2024

I truly believe we go through seasons of life. The end of 2023 tested me beyond my limits. It not only showed me that I am not a machine, that I can’t do everything all the time for everyone else, and that it’s ok to not be ok. Life can be hard and beautiful at the same time. I have dealt with so much grief, crippling health issues, and anxiety and depression that it literally put a halt to everything. I hit a wall. A necessary wall for everything that was going on, but when you hit a wall it all seems to come crashing down.

A couple of months ago, I really wasn’t sure if I would/could keep my business. I was really sick and my body was just done. While I was physically sick, I really do feel like (at least for me) grief, stress, and anxiety can manifest itself in all crazy ways through your body. My body just couldn’t handle anything else. It was so weak and exhausted. I knew I needed a break.

I will not lie, the last time I picked up my camera was in November - which feels really weird to say. It is still sitting in the same spot I left it months ago. On Sunday, I went to the studio to clean and just be there. I had been avoiding it, but once I was there it felt really good. It’s mine. I was thinking yesterday as I sat there, that I left my full-time job at Sage 11 years ago to try this photography thing. 11 years ago - like that’s insane to me. I way too often focus on what I haven’t done or what I still want to do and I don’t ever see how very, very far I have come. This is a whole entire other blog, but this all didn’t just happen over night. I created this little business from nothingness. That isn’t nothing. That is something.

We all have different seasons of life. I realized quickly these past couple months that I am deep in my mom era season and I literally wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I love driving my kids around all over creation, going to ALL of their soccer games, being involved in their school and club soccer, and I really love just being with them (even if they don’t always love being with me right now). I would not be able to do any of that without Lucas. He works so hard so that I can have the flexibility to be a working mom, when it’s convenient for me and our family. I can schedule my work around his work and their busy schedules. It took me a really long time to get a place where I felt like I could even do that. I will forever be grateful for him and his dedication to our family.

With all of that being said, I have decided to continue my little photography business, but with some stipulations. My booking is going to be changing quite a bit for the coming year - more on this soon - but I will be booking! I am really excited about trying some new things this year, focusing on client relationships, and just keeping me and the family healthy. I want to thank you each and every one of you who reached out to me, thought about me, sent me flowers, loved me, just thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my tiny little heart. I am really just excited for a happy and healthy 2024. ❤️😘🫶🏻