Alyssa Noel Photography

It’s High School Graduation Week!!!

Congrats to all of the graduates! You finally made it 🙌🏻 Those last few weeks of school always drag, but ESPECIALLY as a senior. But YOU DID IT! And now it’s time to walk that aisle, grab your diploma, and make your Mamas proud!

But I also want to take a moment to say this… Right now you’re stoked about your future. You know what career you want to pursue. Maybe you’re dreaming of meeting that special someone in college. The future looks bright. And it is!

But IF, in 10 years, your timeline for your future doesn’t quite match what you thought it would be on graduation day. If you’re at the end of your twenties with a degree, but not working the job your degree qualified you for. Or you’re single and pretty sure you haven’t met the person you want to spend the rest of your life with . Or maybe you decided not to go to college, you’re working retail, and you’re barely scraping by financially… Please know this: You’re Not Falling Behind.

You don’t have to have it all figured out by the end of your 20s (I’m turning 30 this year and while I’ve learned and changed a lot since my graduation day, I PROMISE I don’t have it all figured out). You can change your major in college. You can meet the person of your dreams when you’re in your 40s. Financial security can come and go. Your circumstances will always be changing. At the end of the day, what matters is this: that you are loved, always, by God. He cares for you no matter what. No accomplishment will make Him love you more and no failure will make Him love you less. So love Him back, love others, and you’ll be right where you need to be.

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭ESV‬‬

🎓 capandgownpics

Getting to photograph families through the different stages of their lives is such a privilege! ❤️ Flip through the pics to go back in time about 5 years to the first time I got to photograph Paris and Mason. Their engagement photos were one of my favorite shoots! They were the kindest couple and were absolutely giddy in love and it was darling. Fast forward to this weekend and we had the opportunity to shoot in the same location but this time with their beautiful daughter in tow ❤️ Their love is still evident and playful just as it was 5 years ago, but also seasoned and stronger now. If I haven’t retired by the time I’m 80, you better believe I’ll be on Paris and Mason’s front porch photographing them holding hands in their matching rocking chairs 🥰

Wedding photo associate shot by the amazing .stone.photography when I was to preggo to do it. Edited by me.

Okaaaaay this maternity shoot was 🔥 I MEAN how cute are Bradley and Nikayla?! 100% sure I’ll be posting more of these once I’ve finished the full gallery, but for now, here’s a couple sneak peeks of this sweet, stunning hilltop maternity session 💕

I’ve known Hailey since she was… probably a pr***en! I still remember her talking back then about how much she was looking forward to being a mother one day. At the time I didn’t really understand having a desire for motherhood at such a young age; there was still so much for her to experience, so much life to live. I clearly didn’t know that she was destined to be a young mom; to live all of that life WITH her baby and husband 💞

I think our culture gets this wrong often, that children take you away from your “real life”. That your life ends when your become a parent. But that’s just not true. Sure you lose a lot of freedom. But children aren’t a barrier to your real life, they ARE your real life. I was just saying to my son last week that my husband and I would have WAY less fun if we didn’t have he and my daughter in our lives. We CERTAINLY wouldn’t laugh as much.

Children will challenge you on the daily. But they’ll also make your heart swell with pride, they’ll humble you, they’ll make you more creative, make you laugh so hard you cry, and ultimately make you a better person. They’re a GIFT.

Getting to meet Hailey’s sweet baby girl and witness the evident adoration & fierce love she and Andres have for both each other and their daughter was also, truly, a gift. As a family photographer I am so blessed to be able to take part in preserving memories for my clients. I hope, when Hailey’s daughter is about to graduate high school, she looks back on these photos and remembers exactly how this season of life felt. I hope she feels that adoration and fierce love and how awesome it truly was the step into her first ever season of motherhood.