The childhood friend all grown up and mmeerrried

My family drove up to Elk Hill Ct. to take a look at the latest house my dad built, the house that we were to call home for several years to come. As we drove up in our station wagon, I looked out the back window (yes, it was one of those station wagons with the backseat facing the back, gotta love the 80's) at two young girls playing in the front yard next to mine. We all got out of the car to take a look at our new, finished home. Lauren and her sister walked up to us and immediately introduced themselves (good thing, I was quite shy at the time..ahem). I remember mom making some sort of comment 'I think you made some new friends Jessie'. Well, that was an understatement. For the next several years, Lauren and I were practically joined at the hip. We did everything together from making human sized slingshots connected to the patio posts(still feel awful for letting go and giving a colossal sized welt on Lauren's leg) to sneaking downstairs to watch Children of the Corn, from dressing up as clowns and creating dances that were only funny to us to playing kickball and 'Jason' in our culdesac with other neighbors, from going on family vacations together to making brownies and going door to door with them explaining that we were raising money for Lauren's stepdad's bad back (I think that was what we said the money was going for, and that may have been a fib.....I believe we sold only one brownie that day, I was embarrassed.)
Most folks have had a childhood friend like this or similar memories with their brothers and sisters, I was blessed to have had Lauren as my neighbor and friend. Years passed, don't really feel like counting how many, and I had the pleasure of shooting Lauren and her husband, Luke. It was great and loads of fun catching up with her as well as getting to know Luke. Here are few shots from that day...Oh and check out the ice going down the side of the building in that first picture. It was pretty cold, this Florida gal played it tough but was slowly dying inside with all the coldness. Have a great week!

So, most of you know I love the one that is typically overlooked. This oozes batman gotham city coolness. Therefore it is my favorite.

I would like to thank Lauren's sunglasses for the sunburst....Not edited (though I did edit it for a January-ish retro look) the lil sunburst was just a delight to my eyes.

Lauren took a lip gloss break, Luke became the mirror, and I just kept on shooting.

I know the picture up above is similar but I really couldn't delete this one. I think I will keep 'em both up.

One of the first shots of the day. 'And the first shall be last.'

Luvul Lewisvil Looeyville Louisville...

I was born at Baptist East, in Louisville. I took my first steps in a brick home on Axminster Street. I scooped icecream at yummy icecream shop off of Shelbyville rd. I swam at the J*Town public pool. Walking up and down Bardstown Rd was in my list of 'what I like to do's'. Concerts kept flowing through here from Indianapolis to Nashville. Folks who lived here watched me grow through the, ahem, awkward years. The city I'm from is Louisville. And though I joke about Louisville being in the 'valley' or talk of its cold grey months, I secretly (well not so secret anymore) love it. When a close friend hired me to take some pics for his home, urban and trendy, I fell in love with the city in a different way. Not the sentimental 'oh this is where I'm from' way, but the 'oh this city has loads of potential and is nice'. Have I mentioned the food?? The local eateries here get two thumbs up. Here are a couple of shots from the project.

The number two makes this picture what it is today, imperfect and my favorite.

Gotta love the fam.

Families are such a blessed thing, right?! And when you have them all together, no matter what stress or distraction or troubled times that you may be dealing with, comfort wraps around you like a nice, warm blanket. Sure, we aren't perfect. Sure, we may roll our eyes at one another here and there or raise our voices with our impatience, BUT we know at the end of the day we have someone there, someone to fall back on, someone to love. That's family. They may not even be blood related, but they're around as long as we exist on this planet.
The pictures below are of a family of all families. Their kindness is sincere and inviting. They ask about you, they help and aren't loud about it. They laugh and know how to have a good time. They stick together. They are family. And as much as I feel like I am a part of this family, I had the privilege of taking a few shots of them while everyone was around for the holidays. I made them go outside without coats in thirty degree weather. They did it with a smile. And the newest addition is just the cutest!!! Here are a few of that day.

This sidewalk is nice and all but I have my eyes on bigger better things, like this street here. See ya later guys!