"B" Family Homecoming

Welcome to Jacksonville, NC. Home of Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River (which includes Camp Geiger). We are a military town!

I had the immense pleasure of taking homecoming pictures yesterday for an AMAZING family! The youngest son of Tiffany and Mike, Wyatt, is my daughter's ''boyfriend'', or so I hear her say a dozen times a day. ;)

This family is amazing! Mike has been in the Marine Corps for twenty two years! Tiffany mentioned at the homecoming how he joined the Corps in 1989... that was the year my baby brother was born and I was four at that time. What an amazing individual to devote so much of his life to serving others! Tiffany is as amazing as Mike is. She is a devote wife and mother, a realtor, a Scentsy rep (shameless plug for Tiff, I know!) and an amazing friend who would do anything for anyone! I am truly blessed to have known this family!

This homecoming was an emotional one. I got to the hanger of MALS-29 a little earlier than I needed to, but I enjoyed watching the families walk around, hang banners and pace at the door to the hanger waiting on those white buses. I talked with Tiffany and listened as she told me how difficult this deployment was, but how she was beyond grateful that this was their last deployment. I can't imagine that feeling and I'm sooo ready for that day!

The buses pulled up and the intense and overwhelming feeling was almost too much for me to bear. The buses pulled up and the Marines piled in to formation on the opposite side of the bus from us, with the buses between us. A few people were yelling, "MOVE THAT BUS!". It was amazing. After those buses pulled off and the Marine's were dismissed from formation, the race was on! We lept over people, zig-zagged through people and Tiffany and the boys ran straight to Mike. It was beautiful! Their oldest child, Cameron, was bawling his sweet baby eyes out! That had me going from there! They got a beautiful reunion and I am, again, beyond blessed to have been a part of it!

Love you "B" family!! Welcome home Mike and thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your amazing 22 years in the Marine Corps! Tiffany, you are a beyond amazing woman and together y'all have raised two amazing children!!!

-Ash

Family

I love having family around.  It means I get to whip out my camera for no apparent reason to start taking pictures.  :)

Here are a few I took a couple of weekends ago when we had our neice and nephew over to play.  Grace loved having them over.

The Lester Family

Recently, I had the opportunity to photograph The Lester Family.  Kathleen was referred to me by my neighbor, Melissa.  I took pictures of Melissa and her son, Zackery for their Christmas cards.  I haven't had a chance to blog their pictures because they are on a different computer.

I met the Lester's at a park in Swansboro and fell in love with their three sweet boys!!

Mr. Henry

Mr. Jake

"Little" Brice (Biggest Brother)

The whole Lester crew! :)

Kathleen and Brice

I loveddd the time I spent with this family.  They were sweet and precious! 

Kristina

Kristina is a dear friend of mine that I had the pleasure of taking an impromptu photo shoot of while I was in Swansboro looking for a great place to take picture for The Lester Family.  This is just one of my many favorites of her.  I believe this shows Kristina's true personality and sweet spirit.  I have learned so much in the last four months with Kristina at my side.  I've enjoyed working with her every day and I am so sad that she is leaving me soon to go back to West Virginia.  I couldn't be more grateful that God placed such a wonderful friend in my life at the moment He did. 

We started our pictures at Hammock's Beach State Park in Swansboro and ended up (somehow) in Emerald Isle, NC at the beach watching the sunset.  FAB.U.LOUS!

In all actuality, we were just there looking for a vintage antique shop I saw last week while I was there.  It was closed, so we took pictures instead.



I think these pictures turned out great and I loved taking these pictures!  Every time I get behind my camera, I realize this is what I really LOVE to do!  I'm blessed to have a husband who, although he has a less than enthusiastic personality, tells me, "That's great!" with every shot I show him (that I'm way excited about) and friends like Kristina who let me take their pictures, then sit with me to edit and encourage me to step in this direction full on and when I say I'm scared or nervous, she shouts, "OWN IT, ASHLEY!!".  I'm owning it Kristina -- thanks for your encouragement friend.

Love you!