Love, Me Blog

To express what is in my heart right now in a blog post seems completely impossible.

I am overwhelmed with sadness for a grieving family who so graciously invited me in to photograph one of the most intimate and precious moments of their entire lives.  You may remember Cynthia and Mike from an engagement shoot we did last year. How fitting that the title of my blog post months ago for their session was simply, love.  Here we are again, with love, yet this time its not so light and fluffy … its heavy and gut wrenching and bittersweet, but it is still simply … love.

With an unexpected turn of events, their scheduled May wedding was abrubtly moved to last week so the beautiful mother of the bride could see her youngest daughter get married. It was my first wedding, but in a venue I’ve become familiar with over the past year as I’ve documented the miracle of birth in several hospitals in the area. I left the hospital last week heartbroken but thankful and hopeful for a miracle, not unlike the ones I get to witness in the other wings of the same hospitals.

And now, a busy week behind me that was filled with a miraculous birth that I’ll share later, the uncertainty of what the future holds for my family, and the celebration of my little brother’s engagement, what took place on the oncology floor at Harris Methodist Hospital last week took on a whole new meaning for me, but more importantly, for Cindy Death’s grieving family.

I took some time today to read through what people were posting on Cynthia’s facebook page about her mother and I was once again overwhelmed, this time, with deep admiration and love for a woman who has obviously left an everlasting impression on the hearts of many, including mine, who I met for the first time 7 days ago.

My prayer is that when you watch this video, you too are overwhelmed with love and that you allow these lyrics to sink deep into your heart, where He lives, that mysterious guy we call love.  (Make sure your speakers are on)

Oh love, Oh the many colors that you’re made of … You heal … You bleed

You’re the simple truth and you’re the biggest mystery

Oh love

Deep as the life from Gods own breath
And it’s even after death
Gone like the sunset

You can break a heart in pieces and put it back together again

You can break down sweet forgiveness; You’re the one that never ends

Oh Love

Death Family,

Thank you from ever fiber of my being for so graciously inviting me into your world.  I truly feel privileged to have spent just a few moments with you all, and especially, Cindy. It’s something I hold as sacred and I will carry with me forever.  Bless you all.  She truly is a remarkable woman and has surely claimed her reward at the city gate!

I love this couple. I love “love”. and I LOVED this session.

From the minute Cynthia called me to do her engagements I knew it was going to be a great session and I couldn’t wait!  I have loved every minute of going through these images and choosing my favorites (which was really difficult!) A MUCH needed relief from all the book work I’m trying to catch up on. (major whip! I need a bookeeper!)

It was freeeezing during our time together, but Cynthia and Mike were champs and you’d never know how miserable it was outside … especially because I kept making them go into the shade.  Mike was so relaxed and funny and they both went along with my ridiculous prompting at times.  See, this is why it pays to not second guess my crazy and often really dumb ideas. I’ll always be the first to say something isn’t working, but you just never know what will happen unless you try!

My fingers hurt so badly once I got in the car. I think it took the full 30 minute drive home for them to thaw.  BUT, it was so worth it.  What a breath of fresh air a couple session is for me. I just love them.  Did I say that already?

If you follow my blog you know I’m a sucker for any image that draws emotion and well, couple shoots are full of that glittery stuff I just love … just see for yourself!

There is something about that top left one (which I actually think I like better in black and white) that is so tender and intimate that really draws me in …

Watch out wind …

a favorite.  the light was just streaming in right here.

Its awesome when there are cool vintage cars just parked on the side of the road.

So many favorites I tell you. Here’s another … why?  I bet you know by now

Thanks you guys for an awesome session and for being so patient for this sneak peek!!  Hope it was worth the wait!

I know. I know.  I think this could be the longest I have ever gone without a post.  I promise I am still alive over here.  I have pretty much been absent from my life the internet over the last three weeks … but I promise it isn’t because I’ve been slacking. I have had more sessions this month than the entire first 6 months of the year, shot over 50 cheerleaders, photographed TWO births, put an offer on a house as well as received an offer on our house, and somehow managed to even take Mia Grace to get her nails done for the first time yesterday!   Things have been insanely busy and overwhelming, but I am certainly counting my blessings!  I am so so so thankful for all of my very patient clients who are now a week overdo on seeing their images.  Please continue to bare with me here, as I hussle to get you your pictures. I promise it will be worth the wait!

I’ve actually been doing TONS of editing and have forced myself to finish entire sessions before sharing. I figure you all want to see ALL your images rather than just a peek.  Well, I couldn’t stand it any longer and I figure I have probably lost my blog following by now, so its time to start with the sharing.

I told myself to limit my teasers to three for each of these sessions, which means that if I can get it under 10 I am on track   Part of this waiting until I’ve finished editing the entire session means its even MORE difficult to narrow it down, so … what the heck!

Meet Ashley and Chandler.  If you were Ashley and Chandler, besides waiting over three weeks to see even ONE photo, you would be a ridiculous adorable couple who like to stare at each other and giggle for long periods of time. You would also be able to get a pass on the above comment because one of you is a lawyer in Dallas and the other is in the Marine Core in North Carolina, which not only means you normally live in different states, but it also means that one of you just left a few hours ago for your THIRD tour to Afghanistan, where you will reside for 7 long months!  Talk about brains, brawn and beauty.

The best part is that you (the real you now, no more pretending) would totally forget about how insanely jealous you should be of these two after about 12 seconds.  Not only did we chit chat the entire session, I had the pleasure of giggling right along side them and admiring how in love and just right for each other they are. AND they bought me a big, fat cheeseburger too … um, score!  I am SO happy for you both. Thank you for being so incredibly patient with me.

Here are a few of the favs.  It was difficult to choose.

Who doesn’t love a great pair of red high heels?

One of my very favorites …

More giggling … I just adore how she’s looking at him here.  :swoon:

because sometimes sensitive and watery eyes make for GREAT pictures

again …

and again …

nothing quite like a “real” crack up moment. I’ll never tell what made this moment happen.

the ring of course.

:contented sigh: (borrowed from the great KK. it just fit this moment perfectly )

Well, there is about 1/3 of your images and I promise the other 20 are just as wonderful as you both!

I love this girl. Natalee was Kelsie’s best friend in high school.  She was the popular, spunky red-head who didn’t know a stranger and could put a smile on anyone’s face.  I was lucky enough to be their young life leader for a year or two, where I got to know Miss Natalee and grow to love her so much!  I couldn’t be more excited for you, Natalee.  I must say, I didn’t know what to expect with this “cowboy” fiance she has, but leaving the session, I was even more excited.  He was so go with the flow and just so sweet to her.  It really melted my heart.  What a perfect pair you two are!  Trevor, it was awesome meeting you and I had such a great time at our session.  Watch out for those Indians!

Seriously, I love the laid back feel to this session.  More than anything, especially with engagement sessions, I want to really capture the connection between two people and for my work to reflect “who they are!”  I really dont ever want any session to be a cookie-cutter type session just with different faces.  I hope you can see  how fun-loving and laid back these two are and how they so don’t take themselves too seriously.  LOVED that about yall!  I’d also be willing to bet they have many many more years of laughing til it hurts moments …

Here are the favorites.

Ones I would typically show in bw, just looked so much better to me in color!  Maybe its Natalee’s awesome red hair I just couldn’t cover up i dont know!

and for the only one in black and white, which happens to be my favorite …  isn’t this so sweet?!

I told you Mia Grace wears these clothes every day.  Here is Courtney’s new style with the flutter sleeves. SO cute!  There are more to come that are so much fun. If only the weather would get better so I could take some more.  Can you tell she isn’t really enjoying the photo shoots too much anymore??  lol.  I keep telling her she’s going to get fired as Courntney’s model   Check out her spring line HERE!

Can you say … NOT INTERESTED!  My pouty girl.

Isn’t this screen print so adorable!

Her little fingers here just make me giddy

Oh, and I promise Courtney’s clothes come out of the dryer wrinkle-free.  Um … this little dress, however, was left wadded up in the hamper for a few days … maybe I’m the one that’s going to get fired!!!

I strongly hinted in my last post of these two, that I really wanted to do another “real” engagement shoot.  Well, I got my way !  As I often do I suppose.  I love these pictures SO much more.  They are natural and so them.  We decided to head out to the lake to do something different and I’m so glad we did.  It was a really cloudy and windy evening with thunderstorms rolling in, but we all took a chance and I love the results. I love these two so very much.  They are such amazing friends to Mike and I and we can’t wait to see them get married in 25 DAYS!

Oh, and in case you don’t recognize my cousin, Kelsie, I told you she had the curliest hair EVER.  I guess she took my hint to heart and kept her hair all natural for our second shoot.  Funny side note: when Kels was in High School, I was her Young Life leader and we went to Georgia for camp one summer.  While we were waiting to go to club, a few girls were standing behind her and talking about her hair. When Kelsie turned around they asked if they could touch it.  She said, “sure”.  Then this one girl goes, “What is it?” and Kels looked at me like, “Crys, what is she asking?”  and I realized they wanted to know how she got hair like that.  So, Kelsie goes “ohhh, its natural”.  And that girl looks at her friend and says … “Oh, Natural, I need to get me some of that!”  LOL.

They apparently thought “Natural” was something you could order up at the Beauty Salon.  Priceless.  That story never gets old. So here is Kelsie with her crown of glory

This image is special because Matt gave Kelsie his grandmothers ring.  They were extremely close and she gave it to Matt just before she passed away.  She told him to give it to his bride and to tell her she’d been praying for her for a long time.  If that doesn’t make you weepy, I dont know what will.  Isn’t is gorgeous?

Something a little different.  I definietly DON’T have the whole sunset thing down, but since sunsets are one of Kelsie’s favorite things I had to at least try.  (Kels, now all we need are dolphins jumping in the water in the background, lol :: wink)

At the end I hinted yet again that she should pull her hair back because of the wind.  Secretly, I just love her hair in a pony tail, which she sports on a daily basis.  I guess I got my way … yet again.  Just call me spoiled.  I do love the results.  I wish I looked this beautiful with my hair pulled back.  Instead I look like a half 12 year old half mouse. eww.

LOVE both of these.  This black and white is my favorite I think.

Oh, nevermind.  This next one is …

Love you two.  I can’t wait to see you committ your lives to one another.  Seriously, I can’t wait.  But, I am even more excited about our first vacations together ….  hmmm, will Kels and I still get to sleep in our OWN tent?  Maybe we all four can pile in one now.  YES!  [insert double fist pump here]

Kelsie and Matt are getting married in 6 weeks!  Kels is my cousin (the one I said you’d meet later) and best friend.  She was my maid of honor and I can’t wait to return the favor  as her matron (man that sounds old) of honor.  I couldn’t be more happy for her and of course Matt.  It’s crazy because Matt and Mike went to school together and Mike and I tired to set them up years ago.  It will always be a joke between us that they should have listened to us years ago  It really is such a blessing to get to witness two amazing people unite as one.  Other than my own wedding, I think this will be the most special for me.  I used to always tell Kelsie she had to marry someone that would be great friends with Mike so we could always spend time together and go on vacation.  I couldn’t have hand picked (oh, wait I DID) a better match.  So while I could go on and on and on about how perfect these two are together, selfishly I’m just looking forward to all the awesome weekends, road trips, camping extravaganzas, and mission work we will get to experience together.  It makes my heart sing just thinking about it.

AND, I sort of have some issues about this session.  We just took a few pictures after their family session with my aunt and it was SO dark!  Literally the sun set.  AND it was soooo humid. Kels and I look a lot alike but Kelsie has the curliest hair ever!  Seriously, you cant even imagine how curly. My aunt straightened it, of course, when it was super humid outside.  I just think we at least need some more with curly hair (that’s my current marketing pitch!) NOW, I’m not sure we will be able to get a full session in by March and well, like I said … I have issues.  How can my own cousin not have a FULL rockin session.  Maybe I will get over it, maybe not.  lol.

Here are my favorites.

I couldn’t decide BW or Color on this last one.

Love you both SO much!  I can’t wait until March 14th!!!!!!

Meet NaNa and Grandpa … my grandparents!  It was so special to me to get the opportunity to photograph them just before the holidays and even more special to finally open these up after the new year and edit them.  Several times today I laughed out loud or teared up a little.  These are the sessions that truly fill me me up and make me proud to do what I do.  

There was no specific reason behind our little shoot.  No milestone anniversary or picture needed for the newspaper … it was well, just because!  hence the title.  I think everyone deserves a “just because” session. It’s like saying my life and my relationships with those around me are important enough to be documented just because …  I love it.  I think its empowering and freeing and the images show.  

I just love my grandparents so much!  My NaNa is the hippest great-grandmother around and Grandpa Fred is one of those guys that’s just easy to be around (well, easy to everyone except my Nana, lol).  The whole session, he was being his normal self, acting like a goofball and cracking joke after joke.  I loved every minute of it.  I know my NaNa was a nervous wreck that he was going to look like a fool and more importantly, make her look like a fool  but I think they turned out wonderful.  Grandpa, all your craziness finally paid off I think  I guess he is good for something NaNa!  He made you laugh and your smiles are so genuine and beautiful!  I guess we’ll have to keep him around after all.

and my favorite!

well, i dont know, maybe this next one is my favorite!

And of course, I just had to get a few of my beautiful NaNa by herself.  Don’t you think she is just gorgeous? 

I love you both so much.  Thank you for loving me like you do and for being so proud of me all the time.  Even when I don’t deserve it.  Hope you enjoy your pictures.  XOXOXO.

Now its 4:40 AM and my brain has left the building

Here’s a sneak peek of a cute e-session I had with one of Mike’s ex-students and our young life girls!  I was so excited that Fricke (aka Kristina (just realized I don’t even know how to spell your name girl!) thought of me for her engagement pictures.  This was my first time meeting John and I was pretty impressed  They really just go together so well and are obviously very much in love.  We had a blast just walking around, chit chatting and snapping a million photos.  This session got me my lifetime membership to the over-shooters of America club.  Seriously, this was such a daunting task … choosing which pictures to post and how to narrow it down.  I think I was just so relaxed I forgot all about the time and lost count of how many 8GB cards I blew through.  

I loved that they brought several changes of clothes and each outfit really reflected something unique and meaningful for them as a couple.  I am nostalgic to the core, so of course I was in LOVE with these ideas.  John, it was so nice meeting you and Fricke, it was so great to catch up.  Thank you both for allowing me to capture such a meaningful times in both your lives!  I pray that the Lord blesses both of you immensely through each other in Him.

** I may wake up tomorrow and realize that nothing I wrote made any sense.  Please bare with me!

Here are some favorites!

They wore matching shirts from Mexico, which is where they both have a heart for the people, the culture, and missions … and hope to live someday!

Next they sported some sweet affliction t-shirts.  At first, Fricke started telling me what UFC was and I had to remind her that my 2 year old daughter hasn’t missed a single pay per view fight night since birth (and even before that if you count the womb!)  FYI: this is not by “my” choice … she has a daddy that’s into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Wow … I didn’t realize I posted so many.  See I told you it was tough to narrow down!  Now, I am off to bed at 5AM to catch a few hours before its time for me to head to an ordering session and spend the day packing for our trip!

I just love these two.  They have been dating for a long time and are so fun and comfortable with each other, I love it!  When Jen said she wanted me to take their engagements I was so excited.  I really wanted to show off their personalities.  As you can see, Matt is hilarious and even after 5 years, Jen still just giggles at him non stop.  (and she’s not the only one.  I had a few bust out laughing moments where I literally couldn’t keep my camera up near my face) Jen and Matt are getting married in December, so I photographed them back in August for the first time.  August and Texas are two words that should NOT go together.  It was blazing hot, and we all pretty much knew right away a re-shoot was necessary.  But, we played anyway, and since the pressure was off, we tried all sorts of fun things.

I must mention that the locations are all meaningful to Jen and Matt.  I really wanted to shoot at familiar places to tell a story (my favorite thing to do). So, our first location is Keller High School where they first started dating back in the day! They both were stud basketball players, but I wasn’t creative enough to not make that super cheesy  Here are my favs from Keller.

Matt longboards, so I had to incorporate that somehow.

Jen and Matt “playing” house.  lol.

Soooo … fast forward to a few weeks ago.  Our second location was in Denton, which is where they both graduated from UNT (and STILL liked each other … a LOT).

I love love what they wore.  They are both always so stylish and make sure you check out the shoes.  They are both shoe fanatics … especially Matt.

Ok, now I HAVE to share these.  During the shoot Matt got POOPED on!!!!  lol.  Seriously, I was cracking up.  It happened at one of my favorite spots so I’m not telling where because I can’t give it up for a little bird poop.  Good thing it happened at the end of our shoot. Sorry Coker, but man it was funny.  Enjoy.

Love you guys!  Can’t wait to see you commit your lives to one another and I’m so excited I get to be there