Kara and i go way back.  we went to high school and worked together many many years ago in a little coffee shop in town.  pre-husbands and pre-families (well, not pre-Ayden…as i was a youngin when i had him).  she was always one of the coolest girls.  so funny and kind and down to earth.  it’s good to reconnect with old friends.  to meet their families and experience their happiness.  to see them living the life that you always hoped for them. because they deserved a life nothing less than completely full of love.

there is nothing that compares to the bond between a mama and her little ones.  it made my day to hang out with these three.  Alicia is such a patient and loving mom and Eliza and Troy absolutely adore her.  their love was so easy to capture…

about a year ago i photographed a wedding at Jimmie Lynn’s amazing home.  this is a house that i have driven past and wondered about since i was little.  never thinking that i would one day be in it and that the owner would become my friend:)

so these two little guys, from the time we spent together are pretty much polar opposites.  Dovie is so sweet and calm.  she will just sit and smile at you.  she is like a little baby doll.  big brother Clayton is very sweet, but not calm!  that child barely sat still during our session.  thank goodness for the house’s bountiful light or he would have been a blur in most of the images.  they are no doubt two of the cutest stinkin’ kids i’ve had the pleasure to photograph.

over Thanksgiving week Jennifer’s dear friend Hannah was in from PA.  they wanted photos together with their daughters Banks and Betsy.  i was quite honored to do this session for them.  being far away friends can be tough. i hope that i was able to capture images that when they look at them, it will make them feel closer.

i tell you, Banks and Betsy were not super fond of the whole photo session thing.  maybe it wasn’t that they didn’t like me so much as they just had other ideas of what they wanted to do that day.  miss Betsy was full blast all afternoon.  i chased and chased and i think that just made her dart off faster.  and beautiful little Banks…she is making a habit of giving me her serious face.  i couldn’t make her laugh to save my life.

but it was so much fun to capture them as they are right now…on that day.  playing and having fun.  i never aim to take those “perfect” pictures.  just real ones.  happy ones.

i really hope that i am not the only one who gets this face from her:)

this was Betsy all afternoon. a total riot!

future track star right here.