stunning bride + groom in the desert

Happy Wednesday friends-- and its especially happy because there is so much pretty on the blog today! While I was in Arizona I got to photograph this STUNNING couple. The backdrop was almost too good to be true. The florals blew my mind, and its easy to see why. I keep pinching myself because I got to photograph such a beautiful couple inside and out. 

viva las vegas

Taking my six year old to Las Vegas for her birthday sounded strange when I didn't preface it with the fact that her closest cousins (my sister's family) lived there now. I had never been there so it was both our first times. We absolutely loved it. I can see why she enjoys living there. We saw so many fun things. I REALLY wanted to see the Venetian hotel and take gondola rides so that may have been my favorite thing. We saw a cactuses galore, red rock, and did some fun family stuff-- did I mention my brother in law is a helicopter pilot so we got to check some of those out too! I took some family photos of them as well (which I LOVED all of them!) so my next post will be of those photos. I just need to narrow down my favorites! Enjoy!

happy galentines

I wasn't quite ready to become a mother at the age of 23. I didn't plan it. I had no idea what kind of mother I planned on being. I remember being very pregnant crying on Valentines day thinking I  would never enjoy one of my favorite holidays again- feeling lonely, desperately sad. It was probably the lowest part of life for me. I think i was most sad because I wanted to feel loved and wanted to be excited about becoming a mother... and I wasn't. But then I had this little person less than a month later. It was like a scene from the Grinch-- my heart grew that many sizes. The night I brought her back from the hospital it was tears of joy that I could still feel great love like that. That I wasn't broken forever. AND guys I had many great Valentines since. It doesn't always have to be a holiday about your significant other. To me it's remembering to love others, make them feel loved. These girls sure make me feel loved. When they yell mommy when I walk through the door after being gone 15 minutes. Or when they want me to sing them a lullaby. Or when I pretend to get knocked down during pillow fights & they run to be by my side. They are forever my babies-- and my heart. Happy Galentines ladies!