epicness. :)

remembering...and resting.  and soon to be resolving...
but first remembering. :)
remembering the epicness that was 2010.  (yes, I claim epicness as a word.)  :)

I want to remember racing through boston, houston, chicago, and phoenix...
I want to remember getting to capture those first few moments
                     of a new bride seeing her husband for the very first time...
I want to remember seeing the glint and swagger in a high school senior eyes...
I want to remember the smells of a newborn's head, of dew lingering on the country fields,
        of cold snow in prescott, of roses freshly cut for the bride's bouquet...
I want to remember standing thirteen stories up overlooking phoenix and feeling small...
I want to remember seeing the love between a couple who has loved for 50 years...
I simply want to remember.
remember your memories that have now become my memories.
and I am so filled with gratitude that each one of these photographs
                 represents a bond with a person who I can call friend.

"...if I can create an image that elicits feelings in the viewer
             and convey even some of what I feel in the moment...that is simply magical..."



so thank you.
       so thank for the magic this 2010.

thank you for these photographs and allowing me a memory. :)

happy new year!  :)

a lot. :)

this boy makes me smile.  a lot.  :)
when I first greet him, it's the same every time...
   he lays back a bit and just kinda absorbs you a bit with his giant chocolate eyes.
      slowly his eyes start to krinkle.
         he might point at something and try to say the word next.
            and then?  then you're in.  in like flynn.  :)  and if you come bearing a car you're golden. :)
he loves to play, run, jump, throw, dance...you name it and he's on the go!
the only time you'll see him kinda sad is when it's time to go...
        you can almost hear his thoughts... "what?  they're not coming with?!"
yes, he makes me smile.  a lot.
and it's incredibly special for me to see him grow from this to not quite so little anymore!  :)

and his parents?  I love them a lot.  tremendously in fact.  and I'm SO excited for their new SON to arrive in the new year and to see how God uses them this next year!
thanks again, ricc and holly!  :)

and last but not least, my favorite...you can't help but look at him and smile.  a lot. :)

there she goes :)

this girl makes me smile.
      and you gotta listen to listen to this song...
it's the one I kept hearing while editing her g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s pics from her senior session...

you see, I've known this lovely woman since
              she was a sixth grade girl in my small group waaaaaay back when... :)
and aside from the fact that she is STUNNINGLY beautiful,
     she is super driven, fun to hang out with, loves Jesus and is super athletic.
           (yes, I might have coveted her arms during this shoot...killer!)

ashley, you are beautiful inside and out and it was a pleasure taking these for you!
I can't wait to see where God takes you these next couple years!  :)

I'm super funny, apparently :)

blessed. :)

 

okay, this is an "honest jen" post. :)
I've been feeling like I've lost Christmas.
go here.  do this.  say this.  be this.  want this.  go, go, GO!  smile!
it got so overwhelming that I seriously started to tear up when I listened to this song.
yeah, my dork status just rose.  I know. :)

I was talking with my friend this week about the busy-ness of life.
she would know what busy is...
four kids
   PLUS six grandkids (one who was born a week ago!)
         PLUS a pre-school she runs
              PLUS a small group of around twenty girls
                  PLUS three co-leaders
                      PLUS she a fantastic wife, daughter, sister and friend to many.
after comiserating for a few moments of how tired each of us were,
she amazed me with her conclusion to all of this.

she felt overwhelmingly blessed.  blessed.

I was somewhat startled and shamed.

you see, how often do I go about my day thinking "I HAVE to" for all the things I do?
rather than "I GET to"?
how often do I think that if I don't get to all of my to-do list then I fail?
ALL the time.
it becomes about me.  and then I feel swallowed by my life, rather than blessed by my life.
I get so wrapped up in being busy, instead of being blessed.

I read this post by jon acuff this week.  and the last couple paragraphs are resonating with me.

"We are not shown a steady parade of heroes
                    who became even more heroic in the hands of God.
We are shown a parade of failures who found forgiveness.
       Losers who found love.
             Hopeless who found hope. 
Christmas is a loud season, but hopefully, you’ll hear the real song.
It’s one of redemption. My redemption. Your redemption. Our redemption."

yes.  I am blessed.  blessed. 
it's not about me.  or my to-do lists.  or my "have to's".

it's about Him.  and my "get to's".  :)

the saturday evening post. :)

these people remind me of a family that could have been pulled out of the pages from
                                             the saturday evening post.

      lovely, americana beauty in the ladies...
             classic, clean-cut good looks in the guys...
      lots of adorable kids with blue, blue eyes...

maybe that's why I felt like I could almost hear aloud sinatra crooning his infamous lyrics
 "...yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm and your cheeks so soft,                 
           ...and that laugh that wrinkles your nose, it touches my foolish heart.."

and what was even cooler about this family?
was that as beautiful as these people are they most definitely were NOT afraid to distort their faces and make some of the best "photobooth" photographs I've had the amusement to take yet! :)

yup, LOVED this collaboration session with elizabeth ann photography
                                 and LOVED this super fun family! :)

 

and because they let me.  and, because I saw this pic in my minds eye and like how it turned out...my favorite shot/s to end with! :)  thanks again, bergers! :)