I want to take the time to thank all of those who have made a strong impact in my life and those who have inspired me to do what I do.
First of all, I want to thank God for all of the amazing blessings He has given me. Without Him I am nothing and I can do nothing. I thank God everyday for the countless things He has done for me and for all of the things He is going to do. He is the one who put this photography desire in my heart, and I thank Him for that. I pray that I am able to glorify God in my photography and everything else I do. He is my Lord and Savior and I love Him so much!
To my husband, Joe, thank you for being such an amazing husband, friend, and leader. You have been there for me through thick and thin, even before we were dating! You have given me some of the best advice I have ever gotten and you've have always been there to listen to me. Your love for the Lord and for people is extremely inspiring and encouraging. You are truly a man of God that I can look up to for the rest of my life. Thank you for teaching me, for leading me, for always being there, for loving me, for always giving me a good laugh, and for being someone I know I can always trust and go to. Thank you for encouraging my photography and for believing in me. I couldn't imagine doing any of this without you by my side :) I love you SO incredibly much, sweets!!! "I must have done something right!”
I have the greatest parents anyone could ever ask for! Mom and Dad – Thank you SO much for loving me unconditionally and selflessly. There isn’t a moment in time when you two weren’t there for me and if weren’t for the both of you, I would not be where I am today. For that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you for the encouragement, the support, the love, and the guidance you have given me throughout the years and continue to give to this day. Thank you for your help financially when it comes to my photography and for always believing in me. I only hope that one day I will make as great of a parent as you two have been to me. Thank you for representing the love Christ has for His children to me. I love you, mommy and daddy, TIAB!!!
To my wonderful friends, Laura, Darci, Chelsea, Erika, Jessie, Lauren, Hannah, and Brooke thank you for being the most amazing girls I have ever met. You all have showed me what it means to be a true friend and how to love unconditionally. Thank you for being there for me 24/7, for helping and supporting my photography, for giving me a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, someone to laugh with, and someone I can call a friend for the rest of my life. I love each and every one of you so much!
To my good friend, Mary Roy, thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me! You have had a lot to do with my photography and honestly, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for you. Thank you for EVETYTHING! From the photo shoots, the camera advice, the photography opportunities, to your friendship, I appreciate it all so much! I look up to you in so many ways. You are an AMAZING photographer and such a beautiful woman of God. I know that God has some great things in store for you, and I cannot wait to see where He takes you in your photography and in life. I love you, Mary!
I want to thank my Papa. He passed away when I was a sophomore in college, but his love and legacy will never die. My papa was, and always will be, my role model and inspiration. He had such a sincere love and heart for the Lord and those around him. I can look up to him in so many ways. He ALWAYS encouraged me, no matter what I was going through and was always there to listen to me. I never doubted his love for me. If I could be like anyone in this world, I would want to be like him. I cannot remember a time when he wasn’t smiling or making those around him smile. I know, without a doubt, that he is in Heaven with is wife and son smiling more than ever now. When my Papa passed away, I took pictures around his house (practically my second home) the last time I would ever be in it. Those pictures are what originally inspired me to become a photographer. The thought of capturing something as beautiful as a home where a man of God lived was so exciting to me. Since then, I have been determined to find the beauty in everything God has created and capture it in a picture. If it weren’t for my Papa, I might not have become a photographer at all. Thank you, Papa, for showing me what true unconditional love is and for never giving up on me. Thank you for giving me such wonderful memories to have for the rest of my life. Thank you for always pushing me to do my best and still being proud of me when I didn’t. Thank you for being a great grandpa, role model, supporter, encourager, and friend to me. I will always love you and I cannot wait for the day I am reunited with you again.
Last, but definitely not least, to the rest of my family and friends – Thank you for everything! You each have a very special place in my heart and have helped me write various parts of the story of my life. Many of you have made a big impact in my photography and my life in general. I hope you all know how much you are loved by the Lord and by me. I pray that you all have never ending blessings in life and that you never take a day for granted. Thank you for being there for me and for loving me for who I am. I love each of you so very much and I will always be here for all of you, just as all of you have done for me. May God bless each and every one of you!
In Christ,
Amy
Jeremiah 29:11
