Have you ever had a friend that you are just so proud of? Almost like if you were proud of your own child?  Ok…maybe that’s weird, but if you knew Lauren, you would understand why I think the world of her!

Since the day I met Lauren, I was so impressed by her.  She was so kind and warm hearted.  Her husband and my husband were in the same unit in the military. It was my first rodeo in the fleet but Lauren was a veteran to military life and sailed smoothly through all the changes.  (Total pun intended because my husband is a Sailor). Through the 4 years we were together in one of the hottest places in the United States, we said goodbye to our husbands as they deployed together, we welcomed babies (lots of them), mourned with those who mourned, comforted each other, partied, crafted, moved. I mean…we did it all together.  And then it was time to go to a new duty station, as is military life.

No matter where we have lived, Lauren has made an effort to visit my family.  And we have too. We visited her in NC when her husband was away for work.  Between us and another beloved family, we helped decorate her Christmas tree and played with her babies. And she voiced how full her heart was.  She beat me to it because I felt it too.

We now live on different coasts of the country.  Lauren now works for Breakline. It is a program that assists veterans in transitioning into new careers.  It is such important work.  From a wife of a Veteran, I see how my husband has worked so hard to transition into civilian life and it’s not easy.  So I am not surprised Lauren saw this wonderful opportunity and is now a part of it.

This session in Downtown Alexandria, VA is headshots for Lauren. But for me, it was a tribute to my beautiful friend.  A tribute of her beauty (trust me, you’ll crush on her too), her God-given talents and loyalty, and our friendship. Enjoy!