Piedmont, OK Tornado Devastation

I had to go to Piedmont for a real estate shoot today, less than 24 hours after a deadly tornado ripped through the town. On my way back, I ran into some of the homes that were damaged and/or destroyed by the twister. The tornado was about a half-mile wide, and was on the ground for a very long time! There is still a 3-year old boy missing. He was hiding in the bathtub with his family. The other family members were taken to the hospital and treated, but there is still no sign of the boy. My heart and prayers go out to this family, as well as everyone that has been affected by the recent tornadoes.

I did take some pics out the window while driving north up Hwy 4 and east across Simmons Rd. I have posted them below.

I love the above pic with the American flag that is tied to a tree with rope (or what's left of a tree anyway).

 

Notice the big tree is uprooted, but the house and some of the smaller trees are in tact.

Yep, I drove over probably 30 downed-power lines.

I think this one is the best pic that I got. The house is pretty much destroyed, yet the two kids (right side) are playing - a boy on a 4-wheeler and a girl with a hula-hoop. It seems to say, "You may take my home, but not my spirit."

The above pic blows my mind. The roof is gone, yet some of the windows and the glass door do not even have a crack in them.

Two Peas in a Pod

Talia was referred to me by one of my existing OpLove clients that she had met on a flight. Talia's hubby, Jayme, was about to deploy himself. So we set up a session just two days before his actual deployment. Talia was a bit emotional, but Jayme managed to make her laugh. They were hilarious together! She watched squirrels; he chased geese. She stole his cap; he nibbled on her leg. She stuck her tongue out; he snuggled in close for a kiss. She groped his butt; he did his Captain America pose. LOL. I can't wait to see them at his homecoming! Here are a few pics from their session:

Mindy at the Zoo

I just realized that I never posted on my blog about my session with Mindy. We were going to meet at the park, but the weather was questionable with rain coming in. So we decided to head to the zoo because they have an indoor butterfly garden. Unfortunately the garden wasn't open during our session, but we made-do with what we had outside. Luckily, it didn't rain until I was heading home. Mindy is very sweet and just naturally beautiful. She had never been to the OKC Zoo, so we covered most of it looking for great backgrounds. Here are a few pics from our session.

Addy Turns 1-yr old!

I first met little Addyson and her parents, Jamie & Sean, about a year ago when I did their newborn session. Then in November, I did Addy's 6-month old / Christmas session. I recently got to see her again for her one-year old  / Easter session. OMG...she has grown so much, and she is on the move now! She laughed, ran around, played with sticks, and stuck Easter eggs in her mouth. She is absolutely adorable! And as before, Jamie and Sean are very adoring, proud, and loving parents. The first photos below are from our previous sessions: on the left is her newborn pics and on the right is her 6-month pics. The rest below are from our recent session.

Amanda & Will

I met Amanda, Will, and their 2-year old Marshall way out in Canton, OK. Will's family has owned the land for generations, and it proved to be great. Amanda, who is also an OpLove photographer, knew the best places for photos. Marshall was full of energy and wanted to run, run, run. Oh, and he loves rocks! Me and Will got eaten up by the skeeters, but it was well worth it. They are an awesome family.

Military Spouse Appreciation

Today is the day that we show our appreciation to the backbone and constant support that are behind the scenes of our military families...the spouses. That's right, it is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. These are the men and women that keep everything in order on the homefront, smile despite their worries, and give our military persons something to come home to. Their strength and tolerance, even despite the hardest of times, is to be admired by all. It's not easy being the spouse of service person with all the rules, the moving and change of duty stations, and especially the "not knowing" during deployments. Today is your day...enjoy it! Know that we are all thinking of you with the deepest gratitude, admiration, and love!

Here is a quick collage I put together of a few of the military spouses I have had the honor of photographing. You are all wonderful! And as always, my family will keep each of you in our thoughts and prayers.
- Ang

Daddy's Home!!!

If little Greyson could talk, those would have been his words..."Daddy's Home!!" I met Emily and 15-month old Greyson at the airport for Travis' homecoming. They had made an adorable sign with Greyson's handprints all over it. He was also wearing a special welcome home shirt. Travis had been gone for about half of Greyson's life, so they were a little worried if he would recognize daddy when he walked thru the gate. Luckily, there was no problem with that. Greyson was all smiles - as was the rest of the family.  :)  Here are some pics from Travis' homecoming.