August will be 8 years of Tara and Bobby being together, and up until 4 years ago- there was never any talk of getting married, let alone a future family. They were content. But still, back in October of 2018, Bobby arrived home from a trip to visit their friends in Virginia and Tara was on her laptop looking at beach condos and researching grad-school. Bobby said something to Tara that surprised her: "If we do want kids, I guess we should go ahead and get married. Although, that will really nail you to living in Ocala, so think about it". Actually, Tara was in total shock. Her mother even thought maybe he found out that he had a terminal illness or something equally life-shifting. And thus began a days-long bout of insomnia for Tara! Out of nowhere, her entire future was hinging on that decision; should she continue her happy life with her beloved dog, untethered, and possibly move to California? Or, should she commit to marrying Bobby and building a life with him? She knew, without reservation - she would chose Bobby. She would choose to build a life and to grow a family with him. So that Christmas, on their way home from St. Petersburg, FL, Bobby reached in his bag, pulled out a ring and in front of Florida Horse Park on a country road, he said "well, here". No knees, No questions, true Bobby Kennedy style. It was also his birthday (Tara thinks he did that on purpose:))
Fast forward to 2020, and they are expecting their first child, and I had the distinct honor of photographing this time in their journey. FOr their Maternity session, Tara and Bobby decided that since they were already going to be vacationing in the Blueridge Mountains, and they would love to have their pictures taken somewhere in that area. We chose a location near Asheville, NC., at the The North Carolina Arboretum. Tara stunned and glowed in her silky polkadot dress and her perfectly fitting wide-brimmed fedora. Bobby was ever-tender and helpful as we explored the beautiful grounds and gardens at the Arboretum, and we took our time capturing the essense of motherhood-to-be.
Enjoy!
