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On Monday we were able to have some maternity photos taken of our family. We've reached the 5 week countdown until Hannah's expected arrival, so I knew it was time if we were going to do them at all. Thankfully we have a beautiful state park, literally in our backyard, that we can walk to. It was a gorgeous day, 80 degrees with a slight breeze, not at all representative of the weather we've been having for most of this pregnancy, but absolutely perfect for taking photos.

We were blessed to have one of the sweet students at our church come over and use our camera to take the pictures for us. She has such a natural eye and talent! One reason we have so many pictures of our family is because of the gifted and talented friends and family around us. I believe it is God's little "wedding gift" to us.

Not many people know this, but to make a (very) long story short, we never received our wedding photos. The only photos we have of our wedding day are the ones guests took and the few that I was able to download from an online viewer after they were taken. And even those were unedited and not great quality.

I share all that, because I truly want everyone to know just how much it blesses my heart to have these photos of my family. Photos that I can frame and hang in our home. Our wedding day was just one day that wasn't captured. But, praise Jesus for a lifetime of happy moments to document!

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I am so excited for my friends Nick and Natalie Carter to welcome a sweet little baby later this year! We have known these two for almost four years now. We met them in Dothan, Alabama while we were serving at Watermark Church. I knew when I first heard Nick sing that we would be friends. :) (Check out some of his youtube videos here) Nick definitely got a blessing of a wife in sweet Natalie. They were married last May and have been serving God in ministry at a church about an hour north of us in Florida. We are so thankful that God led them to a place nearby, so that we could continue being blessed by their presence and friendship!

This past weekend, I invited them to come down to celebrate Josh's 30th birthday with us. While they were here, I got to snap this cute announcement photo for them! They are coffee lovers and even had a coffee theme at their wedding... so it would only make sense for them to announce this way! I love this photo, but I love the hands that will hold these cups even more.

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Meet my friends, Cassie and Jared. They are due to expect their first baby, a little boy named Lennon, in mid-February! (Fun fact: Cassie and I are almost exactly a month apart!) Jared is on staff with my husband at Church @ The Springs and serves as Creative Arts Director. They are a multi-talented couple - Cassie programs lights for the church and Jared is a gifted worship leader/songwriter. Basically, they are creativity in a nutshell.

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This past weekend I had the honor of shooting a few maternity photos of them! They were kind enough to be my first official "photoshoot" with my new 35mm f1.8 lens (photography-nerd lingo for a really nice portrait lens) that I just got for Christmas. I couldn't be happier with the results! I am still working through my editing style and figuring out what exactly I'm doing when it comes to angles and poses. But having such beautiful models makes it so much easier!

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These two are going to be the coolest parents. Hands down! While we were taking these photos and looking for spots out in the Greenway (aka "Florida woods") to shoot, Cassie literally told me, "I don't mind dead things" in reference to all the bare branches and fallen leaves around. I find this setting actually quite beautiful for a maternity shoot. While things are dying around her, she is growing a beautiful new life inside.

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I love Cassie and Jared. Love seeing them serve God with their gifts and talents. Love being their friends. And absolutely loved being able to capture this beautiful moment in their lives.

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