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."}

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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