I choked on my Sonic drink when Brandi told me she wanted to schedule family pictures for her (and this is a quote) “Five Year Stab-aversary”. I shouldn’t have been shocked, though… if you know Brandi at all, you know she treats everything in her life completely irreverently, and is a TON of fun because of it.

If you Google “Brandi Todd”, or read either of THESE BLOG posts, you’ll hear a little of Brandi’s story. Five years ago, she walked into a park on a playdate with her kids. Because of someone else’s horrible and senseless act of violence, she hasn’t walked since. But to define Brandi… or Lincoln & Olivia… by what happened to them that day would be a HUGE injustice. Because yes, that was horrible. But their lives since then have not been.

Brandi hasn’t just survived, she’s thrived. She’s an incredible single mother, a dedicated student, and still one of the funniest, most vibrant people I’ve ever met. Brandi didn’t just make lemonade out of the lemons life threw at her… she made a killer bourbon lemonade cocktail and bottled it and people are lined up around the block to buy it. Because that’s what it looks like to THRIVE, even in the face of something unimaginable.

And I can’t think of anything else that’s more deserving of an impromptu mini session than that.

My friend, you’re an inspiration to so many, and I’m really really glad I got to take these pictures for your sweet family. We love all three of you… here’s to another 5 years of kicking life right in the teeth.