Turner Family ~ January 2014

We first had the privilege of photographing this family last year when their adorable son turned 1! It was a combination cake smashing and bubble bath cleanup, and still holds up as one of the most adorably fun sessions we've done to date. (We'd love to do more if anyone is interested!). So when we got the call that they were expecting their second bundle of joy in December, we were so thrilled they asked us to document his precious beginnings!!

This whole family is so full of joy, and love, which just happen to be two of our favorite things to photograph! We hope you enjoy, and get some warm fuzzies that will prepare you for the upcoming warm fuzzy weather coming to the DC area this week!

Thankful Thursdays: Snow!!

Dear Snow:

Not only are you beautiful, but you force us all to do something we often neglect: rest. You make us stay home, and play. You cause us to sit inside, all bundled up, reflecting on what's important. You allow us to drink some of our favorite beverages, like hot coffee and red wine, with the excuse of "staying warm". 

This letter is short and sweet, but we just wanted to say a quick thank you. For allowing us to stop for a moment. For allowing many of us to work from the comfort of our couches in our favorite pajamas. And for bringing fun, camaraderie, playfulness, and joy to our neighborhoods. 

We also wanted to make sure to write this while you are still loved, and before we begin complaining about the cold, and the salt, and the make-up days at school.

So thank you, for your beauty, and your ability to make us stop and take notice.

 

We each move snow in our own unique way. 

His servant heart is even more handsome than he is. He shoveled out so many neighbors! 

Our snow couple. The gentleman's beard is a bit of a different color here. Perhaps because it's a wine beard? 

Remaining Together in Mission

A few weeks ago, I was blessed to participate in a new event called "Together in Mission", TIM for short. Think TEDx, but for the church. Yeah. Pretty amazing! Not only were Greg and I invited to photograph the event, an invitation we accepted with pure joy, but even more crazy, I was asked to speak!

Shortly after I was chosen as a speaker, I went through the "speaker shock" progression, which I will describe below. (This was my first real, prepared speech in quite some time, so I had forgotten how it feels.)

[Initial Thought] Elation. Woo hoo! I'm awesome! Somebody really wants to hear what I have to say, and even record it on video so others can listen too!

[2 seconds later] Wait, this is going to be recorded? Oh jeez, I better come up with something really good to say. Let me think of some topics.

[2 minutes later] I can't think of anything!

[2 days later] I have too many topic ideas, how do I narrow it down?

[2 weeks later] Okay, I think I've got my topic, now I just need to find the right photos and the right words.

[2 months later] I really should get to writing that speech. But I'm not so sure of my topic anymore. Let me think on it a bit.

[2 weeks before the conference] I still don't know what to say! Okay, I'm locking myself in the office tomorrow and I'm not coming out until I have a speech!

Then came lots and lots...and LOTS of practice. My husband and the Bichon we were dog-sitting were such great sports!

Speech time!

I'm happy to say that the presentation went so much better than I expected. Partially because there was a technological glitch at the beginning with my PowerPoint, which gave me time to talk to the audience off the cuff. And that actually relaxed me! So perhaps I should do that before I start every speech from now on?

Here are a few photos to give you a glimpse of the talk. And yes, I promise that I'll post the video here once it's finished!

Don't Wait "Until"

"There are those of us who are always about to live. We are waiting until things change, until there is more time, until we are less tired, until we get a promotion, until we settle down - until, until, until. It always seems as if there is some major event that must occur in our lives before we begin living." ~ George Sheehan

Perhaps many of you are like me; guilty of waiting "until..." to start a personal project, implement a lifestyle change, create a new habit, or mend a broken relationship. I'll wait to start eating right again until January - it's the holidays! I'm really tired this week - I'll start on that personal goal in a few days. I really should call grandma - but I'm so busy this week!

The funny part is, the longer I wait, the harder it gets to start. It's almost like my motivation to do something is a battery, and the longer I wait to start using it, the less there is - a form of motivation leakage.

Take this blog post for example. I started with the idea back in December (made ever so obvious by my statement about eating during the holidays). But I kept waiting to finish. Waiting until I had the right words. Waiting until something profound bubbled up. Waiting until my schedule calmed down a bit so I could "find" the time to write. Ah, the irony.

So I'm going to post this tonight. As I stare at the beginning of a new month. A month full of possibility. Full of eating better. Full of starting those new habits. Full of calling mom and grandma more often. Full of spending as much quality time with my amazing husband as possible. And full of actually writing, no matter how un-profound. Because I love to write. And it needs to happen more often, for my own sake.

So there you have it. No more waiting until...only going after what I value most. Love, life, adventure, and yes, even writing.

Winter Wonderland - ICLS Holiday Party 2013

We've been waiting for the opportune moment to blog this beautiful, wintry event for some time. So with all the random snow and ice over the last few weeks, it finally felt right to post something so wonderfully cool (pun fully intended)! This event was so incredible! From the stunning blue and white decorations in the main hall, to the cozy red and gold in the lounge, and the incredible displays of food as far as the eye could see it was visually stunning. And the energy was absolutely incredible. 

We also felt privileged to get to know this organization, the International Center for Language Studies, a woman-owned independent language school in Washington, DC. From the moment we met this team, we were completely inspired by the strong, student-centered community they are fostering to continually promote life-long learning. We had such a blast being part of this event, and look forward to more work with this awesome organization in the future!