I was looking forward to this past weekend for no other reason than that I had no plans. Aside from working on some recent sessions, I was committed only to church and luckily, to see a movie with CJ (Wreck It Ralph 3D … two thumbs up!).
As I should have guessed, the weekend didn’t really turn out that way. Thankfully. Continue reading
Today was, as I explained in a couple of messages, rough. So, in the spirit of pretending like everything is fine keeping things light, I now present the Leep family.
There are few people in this world that can rival the ‘happy’ that is Kammy. You cannot help but feel better when you’re around her. And to be around her family for an hour? So.Fun.
Curt, Kammy, Chase, Jayna and Grady … thanks for braving a chilly Sunday afternoon and sharing your joy with me (even if Smarties bribery was involved).
one beautiful family
I went to visit him last night. To be completely honest, I didn’t get out of the car but I still talked to him. I told him that I was sorry and that I can’t believe he’s been gone for four years. And then, in typical fashion, he made me laugh. I remembered that last in-person conversation we’d had just a few months before October 6, 2008 … the one where he invited me to his funeral. He laughed and I may have punched him but he reiterated that he meant it. I really was invited. You still make me laugh today, JJ. I’ll love you forever, and just like I signed off the text to my dad last night about that story … brat.
the only great-grandpa he ever knew
The word sweet has never been more true.
Happy 16th birthday, Alyssa Lou. This aunt loves you more than you could possibly imagine.
I walked back to my desk today after a couple of difficult meetings to an orange envelope. Continue reading
1 – games
i hope his face is like that when he’s sixteen and behind the “real wheel”
2 – fear of charles e. cheese
this is exactly what I do when I see mice, too
3 – the longest candle-blowing-out moment in the history of.the.world.
see connor so badly wanting to show him how to get those flames extinguished?
4 – one beautiful girl who called me her best friend by the end of the day
world’s most adorable two-year-old. no question
5 – one very special boy that we would drive across the state to celebrate with again in a heart beat.
happy birthday, Master Owen!
First, they were a couple.
fall 2010
Then, they became one.
winter 2011
And now, they are a family of three. May God bless you, little Emry Jean.
summer 2012
I was fortunate to be asked to photograph two sweet little girls recently. The first is Claire. She is my recently-turned-two third cousin. Although, considering I always called her mom my cousin, I think of her more as a niece. When it comes to family, you can do stuff like that. Continue reading
Did you know that if you live what’s considered an “average” lifetime, you will breathe for roughly 36,816,480 minutes? I didn’t either until just now. Thanks, Google.
How many of those minutes will you remember, though? How many of those minutes will become moments? To me, moments differ from minutes. Moments are important; they are significant; they will not be forgotten.
I’ve had several moments in my (shorter in comparison) life thus far. I was fortunate enough to have another one this past weekend. I celebrated with my cousin, Tiffany, as she married her best friend, Andrew. The moment came just before Tiffany walked down the aisle. She stood arm in arm with her brother, Nick, who would walk with her and ultimately, bear the responsibility of giving her away.
My inability to capture what happened next was a result of another moment in the past … watching them become inseparable while their dad was fighting cancer. Nick proudly escorted Tiffany and the tears flowed freely from my eyes; camera shaking along with my emotion.
I guess “capturing” in this moment was two-fold. I was attempting to capture Tiffany and Andrew’s wedding with my camera (and so was my amazing sister), but I was able to capture the emotion that everyone in the chapel felt … for them, and with them.
At the end, I hugged Nick tightly as he walked back and told him I was proud of him. I heard my mom say, “You were born to do this.” Her words could not have been more true. Uncle Steve would be so proud.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. – Hilary Cooper
I was blessed with one sister. Actually, I think if you think in terms of birth order, she was blessed with me. Right? I’m kidding.
Anyway, I always wanted a brother. But even though ‘advanced maternal age’ wasn’t really discussed in the 80’s, I’m pretty sure my mom had already decided she was done after I was born. Continue reading
a brand new ending 