Get Excited!!

This is a special occasion for my blog, as I got the chance to take a few photos at a wedding! Though I mostly take portraits and cover events right now, I'd love to branch out into wedding photography at some point, and the opportunity to take a few photos at a friend's wedding was super exciting! Since I was not an official photographer (and we were sitting in the back, where I couldn't get a good view), these are mostly from the reception...between being sick and not being allowed to annoy people to take photos, they're not awesome. But they still make me smile =) So now you know what you're getting =)

My family has known Zach for 4.5 years now, and we love Annie as well, so this was an exciting day for us! Two wonderful, godly friends able to finally celebrate their marriage...it was a beautiful and joyous occasion.

These are the few ceremony photos I did get...I love the smile on Zach's face =)

The grand entrances at the reception--the happy parents of the groom, our dear friends =)

And the happy couple themselves!

A few details...by the way, have I ever mentioned how happy my 1.8 85mm lens makes me? It took the flower shot on the right...and it's wonderful =) 

These little girls were so excited to talk to Annie...it was adorable to watch them =)

Annie looked beautiful...it was so sweet to see her laughing with and leaning on her new husband...and yes, that's sappy. It's a wedding post. Deal with it.

=)

Toasts...

 

This next one is one of my favorites from the day...the laughter that fills these pictures exemplifies their relationship, but it was punctuated by tender, quietly joyful moments...

 

Watching their son and new daughter-in-law...one of the most generous, fun couples I have ever met =)

Cutting the cake, while the wedding party decorated the car and piled it with, as I like to say, a million and a half balloons.

  

A few more details...my happy lens again =)

Just a random thought: every bride should choose such a well-lit area for their reception...it was sooooo wonderful as a photographer to not have to worry about flashes or grainy photos...it was awesome =)

And so concludes the second wedding I've ever taken photos at...sometime I'll post my favorites from the other I did--where I was, in fact, the official second shooter.

Portraits Again =)

We'll see if Rachel hates me for posting these...but they're going up =)

I finally took her birthday portraits (only a few months late)--and here are the best few!

Rachel's good at...posing. Can ya tell?

 

Wondering yet whether there were any real portraits? Well, for your information, this was quite possibly the fastest photo shoot I've ever done. It literally took us about five minutes. Mostly 'cause we were freezing. And this next photo was the actual result I needed =)

Yes, I'm kinda proud of my camera, for taking it =)

Also, I'm at a hotel a long way from home, for a friend's wedding this weekend...it's a very nice hotel, but the internet's really slow. This happened to remind me of...a very entertaining video.

Yes, I love Julian Smith...I'm sorry if that bothers you. I think he's awesome. Have fun watching =)

More photos will hopefully be coming soon! (But not necessarily today...since this internet is slow...)

Something Different

So I usually post pictures, but I recently rediscovered this poem that I wrote a few years ago, and it made me laugh...so I thought I'd share =)

The Sad Event

While I cleaned out my goldfish bowl—

So that mom would not nag—

To keep him from the sink’s dark hole,

I put him in a bag.

But somehow prison he escaped

While I had looked away.

The sink disposal hole, it gaped

And swallowed up its prey.

My sister then walked in the room

And headed to the sink.

I tried to stop her, avert doom—

She did not even blink.

She flipped the switch, my goldfish died;

We could not get him back.

I left in tears, I sat and cried

For my untimely lack.

So now I’m praying for a dog

To take my fish’s place.

I need a dog, since they don’t fit

Down disposal space.

Of course, another reason to want a dog: 

...they're soooo adorable (and photogenic)! =)

Hope you're having a wonderful day before Christmas Eve!

I'M BACK =D

After my long hiatus (which brought many of you to tears, I'm sure, as you loaded the blog and realized there were no new posts), here are the promised pictures...from November. But they're happy pictures, so maybe you'll forgive me =)

For fall break (when the crazy students among us went out to campaign with lots of teenagers and get next to no sleep), Marjorie invited a bunch of us up to her family's farm to hang out...it was a wonderful time of rest and laughter...as these pictures will attempt to prove...

The wonderful (central-heating-less) newly-painted house: home base =) 

Early morning walks: awesome photo opportunities!

See, we were happy =) 

We found a bunny! (Can you find him?)

The boys wanted to kill it...I didn't.

Amazing views from Eagle's Dare...

The hills are alive... =)

My converse like to go places with me =) 

Nick's favorite spot on the property...

 Exploring new-ish territory.

The views from halfway down the mountain--Marjorie loves the farm =)

I feel like this should have some epic title...but I can't think of one...

It was a perfect time to catch up on devotions...out in the middle of nature, with no cell phones or internet to distract us =)

Proof of our exhaustion: we sat and played with the glow sticks Justin brought for like...two hours. Quite happily =)

And one final proof of the beauty that surrounded us...great thanks to the Somervilles for sharing it with us!

So School Kinda Took Over My Life...

I have photos from November that I haven't finished editing...yeah. And my life has been crazy, and I've been sick...but God has been overwhelmingly good, and really, that's all that matters. Soooo in light of the fact that an awesome friend (check out his blog: Excellent Encounters) put me on his blogroll and I realized people actually do occasionally see this...here's a promise that I will update. TOMORROW. Really. Just not now, 'cause I'm tired...and when I write blog posts/captions when I'm tired...I say slightly moronic things. Mmmhmm. Check back tomorrow =)

But not early. 'Cause it's break...and there's no way I'm getting up before 9 AM.