Engagement: Jen & Andy

At 9 am this morning I was excited. It was about 65 and partly sunny. Perfect for the engagement photos I had scheduled with Jen and Andy. By 4 pm that excitement deflated when the radar showed rain. Ugg! We'd already had to reschedule twice, and now we were going to get rained out.

But lo and behold! No more than a half an hour later the rain quit and the clouds started to break up. We met at the Des Moines Art Center. I'd only been once before and didn't see much of the grounds. It was fantastic!

As were the models. Jen and Andy joked about not being the "picture" kind but they were awesome. I had so much fun with them. They laugh. They joke. They tease. They were naturals.

Jen and Andy - Glad you didn't melt! Can't wait for your Aug 29 wedding! Hope you enjoy...

Rejuvenate

Nothing says rejuvenation like red toes! My first day at home was refreshing. I started it off with a good run followed by getting my hands a little dirty pulling weeds. Today has been much the same. It feels good, but I can see bordeom looming on the horizon.

I'm scheduled to take engagement photos this evening. Just caught a glimpse of the radar, and I hope the big green blob breaks up before it gets much closer.

Random side note: The guy that comes to check our electric meter just stopped. Freaked me out when I saw someone walking across the backyard through the kitchen window. He didn't see me. I was surprised when he stuck around for awhile to pet and play fetch with Gus. It was nice.

P.S. the left side of my left foot isn't deformed... it's a shadow!

The next step

For the first time... I don't know where to start. Usually my fingers can't type fast enough to keep up. But tonight I'm very familiar with the delete key. It's been a long couple days.

The company I work for full-time was required to restructure, which resulted in eliminating positions. Mine included.

Afterward I had a good long cry. I took a 'lil ride on the proverbial roller coaster - fear, pain, relief, anger, fear, excitement, frustration, more fear, apprehension, hope. I willingly let myself get lost in Ryan's hug, where I stayed. He is my rock star.

Today was it. Today was my last day. As I took the picture my niece drew off my cubicle wall and packed up my photos, it turned to sadness. It was real. And when I was finished I had to say good-bye. I moved slower.

I turned around and there was nothing left.

At that point, my cubicle neighbor of three years turned to me with tears in her eyes. Slowly others stopped by. There were hugs and more tears. It was harder than I imagined. I was grateful there weren't many people around at 4:30pm on a Friday.

I had a positively incredible experience there. Learned and grown so much in the past few years. I'm sad to being leaving a job I enjoy and people I respect. But at the same time I'm excited for the new opportunities that await me.

Hopefully more photography... let me know if you're interested in scheduling a session in the coming weeks!

Here's to the next step!