Sara Gray Photography Portland, Oregon

This is a family close to my heart. This is the Halls. I have known Jeff and Koleen since I was about 12, when I started acting and Jeff was one of my teachers. I met their great kids, Kelsey and Michael, not long after. Now suddenly, Kelsey is headed off to college and I can barely believe it! Time flies when you’re having fun.

They’ve got skills, that’s all I’ve got to say. First, they frolicked…

…then they jumped! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get four people to jump in sync, AND no one blink?!? Leave it to them.

We squeezed this session in just before Kelsey headed off to college in the Midwest – I know she’s going to have a great year!

I love this mom/daughter and dad/son spread – it’s so them!

You guys are so wonderful – thanks for being so supportive of me over the years! Thanks for a great afternoon spent together!

If you look up “happy baby” in the dictionary, I think this picture might be there:

I had the chance to photograph Haven just after her first birthday, and she was oh-so-happy, just trotting around the yard and smiling at her parents.

Haven is so sweet with her dad, Chris:

Look at their sweet little family!

Thanks Brittney, Chris and Haven – your family is such fun to photograph! I can’t wait to see her at two.

I like hotels. I like staying in them, I like visiting them and I used to write about them quite a bit. During those days, I discovered the Surftides Hotel in Lincoln City, which is a retro hotel that’s had a really hip makeover in the last year or so. I’m a little bit smitten with the details inside the hotel.

I recently did some photography work for the hotel and it was so much fun documenting all the details – I love their mermaid logo, which appears throughout the property.

How does this relate to you, you ask? Well, this month, since it’s my favorite month all year (happy birthday me!), I am giving away a free night at the Surftides Hotel. It’s a great place to stay, right in the heart of Lincoln City and it’s going to make one lucky reader’s day when they get to spend a night down there.

You know the drill: if you want to win, you need to comment on this post. Say whatever you like, but make sure you leave a comment. You have until Thursday morning at 8 a.m. to enter, and on Thursday afternoon I’ll draw a winner! If you win, you could be sipping drinks at the Mist restaurant and lounge, below.

Good luck to all of you! Stay tuned Thursday to learn who our big winner is!