Derek+Allison | Couples | Oregon Lifestyle Photographer

They were high school sweethearts, now they are celebrating just over four years of marriage...meet Derek and Allison, and their “fur baby”! They asked me to document this special season in their lives, and to give them the perfect shot for a Christmas card. As we got to know each other a little bit, I was excited to share their story on the blog. “Derek surprised me with these pictures”, explains Allison, “it was so sweet! We were wanting to celebrate and capture our love, and how God has truly blessed us.”After meeting in high school, they married young, and though they’ve had many happy years, they’ve also faced unique challenges. “Getting married so young, we have had to grow up together in a sense”, continues Allison, "Which has not been easy, because we may not have always liked who the other person has been in some point in time.We both have done a lot of growing this past year. And we both didn't see eye to eye most of the time. We love each other, heck, that's why we got married. But the devil creeps in any way he can, through bitterness and arguing. But God is so good. So incredibly good. He has blessed us through the hard times and the not-so-hard times. All we need is Jesus!” Derek adds, “I appreciate Allison’s patience torwards me. And I’d say courage to step out in the unknown has really defined our relationship, especially stepping out with only ourselves and the Lord to lean on."I loved their honesty and their beautiful story. In their spare time, this couple loves to be outdoors, especially camping, fishing, and hiking. Derek says he admires Alli’s selflessness, adding, “She’s consistently putting everyone else before herself, she’s a total rockstar!” Allison also admires many things about her husband, especially, “his work ethic. He gives 110% every day, whether at his job, school, or to our marriage”. Enjoy these snaps of their little family, and feel free to check out Alli’s cute blog right here.