circle of friends

childhood friendship.  do you remember your days of endless playing with neighborhood friends?  or did you have a best pal at school that you couldn’t separate with?  there is something so special about the friends you make when you’re little.

my boys have this close bond with reid and isabaella.  it seems they just can’t get enough time with them.  after a full day’s playdate, they want a sleepover.  then after the sleepover, they still want breakfast and lunch together.  then it’s an afternoon swim.  the list goes on and on.  they NEVER tire of each other.  no need for personal space or private time.  they just want togetherness.  take a peak at their fun-filled friendship…

eri & emi

these little gals are true sweethearts.  so so so shy but after a bit of playing and talking, they finally connected with me.  i love their almond shaped eyes and glowing skin.  take a look at how precious they are….

eri & emi

these little gals are true sweethearts.  so so so shy but after a bit of playing and talking, they finally connected with me.  i love their almond shaped eyes and glowing skin.  take a look at how precious they are….

B is for boy

and baseball, bat, bases and brothers.  meet kaz and mak.  two athletic brothers who love non-stop action.  i was impressed with kaz’s strong pitch but more so by his no-nonsense pitcher’s face.  mak was like the energizer bunny going through tunnels, riding bikes and shooting rockets.  it was a typical evening with two young boys (plus mine in the background). i loved the chaotic energy!  take a peak at their session…

the city by the bay

i am a new york city girl at heart.  but i still LOVE san francisco.  maybe its the roller coaster streets, the colorful architecture, the picturesque views and the vibrant diversity.  it’s a much easier city then the big apple. not as much rush, rush, rush but still a bubbling metropolis.  i always welcome a chance to go to the city.

and what a treat to go solo (sans my kiddos) and photograph a wonderful family.  i was welcomed by arman and rohan to their urban home in the richmond.  they had a hidden gem of a garden in the back where we all played.  it was a bit windy & over cast (typical SF weather), but a fun evening afterall.  here are a few images of this lovely family…

birthday girl

yesterday night, my boys and i were the lucky invites to our friend, mimi’s bday dinner.  she turned 3 and we celebrated with a chinese feast at chef chuu’s.  we shared the delicious dishes “family style” and we did indeed feel like part of the copeland family.  thanks so much for including us!  here are a few shots of the sweet sweet bday girl…

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…