.james + heather. victoria maternity photography

Heather is one of my oldest friends. We met back in the good old days at Oak Bay High, bonding over a love of "My So Called Life," and the general hilarity of Gr.10 Social Studies with Mr.Woodley and his "good old fashioned junior high fun and games." And sooo much more. James came onto the scene not too long after I did, so it's really always been Heather + James, James + Heather. As it should be :) Two things that are awesome about this woman? She is an amazing friend. I am not exactly famous for staying in touch, but Heather has always done her part (and a lot of mine) in maintaining our friendship. I know her nearest and and dearest would say she is fiercely loyal to her friends and holds them in the highest of priorities. Two...she does strong so beautifully. Heather started dealing with a serious health condition a couple years into our friendship and continues to face the effects of it. Through our chats over the years and keeping up through her blog, I have marvelled at how she is not only tough and resilient, but magnetic and funny as she does it. This woman will make an amazing mother.
As I watched Heather and James at their session, it was so very clear that the chemistry wasn't just for me or the camera. It's still there...that high school dance, older boy, over the moon, meant to be, love.  It's seasoned with almost two decades of being together, and the impending arrival of a wee, little boy that will only make it better. It's beautiful.

.halle turns seven.

This sweet girl turns seven tomorrow. This time seven years ago, Steve and I were sharing a final steak dinner (with Halle I craved MEAT), discussing the final contenders for a name for our new baby. The next morning found us at the hospital in Abbotsford, right on time for the C-section scheduled earlier in my pregnancy due to some complications. We had no idea…absolutely NO inkling, how our world was about to completely morph into something unrecognizable. If you've followed my blog for a while, you know that Halle Ruth (she shares her middle name with my amazing mom) came to us after several years of struggling with infertility. She was so wanted, so longed for and so loved before she even arrived. I look back, and kind of feel bad for those first few months with her; everything was new and I was absolutely clueless. I remember my mom saying to me over and over, "she's her own little person, she's a human being." I thought, as many new parents do, that I would lovingly fit her into my life. I did not realize she would completely transform my life. After the early weeks passed, I learned to love my little girl SO much, I learned to love being her mom. And I loved to take pictures of her. This is when the photography bug bit me. I wanted to capture everything!!!
Seven years later, and I don't take the camera out nearly enough for my own kids, but I love photographing them when I do. I love being their mom more. Halle is a precious gift. She has the classic older child tendency to lead (mostly her siblings), unless it's dark, then she pushes Maya in front of her and says, "go ahead Maya, I'm right behind you." She is very cautious and always wants to do things perfectly. She loves art, and writing stories. She loves giving things to her friends when they leave our house. Number one on her wish list is an iPhone…she asked if she could have one when she turns 20; I said, "I suppose."One thing that has been amazing this past year, is watching her learn to read. She doesn't love it like her mother, but it's incredible to see how she has grown. More than any scholarly, musical, or athletic skill, Steve and I are intent upon developing her character, a love for the Lord and a love for others…and we are so proud of her. At her parent/teacher conference last month, her teacher told us that Halle noticed a girl in her class often being left out. Halle encouraged her friends to invite this girl to join in. This makes us happier than any "A."
To our sweet baby girl Halle…you are one of our greatest treasures! We love you and your gap-toothed smile. Happy Birthday presh!