And so we meet again..

September 28, 2023  •  1 Comment

And so we meet again..

It is not unusual for me to have repeated sessions with my clients. In fact that is probably a photographer's main goal, to keep having their clients come back again and again.
 

I first photographed Kellie and her son Matt in 2017 when Matt was about to turn 12. and then again in 2019 when Kellie's mom Sue joined us. At that time Matt had already grown taller than Kellie in the two years since our last session but I couldn't not believe the change since last we met til now. From a budding teen now turned young man on the brink of graduating high school and stepping into the world of adulthood. The days are long but the years are short!!!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 






For their latest session I traveled to Dayton, Ohio where Kellie is still a minister at Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship going on her 6th year. 
And that is where we photographed their session, in the beautiful surroundings and property that the church is located on! Talk about outward AND inward serenity!



This is THE PLACE. If you are searching for a congregation that is LITERALLY ALL INCLUSIVE I encourage you to look for a Unitarian Universalist church near you as they have 1000 congregations nationwide and their all encompassing message of acceptance is something rarely seen in my experience with organized religion. A place to worship and believe as you want while still communing with others--a true blueprint for how it should be in all walks of life with no judgement on how you do or do not worship a higher power. Let us all learn from their philosophies that we can be united AND different!!

But let's get back to our upcoming graduate, Matt. Matt attends the Open School Orange County based in Santa Ana, CA and is part of their virtual program and will graduate in June. The Open School is a democratic free school, where the students lead the school with the help of advisors. That sounds super cool to be honest but Kellie and Matt have ALWAYS impressed me with their progressive and open minded ideas and life philosophies!!

After graduation Matt is going to take a gap year and focus on volunteering. He loves reading (fantasy and science fiction), memes, museums, zoos, and playing Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. I always find him humorous and full of a wealth of information on his favorite subjects. I look forward to seeing where life takes his gentle quiet soul with mischievous eyes and a his love of fun coupled with his own take on life and how he wants to live it. Keep being you Matt!! 


What a pleasure it was to catch up with Kellie and Matt both, and spend time in their beautiful home after our session--- along with Matt's two lizards: Pancake, a Morroccan Uromastyx, and Licorice, a Mellanistic Lacerta. As well as their family cat, Soup! Lolll!

 

I so appreciated their kind hospitality in not only sharing another of their special milestones with me but opening up their home to me as well.

I really love what I do. And I am thankful for my clients that stood by me as I took a long break and went down a path I had to tread towards self awareness and healing the past, something I had to do for myself but that in the end will benefit those around me as I learn how to be the best me possible.

I am not perfect YET haha but my progress continues and it is helped GREATLY by the wonderful old AND new friends I meet along the way and I appreciate them all each and every one. 

---Thank you to Kellie and Matt for being part of the tapestry of my work, life and journey.


Best wishes and love to Kellie and Matt and Happy Senior year to Matt!!

Love, Roxanne


NOTE: If you are a past client and have changed locations or would like to be a future client please feel free to contact me, no matter your location. For I am living my life on the road these days and I may very well be coming to a location near you! 






 


The Art of Marriage

September 14, 2023  •  1 Comment

An Excerpt from The Art Of Marriage by Wilferd Arlan Peterson

 

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created. In marriage the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner; it is being the right partner.




This was an excerpt that meant something to Doreen VanTil on the day she said 'I do' to Bob McDonough on their wedding day on

Saturday September 2nd, 2023 on Beaver Island at Donegal Bay.

10 years ago Bob's sister Colleen suggested Bob ask Doreen out...the rest, as they say, is history.

There were a few bumps along the way, as there are in all relationships, but at the end of the day Doreen told me she has never loved anyone the way she loves Bob. She describes how they 'just click' and the longer they've been together how much better they have learned to communicate. 

And now they have combined their beautiful families, Bob's daughter Ireland, his stepson Josh, and Bob's adorable grandson, Weston are all now officially related to Doreen's 4 children-Ben,Sarah, and twin girls Ashley and Courtney- along with Doreen's two grandchildren, Hunter and beautiful Amelia. 

And while not everyone could be at the ceremony on the island, Doreen's two oldest children and grandson were there in spirit. 

In the meantime Bob and Doreen's friends came together to have some great food provided by the The Elks as well as some drinks atop Bob's phenomenal bar piece conveniently located in a warehouse owned by one of his family members. 

Laughs and good times were had by all and that is a great start to what I hope is many years of happiness to come to this great couple. 
I connected instantly with Doreen in a very real way and I personally want nothing more than for this wonderful woman to have found the man of her dreams. 
And honestly it gives ME hope that I, myself, may find mine someday.



All my best to Bob and Doreen,
With much love, Roxanne
 



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"For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It's always our self we find in the sea.

August 23, 2023  •  Leave a Comment

"For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It's always our self we find in the sea."

-E.E. Cummings

Kiley Pritchett’s family has owned a home on Beaver island for 53  years so she has been coming here for all of her almost 18 years.

 

But this will only be her 3rd year attending Beaver Island Community School.

After graduation she plans on becoming an aesthetician and a medical assistant in order to be qualified to also do Botox (I think I like her even more now haha!)

Kiley was a blast to work with, and her boyfriend of 2 years, Jared was very patient while waiting for Kiley to finish all her images. Thanks Jared!

I wish you all the best and thank you for letting me document one of the most important times of your life!

Much love,
Roxanne

 


You can find me where the sand meets the water

August 03, 2023  •  Leave a Comment

You can find me where the sand meets the water 

 

The Wanty family has a long history of being in love with beach life since the great grandfather of little baby boy Hugh built a house on Beaver Island 80 years ago.

It is also where his parents, Cooper and Amanda got engaged.

What a beautiful family ...on a beautiful island...on a beautiful day. 

Thank you for letting me share in just more wonderful memory of your times on Beaver Island. I will forever cherish it.

Love,
Roxanne


Who am I if I can't carry it all?

June 16, 2023  •  Leave a Comment

Who am I if I can't carry it all?


Raegan has a different hero every year. This year it is Luisa from Disney's movie Encanto.

Luisa is the "strong one" of the family whose strength can always be relied upon to carry the burdens of the Madrigal family.

I love that Raegan continues to grow in beauty, strength and character with her every trip around the sun.  

 

What a joy and a gift to see a child grow into herself with each passing year. 

I can't wait to see what her future years hold, what heroes she will admire, what strengths she will acquire, what truths she will learn, how much her beauty will grow along with her strong character. 

Happy 6th Birthday Raegan. I look forward to documenting all the rest of your birth milestones, one glorious year at a time.


Love, 
Roxanne 


She cracks me up!



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