Little Wishes Photography: The Loynes/Corbins Kids

These kids hold a very near and dear place in my heart, as well as in the hearts of so many others. Last December, they lost their mother/aunt to domestic violence. At a young age, they are smart enough to understand what happened, but not quite old enough to understand why. With heavy hearts, they remind everyone why we must all stay strong. Every time I see them, they tell me something about their mommy. Many times, I've heard from them, "Mommy is in Heaven with the angels." They have given us hope when we couldn't continue without Andrea's words of wisdom.

My family has helped raise them since the oldest was only a couple weeks old and Andrea had scheduled a Christmas session every year. Knowing she was on a tight budget last year, I gifted her and her family a full session, free of charge. We emailed back and forth, picking out several outfits for the kids in anticipation for the upcoming session on the 16th. The evening before, I sent her a text confirming her session. She told me that she was ready and looking forward to it. That next morning, I received a phone call from my sister telling me that she had passed. Our world came to a standstill for several days as her tragic and unexpected death was spread throughout the town. Everyone was heartbroken.

After 7 months, Andrea's mother finally allowed me to honor my Christmas gift to her and capture the innocence and beauty her children radiate. As I was photographing them, I could feel her all around us. Her laugh was in the wind, her smile on her children's faces. I couldn't have been more happy to be able to spend time with the little pieces of miracles she left here on earth. As I was packing up, getting ready to leave, Andrea's mother came up to me and thanked me for everything. I told her that it was the other way around. I was finally satisfied, being able to give Andrea her last gift that I have been holding.

Now, as I finish up editing this session, I can see her in every single image. Her children and nieces each carry something from her.. her smile, her eyes, her wild side. Andrea was "a social butterfly" so her children have hundreds of people to care for and watch over them, especially their new guardian angel.

I grabbed a few shots of Amir while we waited for his brother and sister to arrive. What a ham!