Home Sweet Home {A Newborn Session}

Not only was I lucky enough to be there for his birth I was also able to get this little guy in front of my camera several times during the week I was home in North Carolina. He was such a happy guy and had no problem letting me move him all over the place looking for just the right light. Lucky for us it was August in North Carolina which meant it was plenty warm enough for some outside shots too! 

{coming soon} baby corbin

"no one else will ever know 

the strength of my love for you. 

after all, you're the only one 

who knows what my heart sounds 

like from the inside." 

so when i say coming soon, i mean coming really soon, like any day now! this beautiful mama is my younger sister gabi and i absolutely can not wait to meet sweet little corbin james because he will be the newest addition to our ever growing brood of cousins! i was so happy to be able to steal a few moments with gabi, brett, & my nephew ian on a recent visit home to north carolina. gabi is an inspiration to me for some many reasons and i am so happy to be on this journey through motherhood together with her.

as the final days of this pregnancy quickly come to a close i pray that you have a few moments to sit and enjoy this life growing inside of you. i pray that you can enjoy each kick, punch, and hiccup and even the heartburn, backaches, and swollen feet. i pray that you celebrate these days as you prepare for this new little life and all of the fun (and sleepless nights) that are to come. i love you so much and can not wait to meet this newest addition to our family. 

XOXO, 
your big sis

PS: If you could keep this little guy in until at least the 19th when I get there I would really appreciate it!! Not a big request right?

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

the coughlin-farrell crew

The sun comes up,

Its a new day dawning,

Its time to sing your song again.

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes.

Bless the lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship his holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I worship your holy name.

to say my soul was blessed after spending time with this beautiful family is an understatement. a few weeks ago my family spent 3 amazing days in one of our most favorites cities, pittsburgh with all of my husband's siblings and his aunt, uncle, and cousins who were in town visiting from denver. we had a great time exploring the city, taking in a pirates game, checking out the carnegie science center and even had a few minutes to squeeze in a much needed family photo shoot.  

thank you guys so much for inviting us to tag-a-long on your spring break vacation. we left pittsburgh with so many new memories, our spirits renewed, and hearts full. these moments we spent walking through the woods were some of my favorite of the week and i didn't want our time together to end. you both are amazing role models in marriage, in parenting, and in life. it was truly a blessing for us to be able to spend this time with each and every member of your family. here's to many more adventures together!

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 chacon-marble crew

"sometimes the most ordinary things can be made extraordinary simply by doing them with the right people." ~nicholas sparks

meet the chacon-marble family! they are one of the sweetest, most loving, easy-going families you will ever meet. we enjoyed a beautiful fall day playing by the pond at one of their most favorite parks. they blew bubbles, snuggled, ran around, danced, played in the leaves and really just had a good time being together.  

vanessa and i have become friends through our mops group and she is truly an inspiration to me. she loves her sweet babies so much and is an absolutely amazing mother. no matter what, she always has a smile on her face and kind words to say. she loves the Lord and has an amazing gift for loving and serving others. thank you vanessa for being my friend and for letting me spending this beautiful morning with you and your family. 

The Stanley Family

This past fall I had the opportunity to photograph some amazing families! Now that the holiday's are long gone and Christmas cards, New Years, and even some Valentines' Day cards have all been sent, I am in the clear to share all of these beautiful images. 

First up is the gorgeous Stanley family!! I mean seriously, aren't they gorgeous? And they have two of the most precious little ones ever.