Happy 20th Birthday, Becs! -

Today is Becs' 20th birthday!!!! Happy Birthday, darling!!! 

And look.....your graduation photo portraits...on.my.blog. It's a birthday miracle, I tell you. Poor darling. Maybe someday I can share them on my photo website! Becs begged me to blog them back in March of 2012, but then...life went all insane and I was way too tired and sad to do any blogging. So they sat happily on my computer and happily on hers, and sometimes you'll see one here or there. 

We did two shoots: Tuck Everlasting and Railroad Hobo. She was the prettiest hobo I've ever seen. 

I'll tell you what else....she's one of the most loyal and fun friends I've ever known. I've been so incredibly blessed by her friendship. She's quick to laugh, whether at herself or with others. She loves to be with you, to hear from you, to talk with you, to do nothing with you. She is insanely good at pretty much every instrument she takes up to play. It's downright annoying, I tell you. She's quick and witty and funny and FUN. She's tenderhearted and compassionate and an extremely complimentary word that won't make it on the blog that basically means she wins at life. She's so special she should get a degree in it. Becca Elizabeth BA of Winning at Life. HAHAHAHa. 

She's graceful and awkward all at the same time, and manages to make me look like a total white girl with no moves every time we start dancing. She can bust a move like dancers do. Oh, and this girl can SANG. She's quick to pray, quick to empathize, quick to comfort, quick to encourage. She's there for me when I am sad and life falls apart, and holds me when I cry. She's my twin in music. I'll find something, e-mail her about it, get an e-mail back that says "THEY ARE MY FAVORITE.". It happens every.single.time. 

She posts stuff like this on my FB and in e-mails and it is all soooooo truuuuueeeee. IT IS US.

We love the ocean and we hate jellies (except moon jellies) and seaweed. We are both freakishly scared of sharks. I love crabs. She does not love crabs. I love picking up dead crabs. She loves screaming at me.  

She understands my insatiable need for photographs, and good ones. We love our photoshoots together. 

We love exploring, up until we think we're gonna die by being torn limb from limb by a 10' gator. 

She's honest and hilarious and can totally take all of my "if we share this on the web, we will be disowned" pinterest pins and funny quotes and everything else that strikes us as funny - we will laugh and joke about it for forever and ever, amen. And that is what makes good friends. 

We probably get on each other's nerves sometimes, but we just let it go, because we love each other. 

She loves my family and I love hers. She laughs and sings and dances and shrieks and hugs.

We went to Mumford and Sons this year and it was honestly one of the most amazing nights of my life, and I'm so glad I spent all of it singing and jumping, dancing and being crazy right by her side. 

She makes my life so much better by being in it. I love you, Becs. Happy 20th birthday!! 

Love, 

~ Jean Marie ~ 

P.S. These portraits are some of my favorite I've ever taken. EVER. She is so stunning and perfect.