Yesterday was my husband Josh’s and my sixth anniversary!  Can you believe it?  It seems like just yesterday that he was daily changing the color of his hair, contemplating his next tatoo, and adding his fifth earring!

I have been blessed with such a loving, faithful, understanding, patient, godly example of a man.  Now, this isn’t to say that Josh is perfect, and neither am I by any means.  And I don’t mean to give the impression that marriage is a walk in the park, because it isn’t.  However, I know that my marriage to Josh is worth the time, the tears, the effort, and all the love.  He is my soulmate and I am his.  And I just wanted to take this post to brag on him by showing you how he proposed to me seven years ago on a picnic.

Let’s set the stage:  It was May 24th, 2002 and Josh had planned a picnic for us at Downs Park.  I knew it was coming, it wasn’t a surprise, and I also didn’t expect the “gift” at the end.  Josh packed us peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, canned lemonade and I don’t remember what else…all inside a great picnic basket from his mom.  I had just finished my junior year of college along with some student teaching and I remember specifically having Josh help me on a lesson plan that involved Laura Numeroff’s book If You Give a Pig a Pancake.  So, when I opened the picnic basket and Josh had some more Laura Numeroff books for me, it was a pleasant surprise.  However, the next book he gave me was hand-made by him!  Here is that book…

And here is where I finished reading the book, and didn’t have a clue what was going to happen next.  Josh gave me the ring box, I opened it up, and finally got it!  Well, to speed things up, I said yes, we were married the next year, and have been together ever since.  Here’s to many more wonderful years, Josh.  I love you!

I couldn’t resist posting two blogs in one day…just HAD to!  Because…..drum roll….I got a new logo!  Actually, it’s my first ever logo!  And to commemorate my 2-year-anniversary as a business, I am slapping that logo on four photos from my first ever session with Emerson.  She was 6 months old at the time of these photos (March 31, 2007) and is now a big sister!  I know her mom, Michele, won’t mind me showing off her now big girl again.  And if you LOVE my logo as much as I do, go and visit Fernanda Arce Designs!  She’s is super fabulous!  We met on Facebook because we both have children born with CDH.  Over the course of chatting back and forth, I found out that she was a graphic designer.  So I made the plunge, and Fer has designed some awesome options for my logo.  The ones you see on Emerson’s photos are the black and white versions.  The color version will be on my site shortly.  Thanks Michele & Fer for letting me share your handy-work!

*PS – I know Fer’s site is in Spanish, but she speaks (or types), perfect English…a wonderful friend to work with!

The Whole Bunch

My mother-in-law has a saying hanging above a large window frame in her dining room that says, “All because two people fell in love…” Under the saying, and in each pane of the window are 4 pictures of each of her four children growing up. Fast forward to now, 2008. Instead of four lovely children, she has four children, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, three granddaughters, and a grand baby on the way. That’s thirteen people when we all get together! Sometimes it can get crazy with that many people around, and I won’t deny my recent session with the Roe family was a little “crazy” at times. But the love between them was evident! Thanks to Jack & Colleen (and Maddie) for “buying” me as an anniversary gift for your parents. I so enjoyed my time with your “crazy” family! I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek!

The ones who started it all

Then came the kids

And then the grandchildren!

(my neighbors and Maddie - the princess)

Bob & Rita

From these two loving hands have come 6 children and 13 grandchildren. Bob & Rita celebrated their 50th anniversary at the Queen’s Landing clubhouse in Chester, Maryland. Beverly, my assistant, and myself, were amazed at the sheer number of them all and how wonderful they all were – right down to the littlest guy, Kyle. Thank you Bob & Rita and family for letting us capture this monumental day in your lives! We enjoyed meeting every one of you.

I’d like to close with this heartwarming note by Diane, one of Rita & Bob’s daughters.  It reads, “Mom & Dad, What a celebration – 50 years of marriage!  You have given me so many happy memories over the years.  You have raised a family of sisters & brother who truly love & support each other!  And we all have fun together.  For all of that, I thank you!”