I first photographed Houghton College early graduate Katy when she was a high school senior. She’s been a family friend since she was in middle school, when she first babysat for our oldest child when Ellie was just a baby. Since then, my family has gotten to know her family. My kids adore her dog to the point we got ours from the same breeder. My kids think her parents are the coolest. And they idolize Katy and her sister.

Since Katy just completed her senior year (a semester early, but she’ll walk in May) and she lives walking distance from my house, we had the fun idea to take snowy senior photos. This idea was a total pipe dream, as the last two winters have featured very little by way of snow.

Until Sunday.

So yesterday morning, Katy, her labradoodle, and dad hiked over to my neighborhood for photos and then we had brunch, because that’s what you do on a snow day!

Oh, and Katy is currently picking a grad school for physical therapy. As the parent of a child with Down syndrome who has attended PT her whole life, I am so excited for the kids who will work with Katy in the future!

My youngest child served as my photo assistant.