[Shma]

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So I’ve been looking forward to take part in this incredible event for the last year. Last year I did my part to spread the word and donate but this year, I found a group who had volunteered and actually taken part in the walk and so I joined up. The DFW chapter of the WoL were very kind to take in new members and we all signed up to not only walk (and raise money) for Team Levi, we also all signed up for volunteer shifts prior to the walk.

Volunteering was a huge part of my life when I was younger as I was a Girl Scout until I was a senior in high school. As you know, the focus of Girl Scouts (aside from earning badges & selling cookies that are super addictive) is service to the community. I haven’t had the opportunity much lately and I was truly missing that & something about Ali & Josh’s story with Levi had touched me when I heard it, so the Buddy Walk was an ideal way for me to jump back in.

I was signed up for the early shift at the basketball toss and I had brought my camera because that’s what I do. (I document pretty much every event I attend. I’ve always been the ‘girl with the camera’ and even more so the last year or so since I’ve dipped into doing photography as a serious side job.) I was a little hesitant about the basketball toss as it’s not exactly my sport but the volunteer coordinator assured me it was mostly just making sure the lines were orderly and everyone got a turn.

Our station didn’t get busy until about 10:30 and I was only assigned to work until 12 and then all of us ladies were to meet together for a group photo in our Team Levi shirts. The kids who came through our station were all so adorable and they were having a blast! Seriously, watching them come through and the big brothers and sisters who were doing everything they could to get these smiles on their faces was the most touching thing. I couldn’t stop taking photos.. even if they all started to look similar. It really just solidified exactly why I had signed up to volunteer, it was such an amazing experience and I’d do it again.. and will be doing it again!

So shortly before my shift ended, I saw Ali & Josh walk by and I waved at Ali and told her ‘hi!’ and she started to come over and said ‘Hi!’ back but she was on her way to the team area to set up the shirts so she could get ready to hand them out. I was just honestly excited to see her since I had only gotten to talk to her very briefly after Jensen’s M&G in Dallas and she seemed like such a sweetheart.

Shift ended and I went with a couple of the other ladies to go grab our Team Levi shirts & some quick grub (not so much grub for me) before we gathered for our group shot before the walk. Ali was so sweet and i saw the rest of the Ackles clan when I went to pick up my shirt and thanked Ali again and then headed off to meet the other volunteers for the photo. I snapped a few shots of the mayhem that had become AT&T plaza right before the walk and then got a text message that our meeting place had changed so I grabbed the rest of the ladies I was standing with and booked it to the back of the plaza to meet up for the group photo with our banner. It was really crowded so by the time most of us made it back to the back I spotted Ali standing with her cell phone and trying to take a photo of the group. I looked around to make sure everyone had made it back (though i think I missed a few of them) and then looked at Ali and go ‘Oh, Ali, I’ll take the photo so you can go be in it!’ and I had my camera and she says ‘Oh no! Are you sure? Go ahead, you go jump in!’ and I assured her I was more than fine with being the one to take the photo and she, being the sweetheart she is, says ‘Oh but you have such a pretty smile, you have to be in the picture!’ Bless. It took me a little more coaxing but I finally got her to hand over her phone and jump in the front of the photo with the banner and I snapped a couple with her phone and a couple with my camera as well and then everyone sort of split. Us volunteers/WoL stepped back to allow the family onto the stage for the big trophy ceremony and we watched from the back of the stage as they all went up. We watched them accept their trophy and we all talked amongst ourselves until the family came back down so we could all prepare for the actual walk. I got distracted texting Valerie and just happened to look up a little after the presentation and i caught sight of a baseball cap, aviators, and plaid over a red shirt and I thought ‘oh no.. it can’t be’ … but sure enough, it was. Jensen had shown up. After my initial internal freak-out (because this man just makes me legitimately nervous)… I turned to look for one of the ladies who had volunteered last year and I spotted her over talking to Jensen’s parents and right beside them was Danneel with JJ strapped on her front in one of those baby slings. A few of the other ladies waved at her from afar but no one stepped over the line and no one bothered Jensen or her… after all Jensen was there for the same reason we were… to support Levi.

The walk started shortly after and us volunteers walked a little in front to allow Jensen to hang back with his family and chat with them while we walked. It was more of a leisurely ‘stroll’ and I had plenty of opportunities to chat with the other ladies and a couple of times to chat with Ali who is just, seriously, one of the sweetest ladies you could ever meet. I ran ahead and took a few shots of the Team Levi banner leading the way and then came back and walked backwards (quite gracefully, thanks to my spotter) to snap some shots of the rest of the team as they walked. I was careful to not be obnoxious about it, just chronicle the walk and everyone having a good time and I don’t think I got many photos of Jensen during the actual walk until the end when I snapped a couple of the family coming up at the end of the walk. Ali had remarked jokingly at one point that myself and another girl would have to be the ones with the banner next year to set the pace since the younger girls who had it were probably about half the lap ahead of us. I told her that’s what happens when you give the banner to the younger ones, lol.

So we made it around the lap and the ladies had gathered up for our group photo of just us in our Team Levi shirts and one of the ladies yells out ‘Women of Letters! over here!’ and up comes the ham himself, Jensen, carrying his nephew and saying ‘That’s me, right?? I get to be in this one? I’m of letters!’ The ladies laughed and assured him if he would like to be in the photo he was welcome to. We were not going to ask him for any photos and I think he obliged for the group photo because the group was respectful of him and his space and his family. So he jumped in the back of the group and I stepped back (apparently back even with his parents by the time i got out to get everyone in my shot) and the ladies were like “Amy! Come get in the photo!!” and I assured them I was fine with just taking it. I didn’t have to be in it and it was at this point both Donna and Alan offer to take the photo for me and I thanked them but let them know I was plenty okay just taking it. (Seriously, all of the Ackles are just such genuine people) So I switched into ‘bossy photographer’ mode and throw up a hand to count out to three to prep for the photo as well as yell out the numbers and snap a few quick shots (unfortunately not realizing one of the ladies is completely blocked) and then they tell Jensen thank you and I step forward just in time to hear Jensen say ‘and now, it’s time to go watch the Cowboy game!’ and the ladies were wanting just one more photo with just us and the banner that they’d made. So I again tell them get together and I back up to take the photo and all the ladies are like “nooo! you need to get in this one! please!” and protesting and I’m just sort of immune to it because I really don’t DO photos. I don’t do group photos really … like ever. I’m just more comfortable being the one taking it .. I mean I have the photo as proof I was there, I don’t have to be in it. So I’m waving them off and assuring them that it’s fine and all of a sudden I feel someone beside me and I hear that deep voice and it says ‘I can take the photo’ to which i try not to effing lose my cool because he’s legitimately like.. right beside me .. and TALKING to me.. and I instinctively clutch my camera closer to me … well because i don’t let ANYONE touch my cameras. they’re my babies and I take very good care of them and I don’t let anyone else shoot with them. it’s just a thing… I’m weird that way… and I tell him “noo, noo, noo. it’s fine, thank you though!” and he kind of quirks his mouth and smirks and says ‘I can handle it’ and reaches for the camera again and I wave him off, flailing a hand at him (and btw, never realizing I’m having this exchange in front of OTHER PEOPLE) and he reaches over my hands and literally pries the camera from them … which I did not expect and so I just stood there, dumbfounded and a little hesitant because I’m not exactly shooting in auto and I fiddle with the settings before I shoot and I was trying to find a way to SAY THIS TO HIM POLITELY WITHOUT SEEMING LIKE A PUSHY CAMERA KNOW IT ALL .. and he starts to lift the camera and sees I’m still standing there and he goes “go on!’ and gives me a little nudge. So.. I snap out of it and effing run to the very back of the group and stand up on my tiptoes so I’m just barely peeking above the group and stick one hand out and I watch him (like a hawk) and he lifts it and then laughs to himself and says ‘Whoa! Is this zoomed in?!’ and proceeds to try and zoom out on my lens (which is actually my portrait lens because I didn’t plan on needing to zoom) and then says ‘I’m gonna have to back up aren’t I?’ to which I yell out from the very back ‘Yeah! Pretty far!’ and I watch him back up and then lift the camera again, adjust the lens and then he did the thing.. he looks through the viewfinder and i was waiting on him to snap the photo but .. then he steps his foot out and plants it to steady himself and I about died (… i’m a real sucker for men who not only handle cameras but know how to shoot). He took a few shots (and I’m not going to fault him for not spot checking on the last two or so he took where my face got completely blocked by a stray arm because i didn’t want to be in it anyways) The bottom group shot is the one he took. and then offered my camera back and i practically ran to him to get it back … because it’s still my baby… and so that’s how I made an idiot of myself arguing with him… but apparently I was not done embarrassing myself….

So up next, the family was gathering to take a family shot with everyone. I was standing off to the side and I’m kind of an observer, so I just happened to see Alan tell Donna to get out her camera out of the case for a photo and she pulled it out and was looking around like ‘well how am I going to take this and be in it’ and I … I don’t even know what took over me because I am a normally shy person…. jump forward and offer ‘I can take it for you if you’d like.’ much calmer than I felt inside and she thanked me and handed it over. Well by the time I stepped back to take a photo.. there were plenty other shots going off and everyone was trying to get a shot and I just waited so that I could make sure that everyone was looking at Donna’s camera before I took it .. well I waited a hair too long and everyone started to shift and I go “wait! one more!” and waved my hand a little and I lift the camera to shoot and I try and spot everyone in the shot and i can’t find any Jensen and all of a sudden I just see a ducked baseball cap and then legs flying in the air… and Jensen has completely turned and is now swinging his nephew by his legs back and forth, goofing off with him, obviously under the assumption all the photos are over. So everyone in front of the group is trying to get his attention without being obvious and calling out in soft voices ‘Jensen’ and my photog mode switches into panic mode because I am NOT missing this shot and I just yell out ‘Jensen!’ without thinking and he whips around and I can hear a few people giggling (which i didn’t process in the moment) and he says ‘What??’ and I go ‘just one more!’ in my cheeriest, most photog business voice.. and he says ‘Oh! I thought I was done!’ and gets in line and I just shout out ‘This one’s for your mom!’ and wave the camera and then line everyone out, count down and then snap the photo and then rush over to give Donna back her camera and then extract myself from the area as quickly as possible with my face burning once I realize that I have not only argued with Jensen but also I have now yelled at him…. what a legacy.

Other than that… it was an amazing experience and I am completely looking forward to next year. If any of you read that … bless you and don’t judge me. I’m kind of a spaz.

PLEASE DO NOT RE-POST ANY OF THESE PHOTOS ANYWHERE. THESE ARE MY PHOTOS AND ARE NOT TO BE REPOSTED.

Note: I do not have any photos of Danneel or JJ as no one took photos of them and they did not walk with the team that I could tell. Also, I am not posting any of the photos of the family as they have to be approved before I can share them (with the exception of the photo of the group with Jensen as he’s already approved that to be shared) but I will share what I can.. when I can.
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04 Nov 13 @ 10:50 pm — reblog
#buddy walk #team levi #jensen ackles #fauxtography #my face