Everything’s New – Starting Again

It was 7:15 p.m., and we were sitting down to a dinner of fresh-caught flounder my husband had just prepared. It was then I felt the first sustained contraction, and between my doubts of wondering whether or not it was true labor, I told him, “I think this might be the real thing…” I knew it was real when the contractions kept coming just a few minutes apart, more intense every time. Leaving shortly thereafter and driving a half hour to the hospital, our youngest son made his debut in a record 29 minutes after we walked in the door. There was really no time to think!

A Look Back at 2015

2015 was like that all year long – a complete rush of events not leaving any time for thoughts. Between moving to a new state while pregnant, my husband starting a new job and us adding another little human to our family in late summer, to say we were busy is an understatement. But what was amazing is that whenever I had a doubt, God gave us an answer to that doubt and showed us that He wanted us to trust Him and go.

Before my family moved to North Carolina last summer, I had a number of photography clients I was working with in Ohio, including several brides, and it was amazing to watch God work everything out after we found out we would be leaving. He allowed me to complete all of my jobs including three weddings before we signed over our house to a new owner. Through the stress of it all, I was blessed to photograph babies just a few days old and watch their moms light up when they saw images of their sweet little ones. I watched each of my brides walk down the aisle to see their husbands for the first time on their respective wedding days while tears of joy filled their eyes. And young children filled my ears with laughter and delight as their moms and dads chased them around while I captured their little expressions. It was perfect.

Looking Forward & Starting Again

So why reflect back on 2015? Because it’s such an indication of where I am now and where I want to be since I am starting my business again in a new place. The air is fresh, new goals have been set, and ambitions to complete every task in front of me are in motion. But things are a little different this year than last – ok, maybe close to everything is different. ;-) 2015 was the year of transitions, as almost every major life change you can have happened to our family.  Starting all over can be a bit daunting at times. But I’m reminded of so many of my favorite clients in Ohio and beyond who helped me set out on this adventure five years ago, and I am encouraged by what the Wake Forest/Raleigh area will present in the way of opportunities.

Goal-Setting

One of my biggest goals this year is getting to know people who live in the area and to learn about the culture and the way of life in North Carolina. It takes a bit of time to get to know a place, but it can also be an exciting adventure to learn about the people around you and hear about their backgrounds and stories. I already had the pleasure of photographing a great family last fall in Wake Forest that had me laughing and grinning from ear to ear during most of their session as they told me about their past family trips and inside jokes. I’m looking forward to meeting more families and individuals like them. I’m really looking forward to meeting newborns experiencing the world for the first time and little ones who are just learning to take their first steps. I’m excited to meet brides-to-be who have dreams about their wedding days who tell me their stories of love and compassion as they recall when their best friend proposed to them just a short time ago. Thinking about how I will get to walk beside these people during their momentous and joyous occasions makes my heart full and my passion for photography come alive. It’s all about capturing these moments!

Here’s to 2016

So here’s to a great year full of excitement, unknown territory and learning as I start out on a new course with my photography business. I can’t wait to share and write about what I’m so passionate about, and I hope you’ll join me as I start out on this journey.