Category: photos

FULLER AND BETTER, FINALLY

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After years of hoping and trying to grow our family, our house is starting to show the signs of it. We have an eight-month-old who, along with the growing number of gadgets and teething toys and safety supplies, has made our home fuller and better, finally.

I imagine our souls were weaving together from the moment he began growing inside me and now our spaces are woven together, too. There is a drawer dedicated to his bibs and bowls and a drying rack on our counter for just-washed bottles. A mini latte bowl holds his pacifiers on our dining room table and burp cloths are stored in small stacks all around the house (yet there never seems to be one in reach when it’s needed).

I love that his high chair pushes right up to the dining room table in between our antique chairs. I love that his toys are scattered on the floor in every room. Like a groggy hug after nap time, his life is nestled up alongside ours and it feels so familiar. When I see a rattle left behind on the side table or catch a glimpse of my nursing cart peeking from behind the yellow chair in our living room, I’m reminded that our son has completely changed the way our home looks. And like our home, our life is different — fuller and better — because he’s finally here.

This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series “Still Motherhood”.

PEONY DIARIES

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We bought our house in July 2017, so it wasn’t until the following May that we found out the previous owner planted seven peony bushes in our front yard. My favorite flower! After a hard winter, it was the reminder I needed that God was working under the surface and was going to make something good of it.

Now, every middle-of-May God shows up and shows off through our peony bushes to remind me that he’s all about abundance and I’m still invited into it.

FRONT PORCH PROJECT

I saw a fun idea on Instagram called The Front Porch Project, which documents families on front porches during this season of quarantine. I loved the idea and decided to copy it, which made for a fun afternoon activity. It was nice to see some friends face-to-face …while standing six feet apart, of course.

This is a weird time, but I hope you’re able to feel real rest, laugh with the people you love, and consider that everything we take for granted is all a gift of grace.

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MANDY + BRIAN + BABY

The Johnson’s first baby will arrive this month and we’re all pretty excited about it. They make a gracious and endearing team, and I can’t wait to see them become parents to a lucky baby girl. I snapped some photos of Brian + Mandy to remember this season before a new one begins. Here are a few of my favorites from our time together.

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SAILOR | MASON HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR SESSION

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Sailor is very easily one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. She doesn’t seek the spotlight and instead lives in a way that shines it on her friends. If I had to guess I would say that she’s not one to worry about being popular at Mason, but that she’s one of the most likable people in the school. She is applying to the University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, and Liberty University and will flourish in college with a schedule that allows time for coffee dates with friends in between classes. ; )

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MEET JESSICA | KINGS SENIOR

Jessica is a dancer — elegant, beautiful, disciplined. She’s a senior at Kings who I’ve known for four years now (what?!) and it’s been really fun to watch her grow and mature into who she is today.

She’s planning to go south for college next year and is applying to schools like Auburn and Clemson. I’m thinking she must like tigers and the color orange…

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MEET BROOKE | KINGS SENIOR

Brooke is a senior at Kings High School who has her eyes set on heading south next year. I met her through Young Life and quickly noticed that she is genuine and sincere, and that her friends value her in their lives. She’s a cheerleader in more than one sense of the word. Yes, she stands on the sidelines shouting for the Knights (not to mention, she’s the cheer #captain). But, she’s also a friend who advocates for the people and things she loves. She’s an encourager and a listener; and when she believes in something, she shares about it with grace and excitement.

“I put so much of my worth into doing well in school. My dad passed away when I was 10 and I do a lot of things to try to make him proud. School is absolutely one of those things. I’ve been working hard lately to try and fix my eyes on Jesus rather than my own doomed attempt of being perfect at everything I do. I want to care more about relationships with the people around me rather than striving to be perfect.”

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SEAN + BEKAH FOREVER

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Last night, Sean proposed to Bekah and then they celebrated with family and friends. And in those moments, heaven felt really close to Mount Adams and Maineville, Ohio.

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Bekah talking about wedding rings: “I sent a ton of pictures to Liz and told her to give them to Sean. I knew I wanted rose gold, but this is better than I expected.”

Sean talking about wedding rings: “Bekah thought a ring was, like, $1,000.”

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MEET KARLEIGH | KINGS SENIOR

I’ve known Karleigh for a few years, and I can’t believe I’m posting this– her senior blog post– right now. I first met her at a football game her freshman year and have had the gift of watching her mature and grow through high school, but it has gone by way too fast.

Karleigh is the best type of friend to run through life with. She comes alongside her friends and reminds them that they’re worth knowing. She will celebrate the victories in her life, but will also share the parts that seem like losses in the moment. It’s as if she has a deeply rooted belief that the difficult things exist in order to grow trust, endurance, and resilience. And because of that belief, she can celebrate the hard moments and keep running to the finish line beside her friends as she encourages them to believe the same.

Karleigh is also a runner. Not metaphorical anymore, but the real-deal. She’s really fast and really good. She plans to run in college and has her eyes on a handful of schools in Ohio and Indiana.

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CHRISTY + CHAD FOREVER

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Chad + Christy met in high school and spent their first date by the lake that is down the path from the house where Christy grew up. So, it seemed appropriate that Chad would ask her to be his wife on the same dock where they first began to grow feelings for each other. Young love is something special. It’s unfiltered, affectionate, unashamed, and deeply rooted in hope. Watching the proposal from behind my lens was a gift, really. These two have an incredible love for each other. It bubbled out of them and I swear it could have filled up Landen Lake.

Christy’s BFFs from Miami, Anna Kate + Kylynne, picked her up from a restaurant where she was eating with her family and drove her to the lake where Chad waited for her. I love how he planned the night in order to catch Christy by complete surprise.

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