I have tried to write this post for months now but for many reasons it just didn’t happen. As many of you know, about 3 am on the morning of October 24th, we woke to a fire in our home. It is the one thing that you fear the most but really think will never happen to you. Even while you are watching your home burn, you just can’t believe it.
Thank God my husband and daughter made it out without physical injury. We did loose my sweet puppy Gracie. That loss and the loss of my client and personal work along with the entire contents of my office and our home was and is devastating. My personal and business computers, records and camera equipment were all lost. Our lives will forever be defined by this event as “before the fire” or “after the fire”. A friend was saying her friends in Louisiana experienced the same thing after Katrina. It is a true milestone in your families history.
As horrible as this experience was, what has happened afterwards has been so wonderful and overwhelming. Our family, friends, community, my sweet clients, my husband’s employer Brooks Brothers and co-workers and the photography and apparel industries have come out to support us in ways that we are in awe of. The love and support shown my family has been most humbling. We are at a loss for words to express our gratitude. All of these wonderful people and businesses will always be remembered fondly by my family.
We consider ourselves the luckiest people alive. We look forward to rebuilding our home and getting back to whatever our new “normal” will be. My family and I consider our new life an adventure and will try to appreciate the gift of each new day. We look foreword to paying it forward to honor the experience we have had. I am excited about our future and look forward to seeing old friends and making new friends this year.
And speaking of the future… meet Olive! Olive is a gift from my sweet parents in Louisiana. She is the 1/2 sister of their little Yorkiepoo, Little Bit, and was born on my birthday! Poor Olive left the warmth of Louisiana to come to the snowy New York winter weather. She has adapted well and actually seemed to like snow and ice. She got quite brave because she wanted to follow her idol, my daughter’s dog Rhea. She would follow Rhea way out into the yard in pretty deep snow or very slippery ice. I took some funny video that I have to figure out how to post here. Olive has put a big smile on all of our faces during this crazy long winter. She really is a joy!
So… it is nice to be back! I have some wonderful sessions to post and some fun images/videos of Olive and other cute pups. I am unable to log into my Woof pet photography blog at this time so I will be posting some recent dog images here on the ”…life as it happens” blog until I can get that resolved. Again, there are no words to express our profound thanks for your love and support. It has meant everything.
xoxox
Steph
Really, she is so cute!
The other amazing thing about sweet Olive is that she doesn’t mind the camera so much. Gracie and Sophie would turn their heads as soon as I put the camera to my face! Olive, at least at her grand old age of 5 months, just might be my dream photo dog!
Frolicking in the snow with her best friend Rhea.
Snow on Rhea…
