{ Melissa + Gracie + Elizabeth }

While I was in Minnesota for Missy and Tony’s wedding, I took my lovely sister Melissa and her two beautiful daughters out to play.  It was a little chilly out, and VERY windy, but the girls had a blast.  Gracie was a total ham for the camera, wanting to do model poses, jumps, and other fun stuff.  I ate it up!  :)  Lissa was herself – cute and pretty, flaunting that great big smile of hers.  Izzy was just happy as can be, like she always is.  She’s the happiest baby I’ve ever met.  She’s always content, and then when you smile at her, you get an ear-to-ear grin and a squeal.  Is there anything better?  :)

I smiled, laughed, and teared up while I was going through these images.  I love and miss these three SO much.  Living two states away is hard for us, I only get to see them a few times a year, and it’s always way too quick.  These girls are growing up so fast, and sometimes I feel like I’m missing it all.  But spending time with them over that weekend was SO wonderful, we enjoyed each others company every minute.  I’m so proud of my big sis, she’s become such a wonderful mom, and such a great friend.  Her two wonderful girls will always have each other, just like she and I do.  This session was amazing – the three of them got a chance to be together as a family to play and bond with no distractions, no rules, no noise… nothing but each other.  It was perfect.

This is the very first image I took – Gracie’s head is cut off because I was just shooting for exposure – but how cute are they?!

Ahh, this is better:

Izzy had just started walking a few days before I got there!

Love her naturally wavy red hair!  How the heck did I get the shaft on that one?

Gorgeous girls!

Are you laughing out loud at Izzy’s pic, above? Me too  :)

These next few…. Gracie and Lissa have this little dance they do, they’ve done it for-evah.  It involves shaking hands, high fives, little jigs and dips and hip bumps.  And singing, and a LOT of giggling  :)

Ooh, serious pose:

And a little sassypants modeling  ;)  I adore this shot of her:

Love yous so much!!  ((hugs!))  See you next week for the 4th of July!!  :)