On a side note: I’m always thankful that on country shoots I don’t- 1. Fall into the lake, 2. Get stung by a million hornets, 3. Scream like a little girl when a spider crawls on my leg. Thanks for hanging in there with me guys- ya’ll look awesome!

Anyway, I absolutely love the chance to shoot a deserving family and give them a lasting memory. So, without further ado….. Below is the story submission for the Rich family and why we chose them as the winner for our contest! Thanks to Erin Hurley (check our their awesome adoption blog here) for her sweet nomination!

Hey Rob and Aimee,

I wanted to submit a nomination for your giveaway, which IS awesome, by the way!  This nomination is for one of my best friends who I went to high school with and have remained close to, Abbey Rich.  She and her husband, Mike, have three children: Macie (7), Preston (4) and David (3).  When Macie was very small, their home burned down and they lost everything they had, including all of their pictures from before they were married, their wedding, and all of Macie’s baby pictures.  I know this was one of the most painful of all the things they lost. Abbey is extremely sentimental and photos of her family are treasures to her, and are the only artwork in her home.  Most are pictures she took herself or simple posed studio portraits.  I know she would be thrilled to have truly awesome photography that captures the essence of their family and her children’s personalities.  It would certainly be impossible for them to afford your services on their own, however.  After their home burned, they joined the ministry of Siloam Missionary Homes, where Abbey’s father is president and where she grew up.  Now Mike serves as director and she works in the family life center and does all the cooking for work groups and events at the mission. They are dedicated to this ministry, but as is the case with most ministries, it brings with it sacrifice.  There is no wiggle room in their budget.  I would be thrilled to see my dear friends as recipients of your giveaway this year.  They are definitely deserving and would recognize the value of your work.

Keep up the great work!!

Erin Hurley

I enjoyed very much shooting this family (despite the mosquitos- thank you North Carolina) and getting to know them better. I love photographing kids so much, mostly because they bring so much fun and energy to a shoot.

God bless you all! Enjoy the pics!