VAN GASS FAMILY | FAMILIES

VAN GASS FAMILY | FAMILIES

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Grace, Idaho | Southeastern Idaho

Oh, the Van Gass family. They are spunky, energetic, creative, travel buffs, full of surprises, and will keep you laughing regardless of your life’s circumstances. I’ve been amazed at the endeavors they have taken over the past few years! Just to name a few… they are active members of the fair board/committee, designed and built a barndo,  participated in the Utah Pinners Conference- as well as countless other craft markets and events, and are active in their own community, all while raising a house full of cute kiddos and running and growing their small business from home. If you’re curious about what this business of hers looks like, let me give you just a quick overview. Liberti personally designs, assembles, and sells one-of-a-kind felt garlands, and other fun felt decorative pieces. If you still can’t quite wrap your head around this, head over to Loaly and check out her cute creations. You’d be amazed at what one can do with felt when you have a brain like Liberti’s!  Then there is LeGrand.

I really don’t know how to truly introduce you to LeGrand. I just can’t seem to find the words, but I get to sit in the corner each Sunday and watch as he walks into the Primary room. He’s a teacher of at least five kids ages 6-7 years old. You’d think that’d be a challenge, I’m pretty sure LeGrand finds it to be an exciting adventure. The kids enjoy his lessons- I know because one of those kids happens to be mine… 

This family has no fear, they have a way of going with the flow of change, and trying new things in ways that I would crawl into a hole and die before I’d try! They are quite the crew. I’m grateful I’ve been able to get to know them, to be their neighbor-even for a short time, and enjoy their sweet treats- thank you Lytzi! ;), and a fantastic Masala recipe- thank you Liberti!

Thank you Van Gass family for bringing a little spunk, adventure, and variety to our neighborhood! I’m grateful to have been able to hang out in the snow with this crew even for a short moment in time! I hope that every future adventure you embark on becomes your favorite! 🙂

-Mikenna

XOXOXO

 

TY + LINSDAY WINTER WEDDING | COUPLES

TY + LINSDAY WINTER WEDDING | COUPLES

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Soda Springs, Idaho | Southeastern Idaho Photographer

I saw him standing next to his little red truck alongside my future  father-in-law. I was excited to think I was going to beat him inside. My siblings and I quickly crossed through the parking lot and once we entered the doors, they went right into the general waiting room, and I headed back to the member waiting area. I was so excited, I was getting married! We waited…and waited…my aunts, uncles, and grandparents passing by as they headed back to the chapel…and I was still waiting. Quick jokes about Craig and his cold feet were plenty, but they seemed to have more weight the more time passed by. I had just seen him in the parking lot, where did he go?

At some point, one temple worker came and said there was a small delay but not to worry! Time goes on and he comes back to say that the ceremony will be delayed, but not to worry, this time letting me know that my fiance had forgotten his recommend- think of it like a membership card- which is no big deal, they could call his Stake President, he also forgot his temple clothes- again no big deal they could lend him some. Our problem was our marriage license. Craig had left everything other than the suit he was wearing, at home by the front door. Home was a solid 45 minutes away. Thank goodness his mom and sisters hadn’t been in the same vehicle! We were scheduled to be married at 10:30 am, and at 11:45 am we were facing each other ready to be lawfully and eternally husband and wife. 

I think we could plan our wedding day out second by second, breath by breath but somehow there is always a hiccup, some big, some small but at the end of the day, somehow it still feels like ‘the perfect day’ all because two people decided to become permanent companions.  I don’t take on many weddings, if I’m being fully honest I take on no more than two a year. I LOVE them, I love the decor, the experience, and everything about them but with a house full of young kids, I just can’t. Then Lindsay came along. 

Lindsay is beautiful, she is gentle, she is kind, patient, and her smile melts me every time. If I was to be a blonde, I’d hope I would look like Lindsay. I think these two- Ty and Lindsay have quite the love story, but one of my favorite parts of the day was watching these two see each other for their ‘first look’ all dressed up. Ty. Was. Beaming. If you scroll down, there’s one black and white photo in there and look at that grin on his face! Even when we were taking pictures of Ty by himself, he couldn’t contain his excitement! Even though there were a few shirts that didn’t fit, even though there was this tiny detail dilemma or that minor hiccup, these two just kept smiling, they kept being excited and I truly think it just melted the worry away.  I wish these two all the good, all the joy, and all the best memories that can possibly come to them. 

Lindsay, you looked radiant. Thank you for the invite to a day that means so much to you, to Ty, your beautiful girls, and the family you’ve created! Love you both!

-Love, Mikenna

XOXOXOXO

 

LOVE DAY MINIS | THEMED MINIS

LOVE DAY MINIS | THEMED MINIS

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It’s always amazed me how kids hear a word or phrase for the first time ever and yet it sticks. Many times this can be a good thing, and others, maybe not so much as a parent, or even a teacher, I’m sure you know exactly what I mean by that! For the phrase, “love day” I have Daniel Tiger from PBSKids to thank for that. From that day on, Valentine’s Day has always been ‘Love Day’ at our house!

My mom always had a way of making each holiday feel special, or at least feel like there was an occasion worth celebrating. She was a classic Pinterest mom before Pinterest was a thing. From pink-colored milk, and fresh homemade heart sugar cookies to heart pancakes, and Pinterest-worthy Valentine’s gifts. She was amazing, and as I look at what my kiddos get, I can’t feel like I’ve jipped them ever so slightly. I’ll admit, I love to decorate the table with red chargers, a nice white dinner plate, and some hearts sprinkled around, but even though you can sense their excitement, I keep finding myself wanting to do more. This year, I did buy some love day decor, a few cute garlands from Loaly, and some wooden hearts and tabletop decor from Crafty Little You. It definitely helped brighten the place up with a little touch of festive, next year I may even add heart-shaped strawberries to the breakfast plate ;).  

All ‘normal’ traditions aside, I decided to host mini Valentine sessions, this did it for me. I was so stinking excited for Valentine’s Day to come around, especially after Taylor from Harland Bloom showed up with all the perfect things for our backdrop! I even had Signs by Jodi make me a custom sweatshirt with hearts on it to wear for the big day (and DAYS after), plus as a quick thank you to all the families that joined, cookies by Kalli (Lower 40) wrapped me up some dang cute heart-shaped sugar cookies! The day turned out fantastic! The kids were so full of energy and excitement and I can’t blame them. They may have been allowed to THROW heart confetti, make a mess and giggled all the while! I may have had glitter stuck to the bottom of my feet for a few days, thank goodness for a good broom and vacuum! 

For those that missed out, make a note, this WILL be an annual tradition! Those that came, THANK YOU! I’m so grateful you did! 

IF you want to be in the know when our mini sessions are, and all good things coming to Mikenna Atkinson Photography, jump on our email list and you will be the first to hear about upcoming sessions! You will also be the first to hear about model calls- which means FREE pictures for you! Thank you for popping by! 

-Mikenna

XOXOXOXO

 

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SPENCER FAMILY | FAMILIES

SPENCER FAMILY | FAMILIES

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You may remember from previous posts or comments that I have never owned a horse. I’ve ridden one before! IF one tethered to a wheel that goes around and around at the fair counts…My grandparents had a horse when I was little. He was a beautiful red color, and I was terrified of him, and yet I loved him at the same time. I would get so excited to feed him, but just about die every time I tried to stay calm, and hold out that small bundle of fresh-picked alfalfa to him. I thought he would for sure bite and then swallow my hand whole. I remember loving playing in his barn, climbing up on the pokey bales of hay just hoping there would be a mama cat and her kittens up there somewhere. Remember the Anne of Green Gables series? I remember seeing her sitting in a tree on the cover of one book and I imagined myself looking just like her sitting up on top of that haystack. I’m sure I looked far from that picturesque cover, my hair was probably disheveled, my jelly shoes filled with dirt and horse manure, the only thing that was close to picturesque was the sundress and my sun-kissed skin! Oh to have the imagination I once had! I was probably like Anne though, excited for an adventure, a mind filled with imagination, and plenty of moments where I wondered how in the world I was going to get myself out of a pickle, because as you know, as a kid, pickles are the end of the world.

Brigadier was his name, and as I mentioned, he was a beautiful red color. I have since been notified by my daughter that they are called Red Sorrels- thank you TJ for educating my daughter in all things horse related… Brigadier was my pet, at least he was in my mind. I’m sure grandpa appreciated babysitting and feeding him for me. 😉 I’d run to the back of grandpa and grandma’s yard and there he would be in the field just grazing away, he didn’t do much, but he made some great fertilizer! Every once in a while grandpa and grandma would go out of town and I’d get to check his water and such while they were gone. I’m sure my parents told me not to feed him, but if they weren’t around, I bet you can guess what I loved to do, especially if there was already a bale of hay cut. I only had one problem. I was scared to death of being in the same corral or field as he was without a fence between the two of us. He seemed like a giant, and I was sure that giant would kick or run me over if there was no barrier between us. Oftentimes he would be munching away at the trough by the barn which meant he couldn’t see me, or so I thought. His ‘corral+field’ was shaped like the state of Utah, just flipped upside down. You’d enter the field at the bottom between two wooden fence posts, then about 2/3 of the way up was another fence line that opened up to his barn area. Dividing that into two halves made a section on the left and one on the right (barn on the left, and the watershed with a smaller corral section on the right).

This day he was at the trough- probably still working on the snack I had loaded him up with the day before but that’s beside the point. I thought for sure he wouldn’t know of my arrival, so I quickly dodged through the entry posts and took a quick sprint back to the corral area and a hard right over the fence line and into the watershed then let out a sigh of relief as I opened the door and pulled it closed behind me. I raised the water hydrant handle to get the flow going and watched through a knot in the wall as the water filled in the old water tub. When it finished, I hung on that handle until I was able to shut it off- let’s just say my weight had to step up and stand in for my lack of muscle capacity. I opened the door and started my jog back out, but after I went over that first fence I noticed my pet was waiting for me and stood between me, and the exit. A normal human being would have been calm and walked under the perimeter fence and back to the yard. Not me, I couldn’t risk my sundress snagging on the barbed wire! Instead, I froze. He started walking towards me and I took off running back the way I came. The poor guy was harmless, and I’m sure he just wanted his nose rubbed! I sat in that barn for hours, I was sure I was going to die of starvation, would my parents come looking for me? Would Nate get to keep all my toys? Would my friends miss me? Who would forget to feed my rabbit?! I mean, who would feed my rabbit now?! My life suddenly flashed before my eyes. I was in a pickle. I loved the barn but I didn’t want to die there!

Well, 15 minutes later I decided I was going to make a run for it. He was at the water tub and I had a straight shot from the barn to the edge of the field. I looked both ways and ran as fast as my little legs could run plus a little extra. I’m sure I looked like a kid who had just stepped on a rattlesnake and was running for their life, little did they know I was just a dramatic goofball running from my harmless, pet, that wasn’t even mine, of a horse.

Fast forward a few years, maybe like 20, and one of my favorite families decides it’d be a good idea to take their family pictures among their herd of horses. You’ll soon find out if you have a request for your family portraits, I’ll make it happen, I can be brave! So I did, I stood there while the massive giants came in to see what treats I had brought them (Levi informed me that my black camera bag may give them the impression that I was there to feed them…) and tried to stay calm while they nibbled on my hair, and smelled/nuzzled my neck as I snapped away- yet not making any sudden movements. I can say I didn’t get kicked, bit, or stepped on, I even kept my cool. I’ll admit, I felt quite safe with Levi and his hat! I enjoyed the beautiful horses, the variety of colors and coats, I loved the gorgeous sun haze, and of course, being with my four favorite Spencers! Thank you for another great evening, I dibs the same time, same place this year!

-Love,

Mikenna

P.S. See if you can find one of my all-time favorite horse pictures! As I was culling through the session getting ready to edit, I stopped and actually laughed out loud. Oh the moment was perfect! 

 

RICHARDSON FAMILY | FAMILIES

RICHARDSON FAMILY | FAMILIES

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Remember how I’ve mentioned in the past that every client starts to feel like they are family to me? Well, hopefully, I don’t totally embarrass them by making this claim, but this family right here is my actual family. Susan is my aunt on the Warnes side- just in case you’re looking for a little family history ;). Oh, the camping stories we could tell are endless, and the memories are worth noting!  Bear Lake was an annual Warnes family tradition when I was a kid. Unfortunately, the last time we attempted a trip with this crew a legendary Bear Lake storm picked up, dropped a tree on my parent’s tent, sent dinner away in the wind, flooded our campsite, and landed everyone in my grandparent’s camping trailer all before Susan and Dave even arrived. Quite a trip!

One thing I do love about this crew is their generosity. They made every effort to support different events like baby blessings, baptisms, birthdays, etc. but they were also the ones ready and willing to lend a hand. In 2015 we moved from Eden, Utah to Tremonton. We had purchased our first home and while we didn’t think we had much to move when it came time to pack it up, it sure felt like a lot! The day of the move came and I received a text from these two asking what time we planned to move. When we got there, Susan and Dave showed up with arms full of food to feed everyone, and a cooler of drinks, not to mention a family with muscle ready to help unload and unpack. They did not leave our house until every bed was set up and ready to go. I had no idea how big of a blessing that would be to us! Susan is also a very talented seamstress. Susan has given me a handmade blanket/quilt for each of my babies. Something about that very personal gift has truly made my heart full.  Then there’s Dave. He is a nut! Talk about a guy with endless energy and a love for life, that fits him perfectly. Whether it’s working on a snowmobile, helping someone find a job, or heading up the local trap shoot club, he’s always up to something, and you can usually find him with a BIG ole grin on his face!

My cousins, oh boy, Sarah & Cole, DJ, and Maddie. Let’s just say, they are all a good combination of their parents. They are talented, generous, and a bunch of goofs- I can’t even count how many times I had to pause to collect my breath, and let’s face it, laughing too hard when pregnant is really a thin line…I leave it there, but if you need further information, ask a pregnant lady why she is laughing and crossing her legs. It’s just a fact of life, and I had to do that multiple times in the 40 minutes or so I was with these goobs!  I love them!

DJ, thank you for not leaving me in the woods by myself in Mantua, I’m sure they’d have seen a pregnant belly and not even attempted to irritate me, but I appreciate you standing watch until Craig arrived! 😉

Richardson family, I love each of you, yes even you Cole, thank you for trekking along, until next time!!

-Mikenna

XOXOXO

*Fun fact, the trees didn’t actually have blossoms on them, the light was hitting the leaves just right to make them glow as if they were blossoms! SO COOL, and so beautiful don’t you think!?