Black Plastic and Thick Glass

One of my dear friends is graduating college!
... and I had the privilege of shooting her graduation portraits.

Wedding planning has been consuming every thought and spare moment of every day lately and this shoot was a much needed break.
I just can't explain what happens when that camera is in my hands.
For a brief moment I lose my flesh. I lose my worries, my concerns, my opinions, my struggles..
I take shelter behind black and something happens deep within my soul.

Grass is greener, skies are bluer, smiles aren't forgotten, and pain is not unseen.
I take shelter behind black plastic and thick glass and wait for God to meet me there.
There He takes my hand and opens my eyes, showing me what He's made, what He sees, what He wants seen.

I've been given a gift and I've wasted a lot of time doubting, worrying, and feeding my insecurities with it rather than thankfully taking it, shaping it, and growing it.
Handing photography over and letting God take it to a level that will impact, effect, and infect people with glory for God has always been a dream but I've never been ready to take that risk. Afraid of failure, I've never been ready to hand it to Him and trust Him to make it happen.

Well.. I'm done. I'm handing over my fear, my doubt, my anxiety, my insecurities.
Life's too short and God's too big.

I don't know what's around the corner and what role photography will play in my life
but this I am sure of... It's His to do with what He wants. And I'm ready for it!

Can you say BEAUTIFUL?
Thanks Aub for letting me capture your sweet beauty.
Love you forever xoxo

Mr. Easy Bake

During a recent trip to Target we decided to take a walk down the toy aisle for fun. As were passing the girl section Brett stopped and peered down one of the aisles. After a long stare he says "did I ever tell you I had an easy bake oven?". I guess I'm not all that surprised considering the sweet tooth this boy has but I couldn't help but laugh. He was peering down the aisle because the easy bake ovens caught his eye and he couldn't believe all the options that have developed over the years. We went back to the easy bake aisle where we found unisex ovens (brett's was pink) and all kinds of packets to make all kinds of food. I'm sure most men would quiver at the thought of admitting that but he didn't care at all. And in that moment as I watched him eye all the glorious easy bake options, he was the cutest thing ever.

Brett and the easy bake "manly choice" complete with blue and faux stainless finishing...
Just ignore the little girl on the front. Easy bakes are for men.

Hot Waffles and Jacuzzis

Ok so this date is a little outdated now but as I was looking through pictures that I haven't posted I found them and we just had too much fun (as usual) not too post.

They're the peanut butter to our jelly (extra pb for lauren), they're the grease to our bread balls, they're the reeses to our blizzard, and they're the boba to our frubble.

She gets me, he gets him, and we're so thankful that we've been blessed with them as friends during this unique time in our lives... A time that no one can really understand until they're there.. and thankfully they're there with us!

oh and here's a little sneak peek of where it's all going down on August 7th...
I think they booked it because they heard they had free waffles.

Bon Voyage

B and I got our passports!
Now we can get married, quit working, pack our backpacks, and travel the world.
...I wish

I guess we'll just have to get married, and go on a totally sweet 7 night honeymoon.
Wait... I never made a post about the honeymoon did I? Oh boy thats-a-comin!

We Turned 4!

A few fun things happened while I was MIA for a month.
One of them was that Brett and I turned 4!

We had our fourth anniversary!
YAY! and of course we spent it at Disneyland.. Is there any other way?
I love Him so much. I can't believe it's been four years. The time has flown by at an alarming speed and it's getting even faster as the wedding approaches.
From here on out we will have wedding anniversaries to celebrate.. of course knowing us we will still celebrate our date-iversary. We love a good reason to celebrate!

Grad Party cont.

"make a post about my foot"
"what do you want me to say?"
"just say the skins a little peely but you like it"
"hmm.. ok"

Dear Lafawnduh (Lauren's Foot),
I like you. I like your cross tattoo. You have 5 toes, they aren't polished but it's ok... and your skins a little peely, .. but i kinda like it.
Love,
Hilda (Heather's Foot )

ManLove

Our special boys... We're at a grad party right now. Lauren and I are sitting on the floor 2 feet apart. The 4 boys are squeezed closely onto 1 couch. (Notice the manlove cuddle between brett and luke.. they're in love!)

Who woulda thunk?

Almost directly in the middle of this picture is a building. An apartment complex that I lived in when I was really little. The place I met Aubri, the place Genieva lived first, the place where home videos of me throwing tantrums on the floor were taped, the place where my fondest memories of my Dad were made, the place where Tony was introduced into my life, the place where I remember watching lightening in the parking lot with my grandpa.

Fast forward 18 years..
I'm standing on a hill looking into the past, playing all these memories in my head. I stand and smile a moment longer before I turn to the house behind me. Today's the day. My wedding dress is ready. A girl only wears one wedding dress in her life and mine is ready and waiting for me. Waiting in the house on the hill. The same house that looked over those same apartments and chubby cheeked girl 18 years ago. Who would've thought?

I'm such a sentimental sap lately.. I just can't help it. My chubby cheeks couldn't help but smile.

and I say HEY! HEY! What a wonderful kind of day.

The other night B and I were talking to some friends about shows we watched when we were little. The first show that came to my mind was Arthur. I LOVED Arthur. I watched Arthur religiously. I'm pretty sure I can still recall ever single episode. It was totally a family thing too, we all loved Arthur. At the first sound of the theme song we all came running from our rooms to watch. You would think the love for the show would dwindle as years went by but... no. Being the oldest of 4 there was always someone in the appropriate age group to be watching Arthur.. so the love continued. It's been a while now (about 5 years. I'm 22.. you do the math) but after that conversation I was totally reminded of how amazing of a show it was!

Is it weird for 2 almost married adults to put the Arthur DVD's on their wedding registry?

... I think not

You got to listen to your heart
Listen to the beat
Listen to the rhythm, the rhythm of the street
Open up your eyes, open up your ears
Get together and make things better
By working together!

I Want You To Be My Love

B ran into this video the other day and knew I would love it.
He showed it to me and of course I loved it and have watched it multiple times since.

So I thought I'd give it a little blog love.
You have to actually watch the video. The song is beautiful but it's the video that completes it.
It's beautifully filmed and just so darn creative! Enjoy.

Busy Busy Busy

I can't believe it's been over month since I've posted!

...and after some persistant nagging to update the blog here I am.

Everytime I think to myself "wow the wedding is x amount of weeks away. I'm officially going at full speed now".. It gets even faster. Lots of exciting things are happening and I'm falling more and more in love with my hubby to be with each day. Thankfully I have these next 2 days off to get some things done, and on that list is to update the blog with all the fun things going on in my little corner of life:)

P.S.
She, my maid of honor, and beautiful sister comes home today and I couldn't be more excited! Things are about to get a lot less hectic and a lot more fun as she begins to bear some of the wedding weight haha.