This weekend was such a good reminder of why I do what I do. It was filled with relationships and joy and people. That is what breathes life into my job. That is the heart of my job.

Saturday morning I started the day with an engagement session of a sweet couple talking about their move to a new city and all their excitement and nervousness. I got to see them care about one another, and they let me into that.

My Saturday evening session was with a family that has turned into really dear friends. We walked around their new home snapping pics in their favorite spots. We ended the night eating dinner together, sharing stories, and laughing at Lucas. (He pretty much stole the show.)

Sunday I traveled to Wooster Ohio to shoot some products for a newer friend who owns an incredible design company (The Oyster’s Pearl). Her graciousness, patience, and creativity blew me away. We both have little babies and I immediately felt we were kindred spirits.

Driving home from Wooster I got to reflect on this weekend (something that doesn’t happen very often any more with a 5 month old), and I was so grateful. In the photography/creative world we live in today. – full of styled shoots, and perfectly curated Instagram feeds – relationships and real authentic joy trump all that by a landslide. I am so thankful to be reminded of that. That I am not defined by how pretty my feed is, by how many followers or likes I have, or by how many shoots I get published on blogs. That just isn’t what it’s about. How easy is it to get swept up in all of it though?!

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A beautiful truth to think about that a very dear friend shared with me – “God doesn’t compare parts of his creation to other parts of his creation, and that includes you and me.” We are each created so uniquely and beautifully. Let’s embrace that and each other.