Photographing those I love is a beautiful thing.  These images are of my brother Kendall and his sweet wife, Terri, taken while we were all on vacation in Cabo, Mexico.

My family has been spread throughout the country for over 30 years so we rarely get to spend quality time together.  My parents divorced when I was 7; my dad moved to Arizona and my mom to Iowa.  My 4 older brothers and I never lived all together after that.

Kendall is the middle child and is 12 years older than me.  He was always so sweet with me, playing barbies with me, fixing my hair for school in the morning, taking me for rides in the evening on his motorbike, and much more.  Everyone in our family agrees that Kendall is the most gentle and cherished of us all.  He has such a loving spirit and anyone who meets him just falls in love with him.

His actions toward others has always been amazing to us.  When he was very small, one of our cousins was in a horrible car accident that left her paralized.  The family and town rallied to help raise money for hospital bills.  At one particular event, Kendall sold tickets for kids to ride his beloved pony and then after the event, he sold his pony to donate the money.  What kid does something like that???

Growing up in Iowa, kids do a lot of sledding in the winter.  Find the biggest hill and hold on for dear life.  All the kids went up and down those hills.  Kendall loved sledding but he always stopped at the bottom of the hill to see if any of the smaller kids or special needs kids needed help carrying their sleds back up.  Kendall was a friend to everyone and made everyone feel special.

Kendall has also had a special relationship with animals of all kinds since he was very small.  He has had all kinds of pets; animals just seemed drawn to him and never afraid.  I believe that animals can sence a person's true nature and spirit.  I believe they have sight into our souls... Kendall's is pure and light, full of love and gentlenes.

When I was little, I wanted to be with Kendall all the time.  I learned how to write his name before I learned how to write my own.  The house we had when I was 5 was built with cedar shakes on a few of the walls... of course I would get splinters quite often.  When that happened, I would sit on the couch for hours until Kendall got home, he was the only one that I would let touch it.  He was so gentle and it never hurt when he removed the splinter.  He was my hero... and still is.

He has always been pretty small in comparison to others his age... but his heart is as big as a mountain.  There honestly isn't enough time or space to document all the loving, special moments and stories Kendall has created for animals and people.  The best part is that he doesn't even know how special he is... I've always beleived that his spirit was somehow uniquly touched by God for a greater purpose than most.  He is such a gift to our family and to anyone who gets the opportunity to meet him.

One of my favorite things about him is the way he loves his wife, Terri.  Kendall doesn't hold back at all, he loves her with every fiber of his being.  She is his top priority in life, his hopes and dreams are all wrapped up in her.  They've been married for over 20 years, yet he still watches her from across the room as if he's only just layed eyes on her.  It's a beautiful site to see.

In 2001, I gave birth to my first child, Jillian Kyndall Higdon.  I had dreamed of having a baby girl my whole life and she exceeded every expectation I had.  When choosing her middle name, I knew exactly what it should be.  Naming her after her Uncle Kendall made me feel comforted as if somehow part of his precious spirit would be passed to her.  I prayed that she would inherit his kindness, open and loving nature.  That was and is my biggest hope for her.

So, as you can tell, being able to photograph my brother and his wife on this gorgeous day in Cabo was such a blessing for me.  I pray that God grants us many more moments like this.