Rolling with the Punches

So far, March has been my least favorite month of 2013. Between the never-ending snow, being sick twice, and having Nathan in and out for work, I'm so ready for April showers. I read this quote Sunday night determined to make Monday productive: "How you start your day determines your day." I was going to wake up early and have a healthy breakfast smoothie with Nathan before diving in to my full Inbox. I had my whole day planned out with big aspirations of culling Friday's wedding, taking pictures of and blogging my newly finished office, and working out. Instead. Instead I woke up sick yet again. I couldn't do anything but stagger between the couch, my bed and the bathroom, and all those productive plans? They went right out the window.

I will be the first to admit that I don't like my plans changed on me. I can be flexible, as long as I've determined ahead of time that I'm going to be flexible. Which kind of misses the point, you know?

I think this is my chance to take a deep breath and leave my to do list untouched on my computer. This is my chance to catch up on sleep and have a restful day because my body is telling me that's what I need. This is my chance to practice rolling with the punches because this is life. And maybe tomorrow I'll wake up ready to start my day the way I had planned on Monday.

I don't have my office to show you yet, but I have something way cuter. This is Owen. Remember him? I'll be blogging his 8-month photos soon!

Transform

Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing. Sitting in an office all alone day after day, working way more than eight hours. That 8-5 job I had a year ago seems so easy in comparison. At 5 p.m. I closed the door to my office and walked away, forgetting about work for the night. Sometimes I wonder if I'm even relevant. If I can get fulfillment out of taking photos for a long, long while. If what I'm doing is even any good.

And then I'm reminded how great having a flexible schedule is. I'm able to meet my mom for one morning or I can randomly take a short trip during the week without having to ask off. I'm reminded that I'm able to build a life doing something creative and something that I feel passionate about. I'm reminded that I've met some amazing people throughout my photography journey. People I never would have come into contact with otherwise.

I don't know how long I'll be able to make a living with photography. There's no guarantee, just hard work. This video by Zack Arias sums up the exact ebb and flow that I, and evidently lots of photographers and artists, feel at different points in the year. It's comforting and it's inspiring and it keeps me going. Thanks to my friend Kayla for sharing! (Ignore the beginning and skip to 1:34 to get to the good stuff. :) )

Fab Five Fridays: Random Things You Didn't Know About Me

I'm sitting here nursing my first cold of the year (I know you all are probably glaring at the computer right now), and call me crazy, but I really thought I was going to magically skip being sick this season. I don't know if my immune system is strong or it's that I'm isolated in my office every day, but I'm thankful I've been healthy until now. So, we're taking it easy today with a post of five things you never needed to know about me but I'm sharing with you anyway. :)

1. I hate blowing my nose. I don't know what it is but I absolutely dread grabbing a Kleenex from the box when I'm sick.

2. Nathan loves to tell everyone I was prom queen in high school but that's actually not true. He leaves out "band," making it band prom queen. Oh yes, I was in band in high school, we had a formal dance every year and my senior year I was queen of the band prom. Booyah!

3. I grew up in Iowa, and I loved every minute of it. And no, we didn't live in the cornfields, but we DID go to the Iowa State Fair every year.

4. I hate the texture of bananas, but I love the taste. What a conundrum. Normally this means I only eat them in smoothies.

5. I've never dyed my hair. Not once, not ever. I always get my hair cut at the Aveda Institute and they LOVE my "pure hair," as they call it.

Happy weekending everybody! And because every post needs a picture (and because I couldn't find a picture of me as band prom queen), here's a sneak peek of Leah and Matt's gender reveal session that will be on the blog on Monday!

Having Him Home

There's nothing quite like being forced out of your routine to make you really appreciate what you have. Nathan's been traveling the last few weeks, and for us, this is new. It's new to watch him pack his back over and over, it's new to communicate through text messages and phone calls, it's new to hope and pray he gets home safely after boarding yet another flight. Nathan has worked so hard lately, and I can tell that when he's home on a weekend, he's REALLY enjoying it. I admire that kind of gratitude. Soaking in every last minute. Getting pleasure from the most normal of tasks. It makes me pause and take a look around with new eyes too.

I know that in just a few weeks, busy season will be upon me. I'll be photographing weddings every weekend, editing like a mad woman and booking weddings for next year. It's a lot to anticipate. But I've also never been so grateful to have this job. To get to interact with such warm and loving people and document their story is kind of unbelievable.

So, thank you, Nathan. Thank you for working so hard for our tiny, little family. Thank you for showing me that even the most mundane of tasks should be appreciated. Thank you for helping me slow down. Thank you for being yourself.

(Photo taken with my iPhone using the VSCO camera.)