Parolisi Maternity | Yorktown, Virginia

 

I am so excited for this session! Last Saturday I met up with Mike and Rebecca in Yorktown along the battlefields and town, to capture some pictures of their growing little family! With their little man's arrival coming up, it was now or never for maternity photos. I enjoy working with Rebecca as well, she knows exactly what she is looking for and while sometimes that can be a bit of a challenge as a photographer, it worked out really well in this case! She sent me a Pinterest board of ideas that she liked and it really helped me to get in the mindset for the shoot and figure out how to incorporate these ideas into her and Mike's personalities. 

I was so thankful that Lauren tagged along for the adventure. She helped with carrying some of the props and holding jackets and throwing them back right after the shots were done . . . it was FREEZING!!! Beyond freezing! It was pretty darn cold! I felt sorry for the two of them since some of the shots were on the freezing cold ground. But here is a look at some of the pictures from that day!

 

2013 Theology Conference | Church Designs

 

Check out the latest design for Grace Baptist Chapel for the upcoming Theology Conference - check out the church website for further information and sermon recordings.

 
 
 

Aubrey | Newport News, Virginia

 

I cannot believe how much this girl is growing up! She is turning into a truly stunning woman on the inside and out, just like her Mom. I was thrilled when she asked me to take some pictures before Ring Dance (I was also in shocked when she asked because I couldn't believe she was already old enough to go to Ring Dance!). Her group was meeting at the Lion's Bridge in Newport News, so before they all got their, we decided to do some individual pictures and once her date arrive we got lucky and were able to get some gorgeous sunset pictures! Seriously - that sky, that dress - AMAZING!

 

Oh Hey, I Got Married | Personal

 

I've neglected this poor poor blog. Sorry blog. Well, I had said awhile back that I would write about the wedding and life and how things are going. Yeah. Never did. Guess you get that now. 

So lets start with

August 24th 2012

- the day before the wedding. Recap of my Friday - dropped my car off to get an oil change and transmission service (it was due - you could feel my transmission telling me "service me or I'll die"). I got a manicure and pedicure and went picked my car back up and was told it was running beautifully and it was in great condition. Went to the bank, went to tan, left the tanning salon and was stranded in the middle of Jefferson Avenue with cars rushing around me, my transmission locked up. I managed to turn it on and off and fight it into the left turn lane where it decided to fight me and give me the finger and completely lock up. Some not so nice words were screamed at the top of my lungs (I repented for those), some crying was done and even the occasional beating my head against the steering wheel. Oh - but during all of that I did manage to call my mom, sister and Nick. So then some nice guys who didn't speak English came from across the street and pushed me into the gas station. One tried talking to me as I was crying and I couldn't understand him, asking me what was wrong, telling me to pop the hood (so man I don't know your name but I'm sorry if I was rude!) and luckily out of nowhere a friend from church, John, came out of the sky and saved me! Well - helped me not go insane and kept all the crazy lunatics who like to mosey on towards women with broken down vehicles. My mom arrived, the tow truck arrived and my car was towed. This was August 24th 2012 .... it is October 22nd 2012 .... I still have no car! So I went home, my sister came over with her man-friend, and the whole little gang of kids they call theirs and I put them to work assembling fans for the wedding until the rehearsal. Then we ate tons of Anna's from Smithfield!

Now we will move on to the wedding day - 

August 25th 2012,

the day of .... the day of A LOT! If you want to know how the day started ... I'll give you a look. It started with a bang, no splash! The picture below is of our yard, well my parent's yard now, on a normal day, nice little slope, lots of green grass, pretty flowers, new fertilizer (not pictured) and NO lake. The other two pictures are of the water rising to our deck (about an hour later it went over the deck!). I woke up to a monsoon on my wedding day, took some pictures, called the museum, found out that my original room and court yard was flooded. Yup! But I was informed the wedding was moved to the main entrance - SCORE!! That is the room I originally wanted.  But most importantly, flood, or no flood, I was marrying Nick :) 

the Lion's Bridge right down the road from our venue there is a road and bridge underneath that water!

So I went back to bed, only to be rudely awoken and told I need to get a car. Then begins the hunt to find a rental car. Found one! Got it - then got Chick-Fil-A!  And then went back to bed. (Due know though that the night before the wedding I was up until 3am watching Holly make cake pops). 

After that nap I woke up, got my stuff together and had a meltdown. Yes - a meltdown. Not over marrying Nick, or getting married, that I was EXCITED about, I had been waiting quite a long time for this. 

But it hit me - it hit me like a pound of bricks, no I don't like that expression, it hit me like Dorothy's house hit the Wicked Witch of the East in the Wizard of Oz, my Dad wasn't going to be here. I think I had completely pushed that out of my mind, and the worst part, this was the officially moment where I realized - he is not here. I've had plenty of moments where I've realized he had passed away, but this is the first real big thing that I was so excited to share with them that I wasn't going to get to. And that my friend, stunk! So ... I had about an hour of yelling and talking to his urn. I'm not a crazy person, I swear! But it helped. So I gathered myself, and my best friend Megan came and got me with he step-dad Scott, we used his big bad Bronco to get us to the museum. 

Once stepping inside it was amazing! Everyone was getting everything together, the caterer and her staff were setting everything up (need a caterer - Smokin' Joe's BBQ and Southern Brides on a Budget). The Mariners Museum' event planner rushed Megan and I to the changing area where my hair dresser Caitlin (one of the nicest human beings ever, and a good friend - Style by Design - look her up!) showed up and started making us not look like wet mice! I ventured around the museum some, checked out my cake, made sure the people who needed to stay away from one another were seated AWAY from one another, and then went back to finish getting ready.

Insert melt down #2. The week before the wedding two dear friends of ours found out they lost their baby girl. Lauren still had to deliver this precious little girl, and she arrived at 5:30 am the morning of the wedding. Well, when melt down #2 kicked in Lauren had just texted me to wish me a good and happy day and that she was sorry they couldn't be there (me too), and then we started talking about her precious Kendall. 

Talk about experiencing joy and sorrow at the same time, it is not easy. You tend to linger in the sorrow longer and it is easier to get trapped there. My heart ached and still aches for Lauren, and not getting to meet baby Kendall, and not being able to be there for her during that time. But at the same time I still had to pull myself together and be happy, because this was a happy time for me. I think that week and that day was a test for the both of us and our friendship, and I'm thankful for her. 

But after that meltdown passed, the wedding time was getting closer. I'm so glad the people that were there were there before the wedding. I'm so thankful that I had Megan and Caitlin in the dressing area with me, keeping me sane and pumping coffee through my veins. I'm so glad that Christie was there to keep me from yelling at Nick's mom when she showed up late and not dressed or ready (and for keeping the wedding in complete order), and my Mom! I love my Mom. 

Well ... after some flooding, some meltdowns, a rental car, and whatever else came my way - I got to marry Nick. Best day ever!! And we got married under the USS Lancaster Eagle! Yeah!

So after the wedding ... Nick and I went and enjoyed some time on the Eastern Shore, ate really good seafood and have come back and been enjoying married life! But I think I've written enough for now! So here is to finishing this up with a couple more pics!

 

Biblical Hermeneutics | Church Designs

 

Check out the latest design for Grace Baptist Chapel for the upcoming women's ministry study "Biblical Hermeneutics - The Study of Interpreting the Bible" - check out the church website for further information and sermon recordings.

 

Bridal Shower | Personal

 

I am beyond thankful and blessed to have the ladies in my life that I do. This past Saturday, Megan, Tammy and my Mom gave me a bridal shower at Tammy's home. Let me just tell you, I am so grateful to that woman and for opening up her home, she is like a second mother to me! And - I am just so excited that Megan flew in for the occasion and put so much work into! I love her - and everyone else that was there!! 

Look at this beautiful cake Tammy had made to match the invitation!

The fabulous Holly Likes hooked me up with some YUMMY carrot cake mini cupcakes!

The welcoming committee 

 

Doug and Zatha Say I Do | Personal

 

2012 is a good year for the Franks' family! Nick and I get married in August, Thad and Eliz's third child is due in November, and Aunt Zatha just married Dougy Doug! It was a great day! Friends and family gathered at Amy's house in Williamsburg where Doug and Zatha said their "I Do's". Zatha had asked if I would capture some pictures of the day, so of course I said yes! We're all excited for Zatha. This is a woman who has dealt with quite a few health blows in the past and recently, and since Doug has came into her life, she has been a new woman. One full of love and life and they have just been having the time of their lives! (The only downside, Doug has now converted her into a Yankees fan - BOO!)

Here are some pictures from their big day!

 

The Davidson Clan | Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

 

Want to meet a fun family? Then you have to meet the Davidson family! Ryan and Christie have been such a blessing to Nick and I. Since joining GBC, or even sent our first visit, they have been nothing short of wlecoming and have been there whenever we needed them, and through all of that, have become amazing friends. So what better way to give back to this family, as they have given to us, than to help them out with some updated family photographs! It was a such a fun day wandering around Colonial Williamsburg with them. It's a place they frequent quite a bit as a family, and it was neat seeing them point out spots that mean this and that to them. Did I mention I love their kiddos? They are the perfect blend of polite and crazy, and are a trip to be around! They all are, and these pictures clearly show their crazy personalities! Take a look for yourself!

 

The Steele Family | Yorktown, Virginia

This past Memorial Day weekend, I met the Robyn, Brandon and Micah at Yorktown Beach to take a few family photos. Robyn is the sister of a dear friend of mine, Erika, and her little boy Micah is beyond adorable! He didn't want to walk on the sand in his shoes because he was worried it would ruin them! It was a fun little session, very hot, but so much fun! I think this setting was the perfect place for this military family, the colors, the water, the adorable flag Micah brought along. Here are a few pictures from the session.