Rachel Gregg, and Betsy are three of my favorite people on the planet. They’re also the primary reason I moved to California.

We’d been friends in Raleigh, NC for years, and then they moved to California. Which was great for them, but a bit of drag for me, since they’re part of my unofficial extended family.

I missed seeing artsy movies with Bets and debating random things with Gregg. And I sorely missed Rachel, who I’ve known since birth. Her birth, that is.

I visited them in California. Visited again. Prayed, thought about it, talked about it with my family… and in 2002 moved out here for my own little California adventure!

Getting back to the present… on New Year’s Eve we went to the stables for a quick family portrait. It was midday — not an ideal time for photos — but we found a bit of interesting light, G-Force cooperated (with the help of yummy treats), and we got some fun shots.

Of all my work to date, the photo of Rachel with G-Force is my absolute favorite. Partly because I adore her, and also because of the fabulously setting!