In Loving Memory!

My dear friend Amber gave birth to the most precious angel on Monday ,June 29, 2009, at 4:34 AM. Her name is Megan Grace, and she lived for 10 wonderful minutes. She weighed exactly 5 pounds and was loved beyond words!

Amber found out at 2o weeks that her precious baby girl wouldn't live very long on this earth. That didn't stop Amber or her husband Steve from loving their baby girl, and carrying her to term. Amber and Steve did nothing but love this sweet baby. She savored every kick and movement from her little girl. She treasured every second she had with Megan Grace, and loved her with her entire being.

Amber lives a few hours away, and was so excited to take Megan Grace to the beach in May. She asked if I could take some pictures of her and her sweet baby on the beach. I was nervous. I had always been passionate about photography, but never under pressure. Amber encouraged me and trusted me with the time she had with her baby.

Because of Amber's encouragement, I have started doing more photo shoots. It's all by word of mouth. I still get nervous beyond belief before a shoot. I know that with each shoot, I'm learning so much more about my camera and lighting. I'm becoming more confident, and don't feel the need to fill 2 entire memory cards :) I know that not every picture is going to be great, but each click of the camera brings a memory. When Amber looks back on these pictures, she will remember the day she came to the beach with Steve, Tonka and Megan Grace. It was a special time for her and it is forever captured by me. I will never win awards for any of the pictures I take. I will never be a world famous photographer. I may never even be able to quit my day job and call myself a professional. But I will capture the smiles and the happiness of the moment. Life isn't always "puppies and rainbows" but if you can look back on the day, and smile as your heart fills with happy memories, then I am happy to be a part of that. If you are looking for perfection, you need to look to the higher power in the sky, because I am not that! I'm just passionate about a hobby I have had for years and thanks to the encouragement of a dear friend, I'll continue to click away.

Please keep Amber and her family in your prayers, and know that Heaven is a lot sweeter because of a beautiful angel named Megan Grace.