Homecoming Reunion

This past weekend, my friends (minus Ashley) migrated to Birmingham from our various locations to join forces for another weekend for the books. This group of girls is seriously my lifeline, and while I might be slightly biased, I believe our fabulous combination of personalities forms a group that is greater than the sum of its parts (aka: we're awesome individually, but better together).

 {clockwise from left: Claire Bear, Emms Bemms, Roomsiepoo, 

me, K-Ho, Ez, Gen-Chem, Kathy, and Beks}

 {Mere and Me at the Samford Homecoming tailgate #bowwowbulldogs}

 {instagram lovin}

{our wacky family at Tin Roof}

Wish I had more pictures from the weekend as proof but some of my favorite moments include:

• ERMAHGAWD FANCER FERST (click here for visual--at 3 a.m. it was the best thing since sliced bread)

• idea for Jayne ("gen-chem") to engineer a bridge through Georgia and only make Mere pay the toll (like the kayak commercial)

• wanting to go to Tin Roof to "be seen" not see people (the girl who said this shall remain anonymous)

• Emms Bemms figuring out that she has the most authoritative/sobering "HEY!" in the entire world

• the "buddy system" at its finest only to be completely destroyed the very next night

• Ez figuring out a name for our hypothetical start-up magazine of our make believe career future

• Kelsey and Mere knocking heads laughing at Cracker Barrel

• Witnessing Claire finding guys that like her "Style"

• being called Taylor Swift in the same weekend that I sang her songs without cease

• Ushering in a new half-decade with Kathy

• Bekah's and my kindred spirit love of Purple Onion

....just to name a few....

Yankee Doodle Sweetheart

It's the final countdown. 

 You did it Kelsey Jo! You've counted down a grand total of 10 months, and I'm so stinking excited that you can now say there is approx. ONE week and some change until you welcome John home in Savannah!

 

My very own Yankee Doodle Sweetheart, born on the 3rd of July, has been anxiously awaiting October since late last December when she realized John John would be deployed.

 

Since then, she's handled herself extremely well during what I can only imagine to be a wild and crazy roller coaster ride of emotions and she's gotten by with the help and support of her TNB's, her family, his family, lots of prayers and a lil medication :)

Now, since I can't take off work and drive to Savannah to photograph this glorious homecoming (of which I've been talking to Kels about for months--which angles I'd take, exactly what clearance I'd need to be able to essentially be their shadow as they finally see each other again without being escorted out by men in uniform...on second thought.. might not hate that..., and even annoyingly trying to get her to take pictures in an American flag (i.e. Kris Jenner in an American flag with Bruce's gold medal) for her hunky hero), I'm doing my best to imagine how it's going to be. This is what I've got so far...

So, add all of these pictures together, sprinkle in some tears and running mascara, and then multiply that sum by roughly 4 billion and you might be close to the emotion I'm foreshadowing.

Wishing I could be the photographer of these precious moments always and forever, and busting at the seams of excitement for both of you, know that I'm always here for patriotic themed photo shoots in the future for my Yankee Doodle Sweetheart and her Army hero.