Francesca & Nightfire

To anyone that is reading this. I want you to close your eyes and I want you to go back in time to when you were ten years old. Think back to that time. Think back to the things that brought you joy. Do you have it in your mind?

For ten-year old, Francesca, her joy-bringer is her horse, Nightfire. Nightfire is a half Arabian horse. Nightfire is boarded at AKS Farms and Francesca takes riding lessons from Alexis with AKS Farms.

Nightfire is sixteen years young and was gifted to Francesca by her uncle, John, seven years ago. Recently, Francesca and Nightfire made their Walk/Trot Western debut. They competed against thirteen other pairs and placed first. This was a huge surprise, since many of the riders were much older with more years of experience.

Francesca is the firstborn in her family and has two younger sisters. Gianna is also interested in horses, but not with quite the same passion as Francesca. Francesca is at the barn every Saturday working with Nightfire and keeping up with barn responsibilities.

We had planned for a sunset session, but Mother Nature delivered us overcast skies instead. I must admit though, I love the look of the sky in the outdoor photos. Francesca and Nightfire's bond is undeniable. I feel very privileged that I was invited to photograph them. I look forward to working with this gorgeous family again.

Remember at the beginning of his post, I asked you to think about what brought you joy at age ten? Now I want you to pause and reflect if that thing is still in your life? If it isn't, would you want it back? Don't ever completely trade your childhood passion for adult responsibilities. Try to hold onto the things that bring you joy--whether that's horses, camping, or blanket fort building. Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is not. Try and keep your passions alive.