Hannah is a beautiful senior at Elk Grove High School who plays the trombone and euphonium for the band and she’s a drum major… When her mom called to book her session, I got excited because Hannah’s grandparents owns property in Wilton, which they have landscaped over the years for their entire family to enjoy.  Hannah would spend summer days camping out in the tea house, sit on a boat floating in the pond, and climb trees, where she can sit for hours.  Sometimes she will be in the tree without anyone knowing and spy on whomever was outside, listening to their conversations.

My beautiful niece Jessica! I am so proud of her! This girl knows that perserverance will get her to SUCCESS! She is a very intelligent, courageous and headstrong young lady. She is graduating on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 and in the fall she will head to University of Pacific on a scholarship! She is the first in our family (my parents, brothers, sister, nieces and nephews) to get a four year scholarship. It was tough, but she did it! Anything is possible if you believe; Jessica knew she wanted to go to college, she worked hard throughout her high school years, up late studying, got involved with school activities and she even donated her time to community events. It was an arduous undertaking, but it certainly paid off!

I will definitely miss Jessica when she moves away, she was also my assistant and now I am losing a wonderful employee as well.

Jessica will venture out this summer to begin writing her own ‘herstory’ as she leaves for college and lives on her own for the first time:

“Whatever course you decide upon there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires….courage.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good luck Jessica and I love you!

If you are a parent with a high school senior, you must be in a state of frenzy right about now because you are trying to figure out where the time has gone.  You probably still remember the day she was born, her first birthday, first day of kindergarten, first loose tooth, first soccer game, 6th and 8th grade promotion, first dance, and now high school graduation.  I’m pretty sure Kara and Todd are thinking the same thing.  Their eldest daughter Kaila is graduating and will soon move away to Boise State and live on her own for the first time.  Kaila, you are such a wonderful person, so well rounded, an athlete and a scholar.  You have made your parents so proud and they did such an excellent job in raising you.

Good luck with your future as you begin to live your own life:

“Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten”–Natasha Bedingfield

Here she is…all grown up!  Jade will soon walk down that stage to receive her high school diploma!   Where did the time go?  I believe I met Jade when she was about 4 years old!  She is really making me old!

I can’t believe that she will soon graduate high school and off to college!  I know that whatever she sets her mind on she will be successful!  She won’t let anything become and excuse to not be able to do it!  The reason, she has a 20 month old daughter who now depends on her;  she is even on track for graduating with her class while getting good grades.  In the fall, Jade will be a freshman at California State University, Sacramento.

Good luck Jade with everything!  I am so happy for you!

She is all grown up!  Sweet Jessica!  I can’t believe my niece will soon graduate from Elk Grove High School!  Gone are the days when she would cry incessantly because I was babysitting, gone are the days when she needs to leave early just when the fun starts, and gone are the days when she was doing gymnastics tickling the clouds. She is now a young woman who has so much going for her.  Her future is so bright that and  I am so proud of what she has become and I am so thrilled and excited to see what she will become.

You will always be our Jessi “Dough”!  Just looking at these pictures I really don’t know where the time has gone.  You are such a beautiful and wonderful young lady and I’m so glad I was able to capture these perfect moments for you!  Your hair and makeup was gorgeous, thanks to Tarrah Vaba (hair) and Ella Blue (makeup) for making her so stunning on this special day!

I love these pictures because you and your friends were just stunning.  And what girl would be lucky enough to have a BFF who has such beautiful landscaping at their house which made these pictures even more stunning.  As for Michael, he was a sweet guy…

There were a total of 35 high schoolers inside the party bus; I just wished they had one of those when I was in high school, it was really nice!

Hair by Tarrah Vaba

Makeup by Ella Blue http://www.ellabluebeauty.com/

Proud Dad!

Sisters!