twenty-twelve | 12.31.12

Here it is friends, our last post of 2012.  And as such, we'd like to share with you a few of our favorites from twenty-twelve...

Jill's Top 3:

This is one of those - "I can't explain it... it's just a favorite" kind of shots.  Erika was on her was to meet Matt for their first look, and I snapped this right as she was stepping through the door.  You could feel Erika's excitement and enthusiasm, and it was contagious.  Well... maybe I can explain it.  :)

This was a simple morning in Kentucky, with the McCloud family, in a favorite spot.  The light was perfect, the water cool, and the laughter easy to come by.  It was a session that marked the end of our time in Richmond.  The images are beautiful, and the memories are so special.

Larkyn has been behind our lens... a lot.  So how fitting is it that she be our first session in Longview!?  She and Mr. Bill & Mrs. LaDonna came to Texas to visit us over her fall break, and we celebrated her 10th birthday with a cowgirl photoshoot... and a surprise birthday party!

Kay's Top 3: 

Okay... it's no contest what my top favorite moments/images of 2012 are.  NEW ZEALAND. (AND FIJI!)  I mean, I could post 100 "favorites" from that trip alone!  I gained so much experience and friendship from PhotoEX: New Zealand. Going back to that side of the world and doing a LOT more exploring is most definitely in my future.

[The 2 images below are the incredible stars at our campsite near the Franz Josef Glacier (top), and the sunrise at Te Mata Peak (bottom). Many more images to come soon!]

The way God worked it out for us to book Robert & Elise's wedding was so crazy cool.  To go from being 14+ hours away, to only 3 hours away?  There is no way I could have imagined it would work out so well.  And while the wedding was beautiful and the reception a blast... it's the moments represented in these images that I enjoyed the most.  (But I'm especially thankful to have found a great friendship in Robert & Elise!)

I have always enjoyed high school seniors. And when a high school senior shows up with a bow tie - it's even better!  Drew's session remains a great favorite for me.

And we couldn't let 2012 pass without Mom putting her two cents in... so here it is...
MOM's Favorite:

It was an undisputed choice... Julie Ann.  :)  And really... have you ever seen a little girl any cuter?

We feel like it's been a bit of a wild ride for us in 2012.  It marked the end of 5 years of business in Kentucky, and the beginning of what we hope is many years in Texas.  We went from the rolling hills of Richmond, to the piney woods of Longview.  And while it has indeed been an adventure - we are thankful for the direction the Lord has led.  Not only for our family and ministry, but for Jill & Kay Photography - and the opportunities that a new place always brings.  Goodbye, 2012.

Hello 2013. 

jill & kay
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Christmas Eve | 12.24.12

While we sing Christmas songs that make it sometimes sound like the night of the birth of Jesus was silent, still, and totally calm, I can't imagine that it was exactly that.  Between a host of angels who were bright and bold enough to terrify shepherds, and a birth in a stable that was probably also occupied by various critters and creatures, I'd say it was not a silent night.

But with that un-silent night - with the birth of Jesus, came the opportunity for peace. The opportunity for life, for love, for freedom. Such a tiny baby... an unfathomable gift.

⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,

    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

¹⁵ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹ but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. ²⁰ The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

                                                   [Luke 2:8-20]

So, Merry Christmas.  Merry Christmas because Jesus was born in a manger, crucified at thirty-three, and rose from the dead after three days, all so that we could have Life.  

Because of Christ, 

Jill & Kay

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