You might remember that after what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary, The Olivia Act was formed.  It’s all about the importance of cherished family photos.  Not too long before the tragedy, sweet Olivia and her family had pictures taken.  It is evident how much those photos mean to Olivia’s family, now more than ever before.  Through The Olivia Act, photographers offered their talents and skills to photograph a deserving family so they too can have beautiful images of their family.

I chose to participate and Melissa and her two daughters won the free session from me.  As we talked back in February, she decided they wanted to wait until spring for warmer weather and pretty surroundings.  So it was set.  A couple of months went by and I heard from Kristen, Melissa’s sister.  (Kristen is also one of my past brides.  She and her husband Wes were married last June).  Kristen & Melissa’s mom, Carolyn, had just been diagnosed with Cholangio Carcinoma Cancer when she e-mailed me. She has 6-12 months to live. We decided to add Kristen and Carolyn into the session with Melissa and her two little girls.  It made so much sense and the timing was impeccable.

This session was truly one of my all time favorites.  Carolyn is strong, radiant, and gives off this completely inspiring vibe.  She’s a joy to be around and her warm spirit is lovely.  The girls are all at peace with what’s to come and are taking time to enjoy each other (they’re even planning a trip to Florida this July! You can donate to help with that here if you’d like).

I am so happy they have these images now.  They’re so, so special and it means the world to me that they had me capture this time in their lives for them.