contrast . . . by nikole, and a beautiful wedding to follow! . shiner, tX photographer

just before the wedding began, nikole, the beautiful bride, waited beyond the doors of one of the most gorgeous churches. she was taking a few, quiet moments alone and as she drifted toward the playground, I was struck.

she stood in contrast to the brightly colored, child playthings and looked out over them as if in deep thought.
what symbolism...
the bride, preparing for her groom, for her role as wife, for fulfilling a vow of sacred "oneness"...

and this was probably a moment she imagined long before she had the dress and the beautiful bouquet, long before when she was a child herself, playing with brightly colored things, led only by her imagination.

i think it's those moments we remember on the big days that fly by in a blur. 

in the same way, i wonder about her handsome groom. as he waited... 

the moments just before it all begins, moments swelling with emotion--

those are my favorites.

and with the walk of an aisle, a new life begins!

nikole and bart...we loved celebrating this day, and all that it meant, with you!

and to Shiner, TX--one of our favorite little cities--thanks for hosting this Alaska-San Antonio party...it's always good to see you.

let's do this y'all, 

jen 

a natural . yoakum, tx photographer

any chance you remember that old shenandoah song, "she's a natural"?
i'm going to guess no. the song is not well known and if you didn't love country music in the 80s and 90s, you just may have missed it. 


the song, in picture form, is allyson. and it goes like this.

the actual words are, 

"she's a beauty. the kind of beauty makeup can't create.
cause it starts within her heart and flows throughout her soul
with a genuine reflection on her face . . ."

the song isn't about her surface looks and we'll get to that in a sec, but speaking of surface looks . . .


she's not wearing a stitch of makeup, y'all. 

ok. mascara. and lip gloss that her mama reminded her to put on at the last minute. 
but, hand-over-my-heart, shut-the-front-door, no-i'm-not-kidding, that's it.


and i don't think she has a clue what a beauty she is.

most comfortable in her shorts and loafers, she's drama-free and she's as laid-back as they come...maybe a little stubborn, in her own words. kids adore her (yes, mine too!) which makes sense because one day, she might want to be a pediatric nurse. good thing she loves to read!

whatever she ends up doing, her easy nature, kind heart, and that smile will serve her well!

allyson, you are a true beauty . . . and i'm proud to S H O U T it with you this year! 

let's do this y'all, 

jen

to be honest . . . who knew? . seguin, tx photographer

tbh, 

i love this girl. 

actually, i love these two girls. 

they kept me young this night. and they taught me how to appropriately use "tbh." and suddenly, now i'm cool. but not cool enough to wear shades like these.

look at this beauty. 

that smile . . . 

it's hard to believe we met her about five years ago . . . that she is now a 
S H O U T . 2 0 1 2 senior. 


she wants to be a police officer. and she does a lot of chasing . . .


the opposition . . . 

and children!  if not a cop, she loves the idea of working with kids. future employers: i can confirm that she is great with the littles. mine send their highest recommendation. 


tia, whatever you choose, we're praying for you. we're missing hugging your neck here and hoping your paths, paved or not, are full of success.


and, if you make it to jamaica one day, can i come? : )


let's do this y'all, 


jen

he is named . . . TX photographer

Noah  . . . 

"Noah Amsler Beckham---born August 3rd, 2011. We chose the name Noah because in Genesis 6 it says that although the world was going through a very dark time, Noah "walked with God." That is our prayer for our son. Diane discovered the the name Noah actually means "comfort." God has brought comfort to Diane and I in our efforts to have a child, and comfort to my Mom in her sadness since the loss of my sweet sister Sara. Praise God for His faithfulness & comfort!!"


And I had the pleasure of meeting him when he was eight, brand new days old.

don't newborns take your breath away?

every inch of their tiny-ness makes you realize there is something so much bigger.
. . . a Creator beyond compare.


who makes mamas . . .

 and daddies. . . 

out of ordinary people.

and the entire experience becomes extraordinary.

Welcome, little Noah. We're so very glad you are here.

Diane and Grant-We were honored to get to meet your boy and introduce you to our babies.

Thank you.

let's do this y'all . . .

jen

let's read some feet . Yoakum, TX photographer

pictures talk.
that's my favorite part about photography,

"reading a picture."

and boy do i love reading feet pictures.

faces say so much, which is a good thing, but sometimes they say too much . . . they reveal a lot at once.  every now and then, a more direct message is all you need.
feet pictures get right to the point.

i love feet pictures.

but i think we've covered that.

man, this family pulled off the feet picture well, didn't they?! 

now let's reveal the rest of the story.
meet the Poskey Family!!

this mini-session happened to be their last stop together before school started for [almost] ALL of them - Mrs. Poskey teaches high school and her grown up "babies" are in college.

not to be outdone by human feet, Cowboy the dog wanted to be in on the storytelling too.

check out what he's saying here . . .

 good job, Cowboy. you're pretty much adorable.

to the Poskeys--loved catching you before you started your fall adventures. can't wait to see all of you together again!

let's do this y'all, 

jen

athlete, role model, and self-proclaimed zombie slayer . New Braunfels, TX photographer

Minutes after first meeting him, Hunter and his friend Colter, whisked away my children and proceeded to play with them for hours. Tell me that doesn't do something to a mama's heart!


So, it was no surprise when his family described him as outgoing, kind, athletic, and compassionate.
I heartily agree.

My handsome husband and I did this session together. And Hunter's mom and sister joined us. By the time we were done, we were eating together at a little Mexican restaurant across the street. [can you see those lights in the background? Y U M]

amazing young man + GREAT session + sweet family + my man + fish tacos = 
fantastic way to spend a day. 


I love this "job."


It was a little bit of work to try to take some serious shots. 

Only because Hunter's smile is infectious. 

And so I have a feeling he's smiling whether he's coaching at camps, playing basketball, volleyball, or fishing [slaying zombies-ha!]. I know he admires Dirk Nowitzki but he's quite a role model himself. I'm so thankful he has the opportunity to influence little minds and hearts. 

Hunter, you are a stud. You come from a family of studs. 

Thank you for letting Michael and me be a part of this year with you! Now go slay some zombies . . . or something like that ; ).


let's do this y'all, 


jen 

the flirt + the engineer + goodnight moon = love . Yoakum, TX photographer

they were just doing what 18 month olds do, navigating their way with trucks, bubbles, and balls. 
but even then . . .

. . . even in the fun of it all, I got to see such clear glimpses into their later lives . . .


in their mother's own words, 


Blake is the flirt

and Brody, the engineer.

while taking these things in, I couldn't help but wonder two things: 


I wondered if the boys' mama feels time fleeting yet?  or are their diapers, their endless energy, and her constant chasing getting in the way?  or maybe she is "right there" knowing that kindergarten is creeping up way too fast . . . 


can she already see her flirt charming his teacher?

and her little engineer thinking about how to put together an entire community of legos?

I just can't remember when it set in [for me] that babies  really do grow up.


and finally, I wondered as her own mama completely rocked the grandmother role and helped me capture some smiling boys . . . was grandma thinking about her own children?, about their different personalities and their grown up lives? about how they became adults and are in now in charge of other people? does it feel like they were just small children?

here is what I DO know. no growing up blog should be written during the first week that your oldest son goes to kindergarten. note to self. emotions run high.  ; )


tammy, I always love being with your family! may you relish in the day to day, hang on in the fleeting, and stay encouraged when finding the balance!! cheers to the miracle boys once again!


let's do this y'all, 


jen