I wish I had something profound to say about marriage today, on our fifth wedding anniversary, but I don’t.  I just feel really, really thankful to be Funnel’s wife.

A couple months back, I was in the middle of a really difficult month.  I was in bed, crying, sad, not feeling well.  Funnel knew just what I needed in that moment: a fort. He built me the biggest, most magnificent fort I could have ever dreamed of in our spare bedroom.  It involved two beds turned up on their ends, pillows, our mismatched sheets.  For the next couple of weeks, that fort was my little sanctuary.  I would go up there and read, journal & drink tea in the warm, soft light of my fort, built for me by knight in shining armor.  Just thinking of that simple, sweet gesture now brings tears to my eyes.

I am so lucky – Funnel is more than I ever hoped for in a husband.  He’s my greatest Earthly treasure and my very best friend.

Five years down, a lifetime to go.  I love you, sweet husband.

This past weekend, I met up with David and Julianne in Dublin, Ohio to do their engagement shoot.  I was really skeptical about the weather that day – the reports were calling for high winds and I was afraid it would make shooting really difficult.  I’m so glad that Julianne wanted to go ahead and shoot that day, because it ended up being so pretty!  Windy – yes!  But the late afternoon sun made for some really beautiful, warm, romantic lighting.

I had such a great time with this couple – I had to do minimal posing and coaching – they were so natural with one another and in front of the camera.  They also did a fantastic job of scouting out locations.  I am completely unfamiliar with Dublin, so they choose all of these neat spots!    I had such a fun afternoon with these two – thanks for letting me do your picures, you guys!

A couple of weekends ago, I met up with Nick and the beautiful, glowing Jayne to do their maternity shoot in uptown Westerville.  I photographed their wedding a few years ago (it seems so long ago to me!) and Jayne’s brother’s wedding this summer, so it was fun to do another shoot for their family.  We had a beautiful warm day to walk around Westerville, and in just the couple of hours we spent together, I can already tell they will be amazing parents!

I’m so excited to meet & photograph baby Claire in just a few short weeks!

Marty & Diane are two friends of ours from church.  They got engaged in Chicago earlier in the summer and are getting married at the end of October – the very most romantic time of the year to get married (although I may be a bit biased!)  Marty is an English teacher and Diane is studying to be an English teacher.. and they’re so, so sweet together.  We had a fun time yesterday walking around Lynd’s Fruit Farm… it was such a pretty autumn day for photos!  Here are a few shots from our day:

This week was bananas.  B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

On top of some on-going sad things I’ve been working through, my camera got stolen on Sunday at the Ohio Renaissance Fest. Well, it was either stolen, or dropped out of my purse (I think it was stolen).   My camera and my very best, favorite, most expensive lens that I saved up for and bought  just a couple of months ago.  The second I realized it was gone, my heart just sunk.  What a vision I must have been that day.  The sobbing girl, wandering aimlessly around the Renaissance Fest, muttering prayers under her breath, eyeing suspiciously each and every SLR camera she saw someone holding, trying to figure out if it was hers.

My camera did not turn up that day, or the next day or the next day, despite my police report, cash reward, and my obsessively checking craigslist to see if the jerk posted my camera.  I can’t think of anything that could have gotten stolen that was more personal to me than my camera.  I’ve invested so much time and energy into building up this little business of mine and the camera and lens would be $1,700 to replace.  I am so thankful that a couple people suggested checking into our homeowner’s insurance, because it covered it, after a deductible.  And here I am, sitting here with my new 50D next to me.  My replacement lens should arrive next week.  I am feeling much more appreciative of my camera equipment than ever before.  God provided and all was not lost.

Some happier things:

*  I am doing an engagement shoot Sunday at Lynd’s fruit farm!  I’m thrilled – I’ve always wanted to do an autumn shoot at an apple orchard.    I’m hoping to try out a new technique, the brenizer method.  It will also be my first shoot with my 50D 2.0 (I haven’t come up with a name for him yet… suggestions?)

*  I have some exciting things in the pipeline for LoveLetter Photography.  That’s all I’ll say!

Enjoy your weekend, friends.

Despite the forecast calling for “scattered thunderstorms” all afternoon yesterday, Ian, Kate and I decided to go for it and still do their engagement shoot.  I’m so glad we did.  No thunderstorms but just a really nice afternoon walking around The Peggy McConnell Arts Center and old town Worthington. Kate did a great job of thinking of some locations ahead of time and I had a lot of fun getting to know this sweet couple!  I’m so excited for their wedding in March.  Here are a few shots from our shoot:

Yesterday, I had the privilege of photographing Aaron & Kylie’s wedding day. Aaron has been a long time friend of the Frederick family (in fact, he played violin at our wedding!) and I really just got to know Kylie yesterday as I spent the day with her.  She completely embodies graciousness, sweetness and loveliness, and I think they are just perfect for one another.

Some fun details of the day that I loved: Kylie and her bridesmaids made their own bouquets at Rose Bredl flower shop earlier in the day. The men’s kilts.  Kylie’s shoes, which Aaron picked out.  Groomsman Kirk’s rendition of “I Will Follow You into the Dark” during the ceremony.  Beautiful vows Aaron and Kylie wrote to one another.  Taking photos around historic Ohio Village.  Everyone yelling “Opa!” when Aaron and Kylie would kiss each other at the reception.  THREE wedding cakes.

A few of my favorite photos:

* To see the photos larger, check them out here.

I’ve realize how ungrateful I am. I take nearly everything for granted all the time, and focus on the few things that I wish could be different, instead of how blessed I am.

Today I’m thankful for:
1. Being healthy enough to go running and a safe neighborhood to run in.
2. My Shark that makes mopping our floors a breeze.
3. A date night this weekend with my husband (great conversation, red wine, and yummy food):

4. Quite a few photography jobs in the next couple of months (including a wedding today!)
5. Beautiful Ohio.

A long overdue update on Handmade Hope:

Over the past few months, Handmade Hope raised over $360 for Ethiopian Orphan Relief!  Thank you to all my friends and family who purchased items for this worthy cause!

And I just heard yesterday that EOR has 100% met their goal of raising enough money to fund a school & orphanage in Southern Ethiopia!  (You can read about it here.)  Awesome!

* * *

Handmade Hope should be opening again shortly with some really cool new items.  This time, all proceeds will be benefiting Gracehaven!  Gracehaven is an organization in Columbus, Ohio with the mission of finding and freeing underage girls enslaved by child sex trafficking.

Here are some sobering statistics on sex trafficking (via the Gracehaven website):

* Globally 1-2 million children worldwide are subjected each year to commercial sexual exploitation (Unicef)

* In the US, 100,000 are involved in commercial sexual exploitation (CSE).  350,000 US children are at risk of becoming entrapped in child sex trafficking.  The average age of entry into prostitution is 12-14 years old, and 10 to 15% of children living on the street have been sexually exploited.

* In Ohio, 1,100 minors in Ohio are estimated to be victims of child sex trafficking.  Toledo, Ohio is ranked 4^th in the nation for investigations, arrests and rescues of children forced into prostitution.

I’ll be sure to update you when Handmade Hope is open for business again!  I hope you will consider making a purchase to help Gracehaven.

A few weeks ago, our friends Ben & Katie asked me to photograph their youngest son, Mesfin’s 2nd birthday party.  This was Mesfin’s first birthday since he came home this past winter, so his party was a very special occasion!  As I was watching him swim, eat his birthday cake, open his gifts, and have fun running around with his brother and cousins, I was thinking about how cool and faith-building it has been to watch his family go through the adoption process and see God provide for them.

Happy 2nd birthday Mesfin!