2012.

Well, before I get started on 2012, let's rewind a little.

Last year, at this time, I was about 5 months from graduating high school, and I had NO idea what I wanted to do. I kept going back and forth between a photographer and police officer- yes, you read that right; a police officer. I decided around March that I was going to put off school, for now. There was no use in wasting my time at college and wasting money on tuition that wouldn't help me, since I didn't know what I wanted to do. I had decided around April that law enforcement was something I wanted to do, so I found out what I had to do to get into the Birmingham Police Academy, and I couldn't even apply until I was 19 going on 20. I had some support from family, but from people at school, not so much.

I made it to graduation, even though I felt like the day would never come.

After graduation, I of course drifted away from everyone I talked to on a daily basis, and I'm pretty sure if I saw some people I went to school with today, they wouldn't even say "hey," but I was warned.

I went through football season, without getting tackled, and making some new friends along the way. Hewitt football in general is something I'll never forget, but the 2011 season is the best season so far. I laughed with the guys, and I cried with the guys; they made me apart of the team-which I'm extremely thankful for.

After making a goal list for the first time in my life, I found out I'd be fulfilling one of those goals, going to Miss America 2012 as press!

So why did I mention the whole police story?

Great question.

I've decided to stick to photography, but also find something else that I love. I'm planning to go to college to be an EMT, but for now, I'm staying with photography, just to see how far it'll take me.

This year has been full of up's and down's, but I'm incredibly blessed with all of the new opportunities coming up in my life. I've been blessed with the best support system in the world, that not everyone has. For anyone who's ever supported me, thank you.


So, what are your goals for 2012?

Mine are to enjoy life, travel a lot, photograph everything, be successful, and continue to work with photography and continue to build my portfolio.

Here are some of my favorite memories from 2011!

Thanks to everyone who's supported me this year! :)

An amazing opportunity

I've been blessed with an amazing opportunity and I'm happy to share that I'll be traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2012 Miss America Pageant for The Trussville Tribune. The Trussville Tribune will be covering Courtney Porter, Miss Alabama, during her week at Miss America.

I never thought at 18 years old, I'd be traveling to Las Vegas to photograph an event for a newspaper I love so much! I'm so thrilled for this opportunity and I can't thank Scott Buttram and Gary Lloyd enough for this opportunity with the paper. Also, thank you to the Miss America Organization for making this possible. I'm looking so forward to this journey.

Don't forget to watch for Courtney on ABC on January 14, 2012 from 9pm-11pm from Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino as she competes for the title of Miss America 2012!

Read Courtney's story here.

Vote for Courtney's video here.

"You never know what you have until it's gone." Truth is, you did, you just never thought you'd lose it.

6 years ago today, I lost my grandmother (we called her Ghia). I was 12 when she passed away, but let's rewind one year before that, so 7 years ago. I was 11 years old, sitting in Ghia's living room talking to her while everyone else (sisters and cousins) were outside playing around. I sat and sat, listening to Ghia tell me about this picture. It was a simply beautiful photo of Cape Cod; one of the most beautiful photos I've seen in my life. She proceeded to tell me all about that vacation she took to Cape Cod (she traveled all the time). After we got done talking about the photo she had taken, she showed me a Billy Graham TV Special flyer, with the TV special being titled "The Coming Storm" and on the back of that flyer was a photo. The photo was of Cape Cod, at the exact same angle Ghia had taken the photo in. My exact words, "wow, you're a pro!" Note: she was not a photographer by any means. She just loved to travel and document her travels.

Now, I look at the Billy Graham flyer, and on the photo of Cape Cod (the Billy Graham one) it has the Bible verse "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." -Psalm 46:1.


Where am I going with this? Well, as I look at this tonight, I see a photo that has changed my life. Why did my grandmother choose me, out of 7 grandchildren to talk to? She knew.

A year later, she was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, a Glioblastoma-which was "The Coming Storm" in my life, that I didn't see coming.

October 4th, I came home from school, just like normal. However, I knew something was wrong, we had a family friend come to the house to help my dad break the news to us. In the next 58 days, I'd spend the night at numerous people's houses and go to school, just to find myself writing things down to remember my grandmother by (I was heavily into poetry when I was in 7th grade). On November 29, 2005 I was checked out of school by another family friend, and I sprinted out of my math class and just took what I had with me. I knew it was time.

We got to my grandmother's house, she was under hospice care by this time. We told her that it was okay, and that she could go be with Jesus, but it turned out it wasn't her time. However, on December 1, 2005 at 5am, my dad woke me and my sisters up (we had spent the night at Ghia's house). The whole family gathered around her and at 5:08am as the hospice nurse handed my mother the Stethoscope, my mom heard my grandmother's last heart beat. As we stood watching the heart monitor turn to 0, we stood in awe as we watched this amazing woman of God, see her Jesus. And as her pained face turned to a smile, we all knew she was happy.

About two weeks later, on the way to a Christmas party at someone's house, my mom handed me something she found at my grandmother's house (they'd been cleaning it out). It was the picture of Cape Cod, and on the back, it read "Give to Anna Malone." That was the only thing in her house that was specified to give to anyone inparticular.

I often find myself asking, why did she talk to me? I always get the same answers...It's a God thing. Thank you, Ghia.

I will admit, I never thought I'd lose my grandmother, but I know she's in a better place, and she's smiling down on my whole family right now. We love and miss you terribly!