Ok, brace yourself for another mushy, emotional mommy rant about my sweet daughter graduating from high school…  This week’s theme for “Project 52” was MEMORY.

In all of the graduation festivities, my daughter and I were discussing what to buy her friends for graduation.  She asked if I would be willing to gift them all with a session to celebrate their graduation and the friendships they’ve formed…ummm, let me think…willing?  ABSOLUTELY!  I was thrilled with the idea and super excited to photograph them all together!  :)  This is quite possibly one of the greatest groups of kids…EVER.  I am so thankful for each of them and the blessing they have been in my daughter’s life over the years.  I have loved hearing her talk about them, their silly antics, lunch table talks, poker nights, prayer time, and movie marathons.  I pray as they all head off to different colleges they will all carry the memory of their time together with them and thank God for experiencing such special friendships!

We started the session with just the girls and I will admit to getting so overcome with emotion as I snapped this next image that I had to take some time to hug each one of them individually, thank them for being such great friends and then take a few minutes to compose myself!

…and then along came the boys!

When the session was over my daughter and friend who will be traveling to Haiti next week were blessed with the prayers of their friends! (and yes, I stood over to the side with tears falling down my face, again!)

I had already said my good-byes and had been up in the studio for a good long while and could still hear them down in the street talking and laughing.

I’m so glad I took my camera to the window and got this:

Head on over to Erin Bunting’s blog to see her interpretation of the this week’s theme, then follow the links through the other photographers’ blogs.