Oh hello! It makes me so so so happy to share these photos of Emma with you. I met this pretty little lady 5 years ago when she was just an itty bitty 1st grader in my school, and she is just as sweet and adorable now as she was back then…and anyone that spends a lot of time with 5th grade girls can understand what an oddity that is. I give a lot of that credit to her mama, who I LOVE to say I get to work with every single day. Emma and her mom, Colleen, are hands down the most inspirational women in my life. I wish I could have half of the grace, courage, and faith that these two possess, and am grateful for every day that they are in my life.

This summer I had a vision of taking pictures of a little girl in a sunflower field, but had absolutely no idea where to find one. A few weeks back, I swear, it was divine intervention when the heavens opened up and dropped the most gorgeous sunflower field right in my path, and I knew the exact person I needed to pose in front of those stalks. So Emma found the perfect little sunflower dress to wear, and Colleen and I picked an afternoon to head up. It was the perfect day. Gorgeous sun and a car ride full of 5th grade gossip on the way….the only problem was, by the time we got there the sunflowers were all dead. Completely dead. As in no petals on any of the plants,  stalks about to fall over, dead. As I was about to sit down and cry my eyes out, little Emma ran to the field, found the only living flower left and started posing. I just love this girl. She can make the most of any situation.

When life hands you a dead sunflower field…find a cute little model to strategically pose.

Expect to see this pretty little face again next year, standing in front of a beautiful field of golden flowers…WITH petals.