the best year yet.

i once heard that new year's eve is one of the most hopeful nights of the year.  hope for what is to come.  hope that this year will be better than the last.   the clock strikes twelve and magically the year before is gone with nothing but the future before you.  no looking back.

people take today to look back and remember that good... and the bad.  dare i be like everyone else?  mark this day in the sand, draw my line, and move forward?  today seems like as good a day as any.  to set goals, dream, and plan for 2012.

first a look back. 

 in terms of personal life it has been the best year of my life.  its so girly and cliche but so true - i married my love. 

marriage has been the best & hardest thing i have ever done.  but i am beyond grateful for this man.  he is my teammate, lover, and best friend.  i am so excited for all God's plans for us in the new year.

professionally things have grown more than i never expected.  there were times i wanted to quit.  i made mistakes i could not fix and thought i should walk away.  but then my husband reminded me i was not perfect,  mistakes happen and would continue to happen.  then challenged me to learn from them and move on.  i did and am - everyday.  we captured more weddings/families/seniors/babies/etc. than ever before.  we grew.  got better.  and are currently making plans for a even better 2012... a website.  new booth for trade shows. my plans to blog EVERYDAY... a prayer wall... new printing services... and so much more.  stay tuned.

two years.

two years ago today... we captured our first, first look.

looking back i can still remember how nervous i was, but i was also excited...

 i knew this was the beginning of something great God had planned for me...

its been such an amazing two years and i have learned so much...

i cannot wait to grow & learn more in 2012, there is so much to look forward to ...

thankful.

there is no excuse.   i am suck a slacker when it comes to blogging this month... the only excuses i have are "i am soooooo busy editing and helping create our new website" and "when i am not editing/working on our new website - i want to cuddle my husband."

call it lame... but thats what i got.   and even though i am in serious need of a nap... i am thankful.  so thankful that last year i shot 5 weddings and this year we shot 18.  it would have been 21 - but i got married in the middle of wedding season (i know i know what was i thinking... i was thinking i did not want to wait another day to be married to adam...) i am thankful for a husband who believes in me so much that he is spending COUNTLESS hours building an AMAZING website.  something he has never done before and is doing from scratch.  i am thankful that God is blessing us with so much work we can hardly keep up.  thankful that we are being forced to form a new battle plan to better serve all the customers who have/are coming our way.  i am thankful for growth and a future that looks brights.  thankful that dreams are becoming reality.

as for blogging i promise to catch up - because there is so much to share!  i also promise that in the new year i plan to make a blogging resolution and keep it. 

like i said on facebook 30 days was not enough to say how thankful i am. a Godly husband.  an amazing family.  awesome friends.  wonderful church.  the best clients.  the list goes on.  so grateful for it all.  for the mistakes i make and get to learn from.  for the hard times that make the good times sweeter.  for love.  for life. for faith.

i am forever grateful.

like this banner?   go check out shel.  she is amazing.

indiana wedding photography: ashley & zach: engaged.

once upon a time i worked at a gym... it was there i met ashley... i liked her right away... i remember long chats... workouts... and sneaking over to other gyms to scope out our competition... i also remember her talking about her boyfriend - the one who stole her heart in high school...

fast forward a couple years... we no longer work at that gym (super long story - but if you are thinking of joining a gym, email me to make sure it is NOT this one), but some things stayed same... for example i still like being around ashley... and her heart still belongs to zach...

after years of waiting zach finally asked ashley to be his forever... and she said yes...

oh the camera LOVES you two!  here's to june getting here FAST!

day 4.

today i am thankful for my talented friend shel over at paper lullaby.  for her talents. her friendship.  her strength.  and her love.  
 you inspire me friend.

meet the girls

blossom.

ellie.

georgia.

since facebook is doing it...

a month of thankfulness...

day one: our comfy bed.

day two: the person i sleep next every night.

day three:  being able to stay at home when i am sick... because today i am sick.  that gross sick that makes you wish you where at work .



happy halloween.

busy day...

... now off to snuggle with my husband.



indiana wedding photography: abbie & ryan: engaged.

i am sure the campus has heard the story a thousand times... "we had some mutual friends... and then one night when we were all out... " and thus their story began... a first they "hung out" but before long -  they had a house and two dogs...we met on iu's campus for the enagment session to remember where it all began...

abbie & ryan we are so excited to be a part of your story and cannot wait to capture your day come april...

this was just a peek!  for more friend us on facebook!

fort wayne indiana wedding photography.

today i am sure will be filled with smiles bigger than these... off to spend the day with these two.

happy friday.

hope this brightens your rainy days...

indiana wedding photography: kelly & garret

you know the person who has been in your class forever?  the one who is not your best friend... but the person who you have seen every school day since you where 3... the one who sat behind you at high school graduation... who you turned to after the tassels where turned and said, "its been a great 15 years."  the one who you know will be there for you in a time of need - even though you have not talked in years?  the person you are always happy to run into when at the super market.  kelly is my person.  since the time of little girl giggles to becoming brides ... she is that person.

and now i am beyond honored to meet her love.  her best friend. her garret.

6 days you two.  i just cannot wait.

the photo above was taken after kelly  gave a lesson on being fierce... it started with "tyra says..."

if only you all could hear this laugh.  

for more of these two please facebook friend us!

sweetest.

happiest sweetest day from our house to yours...

newborn: monroe louise.

sweet baby girl ... all our best to anna and kedric

unlike most newborn's monroe was awake most of the shoot...

"oh its so hard to be this beautiful ... "

"daddy to my rescue."

for more of monroe look on the side of this blog and friend us on facebook!

indiana wedding photography: chalena & robert.

they have loved through the good... the bad... supported the other in the hard times... together they welcomed four beautiful little girls...

on this sunday afternoon they sealed the deal, then danced the night away

 heres a peek at what we captured.

chalena & robert.  thank you so much for making us a part of your day -  crazy and all we had a blast.

blessing on your future.