#megansfight

I've sat down at my computer every day since last Tuesday trying to find the words to accompany the photos below. It's been a struggle. I want to share about Megan - how beautiful she is, how confident she is, how graceful and selfless she is even in the midst of great adversity, how she is a wonderful nurse and how she is so seriously full of life, laughter, and love. And the thing is, I don't know Megan very well - we met only a year ago through a mutual and I've spent some time with her here and there in passing... but it doesn't take long to see how amazing she is, and you see it in the way that she supports and encourages her loved ones so fiercely. 

I'd also like to share about the battle she is in right now, but I'm not a nurse... so I pulled this information from the Facebook page that her awesome friends put together for her to share updates and create a space for people to share their support. The text below was written by Ursula, coworker and very close friend. 

"Megan is a dear friend and co-worker of mine in the IICU at Lancaster General Hospital. As a baby, Megan was diagnosed with retinoblastoma and has an artificial right eye. Fast forward 23 years and Megan started to develop nose bleeds. Megan went to an ENT physician and they found a mass in her nasal cavity. After a cat scan, MRI, and two biopsies, it was discovered that Megan has osteosarcoma. Megan will have surgery on Friday September 30th to remove her tumor. After that surgery, she will have extensive chemotherapy treatment. Megan will be out of work for at least 6 to 9 months. We developed a #Megansfight t-shirt as a fundraiser for Megan. Once you purchase and receive your t-shirt we would like you to post a picture of yourself in the t-shirt with the #Megansfight. There will be other fundraisers coming up to help raise funds for Megan so keep your eyes on the page. Thank you again for your prayers and support." 

Megan had surgery last Friday and is now beginning her road to recovery. The support system that has stepped up and rallied around Megan to carry her through this time is INCREDIBLE. Never in my life have I witnessed such unconditional and selfless friendship. So finally, I want to share some of the ways that you can join the community surrounding Megan right now. 

• Join the #megansfight Facebook group to read about Megan's progress, stay posted on fundraisers to help lighten the financial burden, and share words of encouragement for Megan and her loved ones to see. 
• Visit the GoFundMe page HERE to see updates from Megan's family and to make an online donation to help with medical expenses.
• Pray, pray, pray. For Megan, for her fiance (Taylor, you'll see more of him below), for her family, for her friends, and for all of the patients in IICU who won't have the opportunity to have her care for them so well until she's back. 

Let's lift up Megan, in every way that we can.

#megansfight

A Friday Afternoon | personal

I love the opportunity to share bits and pieces of my personal life here - my hope is that those who may not have met me yet will feel a little more at home with me as they see more of my everyday moments!

I work in the office at my other job (Lancaster City Alliance) Monday - Thursday, so Fridays are 100% dedicated to all things photo (and grocery shopping, laundry, etc. mixed in, of course!) AND they're a little more flexible since I work from home, so I get to enjoy mid-afternoon breaks like this one! Liz, Emme, and I decided to take a short walk down to our favorite cafe for some pastries and iced lattes. Liz is my favorite subject (you'll see why!) when it comes to experimenting with light, locations, and posing, so we wandered a little and she patiently let me snap a few photos. She's a beauty and an incredibly loving, patient, and wonderful mom (wife, daughter, friend, you name it.) 

Emily | senior

Meet Emily.

She is grounded, bright, confident, kind, adventurous, and beautiful, among many other things. She loves to sing, she has great style, a contagious laugh, the brightest smile, and a heart after Jesus. 

A highlight from our evening: my favorite kind of photo bomb by our new friend Scruffy. 

Ryan & Jane | married

Ryan and Jane are wonderful. They are totally themselves, completely in love, always laughing, and seriously full of joy. But most importantly - they love Jesus and share his heart for every person. It is that kind of love that changes the world in the biggest and most beautiful ways.

One of my highlights from the day? I asked Ryan to describe how he felt when he saw Jane for the first time that day. His response? When you're on a long stretch of road during an even longer road trip and you finally find a rest stop. The sweetest, silliest, most relatable way I've ever heard it explained. 

I was honored, so completely, to not only have captured this day but to witness these two join together. 

Enjoy. 

Jeremy & Becky | married

A wedding in my favorite city. I can't tell you how incredibly excited I was to be a part of Jeremy and Becky's wedding celebrations! The day started in Chelsea, then we ventured into Lower Manhattan to City Hall with the couple and their sweet families, the ceremony was approximately two minutes long and excitement filled the room when they said "I do!", then we ate an incredible dinner at a GLUTEN FREE ITALIAN RESTAURANT (real life? yes! Brent had unlimited SAFE dinner options to enjoy!), and the day ended with an out-of-this-world-someone-please-pinch-me rooftop party in Brooklyn with views that left me legitimately speechless. 

There is so much I could say about Jeremy and Becky, and their friends and family. Warm, welcoming, totally themselves, lots of fun, and just downright wonderful. We left feeling like we had just spent the day with new friends - it was a reminder of how amazing it is that we get to meet so many beautiful people and capture some of what will be their most treasured memories. 

To say that I feel blessed is an insane understatement. Here are a FEW (very few, because I have SO many) of my favorites from the day!