3 Day Reunion | Dallas, TX Photographer

I'm horrible with blogging and decided to make it a resolution that can't wait for New Years! I love going to other photographer's blogs and learning a little more about them and their lives. This is something I fail at completely. I'm not that good with talking about myself. I may wear my heart on my sleeve and you can tell just by looking at me what emotion I'm feeling but I probably won't actually tell you what I am feeling. You'd think I'd learn by now that I can't hide it so I might as well!

So here I go with a chapter of my personal life for you to not only get to see the adorable families and children I photograph but get a little glimpse inside my life and who I am. And just to let you know....this is going to be a LONG one! :)

This is Donna. She has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. Her whole family has actually. I was obsessed with her daughter, Mallory when she was a baby and always wanted to hold her and feed her. I grew up at their house playing with Mal as if she was my little sister. They called it baby sitting but I called it just having fun. (At my bridal shower - always crafty - she made my rehearsal bouquet)


Donna was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was probably around 14 years old. I honestly never really understood how serious it was. I think partly because of being so young and because Donna was always such a strong and happy person. You just didn't look at her and once worry or think something was wrong. Eventually it kind of seemed like she was invinsible. It would come back and she would fight it off once again! It went on for years! In 2008 a group of us decided to walk the Breast Cancer 3 Day in her honor. She planned to walk it with us but unfortunately was just too weak to do so. It was such a wonderful experience to have and with ladies some of whom we knew and some who we didn't. But for each of us Donna was a part of our lives.
Here's a pic of when Donna, her husband Steve and one of Mal's friends came to cheer us on! From left to right: Alma, Mal's friend (horrible I can't remember her name), Liz, Steve, Mary Jane, Donna, and Dawn.

Here's a pic with our precious Donna at the end of our 3 Day. I am on the far left, then my mom's dear friend Dawn, Donna, my mom, and my sweet Mallory.

Two months after our emotional journey together on the 3 Day we lost our sweet Donna to the disease that had been so much a part of her life for the past 14 years. She was no longer invincible and reality struck for me that no one is. On the 3 Day we constantly said how us girls needed to have a reunion afterwards since we had developed such a strong bond over the days of walking, talking, crying and laughing. I don't think any of us really thought our reunion would be at our sweet Donna's funeral.

Well now almost 2 years later! We said we'd reunite once again and that's what we were going to do! Thank goodness for my mother "the planner" who set it all up. This past weekend was the 3 Day and some of us met up to cheer on this year's walkers! After lots of hugs and catching up we lined the sidewalk and waited for them to start walking by. I loved the way this lady was dressed up!

Here's Mary Jane and Mallory

Dawn and my mom

Mallory, Dawn, me, my mom. Oh and I wore my lanyard that we wore during our 3 Day with Donna's picture in it, the key chain she gave us the night before our walk, our awesome logo my brother made for our team and my 3 Day bracelet.

Love it! Keep Going! Being a cheerer made me remember all of the emotions and how over come with them you'd get when you saw the cheering stations.

This little girl stole my heart! She would crouch down and look for the walkers and then as they came by she would jump up and down and clap for them! So cute!

One of the awesomely dressed walkers

Sure wish everyone could have made it. We missed you Alma and Liz!

After cheering for almost 2 hours we went to brunch and chatted it up! It was so wonderful to reunite! I think next year we are planning on volunteering together. Donna may be gone but she brought us all together and she will forever do so in her honor and her memory. We love and miss you!