These sisters....they were the sweetest! It was SO HOT on this particular afternoon, but they were such great sports and really loved being in front of the camera! Dad jumped in for a few as well and I am so glad! I had so much fun taking these!
The sweetest! :)
Silly sisters! :)
It's been a long time since I have blogged! Far too long! :) I will be posting all of this craziness I have been up to very soon!! :) I have so many wonderful shoots to share!
This little girl's grandmother contacted me back in August to do some pictures! I was so excited that I had one day where I could take them! I met them at their beautiful home! There were so many pretty spots! Piper did such a great job enduring the heat and she gave me some sweet pictures and funny faces! :)
Love this! Such a sweetie!
If this was in my backyard....ahh! :)I am so glad I got to take these for her grandmother! We had so much fun!
On Friday I turned twenty-six. It just seems old. I know it isn't, but it seems that way. Last year I made a list of twenty-five things that I was thankful for so I thought I would do them same this year (plus one :) ). I am so grateful for so many things
1. This summer for Brett and I to travel and spend so much time together!
2. Our home and making it our own.
3. The Lord's provision over this last year. Not surprised, but blown away.
4. Laura Kittrell Photography. What a blessing.
5. The privilege of getting to capture three births this year.
6. Getting to work at a school I love.
7. My family. I don't know what I would do without them.
8. God's Word and the truth and encouragement it holds.
9. Fresh flowers
10. My husband who loves me unconditionally and takes such great care of me.
11. My three nieces (plus one more who is almost here) YAY!
12. My precious nephew
13. God's grace....unending, never failing, amazing grace.
14. Diet coke :)
15. The photos and Scripture that cover the walls of our home.
16. A good run
17. Early mornings
18. A husband who plays with my hair every night as I fall asleep
19. The health that God has given me
20. The privilege to pray
21. Candles
22. Having people in our home and getting to serve
23. Sweet friends near and far :)
24. Joy that comes in the morning
25. The Lord's faithfulness and His perfect timing in EVERY situation.
26. Another year......to serve, grow closer, and walk with Him.
May I walk closer with Him this year. May I serve Him in greater ways. May I get out of the way and be used by Him. Thank you Lord for the MANY blessings You have granted!
Thank you for 26 wonderful years! :)
Currently, I am on my way to a week-long vacation with most of my family! This will be the last little bit of travel before school starts!
It has been far too long since I have done any sort of life update. This blog is primarily become all about my different photography sessions. I love sharing them, but this is definitely not the only thing going on in my life. In May I finished up my third full year of teaching. I don't talk about my actual full time job enough. I think that is because sometimes photography feels more full time than teaching. While I love photography and one day I believe it will be my only full time job, I could not be more thankful for teaching. It is hard on so many days. However, these last few years, particularly the last two have been so wonderful. The school that I teach at is one of the most rewarding places. The last two years I have taught 5th grade and have had the best students. They are so funny and really made my days so full and exciting! The parents and the staff that I work with are incredible. Next year I will be teaching 3rd grade which is fun and scary all at the same time. I am excited about getting some younger babies, but I definitely got comfortable with 5th graders. I think that it will come with its challenges, but I know that the students will be so sweet!
*Brett and I on Easter*
*Mom and I spent a couple of nights of my spring break at the Grand Hotel across the bay. It was such a nice time to get away!*
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This summer has been FULL!! I took only a few sessions this summer and I am happy to report, I have been pretty consistent about sharing them! :) It has been full for other reasons. Brett and I have traveled a decent bit, I have had some photography, Brett has been busy at work, and I have gotten to spend my days loving on babies!
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Zac Brown Band concert....a perfect way to begin the summer! :)
I have also been learning so much. So much. This spring and summer has been so good and challenging. I really want to share more about all that I have been learning and will very soon!
So as far as personal posts go.....I will return soon with our Disney trip, time with Brett's family, and more about all that the Lord has been teaching me! There also probably needs to be a post about just how wonderful I think my husband is. Man oh man! He is such a blessing and an incredible gift from God!
It is such a privilege to allow the Lord to shape you and I am thankful for the grace He has shown me. I am off to enjoy a week of vacation!!
"I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart!"
-Jeremiah 24:7
I met Ashley and Matt about a year before their wedding. I was so excited when they booked me! After hearing about how they met, dated, fell in love, and got engaged, I couldn't wait. By the time they were officially married in May, they had dated over 11 years! I am certain that it must have felt so nice to be able to wake up that morning and think, "Finally! This is it!" Not only was this couple incredibly precious, but the friends and family that stood beside them on this day were pretty great too! This group had SO. MUCH. FUN!!! I have never seen a group so encouraging, fun, and excited for a couple. It was as if this entire wedding party was thinking, "Finally! This is it!" as well. They loved on this couple and made sure that their day was absolutely perfect! Here are a few pictures from their wonderful wedding day! :)
Lots and lots of this all day long!
I love that after so many years of being together, there was so much emotion on that day! They chose not to see each other, but even holding his hand, Ashley couldn't hold back the tears!
It poured right before and during the ceremony. Right when it is time for outside pictures, we get a beautiful sky!
How fun is Matt's cake? Loved it!
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Love a group picture!Congrats Ashley and Matt! Thank you for helping me end May with such a fun wedding!! :)
Mary Kate and I went to high school together! She was even my doubles partner when we played tennis from time to time! She has such a sweet spirit and an incredible heart! When she contacted me I knew she had just gotten engaged. They had a very short engagement, which I am totally for! :) I didn't know Luke before the wedding day, although I had shopped at his families' antique shop from time to time!
This couple....they were so adorable. From the moment Mary Kate walked down the aisle they could not stop smiling. It was as if no one else was around them. You could tell that even though they only had a few months of engagement, they had waited forever! :) They were just dying to be married! Here are a few pictures from their special day!
Luke has 5 SISTERS! You could tell they all just adored their brother and his new bride!
Such a beautiful bride!
So precious!
Sweetest moments after the ceremony!
He could not stop staring at her! :)
He twirled her all around the dance floor!Mary Kate and Luke, thank you so much for letting me be a small part of your day! It was such a privilege and the Lord was glorified through your ceremony and covenant! Hope married life is treating you well!
I cannot believe that it has been FIVE years since this angel came into our lives! :) I remember the day you were born. I was in Brazil and dying to be there welcoming you! As I was digging through these pictures I realized that......I took a picture of every move she made :) haha. This little girl was the first niece and first grand baby so she was a pretty big deal....and still is! :) Here are some pictures of her sweet little life.....
Virginia Louise, thank you for making me an aunt! You are the sweetest most beautiful 5 year old I know! :) You are such a great big sister and bring so much joy to all of us! I can't believe how grown you are! LOVE YOU SWEET GIRL!
This wedding kicked off a month full of weddings in May! It could not have been a more perfect start to the month! We had so much fun shooting this wedding. Their bridal party was such a blast! The whole group had known each other for a very long time and were all really close friends. The love that they all had for each other was so precious and so fun to be around!! Savannah and Mark had such a beautiful ceremony in a beautiful location. There were so many details that surrounded the day! Mark and Savannah, thank you for letting us be a small part of your day! Congrats Mark and Savannah! :)
I had the opportunity to take this sweet boys newborn pictures. He has grown so much and I was so excited to take more pictures of this precious family! He is such a cutie! His toothless smiles get me every time! It was pretty hot out this particular day and he was such a good sport through a couple of outfit changes!! He is so happy!!
Such a sweet family!!
LOVE!Thank you Hunter family for giving me the privilege of taking pictures for you guys!! I look forward to watching that baby continue to grow! :)
This post has been a long time coming. I have been thinking about all that I have been learning for a while now, but I just have not had the time to sit down and write it. Good Friday seemed like a perfect time to sit down and get my thoughts together. During the last few months I have been studying through the book of Matthew in Bible Study Fellowship. This week our passage has been walking through the final moments before Jesus was brutally killed for me. However, all of the many things that I have learned started a few months back. I have been encouraged to not just look at passages that are "familiar" and skip over them because, "I've read them a million times." I have been encouraged to sit and study and allow the Lord to speak to me in new ways. He always does. I thought I'd share a few things that have been seen in a new light or have just been encouraging to me over the last couple of weeks.
1. Walk closely. I have looked at Peter in such a new light as I have studied. Hours before he denied Christ and was adamant that he would NEVER walk away from Him. He couldn't believe what Jesus had said claiming, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." (Matthew 26:33) We see Jesus arrested and then taken away. Matthew 26:55 says, "All of the disciples deserted him and fled." Later in verse 58 it says, "Peter followed him at a distance..." This all was leading to Peter's betrayal. I, of course, am not trying to bash Peter. I am Peter so often. However, after Jesus was arrested Peter was scared. Peter followed at a distance and therefore slipped into betrayal. I am really praying that I will walk closely with my Savior so that I am not susceptible to the same thing.
2. We cannot atone for our sins. We see this from Judas. Judas....the jealous, greedy disciple who is known for betraying Jesus. Amazingly, one thing that continues to blow my mind is that Jesus loved Judas. He chose Judas to be one of His closest friends. When they ate that final meal together, Jesus told Judas He knew what he was going to do. In the garden as Judas approached Jesus, Jesus says, "Friend, do what you came to do". He calls him friend and he means it. After Judas betrays Jesus, we see Jesus walk through several trials. Then Judas starts to feel guilty for what he has done. However, he is not feeling convicted....just guilty. Instead of just confessing or allowing Jesus to forgive him he goes to the chief priests and elders and says, "I have sinned. I have betrayed innocent blood." (Matthew 27:4) Judas is trying to go back on what he did and make things right himself. We can't make things right for ourselves. It is only by His blood and His work on the cross that we are atoned for. Praying that I will simply confess and not try to "do" anything to atone for myself.
3. We can't serve two masters. The world and Christ. For Christians, the world fights for our attention daily....moment by moment. Even though we know that Christ is the only thing that will ever satisfy us, we allow the world to slip in and distract us and affect us. I think about Pilate. He knew Jesus was innocent. He was warned. He was scared of Jesus because he knew that there was something different about Him. Pilate felt the tug of the crowd and the tug of his own feelings saying that he was innocent. He tried to reason with the crowd. He tried to release Jesus. The crowd was determined and angry. We see Pilate "wash his hands of the matter" and act cowardly. Pilate was more concerned about what the crowd would think and not about what was right. In Matthew 27:26, "Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified." I pray that I choose Christ. This world truly does not have anything for me. Our notes in BSF said it so nicely, "All Christians who seek to please the Lord will find it impossible to please people and preserve their reputations all the time."
I am so thankful for the cross. I am so thankful for the sacrifice that my Savior made for me. I am thankful this Good Friday, but I am even more thankful that He rose again. Death did not win and the grave has been defeated.
"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested. For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
-Isaiah 53
