Sandy + Jack 

It’s not every day you’re in Cabo Mexico, watching enormous whales jump from the ocean 50 yards away from your photo shoot. Oh and by the way, if you’re happening to read this and are planning a destination trip I would not mind a bit to tag along!

There’s something about anniversary shoots that pull my heart strings like no other. Maybe it’s because I’m 6 years into this art of marriage and I can confidently say it’s HARD. It’s beautiful, but man I didn’t know what my vows meant in their entirety (I’m still learning and living them) and I surely didn’t know that when I said “I do” that I was saying “I do” to some of the hardest things. But after year 1, there was a love there for my husband Kyle that was richer than our wedding day. And today at year 6, oh my, is it RICH. And our love is so FULL. And I can recount memories of choosing grace and not bitterness. Choosing sacrifice for the other and not our own way. Choosing vulnerability and not self protection. Looking into our boys eyes (and my big 9 month pregnant belly) and knowing that in them there’s a little bit of me and a little bit of him! I’m still learning this mystery of marriage, how the most difficult relationship to fight to protect has been the biggest blessing I have ever received. That is mysterious.

These are the shoots that are a gift to me- because my hope is every wedding day that I shoot will result in 1 yr, 10 yrs, 20 yrs, 50 yrs anniversary shoots in the future. The depth of love, the experience through time and life, the ups and the downs, the tragedies and the celebrations; this is not an emotion I get to capture on a wedding day, but on an anniversary. If you’re nearing your first year anniversary or approaching decades of marriage, it’s all beautiful and it’s all grace! The celebration of time and commitment.

This couple is extra special to me because they are my parents (if you thought I posted a photo session of myself, you’re wrong, this is my mom and yes we look a lot alike 🙂 ). My mom was going to watch her (then) boyfriend play a pick up game of basketball at the YMCA, and later grab a bite to eat at Turoni’s pizza. When the game ended, a (VERY handsome- mom’s words) man who played on the same team as her bf introduced himself to her and invited himself to eat pizza with them. She never stopped thinking about him, and randomly would run into him at several different places in the next few months- finally at a law school graduation party they reunited again and decided to go on a long walk. The rest is history, my dad swept her off her feet. Now married, 4 kids and 9 grandchildren later they still love to hold hands and go on long walks through the subdivision they built their first and only home in. They still would say their best friend is hands down each other. They still adventure together. They still argue. And they still say sorry. And something that I will always be thankful for is their invitation to me to see ALL of marriage as I grew under their roof. They didn’t hide from me conflict, but they also didn’t hide from me forgiveness. That’s a gift that has no price tag.

Happy (almost) 34 year anniversary, Mom and Dad. I hope these photos remind you of what God has put together, and no man could ever seperate. I love you!