Sam had just entered a restaurant for an outfit change on her senior shoot and I waited on the sidewalk of a busy street in Deep Ellum and glanced down at my phone. The minute I lifted my head and looked up, I spotted a car driving slowly down the road directly in front of me with a 360 degree camera on top and the words, “Apple Maps” on the side! Ehhh – I was humiliated! Does that mean that when they update their maps, every time someone looks up directions for that restaurant, that they will see a lady standing there with a camera around her neck looking like a deer caught in the headlights?! What timing I have!

 

Well, that was just the beginning of our adventures in Deep Ellum for Sam’s senior pictures!

 

We thought a Tuesday afternoon would be pretty uneventful. I really didn’t think the party going crowd that is typical for that part of town would be out until later or maybe not even at all since it was a midweek afternoon.

 

But, I was wrong! 

 

We were stopped several  times by random strangers asking for money, asking if Sam was a model, etc and honking by an extremely loud firetruck that made us all jump up about two feet off the ground! Thankfully, by that time, we had most of the variety in shots we needed, from wall graffiti to flowery shots, for the photo session and high tailed it out of there!

 

Enough about our adventures that day, though. Let me tell you about Sam! She is quite a girl! Her mom came too, and their relationship was beautiful! It was a breath of fresh air to see how they interacted and how Sam showed such love and respect for her. It’s something I share with my daughter, who is younger, but I really wish more teen girls could realize how much wisdom their moms have and how they only have the best in mind for their children. Girls, trust them, even when you don’t understand them.

 

Sam is a senior at Wylie High School and is active in their theater department. Actually, we had to reschedule her original shoot date because they kept advancing in their competitions! That is one time I don’t mind rescheduling! So, way to go!

 

She has friends going to Texas Tech and is excited to join them there this fall! Because she has already taken several dual credit classes, she won’t be entering as a first semester freshman! 

 

Sam is also very involved in her church, which just so happens to be where I go as well. She is a student leader in the youth group and I can see why! Her vibrant personality and love for God and others is like a ray of sunshine on a dark day! She plans on attending Young Life and getting plugged into a great church when she moves to Lubbock. God has great plans for her, I am sure!