Idaho

I'm trying to figure out where to start on this blog about Idaho. I had no idea just how magical it would be. Going on this trip to the Tamarack resort, I had no expectations. But if I did, it would have blown each one to pieces! The view was incredible, the weather was perfect, our cabin was adorable, our friends were a blast, everything came together perfectly. But the one thing that just sealed the deal for this trip was the family that had us all come down there.

This family had a tragedy happen 13 years ago. One of the sisters was in a car accident and past away in her early twenties. You can tell how shoken up they must have all been because of the way they still talk about it. But what really hit me was the way that they have all carried on. Each year, they all have a family reunion on the day of the sister, Kelly's, birthday to celebrate her life. This year the reunion was in Idaho. And when I say reunion, I'm talking like 80-100 people. We witnessed a weekend filled with love that was overflowing! All of the husbands bragged about their wives and how amazing they were. Then they would move onto their kids and each of their achievements they have made. They all greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek and one of the sisters even said her arm was sore from giving so many hugs over the weekend. It's awesome to see strong families! Makes me want to have those qualities for my own!

Not only do they posses all of this amazingness but they are also very giving. They just opened up "Kelly's Water Park" free for the community where people can go and kayak, white water raft and all sorts of cool stuff. So that's why we were there. Jason and Jordan performed at a concert that they put on to raise money for the water park. This was one of the best weekends to date!

Love and Joy is what this family has. So yes, it's possible to have it in our families as well!

Above are a few pictures from McCall and Donnely, Idaho, and the Tamarack Resort! I might just be posting some more soon! :)

Lindsey Paradise

Here are some recent bridals of Lindsey. She has become an "email" friend I guess you could say. We have shared information on wedding vendors, recipes, etc over email! It's great to meet good people in the process of doing work! Lindsey is super photogenic and made it really easy to shoot! Congrats Lindsey and Justin!

A New Mind

Newness...it's just my lot right now. And it's a good one that I think I'm going to camp out at for awhile.

If we are friends on facebook, you have probably noticed my obsession with "Friends" - the tv show- lately. I really hate Ross most of the time because he is just so whiney. I think Chandler is hillarious! And I can find elements of myself in all 3 girls. But as I sit on the couch, analyzing all of their characters, I start to notice that they don't really do the same to one another. I know they are all fictional, obviously, but it hit me! They literally ACCEPT each other for exactly who they are. This show has actually challenged me to do the same with my friends. I desire that quality in myself. I want to be a person that can look past differences and choose to be friends with someone regardless! I want to love with no conditions or expectations. I think this challenge starts in the mind. Donald Miller, the author of "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" wrote a blog about this type of acceptance a few days ago. Thought I'd share the link!

http://donmilleris.com/2010/08/02/id-rather-be-hated-than-loved-with-conditions/

So I'm adding this to the list of my current challenges!

Okay, back to photo editing....

(photo by Katie Kingma, http://www.katiekingma.com/)

A New Story

I decided that I'm going to start training for a half marathon. I've done it once before, last November. But it was in the midst of a lot of drama in my life and it took a lot out of me. So I've decided that I'm going to do it again. This time with more vigor and focus. Isn't it peculiar how we can go so long in life wanting to do so many things and never end up doing them? Why is that? Sometimes I want to be a fashion designer, a painter, a writer, a 9 to 5er - that last one happens very rarely. Then I realized you really can be whoever and whatever you want. And there is actually no judge that sits around deeming us as these "things". We just choose to do them. If I want to be a painter on a friday afternoon, I'm going to paint. If I want to be a fashion designer next Sunday, I'm going to get out my sewing machine. It's that easy, right? I hope so! I'm going to give it a try.

So right now I want to be a runner. Really what I want to be is a healthy person with purpose. So running is a part of that process and I am becoming proactive! This is the new story that I'm making for my life. As Donald Miller in, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (my current read), puts it, "Your life is a blank page, you write on it". It's ambitious but I think the pay off is going to be so rewarding.

Photographer's Stuff

To all of my fellow colleagues, aka "photo-graphers" I want to share a link with you to a magazine that I highly suggest! I just read an article from the June 2009 issue and I was re-inspried to subscribe! The article was about about self promotion and I got lots of ooey gooey goodness to start on!!! If you are client of mine, you just might be receiving some really cool stuff!! :) yay! Anyways, beside the point....subscribe if it's in your budget and you like magazines and you want oodles of photo knowledge! There are many competitions throughout the year as well as information on the newest gear and events coming up!

Just thought you should know!!!

http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/index.jsp

Pursuing Health

So today I just spent an hour with Michelle at the CT Healing Place. During the process of planning my own wedding, my family decided that we needed help in establishing some healthy patterns in all of our relationships. Isn't it funny how something so joyous can really bring up the mud and muck. So my wedding was the apex. And we all decided that we just want to implement change into our family. Really it was my sister and I putting our foot on the ground and saying, "we refuse for this to be our normal!" Change is hard for everyone and I think for the most part it is something that we try and resist. But it's inevitable. Our lives are consistently changing, all the time. There isn't just a few changes that happen in life that we need to prepare for. Life is all about change. Sounds really unstable.... and well I guess it is to an extent, but the change is what refines me and allows me to fully rely on the Lord. It surfaces that mud and muck to where you see it because you're basically covered all in it so you HAVE to deal with it.

So with all of that to say, my family is beginning our little journey to health. I think it's going to be a long one. I'm sure there are going to be really bad days and really good days. But I am thankful that we have reached this point and are now doing something about it. That way, my sister and I's kids will just have that much more of a solid foundation of family and health and each of our marriages, including my parents' , will be strengthened.

I share this with you so you can be encouraged if your family is going through a tough time during the preparations for your wedding. It isn't uncommon for a wedding to bring it out in people. Know that there is always hope and healing. We just have to make the choice to pursue it!

Paradise Wedding

So the Paradise wedding.... (Paradise as in their last name, how cool is that!!!!) It was so much fun to shoot. Lindsey and Justin, the bride and groom had such a great team of people around them! It's so great to see good friendship. They came down from out of state to get married so we shot LIndsey's bridals the week of their wedding! Those pictures are soon to be posted!

Location: Hackberry Creek Country Club

More Photos from Hope For North Texas's Back to School Event!

Hope For North Texas - Back to School Event

When Jamie called and asked me to take pictures for the Hope For North Texas's Back to School event, I was really excited. She said that there were going to be 1200 kids coming through the doors of Cross Timbers church and receiving school supplies that were donated by the church and community. It didn't really process in my mind how special this event was going to be or just how huge it was but when I drove up to CT, the first thing I saw was a line of people rolling down to the end of the parking lot waiting to get in. Not only were there 1200 kids waiting for their supplies but they brought their parents, siblings, and friends who all got to experience the provision of the Lord for a day.

How amazing is it that a ministry sees a need in a community, the people work together to respond to the need and the people are provided for! I think this is the essence of what the church's purpose is here on earth. I loved being apart of it. It was a blessing to witness!

styling with his new backpack

the volunteers were so sweet and helpful!

her brother's didn't recognize her with her new bangs!

a grateful mother!