While I was processing their images, I had a chance to really stop and think about it. Here’s a beautiful, young, and spunky gal married to a handsome guy in the Army. She’s knows what she wants and she’s certainly not afraid to go and get it. Especially when it comes to love. See, Katie was a little miffed that he didn’t ask her for her phone number when they first met. So about a week later she sent him a text saying hello and he coyly pretended that he “might” have remembered her. Oh he did alright… and the proof is in the fact that they’ve been nearly inseparable since their 1st date. Well, sort of inseparable. Right now Steven is stationed in Korea and Katie is here in Phoenix. When teased about how aloof he was after they first met, he giggled and said “it worked, didn’t it”? Not wanting to take no for an answer, she’s the one that proposed to him. See what I mean? I guess it did work, Steven.
A very unusually warm April Sunday evening, my husband and I were home after a long day out with our cameras. One that included spending about 2 ½ hours with Katie and Steven, learning about who they are both with one another and without. He’s a mechanic that works on tanks (how cool is that?) in the DMZ and she’s going to school and working. They have two amazingly beautiful and healthy dogs that keep her company while he’s away and that’d be Copper and Belanna. By the time we made it home I’m feeling so blessed by our time together that I can’t stand it—I have to look at our shots. As the photos unload onto our hard drive I start looking at the thumb nails re-experiencing our entire day. I can hear the laughter, the conversation that took place between us. I smile and giggle…as it all unfolds. Then we get to those shots.. you know, the delicious Dreamcicley shots. The shots that make your heart melt because you can feel how powerful the love is that permeates from a couple that much in love. She’d squeeze him like he’s the greatest gift to her in the entire world and he’d hold her as if she were the reason for his existence. You can see just how much he loves her under that tough Army exterior simply by the look in his eyes when she cuddles close into him. Forget that the cameras were there… neither of them really cared. They just opened up to let us see the treasure they both know in their hearts they have, especially since this was literally during the last hours they’d have together before he was to leave early the next morning. They shared with us; their beautiful dogs and their love. That’s what real love is all about. That right there is the very reason I love this job. I believe in love. Early the very next morning, they were blessed with a few extra minutes together they certainly didn’t expect to have. As Steven was checking in to his flight the customer service agent gave Katie a gate pass so she could go through security to be with him before his actual departure. Time well spent as you can imagine!
Once Katie left the airport she put up a post on her Facebook page that read “And so it begins.” –King Theoden. Her heart hurt. This was going to be a tough week for her. Steven will be back in 7 months during his Christmas leave…she has a long haul to get there but as I mentioned above, she’s an amazingly strong woman. She keeps busy with friends, working, and school and has been studying psychology. Being the smart cookie that she is… she’ll eventually end up in medical school. “I like brains”, she said. Katie wants to work with brain damaged soldiers someday. That’s her calling…incredible.
Katie, Steven, Copper & Belanna: It was a beautiful evening taking your beautiful photographs. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to spend those few hours with you.
Blessings & Love,
K&B
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