This was a kid I lugged around on my hip—I was 16 when Zach was born, so I thought of him as my baby too.  He was the cutest, cutest little boy, soft blond curls and a devilish smile.  At age 5 he’d perfected the Zackie Special–a rice cake with a slice of cheese, toasted to sheer perfection–and he was always happy to make one for you.  The first time he met Philip, (Zach was maybe four) his first comment was “Nice khaki shorts”  – I’m not sure Philip even knew khaki was a color, to him they were likely tan shorts… but hey, it felt good to be complimented : )

Well, little Zackie has grown up, WAAAAY up to nearly 6′3,  graduated from UW, and has perfected many more culinary masterpieces. He’s no longer that sweet little boy, now he’s a sweet young man. A sweet man who has met a very sweet woman.  And in June they will become a sweet family with her son Keevan.  That’s a lot of sweetness.  I am so proud of him.  I think I need to make a Zackie special for lunch…

I love alleys.  There is something a bit clandestine, maybe secretive, and very  private.  The alleys of downtown Olympia have their own personalities–some are urban and edgy, others have an old world feel,  but all of them make for perfect photo scenarios.    Emily and Austin were perfectly happy to wind through the alleys, tucking in and out, and stealing a kiss or two along the way.  Soon, they will be heading to the sunny land of Cali as Austin pursues his dream of flight.  These two smarties–one an engineer the other a psyche major have the world opening up to them.  So sweet to see lovely couples in love forging new lives together.  Good luck you two!

My clients have such great style–who else can pull off Chuck Taylors, rockabilly hair and a suit?  Ale looked like Maria from the Westside story with her adorable summer dress and cardigan.  Blue and Ale came ready for a playful engagement session at the carnivale.  We opted to head there early, before the gates opened to avoid crowds.  What an eerie feeling–the carnivale was totally deserted.  I kept half expecting zombies to emerge from the haunted house…  We then made our way to another deserted locale, a cool old lumberyard and  warehouse.  Great images! Thanks for being adventurous you two!  Congrats and can’t wait for the wedding : )

Yay for a sunny, Fourth of July weekend!! — Especially since Ashlee and Wes ventured all the way down from Bellingham for their engagement session.  I love the low angled summertime sun… I probably should have been carting around my ladder though–I think collectively they were close to 13 feet tall!  We wandered along a deserted field, just as the sun was peeking out.  Now if it will just hold through tomorrow evening and Lana and David’s wedding, we’ll be golden, literally.