Getting back into the swing of things has been interesting to say the least. I have stayed steadily busy in the last couple of weeks and I am totally loving it. I have been finding the home life balance I need. I haven’t quite figured out how to maintain everything but I am getting there. The high priority stuff is getting done at least. I feel like this piece of me has been missing for a long time and I finally have it back. Even if I can’t take care of everything, I feel like I am taking care of me and the important stuff in life.

My first session back in the game was a graduation announcement shoot. There were so many aspects of this session that I loved. First being the graduate herself. She has Juvenile Ideopathic Arthritis along with several other secondary conditions. The morning of the session, she had a Remicade infusion. What that is, is a biological medication used to suppress the immune system in order to control inflammation and try to correct and prevent damage. She was feeling so bad, we were planning to reschedule the shoot if necessary. After she got her hair done, she was feeling absolutely horrible but she decided to try to take the pictures anyway. She showed up, pushed through the pain and we were able to get some gorgeous pictures. I was so beyond impressed with how she handled herself. Even though she was miserable and in a ton of pain, she smiled and was happy to be living in that moment.

The second is as a Texan, blue bonnet season is the best. We picked a gorgeous location for her session. A sea of blue bonnets. We also arrived before the place completely filled up and the sun was setting perfectly to get the exact shots that I wanted.

And then there was Emma. The beautiful and sweet borrowed husky. When the mother of the graduate approached me for pictures, she said her daughter was going to a school with a husky mascot and would love to get her pictures done with them to announce the school she was attending. Shooting with animals can be difficult but it definitely wasn’t my first time so I was up for the challenge. I was able to locate a friend with the perfect pup for the gig. Besides adding fluffy cuteness to this session, Emma also helped our graduate to have added excitement. She was looking forward to the shoot all day because she was going to get to play with a husky.

Overall, it was a fantastic first session back. I am thrilled with how gorgeous the pictures came out and I am also proud to have spent time with such a strong young woman. I can’t say enough how amazed I still am that she pulled through and could smile the way she did. Strength comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes we can surprise ourselves doing just a little more than what we thought we could.