Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!

The post Glenda + Wallace | A Love Story 60 Years in the Making appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

I am fairly new to Anna, but even so, these were still familiar names to me. Although I had not had the pleasure of meeting them, I knew that this was a couple that ran the local food bank, The Lord’s Warehouse, out of their own home. What I did not know was the amazing backstory this inspiring couple has shared for the past 60 years.

Don and Jan Chapman grew up in small towns just 8 miles away from each other in rural Oklahoma. Don was born and raised in Alfalfa, a small community halfway between Corn and Cob. He lived the farm life, rising at 4 am each day to milk the cows and slop the pigs before catching the 7 am school bus. Every day at 5 pm, he would return home to gather the eggs and milk the cows again. Being an athlete, he often had to run the 4 miles back to school in the evenings to play ball–baseball was his personal favorite.

Meanwhile, Jan was 8 miles away, raised by her mother on just $35 a month. Although she didn’t always own all the things the other girls had (she personally longed for the poodle skirts, shiny Oxfords and a new TV), Jan still described herself as being spoiled. Even so, it was these humble beginnings that both Don and Jan credited with helping them become the people they would be. Don described the cellar in his boyhood home as being stocked for two years in case of crop failure. He would often see his parents take food from the cellar to give to neighbors in need.

Don and Jan met at a service station in Carnegie, OK through a mutual friend. They went on their first date to a little country town drive-in on September 24, 1958. Dan proposed in a cotton field, and less than three months later they married on December 19. Over the next 60 years, Don and Jan continued to live a life of service to others. As their daughter described in a letter to me:

“Their home has always been a refuge for those in need. During the earlier years of their marriage they gave a home to troubled youth who needed a place to land and gave temporary housing to homeless families.

During the 1980’s and the SouthEast Asian refugee crisis, they sponsored many displaced Vietnamese and Laotian refugee families, helping them to embark on a new life in the United States. For years, Jan gave up her days to teach ESL classes to Vietnamese and Lao children (and many adults) have called them “MamaJan” and “PapaDon” over the years.

Their work with refugee children led to the adoption of one Vietnamese son and permanent fostering of a sibling group of 5 Vietnamese children who still call them mom and dad.

After raising their own family of two biological children and six adopted children, their desire to help was not diminished. Although they no longer give homes to the homeless, they do use their home to provide space for a food pantry that, with the help of other volunteers, provides food for those in the Anna community who are in need.”

When describing the food pantry they currently run, Don and Jan spoke most of all about community. “This should be a community. We want to see people share what they have and watch it grow. We are meant to take care of each other. There is always someone down the road poorer than you.”

Don and Jan, thank you so much for everything you have done and are doing for this community. I loved every minute of getting to know you better–from the tiny unique details of your home, to the immense amount of pride you take in each other (Jan, did you know that Don called me up after our interview to tell me about the Medal of Honor you received from the DAR for your work with helping refugee children become citizens? He is so proud of you and said you would be too humble to ever mention it to me), you have both inspired countless individuals to live more selfless lives. Thank you for the ways you consistently look to others and for the legacy you are leaving. Thank you for graciously answering all of my questions and for allowing me to capture these 60th anniversary photos for you. Much love to you both.

Christina Freeman is a lifestyle photographer based in Anna, TX. She specializes in photographing families, newborns and children in Collin County including Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Farmersville, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs. Send an email to christinafreemanphotography@gmail.com or call her at 940-453-4962 to start a conversation today!

The post Inspiring Couple in Anna, TX | Don + Jan Chapman appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

I often think of that quote when I am photographing couples. We have a way of celebrating young love in the photography community, and it is no wonder. It is refreshing to see couples so happy to have found each other. It is inspiring to see the way they look at each other and the hope they have for the future as they take their vows to spend the rest of their lives taking care of one another. I love photographing young love.

But there is another, arguably even more beautiful side to this love, and that is the kind of love that emerges through years of trials and hardship by one another’s side. This is what Lewis calls the quieter love. This is the wiser love, the love that can only be forged through years of choice, discipline and faith in one another. There is something that is unspeakably beautiful about this love, something that deserves every ounce of respect and celebration that we can give it.

It is with this in mind that I had the pleasure of meeting and celebrating the life and love of a local couple, Aletta and Lloyd Baxter. They have been married for 55 years. Meeting with them and being entrusted to tell their story through this North Dallas couples session was such a joy and honor. Please take a moment to read some of Aletta’s thoughts on what 55 years of marriage has meant to her.

‘Being in love’ first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.” –C. S. Lewis

Lloyd and Aletta, 1962

“We met in 1960, introduced by a friend of Lloyd’s family. After getting to know each other, we found our families’ backgrounds were similar. His parents had four children: Wanella, Lloyd, Clifford and Freida. My parents had four children: Clint, Aletta, June and Janie. His family were farmers and so were mine. Growing up we all had to help work on the farm, with taking care of the cows, horses, pigs, chickens and pets. We raised a big garden and canned most of our food (a good farm life).

We did not know we were not financially blessed, as we were raised on love. After we married, Lloyd worked at Southwest Airmotive as a mechanic…and he retired as a mechanic. He was known as the Tractor Man in Melissa. I worked for State Farm Regional Office in Dallas for 34 years. I was the first female promoted to a management position and retired in 1994.

We lived in Melissa for 47 years, and moved to Anna 10 years ago, where we bought 13 acres and built a house. We have 1 son, Mike, who married Lynda. Cody and Denver are twins, Tyler and Chelsea are getting married in May. Corey and Jennifer live in Maryland, and have been married since 2006. The light of our life is our great granddaughter, Kyleigh, Denver and Leslie’s daughter. She will be two in September. We raised a great niece, Courtney. She is married to Wayne. They have five boys, Brendon, Connor, Andrew, Trace and Mac. They live in Melissa and they bring a lot of joy to our lives. We adore them.

We will have been married for 56 years in June and take our marriage vows seriously. God has blessed us through His grace and provisions. To each other, we always say, “Whatever we do, we do for you.” Our greatest blessing is to be associated with Pin Oaks Christian Fellowship as our church family. We can not always go to church, as we have some health issues, but we know all we have to do is call and they will be here.

I would say being in our 80’s we are still “Lucky in Love.”

Thank you to Christina Freeman Photography for the gift of this North Dallas couples session.

Christina Freeman is a wife and mother to 3 little ones who enjoys capturing details of ordinary life from behind the lens. She currently resides in Anna, TX and loves photographing other families, babies and children in Collin County including Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Farmersville, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs. Send an email to schedule your North Dallas couples session today!

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