we love the Weber family

I am feeling very rusty with this blogging thing.  I wanted an update this place years ago but my lack of knowledge, as well as putting other things first has made this space what it is.  However, I don't want to give this space up!  So if you're here still, following along thank you!  Also know that I spend most of my time on Instagram if you care to follow there @marilynfreeman . :)  For now say hello to our amazing friends the Weber family!  Michelle and Riley and their family live in New Mexico and we've been friends since before Elliot was born.  While they were in town last month Michelle asked me to take their family photos so of course I said yes.  I think this was the third time I've taken their photos and they are such a fun family, as you can see.

           

                    I've been learning more about creativity lately, particularly from two podcasts.  One is called Live Free Creative with Miranda Anderson, and the other is Heartful with Brooke Schultz.  Something I learned is that some of the most amazing creations were done within limited parameters.  For example, a painter that uses only one type of medium like water color, or a writer that can only use a certain number of words.  Well, this photoshoot was like that for me.  I forgot about it so I was running late unprepared.  My memory card was just about full so I only had space for about 75 photos on it.  Now I know typically I overtake photos especially for family shoots because there are more chances for someone blinking, or a kid crying, etc... So I went into this shoot very intentionally.  It turned out to be one of my fastest photoshoots and I did it with space to spare! Plus it was of the most fun and energetic shoots.  Ok, a lot of the credit goes to the Weber family.  They made my job easy. :)
             

           

             

             

Michelle and I have had a lot of our pregnancies together and they have 5 kids just like us so getting together with them is fun for the parents and the kids.  Don't you just love friends like that?! Priceless!  We are so excited to be visiting them over October Break and seeing the Balloon Festival in New Mexico for our first time.  It's going to be the best!

Flagstaff photos

Here are some more photos from our Flagstaff family photo shoot a couple months ago.  We really have a plethora of good family photos to choose from.  Last time I shared family photos of us in front of our dorms.  These first three are from NAU north campus as well.  The last one is in the woods of a nearby park. 

One thing I love about this last picture is being in nature.  I'm partial to AZ forest.  Growing up our family vacation was going to Camp Geronimo and playing in the forest and creek catching minnows, finding grasshoppers and horny toads in the meadows.  I love the smell of the pine and the fresh air.  All the stars visible at night.  It's such a part of my youth and me today.  It was funny going to Sherwood Forest in England with the kids a couple years ago and not seeing or smelling our pine I'm so used to.  A very different forest.  Still beautiful, just different.  I hope my kids learn to love nature. Especially here in Arizona. :)

Memory Lane: NAU dormitories

Here are some more family photos!  With us celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary/10 year birth of our family we really wanted to have the pictures somewhere special and meaningful.  NAU north campus in Flagstaff was the perfect location.  We have a lot of memories there from when Andrew and I met, dated, and made a lot of really good friends.  Flagstaff is also the place Andrew learned about and joined the LDS church.  Here are some pictures of our dormitories.

 ^^ Andrew's room is one the window's on the top left.^^

Taylor Hall was Andrew's dorm at NAU.  He had several roommate and room changes but this is where he made home during those months far from family.  When Andrew applied for the exchange program from Hull University in England he was able to choose 5 schools he could put in priority that he would be interested in studying at for a year.  NAU was his fourth preference, and even though there were openings at his other top choices they sent him to NAU.  It was meant to be. :)

^^ North Morton was my second dorm on campus. ^^

We met the Saturday after the first day of school on campus in the Student Union.  That's a story on it's own. :)  At the time I was new to college and living in a freshmen co-ed dorm in south campus.  It was a rough experience and after a couple months I moved to North Morton dorm in north campus, right across from Taylor Hall.  I was the exception living there because North Morton doesn't typically house Freshmen.  North Campus is the oldest part of the school and has so much character and history, as you can see!

Sarah Waggoner did a great job capturing my family in all our craziness!  It's funny how the silly pictures like these last two end up being favorites, instead of the ones where everyone is looking at the camera and smiling. :)  The silly ones really show everyone's personalities.

these 4 have my heart

 I almost forgot to blog, so technically it's Friday, but i haven't gone to bed yet.  Some of my favorite pictures from the photo shoot are these ones of the kids.  I feel it really shows their personalities.  There aren't as many of Rupert.  The weather was a lot colder than expected and he was frozen and unhappy much of the time, but he put a brave face some of the time. :)  There were so many good pictures it was hard to pair it down.

 I can't help but smile when I look through all of these photos.  I feel like I have the most amazing children.  They're beautiful, amazing, caring, talented ... the list could go on!

Zara has recently learned to swing by herself.  It's a new favorite of hers.

^^ We were really trying to get a genuine smile out of Elliot and this is after Andrew told a joke, and then Elliot told a couple jokes.  He's actually quite good at telling jokes and riddles.  He doesn't get that from me!

 ^^ Avery was probably the most herself during this shoot, or at least best captured on camera.  So spunky and silly and just trying to have fun.

 ^^ Always my little sunshine! ^^

 I have more to share but that's all for today.  All pictures by the talented Sarah Waggoner.

family photo sneak peak!

 We had our family pictures a month or so ago and got them back this week!  I'm loving how they turned out!  It's getting late so I'll share more tomorrow, but for now here is a teaser. :)

Seymore Family

Ever since I saw this picture I've wanted to take photos in a cotton field.  Dreamy right?!!  This photo shoot was a wish come true and I'm really pleased with how they turned out.  I've taken pictures of the Seymore family every year and they are such a photogenic little family.