Oh Happy Day

The day started out being like every other day.

But not.

It was our day.

Since the boys were at their mom's house, and the girls were at their dad's, we woke up to a fairly quiet house that morning. Chris got up that morning with a little work to do and left the house relatively early. I woke up earlier than normal with butterflies already in my stomach. I managed to keep busy with my normal morning routine and a quick trip to the store for belts for the boys.

By late morning everyone was back at home. It was the most beautiful day of the year (so far) and the kids took advantage of it outside. Other than the hand towels prominently displayed in the master bathroom, you never would have suspected a wedding was going to take place that day. The song of a slamming front door and kids giggling danced through the house on the breeze from the wide open windows.

But their was a wedding that day. Our wedding.

There is something fun about the element of surprise. No one had a clue what we were up to that day. Not our parents, not our friends, and certainly not our kids. It's a plan we had had in place for nearly a month, and with the exception of our photographer disguised as one of our best friends, no one was none the wiser.

We didn't start out planning our wedding like this. Originally we wanted a traditional wedding, with a pastor reading our vows, our parents in attendance, and fancy dresses. But the more we started planning, the less meaningful it was quickly becoming. We thought our kids wanted the "normal wedding" -- as they so called it -- only to find out the only thing they really wanted was the party.

So, after a wonderful conversation with my Aunt Leah, the plans changed. We had decided to go to the courthouse -- just the six of us -- and exchange our vows in front of the Justice of the Peace.

Everyone had brand new outfits for the occasion, right down to Bryce's skull-and-crossbone tie. (Those of you that know him, know how fitting it is.) The girls were in cute polka-dotted dresses and each wore a flower in their hair. The boys -- all three of them -- had crisply ironed shirts and coordinating ties. I wore a blue satin blouse and black pencil skirt (to which Bryce affectionately commented on my resemblance to Erkel). We were a good looking bunch. And we looked like we belonged together.

About 12:30 on Wednesday, March 31st, we all piled in the truck and headed to the courthouse in New Lebanon. The ride was only 30 minutes but felt like 3 hours. I was anxious and excited and the drive was nearly stress-free. No worries about DJs, bridesmaids missing jewelry, groomsmen drinking too much in the parking lot, or what time the cakelady was arriving. It was just us, our happy kids, our photographer, and our marriage certificate.

We were greeted by the judge's bailiff, Amy, who showed us into the courtroom. None of the kids had ever seen a courtroom -- however I'm pretty sure it won't be the last visit for at least 2 of them -- and were excited to be in such a cool place. Amy explained how the ceremony would unfold and moments later the judge came into the room.

He was an older gentleman with glasses and white hair. He wore a dark green robe and a tender look on his face. And although he kept our ceremony serious, you could tell he was a family man with a soft heart.

As the ceremony began, I remember looking at Chris thanking God that he put him in my life, and the girls' lives. I remember thinking "gosh, I'm so lucky to have all of this for the rest of my life". For richer or poorer, I have 4 incredible kids, I get kitchen-table-conversations with my 17 year old son about his girlfriend, I get the joyous phone call of our oldest daughter when she's giving us the news of our first grandchild. In sickness and in health, there will be deaths to mourn through, births to celebrate, heartaches to heal and disappointment to defeat. Until death do us part, we will stand by one another happily traveling down God's path He laid for us.

All the days of our life.

Although it only lasted 5 minutes (tops), it will forever be etched in my mind. It was absolutely perfect. We stripped it down to what was important to the most important people. It was sentimental, it was intimate, it was romantic.

It was the day that six became one.

Delicious light and broken rules

While I was posting one of my last blogs, I realized that I couldn't remember the last time I did a shoot with my own kids. I mean, I have the big moments on file -- birthdays, games, etc. -- and a few random moments captured. But, I can't, for the life of me, remember when was the last time I took them out and did a fun shoot.

So, tonight I had a couple of hours to kill -- just us "ladies". Chris was at a coaches meeting and the boys were at their mom's house. So, for a little while, it was back to the three of us, searching for a way to keep busy. Any way other than dishes or laundry.

As a photographer, my favorite time of day is the very last hour of daylight. That hour where the light turns into this delicious golden blanket that covers every crevice of the horizon. The kind of light that makes you want to stand facing it, with your eyes closed, just soaking up every last ray. That light does magical things to the colors in the sky and does it's own sort of mojo in images.

That light makes me want to sop that creamy, butter-y mess up with a biscuit.

As a photographer, I have broken more rules than I can count here. I've cut appendages off, I have blown highlights, I've over-exposed my skies (intentionally) and I've broken THE #1 rule.

The Mack Daddy.

"Do not, for whatever reason, shoot toward the sun. Keep it behind the lens."

My professors are probably blogstalking me right now, steamingly irrate at the fact that I've broken the sacred Backlight Law of OIP facilty and staff. They are probably all sitting at a Round Table meeting, severely disappointed, contemplating how to revoke my Golden Gallery award. Ok, maybe not that much.

But I love love love love (infinity) what that backlit sun-full-ness does to my images. I love what happens to the colors, the lensflare, the golden cast that everything soaks up. I just love it. I love it when single strands of hair sparkle and catchlights in the eyes are sparkly. I love the halos of light that envelope your subject.

I do. I love it. And I will continue to break those rules so long as I get these kinds of images.

Now.......if I could just get the boys to give in to a shoot like this....

Edit:

I'm not sure when they got to be so gorgeous. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've always thought I had cute kids, but when did that transition happen with Taylor???? Have I been in a coma the last year and been completely unobservant of the whole thing? She went from "cute kid with dimples" to "daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!" right before my very eyes!!! Seeing these images makes me want to lock her in her bedroom until she's 40 or beat her up just so the boys aren't interested in her amazing green eyes and darling freckles. What will the next 10 years be like for me?!!??!

Seriously.

Easter

I realized this morning that I haven't even posted pictures of us on Easter. I suffered from a migraine the entire day, but unless I've lost an appendage, I'll still take pictures.





I can remember playing the egg and spoon game with my Grandma and Mom. And once, my sister and I wanted tried to play it...but the egg wasn't hard boiled. We tried to hide the broken-egg evidence under a mat. That didn't go over well....

xo,
e