santo niño cemetery | duval county, t.x.

On Christmas Day, we drove out to our family’s cemetery, Santo Niño, in Duval County to wish my grandpa a merry Christmas. The cemetery is now a Texas Historical Landmark and was established in June of 1908. My grandma, who should be a docent, told us stories of our ancestors up to my great great great grandparents. This humble cemetery has so much history in it and is the resting place to veterans, ranchers, and educators to name a few professions. My grandma is an avid genealogist and has traced parts of our family back to the year 608 with names and dates and is currently in the 500s with her tracing of another branch of the family (yes, that far back…1500 years ago!).

She told stories of our family’s history, how my great grandma got grazed by a rifle at the ranch, how my grandmother and sisters spent her summers at her family ranch in San Diego, Texas, how her family survived the Texas City explosion in 1947, and how my great grandmother moved her family to Kingsville to run a boarding house so they would have the money and the opportunity to go to school at Texas A & I (now Texas A&M Kingsville). I suggested my grandma start recording all her stories as they are so full of Texas and Mexican American history. Hopefully we can make this a reality in the coming years!

Our family cemetery was recently deemed a Texas Historical Landmark and we are raising money to post the sign and have a dedication ceremony (it’s that official, y’all). If you’re interested in donating, contact me and I’ll pass you along to the right people.

Prospero Año Nuevo!

a corpus christmas | corpus christi, t.x.

As years have passed and the number of drives to Texas have increased, I’m still not a pro at training my hind quarters to sit for 2 days. However, the trips still persist at Christmas time to go see family in Corpus Christi and San Antonio and I would never change it. We welcomed more family than we’ve had in recent years (mom managed to get a selfie with every person–it truly is the year of the selfie) and actually had kids to enjoy the Christmas spirit with this year!

All of Tía Dali and Tío Gonzalo’s children and grandchildren, Valeria , Dawson, Madelyn, Joe, Ivan, Juliette, Fina, Luca, and 5-week-old Victor, came to Corpus from Houston, Atlanta, and Madrid to celebrate this year. Juliette, one of my wide-eyed 4-year-old cousins exclaimed that “this is the best Christmas ever!” as presents for 43 people were piled into a mountain surrounding the spinning Christmas tree and carols were sung. None of Tía Dali’s grandchildren, except for Ivan, have experienced a Dueñas Christmas before and now I’m quite certain they’ll only want this kind for the rest of their lives. These kiddos had unlimited Christmas cookies, got to play instruments with the tías, and stay up way later then ever before. They got to hear Santa arrive as his sleigh landed, jingle bells rang and then he ho ho ho’d out the door while all the Baby Jesuses magically appeared in their manger. It was my first time experiencing Santa as an adult instead of impatiently waiting for him to arrive while being locked in my grandma’s bedroom and boy, was he magical!

As presents were unwrapped, Ivan grew concerned about how he was going to get all his gifts back to Spain. His sister, Fina, who was still jet-lagged, smiled at her feather boa and fox family, as she thanked her family for her gifts. Joe celebrated the arrival of new soccer cleats, socks, and kit kats while my grandma gasped at a plaque with her quote of the year painted on it that was gifted to the ragamuffins (scroll down to see!). Props to my hubby for grabbing some sweet photos of me playing accordion, getting the kids singing, and of them opening an envelope of a $100 bill!

Stay tuned for a post at our family’s historical cemetery in Duval County, Texas.

leila + carol | wedding | albuquerque, n.m.

If there is one thing I have learned as I’ve grown up is that love truly is universal. This summer, I had one of the biggest opportunities and blessings offered to me. I got to photograph my Tias’ union ceremony in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Leila and Carol are some of the most influential people in my life, always believing in me, always pushing me to the next level, and always keeping our culture alive while teaching it to all their nieces and nephews. Their union ceremony is arguably the most cultural event I’ve ever been a part of and I’m so thankful for the traditions and culture they’ve instilled in me.

From a traditional ceremony to a spiritual ceremony and then a dance ceremony, these two exemplified their Mexican and New Mexican heritage. The calaveras danced ever so carefully on the tables while watching the whole ceremony as if they were Leila + Carol’s ancestors, while streamers of vibrant fabric blew freely in the dry New Mexican breeze. The vibrant color of the entire day was placed on a magnificent backdrop of the Sandia Mountains with a rich sky of pinks, purples, and blues at El Zocalo Plaza in Bernalillo, New Mexico. Surrounded by family and friends, these two were welcomed with a standing ovation as they made their way down the aisle to commit themselves to one another forever (this made it very hard to photograph as tears were filling up my eyes). As their unique ceremony progressed, they were wed both traditionally and spiritually. Their good friends held a spiritual ceremony to wish upon them a productive marriage as family graced them with flower petals, followed by a dancing ceremony that represented their marriage and a living memorial of both Leila + Carol’s late fathers. The night continued with much dancing, a La Marcha with Mojigangas, and the traditional dollar dance to help the couple start their married life and business together, as live tunes from local musicians filled the midnight blue sky.

Leila + Carol, I wish both of you the best and thank you for keeping true to your culture and teaching us children the ways of our heritage, in addition to creating open minds hungry for opportunity. You are truly an inspiration in my life and the rest of the family! Your love is huge and unforgettable! Thank you, thank you for allowing me to capture your wedding day and tell your love story. ¡Viva las Novias!

family portraits | raleigh, n.c.

I love big families and I love when big families celebrate the holidays together! This early morning, post-Thanksgiving session was in a beautiful Raleigh neighborhood and was full of four generations of beautiful family members ranging from 3-months-old to 92-years-old. This family all convened in Raleigh but traveled from Asheville, Ohio, and Texas to celebrate Thanksgiving and decided to commemorate this big visit with a portrait session. This family was full of love and snuggles with sweet grandchildren while parents and grandparents were just trying to soak in all the sweet memories. Thanks for letting me be a part of your holiday + welcoming me with warm hearts into your home! Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas + a Happy New Year!

from the archives: a corpus christmas 2013

Here we are again, taking the too-many-miles-to-count drive from Goldsboro, N.C. to Corpus Christi, T.X. for Christmas. This year has been so busy that I realized I never even touched my photos from Christmas last year, so to force the Christmas spirit into my current bah humbug state and a way to remember what comes at the end of this drive, I pulled out my photos from the archives.

Christmas is always such a special time in Corpus. Family comes in from all over the country, tamales are made, music is played (even in tiny little kitchens), and traditions live on. Christmas has always been quite the party, and as we’ve aged and grown, we somehow never forget the memories that surround Christmas in Corpus. Sitting around in the afternoon drinking coffee and eating pan dulce with the Tías, exploring the south Texas valley produce stands and Kingsville, making turcos & tamales (in which my grandma taught us about Hispanic Jewish ancestors), and always keeping our family musical tradition alive, getting the ragamuffins to sing a tequila-laden “Jalisco,” and documenting every part of the occasion are only some of these memories that scream a Corpus Christmas.

So here’s to keeping the memories and the traditions alive and looking forward to what comes at the end of this long haul. ¡Feliz Navidad y Prospero Nuevo Año!

Christmas always starts with making dozens upon dozens of tamales. Last year, Tía Elsie, Tía Dali, and Paul made the masa. We also make empanadas, however, only Grandma and Tía Elsie knew the key to perfectly pinching this delicious dough. This was Tía Elsie’s last Christmas with us and even though we will miss her very much, we are so blessed to have spent time with her last year and have all the memories of her in our hearts this year.

We always try to make a trip to Kingsville to the King Ranch Saddle Shop. Last year, we met Madeline May the Javelina (according to Dad, it’s a Vietnamese Pot Belly Pig, but let’s stick with the Kingsville Javelina theme) who came to visit. Who wouldn’t want a pig for a pet?

We stopped at a fruit stand outside of Kingsville in Driscoll, Texas when we were headed back to Corpus Christi and we met Maria. She joked around about my age and was astonished at the price of citrus in North Carolina, as our jaws dropped at her valley citrus prices. Her fruit truck made such a beautiful backdrop and couldn’t resist but snap a portrait of her to celebrate her welcoming and mothering personality.

And of course, no trip is complete to Corpus without a post-Christmas party. This time, however, it was held in my grandma’s tiny kitchen. Who needs NPR tiny desk concerts when you can have Grandma Tiny Kitchen Concerts? Either way, no Christmas is complete without a music-filled, overly documented (I might’ve climbed onto my grandma’s counter for some photos), Christmas leftover’s party!

engaged: philip + danielle | burlington, n.c.

When Philip + Danielle contacted me about doing their wedding photos, I squealed with excitement! Philip and I were friends back in high school, where we spent days convincing our AP European History teacher to let us watch any movie that had to do with Europe and play Risk, along with surviving many other “challenges” of high school. I was so happy for him when we went to N.C. State and even happier that he met this awesome lady, Danielle while he was there! When I say that I couldn’t think of any other people who were absolutely perfect for each other, I truly mean it. Philip is a Ph. D candidate in the College of Veterinary Medicine at State and Danielle is a veterinary medicine student and a Ph. D candidate. They just get each other. Their love for each other is huge! They laugh at each other and themselves and are all about caring for animals in such a very intellectual way. Phil proposed to Danielle late this summer while she was at school. A good friend convinced her that there was a sick goat out in the field by a big tree that needed attention quickly. Little did she know, the sick goat was Philip. Philip took a knee and Danielle’s breath away in one fell swoop while she was decked out in her mud boots and overalls. It was a total surprise, which always makes for the best proposal!

We met out at their wedding venue in Burlington, Starlight Meadows, to have a rustic and casual session. This new venue is awesome and is going to be so beautiful on an early October evening! We played and danced in the meadow with their sweet boy, Finley, laughed at all the things, and had such a great time. These two even cracked jokes the whole day about some pretty gross cow facts (I’ll spare you the details but I quite enjoyed them myself!), in addition to owning all awkwardness and quoting YouTube videos. They are an adventurous couple who know how to have some serious fun and are dream clients!

Philip + Danielle, you two are just so perfect for one another. It brings butterflies to my stomach when I see how much love there is beaming out of y’all. Thank you for the great session and I cannot wait for the big day to get here!

senior portraits: evan | goldsboro, n.c.

Evan. An athlete. A smart pants. A super hero. An aspiring fighter pilot. This kid is on top of the world, y’all (or will literally be when his dream of becoming a F-22 fighter pilot come true). Evan used to be my neighbor in Seymour Johnson’s base housing back in the late 1990’s. He and my brother were total bros and would rule the trampoline, mummify G.I. Joes, and carve their names into everything. When Evan’s mom asked me to do his senior portraits, I had no idea he was getting ready to graduate! I still saw him as my younger neighbor who was crazy strong for 4-years-old. For his portraits, we ventured out to some of Goldsboro’s iconic places including Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to see the planes-on-a-stick. It was a very foggy Veteran’s Day morning, which made this session inspiring but also nostalgic as the jets appeared to be shooting out of the sky, it seemed.

Evan is on his way to do awesome things with his life. He’s at the top of his class and aspires to go to the Air Force Academy (finger’s crossed that he gets in!), he’s a top wrestler and football player at his school, he wants to study aerospace engineering in school, he’s not afraid to be a goofball, and he has a clear passion for his superheroes (seriously, he’s got the best superhero wardrobe in the world), and could be a model if all else fails. But on top of all these accolades, he’s a genuinely wonderful big brother who is super chill and super patient, a great son, and a big dreamer who loves his country. Evan, good luck with all your life endeavors and I hope your ride to the top is a spectacular adventure!

the truelove family | raleigh, n.c.

There is something to be said for a family named Truelove. Never have I seen such a genuine family that truly is full of love. Sarah and Greg have such an authentic love and it clearly radiates down to their two awesome kids (who I will forever want to be best friends and play pals with forever), Audrey + Stevie, who just shared endless amounts of hugs and kisses which makes them the sweetest brother and sister in the history of brothers and sisters!

We met at Pullen Park in Raleigh, which is the first amusement park in North Carolina, established in 1887. This was the most incredible place to go and have a family session, especially with an almost 7-year-old and 4-year-old. We romped around the park, played in the leaves, climbed the caboose, and of course, rode the famous carousel and train. The sheer childlike joy on Audrey + Stevie’s faces made me melt inside a yearn for my childhood years! It was a fun and energy-filled day at the park with a family with such an honest love for one another! Thank you for this insanely fun day, Truelove family!