Happy 22nd Birthday to my Sweet Girl, Cate.

I can't believe my sweet girl is 22 today. Happy Birthday, Cate Sarganis Fritz.

I especially can't believe we are empty nesters. Really, it feels like my kids should be 14 and 16 but they are all grown up!   I'm so happy I have recorded their lives over the years. It brings such joy to me, my hubby and the family to see their progress in life and how much they have changed.

Luckily for me Cate loves to be photographed, so I photographed her quite often. She is my muse. Some of my favorite images I've ever taken are of her when we were playing around with the ever so talented make up artists, Randee Strand and Amber Lynn.

22nd Birthday Portrait (C)2012 ksf

20th Birthday Portrait (C) 2010 ksf / Amber Lynn MUAH

19th Birthday Portrait (C)2009 ksf / Randee Strand MUA / Sonia Trevino Hair

Can you see a big difference from 19 years old to 20? I sure can.

18th Birthday Portrait (C) 2008 Emily Rusk 

Cate modeled for many photographers and this fabulous image was captured by the talented Emily Rusk. Now you can really see a difference. She looks so young.

14th Birthday Portrait with all of her cousins and brother (C)2004 ksf

Played the Wicked Witch of the West in the Jr. High Play (C) 2003 ksf

Even when she was 13 she knew she wanted to be an actress. I know I'm a proud mom, but she did an amazing job. That wicked laugh, well, was wicked.

2005 I wonder where she got that kissy face from?

Yes, she was starting to show that star quality even back then.

8 months old. (C) 1991 ksf

This was one of my favorite images of her.  I enlarged it to a 20x24 to display in our home. Can you believe I took both of my kids portraits every month for their first two years? I wish the images were digital back then. I would have them on my computer to show you more. (I took a copy of a wallet with my iphone lol)

Thank you for going down memory lane with me. Please don't let your babies grow up to be "Iphone babies"! Snapping images with your camera is fine, but every several years please spend the time and energy to capture what only a professional photographer can. It's important to record their childhood. You won't regret it.

God Speed Cate on your new adventures in Cali. We miss you so much already.