This Christmas season was such a great time for me.  It was a whirlwind of  family and friends in and out of the house and endless chaos, but that’s just fine with me.  I loved every minute of it.  One of the things that made it so great was Karyn and her family coming to visit.  We became sisters in law by marriage years ago but we became friends by choice.  It was so good to spend some time with them and of course while I had them here I had to get in a little family session.  It was cold but they were troopers!  We had a great time on the mountain that day and the whole time they were here.  I’m already looking forward to the next trip!

Sometimes when you have big dreams you just need a gentle push in that direction.  Kirby doesn’t do gentle push.  Kirby goes after a goal, a problem, a challenge like a heavyweight contender.  She’s fierce, determined, and not easily swayed with whiny excuses (though I tried my best) and for that I’m grateful.  You may remember the first session I blogged 9 months ago.  Miss Macey had just turned 3 and Kirby wanted me to document this precious age with a home session.  She was determined that I was not only ready to, but was GOING to take the plunge and jump in whether I wanted to or not.  I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather have for my first session.  And I’m even more excited that she’s my first repeat session!  This time I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with the whole family on the campus of The University of The South.  If you’ve never been here you should know that this time of year especially we live in THE most beautiful place in the country and Sewanee is like the jewel in the crown.  It was a fantastic setting for a session with a fantastic family.  Kirby, Nathan, and my sweet Macey girl I enjoyed it so much!  I know I say this every time but it’s also true every time.  I can’t wait to do it again!

Macey was a doll for most of the time but everyone has their limit.  Hers produced my favorite shot of the day.  I just love this girl!

When I first met Christy she was a student teacher working in the classroom across the hall from me.  She was creative,  energetic, and full of life.  We were so impressed that when a position opened up in our grade level the first thing we did was go to our principal and ask him to hire her.  That first year he got more than he bargained for when 3 out of the 4 of us in our grade level all ended up expecting and all due within an 8 week period of time.  That was the first time out of many our lives would parallel one another.  Those babies are now teenagers and through the years sometimes it’s been good things we shared in common and sometimes definitely not.  But regardless of what comes around the bend Christy has always seemed to find a way to pull something good out of it.  That’s just the person she is.  Whatever life throws her way she just handles it.  Give her lemons and she’ll make lemonade.  She does this with an amazing sense of humor.  She laughs all the time, a trait she has passed on to Andy.  Spend any time at all with them and you’ll know that to be true.  I had so much fun at the beach with them and it was so great to have the kids there with us this time too!  I’m already working on plans for next time!  Get busy on that vocabulary, Andy.  We need you ready for Scrabble Grudge Match!

Once in a while someone comes into your life and you realize very quickly they will be an important part of it from that point on.  When Jenny moved into the classroom across the hall from me many years ago that’s exactly what happened.  We leaned on each other through far more than lesson plans that year and all that have followed since.  We’ve celebrated small joys and cried big tears.  She’s been an inspiration at times, a much needed kick in the butt at others, a partner in crime, a fit of laughter when needed, and a shoulder to lean on more times than I can count.   And now that the Navy has moved her back to the place where we first became friends I am thrilled to be able to see her more often!  Recently I took a much needed trip back to my old beach and it was so good to visit with so many family and friends.  I truly feel like I have two hometowns and a part of me will always be there with all of you.  Jenny,  I’m so glad we were able to get together and I can’t wait to do it again!  I can’t tell you how amazing it was to see the kids we dreamed about so many years ago all together and playing on the beach.  Life is good.

In any family with four kids there’s always going to be chaos and theirs is no exception.  But if there’s one thing the Gibbons family knows how to do it’s stick close together, jump in, and keep on laughing.