ah, a breather :) (deep breath in, and exhale...feels soooooo good!)

I must admit, I have been soooo excited to blog about Heather and Jon's Manteo, NC wedding! It's been a long time coming and I'm thrilled to finally share it!

An up and coming photographer (and good friend), Veronica, wanted to shadow Glenn and I for the day in order to build her portfolio, so we all decided to make it a joint family vacation weekend. I brought my three kids and she brought her hubby and two boys. We all pitched in and rented a gorgeous house  and split the cost of groceries. The morning of the wedding, we decided to leave our mini-van with Veronica's husband in case of emergency...this way he'd have room for all five munchkins. We took her 4-runner and my husband, Glenn, dropped the two of us off with the bride and left to meet the groom. I experienced my FIRST ever limo ride in a stretch hummer!!! (Thanks Heather!) Not more than five minutes after arriving at the salon, my cell phone rang. It was Glenn saying that he wrecked Veronica's vehicle and he couldn't move it out of the middle of the highway. All blood rushed to my feet and I silently passed the phone to Veronica. Needless to say, this was a horrible time for him to have his first accident, and to top it off to be in a friends car and not our own. Thank goodness he was okay, as well as the other driver, so although the car was damaged, it could be fixed. The limo driver was kind enough to drive Veronica to the scene while I tried to set all problems aside and focus on Heather and her big day =) I took a deep breath and put myself in the moment. Everything worked itself out as far as transportation for the day and the three of us put our mind to work. Even with my own personal tragedies, the day turned out to be so beautiful to me. I reflect back on these photographs and I have tears. Heather has a contagious smile...she's gorgeous inside and out, and the love she and Jon share is evident in every glance they share.

Here are all the girls in the salon. The owner's pregnant with her first child and due any time!

See, isn't her smile bright?! I love it!

I felt like I was watching a scene out of "Ms. Congeniality" where the team of artists were working to make Sandra Bullock over. (Not that Heather needed an overhaul...it was just neat to see so many people working on her at once ;)

While the women were busy getting ready, it appears that the men had time to nap!

and play board games!

Before heading to the beach house for all the finishing details, the bridal party stopped off at 'Five Guys'.  With their hair and make-up looking flawless, the girls definitely turned some heads!  ;)

Heather and Jon really planned things right.  The week of the wedding, the bridal party and the families of the bride and groom, all rented beach houses to relax and enjoy eachother.  The house Heather got ready at, made for some awesome photos!

Isn't her dress STUNNING?!

This photo was in natural light, so although not the best quality, I had to post it because it really shows every emotion Heather's mother must have felt when she saw her daughter just hours before walking down the isle.  It brings tears to my eyes!  I can't imagine how I'll feel looking at Dreama or Grace on their wedding day (30 years from now, of course! hehehe).

Mom was helping Heather into her corset in one of the back bedrooms when Grandma came in to help.  I love how you see the three generations all in the simplicity of this one photograph.  It takes my breath away!

A real princess!

arriving at the aquarium looking PERFECT!

A wedding is really made unique by all the details and finishing touches.  Aren't these cuff links the coolest things ever?!

I love the emotion this photo pulls out of you.  Jon patiently anticipating the limo.

I wonder what he's pondering........

Heather decided that she wanted to unveil herself before the ceremony.  She slowly walked up behind Jon, tapped him on the shoulder and took his breath away.  Sooooo romantic!  I feel so privileged to have captured these moments!

The reception was held in front of the shark tank exhibit!  How awesome is that?!  There was plenty of dancing, plenty of laughter and tons of romance.  

SO... I guess I'm a 'soccer mom' ! *smile*

My family is my everything.  I don't know what it is, but I swear my husband gets sexier by the year!  Instead of growing apart, like some couples do, we've worked hard to grow together...not just the two of us, but as a family.  

Dreama will be five in November and we're just now inviting 'pee-wee' sports into our schedule.  So far, we are involved in soccer and taekwondo...not to mention Grace is enrolled in ballet.  I love the running, the organized chaos (hence the word 'organized').  Both of our girls have shown dedication, enthusiasm, sportsmanship and stamina.   I am so proud of the both of them and look forward to letting them try maybe softball, basketball, the Girl Scouts, etc.  I must admit though, soccer is a favorite of mine so far!  It's not my life though, so whatever they choose to do as they grow, I will be there as their biggest fan ;)  THIS is an amazing part of having kids!

Dreama and Daddy on the sidelines.

Dreama's got the ball!  Go to the goal!!!!

Go Dreama!  That's my girl!

"Until next time, not goodbye."

Anne, Rob and Riley were once very close friends of ours. Life happened and we grew apart but time and a judge (long story, not what you're thinking, ha ha!) brought us back together. Rob is a corpsman in the Navy and now has the honor of training with the Marines over in California. This is a gigantic leap for Rob's career in the military, but it is bittersweet for his family, whom love and support him with every thread of their being. With my father being a colonel in the US Air Force, I understand what it's like to be away from the ones you love for extended periods of time, while at the same time, respecting and honoring every minute they dedicate to our great country. Anne asked me to do this photo session with Rob's upcoming abcense in mind. They wanted 'fun', 'every day' photos that will remind them of the simplest things they'll miss most. Anne will be moving in with Rob's family while he's training, so they'll both be leaving Virginia but I know we'll keep in touch for years to come! Good luck guys! We'll miss you!