Portraits | Bethany

It's craaaazy that it's October, already, and that it means I've lived here in Virginia for almost a year, now. (Furthermore, that I've been married for almost a year, now!) Time seriously flies by quickly, these days. (It seems to be part of adulthood....)

One of the things I've been most grateful for in this last year are the new friendships the Lord has blessed me with since moving here. It's been so wonderful to deepen friendships with those I used to know merely as acquaintances and to start and build some brand new relationships, altogether. One of the latter has been with this beautiful, bubbly, vibrant girl named Bethany.

I first met Bethany last December at a friend's Christmas party. She had recently moved back to the Richmond area (where she had grown up) after living elsewhere for several years, and I had just recently moved to the Richmond area after transplanting from Indiana due to my aforementioned marriage. It's hard to say why we hit it off so instantly - whether because we're both just social, outgoing, friendly people who enjoy making new friends (which is true!) or because, in a sense, we both were the "new kid on the block" and sensed that affinity in each other. Whichever it was, I'm SO glad it happened. Since last December Bethany has become such a good friend to me. She's hung out on many-a-girl-night with me, given me company when Aaron has been out of town and I felt lonely, referred clients to me, gotten me a temporary job at the office where she works so we can hang out together AND get paid while doing it (brilliant! ;), and made me delicious lattes on more than one occasion. She's one of the most energetic, encouraging and cheerful people I know (not to mention gorgeous) so you can imagine how thrilled I was back in July when I asked, on a whim, if she'd be willing to do a spontaneous shoot with me and she agreed!

It turned out to be a SUPER humid evening, but she was a champ, nonetheless, and the only sad part is how long it's taken me to post this shoot! So, without further ado, check out my beautiful friend Bethany. :)

We started out shooting in a little wooded area behind my apartment complex, since the sunlight was so pretty.

After a while, we decided we needed some air conditioning and a change of scene, so we headed off to Cafe Caturra for the second part of the shoot.

Is she cute, or what?

Just look at those eyes!

She also always wears fun accessories - she's got a great sense of style!

Trying not to be scalded by the coffee, haha.

It was SUCH a fun shoot - of course it always is when all you're really doing is hanging out with a friend, and snapping some pictures along the way. :) Thanks for being a great model and great friend, Bethany!