the anderson crew {pre-deployment session}

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it
(anywhere i go, you go, my dear)
~e.e. cummings
before our big move i had the chance to hang out with the anderson crew early one morning in the field behind our houses. we were only neighbors for a few short months and with busy schedules, husbands who worked a lot, and toddlers to chase around we didn't get to hang out nearly as much as we would have liked. but lucky for us the anderson's are in the navy too and one of the biggest blessings of being in the navy is the chance to cross paths with wonderful people again sometime in the future so i am hopeful! 

the anderson's packed up and left bethesda just a few weeks before we did to prepare for a deployment so i am so excited we were able to capture these images to celebrate their time in maryland and this season in the life of their family.      

even superhero's need to snuggle with their mama every once in a while.

dear jennifer, having not been through a deployment yet i can not say i know what you are going through but i can say that i will be praying that the Lord may calm all your fears and bring you peace, i pray that the boys may show you love and grace and even let you sleep in once in awhile, and i pray that they Lord may hold Terrance in the palm of his hand protecting him as only He can. 

“The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” ~Psalm 145:13b-16

jess+pat: in love in the city

Larger than the moon, my love for you. 

Worlds collide as heaven pulls us through. 

The secret of the world is written in the stars. 

I'm carrying your heart in mine. 

~lyrics by The Afters

So this is my "lil' sis" Jess and her fiancé Patrick. Jess is one of the "Ginas" and we have known each other for over 10 years now. She is my "lil' sis" from my sorority days and I am so thankful that she is now and forever will be one of my dearest friends. I was so honored to spend a few hours in the City with Jessica and Patrick just a few weeks before our big move to Michigan! The rain cleared just in time for us to explore their little neighborhood and one of Jess' favorite parks right in the middle of Washington, DC. The amazing Amy Free (more on my recent adventures with her coming soon) will be photographing their December wedding in Wilmington, NC; and I so super excited to be there to celebrate with them.   

jack turns one

joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives gifts and i give thanks and i unwrap the gift given; joy.

- ann voskamp

meet sweet little jack! from jack's toothy little grin to watching his parents helping him as he learns how to walk, the joy in this family is obvious and overflowing. God truly does give us so many gifts and I am very thankful simply for joy. 

my amazing and talented friend amy free photographed jack as a newborn and i was so excited and honored that she would pass along my name when his mom meridyth called looking for someone to capture jack on his first birthday. it was so fun meeting meridyth and her adorable little family and we had a lot a great time braving the still very chilly temps here in dc hanging out on the national mall. jack was quite the trooper and didn't seem to let the cold bother him. he immediately started hamming it up for the camera and very quickly became my little buddy. 

thank you guys so much for letting me photograph your family. i hope you enjoy your little preview of our time together... 

the warkentien family

"joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives gifts and i give thanks and i unwrap the gift given: joy." ann voskamp

one of the hardest parts about being a military family is all of the moving but one of the best parts about being a military family is all the moving. moving means leaving friends but when you are in the military you can almost count on it that your paths will one day cross again. we were blessed to meet the warkentien's when we lived in virginia and were beyond ecstatic to find out we would be neighbors again in dc. shelby and i met at a navy spouses bible study and were instant friends. we connected over our loves for good food, photography, scrapbooking, and most importantly the Lord. we have remained friends as the navy has moved us from place to place and are loving being close enough to each other to enjoy leading a bible study together, MOPS, play dates with our kiddos, and even an occasional family date night. 

this past year was not an easy one for my friend as her husband tyler deployed to afghanistan and she held down the homefront, managing three little ones on her own. i am certain it was not easy but she handled the time with grace and strength and chose joy and as you can see that joy has only grown since tyler returned home. i was beyond excited when shelby invited me into that joy and asked me to photograph her family and over the moon when she said they wanted to venture into the city. we braved the cold and had a great time playing in and around the lincoln memorial. over the years i have watched these little ones grow up and i loved getting to see their personalities in a new light from behind my lens of my camera.   

 

thank you shelby for this little adventure, thank you for trusting me with your memories, thank you for sharing your family and your joy with me and most importantly thank you for being my friend.