Answered Prayers | The Pumpkin Patch

Not long after we moved to Saint Simons Island in 2009, I discovered this adorable pumpkin patch.  As I picked my pumpkins, I smiled and watched families laugh with their little ones and take pictures of their sweet smiles and giggles.  My “baby” was a sophomore in high school, and I feared my pumpkin patch days were behind me… but, I had hope that maybe more babies would come, maybe 2010 would be my year.  In October of 2010, I had just experienced the loss of the second pregnancy since last I saw that pumpkin patch.  We weren't friends anymore and I would drive by quickly trying not to look at all of the families that could be found there on any given fall day.  By 2011, losses 3, 4, and 5 had occurred.  That year I faced that pumpkin patch head on and pulled into the parking lot, but through the tears, I couldn't bring myself to get out of the car.  I was too hurt and broken, and ready to put this dream and desire aside because it was too painful to continue.  I knew that God could give me the baby that I so greatly desired, I had seen him do it for countless people before.  But, just when I was prepared to let Him “off the hook”, my sweet covenant group said not so fast… to say that we approached the throne of grace with boldness is an understatement!  If you don't have people like this in your life, please find them!  When the fall of October 2012 arrived I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter.  That year I avoided the patch like the plague.  I would go out of the way to avoid driving past it.  Nineteen days after the pumpkin patch closed for the season, Oakley Jean Akins arrived safe and sound.  In 2013, just 2 weeks before I was set to square off with that pumpkin patch again, much to my surprise, I found out that I was expecting my son, my "exceedingly and abundantly more than I could have ever asked, hoped, or imagined".  I didn’t take a photo in the patch that year though because as I was holding my baby daughter in my arms, with my baby son in my tummy, I was too emotional to do anything other than point to the pumpkin I wanted and my sweet hubby picked up.  In the years since, we have spent a lot of time in that patch, and taken lots of pictures.  We have definitely done our fair share to support the youth group at Saint Simons United Methodist Church.  I think we went 3 times this year.  It was always the desire of my heart to have more children.  I don't know what the desire of your heart is, but I do know that if you are delighting yourself in Him, He wants to give it to you.  It may not be in your way or your timing, but if it can happen for me, it can happen for anyone. 

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever."   Psalm118:1 

The Kinstles | Driftwood Beach

Theses two adorable little soulmates are awaiting the arrival of their second baby girl, Gentry.  I always have a blast photographing these two and this night was no exception.  In my favorite shot of the evening, Mom was holding 2 stuffed animals, the teddy bear is Gentry's and the rabbit belonged to her big sister Charlie, who arrived just a little too early and went straight to the arms of Jesus.  The grace with which this sweet couple have weathered the storms of life is beyond inspiring.  I can not wait to see their life and family continue to unfold and see all the wonderful things that God has in store for them...  

"For this child I have prayed, and the Lord and has granted me what I have asked of Him."  Samuel 1:27   

Oakley | The Barn at High Point Farms

On a beautiful October evening recently, Oakley was one of the "flower princesses" at her cousins' wedding (AKA Aunt Brooke & Uncle JJ).  As far as flower girl performances go, to be honest, it was an epic fail.  I had bribed her down the isle by promising new Barbie dolls, and after walking, oh so reluctantly down, she threw one hand full of flowers, sat the basket down in the middle of the isle, ran to her Daddy, and proceeded to climb over every member of our family until she was safely in my lap.  But in that moment, as I looked around, I was overwhelmed by the power of God on full display.  You see, I had first envisioned this day 25 years earlier... My sweet sissy, who I always adored, had her babies when I was so young that I just fell madly in love with them. When they arrived, I didn't have and wasn't yet planning or dreaming of a family of my own, so in a lot of ways they were the best things that had ever happened to me too. I was a sucker for them all, the 4 year old daughter that she got the day she married my brother-in-law, and then 2 sons.  A few months after Jared (the groom) was born, at 29 years old, she was diagnosed with cancer.  It was a scary time.  I can very distinctly remember a night when everyone else was at the hospital.  Jonathan was on the floor watching a movie and I was rocking Jared. The prognosis they were giving her was terrible, and that night as I rocked, I cried and prayed that his mommy was going to be okay and that she was going to be there for his first day of school and on the day he got married. I remember seeing tear drops on his head, hearing his sweet little baby snore, hearing his brother giggle at the television, and saying that out loud, "please God Let her be there when he gets married one day"... And here we are, after lots of celebrations and a few setbacks, here we are.  I was sitting behind my sister, who was wearing a beautiful blue dress as she was watching that baby marry the woman of his dreams.  His brother was standing by his side, now a grown man with a beautiful wife and two adorable children of his own.  I had my daughter, who I still can not believe exist, in my lap, my husband was smiling at me and between us were our 22 year old and 2 year old sons.  Next to me, was my niece who was holding her own "flower princess" and miracle baby.  One of the groomsmen was still beaming with pride because 24 hours earlier his wife had given birth to their first child.  If front of me, Jared's Grandmothers held hands, both have recently lost their husbands of 50 + years and are the two strongest women I know.  And the Bride, oh the BEAUTIFUL Bride, she is the only child of two precious parents who were married for almost 20 years before she was born.  Now maybe I was just emotional because of the circumstances, or even the fact that I had just seen pictures that confirmed that our home was still standing after being hit by Hurricane Matthew hours before.  But from my seat, MIRACLES were everywhere you looked.  Thank you God for family and for answered prayers.  Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Jared Brown, you are both so very loved!

Allison & Addie | The Lodge at Sea Island

I am so in love with the Mommy/Daughter relationship.  I had so much fun with these two beautiful girls.  It was a pleasure to capture their giggles, love, smiles, sass, and sweet kisses.  The days are long, but the years are short, so I am so happy that this Mommy chose to preserve her beautiful "here & now".             

Oakley (in her "Popa Shirt" dress) | Epworth By The Sea

I have a confession to make, this is the fourth time I have photographed this pretty girl in this dress.  All of the other photos were beautiful, but they just didn't "feel" right.  This dress was made from her Popa's favorite shirt.  He was wearing it the day she was born, and the very last time he rocked her to sleep.  They were as thick as thieves and he called her his Georgia peach.  Even though he has been in heaven for two years, she talks about him as if he is still here.  Some bonds can not be broken, and as time marches on, she will carry him with her.  She never lacks sass, but she carries herself a little differently in this dress, she twirls a little more and walks a little taller.  And on this particular evening, I think we both felt his presence in the last rays of sunshine at Epworth By The Sea.