McCombs Family

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of photographing the McCombs family. Joshua, Ashley, Lena and Parker make such a sweet family and were patient with me as I navigated my way through my first shoot with two young children.

I'm still busy editing this family session, but thought that I would share some of my favorites from our day together.

An Anniversary Celebration

This weekend, my sister and I (with the help of our husbands) hosted a dinner party in honor of our parent's 30th anniversary. Brittany made an incredible seafood bouillabaisse, together we made a roasted beet salad and some appetizers and I threw in some handmade decorations.

The traditional gift for a 30th anniversary is pearl, so all of us ladies wore pearls. My dad got my mom a gorgeous multi-strand fresh water pearl necklace (seen in photos below).

The best part of the evening was when each of us went around the table and shared our favorite memories involving our parents - there were some real classics. The recurring theme throughout each of our stories was my parents great love for one another and their awesome sense of humor that's kept them laughing through the years.

(toasting glasses from their wedding 30 years ago)

How cute are they?

Thirty Years

Two songs that always make me  think of my parents - I suggest playing while you read:

 

I've heard it said that it's not until we reach our mid twenties that we can fully recognize our parents as real people. Something inside clicks, and we realize that not long ago they too were twenty-five; scraping by, unsure of what the future held, trying to carve out their place in the world.

I've always been grateful for my parents, but there's been a shift in the last few years that's opened my eyes to all that my parents have done for my sister and I. When I look at pictures of my childhood I can still feel the sense of comfort and security that their love for us and for one another provided. Steady, honest, real love. 

My mom's excitement for life and desire to celebrate even the smallest occasions, paired with my dad's passion for travel and adventure made for the best kind of childhood. Beautifully warm holidays and family vacations that were peppered with as much learning and culture as my dad could pack in. From school projects to Sunday night dinners, my parent's desire to "live big" has lit a fire within me to never settle for ordinary.

There are certain images of my parents that stand out from the rest; my mom bent over a sewing machine making our Halloween costumes by hand, the sound of the computer keyboard tapping into the wee hours of the morning while my dad tried to crank out just one more article to bring in extra money for our family. It's the memory of my mom steadily pacing in the hospital waiting room while my dad was in the operating room undergoing surgery to remove his prostate cancer. It's the look of complete adoration on my dad's face when he watches my mom as a grandmother.

I've been asked why I decided to marry at a young age. Clearly, finding the right person had a lot to do with it -- but even more so, it's my parent's model of marriage that has given me so much to look forward to.

From 1979, when wearing a powder blue leisure suit in public was socially acceptable through the 80s and 90s when my mom's hair soared to new heights (literally), one constant has remained -- their love and deep respect for one another.

In their thirty years of love and laughter, silly and not-so-silly arguments, diaper changes and late night feedings, chorus concerts and graduations, hard times and moments of pure joy, from walking Brittany and I to the bus stop to walking us both down the aisle -- they've done it all with such grace.

Here's to the next 30!

Orlando in Photos

As promised, a photo/instagram overload from our family trip to Orlando:

A very big thank you to my parents for taking us on this fun-filled excursion :)

Congratulations Kellie & Paul!

It's been too long since I've posted about what's been going on with my life. Jake and I have been traveling quite a bit and our home life has been a little different too. Our friends Kellie and Paul and their cute pup, Theo, move in with us from Massachusetts while they waited to close on their first house.

Kellie went to middle and high school with Jake and I in upstate New York, so we are really excited to have her and Paul living in Charlotte now. They closed on their house today and we couldn't be more excited for them! It's a gorgeous 5 bedroom home about 20 minutes from Jake and I in a really pretty lake front community.

I'm super excited to have old friends living so close!

Pelican Point

I'm slowly settling back into reality after a quick get-a-way with family to Florida. We had a wonderful vacation full of great food, sunshine and all things Disney (more photos to follow).

During our trek home up I-95, we made a pit stop in a sleepy fishing village on the Georgia coast. Pelican Point Restaurant welcomed us with its slightly eccentric nautical decor. We had plenty of limey beer, fresh off the boat shrimp and lots of other great sea fare. 

One of my favorite moments came when our server asked, "Y'all ain't from around these parts are you?" We admittedly are still Yankees (as they refer to us down south),  but it's places like Pelican Point that help me to embrace living in the South in all of its unapologetic glory.

Autumn Reads

My brother-in-law, Adam, shared this site with me and I have fast become addicted. There's nothing quite like fall to make me want to curl up with a good book.

I have been lucky enough to contribute some photography to a great new Chicago lifestyle blog, The Urbaness. They just released a stellar reading list that I think you should check out.

I'm currently reading this, and hope to move on to this book before I catch the film.

Do you have any good reads to recommend?