to a perfect spring wedding... love the beautiful blossoms.

Favorite!!!

This ones for you Andrea... all about the purple pansies :)

Of course the matchmaker himself was in attendance!

I just love this... they both separately saved their tickets from the big day.

Update

It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog post. Baby Molly passed away last Thursday in the arms of her parents. She spent an incredible twelve hours surrounded by an overwhelming amount of love and concern. Molly was the very definition of an angel. I feel so privileged to have been a part of her short but so breathtakingly beautiful life. My prayers and love go out to her family during this difficult time.

The Story of Molly......

Photographing maternities and newborns has always been one of my favorite parts of being a photographer. It's such an exciting and amazing time... getting ready to welcome that new addition into the family. Each one of these beautiful bundles holds a special place in the heart of their proud "Aunt" Jennifer. Recently I had a maternity session for baby Molly. This sweet little one has grabbed a hold of my heart in ways I never imagined and which have changed me forever.

Baby Molly has been diagnosed with a serious congenital heart defect. To correct this heart condition Molly would need to undergo a series of three open heart surgeries. With other medical conditions complicating the situation the doctors say it's unlikely Molly would survive these surgeries. As Molly's delivery date approaches this week her family is awash of emotions... excitement and love to finally meet Molly and at the same time sadness and anxiety as they don't know how long they will have to enjoy her presence. My heart breaks for Molly & her family; I can't even begin to imagine the emotions they are feeling. I'm sure she would argue otherwise but Molly's mother is one of the strongest, bravest individuals I have ever met. In speaking of Molly & the future she says, "In her (Mollys) short time with us she will experience more love and concern then some do in a entire lifetime. What a beautiful gift that is."

The images you see below are from a maternity session I shot for Molly as a member of the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that assists families suffering an early infant loss by documenting the lives of those cut too short with beautiful portraits. These portraits will last for generations, honoring and celebrating these tiny lives. If you or someone you know is living with a critically ill child, please let them know that this service is available. There is absolutely no charge for these sessions.

I want to thank Molly's family for the honor of inviting me into their lives and for allowing me to share their story here in the hopes of making other families aware of the services of NILMDTS. To witness the love this family holds in their hearts for a sister/daughter they have yet to meet is so inspiring. As the day draws near where I will have the opportunity to meet Molly I find my prayers take on more urgency as I pray for a miracle. If your inclined to pray, please put out a special thought for baby Molly and her family.

Leslie & Ken

In sitting down to write this blog post my first thought is.. wow, this post is long over due! As I reflect on Leslie & Ken though my delay seems to almost fit.... luckily for the bride & groom this post didn't take 7 years though!
Leslie & Ken have been together so long there is a quiet, unspoken comfortableness to their relationship. From the moment they saw each other the morning of their wedding the confidence they carried in their love for each other was obvious to anyone looking on. As they greeted their guests at the dinner, I noticed a silent look across the reception hall from Ken to Leslie that spoke volumes..... We made it! Isn't today amazing. Seven years is a lot of love to have grown and I'm confident as the years pass by Leslie & Ken's relationship will only grow that much stronger. Much love - Jennifer








We stepped just outside the doors of the church and found this incredible tree just perfectly in bloom.













Ummmm, Yeah... love the light in this one. Favorite!

Miscellaneous Monday.....

Lots of little tid bits of information for all you blog readers today. Rather then clogging up your inbox with multiple posts we're just going to make this our miscellaneous Monday blog post.

- First of all I have to tell you about a wonderful organization I just recently was made aware of. Angel's Wish is an all volunteer organization that is "dedicated to reducing animal overpopulation, rehoming companion animals, and raising awareness of animal welfare issues in South Central Wisconsin." The animals of Angel's Wish are only euthanized for severe medical reasons and the organization helps to divert animals from ever arriving in local shelters where euthanizing is common practice. Both of our cats were adopted from local non-euthanizing shelters, so the mission statement of Angel's Wish is one that is close to my own heart. I have to thank Anne for making me aware of this organizations wonderful efforts.
Currently Angel's Wish is holding an online auction to raise much needed funds for their organization. You can bid on gift certificates to local restaurants, hotel stays as well as lots of pet related necessities. This year you can also bid on a $200 gift certificate for Angelic Angles Photography... so if you were planning to schedule a portrait session here's your chance to save some money and help support a great cause all at the same time. Click here to check out all the auction goodies.


And because I know a blog post without photos is terribly boring... here's one of my babies, Ms. Ellie helping me out with a little photo editing....





- Secondly as we are quite firmly planted into wedding season now I'm finding it very hard to keep up to date with all of the requested updates on my father-in-law Joe. Rather then emailing everyone I'm just going to post a quick update for you all here. Joe was released from the hospital early last week following his stem cell transplant. The new cells are beginning to grow and his blood counts are all up. This is the first step, so great news! Unfortunately only a few days after his release from the hospital he was admitted again due to complications from a viral infection. His weakened immune system makes these infections much harder to take. It sounds like a slow recovery but we're hopefully he'll be healthy enough to come home in a few weeks. I can't be certain of the exact numbers but since January Joe has been in the hospital for at least a full two months off and on. To have him home would be such a blessing!

- Finally a note to all of my wedding clients. Reprint prices will be going up as of June 15th. The price increase will only effect orders placed by phone or email. The prices found in your proof albums will be increasing to match the prices in your online gallery. If you were married in 2008 your proof albums should already reflect the price increase. Any reprint orders currently being processed will be completed at the current rates. Please contact the studio if you have any questions.