Professional Week: A Family Session

When Kristin called to set up her family session, she was so excited-her husband was coming home for, "Fourteen days of heaven," as she said, on his R&R break from serving in Afghanistan. He has been gone since January and once he leaves again, he won't return until after Christmas. They have an adorable 12 month old baby girl. After I talked to Kristin, I noticed that she had joined my Marion's Photography Facebook Fan page. I clicked on her picture and saw pictures of her baby. She looked very familiar. I thought long and hard where I knew this baby's face from. I knew that I didn't know Kristin, though we do know many of the same people. Then I remembered a sweet baby from a year ago, who I had been asked to pray for. This child had a very complicated birth and my good friend Victoria had set up a Facebook page, giving updates and telling folks specifically what to pray for. This was the baby I had prayed for! How cool is that?

I instantly fell in love with this family. Kristin and I talked several times on the phone setting up and changing dates in the short time her husband would be home. The day of the shoot she hopped out of the car looking stunning in a yellow dress with heels. She had a huge smile on her face and she started going down a list in her head of different pictures she wanted to take. A few were specific, but most were just opportunities to try and capture their family simply being a family. This is one of my favorite things to do. I love to tell kids to go run and play and capture them in their true, real, not-in-front-of-the-camera selves. You can learn a lot about people by simply watching them interact together. This husband and wife duo seemed like they were still newlyweds, yet they had a wisdom and connection from troubles with their baby'ss birth and a strength that comes from being separated due to the military. They have already experienced so many hard times that most couples never have to go through in all their married lives. I could feel their faith in God during this hard time. I have often thought of them and prayed for them since that day. Kristin has returned home to Italy where they are stationed and her brave husband is fighting on mission in Afghanistan. I hope these images tug at your heart as they do mine. They need your prayers for safety and for peace of mind and for strength to make it through the day. I cannot wait to hear that they are reunited once again and that he is safe and sound at home with this family. What a glorious day that will be!

These next two are one of Kristin's requested poses. This represents her and Robbie being seperated-and looking forward to the day they will be together again.