Chloe has arrived!

Chloe is a member of the Sabol Family. She is blessed to arrive in this vast world with a crew of siblings to keep her company (4 others), and she is their little miracle baby. She is cute, sweet and crinkly...all things that a 2 week old should be!

This (beyond) adorable little guy is Daniel, Chloe's older brother. I captured this cute picture of him while Chloe was taking a little break, and had to post it!

Maternity Pictures
A maternity session can be a wonderful way to capture your pregnancy in a artistic and memorable fashion. These pictures are done in your home, and at your comfort level (fully clothed, partially clothed, covered in cloth or tastefully nude). They are a beautiful way to embrace the changes your body is going through. The session could be done all at one time (I recommend doing this at 7-8 months) or a few times, starting when you are just showing and documenting the growth along the way.

Christmas Cards, 2008 Photo Calendars, Oh MY!

Hey everyone. I just launched a new product, custom Christmas cards, Birth/Adoption announcements and 2008 calendars. Here is an example of each:

It is never too early to book your family session for Christmas cards! If you are interested, check out the newly revamped website! http://www.mandimcdougallphotography.com/

Two CA shoots in one!

A while before the wedding I was contacted by Tracy, who had just adopted a son from Ethiopia. By time we got around to scheduling the session, her sister was going to be in town with her newly adopted son. We did a duel session...Tracy and Zavion, 6 months old and Bradley and Sebastian, 13 months old.

Sabol Family

Today I had the pleasure of photographing the Sabol family. They found me through Celebrating Adoption. Amy and Toby have four children that are fosted to adopt; Katelyn, 4, Daniel, 2, Kaelee, 15 months and Abby, 12 months...and Chloe, due in October!

As soon as I walked in the door of their house, love and chaos surrounded me. Seldom have I ever met a mom who handles the challenges of four little ones so well. She was firm with Katelyn, sung to Daniel, and played with Kaelee and Abby until they giggled.

Without any further ado...

The Reinmuth Family

This last Sunday I participated in my first Celebrating Adoption photoshoot. It was fun...such a warm, loving family to photograph. They adopted both of their children when they were infants.

I am back, and I am officially Mrs. McDougall!!

Boy, does that feel great.

The wedding was wonderful. Beyond words wonderful. I think our wedding was exactly what a wedding should be...first and foremost, a celebration of our love, undying devotion and unity. Beyond that, it was fun, hectic, and just a really good time. I left for my honeymoon thinking...dang, I've got an awesome family. They cooked, cleaned, set up, took down and HANDLED life for a few days for me. Stunning, amazing, loving. And I'm not just talking immediate family, although they worked their tails off. I'm talking friends of family, grandparents, cousins (Jeremiah and his to-die-for cake), friends (hello Dionne, Mike, Paulette and my Wedding Coordinator extrordinaire Melissa).

And now that the honeymoon is over, we've returned to "normal" life (that is a joke!) and are starting to put things back in order. Not our apartment, mind you, but the rest of life.

I've had a few inquiries for Celebrating Adoption, and I thank you ladies. I am bubbling with anticipation over our photo sessions in the next few weeks. Work is crazy...I'm on track for a 50+ hour work week. Yikes. 2 weeks left after tomorrow and I get on day off...then school starts. I am so ready for that. So ready.

All I have so far is one little wedding picture...it was when we were leaving, during the confetti toss:

Peace, love, and all things pink!

Mandi McDougall

it's been a while...

...I've been so busy with life (moving, wedding planning, being sick, work, etc.) that I've taken a ton of pictures but haven't gotten around to actually editing many of them. These are from Kellee and Andrew's wedding July 7th:























With the wedding only 10 days away (omg...tomorrow is single digits!) life has gone into full-swing berzerk mode, as much as I try and deny it. I am keeping a level head, trying to focus on the positive and not get too stressed, but I can feel the anticipation building. By Monday we should be totally moved, and from then on (I hope) life will begin to get a little better each day!

This may or may not be the last post before the wedding/honeymoon...! If anyone needs to contact me for Celebrating Adoption, please send an e-mail and know that I will get back to you as soon as the wedding/honeymoon festivities are over!

These pictures are not taken by me, but they are *of* me!

Had session 2 of our engagement pictures tonight, with my best friend, Dionne Bossart. Here are two faves:

check out her website at: www.dionnebossartphotography.com

Celebrating Adoption

So there is this group I joined...called Celebrating Adoption. The basic idea is that anyone who has adopted in the last year (from anywhere, a child of any age, etc.) can contact any of the photographers on the website (www.celebratingadoption.org) for a free portrait session for them and their family, plus they will receive 20 free 4x6 proofs.

For me, this is not only a chance to randomly give back, but a chance to advocate for something I believe in. I have always wanted to adopt, and have known in my heart that I will. Three and a half years ago I met this amazing person, Kristopher, who I will be married to in exactly 37 days. He was adopted at age 11, after both of his birth parents passed away. I know the hurt he carries from this experience, but I have also seen how blessed he has been by the family who adopted him. He became the youngest of three kids, and was blessed to be raised by such a wonderful, Christian family, who I will soon be "adopted" into myself.

We have just been given a big choice of our own...a family member of Kris' is raising her grandson, and is dealing with some pretty major medical issues. A little under two weeks ago we were asked to take on the responsibility of Godparents...that is, to agree to take this woman's grandson if anything is to happen to her. We are both pretty young, I am still in school, and at first we were shocked almost beyond words (side note: me being speechless does not happen often. at all.) Last night we made a decision that will change our lives forever, I'm willing to bet in ways we can't even fathom. We are now Godparents (that's all I can think of to describe this duty...) to a bright and rambunctious 6 year old boy. Heaven help us.

So, that is why, in a rather large nutshell, that this form of serving others and giving back has become so important to me. When I signed up for Celebrating Adoption, we had not yet been asked to take on this responsibility, and never would have fathomed it.

Multiples at the park

Last week we had a multiples playdate at a local park. It was fun to see all the adorable twins running around! Here are a few pictures from the day:

This is Sophie. You all know her by now. Mom and sister Anna are in the background.

The troublesome twosome (ok, not really...more like the adorable twosome!) heading down the slide.

This little cutie and her sister sat quietly and patiently in their stroller...ah, those are the days!

More pictures!

This is another of Sophie, the other day at the park.











This is Audrey, a friend of the girls. How adorable are those glasses?

















Here is another of Annabelle. She is definitley more pensive than Sophie.










And...this is Ethan. He is adorable, but hiding in that crop of blonde hair are devils horns!

More of Sophie...

...who is my favorite photography subject, even if she doesn't cooperate all that much! So I know that I haven't said much about Sophie, but she is one of the three adorable kiddies I nanny for full-time. She has a twin sister Annabelle, who I've also posted pictures of, and an older brother Ethan, who's debut on my blog will be happening soon. Sophie is the sweetest little thing I've ever seen, and you'd never know by the smile on her face that she's been through many major surgeries, had a tumor removed from her face and spent almost the first half of her first year in the hospital. She is such a trooper, and such a happy little thing.

Took these over the last few days...

Here she is on a tear through the playtube...

This is my favorite lately of Sophie. I took this blind...just stuck the camera into the playtube and clicked. I love the expression on her face and the composition.

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This is my favorite picture I have ever taken of the two of them. It is so stereo-typical Sophie and Annabelle....Annabelle moving very fast towards the thing I want her to get into the least, and Sophie sitting back, having a drink (of milk), bossing Anna around. This is how things go around here. When they were about 9 or 10 months old, Anna was the bigger and faster of the two. Now, she still moves a little faster, but not because Sophie can't. Rather because Sophie is just too laid back to care. Talk about the one who rules the roost...Sophie "dramaQueen" Clinick!