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"D" and his buddies hang out {6 Month Portraits}

 do not copy, save, or print images

  do not copy, save, or print images

Prior to meeting with any of my families for their pre-session consultation I send out a litter Questionaire to get to know a little about them and what they are looking for in their session. I always ask about any little kiddos; their age, and a bit about their personality. Jenna wrote about her little guy. "extremely active & smiley." She forgot to mention "will steal your heart with his killer surfer-guy hair." I just love the thick locks little "D" is rockin'!!

6 months is one of my favorite stages to photograph, and that's the milestone we were celebrating Saturday morning with D. We hit up Arsenal Park and downtown, and as you can see from the photos above some of his special little buddies came along to celebrate.

My family sessions are styled to be fun and fresh - I'm not big on incorporating a ton of props, so if we do choose to add some I love them to be special to the family. For D's photos, his parents nailed it...for some of the portraits in the park we incorporated handmade blankets by each of his Great Grandmas, and for his little buddies above each one was a gift from someone special in his life. Fresh, simple, & sentimental ... I love it!

And I LOVE how smiley little D is!!

Thank you guys for such a relaxing and enjoyable Saturday Morning. Your "summertime" personalities just rock to work with...it was a great kick off to a weekend! I hope you enjoy this little peek into your upcoming Gallery....I'm so glad to have had the pleasure of getting to hang out with you!

Sending Hugs to their Soldier {OpLove Photography}

Monday evening I met up with Miss K and her Mommy; it was a beautiful, breezy evening - just perfect for collecting pine cones,  making silly faces, and capturing some smiles and long-distance hugs to send to their Soldier overseas in Afghanistan... 

Miss K's "Daddy Doll" {a stuffed doll with a photo of her Daddy's smiling face in it - a deployment gift a majority of FRGs hand out to families to help little ones cope with missing their Mom or Dad} is obviously well-loved. In the portrait above, I swear her Daddy could probably feel that hug she was giving him! {Oh! tug on the heart strings!!} 

I know her Daddy is going to love having an album of his two beautiful girls, laughing and smiling together, arrive in the mail...and I know they certainly can't wait to welcome him back home...

OpLove Disclaimer:

"The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."

Olivia gets giggly {pure adorable}

 Miss Olivia had a great little giggle while I was testing the lighting for some shots of her and her brother, Eli {who I blogged about in my last posting). I just had to share....

Elijah {First Birthday!}

 Those of you who follow me on Facebook saw me gushing about my new "find" the other...this gorgeous vintage chair! How could I resist bringing it home? {and bringing it home meant driving with the top down with this sweet find's legs sticking out of the back seat of my little beetle bug...hey- a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!} Even better than bringing it home was getting to use it in a session so soon after having it...and I
don't think I could have asked for a more perfect session to break it in with.

Mr Elijah turned One, and Mom was excited to capture this milestone in her sweet little guy's life. I was excited to be the one to do it! We met up for our pre-session consultation at my favorite little Coffee Shop in Downtown Fayetteville, and when she walked up with two smiling red heads I just about did a happy dance  right then and there. {My hubby's hair -when it's not in his Army high & tight- has beautiful hints of red in it, so I'm kinda a sucker for that}. I had a great time getting to know Mom, Elijah, and his big sister Olivia, and I knew right from the start that this was going to be one of those sessions that would just have everything "click."

 The morning of the session was calling for rain, but thankfully it (like I knew it would) 'clicked' and Mother Nature cooperated. We had a gorgeous spring morning; warm with a gentle breeze and beautiful soft light filtering in through the trees in the park. Elijah and Olivia arrived looking oh-so-cute, and we dove right in to the fun.

Mr Eli sat so tall & regal in the chair - way too cute...and Big Sis was a GREAT helper in making silly faces. (he's turned towards her laughing in that photo above) And one we put that hat on him it was instant smiles (before promptly tossing it off, in true toddler style)

Miss Olivia joined in the fun for some shots, giving extra big squishy hugs (can't wait for Mom to see that capture...but I'll just tease for now....) and doing a fabulous job of helping her brother walk around in the cool dewy grass (some other sweet moments I can't wait for Mom to see!)

We hit downtown afterwards for a second look for the session, and the "adorable" just kept on coming!

Thanks for an incredibly sweet session, you two! And Mom- bravo on the clothes you chose!! XOXO

Sweet Little "A" turns One! {Birthday Bash mini}

{the image on the bottom right above cracked me up- it's like he was saying "Wow! I can't believe I'm one...where does the time go?"}

Yeah! The uber-adorable and oh-so-sweet mr "A"  is now the big O-N-E...which means I got to enjoy photographing him again in honor of the big occasion! I was thrilled when his Mom asked me to design his
First Birthday party invitations, and honestly very touched as well. This is the third time within a year that I've
been given the honor of capturing this family's treasured moments, and that isn't something I take for granted. What a tremendous compliment they have paid me by allowing me to tell their story through my lens...I am very grateful, and certainly look forward to telling more of their story in the future...

So you've probably noticed that little A is sporting not only a cool little "party animal" alligator on his outfit, but also a big old cast - poor little guy! But in true "I-may-be-beyond-adorable-but-I'm-also-a-tough-guy" fashion, that cast was not stopping him from going about his day. Hey, when you're the big one you've got places to go and people to see ...

For A's session we photographed in his backyard, and for a couple of different "looks" I used some plants and a fence as one backdrop and then made a fabric & ribbon backdrop for the other. Since I had the opportunity to see the outfit A was going to be wearing in advance, I was able to match my fabric choices
perfectly...I really loved how it turned out.{bonus-those colors are what I will be using in my little one's nursery so when we have our "Welcome Home" party to introduce him/her to our friends and family I will definitely get to use that ...I'm thinking backdrop to the food table!} With the way his little hand was in this photo I couldn't help but make a version with him holding a drawn balloon.

 I get to see A and his Mom today as they come to pick up their custom designed invitations and prints - I can't wait for them to see them, and I certainly can't wait to see them and  show them the little surprise 'thank you' I added - coordinating "thank you" cards for A to send out to his party guests!

The T Family {downtown Fayetteville}

 I FINALLY had the opportunity to link up with this beautiful family to capture some memories for them...I say finally because it took four attempts before their session actually happened - craziness! We were originally supposed to link up back in November, but my surgery prevented that one from happening. The next two attempts Mother Nature was just being a plain old pain in the rear end; cold, rainy, and just plain miserable. But of course, all good things come to those who wait! Monday evening we linked up and enjoyed some sun, breeze, and lots of energy from little "G!" What a cutie!

 Like most little ones G's age, it was all about exploring and running around...we were going up steps, down steps, through puddles; we did stop long enough to check out Dad's ribbons on his Dress Blues...
it was definitely one of those "thank gosh for the 'high speed continous' setting" afternoons! Three quick snaps in one 'pose' and then off to the races! {I actually love those fast-paced little ones...keeps ya thinkin' on your toes!}

Mom and Dad are just so sweet; I love when parents can't help but 'glow' everytime they look at their little one. Dad especially just couldn't stop beaming when he looked at G; he left for Iraq when G was 4 months old, and you can just tell in the few months he's been home now he has just been soaking up all the joy & wonder of his now toddler. oh! Tug on the heartstrings!!!

I had to snag this one above; I shot through a city trashcan. I really need to thank city officials for placing trashcans downtown that have a bit of an art deco design to them - it makes them fun to play with!

T family, thank you so much for your patience in rescheduling your session! I'm so glad we finally had the opportunity to capture these moments for you! You are wonderful to work with, and I look forward to sharing the rest of  your gallery with you oh-so-soon!!

The L Family {OpLove Photography}

OpLove Disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."

Ahhhh...what a super sweet family these three are!! Little A was just smiles and flag-waving...

I'm starting to think there's truly something about little boys with names starting with "A". The two cuddliest little buggers around the age of one I've ever worked with have both had that in common....hmmmmm.....(I get to see the other one again next week! yeah!)

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of soaking up some warm sun and soft breezes downtown, and to make it even better I had the L family to enjoy it with! Dad is home on R&R,  and it was so sweet to watch him with little A...and they were such a relaxed family; they made my job easy.

Thanks "Ls" for a wonderful afternoon. I'm so glad I was able to capture these memories for you!



Welcome Home! {an OpLove Homecoming}

As always with OpLove Homecomings & Sessions, nametapes and names have been blurred on this blog post to protect privacy. All Homecomings are shot documentary-style, and  select images from the Ceremony are posted unedited so that family & friends may share in the excitement of their Soldier's homecoming without delay. For more information on OpLove please contact Missie Jurick Photography or visit the OpLove Website & Blog.

{Operation:Love ReUnited offical disclaimer - "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."}

***

It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day yesterday, completely fitting for the celebratory mood for many Fort Bragg families who finally got the chance to welcome home their Soldiers from Afghanistan.

It was a photo-finish for me to get to Green Ramp to capture these priceless moments for the M family. As with all redeployments, you just never know when that plane is going to land...

 all day it looked like this one was going to be right on schedule; Perfect, because I was spending the afternoon photographing another family, and was going to have just enough time to meet these two sweet girls & their beautiful Mom. As it turns out, the plane arrived a half hour early!  Thankfully I just happened to be running a little early from my session (and happen to have a bit of a lead foot....shhhhh, don't tell the MPs!). I pulled into the parking lot just as they announced 15 minutes until the plane's arrival. Sweet!

 Miss T was asleep when I got there, but the Band started playing and the excitment in the air built quickly so that nap didn't last long. We all scurried outside, signs & flag in tow, and anxiously looked towards the sky for Daddy's plane to arrive. Just like that, there it was!! And not too long after, the Patriot Guards were lining up, hundreds of Soldiers were departing the plane, and we were all scooting back inside to grab a spot for the Ceremony...

The Soldiers marched in to cheers & applause, and after a few brief remarks, the Army Song, and a prayer it was the moment everyone had been waiting for....

(Ever wonder what "anxious & excited" looks like? These two Wives demonstrated it perfectly!)

C's sign for her Soldier had some specific orders for him. And any Soldier knows the real commander is his Wife. Something tells me he was more than happy to follow these orders....

I just love that huge smile on her face...and I wish I could truly tell you how long she stayed swooped up in her Soldier's embrace; it was the longest, most intense hug I've seen!

There were still plenty of Hugs & Kisses to go around for Miss T and Miss E ... and even a few little presents for them, too. I could have posted a hundred photos from this Homecoming...so sweet...

 WELCOME HOME!!! M family, I am so glad I was able to witness these moments. Congratulations and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!  XOXO

New! From Missie Jurick Photography....

Oh, those hugs & kisses {OpLove Photography}

OpLove Disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense." 

I have been in a particularly "huggy" mood this weekend, and today's OpLove Session sneak peek definetly demonstrates that. But when a young Soldier & Dad is heading off to far away lands, is there really anything more cherished than those hugs?

This family hugs their Soldier one more time tomorrow before blowing kisses goodbye and starting their countdown until those amazing & long-awaited hugs hello can come..

Safe travels; may the months speed bye and those hugs come quickly! xoxo 

Brittany & Christopher {Engagement}

Brittany & Christopher are one of the absolute sweetest couples I've ever had the pleasure of photographing...and it didn't hurt that they were also completely relaxed in front of the camera, too. In fact, I think it's safe to say they were the first couple who really did fully go with the "pretend I'm not here, and there isn't a huge camera lens focued on you" direction right from the start. In fact, sometimes I think I continued talking just to make sure I still knew I was there. It was fabulous...kinda a "homerun" session for me. pardon the pun.

 So both of these two lovebirds are in the Military...something I highly respect and admire...in fact, Christopher had just flew in from Fort Drum in time for our session together, and Brittany deploys soon. {I always secretly wished I was cool enough to be a Soldier; in fact if I could pick any superpowers to have for myself there would be two:  the ability to purr (I think it would be super cool to purr like a cat-then when my hubby hugged me he'd truly know how happy I am to be in his arms) and the bravery to be a soldier. Getting off topic here, sorry!} They also share a huge love of baseball. In fact, they got engaged at a baseball game and their wedding is a vintage baseball theme....so cool! {their "guest book" is actually a jersey for everyone to sign.}

So in honor of their love {of baseball AND each other} we headed out to J.P. Riddle Stadium, which is home of the Fayetteville Swampdogs. {many, many thanks to Jeremy there who gave us free run of the stadium. I had a blast photographing there!}

 Peanuts & Crackerjack? Yum. Add a gorgeous engagement ring? Even Yummier.

{not to take away any coolness from the little prizes, but I'd say finding the love of your life trumps getting a pencil topper anyday. sorry, Crackerjacks.}

After these fun series of photographs we  headed downtown to Arsenal Park & The Transportation Museum...I think it's safe to say this session will be the next one up on my "featured session" section of my website; there's just too many adorable ones not to share them all. But Brittany & Christopher get first peek!

Brittany & Christopher - I really enjoyed working with you, and am so glad you picked me to capture these memories for you. I look forward to hearing that you're home safe & sound, Brittany, and I hope the next few months fly by for you both. I cannot wait for you to see your whole gallery...you guys are the best! XOXO

Operation:Love Reunited Policy Updates {OpLove}

As many of you are aware, for the past three years I have been honored to be a part of Operation:Love Reunited {OpLove}. OpLove is a nation-wide network of professional photographers who offer free sessions and albums to deployed soldiers and their immediate family members. Recently OpLove has updated the guidelines, and I feel it is important to share these new policies and regulations with you.

My personal policy for OpLove session availability per month is still in effect. Beginning in April my space for these free sessions will be limited to ONE family per month. I am currently booked for OpLove sessions until May. As a reminder for those families wishing to capture those special moments together before facing their next deployment, I do offer all Active Duty Military and their spouses a special session rate, and I do have session availabilities for each month.

The following is from the e-mail I received this morning. If you are interested in taking advantage of Operation:Love Reunited please read these guidelines carefully to be sure you qualify. You can also go to www.oplove.org . Please don't hesitate to contact either OpLove or myself if you have any questions.

"1) We have re-defined areas to be covered as deployments. These new guidelines were hopefully posted in your area’s FB page. Either deployment orders or a letter of deployment from the command is REQUIRED! Here are the areas covered:
Combat zones are designated by an Executive Order from the President as areas in which the U.S. Armed Forces are engaging or have engaged in combat. There are currently three such combat zones (including the airspace above each):
a) Arabian Peninsula Areas - the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, the part of the Arabian Sea north of 10° North latitude and west of 68° East longitude, the Gulf of Aden, and the countries of Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
b) Kosovo area - Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Albania, the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea north of the 39th Parallel.
c) Afghanistan
d) In addition, we will also allow three parts of the former Yugoslavia to be treated as if it were a combat zone and therefore covered: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Macedonia...."

The "G" Family {Fayetteville Family Photography}

Sweet Mr "A" stole my heart this summer when I had the opportunity to photograph he & his Mommy for an OpLove session. I remember opening the door to the car to help get him out; he turned, wrinkled up his itty bitty forehead, and gave me hands-down the most adorable pouty face I have ever seen. To this day I don't know what it was about that pout, but I've never seen a cuter one....it just melted my heart...

In fact, a couple months later I actually met up with A and his Mom for dinner, and even after he peed on me I still couldn't help but this "oh this is just the cutest little guy ever!" {Let me clarify...not because he peed on me, but because the "power" of his little pout just still hadn't worn off! hehe}

Well it goes without saying that I could not have been more excited to get to see him again. He is now the Big "1"... and even better, his Daddy is home safe & sound from Iraq! Woo-hoo!

We met up last Friday for a family session, and got to enjoy some of this year's mild winter weather. {thank goodness, because I am a WIMP in the cold} We hit downtown Fayetteville before heading over to Arsenal Park, where we got to capture some great shots of the family playing together under a tree. Love those! Which brings me to a reminder....

...I love sharing peeks into each session here on my blog and featuring sessions on my website, however I completely respect each of my clients' wishes and privacy and will never post anything they are not comfortable with. If a family lets me know that they are not comfortable with their full names and/or images being shared on the internet than I completely respect that. For this family, Dad requested for me to please not use names, and to not use any images where he is shown. That is his right, and I completely respect it...

'till later! XOXO Missie

OpLove {Homecoming}

Friday evening brought more families back together again!

 This sweet little 4 month-old was such a little trooper waiting for his Daddy to come home from Afghanistan. He played, got a little nap in, and simply just looked adorable in his little Army outfit. How cute is this onsie with the little boots? I love it!

 As always with homecomings, I loved seeing all the faces light up with big smiles when they get that first glance of their Soldier in formation! {Below: middle row, far right}

A huge "Welcome Home" and even bigger "Thank you!" to all the Soldiers who came home this Friday. To this family especially, I am glad I was able to be there for you to capture this wonderful day.

OpLove Disclaimer:

 "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."

For the Birds....{lazy day project}

One of my New Years Resolutions is to stop, breathe, & truly relax with my hubby on Sundays. No checking e-mail, no editing photos, no placing client orders...basically, undo the 24-7 work habit I got into while my hubby was deployed. {how'd I do today? I made it until 3 PM before I checked e-mails and wrote back; I give myself points for trying.}

Another goal is to take a short break every week and do some sort of little project just for the sheer enjoyment of doing something. I have tons of magazine pages torn out & websites flagged with simple little ideas, and it's about time I started doing them!

Today I got started on both; we slept in, then enjoyed some yummy omelets together while watching a show a recorded. Then it was outside we went to enjoy the warm weather while it's here....a nice long walk with our crazy dog, followed by chasing her after our playtime in the park turned into her getting "adventurous." This afternoon, while my hubby relaxed with some NFL games I checked off my first little project - hanging birdseed-covered pine cones on a tree out back; partially to help out the birds, but I'll admit I also hope our cat enjoys watching his feathered friends while he sunbathes on our screened- in porch.

Need a little rainy day project? Gather some pine cones on your next walk and let them dry out. Attach some cording (strong enough to hold up to the elements), slather on some cheapy peanut butter (bonus points if you use a Tigger cheese knife), and then sprinkle on some bird seed. Hang them at varying levels from a tree...keeping in mind to hang them far enough out of reach from predators so that the birds can feast without fear :-)

Homecoming

The past two weeks have been so wonderful getting to celebrate Christmas with my Hubby home safe & sound. I am incredibly blessed that my soldier has returned from Iraq 3 times now, without so much as a scratch. I will never stop thanking my lucky stars for that, nor will I ever forget the sacrifices so many others have made...

As part of OpLove I have had the honor of photographing other families together; this time I got to turn the lens on my own family. And I am incredibly grateful that they had their cameras as well so that when the time came I could drop my camera and run to my Soldier...those hugs & kisses were much needed in deed!

Above is the plane carrying my soldier coming in for the landing. As soon as those wheels touched the ground the crowd broke out into a huge cheer. Moments like that you will never forget....the breath you've been holding for the entire deployment just finally lets go, and for the first time you can allow yourself to believe your Soldier is really there...and that you'll soon be reunited.

Below is one of my favorite captures from the homecoming....after I got my hugs & kisses in I was able to grab my camera in time to catch my Soldier getting a welcome home hug from his Uncle, who happens to be a retired Army Veteran himself. Knowing the bond that they share is more than just one of a typical Uncle & Nephew makes this photo priceless to me. It is one I will always cherish.

Below are the moments after the plane landed, when we all stood patiently as the Soldiers exited the plane and got into formation. The Patriot Guard  was there to line the walk they would pass through as they entered the hangar for the ceremony.

Families arrived about an hour or so before the plane landed, and we were all glad to see that Santa himself was there to make sure our special deliveries arrived on time. I think the kiddos especially loved the little treats he handed out...helped make the time tick by a little quicker before all the Mommys and Daddys finally arrived!  Below that is my Mom & Dad with the welcome home signs they each made for my hubby. My Dad wanted to make a sign that he knew would stick out in the crowd; one Mike would see and know for sure it was meant just for him....so as only a true Mountaineer fan would want to see, Mike was greeted with the traditional WVU anti-Pitt slogan. Priceless.

These memories below were all captured by our awesome cousin, Melody, who was part of the crowd there to honor Mike. This is the first homecoming where we've lived close enough to family that some of them were able to get here on such last-minute notice to help celebrate the homecoming. It meant the world to us to get to share that moment ... and I'm so thankful for having these memories to share with our friends and family.

It goes without saying that hopefully we will never have to face another deployment again, but knowing that we have such amazing friends & family to help us through those long months apart makes is bearable. We are truly blessed....

To all the Men & Women who are serving our Country - Thank You for all you do, and I wish all of you Safe & Joyous Homecomings. XOXO

Baking with Busia {Holiday Traditions}

One of my favorite traditions from childhood was spending a day in the kitchen making homemade Pierogi with my Dad. We always kicked off the Holiday Season by destroying the kitchen and getting in trouble with my Mom for the amount of flour we'd inevitably get everywhere. This was always done the day after Thanksgiving, and we'd top the day off with me begging to get out all the Christmas decorations and have them all up that night ... I was never one for patience....

This year was the first time in several that I was able to make Pierogi with my Mom & Dad; we made them here in NC the day before my surgery...and yes, soon after I was begging for help to get all of my decorations out. 32 years and nothing changes...I don't know how my parents put up with me.

But as special as it was for me to once again share that tradition with my family, I was even more excited to be able to be in NJ visiting my parents at the same time my brother and his family were there. Not only did I get to soak up some much needed snuggle-time with my two adorable nieces, but I got to capture my oldest niece's first time baking Pierogi with her Busia! (that's our word for Grandma) These are the moments you remember about childhood, but often don't have photographs of; I hope someday years from now J will find these memories in an album and just get a huge smile on her face...

 Pajamas, new toys, and snuggles from your Busia & PopPop....perfect childhood mornings! That's miss J playing with PopPop, and below is the First Birthday gal, miss C, getting some snuggles from her Busia.

My parents have this carousel that plays Christmas music, and since she was a baby miss J has always been enthralled with it. I am so glad I happened to have my camera nearby to catch her once again watching the animals go 'round and 'round...this is one of those memories that I know my Mom & Dad will always cherish of her. Whenever she comes to visit them, she goes straight to the carousel....they can't put it away after the Holidays anymore or they'll be in trouble!