Freckles and Facials...

Some faces are impossible to forget... even from very early on.

Going all the way back to when she was just a third grader and I was helping coach her pee wee softball team, Claire Johnson was one of those faces.

Red hair, round face... a smile as wide as the horizon... and, most notably to me... a whole slew of adorable freckles.

Claire was a teammate of my daughter on a team that was talented... even back then.   Many of the same girls are now part of a two-time state softball squad at East Marshall.   While both Claire and my daughter have taken their talents elsewhere, I still remember helping coach third base that summer.

Young Miss Johnson came chugging into 3rd base in our first game at LeGrand Waterworks.   I looked down to remind her how many outs there were... and what to look for next...

"Only one out, Claire... make sure to make a line drive drive go through.... okay, Freckles??"

She looked up at me... wrinkled her nose as if to say, "my name isn't Freckles!"    But for the longest time after that... I would always greet her that way.

Although they have faded some... and she's clearly grown into a tremendous young lady with athleticism to match, her freckles (and a fittingly ornery attitude to go with them) are still there.

Now, I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little disappointed that I didn't get to photograph Claire's senior session.   But, as it goes sometimes, you lose some to a photographer that's a family member.   That's what we had here... and it's understandable.

Nevertheless, as it turned out, Team Johnson felt like they needed to document Claire's volleyball career through our studio... and I was glad to have the opportunity.

Sure, we had her looking the part of the B.A. outside hitter that she is for both East Marshall, and her Iowa Heart club squad.   But occasionally she'd flash that broad smile and it took me all the way back to Waterworks Park all over again.

Whether she's cracking jokes or planting facial spikes off the heads of her opponents, I won't forget the blessing it's been to watch this personality grow up in our community.

Thanks Johnson Family.