Covid-19 & Graduation 2020

Graduation Portraits during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Graduation portraits in a sunflower field by Norma Hess in McAllen, Texas.

The year 2020 took a pretty unexpected turn. When spring break came around, I never imagined that my kids wouldn’t be returning to classes after that week of vacation. I also had not factored in that my own kindergartner and senior wouldn’t be celebrating graduation as planned.

If you are one of the many families with a 2020 graduate, I can relate to that sense of loss. It’s a pretty big accomplishment for our kids to work hard in class (whether that was their first year in kinder or their final year in high school) and then miss out on the end-of-year celebration.

Well my friend Amy and I decided to make the most of this situation and we hit a beautiful sunflower field to celebrate with a photo session. Her own daughter was scheduled to walk with all her Kinder class this year and well, since plans changed, why not commemorate that moment with some photos.

If your own little one (or not so little one) is home with a gown, I’d love to chat about making memories with you guys. Maybe 2020 isn’t going as planned, we can still create some beautiful memories to document this very special time in your lives.

Congratulations to the class of 2020! You did it!

“Girls with Dreams Become Women with Vision” Quote for girls’ graduation caps. Photo by Norma Hess at SojourningBirth.com
Formal graduation photos in sunflower field. Outdoor graduation photographer in McAllen, Texas. Norma Hess, Photographer. sojourningbirth.com
Sunflower field photography by Norma Hess in McAllen, Texas

If you are still practicing social distancing, rest assured that we will keep more than 6 feet apart for your photography session with us. (Find our packages here.)

Not sure about scheduling a session? Ask about our editing services. You take your own photos on your favorite camera or smart phone and we edit them! #easypeasyphotoediting The fee is small and we’d be happy to work with you quickly.

xoxo

Norma H

Newborn Session: Charlotte

Welcome home Charlotte!

An In-Home Newborn Photo Session in McAllen, Texas

Back in May, I attended the BT MOPS Community Market. Sojourning Birth donated a session to the silent auction that day and Chloë’s sister Ciara won! #Woohoo! We scheduled the session recently and let me tell y’all. It was soooooooo sweet!

Chloë and I are practically family now. Our lives crossed paths when I met her sweet family through my little brother. I’m so happy that life brought us together!

Not long ago, we all stood in the birth space together as Chloë labored and brought sweet Charlotte earth side. Her birth was so moving and will always stay with me.

Now, little Charlotte is smiling from ear to ear when she hears/sees her daddy. Where does the time go?

And also, is that image of her smile not the sweetest? Ahh!

I wanted to take a moment to show you all a sneak peek of Charlotte’s in-home session. Normally, it’s hard for me to narrow down all the images for these sneak peeks so I hope I picked the perfect ones to show y’all today!

On this very special day, not only did we have Charlotte and her parents, we also had grandma and great grandma join in on the fun! It’s a huge treat to be present for moments like these. It’s so important for our kids to know our families, our traditions, and to be able to keep these memories for years to come.

Thank you for welcoming me for this session G Family!! It was an absolute pleasure to document your day.

Beautiful girl’s nursery in McAllen, Texas | Photo by Norma Hess at sojourningbirth.com
Grandma and Me. Baby Charlotte enjoys her mommy milk before her photo session. | Photo by Norma Hess sojourningbirth.com
Including your family pet in your family session is so easy with lifestyle in-home sessions. Big brother (Odie) patiently waits for Grandma to burp little sister. | Photo by Norma Hess sojourningbirth.com
Including Grandma in your photo session is easy with in-home photo sessions! | Photo by Norma Hess sojourningbirth.com
Newborn photos at home are easy! Ask for a lifestyle newborn session. McAllen Newborn Photographer Norma Hess | sojourningbirth.com
Candid photos in McAllen, Texas. The best way to document your family so everyone can relax and be themselves. | Photo by Norma Hess | sojourningbirth.com
Odie comes in for a closer look during this intimate newborn session at home. | Photo by Norma Hess at SojourningBirth.com
Four generations. We had Great-grandma, grandma, mom, and baby join in on this photo of their hands. What a beautiful way to treasure your family memories. | Photo by Norma Hess at SojourningBirth.com
Cherish your family’s memories with an in-home family session. | Photo by Norma Hess at sojourningbirth.com
Mommy and me photos by Norma Hess | SojourningBirth.com

Thank you for visiting the blog today! Leave this sweet family some love with a comment.

Are you interested in an easy in-home session to document your loved ones? Let’s chat! These sessions are easy to book, relaxed and you’ll love seeing your authentic images shortly after your session. Learn more here.

~Norma Hess

Christmas Tree Farm Visit

Our family visits Devine Acres Farm | Devine, Texas | South Texas Christmas Tree Farm


It’s been about 10 years since I met my friend Colleen. She introduced me to an awesome little Christmas tree farm in Devine, TX and I couldn’t believe my eyes when we arrived for the first time. I never imagined it was possible to visit such a cute little Christmas tree farm so close to the Rio Grande Valley. (It’s still a nice little 4ish hour drive away but it beats driving to Dallas!)

We fell in love with this place and have since tried to make it back as a post-Thanksgiving tradition. We drive up, pick out our Christmas tree, roast some marshmallows, and play until our legs feel like jell-o.

This year was the first year we headed up as a complete family of 7. It had been a while and we were so psyched to finally head back up. The kids were not disappointed and neither was I!

The farm has grown, there was definitely a bigger crowd than I was used to, but the charm is still 100% intact. The friendly faces showed us the way and we had a blast exploring all the new games and features the farm now offers.

We had an incredible time and can’t wait to head back up next year!

Have you visited this beautiful little gem?