From a message to marriage; Mary & Jeff

It was practically a blizzard outside the day I met them at Starbucks. Wind howling, snow blowing, down right blizzard. But after a few minutes chatting with Mary and Jeff I knew they were worth venturing out into the cold. So kind and sincere, much like their story.

They met on eHarmony, both honestly looking for love. It started with a simple message. A message that turned into meeting. And a meeting that will turn into a life time this Saturday. I am so honored to photograph their wedding.

Mary and Jeff had a friend take their engagement photos. Which I think is awesome - the more family and friends you can involve in your special day the more it will mean to you. (I was either related to or good friends with nearly every vendor at our wedding.)

In lieu of engagement photos here's a pic from the church during my lighting check this afternoon. Just because posts are way more fun with a photo.

Today

Happy Earth Day!

June is bustin out all over

Okay, so I might be getting ahead of myself... a little. But I couldn't help getting excited when I found these as I walked into the house today.

It's a good day.

Little E - Six months

This little girl is growing so fast! It seems like just yesterday she made her grand appearance... a little early. A few months later I got to photograph her and her parents for their Christmas photos. And I brought my camera along when I babysat her in January.

She was all smiles until we sat her in front of the camera. Her mom and I had a ton of fun anyway. She's really playing with her toys now so her mom wanted to get some photos with her favorites.

A future Cyclone in the making...

I think she's trying to blow bubbles here... but it's cute none the less!

We couldn't resist putting her in something pink and frilly.

Emily must have known we were getting close to finishing up after a few bath time shots. She started to get fussy so we called it quits. Of course the next day Holly said she was all smiles a few hours after I left.

She's changed so much. I can't wait to see how much fun she is in another six months!

Purple

There’s just something about sitting in an auditorium with the house lights dimmed watching a different world created on stage.

Last night I saw “The Color Purple” at the Civic Center. I could almost taste the Georgia peaches. I could almost feel the southern air, heavy with humidity. I was there as Celie endured a horrible childhood, the loss of her sister Nettie and the pain of a loveless marriage. Had we been about three rows closer I would have held her hand and stroked her hair while she cried into her apron. When she climbed out of the dark hole that had become her existence and called her husband a pile of “dead horse shit”, I laughed in his face.

The passion of the performers and the power of their voices reached in, took ahold of my soul and gave it a good shake. I left wanting to go home to my awesome husband, thank my mother and tell my sisters I love them.

Never forget to look at what God has done.

Five dollar shopping

Every summer when I was a kid my grandma took my sister, our three cousins and me camping. I looked forward to it every year. She took us out for lunch one day. The rest of the weekend we ate hamburgers with homemade dill pickles and hot dogs on the grill.

The girls and I spent our days jumping off docks into the lake at the campground. We roasted marshmallows and played tag. One year my cousin Allison got stung by a bee. The image of that ginormous wasp dangling from her arm and the sound of her shrieks will stay with me forever.

The highlight of our camping trip was an afternoon of shopping. Grandma gave each of us five dollars to spend on whatever we wanted. Every year we went to the same little hobby shop crammed to the ceiling with cheap plastic squirt guns and model airplanes. One year my sister bought a pink plastic toy car with neat flower stickers for her dolls to ride around in. We only had five dollars, but it took us an entire afternoon to decide what to buy. We always drug Grandma back and forth between the same stores trying to make up our minds.


This past weekend, it was our turn to take Grandma out. We all met up for supper at a little cafe in town. It's been probably 15 or 20 years since our last camping trip. Needless to say the conversations have changed a little since then. But we had just as much fun as we did back then.


We were even "plus one" with my niece along for the occasion.

Me and my goregous - and tan - cousin Whitney...

Before going out for supper with Grandma, I stayed at my sister and brother-in-laws house Friday night. Which meant ample time to photograph my niece. She was trying eggs for the first time. The new texture didn't go over very well, but she laughed the whole time.

I was thankful to be home. Especially after driving the last hour in a snow storm! And after today there's barely any trace of snow left.

From Franklin

"I have learned to live each day as it comes, and not to borrow trouble by dreading tomorrow. It is the dark menace of the future that makes cowards of us."

-Dororthy Dix, courtesy of my Franklin Covey