Well, friends...

I have some feelings to share.

Recently, my husband and I took some time to celebrate.

We celebrated a decade of marriage.

We celebrated our first trip without kids...ever.

We celebrated my turning the big 3-0 this month. {Gulp}

We celebrated losing a combined 150+ pounds this past year.

This year was huge for us. Not an easy year...or an all-that-awesome year.

But we made it this far and needed it.

I wanted to ensure we wouldn't forget this moment. This year that was a result of moments, days, weeks, and months of sadness, joy, and hard work. And it was a moment of being just the two of us...which rarely (if ever?) happens.

It was my turn...to be in your seat.

And this is what I learned.

A pretty location isn't enough.

We spent almost half our trip on top of that mountain over several days. The views were the kind that reminded you how small you really are...and how big God really is. This wasn't just a pretty location for us. This is where we were reminded this is not our home.

This is where we spent hours talking about our hopes and our disappointments. We talked about our dreams. We talked about bringing our kids to this mountain.

Max Patch holds a small piece of our hearts.

We didn't just want a typical back drop.

God brought us to the mountains 5 years ago, and His mountains continue to make our souls stir. We may not always be in the mountains, but my heart will always long for the return.

You have to be really vulnerable.

And it's worth it.

I've been asking my clients to allow me into their spaces. I'm a stranger...mostly. And I come into their homes and document their stories. I get it.

We saved our 10 year vows for that mountain top.

We shared our feelings, our hopes, our tears, and our love...in front of a stranger.

Being yourself while someone clicks away isn't super easy. But the beauty that results...it's worth it.

Capturing the little moments really are THAT important.

We picked a photographer that loves the moments in between, like we do.

A photographer that sees the beauty of real feelings, real interactions, and real connections. I'm always spouting that off on my work, but to see the benefit in the tears of my husband, that makes it real.

The perfect photographer is necessary.

There is always someone cheaper. Someone with more Facebook followers. Someone used by your neighbor/friend/coworker with pretty -okay- pictures.

But you just *know* when you find that photographer. When you can envision yourself in their images. When their portraits are more than just pretty places and cheesey faces. When you can see their artistic voice speaking through.

When their images make you feel something.

My friends, let me tell you....we let time pass too quickly without capturing our love on paper.

And when I found the perfect artist to capture a piece of our story, to bottle up what she saw through the lens, I knew magic would happen.

Documenting love of two is just as important.

My last nine years have revolved around growing, nurturing, and documenting babies.

My work focuses on families blooming with life and love.

My days are full of bottling the beauty and innocence of childhood...from hours to years old. I document the love of parents as they go from two to three. My heart melts as I see families holding precious, new life in their arms.

But this time for us reminded me just how important it is for just two take a break.

Documentary photography holds my heart...but our story at home is so much more than just the role of two lovebirds. So much amazingly more. So while at home documentary still makes me heart sing, we chose to document our love states away on our vacation.

A huge thank you to Nicola Harger Photography for being adventurous with us and for showing us something we don't always see.

A Session Perspective...From Your Side.