Willoughby Family Session/Loganville Georgia

It was awesome to have the opportunity to photograph The Willoughbys not just because they are such a beautiful family but I went to school with Ashley. I remember her picking me up for school in her white Honda.  I also remember her still looking as beautiful as ever when she was pregnant with Lason. I can't believe how fast time has flown by. I had so much fun at their photo session. Lason was so adorable as every time he smiled he would say " I love chickens!! " So cute! I just love hearing him talk, he has an adorable country accent and a personally to go along with it. It was such a pleasure to work with a beautiful & sweet family!

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Justin & Alyssa -Our Family-

Justin and my husband Matt were in the same Battalion for years. They have had deployments together and have become good friends. Good friends are hard to find. There are ones that are there to come to your cookout and say hi every once in a while then there are friends that are "family".  Ones that if your car breaks down they would be there in a heartbeat . I remember when Justin told me about Alyssa. Oh he was so in love with her. I hadn't even seen them around each other but I could just tell by the smile Justin had talking about her and how great she was. Alyssa fit  perfectly in the the rest of our "crazy military" family. She tells it like it is. Which is hard quality to find in people. You can't be around her for more than five minutes without laughing.  I was always waiting around for Justin to propose! I would pick on him asking.."Umm..When are you going to pop the question?" I remember the day that Matt came home and told me that Justin was going to propose to Alyssa during their post deployment leave. I was sooo excited! I wanted to text her but of course Justin & Matt would have killed me if I would have ruined the surprise. Oh the suspense was killing  me then....I got the text!! I was so happy for them! I love being married, I personally think it is the best thing in the world. Having someone to always talk to and share your life with. I  knew that Justin & Alyssa would get to have that too. Justin is head over heels for Alyssa. He is such a good man to her. He treats her like a man should treat a woman. I love seeing them together and the "love" they have for each other.  They are also so awesome to me! They have helped me so much through my husband's current deployment. They have "Sunday Night Dinner" and Justin comes and cuts my grass. I know that they would do anything for us and I hope they know that we would do anything for them. We are so blessed to know them and have them in our life and as a part of our "military family". I enjoyed getting to take their photos. When Alyssa asked me a while back I was more than excited to have the opportunity to capture their love on camera.
I love you guys! xoxo

Ducat Homecoming/Camp Lejeune

I enjoyed working with Aly. She was such a sweetheart and so head over heels for her man. I could even hear just over emails how excited she was. It made me smile so big when I would check my email and get her updates. I couldn't wait to be a part of her homecoming! I loved her countdown. She would say ___days & __ wake up. I loved it! Her husband came home on a bright & sunny afternoon. The sun was out alright. It was HOTT! Aly was so sweet by making sure that I kept hydrated. She was very concerned for me. I enjoyed talking to Aly and her husband's family as they wait patiently (well maybe not so patiently...I mean HE WAS COMING HOME!! ) They go to see my "happy dance" which they seemed to enjoy. As soon as I see the buses I do my "happy dance". I was soo excited!! Tears started coming from my eyes out of happiness then I saw some come from Aly's. It was time. The time she had been counting down for. The time that all the letters, phone calls and sleepless nights add up to. I couldn't wait to capture their first hug. Aly saw him & RAN! It was magical! If you have never been to a military homecoming it is pretty much one of the best events EVER. So I pretty much have one of the best jobs EVER.  It was such a pleasure working with the Ducats. Thank you Aly for letting me be a part of your special day. I am so glad your husband made it back to your arms safely. Here are some shots from that special day. You may cry so hope you have a tissue near by.

The Coldwells / Homecoming

Sam was one of my first friends here in Jacksonville. I met her while my husband was on his first deployment. ( We were actually dating not married then.) Sam was actually pregnant with Sophia at the time. She was so amazing to me. She took me to Matt's (my husband) first homecoming. She was with me as I got ready, and was   CRAZY! Thank you again Sam for putting up with me! Sam also was there as a witness when we got married (Yes..we first got married at the courthouse.) I was there when Sam had Sophia. So all in all we have been in  special moments of each others lives. So it wasn't any surprise that I would HAVE to do Sam & Joe's homecoming. There was NO DOUBT about it! I am so glad I did! After a LONG and ROUGH deployment, Sam was ready for Joe to be home! It seemed as though the moment was taking FOREVER and I wasn't even waiting for my husband but I could feel it to. I know the feeling..The feeling of being SO close , it (well they) are RIGHT THERE....But yet seems so far away or that you are having a dream in which you are praying someone doesn't pinch you out of. So..As soon as the buses pulled up & the boys started coming off. We were on the run to find JOE! I can remember Sam's face. Her face of just pure emotions. It was over finally. No more waiting for a 2 minute phone call or staying up wondering and worrying. I was overwhelmed with happiness that I got to capture that moment. So here are some photos from that day. I hope you enjoy.  Thank you again Sam!! Love you guys!

Lebron/Homecoming/French Creek

I'm so glad that I got to work with The Lebron Family. This was Christina's first deployment. She was deployed to Afghanistan for seven  months. Not only away from her husband but her daughter too. Christina and Elias have been together since they were in the tenth grade. He was so excited about her coming home. He was just a glowing. It started to rain which was upsetting but it didn't matter. Rain can not get in a the way of all the happy smiles. I had asked Elias if he was going to run. He said he wasn't sure yet . Well.....HE DID!! As soon as he saw her he went jetting holding their little girl. I can't even describe the feeling of seeing a family be together again. It is more than amazing...More than words. Welcome Home Christina!! I am so happy for you and your family! 

The Collins/Maternity/Maysville North Carolina

I just LOVE baby bumps and what I LOVE even more than baby bump is taking photos of that moment in a couple's life. Cameron and Nikki are expecting their first! They are going to have a baby boy and they are naming him Keagan (Which by the way is a very adorable name!)  You can see the love Cameron has for Nikki. They have been married for four years and they are still smitten. You can see the love in all their photographs. I'm so glad I was able to capture genuine smiles and laughs--those are the best! We had a lot of good laughs, had some close calls with ants, a random guy walking down the street talking to himself and me "crawling" around taking photos. They both seemed so natural at taking photos together and I LOVED IT! They are so excited to meet their little boy in September and I can't wait to see him also. Thank you both again for being so much fun and letting me be a part of this moment in your life. This is what I love best, I get to be a part of a moment in someone's life. A part of that memory.

My office..

I WANT suggestions!! Here is my office which I have to give A LOT of credit to my amazing husband! I had mentioned that I would like to have my own office space and the next thing I knew he was online looking for a desk to build! It didn't take long for him to decide the one he wanted to build. He showed me a photo and I fell in love with it also! I was so excited to have my own office but more excited that he was going to build my desk for more. I love home-made things. I think it means a lot more than something you buy. So after we got the supplies to build the desk. It was my job to clean up the "office". Well...I didnt' realize how much JUNK you can have until you actually CLEAN OUT a room in your house. WOW! After moving furniture out and the desk in. It was PERFECT! I love that the desk is in front of the window. I love natural light..Well duh I am a photographer ya know lol...Well now I want to FINISH it. As anyone who has redone a room or began a room knows..There is a lot that goes into it. I am thinking about painting the room but not sure what color I should go with. So I am asking you guys for suggestions! I thought of a brown color but I want it to be a bright room! I even thought of going white? Or maybe just keeping the color but bringing out colors in shelves, chairs, and other accessories..What do you guys think? Here are some photos of the desk..Please excuse the mess. I am currently working on organizing!