Andrew's 1 year Pictures and Cake Smash  

Posted by Amber in , , ,

I used a new-to-me photographer for Andrew's 1 year photos, and I'm in LOVE! Jennifer of J.Lyn Fotos is freaking amazing, reasonably priced, laid-back, and the FASTEST turnaround time in the history of ever. (Heads-up, her business Facebook doesn't have anything from this year posted. She basically just puts teasers up on her personal page. Both are linked.) She does all sorts of photos, but I'd seen thousands of cake smashes of hers and opted to message her. She's a freaking cake smash pro, guys! Seriously, I can't sing her praises highly enough. Anyway, here are some shots from Andrew's session.

Obviously I took this during the shoot, but her setup was so fantastic that even my phone camera got some great shots with no edits at all :)
Also, at the time, she had purple hair. Awesome!

Shout-out to my aunt, Koreen, who did Andrew's cake.
Left: Pinspiration, Right: Koreen's cake.
Fabulous.

Some pre-cake cuteness.
She also gave me this in a black and white, which I totally framed for his room. LOVE it :) And I'm picky when it comes to B&Ws :)

I love that she had a little bench. Henlie had some with her Piglet on a bench at her 1 year photos, and now Andrew has some on a little bench with his Osito. Not planned, but totally cool :)


And this is the one hanging in the living room :)

Cake, pre-smash :)

"What is this?"
Jen and I were talking while we were waiting for Koreen to bring the cake and I predicted Andrew would have no issues with cake smashing. My boy proved me right. He dug in :)


I absolutely LOVE that she captured this. I was just swinging the rocket back around for better pictures, and he nommed it. Jen was awesome and got the shot :)



mmm those baby blues :)

I think the cake was definitely a "smash." ;)

Koreen opted for a smoothing buttercream. It was her first time doing it. I think she nailed it. She wanted it to be yummy and to make a bigger mess haha. Andrew was definitely a fan. The cake was a little dense for him to actually dig into, but he enjoyed his frosting all the same.

Also, you can see the progression of his tie. That frosting had a lot of fats in it. I tried hand washing it with laundry detergent, but it was still very oily. Next, dish soap. Dish soap is the answer, my friends. The tie is like new again. :) 

Shout-out to Littlest Prince Couture, where I found his tie. LOVE them. I've also since bought him a long-sleeve onesie there, and it's great. (No, I'm not compensated by them, I just really appreciated their selection, quality, and everything, so go check them out! Also, join their birthday club, and your little prince can get a free tie for his b-day!)

It was a truly great experience. Henlie played with Jen's daughters while we were taking Andrew's pictures. Jennifer was amazing to work with. And seriously, the FASTEST turn around time ever! Plus, I love her editing. I can't say that about a lot of photogs these days. (Sorry, I like bright and vibrant, not the faded vintage-y look that seems super popular. Though I'm sure she'd do that for you too if you wanted!) So, big thanks to Jennifer!

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Grandpa Hadfield - Viewing and Funeral  

Posted by Amber in ,

The viewing for Grandpa Hadfield was Sunday, February 21st at their church building. We met early to help set things up and for the grandkids to rehearse the song medley we were going to sing for the funeral. Brian and Melody graciously opened their home if anyone needed a break or needed somewhere else to take their kids for both the viewing and funeral. The also provided dinner for the family on Sunday. Those Hadfields sure make for an awesome family :D

This floral arrangement had each family grouped with everyone's names on seed packets. Grandpa was well-known for his gardening.

 Grandpa's kids sure did an amazing job with the display. It was definitely apparent Grandpa's many skills, talents, and passions. He lived a full life.
Display - family photos, quilts, crafts, music, and so much more.


The grandkids spend most of their time in the nursery. Melody also came prepared with some crafts to do.

Part of the Family Night song that is tradition in the Hadfield family, which was included in the medley during the funeral. This recording is the third verse.

Matt and I with his Great Aunt Karen.
Henlie finally decided to make a frame. Matt picked the generation picture we took at family camp when she was just a baby.

Grandpa touched many lives. The line extended down the hall, around more halls, and through the chapel. We heard of people who actually came in and then left because the line was so long.

The funeral was Monday, February 22nd. We started with another viewing. We just hung out while the siblings greeted people. Then we moved to the chapel for the service. It was rather eventful. Grandma wasn't doing so well. We actually called 911 and they took Grandma to make sure she was okay. Mostly the stress of everything and then not eating well took its toll on her body. She was okay, though.

Waiting during the viewing prior to the funeral.
Henlie finishing off some cookies from Peru
Devan and Michelle reading to Henlie and Charlie.
Daddy and Andrew taking silly selfies :)

 After the funeral, we headed to the cemetery to lay Grandpa to rest. It is also the cemetery where Matt's stillborn brother, Joshua, is buried, so we visited his grave as well.




After a lot of family and such a tender time, we wanted to still keep our family close. What turned into a couple siblings over for pie turned into the whole family joining us for dinner, pie, and FHE Monday night as well. It was good to hang out with them all a little more, even though it wasn't anything "special" per se. Hanging out with family is what makes anything special. 


We are so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful family. We are also very blessed to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ to guide us and offer us comfort with the knowledge it brings that our family can be together forever.

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