Families - Mikenna Atkinson

RICHARDSON FAMILY | FAMILIES

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!?

THE CROOKSTON FAMILY | FAMILIES

by mikennaatkinson

Mikenna Atkinson Photography | Southeastern Idaho Family Photographer | Grace, Idaho

I have to admit, I had to go back through my files and figure out when my camera met the Crookston crew for the first time. July 2019 was the date, and it was when Miss Raylee was just a teeny tiny baby, I guess she’s the reason we’ve made it a yearly tradition! You’ve probably seen this crew around town, they are always up to something and always finding ways to give back to the community. Riley keeps this city up and running, and Amber keeps the PTO up to par +! One of my favorite parts about this sweet family is their joy, their kindness, and especially their generosity. I don’t think you can have a bad day when Amber is around! So these two were celebrating a special wedding anniversary, and I think they decided to document the occasion in the perfect manner- updated family pictures!

Grace is a beautiful valley, and even the surrounding areas have some stunning views, each season is so different and unique that I fall in love with it with each new season. Now typically my clients ask me to be on the lookout for the perfect spot, but this time I was pleasantly surprised! Riley had spotted this little gem and had already received permission from the landowner- may not seem like a big deal, but I can probably count on one hand how often that has happened! Would you agree that he has a great eye for locations?! It was absolutely beautiful- the wildflowers, the overall view of the valley, the light, it couldn’t have been more perfect and I’m grateful I got to spend it with these five! We dodged the mud-so many mud puddles…, passing vehicles, bugs, and whatever other creatures that were hiding to capture a few perfect moments. I think it was absolutely worth it!

Thank you Crookston family for another fantastic evening, I’m forever grateful for your friendship! Love you!

-Mikenna

XOXOXO

P.S. If you are looking to update your own family portraits, shoot me a message for session pricing and information!

Oh man, our little Kennedy is EIGHT and as beautiful as ever. This spot that her daddy found ended up being absolutely gorgeous with her baptism dress as well! She’s such a sweetheart! I don’t think there’s much that makes this girl down because whenever I’m around her she’s wearing a big grin and giggling! She is a joy to be around and I’m so excited she was able to be baptized! Love you lots Kennedy!

MICKELSON FAMILY | FAMILIES

by mikennaatkinson

Mikenna Atkinson Photography | Southeastern Idaho Photographer | Grace, Idaho

It’s always blown my mind how two people can result in a family of seven and then a few years down the road that family doubles, triples, quadruples, and so on! Looking at this cute Mickelson family is the perfect example of this phenomenon! Look at all those cute faces, the range of ages, and the different stages of life each sibling is in! I love it! The Mickelson’s were ‘doomed’ to be a part of my family from the moment Nick and Megan (my sister) became friends! My parents moved up to Grace, Idaho in July of 2015 from Eden, Utah- the place my parents and I had grown up. This put three out of four siblings in school from Thatcher Elementary to Grace Junior High & High School. Moving to a new school is already tricky, but moving to a new state on top of that was even more uncomfortable. Nick was one that was kind and became a friend of Megan, she was in High school and his friendship was much needed! Obviously, that friendship didn’t end in the classroom, Nick went on his mission, and Megan headed to BYUI, and when he got home they got married! Now, usually, you’d just claim the brother-in-law as a family member but not in this case! We claim them ALL! Vaughn has become my husband’s golf buddy, and Rachelle is always as sweet as can be! I was so excited to be able to see the whole family together again! It’d been a few years since the wedding and gosh they’ve grown in that short time!

XOXOXOX

ZAHARIAS FAMILY | FAMILIES

by mikennaatkinson

Grace, Idaho

What is it about old, time-worn barns that draw us in? Is it the stories they could hold? The people that we imagine building, and frequenting them? Maybe it’s just the fact that everything around us is so ‘new’ that they stand out just begging to be noticed and appreciated again. Whatever the reason is, I love them, I love walking around, or in them and imagining the stories they hold, I know my imagination goes wild. I think old barns have a ‘romantic’ feeling to them like trains. Well, we had one request for this session, which came from the head of the family, Shane. It doesn’t happen very often, I think most of the time the dads just assume they are required to show up, and they will be happy about it because the wife expects it without another word. Yes dads, I know that’s how it goes, thanks for being patient with us mothers and wives who just want that ONE good picture with our whole family together…:) Well, in this case, Shane had one request, and that one request was for the pictures to be around this old barn. Thankfully the owners were extremely kind to us and that one request was fulfilled!

So, without further adieu, let me introduce you to the Zaharias family! This family moved to Grace in the last few years hoping to retire and start enjoying the ‘good life,’ instead, they made more work for themselves by getting involved in the community! They have become an asset and a fun piece of the Grace family. If you ever need a load of topsoil, gravel, and anything in between, they have you covered, AND they are very patient…

Many of you know I am a few months pregnant, and just like anything change happens quite quickly, in this case, I could swear that I get bigger faster with each kiddo (could be in my head, but I sure feel it!), with that phenomenon, comes finding clothes that fit appropriately. That afternoon I threw on a cute, and comfortable shirt and was ready to head off when my nine-year-old walked in and threw me a nice big grin and said, “Oh mom, you look so cute! You look like a freeze-dried taffy!” Well, I looked down at my color block shirt- gray, pink, and white, with a nice round belly, and realized she wasn’t wrong.

The Zaharias family was extremely patient with this oversized, freeze-dried taffy that evening. I promise they looked much better when they ‘struck a pose’ than when I did! I am grateful I was able to meet the rest of the family, and grateful Heidi and Shane were willing to put up with me because I’m sure I was quite the sight to see as I jumped around thinking I was as limber as a bunny rabbit in the field grass… I love each of you! I hope these images will be ones you can treasure for generations to come!

-Mikenna

XOXOXOX

RICHEY FAMILY | FAMILIES

by mikennaatkinson

St. Charles Canyon, Idaho

For as long as I can remember, my family made an annual trip to Bear Lake, it’s my happy place and I would go as far as to say it’s on my dream vacation list even though I’ve been there year after year! I have fantastic memories of playing on the beach, sleeping on Grandpa & Grandma’s table bed (the main dining table turns into a bed), or in the bunk above, memories of sand covering every inch of my body, and pure joy as we played in the lake. It was always a simple vacation, we may visit Minnetonka Cave, or Pickleville Playhouse while we were there, but we ALWAYS went to Bear Lake Pizza, and for some reason, we always stopped by a shake shop for a raspberry shake ;). It was paradise within a two-hour drive. Although, my Grandpa always gave me a hard time with how many bags I packed for a 2-4 day trip, how could I possibly choose between my oversized dog stuffy, my teddy bears, and all my other friends, so I usually brought them along…

A few years after Craig and I were married we started going each year with his side of the family too, and I love it just as much! I love the drive up St. Charles Canyon, I love the breakfasts- especially since I don’t have to cook, and love the days at the beach watching the kiddos grow up in the sand.

I’m not sure why we haven’t thought of it before, but this year I experienced a first! I took family pictures while camping. It was easy for me, I didn’t have to get all dolled up, but I will admit, I’m pretty impressed with the way the Richey’s were able to get ready and look as spectacular as they did! They started with a source of power, lost it halfway through- of course when it’s mom’s turn to get ready, drove 40 minutes down and back to get fuel for the generator, they were able to keep church clothes clean in an area where there’s more dirt, mud, and water than anything else, AND they made it in one piece with smiles. I’d say that deserves a standing ovation in and of itself, and that doesn’t even include getting the dogs to sit while we took a few with them too! We earned our dinner and desserts that night! I know I’ve said it a million times, but I guess here’s a million and one, I love looking at a picture, a snapshot frozen in time of one little moment, one little breath and experiencing the sounds, the feeling, basically that moment in time all over again. The water was running down the creek behind them, the sound of the leaves rustling ever so slightly, Logan giggling as I tipped over more than once, and plenty of hope for just that ‘one nice picture’ of the family together. Being a family is tough, learning to get along with each other, and meeting everyone’s needs is tough, but gosh it’s so rewarding, and moments like these make me grateful I get to play a small part in one. I love the memories, I love the relationships, the support, and the love that is felt constantly!

I’m quite happy with how the session went, I’m grateful the kids put up with weird old me… I can’t even try to tell you how many times I felt like I was becoming one with the trees… thankfully, no injuries, and I think we kept everyone clean at the end of the day!

Jess & Paul, you did it! I’ll be seeing you next year, same time? 😉 Love you!
-Mikenna
XOXOXOXO

P.S If you are still hoping to squeeze in family pictures this year with me, you’ve got about six weeks, the next opportunity will likely be November!! Don’t wait!

BOWER FAMILY | FAMILIES

by mikennaatkinson

Have you ever made a plan, set your heart on it only to have it fall through moments before it was to happen? How did you react? I bet it wasn’t quite as flawlessly as Sam did! Sam was referred to me by another sweet family and I can honestly say we hit it off immediately. I feel like Sam is a friend I’ve had since the beginning of time and it’s been less than a month! One of many things we had in common is our love of the Grace landscape, even more specifically, the area down by the power plant. It has always been one of my all-time favorite places. I love the colors, the wild grass, the river, rocks, the color variety, the list goes on. The plan was to take her cute little family down to the footbridge for family portraits but life is unpredictable. As I was making my way down to the area we were to meet, I passed MULTIPLE vehicles with kayaks which I thought was kind of weird but didn’t think much more about it until I pulled into the parking area. There were TONS of them everywhere, in the parking lot, pulled off the to the side, in the fields, little mini camps of people like I’ve never seen down there. I called up Sam and let her know we needed to find a new place. She took it like a champ. Thankfully, I have another spot in the area that I love and I think it turned out absolutely beautiful! Their outfits were perfect, the family was patient, kind and generous to a T.

The landscape is kind of unique, it’s rocky, with grass but the colors in the rocks and random native plants that grow can be from a sage brush greenish blue to a blooming yellow flowering bush. It’s kind of interesting to see the contrast! All things considered, I have officially added six cute humans and one tiny dog to my ‘new friends’ list and I’m so grateful they made the trip down! I have to admit though, I almost got Sam a face punch… We asked the boys if they were going to give them mom a kiss, and I’m pretty sure they thought we were talking about ‘a kisser’ so they were ready for a mini boxing match, don’t worry, they were corrected swiftly and we moved on to a nice hug instead! The evening was perfect. We had a few stray flies, but no snakes, spiders, mosquitos, and any other unsavory creatures make their presence known which was one more blessing we added to the pile!

Sam, I think the wait was well worth it! Thank you for becoming a friend I didn’t realize I was missing! Your family is beautiful, your outfits looked perfect, and the experience was memorable and of course, I can’t thank you enough for the yummy caramel apple and popcorn! I look forward to next year already- you’d better warn Joe ;).

Love, Mikenna

xoxoxoxo