Transitions, changes, routines!

We are in a great season of change, friends! Last week it was snowing and today it is 81 degrees outside. And the weather isn't the only thing changing around here! As of Monday I confirmed our new summer interns for Sincerely, Liz, Inc, and yesterday, I built two new desks for the office. Actually, I was able to build two desks for the office because Sunday was gone for eight hours at her first full day of out-of-home child care. *gasp* I can't believe she is attending child care out of the home (something I never, ever though I would say as a mama). That's a whole post for a whole other day... so I'll spare you that giant paragraph of emotions for right now.

But, yes. Lots of changes happening right now.

Actually... as I type I am literally watching the clock completely perplexed that I have time to write this blog post because Sunday should have woken up from her nap about 11 minutes ago. But, we're also in the middle of transitioning from two naps a day to one nap a day and... what is this? She's sleeping more than two hours?? I guess this is to be expected, yes?

So... all this to say, there's more to come, friends! The shooting season has officially kicked off. I had a beautiful country engagement session last weekend and it was the first of many sessions and weddings to come! Our first wedding of the spring season is in just a few weeks and then we take OFF! The blog will be busting with gorgeousness and lots of regular posts! And... the new website will officially be launched on my BIRTHDAY....! Yeahhh! How fun is that?! So please hang in there with me!

Oh... and Tommy & I will be celebrating our anniversary in just a few days and I am praying about sharing something pretty special with you guys. I'm not the best with words, so hopefully what I want to say will come out right and God will help me share His amazing grace the best way I know how. <3

Okay... here is a fun sneak peek of a session I'm working on right now... the sweetness of a precious newborn never ceases to amaze me! <3

Gratituesday: Sweet friendship

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." - Albert Schweitzer

I found a new walking path in my neighborhood. It is exactly one mile from my front door to the closest end of the path (add another mile if I walk to the farthest end, and another mile if I go down all the cul-de-sac streets along the way). I have decided to make it an as-often-as-possible occurrence to walk this path. Some days I will walk, other days I will run (race my PR), and some days I will mix it up. But if it's nice and sunny out... I will go down the path!

In the past week I have enjoyed this walk four times and the last three times in conversation with some of my dearest friends. (I should dig out my bluetooth if I'm going to make this a habit!) Friends... let it be known that there is nothing better for my soul than fresh air, good conversation, and a content baby all at very the same time.

Actually... a really good worship set at church is super good for my soul, too. :)

Earlier today I texted one of the ladies I had the pleasure of catching up with last week and I said "My heart is still so full from our conversation." And it is, it really is. My cup overflows. <3

So, tonight, I just want to take a second and express my gratitude for these little moments... the refreshing times of soulful conversation, deep breaths of fresh air, and an extra dose of vitamin D. Life is so good.

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Gratituesday is a weekly post I try to keep up with. Join us at heavenly homemakers by sharing your own Gratituesday post!

Happy Snow Day! (Also, it's almost April?!)

This snow came out of NOWHERE. Seriously... no mention of 6-8 inches of snow anywhere! (In my interactions, anyway.) But, I'm not complaining. :) I love snow and we have had hardly any snow days this year! At least none that really lasted more than a day or so. I am glad old man winter showed his face one last time before spring really kicks in! Love! I snuck outside during Sunday's nap time yesterday and grabbed a few quick shots of the snow while standing in our front yard. And let me tell you... I've never missed my 100mm macro lens as much as I have these past few weeks! Snow, spring blossoms (and in the same week... only in Virginia!), and newborn sessions galore! How beautiful these images would have been with such fine detail. It's okay, though. I am excited to have one in my bag as wedding season kicks in in a few weeks. For now, I'm making do with what I've got. :)

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from yesterday:

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Equipment used for this session:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 70-200mm f/2.8l lens

Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

10 Good Things

Spring. Spring, spring, spring!

Real hope about future job and lifestyle changes for our family. Pray with me that I will be able to share amazing news with you this summer. Please? (Please!) God knows what's up!

A sweet girl who is enjoying a break between teething molars. One in... the other is hanging back for a little while and I am oh-so-grateful for relief for my little love.

Fresh air and friends who want to get out and about with us.

A new gym membership that combines Crossfit, childcare, AND an indoor family pool! Oh, and a big chunk of savings for us as well.

An invisible fence that finally does the trick and allows our dogs the freedom to roam the yard on good weather days while also staying in their own territory. No more runaway puppies!!

Saving money and getting rid of toxins by making our own cleaning supplies. So far I've made an all-purpose cleaner, dishwashing soap, and laundry detergent!

An upswing on a hormone imbalance. Weaning is no joke on the hormones. Lemme tell ya.

Wedding season is right around the corner... not to be overshadowed by engagement session season in the next few weeks. So excited!

And finally... this Saturday I have the best friend in the world coming to help me paint some rooms in my house. This is like, 2 years over due. And my sweet, sweet friend totally just finished painting her entire house. She is OVER painting, but she is going to help me anyway.

Pictures in this post are from Micah & Katie's wedding. Such a beautiful day that I love to relive over and over. xoxo.

My favorite iPhone apps + springtime!

Happy first day of Spring!!! As I type this, the sun is streaming through the windows and the sky is a sweet light blue. I am so excited about spring this year. Sunday is loving any chance she has to be outdoors, which means I'll probably be outside more this year than I have since I was a young child! Being outdoors is so good for the soul! I'm really looking forward to the next few months. <3 However, this also means being away from my computer. Which, as we all know, is a good thing... in moderation, of course. I run my business on my computer so I need some good desk time on a very regular basis. However, I am really grateful for my iPhone and all of the great apps I have that help me run a business and household all while getting fresh air at the same time!

Here are a few of my favorite apps right now:

Feedly - As a long time fan of Google Reader, it took me a few months to finally make the full leap to Feedly. I used it on my phone for a while before I finally gave in and started using it on my computer as well. Google is my go-to for work (google hangouts are used for meetings, email for correspondence, and the calendar to basically manage my entire life). The big kicker was that having the google feel to my RSS reader gave me justification to read blogs while working. The feedly platform is designed to look like a magazine - so when I open it I feel like I’m taking a quick break from work (which also helps me keep it short!). I am loving it!

Evernote - I can access my evernote stash on my phone, my laptop, my ipad, and anyone else’s computer if needed. This app has helped streamline my productivity, allowing me to easily categorize client correspondence, grocery lists, and rough draft blog posts. My whole life, organized and categorized with just a click of a button. Anything and everything goes into Evernote and stays there for safe keeping. It’s like my life journal, without secrets.  :)

Buffer - You all can thank BufferApp for diluting my tweets and facebook status updates. I try to spend a minimal chunk of time daily on social media sites (what is a “minimal amount of time,” anyway?), but I also really enjoy sharing the good stuff I find with you. Problem is, I find most of the good stuff in the same 30 minute time frame. Buffer let’s me, well, buffer the status messages and links so that they are shared throughout the day versus all together at 5:45 in the morning. If you are a small business owner, BufferApp is a must-have!

Daily Goals - I just downloaded this app recently. It lets you create 8 daily goals and keeps track of your completion habits over time. I like the idea of a few daily goals because they all seem achievable. Having just a few small tasks to aim to complete every day is both challenging and productive at the same time. Love!

PicTapGo - A brand new photography app that I am LOVING. There are a variety of filters to suit every style and the best part is you can change the intensity of each filter on your pictures (finally! An app that let's me edit a bit more naturally!). As if that's not nice enough, the app remembers the filter recipes you use and makes it faster and easier to edit each image. It's a paid app - but it's worth every penny!

Wisdom Hunters - There are a ton of great Bible devotional apps out there. I love Wisdom Hunters for a couple of reasons. It offers a new devotional reading daily, they actually have a twitter blurb so I can share encouragement with others, as well. And I especially love how deeply it discusses spiritual warfare. I believe this is a real, serious thing happening at all times and I love the gentle reminders to be aware and to protect myself through prayer and reading scripture. Love!

And then of course I use these popular apps just as often as the ones above: Twitter, Facebook, Mailbox, Instagram, Amazon Kindle, Pinterest, Tapatalk, and Vine! (As you can see, I have downloaded Google+ and never use it... :))

What are some of your favorite iphone apps??