shout out (way overdue)

So, I'm not what you would call an ambitious girl. Not big on the risk-taking, one of those who dreams big but acts pretty small. One who can convince herself she's content when she secretly wonders if there might be more. The truth is that I didn't really know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Who really does? There were things I knew that I loved--kids and their families, art and creativity, being outside; I sure had no idea how all of those things could ever come together in an actual career. I mean, really, surely that would be a little too much to ask for, right? I spent my first few years in Birmingham teaching preschool and kindergarten and I found many of those loves nurtured by my job. Yet I always knew that it wasn't really my PASSION.

Meet my friends, Melissa and Rishay. For the first couple of years that I knew them, they were simply mothers of daughters who were in my class. As it happened, their girls moved up with me through preschool, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten. Our friendship began through chats at school parties and field trips and just simply grew over the years. I have always been in awe of the way they selflessly love their families. As I had dinner with them and their families tonight, I was struck once again by how faithful and encouraging these two women have been to me along this journey. Other than my family, they were the first two people who let me/asked me to photograph their girls. I have no idea why they believed in me or why they gave me a chance at all. All I know is that because they did, I had the courage to actually do something that I'd always dreamed of doing. For that, they deserve way more than a blog shout-out and I wish that I had so much more to give. Thank you, sweet friends, for everything.