Ellie | Michigan Maternity Session

Every summer I load myself & the kids up and we take an extended vacation to Michigan. It’s where my husband is from and one of my absolute favorite places on the face of this earth. I always say I was born a city girl but meant to be in the country. I love the peacefulness, the quite roads, the small town living. I even love that the amish still ride horse & buggy around the town. It’s my escape.
What makes it even better is my mother in law is also one of my favorite people. She’s such a good person, and her motherly instinct/love makes her home so incredibly comfortable. Her outdated small 100 year old farmhouse is a mansion in my eyes and the most comforting place I can call home. She use to have this old couch that had a “hole” in it. I could sleep in this spot forever, especially during the winter months when it was cold and snowy out. I’d just curl up and pass out with a blanket. Of course she had to betray me and went and got a new couch recently. haha.

Anyways, whenever I come to town I normally like doing sessions but this time, we were home with the sole intent of celebrating our last summer on the family pond – my husbands grandpa is in a memory loss facility and unfortunately they are selling their home. A home that has been so special to all of us for so many years. There are so many amazing memories for myself and my kids on the pond and we have only been in the family for almost 7 years, I can only imagine what my husband and his family feel – growing up on it. We fish, and the kids swim, and we sit outside and drink all day in the warm sun while soaking up each other. And to top off that news, my husbands uncle passed away during the pandemic and so we had his funeral on his birthday. It was a different trip. One full of stress and pain and unwavering emotions that I don’t think anyone knew how to handle or where to place them. A trip filled with tension and high feelings. And I knew it would be this way so I didn’t want to commit to any sessions given those facts. However, I had two brides from recent years expecting and I made exceptions! They came out to my mother in law’s property and I have to say, it never disappoints. That’s another thing I love about this place. I love just getting to walk out to 80 acres and know I can find beauty and diversity and can produce gorgeous images that you’d question where they came from.

First up was Ellie. She’s a goddess! I have always believed this and still to this day! And she makes the most adorable little pregnant lady I have ever seen! She’s still rather early – due right around the time I had my Jackson but we knew I wouldn’t make it back in time for baby if we didn’t take advantage this time around! It was a solid 95 degrees with probably 1000% humidity. I was literally dripping sweat – much different then our perfect Colorado weather, haha. She killed it though! Just see for yourself!