Abshire Patriotic Family Session

The Abshire patriotic family session is a beautiful sunrise session that lives up to it’s name. Full of patriotic spirit and family fun! With three little boys running around there were many smiles and sweet moments captured. Documenting the flags that the family sets up, which has now become a yearly tradition, is such a wonderful way to celebrate America’s freedom!

This session took place at sunrise just a few days before the fourth of July. The Abshire family is pretty famous in Homer, Louisiana for the flags they set up every year. Hundreds of flags line the property of Dr. Sam Abshire. Pat Abshire is the son of Dr. Sam Abshire and this is his precious family. It is such a lovely sight and become and pretty big deal with news casts coming to air them on their channels. This is the second year I have been blessed to photograph this incredible family in the flags. These three boys are full of love and life and they are an absolute joy to photograph. Looking good for photos in July in North Louisiana is not an easy task but the Abshire family always look amazing. You can’t even tell we were dripping in sweat. This was such a wonderful, patriotic session that I was so thrilled to be a part of. What precious memories are made in the Abshire Flags in Homer, Louisiana. -Courtney Dexter Photography

What’s your favorite family pastime together? The Lord blessed us with three little boys to raise; so most of our adventures are located OUTDOORS – in the creeks, camps, ponds and pastures of North and South Louisiana. #geauxtigers

And on a misty morning in late June or early July, just before day break, you can find all of the Abshire boys raising 700 American Flags. Along with their grandfather, uncles, cousins and friends, my husband and sons carry on a family tradition. Annually, they look forward to “settin’ up the flags at Gram’s house” with their Uncle Darden and the rest of the crew.

What are the best things you’ve learned from each other? He taught me about his grandmother’s Cajun gumbo. I taught him about Chick-fil-A… In all seriousness, and as cliché as it may sound, we have learned to be supportive of each other’s dreams. My husband is an outdoorsman at heart. He would rather be in the woods than anywhere else. Pat’s natural, God-given talents flourish when he is one with nature. At the beginning of our marriage, I encouraged him to take a leap of faith and make his passion his profession. When our third son was on the the way, I felt a calling to pause my legal career and make being a wife and mother my sole focus. All in all, we have learned – encouraging your partner to pursue the “life journey” that brings them the most fulfillment and peace is one of the greatest gifts you can give each other.

What does family mean to you? JOY.FAITH.HERITAGE.LOYALTY.LOVE….and lots of laughs along the way. Any lessons you learned as a family through the last year? My Husband and I are learning to live in the moment and remind ourselves, “These ARE the good ‘ole days.” A World War II veteran, and dear friend of ours, recently passed on this summer…he would always say: “Everyday’s a holiday and every meal’s a banquet.”

He was a happy gentleman and loved life, making positivity and joy a focus. Now that Mr. Billy Joe Bagwell is gone, we find ourselves not forgetting him, but remembering his words and taking time to pass them down to the next generation.

What have you recently done to put family as a major focus in your life? “FAMILY FEAST!” – my five year old, Noah, has a name for meal time together. We prioritize doing things as a family – the five of us regularly eat dinner at an old table that once belonged to my grandmother. I believe even something as simple as home made biscuits, accompanied with good-humored conversation and a two year old’s babbling prayer, gives us a slow and steady comfort in a very fast world.

***Mom disclaimer: We do not do this every night. There are numerous evenings when grilled cheese and frozen pizza = picnic blanket on the floor while watching Spider-Man! #reallife

If you had one piece of advice for other families, what would it be? TRAVEL YA’LL!!! We recently took our three boys (ages seven, five and two) on a family road trip across the South West. Prior to our expedition, when telling friends about our Summer plans, they looked at us like we were crazy! And perhaps we are – hahah – but as it turns out, this is the first of many USA road-trips for the Abshire family. We are blessed to live in a BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. I want my little ones to see it. Get out and go! It may not be easy, but the experiences and memories will be worth it.