Okay, I'm warning you right now: sit down and grab some tissues.

I met Beth through mountain biking: I had reached out to a local mountain biking group to take photos of a mountain biking meet-up event at Lake Crabtree for part of the Wake County parks photo project, and a short while later Beth reached out to me to see about taking family photos. She and her husband wanted to celebrate their 10 year anniversary with photos, and they also wanted to honor their dog Caroline.

Now if you know me and my photography you know I *love* incorporating four-legged family members into a shoot, but this was an extra special celebration for this family: Caroline had been struggling with cancer and wasn't expected to live long. She had been such an important part of Beth and Dan's lives though, and they wanted to capture that bond in Caroline's final days. 

We met at Lake Crabtree on a lovely autumn day and took photos together on the grassy field by the lake. Poor Caroline had a shaved belly and scars from her cancer treatments, but she was happy and perked up at being outside with her beloved humans on such a beautiful evening.

Less than two weeks later Caroline passed away, but I love that we could immortalize this family's bond on a beautiful autumn day by the lake. RIP Caroline: I know you'll be waiting for Beth and Dan across the Rainbow Bridge.