Jami and Josh and their boys were basically professional models!!

SERIOUSLY!! MODELS!!

FAVORITE!!!!

ANOTHER FAVORITE!!

Jami!!! I had a GREAT evening with you and your family!! Hopefully we can do it again soon!!

I ALWAYS look forward to our yearly session at the creek!!

THAT FACE!!!

THAT TREE IS MY FAVORITE!!

THAT SWEET FACE!!

ALWAYS my favorite shots to get of these kiddos with their dad!

Those are some NEW favorite shots!

HEATHER & BEN!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for asking me to capture your family EVERY YEAR!!!

A few years ago – Nate asked me if he could shadow on a few weddings. He was interested in photography and wanted some experience!

He’s been coming to weddings with me for the past 2 years now – I think – and people are starting to REQUEST him as their second shooter!!

BECAUSE HE IS THAT GOOD!!

I asked him to take a few family shots for us at our FAVORITE place!!

THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHOT from our whole session!!

I wondered how the horse head mask and the raptor hands would fare in a family photo session – and they did NOT disappoint!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS KID!? It seems like overnight he has changed!! Where is the giant-headed baby!?

AND THIS GUY!? They have both grown into such AMAZING people – I can’t even believe how fast it’s gone!!

THESE ARE AMAZING!!

THE BEST BROTHERS!!

Our second favorite place!! The property where Jared and I met (kinda) – got engaged – AND got married.

SOMEDAY (when we win the lottery we don’t play) we will build a house here!!

Jared’s mom asked if they could join us for the end of our session – so we got a FAMILY silhouette shot!!

HORSE HEAD MASK FOR THE WIN AGAIN!!

NATE – I love these photos SO VERY MUCH!!! THANK YOU!!!

Cassie messaged me about engagement photos for her and Kolton!!

I was SO excited but that also turned into the realization that someone I grew up with in church (who is my age) has a daughter preparing to get married!?

I AM NOT THAT OLD!!

BUT – Jared’s parents met my parents at my dad’s 40th birthday party – so … I AM that old!!!

ANYWAY – we met at Waverly Glen because it’s BEAUTIFUL and local to them (and me when I’m visiting my parents)!

I had a little time to kill before they got there – so I explored!!

It was late September and a little chilly – so we avoided getting IN the water!!

The top of the waterfall is also GORGEOUS – so made a trip up the hill!!

STUNNING!!

I LOVE THOSE SHOTS!

Cassie & Kolton – thank you so much for trekking all over with me!

I hope it works out to be there on your wedding day!!

Brandie messaged me and asked if I had any openings for fall photos – thankfully I did!!

We met at my FAVORITE creek!!

Part of the challenge in coming to this creek with several clients is finding new ways to see it!!

I LOVE THIS ANGLE!!

Brandie!! Thank you SO MUCH for spending a little bit of your afternoon with me!! I hope to see you again soon!

 

 

I’ve been taking pictures of this family for nearly 10 years!!

This year they met me at a favorite creek exploring spot!

OH MY GOODNESS!! I LOVE THAT SPOT!!

Sherry – thank you SO MUCH for making the drive to this GORGEOUS spot!!

I wonder where we should go next year!!!

I’ve been taking photos of Myrana and Tyler and her family for several years! Their engagement and wedding and their first pregnancy. I saw them last summer for a creek session AND a silhouette session and LOVED the photos we got!

Myrana had announced that they were pregnant with baby #3 last fall! She had told me that their due date was the end of April – right near Fitzy’s birthday. A little girl. A little girl that she had prayed for.

I was thinking about her in April and decided I should check on her FB page to see if their little one – a girl – had arrived yet.

I was heartbroken when I checked her page to find out that their daughter Prestynn Mae was stillborn.

I once had a momma who delivered her 20 week old baby reach out to me asking how I dealt with the pain of our loss.

We lost our babies at 10 weeks. They were alive. They had a heartbeat and then it stopped. I did not hold their body. I did not see their face.

I don’t know the pain of losing a child after holding them. After seeing their face. After waiting 9 months only to deliver them and hand them back to the doctor.

Staying in the maternity ward to recover but without your child in your arms. I don’t know that pain.

Myrana and Tyler have their hope in only one thing. Jesus. They know that she was welcomed into heaven into His arms knowing ONLY love.

HOWEVER – that doesn’t make the day-to-day surviving any easier.

You want family photos to be happy. Smiles. Joy!

But what do you do when a part of your family is missing – forever?

There is still joy in life and you find it – even if it’s for a moment.

You throw rocks with your little boys. You hug them tightly and kiss their faces.

You find strength in each other’s arms. You lean into each other like never before.

You hug your “little” brother.

You look at that little face and you smile.

You look at the world through their eyes.

You try your best to enjoy the miracle of now with the ones that are in your arms.

You celebrate the people that have made it through so much life together – easy times and hard times.

You make sure to include her in your family photos because a photo without her in it seems too empty.

You say her name. Prestynn Mae. When people ask how many kids you have – you say 3.

You talk to your little ones about their little sister.

You somehow navigate your own grief and help them with theirs.

You don’t pretend to be strong. You are strong but strength also looks like crying when it hits you.

You say that you miss her. You say that it’s a hard day – or week – or month – or year.

You find joy in every place that you can. You tickle your kids.

You give them smooshy kisses.

You hold that little and big brother and tickle him to get a real smile.

Myrana & Tyler – like I said – I don’t know the depths of the pain you are going through.

I admire your strength and your voice. You will never let her memory die.

We will never understand SO MANY things this side of heaven.

Thank you so much for allowing me into the spaces of your life that capture the joys and the hurts.

We stopped for a few silhouette shots before making our way into the waterfall!

PERFECTION!!!

I LOVE THAT ONE!!!

Sometimes I have a hard time believing that I’m in Waverly NY and NOT Hawaii when I’m in this waterfall!!!

OH MY WORD!!! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SHOT!

MAYBE EVEN MORE IN BLACK & WHITE!?

GORGEOUS!!

PERFECT!

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOTS OF THE EVENING!!

Macy & Justin – thank you SO MUCH for spending the evening with me!!

THANK YOU for getting IN the water – you guys are the BEST!

I hope to work with you again soon!

 

Macy messaged me about an engagement session! She and Justin were getting married in October and wanted to have a little push out of their comfort zone before their wedding photos!

PERFECT!! We met at Waverly Glen – because there is a GORGEOUS waterfall there!

Before we got IN the waterfall – we explored a little bit around the park!

I LOVE THOSE SHOTS!!

SWOON!!

We climbed to the top of the waterfall and it was VERY worth it!!

SO BEAUTIFUL!!

OH MY WORD!! SO BEAUTIFUL!! Make sure to come back for the rest of the session – because they get IN the waterfall!!

 

 

Amy and Bryan were given a GIFT CERTIFICATE when that sweet squishy baby was born!!

PSA – GIVE GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR PHOTOGRAPHY TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!! THEY WILL LOVE IT & YOU WILL BE GIVING THEM AN INVALUABLE GIFT!!

OKAY – back to this GORGEOUS family!!

Amy had asked if her sister and niece could join in on their family session for a few photos!

THE SQUISH!!

OH MY HEART!!

Every time – people don’t like the “look at each other” prompt – but it’s ALWAYS my favorite!!

She wasn’t the smiliest of babes for our session – turns out that she had an ear infection when we scheduled this – BUT – I love this shot!!

SO SWEET!!

Dad and his girls!!

THE SQUISH!!!

There’s a HAPPY face!!

Amy & Bryan – I am SO happy we were finally able to schedule a time that worked out for all of us!

Thanks for being flexible and understanding! I hope to photograph you all again soon!