God Bless America

I won't ever forget September 11, 2001.  How could I?  How could any of us?  I remember the sadness, the fear, the helplessness, the anger... actually I don't just remember it, I can still feel it.  I was 14 and in my freshman home room when I head the news.  My classmates and I looked to our teachers to know how to react and we saw the same things we were feeling.  Everyone was so completely human that day; we were all so fragile and capable of being broken.

But.

But, September 11 and the days that immediately followed showed us something else.  We all felt something else.  We were overcome by a sense of unity, pride, and love.  We looked at each other as brothers and sisters.  We were more than fellow citizens, we were family.  And, while in the past ten years the world has learned and demonstrated the many ways one can hate another person, it has also showed us the ways we can love.  Today, I'm keeping mind a great quote by Reverend Desmond Tutu, "Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."  I'm going to remember those that died ten years ago in New York, DC, and Pennsylvania by doing little bits of good whenever and wherever I can.  I can't think of a better way to honor their memories.

God bless, America.  God bless, The World.

Big Day: Cecilia and Kevin and Family

Here's a story, of a lovely lady... okay, okay I won't actually go there.  Cecilia and Kevin got married this past weekend on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan with their six children.  It was a gorgeous private ceremony and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of it.  It was so fun to watch them play in the water and toss a football around on the beach... it really did look like something out of the Brady Bunch!  My favorite part was the end of the ceremony when the whole group (minister included) exchanged a group hug... you could just feel the love!

Michael and Jenn

I've known Michael since before he was born.  I was actually at the hospital two years ago on his birth day. You see, Michael was born early; he was only about three pounds... tiny.  When he finally came home from the hospital, I took his "Newborn" photos, then one year later I took his photo again.  He's growing so fast and it's been an honor to be a part of his life in such a big way.  He's come a long way since those tiny days.  He's a ball of energy dressed up in little boy clothing!  So, Michael and his mom (who's one of my best friends), Jenn, spent the morning at the park playing and taking photos in honor of Michael's second birthday that's coming up at the end of this month.  It was a blast and an absolute perfect day for photos.  Happy Birthday, Michael!  I love watching you grow up!

Cory and Jackie

I met Jackie and Cory at Notre Dame for a HOT engagement session.  Cory is an MBA student at ND and Jackie came all the way from Oklahoma to visit him and get some engagement photos taken.  It was about 99 degrees on Friday when we met on campus, but Cory and Jackie were total champs about pushing through the heat.  We hit all of the popular spots on campus and a couple less popular ones as well.  About half way through the shoot we all agreed that it was WAY too hot to keep going... especially since their second outfit included sweaters, jeans, and boots!  So, we will be having another session in October (the next time Jackie's in town) to make up for that.  Make sure you keep your eye out for it! :-)

Legge Family

The Legge Family and I met for a fun (albeit hot) family session this afternoon at Potato Creek State Park.  If you've never been to Potato Creek , I definitely recommend it!  It's absolutely gorgeous and a perfect backdrop for some family photos of a beautiful family!