This year, I’m excited to announce , that in addition to offering my regular in-home newborn sessions which include the posed newborn portraits along with a few lifestyle shots, I will be also now offering another option for newborn sessions!

“Simply Newborn” lifestyle sessions are now being offered as another option to capture your precious new bundle! These sessions are purely lifestyle/documentary-type newborn sessions. Capturing the pure newness of your little one and your family in a documentary-style way. With little to no posing. If you would prefer lifestyle type photograph in lieu of posed newborn portraits, this will be just right for you! Contact me for more details!

 

This is Mylee.
Mylee is like most 14 year old girls. She stays very active in school. She plays trumpet;  she’s in school band, choir, and plays defense in soccer.
Mylee ALWAYS has a smile on her face. She is goofy, she is funny, and she has a beautiful personality.
Unlike most 14 year olds , however, Mylee is battling Cystic Fibrosis.
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening disease. It affects her lungs and pancreas. When it affects her lungs, it is hard for her to play the trumpet in her school band. Singing in choir, and playing soccer become difficult as well as her lungs become more and more affected by the disease.
Before participating in these activities, Mylie will use her inhaler.

“It sometimes slows me down, but most of the time, I will kick butt.
I will not be stopped because of my breathing. “

Because it has affected her pancreas,
Mylee also  has CF-related diabetes. Some of Mylee’s daily struggles are making sure she is breathing ok and
keeping her blood sugars at a good number. She has to make sure she takes her pills and does her treatments to keep her lungs healthy.
She has to work harder than other kids to play her trumpet , play on the soccer team, and sing and hold the right notes in choir. But she does so without complaining.

“My daily routine is never boring! I basically wake up, check my blood sugar, take my medicine,
do my treatments, and then go to school. While at school, I take my blood sugar before eating lunch, do more school work , go home
and check my blood sugar again, eat dinner, do more treatments, take my medicine, test my blood sugar,
and then I go to bed. That’s on a good day though. “

Cystic Fibrosis won’t slow this girl down at all. She is a girly girl. She likes make up, doing her hair (currently, Mylee is sporting an awesome shade of purple which color stands for Cystic fibrosis!). She loves all things glittery, photography, and of course, hanging out with her friends.

“My friends and family really keep me going. Some people will say I have a very big
personality and that nothing is capable of stopping me”. (With this, Mylee, I can wholeheartedly agree!!!)

Mylee is one of the strongest kids I know. And I truly can call her one of my heroes. Mylee oftentimes
has to miss out on going out with friends because she has to  receive treatments
or is in the hospital for lung troubles due to Cystic Fibrosis.
It is really hard for her to not be able to be with her friends. And yet, I still see smiles ….

“I hate going to the hospital. I miss out on a lot of stuff. I miss out on school, my soccer games, church, and activities with my youth group.  I can’t go to sleep without doing my treatments. And I really hate that because no matter how late it is, I have to do them. I wish I didn’t have to do this stuff because I would be able to spend more time doing things I love! When my classmates find out I have CF, some of them will treat me different and treat me like I am contagious. This really hurts my feelings. ….”

I love to sing, dance, cook, and be the positive vibe in everyone’s life. When I’m positive in others’ lives, it helps me to remember that you ALWAYS have to stay positive through the good times AND the bad.
Mylee is a gift to everyone around her. Her contagious smile, bubbly personality, and amazing will and fight in her to make each day a great day, no matter what she is going through. Mylee is one of a kind. She is a fighter. And she truly amazes me through and through!

Mylee was admitted into the hospital again today. There was a lot of crackling in her lungs and  her lung function went down.
Breathing is hard for her and she was grateful to be admitted.  Tomorrow, they will fight CF. And I believe Mylee will win.

There needs to be a cure. No girl of 14 should have to go through this.

They are still working to try to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis by searching for new drugs and doing clinical trials.
Please consider donating to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation today. Kids like Mylee are fighting this battle daily.
How amazing would it be if they could find a cure next year?

Will you help join in the fight?

https://www.cff.org/

I walk through the airport and find the mother whom I was to meet. She glances at me and smiles, glistening tears threatening to break through . She has two young children in tow with her. The older one is holding a sign that reads “Home is where the heart is , and ours is finally back!” She clings to the sign and looks up to me with a hesitant smile. “I’m going to see my daddy today” she exclaims.

“I know sweetie, isn’t that wonderful!?” I reply. I instantly fell in love with this little family.
I learn that mom was in the air force before and now her husband has been deployed in Afghanistan all these long months.
“We have been having the baby video chat with her daddy.. we’re hoping that will help her come to him and not be scared when she sees him.. it’s been such a long time…..” I swallow back the waves of emotion that are threatening to bubble up again and smile and tell her that I am sure she is going to be thrilled to see her daddy. I can’t imagine my husband being gone for so long. What a truly strong and remarkable woman she was.

We wait for a while by security. Her husband calls and tells us he has landed. They run back and forth trying to find the perfect angle to see him. They hold up their signs and wait. “Any moment now guys”. One minute turns to five minutes, still no sign of him. As the third wave of tired passengers walk by, the elder of the two girls goes and sits on the step. Eyes filled with apprehension . “He’ll be here soon,” I hear her mom encourage her.

Just then, I hear mom exclaim, “He’s here!!! ” The girls jump up and they all run to their spots. Suddenly I see an airman walking down the hallway towards us. His face is tired, but there is so much emotion, so much joy in his eyes. He’s home! The 7 year old jumps up and runs to meet her daddy. He picks her up in a warm , big embrace and holds her close. They cry together and then I watch as the little one year old runs to him with no hesitation in her step.
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She knows who this man is. “Daddy!” I hear her exclaim. He picks her up and hugs the girls close; his wife runs toward him and they all hold each other in a huge embrace. Crying together, finally a family again together. This is too much for me. I step back and feel my hands pressing the shutter. But I can barely concentrate as emotions continue to flood through me.
For nearly a year, this man was separated from his family, serving his country in the most selfless way. He did this for us, for all of us.
The man looks at me with tears still in his eyes and says, ” thank you, Ma’am”. “No.. thank YOU! ” I hear myself reply. I look at him in shock as I merely captured their uniting.. yet he fought for my homeland. He protected his family. My family. Our country.
We start walking towards baggage . As he walks, he hugs his young daughters close once more. Suddenly, he stops and gets down on his knee and proceeds to “propose ” to his wife once again. “Thank you for always loving me and being here for me. Will you continue to be my wife?” She grins and tears are fueled again.
Cue tears…….
I am in awe of this beautiful family. I am so honored I was there to capture this amazing soldier’s home coming. Too often, we don’t think about the families and what they are going through as they are missing their brothers, spouses, child as they are over seas. And the soldier … the pain of knowing they can’t wake up and give their child a hug in the morning when they want to…

I am so very touched and thankful to all the men and women who are serving our country. It is truly the most selfless act I know of.
Thank you to this airman and to all the men and women who are serving and have served.