Prayer request for the Frase family.

It was Christmas afternoon. My mom, Stephen and I had just finished unwrapping presents and mom headed to the kitchen to start making our Christmas dinner. Stephen and I were hanging out in the kitchen while she cooked. Stephen on his new iPad I got him for Christmas, and me on my laptop thanking everyone on Facebook for their birthday greetings. I rarely look at the newsfeed because I get a little overwhelmed, but that day, a particular newsfeed caught my eye. Someone I had recently photographed had passed away.

I couldn't believe it. Tears filled my eyes. He was gone, Joshua Frase was gone.

Just a few weeks ago, I photographed the Frase family for their Christmas card. It was a normal day in the life of the Frase family with Joshua's mom and dad pulling him around in his permanent carrier he has been in the past 15 years of his life, and his younger sister Isabella looking so cute in the background. It was a cold day, but it was full of life and smiles and laughs in one of their favorite cities, St. Augustine.

But Christmas Eve, Joshua went home to Heaven be with Jesus. The Frase family has posted a public message on their foundation page. And I wanted to use this public medium to ask you for prayers for their family right now during this difficult time.

http://www.joshuafrase.org

They also have a Facebook page for his foundation. I encourage you to go leave some love for his family on his page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joshua-Frase-Foundation/72243816663?v=wall

It's one of those things, as a Christian, I don't understand why children are born into this world with certain diseases as Joshua was, but I was reading this morning in my Bible about Jesus and a blind man in John 9. It said:

"As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His followers asked him, 'Teacher, who sin caused this man to be born blind- his own sin or his parents' sin?' Jesus answered, 'It is not this man's sin or his parents' sin that made him be blind. This man was born blind so that God's power could be shown in him."

In the 15 years that Joshua was here, he did just that, leaving a beautiful lasting impact on those whose paths he crossed. Through his foundation, millions of dollars was raised for research to help other families going through the same thing. I truly believe God had a similar purpose as the blind man through Joshua's life. To be used for God's glory. I can just hear Him saying now as He receives Joshua into Heaven, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Daydreaming of Venice...

I'm sitting here editing some client's photos, but daydreaming about the day life will slow down and let me finally edit my pictures from Europe to share with you and print and frame on my walls... I currently have this one I took of the gondolas in Venice on my backdrop as a visual reminder on my To Do list. Just thought I would share it with you too so you can daydream with me. :-)

Jacksonville Pictage User Group Holiday Party

Every month I host a meeting for Jacksonville area photographers called the Pictage User Group. We affectionately call it the "PUG". Though sponsored by Pictage, all photographers are welcome and last night we had our holiday party! Though there was more food to go around than people there, we also took time to reflect on the past year and share with each other 3 things we learned as photographers or about our businesses. We also held an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest with Jay from Life & Love Studios taking home the $100 gift card to Amazon.com. Jay's wife Allison put a lot of love in the sweater by hand sewing on a Christmas door hanging Santa to the sweater along with tinsel and Christmas ribbons. Obviously, it was hard to beat Jay's sweater in the contest!!

It's rare as photographers that we are in front of the camera, but here's us showing off our Christmas sweaters and the group as a whole!

If you are a photographer in the area, we hope you'll join us in the coming year! Be sure to "like" our new Facebook page to stay up to date with all the happenings and upcoming meetings!

Lauren's Senior Fashion Shoot /// Jacksonville Senior Photographer

Lauren is a senior who hopes to move to New York City one day to work in public relations. But for now, she's obsessed with fashion magazines and all things hot pink as you can tell from her fingernails!

Here's some of my favorites from our shoot together!  Check out even more senior shoots at www.scarlettlillianseniors.com!

Sarah's Senior Fashion Shoot! /// Jacksonville Senior Photographer

A few years ago I shot Sarah's Sweet 16 pics, and I had a blast with her again shooting her senior photos! She always has the cutest fashions and knows how to work it for the camera.

Is it just me, or does she look like a mix of Carrie Underwood and the Olsen Twins??

Here's some of my favorites from her session! Check out even more senior shoots at www.scarlettlillianseniors.com!

The Frase Family

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of photographing the Frase family. Since then, Joshua, their son, now must use a breathing machine to survive.

Joshua, was born with weak muscles and could only flex his right hand, barely able to move his lungs to breathe. His parents were told that he wouldn't survive, but now Joshua is 15!

When Joshua was 3 months, his parents found out that he had myotubular myopathy and have since started a foundation called The Joshua Frase Foundation. Alison, the mom, is determined to help eliminate this disease. She puts a lot of her time and engery into raising awareness and funds to research the disease further. She was telling me during the session that in previous years, she was able to hold events raising over $1 million dollars for research funds. But recently with contributors backing out, her researchers are in need more than ever to continue moving forward.

With Christmas around the corner, in this season of giving, I encourage you to check out their website and ask if you are able to give anything to support this crucial cause.

To read further about Joshua's story and his father, former NFL defensive lineman Paul Frase, click below. On the website you will find a link to donate:

http://www.joshuafrase.org/joshua/father.php

Here are some of my favorite shots from their family session!

Andrea & Mike are engaged! /// St. Simons Engagement Photographer

As you'll see in the photos, Mike makes Andrea laugh... a LOT.

For their engagement session, we returned to the place that Mike proposed and relived the memories.

Andrea and Mike first met serving on the worship team together at their church. He played guitar, and she sang.

"We became friends through that experience," Andrea said. "It was so neat for our friendship, which eventually turned into a relationship, to have begun through our focus on the Lord."

For the session, Mike brought his guitar on the beach and sang to Andrea, even though she couldn't help laugh at all the words he forgot. I admit, I was laughing too.

Here's my favorites from the day!