This will be my last post for Esther’s baby shower.  I captured some photos of the cake and the beautiful mother-to-be.  I still think pregnant women are one of the most beautiful sights in the world.  I know sometimes they don’t feel like it, but they really are!

Here is another installation of Esther’s baby shower. We played games and opened gifts. Guests were encouraged to bring a favorite childhood book in lieu of a card. Baby shower gifts are so fun!

One more post is on the way…

My good friends Esther and Rob are expecting a baby in a little over a month! Hyon and I planned the shower and we had a great time. I can’t wait to meet their baby girl. Here are some of the details…

Stay tuned for more!

I’ve had a slew of visitors come through Chicago over the last month and it’s finally slowed down. My mom and my brother visited, and it was my mom’s first time in Chicago. She loved it! And I loved having her here. She cooked so many delicious meals for us and I was seriously sad when she left. Here is a photo of her making kimbap, and another one of her on the architectural boat tour. Isn’t she the prettiest?

On Sunday we ate our quiche breakfast at the B&B and then picked up some pastries at the Swedish Bakery.  The blueberry cheese danish was to die for.  Then we stopped by the farmer’s market.  Will got some broccoli and asparagus.  I think it was the cheapest farmer’s market I’ve ever been to.  I <3 farmer’s markets!

On Saturday we went to the Wine Festival at Weko Beach.  I have to admit, it was a bit disappointing.   After having been to Napa and Santa Barbara for wine tasting, it was hard to find Michigan wine as good.  But the “beach” was really cool!  Yes, the lake beach.

Last weekend Will and I went to Michigan to celebrate the end of his first year of school.  As a California girl, it amazes me that you can drive 1.5 hours and be in another state!  I loved Michigan.  It was my first time there and it was so lush and beautiful.  We stayed at the most wonderful B&B, called Garden Grove (my first B&B experience in the states, too).  Man, B&B’s are so awesome!  So homey and charming…

You may remember Yejune from an earlier shoot I did of him and his mom Alison.  It’s amazing how fast kids grow…he has changed so much in just a couple of months!  Yejune celebrated his very first birthday last week.  It was such a fun kid birthday party.  Also, I loved the cake! It looks totally professional, but it was actually baked by a friend of Alison’s.  Here are some photos of the birthday boy, his cake, and his little friends.  Alison, Hans and Yejune took off last week to Korea for the summer. Lucky them!

Do you remember Heidi and Josh?  I took some maternity photos of them back in April.  Well, their baby was born two weeks ago and I would like to introduce this precious little one to you.  Her name is Marin.  Isn’t that the most lovely name?  I actually saw Heidi the morning of the day she went into labor.  She said she had some contractions and thought it might be the big day - and it was!   Marin is such a good baby already.  She slept for 7 hours straight one night.  We poked and prodded her to pose for some good photos because what she really wanted to do was sleep some more.  Josh, Heidi and Marin will be moving back to Denver next week.  I’m going to miss hanging out with you guys and watching Marin grow…

I have had the joy of making some international friends here in Chicago.  Anja is one of them.  She has been living in Chicago for the last few months but will be returning home to Denmark in a few weeks.  I am so sad to see her go!  She is a wonderful person, both inside and out.  I was asking her one day about bikes and she offered to give me hers when she leaves.  I will remember her every time I get on that bike…