Martha's Vineyard...Better Late than Never!

In April I had the privilege of being a second shooter for a wedding with my amazing, photographer friend, Ashley.  The bride, Amanda, was a friend of mine from high school, and what a beautiful bride she was!  She and her husband, Adam, decided to do a destination wedding in Martha's Vineyard...I must admit that it made me insanely jealous!  Fabulous location. Fabulous food. Fabulous dress.  Fabulous weather.  Fabulous couple.  What more could they have asked for???  Just wanted to share a few shots from the gorgeous day, and also wanted to thank Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs (the younger version) for letting me be a part of it!

Much Love, Jessica

I Heart Faces...Fix it Friday #63

I love Fix it Friday...and I am pretty sure that I say that every single time Friday rolls around.  It is always such a nice break and great to edit something just for fun.  I think this has been one of my favorite Fix It photos to date, though I am so sad I missed last week's! Make sure you go over to I Heart Faces and check out all of the other entries here.

Here is the original photo:

And here are my fixes...

For this I cropped a bit and then used MCP's Skin Cast Blast and one her Color Pop actions.

Then I ran a free action (can't remember where I got it, sorry!) called Sunshine Memories to get this:

Then I played around with AMP's Sepia Vintage, which I really enjoyed:

And of course a black and white:

Thanks for the great photo to work with!

Much Love,

Jessica

I Heart Faces...I Heart My Country

      

As I have been thinking about the theme this week, I Heart My Country, I have wondered how many ways this theme could be taken. As much as I would love to have taken a different approach to this, “different” just doesn’t seem to cut it. “I Heart My Country” sits a bit deeper with me and allows me to reflect on the great amount of sacrifice given so that I can even sit here and write this to you.

Pro Deo et Patria…For God and Country, which is the motto of the United States Army Chaplain.

My family and I have recently embarked upon a new journey. My husband, Bryan, who has served in the United States Army Reserves for 8 years, has finished seminary and has entered into Active Duty as a full time Chaplain. This summer we have made the move down to Relaxin’ Jackson in South Carolina for Bryan to complete his training.

We have been blessed to have met many wonderful families here on post that are part of the Chaplaincy. It has been amazing to watch these families bond in such a short period of time, and even more amazing to watch the kids form friendships with each other. We have not signed on for an easy task by being military families. As a matter of fact, less than 1% of the nation is part of our military.

I think I am biased, but our Army Chaplains quite underrated! They go into the field without a weapon and are there to minister to the brave men and women defending our nation. They are there to provide support to our soldiers and be a source of comfort when needed. They pray for our nation, its leaders, and those that defend it. “For God and Country” isn’t just something that is said, but is something that is lived out in our Chaplains lives.

I love the USA. I love everything about it. I love that I am able to vote to elect our country’s leaders. I love that I can choose where I want to worship on Sunday. I love that I can go out with other moms and watch our children play. I love that we get to enjoy corn on the cob and watermelons at picnics on lazy, summer days. I love all the opportunities that America has to offer that can’t be experienced anywhere else. But most of all, I love the freedom that our country has to offer.

Most people don’t understand the sacrifices that are made in order to maintain the freedoms that we enjoy. Most people take it for granted and don’t even realize it. But I, for one, am more than thankful for the men and women that go out on a daily basis to defend our beloved country.

To our service members…

You and your families’ sacrifices have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Your time, your work, and your effort is something that should be admired by all. Your bravery and selflessness is something that we should all attain for. Thank you for what you do, and for doing it without asking for anything in return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much Love,

 

Jessica

I love my niece!

I have been blessed with some FANTASTIC Aunts!  I love each of them so much, and am thankful for their very different personalities...each one has been with me through some difficult circumstances, and the Lord really used them to help see me through.  So too each of you, thank you!

Aunt Deanna...I am at a bit off a loss.  I hope Miss L comes to talk to me the way that we talk!  I love you so much, and some days I think I may not have made it in VA if it weren't for you.  Who else could I share peanut butter stories with???  And I am pretty sure you are responsible for almost all of my minutes on my phone every month...

Aunt Debbie...You led me to Christ, and I am eternally grateful. Thank you for being such a fantastic example of the godly woman that God wants me to be.  You are a wonderful mother and wife, and I hope to be half the person you are.

Aunt Cyndy...I have so many memories of growing up with you! I would get so excited when a trip to KY was announced (even today, it still feels like home to be there).  I remember singing ridiculous songs on the way to the mall (which I will teach to Miss L soon!), Glamour Shots, and AWESOME clothes!  But more than that, I have watched you go through so much and have seen an amazing transformation.  The power of Christ has been evident in your life and I am thankful for your testimony.  I am proud of you!

Aunt Pam...my favorite Facebook encourager!  Thank you for always lending encouraging words to me.  I appreciate that you took time to take care of us while my mom was sick.  I may not have appreciated it then, but I know that was a sacrifice, and I appreciate it more now that I am a wife and mom.  Thank you for your love for the Lord and your devotion to your family!

Aunt Kate...My photography friend!  Thanks for countless hours of talking to me about photoshop, poses, and for encouraging me to get out there.  It is nice to do something I love, and I may not have had the courage to do it if not for you.  Thanks for all of your newborn advice and for not laughing when I call with ridiculous questions about kids that I feel like I should already know haha. 

Aunt Ruby...thanks for sharing Cassie!  LOL...I appreciate you letting me vent and for always taking care of us.  And I really appreciate your chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It makes me feel pretty special to have it.  We are going to miss you and now Baby J will have to sleep in old t-shirts because his pajama supplier will be in OH!

Aunt Tiffany...I love you.  I know Bryan misses you so much (me too, of course).  I am going to miss all of our lawn gatherings at your house haha!  And I fully expect a visit so that we can find you the perfect Hawaiian shot glass!

Those were in no particular order by the way!

And with that, I am ending with some beautiful photos of my niece, Miss L.  I hope one day we will get to share this awesome bond, no matter how far apart.  I love her to pieces!  She has a firecracker personality and I can't wait to see how God uses her.  She is just the prettiest, little lady I know, and I miss her a ton.  Love you L Bug!

And of course, my favorite...

Did I mention how much I also love this tutu???  Check out Nana's Tutus here!  Just adorable!

Much Love,

Jessica

A Day at the Zoo...

It is so nice to have our little family together again.  After being separated, for what felt like the longest month ever, Baby J and I were finally able to reunite with Bryan again in Ft. Jackson.  One step closer to Hawaii!!!  Some days it feels like it will never get here, but I am thankful for all that God is doing here in the mean time with these Chaplains that are training to serve our soldiers. 

This past weekend, we decided to go out and enjoy Columbia by taking Baby J to the zoo.  We were excited to get out in the "cool" weather, which meant that it was 95 degrees instead of 104!  We loved every second and want to return before we leave...All of you Ft. Jackson Moms can check out their site here.

There is nothing better than watching Baby J's little face light up and seeing it full of wonder...of course now that he knows I am trying to capture that, you can see the other face I get!  What a ham!!!

What a gorgeous day, though a little bright!  Not exactly great for photos, but beautiful none the less...

Every time I ask Bryan what he wants to do when he retires, he tells me that he wants to be the old wise man on the top of the mountain.  I gave him the opportunity to show me what he would look like...

Somehow, I think that he might look closer to this...

Does anyone else see the resemblance in the face???  Uncanny...

Bryan was sweet and took us to this great, little pizza place, to end out the day, called "The Pizza Joint"...check them out here!  I still miss Luigi's back home, but this will do for now.  I would have taken pics of the inside, but I am pretty sure that I gave birth to a child that is half monster and didn't have a chance!  I look forward to eating in a restaurant one day where people are no longer staring at me and Bryan haha...

I love my boys!  There is nothing better than being with them, and I look forward to it every day...more to come later!

Much Love,

Jessica