ohhhhhhhhhh, these people... :)what do I want to tell you about these people?well, I can start with saying that I admire these people.I could leave it at that, but I'll tell you why...I admire him, for his leadership, for his heart, for the way he loves his kids...the way he loves her...even for the way he sacrificed his time to come to a photo-session after preaching all morning and then sacrificing his down time to watch a sunday afternoon bronco game ;)(yes, it IS a sacrifice...I don't fully get it, but I know it is.) ;)I admire her, for her graciousness...it's funny, as I've looked at her in these images I had small flash-backs of her from when I first came to arizona...she was some of the first I met and even had in my small group for a nano-second...as I looked at her in these images I thought and was thankful that somehow God saw fit to protect her character through the years and the life she's lived...she is, in my mind, what graciousness (with a smidge of spice) looks like. I think I admire her more in this season of life as I watch her be a mom and see her kids grow...being a mom is hard. I have no thoughts on what it means to be a dad, I know it is as much and probably even more difficult to be a dad, but speaking as a mom, I can say that trying to be a good mom is hard. juggling little hearts, large emotions, teaching character, learning how to show them Jesus through your life, diapers, naps, feedings, practices, laundry, cleaning...all the while not forgetting your first role of being a good wife. for the most part in all honesty, being a mom is a pretty thankless job. but it's a job I wouldn't and I know she wouldn't trade for the world. I genuinely admire her desire and heart to do it well. and for me looking into their life for a moment in time on a sunday afternoon, she IS doing it well...they are kind-hearted, energetic, happy, seriously full of personality, and loving kids that for this mom, found it a privilege to get to hang with for an afternoon and be called "ms. jenna" ;)the only other thing I will say about this sessions is kind-of as a reminder to all you other mom's reading this...she wanted these photographs, these memories because she knew that these moments, this age, these personalities weren't always going to stay the same...she knows the value of time or rather the lack of time in life...don't wait to be the perfect this or that or for the perfect moment...be in front of the camera...WITH your kids, sharing a moment with them at the age they're at...it's gone too fast...it really, really is.also, this is one of my all-time favorite images I've photographed to date below.  why?  because she didn't say cheese, because she just looked at me and her features are absolutely stunning...her eyes and her lips kill me and she's not even mine...  yup, definitely one of my favorites...also, this boy has the smolder down pat...seriously such a cute kid. :)  and those freckles?  don't even get me started... :)