selah | the drawing in of family

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12b

This verse rings so true to me about the Dugdale family.  

Ever since I met Katie and her four young children I was drawn to the gentle way she fostered a strong relationship between them.  I would sit back and watch in awe as they played together and protected each other.  They quickly became one of my very favorite families to be around and truly they have given me such an inspired vision for putting family first and protecting that special bond.

In January, after weeks and weeks of migraines it was discovered that Selah had a golf ball sized tumor at the base of her brain.  At this point in time my children were in the Dugdale's home twice a week and Selah who had increasingly felt worse and worse would spend the times holding my Lucy Miller's hand and playing dolls with her.  A winter storm was fast approaching when Katie texted that she and Selah were taking an ambulance from her MRI to Charlotte to have immediate brain surgery that night.  

Mindnumbing.  Baffling.

I see several posts a day about children with cancer and even though my heart breaks a little more every time, this was one of our own.

They were able to remove the entire tumor and thankfully the cancer had not spread anywhere else.  Still weeks of radiation and months of chemo in  a different state were to follow.  

I have watched this family over the months and no matter what the trial or hardship of the day, they are forever drawing their family in.  Together.  

It was such an honor to capture just a little of that drawing in a few days before they left for the summer.  The girls honored me by posing for my sacred roots project.  

If you would like to help out the Dugdales financially you can donate here:

www.gofundme.com/selahsjourney

You can also follow their journey here:

 www.caringbridge.org/visit/selahdugdale

myles and amy | san diego, ca

If I were to try to describe Amy and Myles in one word it would be. . . thoughtful.  It was obvious that their wedding day had been planned with the utmost care and with so many thoughts of each other scattered through out the day.  Not only was the day full of reminders that they know and love eachother deeply, it was obvious that they love their family and friends well.  

For such a planner, I was blown away and so honored when Amy told me multiple times "I trust you completely, just do your thing."  What a gift to feel free to create and enjoy the day with them without the added stress of trying to fit myself in a box.  The result is just incredible. Looking through the pictures I feel like I'm there, inhaling and exhaling that warm California air and watching it all unfold again. 

If I were to label this wedding I would say it was equal parts old hollywood and geek chic.  Star wars and vintage froggy video games found their way into their day as well as STUNNING flowers that were edgy and classic.  We started at the old Lafayette Hotel and ended the day at Karl Strauss Brewery.

When all was said and done, fun was had (the dancing pictures are my FAVORITE) and love was declared; tender and heartfelt and full of confidence.  

I can't imagine anything better to be a part of.

hotel | the lafayette

ceremony & reception | karl strauss

florals | whimsey florals

make up | medicine of beauty

hair | amber duke

laura and her boys | san clemente, california

Dear Laura,

Thank you for working till the wee morning hours to finish your paper the night before.  Thank you for packing up your boys for a 2 hour early morning drive.  Thank you for bringing them in their well loved shoes and their pants meant for playing in the dirt.  Thank you for taking the time to kneel down and look at their rolly pollys and their lady bugs.  Thank you for loving your oldest so tenderly and so vibrantly.  Thank you for seeing the beauty in weeds clutched in chubby hands and in dirty knees.  Thank you for the gift of your trust and your belief in my art.  Thank you for not giving up when things got tough and not only that, thank you for letting us all see you with your three strung behind you like beads, climbing the mountain, one step at a time.  Thank you for enveloping them in your arms so fiercely and so protectively.  You love them so well.  Thank you for inspiring my mama heart all the more.  

You are breathless to behold.