This beautiful family got some ugly news the other day: that mommy has breast cancer. Not exactly what you are expecting to hear when you visit the doctor’s office. It’s a diagnosis that quickly turns life upside down. Yet in the midst of such shocking news, one of the very first things this brave mom asked for was to have special portraits made of her and their whole family together. To remember this time when things are as they are now—life before chemo, before the many tests, before all the doctor visits. Simply put, just life before.

So, hours later I received a phone call from one of her best friends asking me if I could quickly pull together a photo session. I said of course and the planning began. I wanted everything to be perfect for this family so I spent extra time driving around to find the absolute best location, selected the prime time of day for soft lighting, and brought some extra props like flowers to make everything just right. This family was so gracious with gorgeous spirits, and I am still just so honored that they trusted me to capture this slice in time for them.

This mama and her whole clan are strong believers in Jesus and would welcome any prayers as she combats this cancer. If you’d like to take a look at her blog and pray through this journey with her, she welcomes you to visit her daily journal at  http://andersonfamilyzoo.wordpress.com.