Our wedding day.
Ohhh, take me back. I’m still on cloud 9… And I don’t know when I’m coming back down. I know a lot of you have been asking and we are SO excited to finally be able to relive these moments and share our day with you! A handful of these photos, I snapped with my phone but most of the others are from our photographer. We have a ton more photos, but I tried to choose the ones that helped tell the story of our day for you the best. It was exactly what we had imagined. Thank you to you all who were a part of our day or helped to make things possible for us. And a special thank you to those who have supported us since the very beginning, it means the world to us.

We had many long talks about the difference in budget and everything we would get out of having the wedding we had vs. a wedding here back at home inviting a lot of people to help celebrate our day. The choice for us was easy and we wouldn’t have chose to have it any other way.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Hey guys!

I’ve missed you. And writing. And posting.
But honestly just mostly you since I’m so over the moon that you even follow me.
A lot has been going on and I also had to wait on my computer to be fixed so that I can keep up with posting. I know many people can type just fine and post from their phone. I, however, cannot.

So, here we are back in action and I thought I would start sharing a little more of our everyday rather than just certain topics. A lot of you have been commenting on seeing more of our home and such, so I’ll be posting more of those as well as projects we are working on. With our wedding coming up in only a few months, our mind and money has been directed that way instead of the parts of our home that my mind is in tunnel vision of finishing.

One thing at a time. One thing at a time.

My boy graduated from Kindergarten this week.
I don’t even know how this happened. How did we even get this far? Wow, does time fly.

As I sit here watching him play and eat animal crackers while I suck down an afternoon pick-me-up, a lot of thoughts (as usual) are going through my head. Did I guide him enough this year? Did he understand enough, did he understand and learn from ME enough? How much did he actually learn? Did he enjoy himself and have enough fun through the year? Did I just DO enough as his mama? What can I do more to help him succeed the way that works best for him? This year came and went so fast and through all of the emotion and chaos, I’d have to say it was quite bittersweet to soak it all in and watch him grow through his first official year of school. Now that he’s off to 1st grade, it’s like ‘official big boy status.’ But that doesn’t mean that my mama mind isn’t feeling just as crazy as ever.

Or lilacs in this case…
But seriously, whatever it is that makes you happy for a few moments, just do it.

Life is busy, it’s hard. There is a lot on your mind. Refresh. Smile again + just keep going.
This is just a simple, happy post to remember our quiet time spent in the yard cutting lilacs with the sun shining through the branches + the newly crisp Spring breeze blowing. And because our girl is so pretty + blooming just like those lilacs, it was so sweet to sit back, relax + watch her happiness + joy glow by doing something so simple to help the day pass. Children are just the best reminder in general, to enjoy the little things more. If they can, we can too.

^^ I read that quote the same day I came home from this session. Coincidence? I think not.

This past week has been so entirely bittersweet for me in so many ways. But to top it off, I was overwhelmed with so many emotions when I had the honor of walking through the front door to capture a newborn session for the family who moved into my childhood home. I can’t even explain to you my feelings, so I’ll just continue to wipe the tears off my cheeks as I write this blog post. I’m also a bit of a sap and a huge sentimental person, so this probably trumps a lot of moments so far in my life. I’m so grateful that Jenni + Luke have allowed me to experience not only these perfect first memories of bringing home their new baby, but for allowing me to walk through the place, where I still in my heart, call ‘home.’

We need to STOP.

Stop the first impression judgement, the judgement in general. The constant worrying about others, like what they think about you, the things you enjoy but ‘shouldn’t’ be doing, or what you are doing right or wrong. Don’t worry about what others are doing or saying or buying and please stop comparing yourself to them. You can’t sit back and judge or compare someone else’s story to yours. You just can’t. You’re not living the same life as them and you’re not going down the same paths as they are. Just because they have nice things doesn’t mean you know their past or what they’ve been through. Just because they have a smile on their face all the time doesn’t mean they are or have the happiest kind of life that you imagine it to be. They may be hurting, deeply struggling with something or they may have moved their biggest mountains to finally be able to enjoy the happiness they have now. The more you stop comparing yourself to others, the more time you will have to better your own life. Stop pinning and wishing and wanting and start doing. Stop wasting time dwelling on other people’s life and take that time to improve your own. Keep yourself busy, find a new hobby, make it a point to want to make other people happy instead of just yourself. When you give something your focus, it consumes you and it becomes something stronger and brighter. Fitness, your small business, your home, your relationships. Think about it. Dive into that and watch it grow.

I woke up on Tuesday morning feeling a little flustered. I had a few important calls to make before the fun could begin for the afternoon I had planned for Owen and I. I needed a day off. And by day off, I mean that I needed to completely unplug. Apparently on most of my days off, I’ll find myself feeling ‘bored’ at some point and sit back down at my desk. There were a couple small moments when I felt reminded that morning, almost like a tap on the shoulder to help me snap out of it. I needed to keep reminding myself to relax and stop worrying constantly about what’s supposed to or going to happen in the future, but to just concentrate and enjoy more of the NOW. More of today and right in this moment. I have a small problem with over thinking sometimes, and I get overwhelmed quickly from it. I know I can’t be the only one, right? I always want to do more, be more and give more than I actually can in the 24 hours we are given in one day and that is just so frustrating to me. I had picked up this book the day before and right when I happened to be in deep thought about something, my eyes scanned this sitting on the table. I took it as a sign that morning.

Well, yesterday was a day to remember. One that I will never forget. It was a tad stressful, quite unplanned, unorganized and FULL of bliss.

Somewhere in between a couple appointments in the morning, errands in the afternoon, the weather forecast changing, my sister and Nana visiting, realizing that it was Randy’s day off, my only possible day to plan family pictures around my busy season if we want any at all, and Dakota (the oldest brother) coming to spend the night, I thought that it would be a great time to get an updated family picture. I picked up two shirts at Old Navy for the oldest boys which matched off the top of my head what we already had in our closets. We rushed back home from picking the kids up in town from school. The rain was coming and had already started spitting on us as we pulled into the driveway. The kids ran inside with Aunt Haley and Nana and Randy and I drove off again to Owen’s parent teacher conference at school. I nervously kept looking out the window at the weather and kept praying for it to hold of. Just for a few more minutes.

Paisley is seven. She’s so darn hilarious and the kind of girlfriend that everyone needs in their life, I just love her to death. She has those big girl conversations mixed with a little bit of that seven year old’s truthful kind of innocence that my heart just can’t get enough of.

All aboooard the Hot Mess Express!

Thursday 8.18.16

Dear Owen,
So many tears have fallen and so many smiles have shined through in honor of celebrating this day for you. It’s your first day of Kindergarten, my boy. My eyes are red and puffy and my feelings are overpowering my exhaustion for right now. I didn’t get much sleep last night and have been up since 4am this morning. I didn’t want to go to sleep or get out of bed because I knew that today was the day. And I wanted to hold that moment in just a little bit longer if I could. It’s the day that you are officially my ‘big boy.’ Well, to prove to everyone else you are. You’re not a baby anymore, as much as I still want to explain to you though, how you always (forever and ever) will be…