Hey there, I am Mary! I hope to be your favorite photographer; if not, I should be. Hey, now, in all seriousness, I don’t have to be your favorite photographer, but I should be in the top two or so, at least. I enjoy a cup of 1/2 sweet, 1/2 unsweet tea with extra ice, hot summer days, and a bag of chips. Can anyone relate? Oh, and a deep tissue massage, yup, that’s right.

My family

I am married to Abe, and we have six children. Yes, I have to tell you their names because they mean the world to me: Steven, Stephanie, Kimberly, Kevin, April, and Amber (Double S, Double K, and Double A).

Steven was the oldest. He was honorary but full of life. He loved animals and riding dirt bikes. In 2016, Steven was called home in a car accident. Stephanie is married to Joey, and they have two little boys who bring so much joy into the family. Kimberly and Jake could conquer the world if Jake didn’t have to work. Kevin is the one who has to do a lot of little things for me; we won’t talk about the big things. April keeps everyone in line and leaves sticky notes everywhere for us to leave our shoes outside. Now, Amber, she’s the baby, so you already have her figured out.

Abe is my Mr. Steady visionary guy. He is a farmer; it’s rooted. I tried convincing him to become my second shooter, but he won’t hear me out. I love this man with my whole heart and love the life that we have built together. No, it hasn’t always been easy, but we have always relied on the Lord, who has pulled us through.

Oklahoma girl

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I’m an Okie girl. Yes, I grew up in a little town in Corn, Oklahoma. And yes, you pronounced that correctly—it’s just like the food that you eat. We lived right behind the church, so the parking lot was our personal arena for skating, ramping our bikes, and playing hide-and-seek.

I attended a public school from K-6th grade and a private Christian school, Corn Bible Academy, from 7th grade until I graduated. Sports were my thing, especially basketball; it’s still my favorite. However, I loved music class. I played the flute in high school and enjoyed choir class.

Texas, what is this?

I met my husband while in nursing school (not at nursing school). After I finished my degree, we decided to get married. That meant moving to Texas, a move I was unprepared for. I was used to green and golden wheat fields, trees to add beauty to the earth, and tornados during a severe storm. All of that changed when I moved to Texas. I welcomed sand storms and dry, hot spells and forget that I ever saw snow. And tornados, those like never happen here, thankfully.

Texas is my home. Yeah, some days I dream of living somewhere greener, but for now, I am content right here.

I hope you enjoyed reading a little more about me and the things that I love. Did I convince you why I should be your favorite photographer? Maybe we have a few things in common. If not, let’s grab a cup of tea and a bag of chips and talk about it.