[2018 Year in Review]

Photos by: Nathan Myers, Clay Sprecher, Lexi Winebarger

This is the first time I have ever intentionally sat down to write up a post to wrap up an ENTIRE year.

I am a really sentimental and internal person at heart, so I always knew a post like this would not be a quick/meaningless task for me.

I went through so many photos from 2018! It took me through all of the emotions all over again.

I know some may not understand the depth I feel about what I do as a photographer/videographer/story teller, but to me it’s a huge privilege and a huge charge.

I can’t help but look through the weddings; wild with emotion of grooms seeing their brides for the first time and mothers dancing with their sons— I feel a sense of deep rooted gratitude that I get these opportunities to experience such raw and tender human emotion. That I sit front row to people committing their lives together. Choosing to fight for love in a world that can be isolating and lonely.

I get to hear every maid of honor speech full of love, laughter, and tears.

To see the bride put on her dress and be overwhelmed with the emotion of it all.

I’ve watched as groomsmen pray over the groom; that he would lead and love well. That they would commit to holding him up and pointing him to the Lord when he needs it most.

Going through the photos also brings up a reverence as I remember the family members that couldn’t be present, or who have since passed. Some stories do involve heartache, but it does in every sense add to the depth and beauty of the story.

To my 2018 brides and grooms: I’ll never be able to adequately say how much it meant to be a part of your wedding day. Thank you for trusting me and following my creative vision. Thank you for inviting me into the intimate moments, but also the hilarious and silly ones too. Each wedding is different and beautiful in it’s own unique way and I have never forgotten a single one that I’ve shot.

I will never get over this opportunity & I will never take it for granted.

I also loved getting to remember all of the couples I got to spend time with!

Man it was such an adventure! I had the opportunity meet up with two individuals celebrating their engagement and there is really nothing quite like seeing people who have recently made a commitment to choose each other forever and ever.

I love these sessions because it allows me the privilege to get to know the couple before the wedding day. That way, going into the wedding 1) I feel as though I already know them and them me & 2) they know what to expect out of photos! I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ll show up to an engagement session and the future groom is a little unnerved about being behind the camera -- but then fast forward to the wedding day and he nails every pose with authenticity and confidence. It’s seriously the greatest thing.

I just want to tell you what my favorite and most honored compliment is when it comes to engagement sessions: when the future bride tells me that the groom (and sometimes her) were SO NERVOUS about photos, but that I made them feel comfortable and authentic. (thank you so so so so much if you’re one of my brides that told me this this year!)

It means the world to me to make people feel comfortable and authentic behind the camera because to do that, I have to make them feel comfortable around myself.

I also loved the anniversary sessions I got to take part in (PLEASE let’s do more of these in 2019! Your love deserves to be captured beyond the wedding day)

Thank you all for spending time with me. I got to explore new places with so many of you and find some of the coolest places to take photos! Thanks for talking with me and giving me a glimpse into your life and love.

This year, I didn’t get to take as many family & newborn photos as I’d like to due to the business that weddings and couples brought along. BUT, the ones I did take were incredibly special to me.

I got to drive to PA to meet a sweet little boy, love on his mama, and take some precious photos!

I flew to TX to meet and take photo of a precious newborn girl and see a brand new family of three.

I worked hard to get smiles from the cutest toddler; and laughed my way through a home session as I raised my voice to crazy octaves as I acted like a crazy person.

Thank you all for allowing me to love on your littles and snap some photos!

Me and my little family had such an incredible year; but some of our highlights were:

- Ellis learning to walk & turning 1!
- Moving into a new home
- Celebrating 6 years of marriage!
- Going on our anniversary trip to Cape Cod (& fulfilling a lifelong dream of visiting Nantucket!)
- SO many camping and outdoor adventures with our fam of three
- Adopting our sweet cat Gidget
- Camping with both sets of grandparents & aunties/uncles
- Traveling: ALL over Virginia & North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois
- Seeing my cousin Emily marry the love of her life
- Hikes/adventures with nanny nay-nay! (my cousin) and seeing him graduate from OCS
- Falling in love with the Roanoke Valley over and over and over again
- Freelancing & working the best social media/graphic design gig for the sweetest church
- Drinking loads of coffee on my Tuesday night work nights
- Farmer’s market visits on those rare Saturday mornings NOT busy/shooting
- So so so so much growth

And to expand on the last: I can’t end this post without giving the utmost credit to the Lord for all of His goodness and grace. It is humbling to look back to one year ago and see the ways He has molded me more into his likeness. And you know? It was truly painful at times. I often imagine myself like a lump of clay (here me out here, ha) and as the Lord is molding me as the sculptor, there are times where those ugly lumps take longer to smooth-- those are the painful times.

I’m not always the best at embracing those painful times because if we’re honest, growth can be really hard because it makes us feel vulnerable. It is literally allowing the ugliest parts of us to be exposed as we work hard to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.

I’m so deeply grateful at what the Lord has done in my life over the last year and truly look forward to what He’ll continue to do in another. I am a weary soul with a mighty Savior.

Thank you for reading and joining me on this wild journey-- you all will always, always be the MVPs!