holiday hoopla 2013

It's been a full season of crazy here. We take our holiday celebrating seriously in illinois. It was an especially fun year, I think with being gone for a few months overseas, I appreciated being home more. Thankful for family who loves to be together and who sees the hope in Christmas. 

One of our quirky traditions....the lost art of taffy pulling. This is definitely a community event, where everyone gets involved.  We are not quite sure where it comes from, perhaps the old german heritage....

Step one: clean hands....and wash the soap off. no one wants to eat soap. 

Step two: apply copious amounts of butter and vanilla as to not completely lose your epidermis. 

Step three: try to get the burning hot candy off of the plate without singeing your hands. grandmas and farmers have tough hands. 

Step four: begin the delicate, beautiful dance of the taffy....we like to think it is similar to the dance of the sugar plum fairy. 

Step five: place the taffy on a table in a cool area so it hardens. 

Step six: eat as much as you can without throwing up. kendall won the award this year. 

happy january! 

amallia + joey

I knew it was going to be a good time doing this engagement shoot when joey said to me "I have a sailor sweater with me." Even though it was ridiculously cold, we tromped all around Old Town, and these two laughed a lot even when they couldn't feel their feet. 

I love hanging out with these friends, and still remember the day mols told me about joey, I had a feeling he was a keeper......I imagine them traveling the country in an old beat-up van, windows down, banjo music blaring, making new friends, and helping people out wherever they go. 

always be yourself. unless you can be a unicorn. then always be a unicorn. 

We found this strange little house, and I think they should see if they can live there. Doesn't it look like a nice little nest?