Oh, my heart.These *adorable* twins were born last month, about 11.5 weeks early weighing in at under 3 lbs each. But they seem to be doing well in the NICU, where they will reside for another month or so.I stopped in tonight to snap a few shots of them, and we'll finish up the session when they come home from the hospital. Oh, I cannot wait to see how they grow! It was just amazing to see such tiny fingers and tufts of hair, and then personality like sly smiles.For your internet share today, I just found this site and it had me laughing like crazy this morning. Then I realized it's about a year old, but I guess I get a pass because I wasn't really on the internet much a year ago. So maybe some of you missed it as well... Enjoy!

During my family shoot this weekend, I snapped this photo of the 3rd Avenue bridge across the Mississippi. What a beautiful evening that was! One of my favorite parts of being a photographer is that I'm out so many fall evenings right when the light hits that magic spot. And I appreciate it always.For your internet share of the day, I was fascinated by this story of survival being lost at sea for more than 400 days. And this study showing 3 glasses of champagne each week reduces your risk of Alzheimer's was fascinating... to bad I don't enjoy Champagne. If only it was red wine...

This week, Jamie's mom was in town and she and Ezra were thick as thieves. They had such a great time playing together and Ezra fell for her almost immediately. He could clearly sense that, "Oh hey, this one here? She'll give me ANYTHING I WANT!" And it was so adorable to see them playing together.Because Bubie was in town, Ezra stayed home from daycare for most of the week, so he got lots of walks outside, a trip to the park, a trip to the aquarium, a dinner out at a pizza joint and many household errands. He was game for all of it.Another fun thing that happened this week was that I got a new computer (yay!!!). Getting a fresh, new computer is about the best feeling ever, eh?But besides my own happiness, Bubie and Ezra built a fort out of the padded box. I didn't see Ezra playing in it much, but I did see this. :) Sometimes you take your kid to the aquarium to show him the giant sharks, the tortoises, the crocodiles and the sting rays and what is he most interested in? The illuminated exit sign. Yup. And lastly, Bubie made her delicious meat balls Sunday night for Ezra, and while he seemed uninterested in the beginning, she figured out that using a fork was a much better way to gain his interest.We thought he was eating a ton of them until he started laughing and spit them out down his shirt. Boys are so classy.Yup.

A few weeks back, I photographed* my last wedding of the season, and it was so lovely.These two had such a fun day together, but what really struck me about this wedding was the closeness of family. Being a wedding photographer, I think it's fair to say that I witness a lot of family drama. But this family seemed so supportive of each other through and through -- it was really a wonderful part of the ceremony and the day. In fact, there was no bridal party. Just relatives. Trust me when I tell you that's pretty rare.Enjoy the photos below... there's even a Star Wars twist if you make it to the end...   So many thanks to the fabulous Jackson for second shooting this with me. Couldn't have done it without him.

I had a meeting today over at 3M's headquarters, which are located just spitting distance from Wisconsin. You think I'm joking, but I am not. And driving home from this meeting in rush hour? Through two downtowns? Not so awesome. But at least I had some good company.As much as I detest the drive over to their offices, though, I do love exploring their world. As dated as some of the interiors of this campus are (some, btw, are totally magnificent!), I still love the architecture of these older buildings. The graphic nature is fantastic, and I loved the light blue of this building against the sky and clouds.For your internet share of the day, did you know NASA is hiring? I clearly lack the math skills required for such a job, but imagine the photos I could take!And I really, really want to make this dip. Yum.

Tonight we made the best chicken chili I have ever had in my life. IN MY LIFE.But we should start at the beginning.Way back in 1997, it was New Year's Day (wait, that makes it 1998) and I met up with Jamie and his former college roommate at the roommate's aunt's cabin in northern Michigan. We watched football, drank beer and ate a ton (as you do on New Year's Day in the woods). His aunt made this chicken chili which was so amazing that years and years and years later, we have tried to replicate it and failed many times. Sure, we have made decent substitutes, but nothing as good as that holiday in the woods.And then, this summer, the former roommate came to visit us. Somehow, we mentioned how we both still crave that chili, and he texted his aunt and voila! The recipe was ours! (Why didn't we do this sooner, you ask? Yeah. We are kicking ourselves for that as well.)We made our first batch 2 weeks ago, and it was heaven, and I promised it would be on the blog the next time I cooked it. And here you go.But the best part? You guys. This is the EASIEST RECIPE IN THE WORLD. And the leftovers are amazing. You are really gonna owe me for this one.So here we go.Combine all of this in a crockpot to cook on low for a few hours or in a pot to put on the stovetop on low for 2 hours. Up to you (just make sure you stir it if you go with the stove top).

1. The chicken pulled from a rotisserie bird you buy at the grocer
2. 3 cans of white beans, drained
3. 2 Tbsp cumin
4. 8 oz Pepper Jack cheese
5. 20 oz of your favorite salsa (I used Tostido's restaurant style medium)

At the end of your cooking time, if you feel like it's too thick, add 1/2 to 1 full bottle of beer.AND THAT'S IT.Now go make this and tell me how good it was. I promise it won't disappoint.

Last weekend, on Halloween, you might remember that I hosted a photo booth for all the kids in costume. We had a BLAST! I had so much fun seeing everyone dressed up and posing for the camera. But today, I would like to share with you the hilarious outtakes.These are photos that maybe mom and dad don't really want to frame, but that make me laugh and laugh and laugh. And yes, I love photos of crying babies. I'm weird like that. Just know that for all the tears, we got smiles in the end. This little blue monster looks like she's gonna beat me up! Ah, so much fun.For your internet shares today, I have a bunch.First, check out this coffee mug that cools your coffee to the perfect temperature! Now if it could just do that for my pizza...Next, I love how they made words out of food here.And have you tried to buy sympathy cards lately? Man, they can really suck. But these? These are fantastic.Last, learn how to draw a frog and impress all the kids. Maybe.

This was one of my favorite shots from last week's wedding. I know I normally post one of the couple kissing, where, you know, you can see their faces... but I loved this angle. I loved her rings and her perfect manicure and those gorgeous flowers and the amazing teal velvet curtains behind them. I promise this is a very attractive couple! I just didn't put in the standard shot because sometimes I like something a little different.No internet share today. In case you haven't heard, I'm hosting a Halloween photo booth tomorrow (3-5 pm! Bring the kids in costume! Only twenty bucks!) and I need to go get my spooky setup ready.I hope you all have a fabulous Halloween full of delicious candy and wonderful treats!