I lived in the sweetest little neighborhood for the best five years of my life. I arrived with 2 children but moved out with 4. 1200 sq. ft is tight for 6 people. I met my best friends Amy & Sandi there. We never run out of things to talk about, we laugh a lot and somehow manage daily updates on kids, work and life. The kind of friends where they know ALL the details and love you anyway. In the five years that we lived there our neighborhood had 16 babies. I added two, Amy added one and Sandi added 4. Olivia was the first of all of them to be born in a neighborhood filled with boys, she was the girl next door. She was so darling that she was positively contagious and undoubtedly the reason I have a 3rd child and a 4th who I gave the same middle name as hers… Grace. She has awed us and inspired us countless times. I can recall her sitting up (shake ’em, shake ’em), crawling in her Mother’s kitchen, toddling in our back yard, falling asleep in her high chair, popsicles, swinging, sandboxes, sledding, bike rides, missing teeth, first days of school, classroom parties, singing at vacation bible school and marching in the band. She’s always had this maturity about her. I think we had her in charge of watching over kids when she was four, and I know she could adequately care for an infant (her sister) when she was six. She’s one of the kids that I scan the crowd for her the way I would my own when I know she’s out there. Aside from the updates on life from her Mom I really only see at church, marching at football games, and occassionally when I get my hair done in their kitchen. She’s a teenager on the go.
I started this crazy photography endeavor and needed a subject for a portrait project. She was my first choice because at a few days old I knew she would sit still, something my 1 & 3yr olds were incapable of. I just pulled out that image to look at it and I won’t pretend that it’s even a good. But it was a first and a starting point. One foot in front of the other as you have to start somewhere. From there on she’s been a regular and I’m sure I could put together quite a collection of her alone. The reality of her being my first subject sank in about 4 years ago when I realized she was on the speed train to adulthood. She’s so tall now and I can’t believe she’ll graduate next year. She’s gifted spiritually, personally and excells in academics, music and athletics. She’s laid back and funny, easy to be around no matter how long it’s been. I know that I’ll still update their family portraits but it’s pretty common that senior portraits are often the last time you are photographed until your wedding. Long gone is the spunky little red head who bobbed around from yard to yard; hello to this beautiful young woman with many exciting “firsts” ahead of her while she finishes out high school leaves a trail of “lasts” behind.
I’ve been blessed in so many ways by this beautiful girl.
“Your off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way.” – Dr. Seuss
by Terri
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