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

the gorgeous couple . loyal doves . funny family [West Columbia, TX photographer]

a garage transformed to
this . . .

a lovely backyard gazebo turned into one of the most beautiful wedding venues I've seen...

[rentals from Performance Party]

[flowers by the flower cottage]

and two very kind people became one . . .

[just love how he's looking at her]

they were surrounded by their families for this special day and had so many beautiful moments during their ceremony. not to be outdone by the bride and groom, the doves that were released decided they rather liked their caretakers. their "stick around plan" worked. they've officially been adopted.

and did i mention funny family?  . . .

Barbara and James, the details of this day were stunning! Your family is just precious. Thank you for letting us be a part of your beautiful day. We were honored!

let's do this y'all, 

jen

heroes... victoria, TX photographer

Just this morning, I overheard my son and his cousin (two boys-exactly the same age) talking about Jesus in supreme superhero fashion. Something like... He’s got ALL the power and can take down giants that are bigger than the whole world!!! Little iffy on their history...right on in boyology.


I love boys.

And I love their design.

Just like my baby girl can’t help but feed and take care of her babies, these boys can’t help but want to save the day.

[now don’t go get crazy on me...there is not an underlying women message here saying women should only raise babies, etc. the only thing i’m saying is this:

simply that, at our most basic, women nurture and men conquer].

So I couldn’t help but LOVE the conversation I had with another boy.

Young man, rather. 

Whose nurturing mother sat near but quietly, letting her son speak about his dreams.

He wants to be in the investigative department of the FBI. Because, at the end of the day y'all, he wants to commit his life to help get rid of the bad guys. 

The only problem? 

He's adorable. 

And he smiles like this...

But he IS well armed. ; )

Sam--it was a pleasure to get to know you better. I am thankful and hopeful that there are more young men like you who long for "right."

We're all excited to see where this life takes you. I can think of one person in particular...

We believe in you--tell your story, buddy.  

No, S H O U T it! 

Let's do this y'all, 

jen

can't wait to introduce you... shiner, tx photographer

when I asked him what inspires him, he said a few things 

and then he said, his mama...

and if i wasn't already a fan, i'd be sold right there. 

i am praying that we are raising our boys {and our girl} in such a way that they credit their mama and daddy for giving them hope...inspiration. what a gift. 

i'm not sure how i'm getting to work with the most amazing young men and women in this whole SHOUT project, but i am. they are sincere, driven, talented, respectful, creative. 

and Colter is absolutely an example. 

he's dang funny too. 

and i couldn't adore his family more!

these pictures are special to me because they show who he is AND where he is. 

he {and i!} are partial to south Texas and these settings shout what he loves. 

meet my {fighting Texas Aggie bound} friend, Colter...

{warning ladies. adorable young man ahead ; ) }

look at that smile. cannot wait to see all the places it takes him. 

let's do this, y'all, 

jen