Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek

Thank You Chantelle!

Look what I got in the mail as a surprise gift? Yes, it is a bit unusual, however if you know the story behind these little treats, it makes perfect sense and is rather funny. Simple story…I am a bugle thief. When my mother in law makes a nuts and bolts party mix, those little guys are my favorite! So, I eat those out of the mixture….and if you are sharing a bowl with me…umm…sorry, their gone. So, my sister in law sent Chantelle sent these as a gift because she is the one who got shafted.  So thanks your Chantelle for sending these bugles…..it’s not just the treat I enjoy, but the love and thoughts that were sent my way. And when we see each other again, and share a bowl of nuts and bolts…I am still going to eat the bugles :) I guess it’s time to find a new bowl buddy! Ah, ok, I let you have a few ;)

Capturing Your: Heart

Cancer. A word that no one wants to hear. There are so many thoughts that go through your mind when you hear that one word…none which are good. My brother went in last week to have surgery on his knee to remove a tumor that was growing around his knee cap, a tumor we believed that was benign. It would take about 2 hours, he would be in recovery, then off of work for 8 weeks, then given the ok to return back to work….or so we thought.

After hours of waiting, the doctors came out and informed my parents that they were unable to perform the surgery as schedule. Red flags…everywhere. So many questions and no answers. I think that is the hardest part, just waiting…because naturally your mind starts playing the crazy game with you. So, when my family was finally able to see David in the recovery room, they learned that is was indeed cancer. Even more questions. What? How? Shock. More Shock. What next? What type? I mean….just A LOT of questions and emotions racing through your body. It was definitely NOT the result that we expected that night. I was able to talk with my brother David that night and hear it directly from his mouth. He’s a joker and from the very beginning of this whole ordeal, I initially thought it was a joke….a mean one at that.

I can’t imagine how it feels to be told that you have cancer…watching from the sidelines is bad enough. The hardest part about this whole thing is waiting for the answers. What type of cancer is it? Is it curable? What stage? What about treatment? It can make a person go CRaZy! However, I was truly encouraged by David’s trust and response to this horrific news. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he was reflecting and stating how this will be a good testament of his faith and trust in God. Personally, not sure if that would be my first thought, I would hope it would be, but based on my reaction to this news, I’m so far off.

I am constantly reminded by other people’s trials how frivolous mine are. I am not trying to minimize my struggles, since they are very *real* to me and have caused me such great pain. But it’s easy to put life and it’s issues in perspective when you see that there are much greater things in life. It forces me to reflect on my responses to certain situations and what is truly important to me. I so wish that my first response would be to look on how I can use this situation to help others, but honestly, my first instinct is survival.

So as I personally reflect on this life changing trial, I can see how this will impact the way that I react to life’s trials. In addition, I know this will affect how I view each life that I capture through my lens….knowing they are someone’s daughter, son, wife, brother, child, mother, father….somebody loved. I am so fortunate to be a part of the many lives that I capture and have them entrust me with their special occasion. These will be a part of their history and pictures that will be shared for a lifetime.

My brother David has a long journey ahead of him. We are so GRATEFUL that his cancer is curable and we’ll be there for him every step of the way. His treatments will begin next week and will last approximately 6 months. He will be tired, he will be sick, but he will be cured, his health will be restored, and his faith will be strengthen. I was able to do a little mini session of my brother and his family when they were visiting this past summer. Already my perspective has changed on how I look at these pictures. Instead of being critical of my “photography/editing skills”, thinking how I can make this look better, comparing my work to others, I simply just see the faces that are smiling back at me….which in turn makes me smile. I know there are many of you who are reading this who have a family or friend who has been affected by cancer. I would love hear about your loved one, their story and journey, words of wisdom and encouragement. Thank you for letting me share this very raw moment of my life.

Here's a song that couldn't say it any better.

Sneak Peek

Capturing Your: Future

 

One week late. Not a big deal, if it’s a library book,  a letter in the mail, a belated birthday card, or a movie rental….but a baby, that’s a whollllllllllllle ‘nother story people. As mothers, the thought of going a week past our due date is just something we have NO interest in. Um, hulllllo, it’s 40 weeks doctors…not 40 weeks and a few day…40, four oh, four zeroooo, caurenta. In our minds, the fine print says, 40 weeks. Period. Well, for baby Easton, the doctors let him stay in his mommy’s nice warm belly for an additional week….as in 41 weeks. Those last weeks of pregnancy are so terribly uncomfortable and the long days are spent anxiously awaiting for those contractions to start so you can meet your new baby, so to have another week…ugh!

However, we all know that waiting for your baby is SO worth the wait, no matter how uncomfortable it is. Easton was welcomed into this world on August 24th weighing 8lbs 2 oz and 19 1/2 long! It was so awesome getting to meet him for the first time the other day and holding him, especially since a lot of us women got to hear about Ashley’s experience during our weekly bible study. And awww….he was sooo precious and beautiful! I couldn’t get over how much he looked like his big brother Carter! As a mother of two boys, it’s amazing how fast you forget how “little” 8lbs looks and that at that age and that there’s only a couple of  things they are interested in: food and sleep :) And although I interrupted the sleeping part, Easton did wonderfully and posed for quite a few shots! As you will see, Easton’s dad proudly serves our country and it was important for me to capture that aspect of Easton’s family. Thank you so much Daddy and Mommy, Big brother Carter and Easton for letting me be a part of Easton’s newborn experience and for welcoming me in your home just 10 days after he was born! Easton is beautiful and I wish your family all the best as you bond with him and welcome him into your hearts! 

Sneak Peek

Capturing Your: Inspiration

I love that despite all the "mystery" that surrounds my life, I can still sing this song from the depths of my soul. God is truly the Beautiful One I Love, Beautiful One I adore, Beautiful One my soul must sing.

Need a Good Laugh?

I just about died of laughter when I saw this! Super funny and very creative!

It’s Not What You Think…

I am not a fan of winter…at all. There is nothing appealing about being cold, shoveling snow, being stuck indoors, wearing layers and layers of clothes to make me look two sizes larger, or the thought of living in a sepia world for months on end. Sure, winter is beautiful with snow and great around holidays…but that is all fine and dandy on commercials and postcards….not on my front lawn. I like me my Christmas light palm trees and Santa in his Hawaiian shirt…now that is MY kind of Christmas. So, why am I talking about winter when it is still summer? Well, that’s because I just scored the coolest coffee mug eva! I spotted this rare coffee mug over a year ago and fell in love with it. I ran across this coffee mug just last month and just had to have it! It comes in the 24-105 mm and 70-200mm. Since I don’t drink coffee, this mug will definitely get it’s fair dose of chocolate milk over the long winter season. So even though I can’t stand the thought of winter rapidly approaching, at least I’ll have this cool hot chocolate mug to keep me company!