In The Blink Of An Eye/ Florida Teen Photography

"Ooh, get a shot of me with this British flag, Aunt Jen, since I'm going to London this summer!"  Wait.  What?  I was abruptly brought back to reality with that one statement.  I had been reminiscing about the darling little girl who had once sung silly songs for me, danced around in shiny red boots, and called me "J" because she couldn't say Jen.  And now here I was photographing this stunningly gorgeous teenager who was chatting about getting her license, seeing her boyfriend later on, and heading off to London in a few months.

Wait.  What?

How did this happen?

The years sure have flown by, but what a precious and beautiful young lady has emerged from those little red boots.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for you, sweet girl.

What surprises in life have you experienced lately?

How does it make you feel?

Share your stories with me!

And keep smiling!

Jen

True Beauty

My niece and I have begun the most wonderful tradition. Every time we see each other (which is not nearly as often as I would like since they live in southern Florida and we live up here in PA) we have a special morning out together, just the two of us. We go somewhere new, have a super fun photo session, and then have breakfast together (or lunch if the morning passes us by). It is one of the highlights of our visits to Florida, and I'm not sure what I enjoy more, shooting this beautiful young lady out in the gorgeous Naples environment, or spending time talking and laughing with this amazing person who just yesterday was this little baby girl who called me "J".

Here are a few of my favorites from our most recent morning out last month. But first, a quick snap of who she once was! This was taken about 7 years ago. Too funny!

Thankfully, my photography has improved over the years to do justice to the beauty that she exudes.

This was the last shot we took, as I dropped her off at school for her basketball game. My guess is that this would be her favorite one, as it truly exemplifies the athletic, natural, simple girl that she is. The scripture seems to fit the image, and I hoped it would remind her of the promise of God's presence and power in her life.

Hannah, may you never doubt your beauty. It comes from your eyes, your smile, and your precious heart. You are one of the greatest blessings of my life. You make all those years of hanging out with your dad worth it! Hee hee!

(JK Billy!)

Keep smiling,

Aunt Jen

Beautiful Hannah

Last week we travelled to Florida to visit my parents, my brother and his family. Despite whatever circumstances we may face as a family, it is always great to head down to Florida to spend some time together for so many reasons. First there's my mother's cooking. It's AMAZING and just gets better and better with every visit. Then there's the chaos of 6 grandkids getting together for lots of fun, laughter, and mischief. There are afternoons of watching my nephew, Joe, play baseball (what an athlete!) or my niece, Hannah, run hurdles. There's the warm weather, there's watching my father play the drums, and there's quality time with my brother (and especially his wife who is more like my sister!).

And then there's my special treat. Every time we head down to visit, my niece Hannah and I head out for a special date. We steal away for a morning of shooting and then we head out for breakfast together. And every time we do this I am amazed at this young lady. She gets more and more beautiful by the second, and her outer beauty is matched only by her inner beauty. She is kind, honest, sensitive, and most of all, genuine and totally real. I have loved this girl for 13 years! She is one of the greatest joys of my life!

Here are a few of my favorites from our special day!

Of course, there are TONS of photos of the rest of the crew from our short visit together. They're coming, but I had to post these first!

Hannah, thanks for an awesome morning! It was so fun and you make shooting so easy! I am counting the days until our next photo date!