Hey Y’all!

Eeeek! My first post on this site! It seems too good to be true. 🙂

Given that this is a huuuuge shift from what I usually blog, I thought this first post would serve you best if I use it as an introduction. I know there’s a really sweet About Me section on the main site, and that gives you a pretty solid overview of things I love. But there’s a lot more to me than lace and lattes, and you’re going to find a lot more on this site than just portraits and photos, so perhaps starting off with a quick glimpse of the heart behind the business would be good.

I’m more than just a photographer…and I do more than just take pictures.

Yes, this is a photography site, and yes I’m going to share portrait sessions and weddings and engagements, but I’m more than just a photographer, and, even within a simple portrait session, I’m doing more than just taking pictures.

I’m also a servant of Christ, a wife, a momma, a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a former nurse, a traveller, a runner, an adventurer, a reader, a writer, a creator, a cook, a homemaker, a catcher-of-fireflies, a wanna-be-crunchy mom, a sweet tooth, a coffee-shop-sitter, a splash-pad-finder, an early bird who stays up too late most nights, a date night planner. I can’t choose just one favorite color, so I cycle through a multitude of favorites each day (peach is my favorite color today). I don’t have a favorite season, either. I’m excited to home school my littles, and I hope that we have at least 5 or 6 littles one day. A piece of my heart permanently resides in Guatemala, and another piece has been forever lost to Tanzania. I love the mountains and the beach; I love camping in the middle of no where and front porches with endless views of nothing but deep country and a zillion stars to light the night. I love condos in the center of a big city with man-made wonders on all sides. I would happily live in either…or both. 🙂

I never would’ve guessed that one day I’d start a photography business. I went into nursing because I wanted to serve people and love them well…and because it was safe. Nurses will always be needed; a job would always be readily available. I quit to stay home with my first baby, and, the longer I stayed out of the hospital, the less I wanted to ever go back. The more creative I allowed myself to be, the more creative I became.

And I’ve really wrestled with this business. Surely this is selfish of me, right? Doing something I love so much instead of the honorable task of caring for the sick and vulnerable? This can’t be right. This can’t possibly be a valid way to serve others.

It’s all a lie!

But I’ve realized that that’s all a lie. I can serve people through photography. Everyone has a story, and every story deserves to be told. And that’s what I do with my photography; I capture all those little moments, the looks and the laughs, and preserve them forever. I tell your love story so that you can hang it up on the walls of your home and save it in a big old leather-bound book. And then, one day, when you’re wondering what you’ve done, you can look at it and remember. Remember the love that started it all. And your children and all the generations to come can grow up not only hearing the story of your family but also seeing it for themselves.

And that’s what you’ll find here. You’ll find stories and smiles and true love and maybe a few tears along the way, too. You’ll find hopes and dreams and adventures and the everyday mundane. You’ll see my family as we grow and experience life, and you’ll see other families, too. Brand new families on the first day of their creation and the growth they experience, too and families celebrating generations of love.

And that’s what it all comes back to: love.

Will you come with me?