Past, Present, Future

Hello,
It has been so long since I last posted here that it feels a little odd trying to catch up on all that has happened in the in-between. But much HAS happened and so it seems like it might be nice to give the internet a little update on my life. So lets just recap the breathtakingly blessed year of 2013.

2013 began with an amazing second trip to beautiful Haiti. A place that my heart will always ache for, yearn for, intercede for and love. I played with and cuddled dirty, tattered, snotty nosed children, went sailing, ate conch and got the worst sunburn of my life. And I loved every minute of it.

I decided my body wasn't in enough pain from the spectacular sunburn, so I decided to go ahead and try to learn how to snowboard. The week after returning from Haiti found me in Colorado with family and friends ripping up the slopes (more often on my backside than on the board). I finally got the hang of it and can't wait to go boarding again! 

The next adventure was moving to my own little house and becoming a real-life, honest-to-goodness barista, making the jump from couldn't-care-less-about-coffe to my-coffee-is-better-than-your-coffee quite suddenly.

I was privileged to photograph lots of beautiful weddings with many beautiful people. And I was honored to be a witness as some of my dearest friends wedded their true loves.

In August I went backpacking in the Grand Canyon with these lovely friends.

And the best part of this year? The absolute sweetest icing on the cake of 2013? 

Well that part, friends, just happened along on a wonderful warm evening in June when I fell in love with a man named Jeff. The kindest, gentlest, handsomest man I ever did meet.

So without getting into a whole lot of mush, here is the nutshell of our story. We met a few years ago through a group of mutual friends. Neither of us actually remembers our first meeting. We knew of each other but never really talked. Jeff moved away to Nebraska for a year and then to Wyoming. Then in October of 2012 God began to move in both of our hearts. Jeff started thinking about me. I started thinking about him. But he was in Wyoming. Not a chance would he ever remember me or think twice about me. But it couldn't hurt to pray that maybe our paths might cross someday. So I did. Then there were facebook messages scattered here and there across more than half a year. Then there was an email. And then... There he was, walking up my steps and in my kitchen door. And that's when I fell.

So there we were. Without hesitation. Knowing God brought us together. Embarking on a long distance relationship that brought him to Kansas and took me to Wyoming. And thank heaven for skype.

And then there was a day when I was in Wyoming and we went for a walk down a snowy forest path and he offered me a ring. Which I gladly accepted. :)

And now we are waiting for a day in March when he will come make me his bride and take me to the mountains for good. When that happens I am planning to take a break from pursuing photography as a business. And unfortunately I will no longer be able to book weddings in Kansas. I am going to dive wholeheartedly into the adventure of being Jeff's wife, working beside him in the ministry God gives him, and experiencing more of Christ through life with him. 

 That was 2013. 

And I fully expect 2014 to be even better! :)