This is how Spoels rolls...

I begged to differ...

Hayley and her mom, Donna paid me a visit recently. They had both been here before. Just a couple years back, Hayley's brother, Logan, made the trek from New Sharon for his senior session. When Donna returned to pick up Logan's finished images, I got introduced to his sophomore sister.

In the blink of an eye, it seems, both ladies were back and here's where the objection comes in.

Hayley, Donna and I were going through our "pregame warmup" by discussing what we were planning on trying to accomplish and as we were wrapping that up in the front room, Mom added.

"Just so you know, Hayley is not really a girlie-girl."

I think I was supposed to interpret that as perhaps she was kind of a tom-boy... or perhaps our approach didn't have to be as soft and feminine as usual?

I nodded and laughed to myself a bit and I just thought to myself, "we'll see.

We made it about two images in and I turned to Donna and said, "not a girlie-girl my foot!"

:)

Everyone knows not to judge a book by it's cover... but when the cover looks like this one did... it's a pretty tough to believe when presented with overwhelming evidence to the contrary!

So I "struggled" through with my tom-boy and perhaps the patrons of Vic's Dairy Creme in New Sharon will be surprised about how the server there cleaned up for her senior pictures, but that's ok. I think she rocked it and no apologies about lack of "girlie-ness" was necessary.

So we did our thing... just more random awesomeness (check 'em out.. she was having an great hair day!). :)

Spoels, as her friends like to call her, turned some heads on the streets Marshalltown and THEN, I finally caught a glimpse of what mom was talkin' about.

I know that Hay is enjoying football season. Facebook tells me she was on hand to witness the greatest comeback in Iowa Football history yesterday at Kinnick Stadium. And while that's amazing in and of itself... she's really waiting impatiently for something else...

Basketball season.

And why not? After a 23-3 campaign a year ago that ended at Wells Fargo Arena and the Girls State Baskeball Tournament, her Warhawks are poised for another sizzling season. Nearly everyone is back, and the Red and White is gonna be a tough out all season long. Spoels is the sharp shooter secret weapon off the bench and here's hoping that the 'Hawks get back to The Well come March.

I'd be doing a disservice if I didn't mention the reason this all happened in the first place again. I mentioned Morgan Fleener two years ago as the reason Logan Spoelstra found our little operation several miles away. So, obviously, however directly or indirectly, Morgz is to be thanked again for the referral.

Her name came up again as Hayley and I were prepping for the basketball on fire image you see below. I told Spoels... as SOON as the flash goes off... blow out the flame... DO NOT baby it... blow as HARD as you can and don't mess around. (I then proceeded to show how Miss Morgan daintily tried to blow out her burning track shoes two years ago nearly resulting in burning down our studio.) Evidently the message got across as Hayley proved to be a master flame extinguisher... several times.

I guess sometimes it pays to not be so girlie. ;)