as always, it's been ages since i last blogged, and so much has happened.

as many of you probably already know, just over four months ago we welcomed our sweet baby girl, Matilda, into our lives making us a family of three. anyone that knows me, knows that it has been my dream to be a mommy ever since i was a little girl. ever since i was a little girl, i've said i wanted to have 12 kids. 

since our sweet Matilda was born, i have had 2 photo sessions, one of which is just shipping out the door (so embarrassing as it was about 3 months ago). this has really opened up my eyes and made me sit down and really think about my photography business and where i want to go with it. after much thought, talking to my hubby, i have decided that it is most important that i focus on being a mommy. so i'm hanging up my photography hat for now.

being a mommy is not easy, by any means, but oh so rewarding and far greater than i could ever have imagined. i'm finally feeling like i've finally found the balance of a clean house and keeping my baby happy. so with that, i really want to put all my focus and attention on raising my children and being the best wife i can be. photography will always be a passion of mine, but you really cannot run a business half heartedly. you either have to be all in, or not in at all. so i've decided that i'm gonna step away.

i just recently heard somewhere, that when you become a mom, you mustn't give up on your own dreams. you need to still pursue your dreams. and you know what? my lifelong dream has been to be a mom. i've wanted a houseful of kiddos. i want the fingerprinted windows that come with motherhood, the messes, the toddler covered in dirt from head to toe, the spit up and boogers wiped on my shirt, all the triumphs that come with being a mommy-that first smile, the first tooth, a first step, the first words, the tears as you send them off to their first day at school, and then those moody teenage years. i want to be the shoulder my kids can cry on, the one that can kiss away their boo-boos, the one that raises them up and teaches them morals and manners, the one that is their biggest comfort when they are sad, the one they turn to for advice. and one day when they've grown up and moved on (which i know will be sooner than i could ever imagine), i hope that they always want to come "home."  i've looked forward to it all. i know it's going to be the hardest thing i have ever done or ever will do in my life and i know it's going to be a crazy and beautiful ride full of many ups and downs, but i'm ready. so ready. this is all i've ever wanted.

photography? i'm going to be brutally honest. it hasn't been a dream of mine always. not a dream, but a passion. and i will carry on that passion with my family. i will still use my photography passion to document my family's life and preserve our own memories. that is what is most important to me now.

and with that, i'm gonna wrap this up. i really hope you all understand where i'm coming from. also, my photography page will slowly disappear. this is very bittersweet for me, but ultimately my family will ALWAYS come first.

if you are interested in still following along with me in my every day life, i post almost daily (sometimes more than 1x a day) on instagram. my instaname is   breeskoog  :) you can follow along with me and see my daily life!

i do want to thank all of you that have followed my photography journey from the very beginning and have shown me the support you have. for all of you i am forever grateful. i am so incredibly humbled. and honored. so honored for all the people that trusted me to document such important and beautiful times in your lives! thank you x a million.

and with that, i will let you ago. again you can follow along on instagram (@breeskoog)!

and i can't go without sharing one (or two) of my precious baby girl.

at 3 months:)

she loves her tummy time<3

and 4 months<3 adorable outfit from sakatah colors :)

xoxo.bree

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this session was so much fun! and kendra made it so easy. at the beginning of the session she told me that she was very nervous.. i would've never known! she was simply a natural in front of the camera. and seriously so gorgeous!

thank you, Kendra, for trusting me to take your senior photos! it was my pleasure! best wishes to you on your future endeavors:)

Kendra has a gorgeous smile and a killer serious face!!!

 love her laugh here!!

and i think this might just be my absolute favorite, though i love soooo many of them!

i'm telling you. i think she might have a secret life of a model! she is stunning and could pull off anything i asked of her!

xoxo.bree

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i was recently told that i need to blog more, so here i go;) now that i am a stay at home wife, i do have time to get some blogging done:)

Marcus and Kara's wedding day was so gorgeous but very HOT! they got married last summer:) one of the sweetest couples i have ever worked with though, i must say. so easy going, so trusting, and just such a pleasure to work with!

i'll let the photos speak for themselves:)

favorite for sure!!

and thanks to Natalie for second shooting with me:) (she may or may not have been the one to tell me that i need to blog more;)

xoxo.bree

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woah. where do i even start? it's been awhile!

well first of all, my hubby and i are expecting our first child, as i'm sure many have seen on facebook and/or instagram! if you didn't know that, we are due on September 7th! such an exciting time:)

one thing that you may or may not have noticed is that my photo a day challenge slowly dwindled away. when i first got pregnant (which is the most amazing and beautiful thing, growing a child) everything went so smoothly. no morning sickness, no complications, just exhaustion. and i can take that, because i know things could be a lot more challenging and difficult! 

but then my hormones kicked in. i don't think i have EVER dealt with hormones before. i am so even keel most of the time (or so i think.. maybe others would say otherwise?) even at certain times of the month, if you know what i mean. so this really has been very new to me, and i feel like i have to "get to know" this new me. i have some very very good days (usually on sunny days) and then i have some very very low/bad days. so for now, i am putting this photo-a-day challenge on hold and i am focusing on me and my child! because, ultimately, that is most important in my life, keeping this baby healthy and bringing it into this world. and that will be my #1 goal. always.

i hope you understand!

another thing, is this summer i will taking VERY minimal photo sessions. and i am booked for weddings for this summer. i did not take on many weddings (one a month) because i want to focus 100% on each and every client and give them my absolute best work and experience. i don't want to be overwhelmed with work, either. and i will be big & pregnant, too, so i am guessing that i will be wanting to put my feet up every once in awhile:) so i'm going to keep it simple this summer. so if you are thinking of booking a session, i would recommend booking soon because dates will fill up quickly because there will be so few of them.

also, after i have this baby, photography will only be a side job. ultimately, being a mommy has always been my #1 dream job. so my main focus will definitely be on being a mommy! i of course will still be doing a little bit of photography, but not NEAR as much as i have done in the past and recently. my child will be my main photography focus, i'm sure:) so just that it's clear, being a mommy and wife will ALWAYS be #1 for me, and then a photographer. 

i think i've said enough by now and probably bored you. so i will leave it at that for today!

my hubby on our honeymoon:)

xoxo.bree

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last year, i started a photo a week journey, and made it about halfway. this year, i'm going to do a photo a DAY and i'm GOING to make it:) the difference this year, is i am going to post on Instagram.

i would LOVE for people to join me! this is how it will work:

-right before the beginning of each month, i will post a theme for each day. the themes can be found on my instagram (@iamsimplybree) and also on my facebook business page!
-if you decide to join me, it would be sweet if you'd follow me on this journey on instagram (@iamsimplybree) and when posting your photo of the day, lets all use #sbpphotoaday to link our photos together:)

it's all up to you if you join me or not! but i would love if you did!

and here is january's themes:

i look forward to those that join me!
xoxo.bree

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well, it's true that 2013 is coming to a close soon. not sure where this year went, but boy did it disappear in a hurry! i am so thankful for what 2013 brought to me and my business and for everything that i have learned and for the experiences i have had! my business grew leaps and bounds this year.

so anyway, there will be some changes in SBP for next year!

while family sessions are fun, they aren't my passion. so on that note, next year i will only be accepting engagements/weddings (my main focus), seniors, and lifestyle sessions! and i feel that it's time for me to strictly follow my heart.

i have already started booking 2014 sessions, including some weddings, and i am only taking limited weddings this year. 

and of course, with a new year, prices get raised. so to get SBP's 2013 rates, you must book by November 30th, after which it will be the all new 2014 rates!!

i am so excited to see what this new year is going to bring to me and my business, the new people i will meet, and the new experiences i will have:)

 and with that, i'll leave you with a very classic wedding portrait from a wedding i have yet to blog:)

xoxo.Bree

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