The Figueroa Family

With each year I spend photographing families and sweet babies, I am more thankful for the people brought into our lives. I am always amazed at the intricate navigation that happens to bring people across your path. God is truly a master at this and Kristy and her family are just another prime example of His blessings!

This year we have worked hard and are taking the final steps in creating a non-profit, TeamUp Foundation that has been near and dear to my and Adam's heart for years. Our vision is to support existing organizations that are currently doing phenomenal work in their areas of expertise as well as support private individuals and families as we could. Through strategic partnerships with other like-minded businesses, we are creating a network of consistent funding to be able to help when and where we can. As we grow our goal is to expand into scholarships and grants to others in various areas of need. As a photographer, I have always donated my time and talent as much as I could with various organizations and events. I love giving back and have prayed about being able to do it more. Now I can!

Kristy's family is one of the first we were able to arrange this very special session for. Her family's journey is very similar to our own and has been rocked with a heart-shattering brain tumor diagnosis for her father, Bob. I know first hand what they are going through and when she mentioned her parents would be in town and that they would love to schedule a session I knew exactly what we needed to do.

Bob was rushed to the emergency room the evening before his grand daughter, Emma was born. Completely across the country in California they scheduled a biopsy which revealed the tumor was cancerous and surgery quickly followed while baby Emma was experiencing her first few days of life right here in North Georgia. The degrees of emotional strain were unimaginable. The shock, fear and hope that comes with any life-changing diagnosis and the euphoric joy of a new innocent life entering the world. Bob's surgery was successful and removed the tumor that was nearly the size of a lemon. But the cancer is extremely aggressive and Karen and Bob stay very vigilant with his medications, therapy and continued treatment to keep him healthy and active.

This session means so much to me but I know it means even more to Kristy and her family. To see and preserve how much joy "GoGo" has for his grandchildren and his excitement to meet the newest one expected next her by Kristy's sister is just so inspiring- it truly is what life is all about. People often wonder what wealth and success look like and I would say to them, just look at these... this is what it looks like!

What we can do with TeamUp will open up many opportunities to do more special sessions like this and other projects. If you would, we would love for you to join us in praying for continued blessings so we can continue to bless others :)

We would also love for you to join us in continued prayer for Kristy and her family, especially sweet, precious GoGo! He is very much looking forward to spending more time with Mia, Emma and the newest grand baby in 2017. He and Karen also have a vow renewal planned in Hawaii early next year. We will all be praying fervently for continued health and safe travels for them all. xoxo!



Pay it Forward: 
We are so thankful to be embarking on the next step of launching TeamUp Foundation and our efforts to support other non-profits, organizations, youth programs and families. In this journey we have partnered with FireFan, A new Free Live Sports App launching this Fall that is sharing a % of their in-app purchases and advertising with their participating affiliates. Please join us in our #iplaytogive campaign and click the here or the image below to sign up. We will follow up with you on how to download the app and play along with our TeamUp Leagues! Thank you so much for joining the team!

Wow, It's been a while!

I can hardly believe how long it has been since I blogged- it's honestly embarrassing! I would be lying if I said I have not missed it. Not because what I have to say holds any significant value, but it's nice to have an outlet of creative expression and ultimately my heart is to encourage others. Alas, life just gets crazy sometimes and certain things have to be set aside to focus on the most precious and important things.

Writing is a huge outlet for me and one that I have forsaken over the past years to just keep my head above water with everything going on. I made myself a promise that this year I would get back into the swing of things. We are in such a good place with our family and the time is right to share many of the changes and life lessons that we have encountered over the years- I am so darn excited to even begin with this simple post!

Thank you all to our family and friends who have prayed for our family- who continue to support us in such a wonderful way and also to all my clients who kept me busy- we LOVE you!

Hudson will be 10 (TEN!) this year and our youngest will be turning one year old soon! I blinked and KK all of the sudden was in Pre-K and Noah sprang into such a sweet (almost) 8 year old! Adam's recovery continues to make extremely positive strides and I have found amazing peace in the balance of being a wife, mother and small business owner. Learning to embrace the seasons of life that God places us in and that it's ok to let go of the things that are weighing us down has been SO incredible. It may sound silly but I think I know what it feels like to finally "grow up"- to be confident and comfortable in my own skin ;)


xoxo and please stay tuned for so much more to come!

...and because all posts are better with a picture- here's one of my all time faves of our 4 kiddos :)

Something Special about 12-12-12

Today's date is all the rage today...12-12-12 In itself it is pretty special- it does only happen once in a millennia you know. But, there's another reason it's VERY special- one that will always be with us and worth celebrating year after year.

One year ago today I sat in a family waiting area at Duke University Hospital in Durham, as Adam was undergoing brain surgery. Clutching onto my extremely worn collection of bible verses to pray as we waited. Surrounded by family and friends that could be there with us- and definitely feeling the thoughts and prayers of many who could not, I felt at peace and knew God was in control. And to be completely honest that in itself was a miracle. I had been so full of fear, doubt and worry every since Adam made the decision to go ahead with surgery. I can not put into words what it really feels like to have God lift that burden off your shoulders- I am still in awe!

The surgery overall was much more successful than the doctors had anticipated- they removed a significant amount more of the tumor than they thought would be possible. But, that came at a cost. Adam woke without the use of his left side and from what was to originally be two days of recovery in the hospital turned into well over 10 days followed by another month + of inpatient rehabilitation therapy. We celebrated Christmas last year in the small family apartment at North Georgia Medical Center- though it was phenomenal and every bit as special for us all to be together, it was not home.

This year we are home for Christmas and the joy in my heart is overwhelming. In this past year Adam has grown stronger in every sense of the word. He came home in a wheelchair with very limited movement in his left arm, hand and fingers...and with very little strength in his legs. His left leg could barely stand for more than 5 minutes without shaking from exertion. Nearly one month to the day- Adam had his wheelchair waiting on the front porch for the rental company to pick back up.

It's that spirit of determination that he has carried every day since and his physical strength has made steady progress. He can now walk with an almost unnoticeable limp, chase the kids (thought it's not a pretty site- ha!), wrap his arms around me for a hug and every now and then dance with me when no one is watching (but, you can't tell him I told you that). He even recently beat my little sister in an arm wrestling contest! He consistently impresses his therapists with his progress and loves to show off his new tricks. I have no doubt that he will only continue to gain more control and mobility.

And even if he doesn't that's ok. Our marriage and friendship is stronger because of this and we are still in awe of the rally of support our family received from family, friends, loved ones and perfect strangers throughout this past year.  Our faith is stronger than ever and we feel so grateful to have experienced this with knowing God was and IS carrying us through- we welcome the opportunity to share what God is doing in our lives and live with a much clearer vision of the bigger picture and of what life is truly all about. Clearly, God has a plan for him no matter what (and we are just along for the journey).

We are sooooooo very happy and thankful for our love, family, health, innumerable blessings and to be able to celebrate a year of successful recovery- and especially to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus at home this year!

Thank you all for your prayers for our family over this past year, you really made a difference with each word lifted up! And thank you also to those who continue to pray for us and Adam's continued recovery- it is truly amazing to see how very far he has come!

xoxo :)

Below is our year in review via Instagram (this I have to thank my good friend Lan Bui who encouraged me to document this time for Adam- no matter how much I did not want to). He was definitely right, how awesome it is to look back and see how far he has come! Thanks Lan ;)

Update on Riley {Praise The Lord!}

I can barely contain my relief and pure joy as I write this update- I feel like I have been holding my breathe and can finally exhale...

April called just a few minutes ago with news from the CTscan and the news is phenomenal! Riley actually has an extremely rare and abnormal gap in his neck. The section of concern that appeared on the x-ray was an elongated gap between the vertebrae that is double the size of most children Riley's age. This in turn, appears to be a positive attribute for children as active as Riley- where he has more space than most to protect himself from neck injuries.

All I can say is WOW! Thank you for your prayers and lifting Riley up. It feels so wonderful that in the face of seemingly impending surgery and a chance of not playing sports ever again to a revelation that Riley is perfectly healthy and even a bit more protected than it seemed is just another awesome example of laying it in God's hands.

In fact, the doctors said that it is extremely fortunate that the initial x-ray was done so now there will always be a permanent record if any future injury does occur. They said that this particular abnormality would have always raised flags for Riley in any x-ray because of the 2-D interpretation of the image. Thank God for modern medicine, technology and the professionals who have been called to serve in this field. And also thank God for good friends who follow their instincts, even on a simple whim!

And most of all thank ALL of YOU who were with us today through your kind words, phone calls and prayers! I feel after all we have been through that I am so proud of my complete faith to just lay it all on God and trust in His will. I am a worrier by nature and usually in no minor definition of the words "freak out" first to only then calm down and hand it to God but in this instance prayer was my only and number one answer- AMEN!

Again, Thank You, Thank You, THANK YOU!
God Bless and I hope you all have a fantastic week, xoxo!!!

More technical explanation directly from my sister:
The CT scan showed his pedicle bone in the neck is larger than normal- which makes it look like a fracture on an 
X-Ray. I was told by my favorite Dr. (Mersberger) that this is just good genes.

Prayer Warriors Needed {for Riley}

Dear Friends,

This is an open letter to you all begging for your thoughts and prayers for my sweet nephew Riley over the next few days, weeks and months to come. This morning my sister called with the news of finding a neck fracture from an x-ray. Currently we are waiting for an appointment time today for a CATscan to learn more details and a future plan of action. Unfortunately, that is all we know at the moment and somehow that is enough- already we see God's hand over Riley as the x-ray that revealed the fracture was done on a complete whim from the doctor and good friend of the family. There was absolutely no hint or suspicion, Riley simply was in for a sports physical appointment and the doctor was running an x-ray on her own son and decided to run one on Riley as well... There has been no pain, injury in his neck or anything that would have raised any even minor need for an x-ray.

As a family, the events of last year with Adam's seizure which revealed his brain tumor, his surgery and even now through his physical therapy recovery; we know that God has been with us all every step of the way- carrying us much of the time through the most agonizingly fearful moments. Moments where I personally had absolutely nothing else to lean on but my faith in His love, promises and the sacrifice that He had already made for us. It was through that faith and the dedicated prayers or friends, family and complete strangers that was and is still with us now.

That same faith is leading us as we embark on this new path with Riley and God's plan for him. Please lift him up in prayer today and the days to come as we learn and share more details about the situation with his mysterious neck injury. He is an extremely active young man with a love for all sports, especially football and baseball. Riley recently celebrated his 9th birthday and has a heart of gold. Just a couple weeks ago he was sharing with me how excited he was that the boys won their VBS battle with the girls over who could raise more money for the missionaries to share with people all over the world about Jesus. He and his sister Reese along with my sister and brother-in-law have instilled in our kids that dinner does not start until after we have said the prayer together holding hands- even our little KK who is 2yrs old reaches out her hands and shouts A-men when it's all finished. The kids lead the prayer and it's been instrumental in teaching them to grow their very own faith and relationship with Jesus. My sister, April was my rock and constant supporter while our family was going through everything with Adam last year and I am determined to be there for her in every way now.

Even at this hour we are waiting on the first available time for a CATscan appointment today. All we really know is that the location of the fracture in his neck is of grave concern and more information is needed to plan surgical options. As a mother of two very active and physical boys I have been thanking God over and over that this was caught now as it appears as something as simple as turning his head with the swing of a bat could result in life threatening injuries- wrestling, rough housing and doing things that all nine year old boys do withstanding- right now it's like walking on egg shells while waiting, waiting, waiting to learn more.

While we wait, we will be praying and would be eternally grateful for those of you who could also join us in praying for Riley today. Thank you so much and I will be sure to share any news we get as it comes.

xoxo- We love you Riley!




In writing this, I thought that I would also share my devotional today about staying calmly conscious in Jesus- knowing that He goes before us, preparing the way. I think the timing and reflection of these verses could not have been better. These will be repeated in my prayers throughout today :)

Psalm 23: 1-4
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me: Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.


2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.


Here are some more pictures of Riley and his family along with our Georgia crew of cousins...

Riley's amazing family- always having a good time outdoors!

The cousins at Easter (missing Ace, Maddox, Colby & Olivia)

And... Riley just being Riley :)

Easter 2012

What a day to celebrate all the wonderful gifts in our lives- the most of which is Jesus! Combine that with a house full of joyous children (and baskets of candy!) and you're sure to have a full day of excitement!

In addition to the traditional candy and sweets, we like to make sure the kids get something special to add to their learning about Jesus. We are looking forward to incorporating this into our morning routine :)



We gathered for an early dinner at the Lake and the kids enjoyed hunting eggs (several times). The day could not have been more perfect- soft clouds, warm sunshine and a peaceful breeze that kept the trees swaying all afternoon.

A highlight of the hunt was checking on the baby birds who are growing quickly in a hanging plant on the front porch. And we certainly had a super cute crew to do the honor of rounding up all those hidden eggs :)

Round #2 of the Egg Hunt...

Micheli was just too cute in her simple little dress. The new shoes from Aunt April definitely made her day. She had an extra dose of sass in her strut while hunting eggs.

Our family :) Sooo, sooo, sooo unbelievably thankful and blessed!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Mommy Mondays {Everyday}

This week as we celebrate Thanksgiving and finally take some time away from all the "to-do" lists of work, home and little projects I thought that today's post could focus on some of the everyday blessings that fly by in a blur as we are on our mission of crossing the next thing off the list. It really is stunning how time seems to pass by way too fast when we do finally stop just for a brief second to take it all in.

My wonderful friend Shain took these photos when he visited us and I am so thankful! It's these everyday moments that really mean the most and encompasses pretty much everything that we work for!

Happy Thanksgiving and hope you enjoy the everyday moments with your family :)

Mommy Mondays {Baby Steps}

I honestly cannot think of a better post for this week's Mommy Mondays than to share the wonderful and exciting news that Micheli has not only taken her first steps but she is now walking with confidence!

Watching the process has been so fun for our family- holding her hand to help her practice, encouraging the smallest advances and then finally being filled with pure delight when she let go of her safety net and took those first few little wobbly steps one after another. I think the highlight had to be when she reached where she was going and started clapping!

Seeing her accomplish what has been months of practice is such an inspiration! We all have something that we are working hard to achieve in some form or another. And though it make take millions of tiny baby steps, when we surround ourselves with encourager's and positive reinforcement we become equipped with the tools for success and have loved ones there to celebrate the victory.

So today, I wish you a happy Monday and hopefully Micheli can help be that little nudge that you may have needed to take the first step and just keep on walking :)

xoxo!

Skip the Nap :)

Summer is winding down as Fall starts to roll in and the boys have went back to school. Our whirlwind summer adventures are still fresh in my mind and each day we spend running here and there only reminds me more and more how quickly the time goes by.
This afternoon, instead of naps we let the boys stay up, play a little longer and headed out for some fun pics for the great grandparents (well, and for grandparents + mommy and daddy, too!)...

Hudson has always been more patient and absolutely adores his baby sister so naturally there's more of him playing with her and being a wonderful big brother. I can't help but feel that one day he is going to treasure these pictures with her even more than we do! Noah gets business done and then moves on to the next thing on his agenda- he makes me laugh (and cry-ha!). He is master of his own little world and I love and admire his spirit- but darned if that little guy does not just wear us out, pheeeeww!Here are a few more of my favorites and I know I say it all the time... but I really, really, really can not believe how fast they are growing. I am sooooo unbelievably blessed to have such a wonderful family and to do what I love- thank you all for sharing it with me :) XOXO!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to the man I (we) love...
the one who stole my heart
the one who protects my dreams

and the one who lifts me up.

Thank you for the time you give

the effort you make

the words you say

and the things you do.

Thank you for being you

working hard for us

praying for us

laughing with us

and setting an example for us

Thank you for the big things (and the little things)

for your hugs, kisses, smiles and tears.

You are such a blessing and we are thankful to have you!

Happy Father's Day, we love you!

Momma, Hudson, Noah and Micheli

I Love Surprises!

Today I can home to this little brown box and this is what was inside...

Which leaves me to wonder what is Adam up to??? He is such a sweetie always thinking of little things to do while he travels to let us know he is thinking about us and missing us. I think I may have an idea but will let the plan take its course...I'll keep you all updated :)

The In Between {Baby Blessings}

It's been almost two months since our baby girl has been here and I still feel like I have a constant smile on my face- she has brought so much joy, laughter and pink into the mix...we are all just crazy about her. But, the other day I realized (as I was setting aside outfits she has already outgrown...I know, sad!) that I have not slowed down to just watch her and live in the moment- those little in between little moments from running here and there, working, relaxing and moving on to the next item on the schedule- so the this weekend, that's what we did...and here's what we got :)

I love this one because it reminds me of Noah- he still has that same little pouty lip (sooo cute)Hudson absolutely adores her and is never too far away from her. He loves holding and playing with her and has made it his responsibility to tell us what she needs :)This one just steals my heart- there aren't strong enough words...I love it!And this one, my little photographer in training snapped when he told me it was his turn to take pictures- thanks Hud :)
I look forward to sharing more as she grows and the craziness that has become normal in our household of 5...we are officially outnumbered by the kiddos so it should be interesting to say the least- but I would not have it any other way!

A New Twist on Mother's Day!

This Mother's Day was a first for me- I was away from the boys and my wonderful husband. Because of so many activities at different locations unfortunately Adam and I had to divide and conquer... Hudson had a T-Ball game, We had 2 birthday parties (one in Florida and another in Atlanta) and I had a family session scheduled in Atlanta...so, he took the boys and the Florida events and I took Micheli on her first road trip (and Grami came along, too!)

Though I was not with my whole family for Mother's Day, I was with my new baby girl, mom and big sister so we decided to make the most of our celebration :)

Saturday was sunny with a gentle breeze- just beautiful for Riley's baseball game in the morning and Reese's 5th birthday party that afternoon (more to come on that!) We enjoyed most of the day outside and when Micheli enjoyed being pampered from every directions, at one time there may have been a waiting list to hold her- ha!

Sunday started with a wonderful family session with a family that is so dear to my heart (more coming on that, too!). Before I left the house I had asked Mom and April to be ready when I got back for a little family session of our own. I wanted to make the most of our time together and for the first time in a long time we were able to get some pictures together and with mom...though we where missing our sister and brother :(

Usually the kids take precedence over the adults and those are the ones who we make a huge effort to take tons of pictures of, but these images are so very special to me! I am so thankful that we took the time to laugh, play and reflect with each other. Micheli took an extra long nap so we where able to really have a great time together- mom and April, love you sooo much!!!After the three of us enjoyed all our fun photo time we shifted the focus onto Mom :)
She needed to relax and just enjoy having her picture taken, so naturally April and I became the instant entertainment. We brought back the running man, sprinkler and twist...sending mom into mini fits of laughter. Though we where all having a great time, we secretly hoped none of the neighbors would see our mad dance skilzzz- ha!I loved seeing mom laugh and just smile so much- she is so beautiful and shines in every image. I am thankful that we were able to give her such a wonderful Mother's Day and so many great memories!

I think we may have created a new tradition...HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Happy Mother's Day: A Special Portrait Session

As Mother's Day approaches most of us are thinking more and more about our wonderful mothers- Those we appreciate so much, yet we all get so very busy with our day to day lives that often we simply forget to take those special moments to let these great women know how very much they are loved.

Hope and Missy had just that in mind when they scheduled this very special session to surprise their Grandmother with pictures of all the Great-Grandchildren. What a special and unique way to celebrate family!

In addition to working with a great bunch of kids, I was also excited to see and photograph Brayden again :) It's hard to believe he'll be turning two soon- it seems like it was only a little while ago we spent a morning at the park celebrating his first birthday (we had a special session with him after and just wait until you see some more of this cutie pie!). He and his cousins where just a joy to work with and warmed up to the camera pretty quickly...
Open fields, old barns and a ton of laughter was the perfect combination for capturing the simpleness of youth and creating fun memories the kids would always share.
It was actually drizzling a bit when the first few images where taken but we did not let the rain stall our plans- the kids where on a roll and having such a great time. We wrapped up with plenty of sunshine and sore cheeks from smiling and laughing so much! This shot was the last with just the kiddos having fun and making silly faces :)
I am so thankful not only for wonderful clients like Hope and Missy that are so loyal and loving but also treat me as family...

And in preparing to celebrate this Mother's Day am also thankful for not only my mother, but all the mother's and influential women out there who work so hard to raise, encourage and mold children to reach their full potential! Thank you moms and thank you Hope and Missy for kicking off this Mother's Day week in such a sweet and amazing way!