Chatter chatter chatter

So yesterday was Will and my 9-month anniversary (yay!). I know that's not exactly a celebrated number, but I figure when you're under a year you can still get excited about the three-month marks. We didn't do anything special to celebrate, but we did make sure to note the day's significance to each other. It's kind of crazy to think that we'll be coming up on a year already soon. Before we got married everyone told us that the first year would be the hardest, and let's just say that if that's true we're going to have the best marriage ever ahead of us! Sure, we have our tiffs and are learning to living with each other's messes (literally and figuratively), but so far it's been pretty smooth sailing. True, we haven't hit any major trials yet since we've been married, but it got me thinking about what other factors have been contributing to our marriage in its brief existence so far to make it succeed. And you know what one of the biggest things that comes to mind is?

We talk.

Sounds pretty simple, but we do. And about everything. About our jobs, about our thoughts, about our days. And we don't just ask the other person about their day as we stare at the TV (or we try not to most of the time at least). We really ask and we really listen. We talk about God, our relationships with Him, our doubts and hopes. We talk about our marriage - how our relationship is doing, our needs, our expectations. We talk about the fun things, the sad things, and even the things that have hurt us. We talk. We listen.

Back during our premarital counseling we were told that true physical intimacy could only exist when true emotional intimacy happened first. At first I thought that was way over the top, but it's true. It's not just about that though - it's about becoming one with your spouse in all areas of your life. Seeing this "one-ness" develop has been subtle and exhilarating, and I know we're just getting started.

Love Is in the Air...

I've known them for a bit longer than this, but Adrienne and Danny recently joined our life group (small group) for engaged and newly married couples.  I've just begun getting to know them as a couple, so I was so excited when they asked me to shoot their engagement photos. I've photographed many more weddings than engagement sessions, but I think these types of shoots can be even more fun since I get to spend more time with the people I'm shooting. Anyway, see you two this Thursday!

Intro

I've tried the whole blogging thing before. Several times, in fact. It always lasted a few weeks, maybe a few months if I stuck it out a bit longer. I think it was because I was always at a point in my life where I didn't have much to say.

That's not really the case anymore. After a year of fundraising, God helped me raise enough support to allow me to serve as a media missionary, which I just started at the beginning of January. I'm at the beginning of a new career and a new level of reliance on God, both of which still occasionally freak me out.

I married the studliest (yes, I made up a word) man ever almost nine months ago, and I'm discovering that all sorts of adventures come from that. Learning to be "domestic." Learning to communicate with someone who apparently doesn't always think the same way I do (*shocker*). Learning to live with a boy.

To top it all off, I am also a photographer and am learning to express that side of myself in a world where everyone has a camera (or at least a cell phone). Right now I've been feeding my love of art (and of romance) by also working as a part-time wedding photographer.

So that's the 411 on what to expect in this blog. A little bit of everything, but that's how life is, right?