good genes

and i am not talking about sevens or lucky jeans this time.  i’m talking your DNA makeup, your hereditary traits.  the stuff that comes from our parents whether we like it or not.  

the deeter family is just overflowing with good genes.  look at the parents, alli and byron…super nice, fun, fit, intelligent and genuinely happy people.  not to mention they are still in LOVE…..look how cute and cuddly they are with each other.  so of course their kidlets are going to follow suit and be just as adorable and kind.  here’s a second showing of my favorite little trio…bailey, skylar and logan.

 

into the woods

what happens when you put four urbanites in the woods?  a hiking adventure.  i’m the first to admit that i’m not super outdoorsy.  i don’t like to camp.  i prefer sticking to areas where a starbucks is around the corner.  i like places where my cell phone can get a signal.  but i do like nature and muir woods is full of it.  so we trekked up north for a family day in the green forest.  and it was beautiful.  redwoods as tall as skyscrapers.  babbling brooks.  colorful wild flowers.  post card worthy views.  and we LOVED it….even with the fleeting fear that we’d stumble into a bear or two.  here’s some images from our muir woods hike….

vista view on the drive up to muir woods

 

 

a rare shot of me in front of the camera

fountain of youth

no teenage angst here.  these young ladies were confident, sweet and fun.  not to mention GORGEOUS! both will be seniors at menlo atherton high school.  both were super close to their families, especially their moms.  both were already thinking about college.

haley is the daughter of my son’s kinder teacher (hi jody!).  she was a natural in front of the camera.  her green eyes are just dazzling and she knows how to work them  she hopes to go to college in hawaii and study marine biology.

nadia is an exotic beauty…an ethnic mix of guatamalan and lebanese.  an absolute stunner with a killer smile!  UCLA may be in her plans for their stellar liberal arts program and because its close to home and family.  

these girls were fantastic!  take a look at their urbanesque photo session shot in downtown palo alto….

blondes have more fun

at least these boys certainly did.  meet spencer and ethan, 9 and 5.  they are moving from seattle to los angeles with a pit stop here in palo alto to visit their cousins (joe & robbie from a previous post).  although we were strangers at first, they warmed up to me quickly.  we talked about their love for swimming, how summer is the best time of year and how they can’t wait to see their dad (he’s waiting in LA).  they were such good sports and so so so photogenic.  take a look for yourself…

my adrian

well not really mine….but i do call him MY boyfriend.  how could you not fall in love with those big brown eyes and the shy smile?  this perfect little boy is my good friend, elizabeth’s 2 month old.  i’ve recenlty posted photos of his big sister isabella and big brother reid.  

these days, adrian is more awake and oh so playful.  it is such a joy to spend time with him.  from the look in his eyes, don’t you think he might be loving me back?  or maybe he does this with all the girls?

the alvarez brothers

i’ve said it before…i just love boys.  they have an energy all their own.  now put three of them together, all in different stages and boy oh boy are you bound to have a session full of surprises.

meet the alvarez brothers:

noah is the oldest at 7 years.  he is outgoing with a charming smile.  he dreams about being a movie star on the big screen.

the middle child, dominic is extremely shy.  his eyes are mysterious and soulful.  and although he doesn’t say much, his good looks speak volumes.  

then there is baby branden.  one year old today and full of cuddles and hugs.  not to mention he has the longest lashes. 

here are some shots from our afternoon at de anza park in sunnyvale….

 

moving is in the air…

it’s the time of year when we see tons of moving trucks in our neighborhood.  huge monster trucks that take up all the parking spots on your street.  friends are packing up and relocating to new homes.  fresh faces are coming in excited to start in the beautiful bay area. soon, we’ll be next….sealing up our stuff and coordinating our trek to the next city.  its a bitter sweet time.  i’m glad we have a couple of months left here in paradise/palo alto.  i’m not ready to leave.

it wouldn’t be my blog if i didn’t attach a photo.  so here is an unrelated image of my husband and youngest son taken at the absolutely delicious and hip restaurant xanh in mountain view.  it is one of the best south asian restaurants we have ever been to….you must check it out.

confident corey

i was thrilled to have my first “teen” shoot today.  it was such a different experience from what i’m used to. i didn’t have to chase my subject or sing to them or throw toys or pass out lollipops.  i could actually just talk and have a conversation.  

i photographed corey who is entering his junior year of high school.  i was impressed with his maturity and self-assurance.  not only is he drop dead gorgeous but he’s comfortable in his skin.  not many teenagers are like that.  i surely wasn’t.  plus, he’s not afraid to hug and kiss his mama.  

here are some images of the young mr. breier….

brown eyed girl

meet isabella….she is the older sister to reid, who is my sons’ best friend.  she often comes along with us when the boys play together.  she has the patience of a saint and always takes time to entertain, teach and amuse the little ones.  she is gentle, kind and a nurturing spirit.  and her skin is like porcelain and her singing voice as sweet as honey.  here are some of images of this beauty…

 

park n play

if it’s 4:00 pm, we’re most likely at the park.  today was no different.  we met our good friends…isabella, reid, max, jorgen and shelley for some outdoor fun in the sun. the kids enjoyed old favorites like tag, hide n seek and simple ball play. just savoring the joys of summer…

isabella is just gorgeous and i so LOVED photographing her.  more images of her coming up this week!