When Laci from Seven Photography and I first started working on this contest we were so excited to be able to give someone deserving the opportunity to have a photo session free of charge. Pictures are something we both value so much in our lives. They aren't just pretty to look at, but they are a way to create a memory and then be able to not only remember it, but keep it to look at and treasure. While having pictures done professionally costs money, the feeling they give to you everytime you look at them and reminisce is priceless.
As the love stories came in, we read them and for a moment felt the same love they were trying to convey in these stories. The little girls who selflessly decided to grow their hair out so that they could donate it to the Locks of Love foundation- in reading this story we found that there is no age limit when it comes to loving and caring for people you may not even know.
The story that was submitted for the family that recently lost a loved one- This family lost a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a best friend. There are no words to describe the pain that this family is enduring. In reading this story we found that love must be expressed everyday and at any chance you can get. Life is short and never ends on our timing.
The story about the father and his two daughters- This story was sent in by one of the daughters and in reading it all I could think of is it takes a real man to step up and raise two girls on his own. While these girls didn't have their mother in their lives, they had one man that did more than make up for it.
The final story was submitted by a mother, and the love story is about her son. Her son has autism, but has taught her so many things in life that she would have never learned if she saw things through her eyes only. In reading this story I was reminded that true love is unconditional and that children are the perfect example of how to love unconditionally.
While reading these stories we felt that each person is so deserving that we didn't want just one person to win. We want to help create and capture memories of each love story. We have decided to do away with the voting and give all four of them a free photo session with Seven Photography.
Each love story is posted below, along with the photos that were submitted. Thank you everyone for participating and we can't wait to start the sessions! Winners- please send me an email to
vintagebuttercupcontest@gmail.com so we can start coordinating the sessions!
"August 2010, Haylee Appleford, my daughters hair was shoulder length. On her 6th birthday she decided that she wanted to grow her hair out for the "Locks of Love" foundation. One year later, August 2011, she had the required 10inches to cut her hair but decided to challenge her Elementary school to do it with her. So December 21, 2011 Asotin Elementary Cheer Cub Team, which she is apart of, held an assembly where we did the cutting of hair for the "Locks of Love." 10 girls, my youngest daughter Hannah included, showed up to cut their hair along with my daughter, Haylee Appleford. WOW...what an amazing turnout. I am so proud of both my girls for doing such an amazing thing that I would like to nominate them both for the contest. A sister session with their new bobs."
"When Jennifer came into Bryson's life in 2007, they both fell in love and became part of each other in a very special way. They were married in 2008, and their beautiful courtship continued to blossom. They were so close they'd breath each other's air! They did everything together. Bryson loved to tease Jenny by hiding in the closet and making her scream and laugh. Jenny loved to go out every weekend on a date with her husband, which they continued to do throughout their whole marriage.
Then in 2009, their little girl Sage was born. She was such a live wire even from the start and compared to Bryson and Jenny's calm demeanor, many wondered where Sage came from. She came packed with personality and fun-loving smiles.
In 2011, their little boy Raden was born. His determination to be everywhere and try everything were soon very apparent, and he made his big sister jealous. The kids were the focus and joy of Bryson and Jenny's lives. Their children also made them love each other more. It was said that Bryson and Jennifer's relationship together was something so extra special that what they had was something seen in other couples who had been married for 50 years.
But it was not meant to last for a lifetime. On January 9, 2012, on the way home from visiting family for Christmas, a terrible car accident took Jenny's life and left her sweetheart Bryson and 2 precious children behind to weather the storms alone. She was 23.
Even though Bryson knows that his sweet Jenny will be his for eternity, it is a very hard thing to know that for the rest of this mortal existence, he must press on without her.
If this story is voted for, Bryson and his 2 small children, Sage and Raden, will join together to capture a happy memory or two that they will treasure forever. Bryson doesn't know that he's being entered into this contest."
"I wonder how most people start their love stories off? Me, I'm going to start by clarifying that this isn't even what most people would consider a love story. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they fall in love, and live happily ever, right? Not in this case...
My story is about my dad, and how his love sculpted and nurturer the people, both my sister, and myself are today... My parents were married for nearly 17 years when their marriage finally hit a breaking point... Typical mom blames dad, dad blames mom, when the whole truth is they both messed up... Divorce isn't easy, on anyone, the parents, the kids, the family pet, everyone suffers. This divorce involved holes in the walls, cops in the drive way, screaming, yelling, and me reassuring my 8 year old, at the time, sister that everything was going to be okay...
Long story short, my mom went off the deep end, drank herself stupid, then ended up hooked on Meth. I remember, once, being at her house, and being so terrified for her well being, that I couldn't leave. She let herself go, and just after, let me and my sister go... Her 8 and 12 year old daughters, just up and left us. Her drug addicted self moved far away to live in her mom's basement... I didn't hear from her for a few years...
Sob story aside, because this isn't about her... It's about my dad. More often then not, when you hear of marriages failing, it's the father failing, not paying child support, the works. This case was just the opposite though. My dad took on his two daughters, being self employed, and raised us better than I could have ever asked. He saved our house from being foreclosed on, and went without so many things, just so my sister and myself could get by... I graduated on the honor roll, my sister was a varsity golfer...
Did we have our fights? You bet your ass we did. But, in the end, he taught us more than we may have ever known having both parents in the picture... Forgiveness, compassion, trust, and strength. He instilled a sound sense of work ethic in us, and he pushed us to be the best that we possibly could. I cannot imagine the stress and pressure having your two, young, and impressionable daughters left with you, by yourself..
To me this is the best love story of all... Sure, boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they fall in love, and live happily ever, is a beautiful thing, and as rare as it is, I think a story a father's unconditional love is just as beautiful and rare.
That being said, the picture I have attached is one of two that we have of the three of us. The other is also from my sister's graduation, same pose, just funny faces, lol... I guess over the years, barely making it by, pictures weren't on the top of our list... Maybe with this opportunity they could be? =)
Thanks for reading, I know it's not a typical love story, but it's one of the greatest I've ever known."
-She requested to remain anonymous, so I am not posting the picture for this story.
"My love story: I love the trees. I love the water. I love the sunshine. I love the boat. I love the dock. Nothin' else to do but dance. Life is great!
Life is a love story when you are six years old. Our dear little one loves to play, wherever he is. His life is not one miracle, but several. He started this life as a modern-day test-tube baby, but that little life almost ended before it even began with pregnancy related complications that were discovered at about nine weeks along. He endured that crisis and an emergency delivery, arriving here healthy, happy, and screaming; looking just like his Grandpa. Just a few days before he was born, his Great-grandfather saw him lying in Granny's arm. Granny couldn't figure out what baby her dad had described to her until she saw pictures of her newest grandson; then she realized he is the baby her dad was seeing. His Great-grandfather passed on just three days after our little miracle arrived. A collapsed lung a little more than a week after his first birthday got him his first ride in a helicopter so we could get to Sacred Heart safely and quickly. He recovered from that ordeal and has been strong every since.
We choose to see the sunshine in our sons life while we focus on his successes and accomplishments, not his struggles. I love his tight hugs around my neck and his "raspberry kisses" on my cheek every night before bed. His view of this word is different than most; he sees things in ways we do not. His hearing is uncanny and often surprises me. He is kind and polite and a bit immature. He loves Christmas, Jesus, music, legos, reading, angry birds, stars, outer space, dinosaurs, baking, crafts, painting, snow, and Thomas the Tank Engine. He loves to watch movies over and over again. Our son has autism. For some, he is a puzzle: for me, he is my very own miracle; he is the sun, the moon and the stars, all rolled up into one. Because of this miraculous gift of handsome growing boy; I love the trees even more, I love the water more than before, I love this sunshine that is my lifeline, I love this boat ride called life, I love the dock wherever we play. Nothin' else to do but dance. Life IS great!"
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