Ok, somebody please pinch me!! Is this really my job??? I mean....this view, this family?! SOOOOOO much fun!!!

I met Erica + Jon last year at the AJ Workshop. From the moment I met them, I knew they were going to rock it at being a husband + wife photography team!! They both compliment each other so well and are the sweetest people you will ever meet!! We have kept in contact through social media (SO thankful for that!!) and she inquired about a family session! To say I was excited was an understatement. Excited and nervous!! I photographed another photographer friend earlier this summer (blog coming soon) and I was a nervous wreck!! But guess what? It was perfect. In both cases. I have changed my focus with my sessions. Less focus on me and "performing" and more to loving on and serving my clients and having fun!! It's a WIN WIN!! I am absolutely in love with this session and all of the JOY with this family!! We laughed, we danced, and we DID NOT step on any cacti!!

I wanted to write a little about them, but they are the masters of their own story, so here is their "About Us" from their website <3

J: ... As we sat in a movie theater with our friends, that little finger stealthily marched through the darkness to find her hand and link up with it. I waited to see if she’d pull away…but she didn’t! We were holding pinkies! Erica was my girlfriend! It was the happiest moment of my young life.

E: At 16, I was hardly ready to start dating and I certainly wasn’t ready for a boyfriend. I knew that Jon liked me, but a girl’s first boyfriend is a big deal and I wasn’t going to take that step lightly!

Besides, I had ambition. I had my heart set on attending Southwestern Assemblies of God University and I was determined not to let anything distract me from achieving that goal.

As we sat in the theater with our friends and I saw that little finger moving closer and closer to my hand, I knew I had to make a decision. I felt his finger curl around my own, felt my heart beat a little faster, and I made my choice. After the movie, I said three words to Jon that I had never said to another boy…"Maybe. We’ll see."

And boy did I see! When I’d get out of work, I’d see flowers or Laffy Taffy candy waiting on the windshield of my car. I saw patience and comfort in the way he listened when I had a bad day at work, and pure happiness for me when I got to study photography classes in school. I saw friendship and genuine concern in the way he encouraged me to pursue my goals.

I saw what it meant to truly care for another person’s happiness as much as your own.

J: Erica is two years younger than I am. After a year of dating her, it was time for me to go off to college. Without knowing that Erica had already chosen a school, I applied to none other than Southwestern Assemblies of God University!

But I couldn’t leave for school without her knowing how I truly felt. Erica and I have always been creative people, and I knew exactly how I wanted to say what I needed her to know.

E: I knew that Jon was a romantic. After all, he’d shown me time and again. But nothing could prepare me for the moment when he picked up his guitar and nervously said “I wrote this for you.” He sang me my very own song, asking me to be his valentine!
J: Writing a song for a girl can be hard to top, but I knew I had to try. One of the best things about Erica is her appreciation for small details. The license plate on my first car started with the word “BAM” and it was one of those things that just made her laugh every time she saw it. While I was away at college, I had to have it replaced, so of course I saw an opportunity for romance!
E: When Jon told me that he’d sent me a package, I had no idea what to expect. Imagine my surprise when I tore the box open to find his old license plate, a pair of cozy socks (my favorite thing!), and a love letter…written in code. Thanks to Jon, I now consider myself fluent in Wingdings.
J: By the time Erica started Southwestern Assemblies of God University, I had won her over completely with my expert-level romantic genius. After two unbelievably happy years in college together, it was time to propose.
We’ve come a long way since then. Laffy Taffy’s are now nightly ice cream cones. Movies with friends are now Friday night dates on the couch with our son, Brody, and our daughter, Paislee. Instead of running to classes, we get to run after two beautiful, funny, creative kids.

Together, we went from photographing family functions to building our own family and our own business, where we have the honor of capturing the “moments of a lifetime” for our wonderful clients.

Our love of romance and appreciation for the details that make everyone’s story unique is what makes our job a passion for us. Our greatest joy in life is sharing in love; with each other, with our children, with our families, and with our clients. There are few days in a lifetime as special as the day of your wedding, and it’s important to share the experience with people who see the beauty in your story and the significance of every pinky-sized detail.