Chelsea McKay - Senior Pictures

This was the most meaningful photo shoot for me to date.  Why?  There is a lot of history here.  Chelsea's mom, Stephanie, and I were best friends in high school.  We stayed in touch through the beginning of college, then sort of lost touch.  We reconnected at our 10-year HS reunion, then sort of drifted apart again.  Not by choice... but life just sort of happened.  We both had kids.  We were busy...

As I was on the phone with a friend planning our 15-year reunion, I was told that Stephanie had cancer.  I literally couldn't speak.  I hung up from that conversation & immediately contacted Steph.  I felt like the biggest heel on the planet.  I stumbled to find the words, and she was as calm as could be.  From that point on, it was as if no time had passed between us.  She was a FIGHTER.  She was not about to let this cancer win.  As she told me, "I'm too ornery and I still have too many things to do."  And, she was right!  She fought her cancer for a year & a half.

Near the end, I would go to be with & help take care of Stephanie twice a week.  We had some pretty in-depth conversations, and most of them centered around Chelsea.  Stephanie was such a phenomenal mother.  She gave her everything for Chelsea.  It was during these visits with Steph that I came to really know Chelsea... and what an amazing girl she is.

Being around Chelsea during this shoot was like being with her mother 20+ years ago.  She is a spitting image of her mom, and is so much like her!!

 I just have to say that if Stephanie were here now, she would be SO incredibly proud of her baby girl.  Proud in the ways of her sports abilities (her mother was very gifted in this area as well), her academic achievements, her future plans and just the young woman she has become.

I felt so honored to do these pictures of her.  I couldn't be more proud of Chelsea, and I am so blessed to know her.

Enjoy.