beloved.

I've decided to begin using this blog not only as a way to share my photos but also as a way to share my heart more openly. So here we go...

The past 5 or 6 years have been pretty monumental in my life. The Lord has been teaching me so much about what His love looks like and just how much He truly loves me despite the mistakes and choices that I have made that aren't exactly glorifying to Him. As I've been learning about His love, He's been using the word "beloved" to teach me. I've been having a blast as He's been revealing His love to me more and more each day. I will always be His beloved and His love for me is unconditional, no matter what, I'll never be able to get away from it! As I've been grasping the concept of the word "beloved," I decided to make a commitment to accept the name He has given me and the love He has for me. I chose to make a public commitment to it by having one of my sister's friends tattoo it on my foot! I know that many will disagree with this decision, however, in the few days I've had it, I've already been able to talk to complete strangers about God's love because of it! Praise Him! I handed my camera to my sister during this event. Here are a few moments she captured for me.

{that isn't bruising. just extra ink.}

Give 'em the Old Razzle Dazzle...

I went to Chicago this past weekend to spend some quality time with my sister. She's been living there for almost 6 years. We managed to fit a lot into just two days. We met a friend for coffee, had lunch with another, shopped, drank coffee, went to Blue Man Group, slept in, visited the zoo, saw the mirror bean thingy, watched movies, visited the conservatory, and ate too many sweet treats. Here are a few pictures from our time together.

Sista! Her sweet boyfriend, Jonas, snapped this picture for us. Its the only one of the two of us since I was too nervous to pass my camera off to a stranger!

My only niece, adorable Monarch.

Sista loved this butterfly flower. Neither of us had seen one before.

We probably could have watched this guy all day. He was so funny!

We spent a lot of time riding the bus. We had some crazy experiences on them too! I was excited about this particular bus because we sat in the middle where the accordion attached the two buses.

This is the fanciest McDonalds I have ever seen. Its right next to the Chicago Theatre which explains the outrageous sign.

Our last meal together was at a restaurant that served only crepes! I of course couldn't get a typical dinner crepe and had to get one filled with strawberries and Nutella!

All in all it was a great weekend getaway. I'm looking forward to heading back that way in August for a half marathon!

Tiffany & Ben

What a joy it was taking pictures for Tiffany and Ben yesterday. Such a sweet couple with hearts full of energy. We made a last minute decision to head to Centennial Park. I am glad we did! We had an evening filled with jumping, spinning, and cartwheels. It was tough to pick out my favorites from the evening, I have so many! I can't wait to photograph them again at their wedding in June!

Family

Today I was given the chance to photograph my dear friend's Scott and Kecia's family. Due to cloudy skies our plans changed last minute and we ended up at the Opryland Hotel. With a sick little boy, humid air, and a sweet girl in love with Ryan from High School Musical, I was able to get some great pictures.