Sophia... a perfect mix of her mom & dad

When you have a little girl as adorable as this, in my opinion, there's no way life could get any better.  I've known her parents since we were a bunch of wild, crazy teenagers, and I absolutely LOVE seeing what they've done with their life together, from a very successful and classy restaurant and wine bar, to this amazingly beautiful little girl, and it's no secret that she makes their world spin!

We held this session on location at their business, PV's Uncorked on Main in Pocatello, Idaho.  I couldn't have been more honored to be their chosen photographer!

Kelslynn's Turning 1!

I watched this little girl's beautiful mom grow up, I watched her mom and dad get married, I've had a long-lasting close friendship with her grandma and grandpa, and now she's turning 1!  She was so happy, and so smiley, and so photogenic, and completely ready to rock the camera!  1-year old cake smashes are probably one of my most favorite sessions... no bars held!  You just go for it!

aaliyah's baptism...

My 12 year old daughter, Aaliyah, is absolutely amazing!  She's so smart, bright, creative, and just a character of her own!  On the 21st of July, she got baptized.  This was a choice that she completely made all on her own.  My husband and I try to lead our children onto the straight and narrow path but we also allow them some room to think on their own - and getting baptized is one of the those things that I feel that should be chosen and not forced, and not until you fully understand the true meaning of baptism and have gained a testimony in what you believe.  Sitting with Aaliyah as she went through the discussions, I knew that she was absorbing everything that she was being taught, and that she truly understood it and also believed it.  During her first discussion as the missionaries gave a quick explanation of how it would work and what the meaning of faith was, there was a moment of silence, and then she pointed at the poor innocent boys sitting on our couch and said, "I've got faith in you guys, so you better not lie to me!"  DONE DEAL! The meaning of faith was fully understood by her!  I quickly laughed so that they could put their eyeballs back in their heads and laugh with me.

One of the most special things about her baptism is that my brother, Brady, baptized her and he and his family drove all the way from Montana to be here.  She chose my brother, Carter, to confirm her, and he and his family came from my hometown in Idaho.  And of course my mom was here, and we even left a seat open between me and Aaliyah for my dad.  It's been a long time since we have all been together as a family and have been able to sit around a table and talk and laugh and even tear up - that day after the baptism we were able to do just that at my house.  I never wanted the day to end.  It was an amazing day, for all of us.  We have so many wonderful friends and neighbors who gave Aaliyah so much support and love.

The night before the baptism, we scurried off and took her "baptism pictures."  Here are a few of my favorite, but you can see the rest of them on my Facebook page.

I'm so proud of you Aaliyah, and love you so very much!

{ i've gone crazy }

Yep!  You read it right!  From today thru

the 31st of July, family sessions are 50% OFF!  

Of course there's always the small print with additional details & restrictions, so here they are:

Offer cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion, or gift certificate.  Offer only good towards  sessions of immediate family, not extended family.  The discount is good towards the price of the first 4 people and does not apply towards the charge for additional family members.  Offer valid in Salt Lake and Utah counties only.

For anyone who would like to purchase the session, I will allow it, but the session must be held no later than August 31st, 2012.

For session pricing CLICK HERE.  If you have additional questions or would like to take advantage of this fabulous offer, either call me at (801) 651-6990 or email me at micah@icandymadeyousmile.com.

{ 1 year down } let's celebrate!

Well it's officially been 1 year since I left the world of going to an office for 40 hours a week and decided to be a stay-at-home mom and tackle my dream of photography.  In that year, I've learned SO much... not just about being a photographer, but also about being home daily taking care of my family and being my own boss (other than getting bossed around by my family!) I've had amazing clients and lots of trials and errors through my journey of being a self-taught photographer (but also with the help of my amazing photographer sister-in-law, Ang). In celebration, I'm giving away one family session to the most deserving family.

Everyone would love a free session, but this time I want this session to go to a family who could really use and deserves it.  A family who's been going through some struggles, either financially, because of health, or maybe even tragedy.

So what I need from you guys is to let me know what family out there deserves this free session.  But I don't just want some names thrown at me, I want to hear all about it... and yes, in the form of an essay, so to speak.  Please email me letting me know all the details.  After I've received these emails, I will go over each and every one of them very closely, and with the help of others, I will choose the family who I will give this free session to.

Beginning today, April 18th, I will start accepting emails.  You'll have through May 2nd to tell me their story and then the winner will be announced Saturday, May 5th.

Please limit the family to either the Southeast Idaho or Salt Lake Valley area (including Utah county).

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me - phone, email, or Facebook.

Here's the email address to send your nominations:  micah@icandymadeyousmile.com

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and all the kind words and compliments that you've given me throughout my first year in business.  Here's to many, many more years to come!

{ mini sessions } just in time for Spring!

I'm pretty excited about these Spring minis!  Spring is absolutely my most favorite time of the year and I just love being outside and watching all things come back to life, plus there's just something so blissful about the smell of Spring.  Children are another thing that seem to come back to life after a long and dreary winter all cooped-up inside, which is what makes these sessions that much better!  I'll be capturing all of that excitement & fun which gives you another memory for life!  Here's more details...  (click on picture to make it bigger)

I hope that you guys are excited as I am.  To book your session, please call me at (801) 651-6990. As mentioned above, you'll need to pay for your session fee in order to reserve your spot, which will require you to have a Paypal account, but it's easy - I send you an invoice requesting the fee, you pay with nearly just one click & you're on my schedule!  Once I've posted your images in the online gallery, you'll have one week to order a print package at 20% off - what a heck of a deal!  And these are real true professional prints with the best quality that last a lifetime and then some!  Plus, Easter is coming up and there's no better gift for a grandparent than pictures of their grandkids! That's been our gift to my grandma for the past 15 years and she lights up every time!

If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to call or email me.  micah@icandymadeyousmile.com