I remember the day that Hayden tried out to play the keys for the StoneWater band. After a few seconds of hearing him play and by the look on Eric’s face, I knew he was a keeper. It has been so fun to get to know Hayden in the last couple of years. He’s such a faithful servant of the Lord, so kind, and SO musically talented! He is actually the Drum Major of the Granbury High School Band this year, and most recently, elected for the Granbury Homecoming King. Yep, he’s that kind of guy!

After meeting Hayden’s family several months ago, it was very apparent why he is walking in the “straight and narrow.” Lane & Laura are such precious devoted followers and are raising their two boys in such a godly way. They are so inspiring and such a good example to Eric and me. Their whole family is truly a blessing to us and of course StoneWater church.

Thank you, Meek Family, for letting me capture this vapor of a moment for you! Ya’ll are loved! I hope you enjoy your pictures!

I’ve been experiencing a lot of animal friends on my recent shoots! A miniature pony came to the fence to say hello and smile for a few!

And yet another “animal” friend came to say hello. Except I wasn’t as happy to see Mr. Spider as I was the pony. I think Hayden might possibly be laughing at how I squeeled so loudly and jumped up so quickly to get away from my new “friend.” LOL!

Margo and Elson’s baby spent several weeks right next to Mary & Byron’s baby in the NICU because she was premature. I remember that Margo told me near the end of their baby’s time in the NICU, she got lay next to Mary & Byron’s baby because they were always “talking” to each other. When they finally got to be close enough to touch, they put their arms around each other. Sometimes you just need a friend who understands what you are going through, ya know? Precious.

Margo found my website because of Mary, and as one would have it, they scheduled a session for their family! The first thing I noticed about the Collins family was how in love they were with their new child. Elson struck me as a dad that would never take for granted the gift of a child. He ooo-ed and aww-ed over his little angel. His laughter at her sweet coos and eyes that sparkled when he held her were a dead giveaway. How lucky am I that I got to experience the love and affection of this family first hand? What a blessing!

And then, there were the goats. Not saying goats aren’t a blessing, but it was definitely a first for me to be photographing a family in danger of having their clothes eaten off by goats. Honestly, I really think one goat wanted to join the Collins family. He’s pretty much in every picture at one of the locations we shot at. You know what, though? I don’t blame him. They are pretty awesome.

Margo and Elson, thank you so much for letting me document your family of three (plus an extra goat or two!)! I hope you love your images!

Margo’s mom got to come with them for the shoot and was a such a big help when the baby needed to be fed! Isn’t she a sweet grandmother?

When Amanda emailed me this summer, she and her husband, along with their new son, had not yet moved to Granbury. They were actually living in Denton, attended The Village Church, and were trying to adjust to their life as a family of 3. Jeff and Amanda both went to school with the intent of becoming teachers and were pursing the schools and jobs that God had for them. Instead, God called them to Granbury. Jeff got a job working for a chemical company and Amanda felt as though she was supposed to stay home with their son, Chase. Of all the changes that were being made in their plan, they knew for sure they wanted to get plugged into a local church. While Amanda was searching for family photographers in Granbury, she ran across my blog. Every now and then I talk about my husband, Eric, who is the Worship Leader for StoneWater Church, and apparently Amanda was interested in finding out more info after checking out the website. So, she emailed me. First about pictures, then about church.

I could tell by the way that she talked in her emails that I really wanted to be her friend. Confession. I Facebook stalked her. I wanted to know who exactly it was that was drawing my spirit close to hers just through words! After several exchanged emails and meeting them on the day they moved here, we planned to all go to the drive-in movie. Let me just tell you, Eric and I would have looked pitiful while watching the movie had it not been for Amanda and Jeff. We had never been to a drive-in movie before and didn’t know what to expect; therefore, we had no chairs or blankets. Amanda and Jeff brought extra. I was dying for a coke and candy during the movie. Amanda & Jeff brought an ice chest and snacks. All the while, I was wondering if our new friends thought we were uncapable of using our brains.

Fast forward a few months. Amanda helps me with the books for my photography studio. And she makes everyone’s DVD package look pretty. And more importantly, her fun personality and sweet friendship has helped me from feeling like a hermit who never speaks to humanity Monday-Thursday 8-5. I’m so thankful that God brought them to Granbury. Even though the second time we met ya’ll we went out for ice cream and Jeff made the comment that “next time we could do something fun.” Haha… we knew what he meant. I love being able to share life with friends. Friends who challenge you. Friends who keep you accountable. Friends who love you despite your awkwardness or bad choices or ugly moods. These kinds of friends are what make life so fun.

Amanda & Jeff, enjoy your pictures! So glad I could do this for you guys!

My sweet nephew, Austin, got to come with me to the photoshoot! He rode is scooter most of the time but he was a BIG helper when I wanted to get shots of just Amanda & Jeff! Thanks, Austin!

Jeremy & Misti have been such influential people in mine & Eric’s lives. Jeremy was actually Eric’s Youth Pastor in Dallas when Eric was growing up. I recall Misti telling me at one point that Eric & Jeremy butted heads so bad (yes, Eric was a WEE bit stubborn and possibly a bit sarcastic back in his youth ) that she and Jeremy had to discuss what to do with Eric. You never would have known that because Jeremy decided to love Eric and mentor him even when it seemed impossible, Eric would one day become a man of honor and able to serve beside Jeremy in ministry one day!

Misti was the first girl friend I ever had that I completely trusted. At a time in my life when I needed godly counsel the most, Misti stepped in to reassure me that God had me in his hands and big plans for me if I kept walking within his will. Misti was such an encouragement to me and now it is so neat to see how God planted her in my life and we continue to encourage and love each other as we support our husbands!

We are so thankful for the Whites and what they mean to us, our church, and our community! Their family is such a blessing to so many people, so it was with great joy that I got to capture their sweet family in a few pictures! Enjoy.

I was so excited when I found out where Drew wanted to do his senior session. You see, Drew spends all summer working at the YMCA Camp Carter in Ft. Worth, so it was a given that his personality would come out best if we did his pictures there. It was SUCH a neat place, with tons of beautiful trees, several historical buildings, and such a pretty lake in the middle of it all. I don’t blame him for wanting to spend all of his summer there. Plus, you know he’s an awesome guy to pour into kids all summer! Drew, you are awesome!

I had such a good time walking around a shooting in a new location and just talking to Drew and his mom and dad about Camp Carter. If you have kids, this is a super cool place for them to be able to come during the summer to play, learn, and build friendships! Thank you Drew for letting me capture you in your senior year! I had a blast! I hope you enjoy your pictures!