My baby brother.....

GOT MARRIED THIS WEEKEND!! What a whirlwind.  I thought this day would never get here and yet it came so quickly. I think we all knew that it would always be Ashley but I am so happy to officially call her my sister.  There is not another woman on the planet that would be a better match for my brother.  It was the sweetest ceremony and a crazy fun reception.  Friday night at the rehearsal dinner my brother stood up and gave the most amazing speech.  He made us all cry and I was beaming with pride for him.  When it was over I looked at my sister and said "where did our Trey baby go?" He is a man.  I could not be more proud of the man he has become.  He has a tender heart, strong will, and a humble spirit.  Trey and I have always had a very special relationship.  We are very close in age so we have always been best friends. Trey and Ashley, I love you both so much and I can't wait to see what God has in store for your future!! I was blessed to get to just relax this weekend and I did not pick up my camera ONCE!! So here are a few pictures from their engagement session that I did almost a year ago (wow) for them! Happy and blessed!!  :)

Trey proposing to Ashley ( I was hiding behind a tree praying she didn't see me )

A little pre Christmas love...

I have a fun giveaway happening on my facebook fan page!  Just go here and check out the fun!! I have the very best clients and this is just a little bit of Christmas love for you guys :) :) :)

Snuggling on a freezing night :)

Welcome Home

Last weekend was another one of those memories to cherish. Our best friend returned home from a year in Iraq. On Friday night, this past year came full circle for me. I was there the day that Mallory and Austin’s family told him goodbye. We left him on base on a cold, rainy, dark day. The weather could not have told a better story of our feelings. It has been a long year, especially for Austin. The night he came home it felt like we had just been there.  I can't explain the feeling of driving over to base that night with Mallory.  At one point in the night, I asked her if her heart was racing.  She just said "I think it stopped".  I think that says it all. We got there early, we really didn’t know what to expect. I am so happy that we did. There was another welcome home ceremony about an hour before Austin’s and we were blessed to witness it. It was so amazing. To sit and watch and have such joy for strangers was like nothing I had ever experienced. I am thankful for such a humbling moment.

Finally, his bus rounded the corner, and they marched out on the field. After a quick ceremony, we ran to meet him. My eyes just filled with tears when I saw them finally get to hug. He is back and safe, thank you Jesus. After tons of hugs and some chatting we left to go get some sleep. We all got up the next morning and headed downtown to spend the day in Savannah. What a perfect day it was. The sun was out, the temperature was amazing, and the sky was blue. The market was out on River Street and Christmas was in the air. We had a really really fun day. I hope that we don’t ever forget the feelings of this weekend. Humbled, thankful, and filled with joy.

Some of my favorites from the weekend….enjoy!

Mac couldn't join us at the ceremony, but he guarded the house for his daddy until he got home.



Watching the first ceremony.

READY!

Takes my breath away.

Happy.

Downtown Savannah

Cloggers! I begged Cheryl to join them, she declined.

They were adorable.

Fried Oreos!

Always better when we're together.

Women of Strength

There are some memories that I want to hold on to as tightly as I can. I want to make sure that they are filed away under “very important”. My husband and I have the very best family and friends in the world. We are lucky to call our friends our family. This past week was an experience I was blessed to have been apart of. I want to make sure that I share these types of moments in my life, because they are what make up what I am as a person. These moments mold my art and shape my expressions. First, I want to share the first part of my week in Savannah.

I went to spend some time with my best friend Mallory. Her husband has been in Iraq for the past year, and she just moved back to Savannah to get ready for Austin to come home. I went to provide some company and hopefully a few laughs to make the week pass by faster. The week flew by, we ate, shopped, watched movies, and laughed. We spent most of our nights eating with Mallory’s two best friends from her time in Savannah; Katie and Ali. But most importantly there was our constant source of entertainment, giggles and “boo’s” miss Audrey, Katie’s daughter.


Most of our time was spent watching movies and drinking hot chocolate. And I was honored to get to take some pictures of the ladies. The first night I was there, Mallory and I made dinner and took it over to Ali’s house to eat. After dinner and watching Twilight (perfect for a girls night) we sat around and talked. I listened to these three women discuss their husbands. Dates were flying around, along with knowledge that they could all change. Discussing their year and what filled it while waiting for their best friends to return home. I then realized, I was spending the week with three women waiting for their husbands to come home from war. Wow. They were days away from wrapping their arms around their husbands. I could not wrap my mind around what they must be feeling, the nerves, the thoughts. But never once did I hear a complaint. Sure, they were anxious to know more, and hoped for information that didn’t change. But never once did I hear a complaint about having to do it all on their own this year. Take care of a life for two people all by themselves. To be a mommy, a wife, bill payer, decision maker, daughter and daughter in law all by themselves. Strong does not even begin to describe these women.

First there is Katie. Wife of Luke and mom to Audrey. She is so laid back and an incredible mom. She is patient and soft spoken and yet totally silly when it comes to getting smiles from Audrey. I can’t imagine a better example of type of woman it takes to be a single mom and to be a wife all at the same time.


Then there is Ali. Wife of Stephen and mom to mojo and hank (their doggies). She is a free spirit, incredibly creative, and so much fun to be around. Ali can make you smile and she has an infectious love for life that makes you want to be around her. She is a go getter, and has not taken a second for granted, I admire this about her so much.


Last but not least, Mallory. Wife to Austin and mom to Mac (their crazy and loving doggie). Mallory has taught me so much this year, she is truly a woman of strength. I could never say enough about her, I cherish our friendship and I can’t explain how thankful I am for her. She is loving, giving, and always there. I am thankful that I have gotten to spend some really special moments in my life with her, and I look forward to many more.

And I could NEVER leave out this sweet girl. Audrey is adorable and has the sweetest laugh. Everyone falls in love with her….but honestly how could you not?!?!

These ladies have shown me not only how much I have to be thankful for, but how to choose have a good attitude about everyday. They woke up each morning and had to choose to be strong and put a smile on their face while their husbands faced danger in a place they had never been. They are the backbone of these men, keeping them strong and laughing. I am thankful for my week with you amazing ladies. Thank you for sharing this very special time with me. I appreciate YOUR sacrifice this year more than I can say.
 
 

Jason and Rebekah l Engagement

So can you say adorable?!?! I am in love with these photos.  Jason and Rebekah are totally smitten with each other.  I went to her family farm to take these shots, and we had such a fun day.  Jason is in the army so they are apart a good bit for now, so it was fun getting to be apart of some of their "together" time. Thank you so much for letting me be included of this very very special time, I hope you love them!!! :)

Madelyn is 3 months!

I am so blessed to get to watch this sweet girl grow up!! She is getting so big, so fast!! She was wide awake and smiled tons for our session. Although it was cold she did great!! I can't wait to see all her new tricks and smiles the next time I see her! I hope you love the preview!! :)