ann + jason

The knapp kids are dropping like flies in 2014. Here is a session with my dear brother and his lovely ann, who happens to be one of my best friends. Sometimes things just work out, even if it does take twelve years. It still seems surreal that she gets to be my sister. 

We took these photos on a glorious september night, with the wildflowers and prairie grasses and rural landscape all aglow with the last light of summer. Nights like these remind me of all the things I love about where I grew up, the simple life and beauty, and most of all the people who love each other fiercely.

love you both. so grateful for who you are in my life 

and so glad to call you family. 

The Lehman Family

It was great to spend time with this fun-loving and incredibly giving family. They were troopers with the crazy humidity and an almost thunderstorm. I forgot about the unpredictability of midwest summers!

The kids all brought something they are into right now, and I loved capturing them in their element. And I learned a lot of great yo-yo tricks. 

Love you guys! Thanks for all you do for the world. 

For the Love of Summer

I'm loving the long days of swinging, farmer's markets, going to the beach as much as possible. Happy summer! 

Enough

It's been almost a year since my last days of my job in Michigan. And it has been a crazy year. A friend and I were joking that I decided to try everything I have been talking about for a decade in the last 365 days. 

It has been a stretching time. It turns out that talking about risky things is easier than doing them. But it has been good, and I'm learning to jump and face a new wave of fear that surfaced when I stepped out of my comfortable life. 

I have been reading the story of when God gives the Israelites manna in the wilderness (exodus 16 and deut. 8). When you step back and think about it, it is so strange that they were collecting bread from the ground. But what is fascinating is that they always had enough. If they didn't collect quite enough for that day or if they were greedy and grabbed more than they needed, it came out the same. And that was enough to sustain them. 

In this period of the unknown and the uncertain, what I can say is that there has been enough. Some dark and unknown days it felt like there wasn't a bit extra. But I am finding that there is always enough grace and mercy to sustain me for the present day, and new mercy for every day that comes next.  

Over and over, God has provided for me in unexpected ways; the kindness of friends, new opportunities to try. I'm learning to be  thankful, to live in today without always having a plan for the future. Although plans are good, I often lived so much in the future that I forgot about today, forgot about savoring the moment I am in, forgot about seeing things to be thankful for right now.    

And as I look back on the year, I've realized that most days have felt like more than enough. It's easy to forget these days, the gloriously happy days, discovering a beautiful hike and the perfect wild blueberry pancakes in maine with my brother. Or the laughing, sun-kissed swinging days in uganda, and four of us squeezed onto a tiny motorcycle on an adventure. It's easy to forget about meeting new little friends in liberia, the wide open spaces of the safari lands, and the grand canyon stop with a kindred friend. 

 

One of the reasons I love photographs is because they remind me of all the ways God has cared for me, all the ways I have been given more than I deserve, all the ways I have enough. 

The Spring Sessions: The Vanderweys

This family session was a blast, running around on the Vanderwey property, looking for places to take fun shots. I love this first one, the hugs and love and the amazing front porch. Doesn't it make you want to hang out and laugh and have some lemonade? 

I wish I could remember what they were laughing about....but if anything sums up a perfect sunshiny day and the goodness of brothers - this is it. 

Loved hanging out with you guys!