Since moving to Jacksonville last May, we have had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with some wonderful military families. Jacksonville is home to several military facilities and has the third largest military presence in the country. It is an honor to be able to walk alongside these families, especially the wives and children, in community while their husbands (and some wives!) are away serving our country. There is a special connection I feel with these families, as they choose to plant and invest their lives in a place they may not end up calling home forever. Being married to a pastor and moving around a lot for ministry, I understand that. But what I don't understand, and have never experienced up close and first hand, is the sacrifice.

We met Dan and Nicole Enfinger at church a couple weeks after moving to town. We sat in on their Life Group and learned that Dan would soon be heading out on deployment in the next week or so. Over the last few months, I've gotten to know Nicole and have admired her as someone who is intentional with their time. Whether a Navy wives bible study or a play date with another mom, I have greatly admired how she chooses to invest in others while her husband is away.

When she reached out to me about shooting Dan's homecoming, I was a little nervous to be honest - but, really excited about the opportunity to capture such a special time! After my first experience at a Navy homecoming, I can honestly say, it was beyond anything I've ever imagined it being. I've seen the pictures and videos before, but nothing compares to witnessing first-hand hundreds of people rushing to greet their loved ones! There was one dad that met his 6 month old son for the first time (you'll see them make a cameo in the gallery below - look for the couple with the tiny baby!) I expected them to be emotional, but I didn't expect to be the one tearing up behind the camera. I remember verbally saying aloud, "I can't handle this!" But I pulled it together long enough to capture what has become one of my favorite sessions to date (and definitely the most touching!) Thank you, Nicole, for asking me to come alongside you on this special day. It was an honor! And thank you, Dan, for your dedication to serving our country so faithfully. Welcome home!

Well, my first holiday season as a photographer in Jacksonville is officially complete! I have been so grateful to the Lord for how smoothly the transition to a new town has been, both personally and for my photography business. I've had a steady flow of clients (that I love!) and it has been wonderful exploring a new city! This past weekend I finished my final family session before Christmas. I absolutely LOVE how it turned out, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites here with you. This was my first time at Nocatee's community park and I will definitely be going back! So much natural light and color... ahh! I still have a couple more sessions before the New Year that I'm really excited to capture. And maybe, I'll even get a chance to share them here on the blog!

But for now, enjoy these of The Yarborough family. Nick is the worship pastor at one of our church campuses here in Jacksonville and his wife, Pam, is a great friend (and amazing hairstylist - check her out!) they have an adorable little boy, Anthony (who my little boy thinks is just the coolest!) and told me that it's been years since they've taken family photos together. I think that needs to change, they are naturals in front of the camera!

I'm the kind of person who likes to be in a crowd of people, but doesn't mind sitting alone or off to the side chatting with just a few. As the internet is getting more and more crowded, I find myself drawn more and more to this little space.

In the early days of blogging (I'm talking 2008-2009, been here a long time!), you could do things like blog without a specific topic just because you felt like it. You could share photos of your kids and family, without worrying about someone stealing them. In those days, blogs were more lifestyle and less promotional. 

I want to keep blogging. And I want to keep doing it the old-fashioned way. And yet, I can't ignore the fact that social media has basically killed the blogosphere.

I miss the community that once existed in the blog world. I miss the encouragement and humor. The life updates that let you hear the stories that the photos don't always tell. There was something so honest about it. You couldn't just hide behind a pretty picture - you had to use your voice to engage. 

When I think about blogging these days, it's usually only when a certain topic is heavy on my heart. The little stuff is for Facebook or Instagram. And the even littler stuff - like those one liners that are usually not as funny as I think they are - for Twitter.

But, there is a lot of life going on behind the little snippets that we all share. There are a lot of really great moments that never get Tweeted and a lot of really sad moments that are barely ever captured in a photo. And maybe that's a good thing, because some things do deserve to be kept private. But, for the amount of time that we spend engaging online - the facade has got to be stripped back every once and awhile to let people in. Just getting "likes" on social media doesn't really mean much, anyway. I want to have conversations. 

So, here's to blogging like the old days again. And me getting my nice camera out every once and awhile to capture my babies in their favorite element. And telling the fuller stories behind the photos. 

Like this one... we spent the morning at the park the other day. Micah and Hannah had a blast! They love getting out of the house and, especially, meeting and playing with other kids. It's funny, at one point, they both wanted to ride the same horse and Micah (being the taller one) beat her to the saddle. As I was snapping away, I captured a photo of Hannah falling backwards after being bumped by the booty of the horse Micah was proudly riding! It was a photo to cherish. But probably one I wouldn't normally share on social media - just because, you never know what people will say (she was completely fine, by the way, and got up as quickly as she fell!)

But I'll share it here. Here in my little space. And who knows, I may decide to make this place my more permanent home on the internet, using social media only as a tool to promote it. Because there was a day when engaging on the internet was inspiring for me, and most of the credit goes back to those early days of blogging. 

Oh gosh, I'm starting to sound old.