Matt and Lindsay Winter Maternity Session in Bloomington, Minnesota

As a seasoned parent it is so exciting for me to see to-be parents savoring all there is to savor in their pregnancy and be so unbelievably excited  to meet their baby.

Celebrating in their joy and excitement as their lives are about to change cannot make me any happier.
Seeing Matt and Lindsay together about to be parents makes my heart swell. 

We braved the snow and wind on an unseasonably warm Minnesota day (35 degrees!) at one of my sweet cherished spots, Bush Lake in Bloomington. The sun shining and the beautiful snow all around us couldn't have made for a more perfect setting for these parents to be to document their last days before baby comes. 

Lindsay and Matt have been the epitome of an amazing couple ever since they first started dating. When ever I see these two they have a smile on their face and are excited to be in the company of one another. They truly enjoy each other and that is such an incredible gift. They have solid footing built on love of one another and others.

To see these two blossom into parents will be incredible. They are patient, loving, gentle and kind to everyone they meet. I can only imagine how these beautiful traits will overflow in their hearts as their son  soon enters the world. They are blessed with a strong familial foundation with many siblings and amazing sets of parents that are so excited for this little boy!

I cannot express my joy enough to have the opportunity to be able to take these photos for them that they can share for a life time with their children and family!

 

Welcoming Baby Marli - Miles and Miranda Family

When your family is having a baby...there is always anticipation, like loads of excitement and joy!

I was so excited to see my brother and his beautiful fiance become parents for the first time.

And that excitement hasn't subsided since they've become parents!  They welcomed their sweet baby girl Marli Renee into the world in September. Sadly, I couldn't be there for the birth because we live 11+ hours away, but we just recently got to meet Marli and love up on the new parents. 

I loved seeing them come into their own as parents right before my eyes while they visited  and seeing my baby bro hold, calm and soothe his own daughter brought tears to my eyes! 

Anyone who knows Miles, knows he had a 6 month minimum baby rule....which meant he wouldn't hold babies until they were AT LEAST 6 months of age.  As an uncle of THIRTEEN you would think he'd soak up the newborns, buuuuuuut apparently he felt he'd break them. It was pretty hilarious to drop a newborn in his arms and see the sheer horror on his face before he became a father. 

With his daughter, I didn't see any horror or anguish when she cried or pooped or just needed a good cuddle. 

He's come a long way folks...

AND-his fiance!

 Miranda is a dear, sweet and gentle woman. OH, we are lucky to have her!  She has a patient heart and a gentle demeanor. Marli is lucky to have a mama so wonderful. 

Miranda and Miles surprise engagement at Bush Lake Park

As I raised my camera up, my hands shook. I could feel my heart beating quickly in my chest.  

Then, he got down on one knee. 

I could feel my eyes welling up, but knew I had to stay composed. He stayed there, on one knee, for quite a time and through my lens I could see the shock and awe on her face. She had NO idea it was coming. At the end of a dock at Bush Lake Park in Bloomington, Minnesota with the wind swirling about them she said yes to being his wife. With a photo shoot of what she thought was going to be some lovely maternity photos turned out to be a surprise proposal...and boy was she surprised! 

This is the moment, my friends, that my baby brother proposed to his beloved. We had been planning this surprise almost all summer. I was so graciously honored to be a part of such an amazingly beautiful event. He acted calm, cool and collected as we started the photo shoot. As we approached the dock down the walking path I quietly eye balled him with that sisterly look that the empty fishing pier should be the place to pop the question. As I switched out my lens (so I could keep my distance) I could see him pacing a bit at the end of the dock playing out the next steps in his head.  He distracted her with the classic "what's over there?" gesture and as she turned around he was on one knee. 

He was all smiles and she was stunned. The shock and excitement took over after a couple minutes and she was beaming from ear to ear...and then she said yes! 

I can not tell you how excited I was for this day and how graciously I am humbled to have been part of such an intimate occasion. I am so excited to welcome Miranda with open arms into our enormous family. She has been such a blessed addition to my clan of sister-in-laws! 

Hi Friends!

Hi Everyone! I wanted to start this blog as a little introduction! If you click to my bio link you'll see my quick 5 facts about me! It's a great introduction, but I wanted to take a bit more time to give you my story...so hopefully I can hear yours in return! I am Catherine Zoe, but to most of my friends and family I am known as Zoe. I am wife to Robert, a wonderful burly bearded man. I am so blessed to have such an amazing, loving companion stand by me supporting me in my dreams, passions and sometimes goofy hair brained ideas. Marriage has been an amazing, challenging and rewarding experience all wrapped into one and I am truly grateful for my marriage every day.

When serving my wedding clients I am so excited to share the same sentiments about marriage with them! I get excited about my clients and images knowing that I have been chosen to capture one of the best days of their life! Besides having a passionate heart for marriage, my clients, relationships and my hunky husband, I also a mother! I am a mama to 5 crazy, goofy, lovable kids! I have 3 sons ages 13, 10 and 8 and our two littlest, who are 3 and 1- who just so happen to be our sweet daughters. Life can be a bit chaotic at times with 5 kids, but I love every minute of it and wouldn't want it any other way!

 

Photography has always been in my blood and even as a little kid I remember I would sneak my parents compact 35MM camera and take photos of anything and everything. My interest grew into a passion and now it has exploded into a full blown love of serving clients, capturing heartfelt moments, and creating timeless images. I hope to hear from each and every one of you...don't be a stranger!