Meet Emma and Casey
Growing up in the same small town, Emma can’t quite remember the first time she met the man she would eventually marry and start a family with.
It’s rumored that Casey, 9 years her senior, might have been her swim instructor at the community pool, when she was just a kid.
She does know for sure that his Dad was her princple in elementary school all the way through high school, and his Aunt her third grade teacher.
Over the years, their paths crossed in numerous ways, and it just felt like they’d always known each other. Emma characterized the intial change from acquaintances to lovers, as something of a fling.
They would meet up on all kinds of adventures, from camping to the annual High Sierra Music Festival, which marks the height of the summer in their shared hometown. Emma says those early days were carefree as they had few responsibilities, and could just enjoy that lovely drunk and in love phase.
Casey traveled often for work, and it didn’t take the casual friends long to realize they had something special.
Photo by Kelsey Hostetter
Photo by Kelsey Hostetter
Probably also when Casey was traveling a lot for work. Being gone 8-10 months out of the year was hard. Being in different countries, states, time zones.
At one point, we were buying a house while he was on the East Coast, in a really remote work area, with little cell service. Those 3-10 minute phone calls when I got off work and he was heading to bed at the end of the night meant so much. As you can imagine, the adjustment when he got home from dining and living with 15 plus other men, to just me, and our dog Buck was also hard.
I caught up with Emma to hear more about her and Casey’s ever evolving love story. Her answers are below.
♥ High point of your relationship thus far?
The Hood Family
I DO!
Emma, on the evolution of love through all life’s phases
“Life is hard, and beautiful, and strange.. but doing it with your best friend sure takes the edge off.”
♥ Can you talk a little bit about the evolving journey of your love story. How it’s shifted or changed from those early days in your relationship, now onto marriage and then motherhood?
Until Casey had to leave for work for several months, then we became this long distance couple, and both had to learn how to navigate. I would roll solo to a lot of things and the most common questions I would get were, “Where’s Casey at now?; For how long?” Which always made me miss him even more. Cue in our dog, Buck, to keep me company while he was gone.
A year after we were hitched, I got pregnant with Fiona. Literally took a pregnancy test on our 1 year anniversary. Our main focus now was “how to become the best parents” all the while trying to not let go of the ‘care-free’ couple we had always strived to be. During my pregnancy, Casey was so supportive, and was so excited to become a father. We were both SO excited to be parents. Pregnancy was easy for me but, I feel like there is no real preparation in life that gets you ready for how much you’re going to absolutely consume, love and care for a little human; how my thoughts every second of the day, have my baby in them.
Parenthood/Motherhood showed me a side of my husband that I always knew was there, but didn’t imagine the magnitude of mind that would come of it. It’s hard work to maintain our idea of “the perfect relationship” as we have become parents. But, we both are in complete awe of the accomplishments we’ve hit thus far, and will continue to do the work and grow, day in and day out to be the best couple for our daughter and future kids to look up to. Life is hard, and beautiful, and strange.. but doing it with your best friend sure takes the edge off.
Thank you Emma for sharing your sweet family with us. This post was inspired by our mutual and talented photographer friend, Kelsey Hostetter.
Kelsey shared how fun it has been for her to document this sweet family’s journey from engagement, to maternity to now family sessions. All the gorgeous photographs you see in this piece, with the exception of the three wedding photos, were created by Kelsey.
Kelsey is available in the Plumas County area for engagement and senior sessions. You can follow her for more great photos over on her Instagram account.
Thank you both!
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