FAMILY PHOTO: REBEKAH + ADAM
Senior Pictures: Michael
I have one word to describe this shoot: genuine. It was great to meet this awesome young guy as I took his senior pictures. Against a backdrop of gorgeous Ohio-autumn leaves, it was so much fun to capture his knowledge-hungry, eager and confident personality. I could tell with every shutter snap that he's got a brighter-than-bright future ahead.
Congrats, Michael! Go get em!
Sisters, Showers and Storytime
Sisters are amazing. Have I said that yet? Every day my gratitude grows. I could go on and on about each of mine.
My sister Rebekah is having her first baby, a new chapter in a life story that is just amazing. (Should you ever get to hear it, you would find yourself inspired and encouraged.) She told me the other day that being pregnant has filled her with so much joy. She said it with words just then, but her actions say it every day I see her in some way.
My sisters Elizabeth and Anna have made a profession of throwing showers. Baby. Wedding. Bachelorette Parties. More Weddings. More Babies. If the showers actually involved water, we could have filled Lake Erie with the amount of showers that went down this year. If Lebron James is good at Basketball, my sisters are the Lebron James (back in Cleveland, of course) of showers. The thing is, it's beautiful. Women supporting women. What a foundational, beautiful thing it is, all adorned with powder-sugar topped, gluten-free lemon cakes.
I WENT CAMPING
I went camping for the first time. It was like this: I felt like all of humanity was keeping a big secret from me, and then, between the dewdrops hanging on the blades of grass in the morning, someone whispered it into my ear...
And I fell in love.
As someone who tends to become frightened when new experiences come around the bend, I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought about an article I'd read about bear-safe coolers...about how they can pretty much tear into anything unless it's stood the test of being dropped off a three-story building. I'd also thought about what would happen if my husband stopped breathing...and I didn't have cell phone service...and the car was out of gas...and wi-fi was laughable...and we were stranded in a forrest somewhere.
But then we drove up to the beautiful, lightning bug-lit (and mosquito-inhabited) camp ground. There were people everywhere. Again, it was like humanity was always having this huge party and I was a late-comer. I realized soon that my fears were ridiculous (happens often).
So we slack-lined and cooked our eggs on the fire, and sang late-night songs in Australian accents almost all through the night.
Then the early morning silence came. The type of silence that introduces you to yourself. It's pure Goodness, the God kind.
Now I spend my days trying to find a sliver of weekend where we can escape the city limits and meet the twilight again.
p.s. Because God is good and his grace is abundant...I am officially married to this guy.
I Packed Away Winter
In preparation to move after the wedding, and inspired by a weekend full of warm breeze and bare feet, I packed up all my winter coats.
Ironically, I had to pull one back out this morning. A fresh layer of snow graced Ohio last night.
#Ohioprobs, if you will.
