This is a pretty personal post (I feel like I should shorten that by just saying P³… you would know what that means, right?)… anyway, we are firm believers in being authentic and sharing the good, bad, and ugly. So, when it came to deciding whether or not we would put it out there that I am having surgery tomorrow- the obvious answer was yes! However, actually writing the post and sharing my real feelings is quite hard for me!

I am an introvert. Definitely an introvert! And when it comes to talking about myself, I am definitely not very good at it! ;) So, when it comes to talking about myself in a very personal way, I struggle. However, I have learned over the past few years that being vulnerable is a good thing and being honest during times that we just need some prayer and support can actually not only bring prayer and support, but it may actually help someone else along the way, too!

So, with those thoughts in my mind and in an effort to hopefully help someone else along the way… Yes, I am having surgery tomorrow to remove a cyst from my right ovary. I won’t go into crazy details, but basically I have always had painful monthly cycles. (Sorry- was that TMI?) ;) Last year, the doctor requested an Ultrasound to check everything out. The results showed a 3 cm cyst on my ovary. A follow-up MRI confirmed that the cyst seemed to be an Endometrioma Cyst (that would be caused by Endometriosis, but couldn’t be confirmed without surgery). Long story short… ;) I went to a new doctor this year for a routine exam. After reviewing my records, she requested a follow-up Ultrasound where they found the cyst had grown. At 5 cm, it is now at a size that they feel needs to come out via surgery.

The surgery is tomorrow and is supposed to be same-day, laproscopic surgery. I hear this is fairly common and actually is probably “not a big deal” in the world of surgeries! ;) (Thank goodness!) However, to be completely honest, I am a bit nervous! Every time I have brought it up to family or close friends, I have found myself just saying- “Oh, it’s not a big deal.” In the grand scheme of things, it really could be much worse and I am so incredibly grateful to know that they are able to get in there and take care of it. But, in the perspective of everyday life, it is kind of a big deal! Lol. It is not every day that I have surgery… in fact, besides getting my wisdom teeth out, this is all new to me. I honestly have no idea what to expect and am really just doing everything I can to go with the flow!

This surgery thing has provided a huge life lesson for me. I am learning that it is ok to reach out and ask for help. It is ok to share your personal struggles with those who will be there to listen and offer a positive thought. I am ALWAYS the one who strives to be that positive voice for other people, yet it is hard for me to share my own personal struggles when a positive voice could make the world of a difference for me! Ugh, I am definitely learning! ;)

With facing the reality that I will be having surgery tomorrow and I will be forced to relax for a few days of recovery, I am reminded to soak in this precious life! I am also reminded that those random little things that cause everyday stress in life, really are not worth worrying about! ;) Really… why do we let ourselves get so stressed over stupid stuff?! ;) (Or maybe that is just me?! In that case… huge note to self!)

I know the next few days will be a bit challenging and we could use all of the prayers and support you are able to share with both Ryan and I! ;) We would absolutely appreciate it more than you know if you could send a few prayers our way (or positive thoughts, if that is more your thing!) that surgery goes well and recovery is speedy! (Believe me, Ryan is praying for a speedy recovery, too! ;) ) Ryan will be my AMAZING caretaker (as he is every other day of our lives too!) and I have no doubt he is going to be the best caretaker I could ever dream of!

Ideally, I will only be laid up for a few days- so if you do need to reach us, please don’t hesitate! Ryan will be doing his best to keep up with all things for the business and life! (Gosh, what would I do without him?!?) If it takes us a little longer to respond to emails, please give us some grace!

Thank you so much for your love and support and prayers! It means the world to us that you are by our side helping us through this crazy journey of life and helping us learn these life lessons along the way!

If you are ever in need of a listening ear or a few prayers, please please please do not ever hesitate to ask!

Have an AMAZING Monday, friends! Make it an extra good one! ;)

We did it! ;) We completed the Stillmotion Take Action Challenge! When we signed up in May, I remember feeling a little overwhelmed just by adding the dates to the calendar. For 11 weeks straight, we received a challenge on Monday, on Tuesday we had a 1-2 hour live webinar to discuss the challenge and the results from the week before, and then on Sunday we had to submit our completed film project by 11:59 p.m. PST. (I put the specific time because there were many weeks that we found ourselves pushing the deadline of 2:59 a.m. EST! ;) ).

We signed up for the Challenge because we have this dream. The dream, that we have shared a few times here and there, is to produce a documentary! We took on the challenge as a way to learn as much as possible about the art of filmmaking. As photographers, we have a little bit of understanding… but to be completely honest, cinematography and photography are completely different! We knew that going in, but we were reminded over and over again each week.

When I was feeling overwhelmed just by putting the dates on the calendar, Ryan reminded me that this was our FUN! Filmmaking was something that we were completely excited to learn about and this was a fun opportunity to do exactly that! Fun… yes, I would definitely say with confidence that we had fun throughout the Challenge. However, I think we can both say with confidence that it was definitely hard work too! We pushed ourselves BIG TIME to complete the challenges and grow as much as possible with every opportunity we were given. There were many weeks that Sunday would roll around, and after traveling for a wedding on Saturday and still feeling the exhaustion from the wedding, the last thing we wanted to do was START the challenge for the week! Those were the days we definitely struggled, but we knew we would gain so much by challenging ourselves and completing the assignment! We had some of the world’s best cinematographers (yes, they won an Emmy!) at our finger tips and that is pretty incredible in itself! During our weekly webinar meetups, we began to feel like they were our friends just hanging out in our living room! ;)

The Take Action Challenge is now complete… 10 assignments later and a final project complete, we can now say we have a much better understanding of filmmaking! ;) We won’t go as far as claiming we are pros! ;) But we definitely learned a TON and we are so incredibly grateful for the experience!!

Huge thanks to the whole Stillmotion team for putting so much time and attention into educating filmmakers from around the world! They are literally changing the industry and it is AMAZING to watch! We are so grateful for their talent, passion to educate, constructive criticism, honest feedback, and love they put into everything that they do!

On Wednesday, Stillmotion shared a post on their blog about the Take Action Challenge and they asked us to chime in to share about our dreams for the documentary! We are so incredibly honored to have our story featured on their blog in hopes of inspiring others to follow their dreams too! Check it out and leave them some love! http://stillmotionblog.com/2013/09/04/taking-the-leap/

Also… just a quick plug because we love them… Grant and Baker, from one of our all time favorite documentaries (“I’m Fine Thanks”) are now part of the Stillmotion team and were HUGE contributors to the Take Action Challenge! If you have not already done so… download I’m Fine Thanks. ;) It will likely be the best $5 you will ever spend… because it WILL change your life! ;)

Just for the fun of it- we had to share this iPhone behind the scenes photo! ;) haha! If this doesn’t scream fun, I am not sure what does!?! ;)  Side note… but incredibly important note: HUGE thanks to the Simer Family, the Coates Family, Marissa Walch, and everyone else who participated in our films at the very last minute, of course! ;) You all are AMAZING!!

Summer is definitely not over! ;) Thank goodness because we still have a few things that we need to cross off our Summer Bucket List! Haha! We know we still have a few things that we just aren’t realistically going to be able to make happen this summer (like Ryan running a 10K! ;) ). However, it is exciting to know that we already have a head start on creating our list for next year! ;)

In the meantime, we are definitely celebrating the excitement that we have had this summer! Our Bucket List has definitely helped us keep our priorities straight this summer and reminded us to have fun when our heads were buried in our computers for too long! I would say, we have had one pretty AMAZING summer and we are so grateful for that! Huge thanks to our friends over at the Happy Family Movement for encouraging us to create our list in the first place!

It has been awhile since we updated you all on our progress, but if you follow along on Instagram you have seen some of our fun! ;) For those without Instagram… here is an update for you!

Go Strawberry Picking

We actually did a full blog post on this one! ;) Remember, 18 lbs of strawberries later and all of the strawberry goodies that we made with them?!? ;)

Go to the Little League World Series

The Little League World Series is an event that is near and dear to our hearts! Growing up about 10 minutes away and even spending a summer lifeguarding in the Grove (where the teams stay for the Series!), we have many fond memories that surround the LLWS. Whenever the last two weeks of August roll around, our hearts are either glued to ESPN or we are enjoying the magic on the Hill in Williamsport! It is my dream to document a team’s journey to Williamsport… a behind the scenes look at the excitement, the challenges, and the dreams! (More on this to come in the future for sure! ;) ). Anyway- this year, our schedule didn’t allow for us to be there for any of the games. However, we were home the weekend before and I did hop over to the Hill on Monday before the Series started with my brother. I talked him into just taking a moment to go sit on the hill and take it all in. As we were sitting there, we witnessed the spirited team from Puerto Rico running laps around the Little League complex (not an easy task!) and they never once stopped chanting as they ran! (Of course, they quickly became my favorite team!) Just before we left, we walked over to the stairway to make our way to our car. Taking one more look around and thinking about the dreams that were becoming a reality before our eyes, a whole group of 11 and 12 year old boys (as well as about 3 or 4 coaches) came running by us! With their mouths wide open in AMAZEMENT, all we could hear was… “Ohh my gosh! Look at that!!” “Look how BIG that stadium is” “WOW!.” The team from Delaware had just arrived and we got to experience their first glimpse of their dreams becoming a reality. That was PERFECT.
Have a Picnic at Fort McHenry watching the clouds

Yep… I did this. One day, I was just not feeling it. I was struggling to get anything done and I just needed a break! It was one of the most beautiful days outside (no humidity and about 80 degrees!) It was AMAZING! I grabbed the blanket and a pillow AND a good book and just sat outside at Fort McHenry watching the clouds roll by! It was so good for my soul and I absolutely recommend this to everyone! ;)

Go to an Orioles Game and get Boogs BBQ

Ahhh! Boogs BBQ is like a staple when going to an Orioles Game! ;) Ryan has been to a few games this year- but we both went on a super fun double date with Sarah and Joe a few weeks ago!!! Unfortunately, the Orioles lost, but we had the most AMAZING seats to take the evening in!! ;) (Thanks to Sarah and Joe!) We had a blast and definitely enjoyed us some Boogs! We are super excited to say that we have two more Orioles games on the calendar for this year!!! So that means two more Boogs too! ;) SO FUN!

Travel to Portland

Ok, this one we kind of cheated on! ;) We didn’t make it to Portland, Maine this summer… but we definitely did make a trip to Portland, Oregon! ;) That totally counts, right?! ;) All that matters is that we had FUN- and that we definitely did!

Go to the Flea Market on the Eastern Shore (ie. Crumpton Auction)

SO many of our AMAZING couples and friends have told us about the Crumpton Auction. As soon as they see our home decor (the exposed brick and original hardwood floors from pre-1900s) they say, “you would absolutely love the Crumpton Auction!” ;) Basically, they had us so super excited… I couldn’t wait to go!!! However, I definitely was a little nervous and maybe a tad intimidated at the thought of a real auction!

Ohh my goodness…  ;) As we drove through the farmer’s fields and miles and miles of nothing, we started laughing at the thought that we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into! ;) THEN, out of nowhere we see a field full of “junk!” ;) and cars everywhere!! After seeing no one for miles, we realized they were just all at the Auction! ;)

As soon as I got out of the car I was like a little a little kid in a candy store! ;) I was SO EXCITED… not necessarily because of the junk (haha… I am far from a hoarder!), but because of the cultural experience we were about to have! ;) I am pretty sure the smile did not leave my face all day! (Even when we lost the bid for the milk crate and old oar we were bidding on!) ;) We did, however, walk away with a beautiful old cedar chest for $30! ;) Thank Goodness for Melissa Manzione and her mom for showing us the ropes! We definitely would have been lost without them… but we would have been lost with a smile on our face that is for sure! ;)

Spend the day at the beach reading a book

We have been dreaming of a day where we could put everything away and literally just lay at the beach and read a good book! We are FINALLY making that happen TODAY! ;) The weather is looking awesome… so we have made it a date! We blocked the day off and are currently on our way to the beach!! ;) SO FUN!

Added bonus… we did spend an evening at the beach earlier in August with my best friend, Megan, Glenn & Jackson and their beautiful family!! (Megan’s Birthday just so happens to be on Friday… so we figured it would be fun to wish her an early happy birthday! ;) YAY! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Megan!!!) Our evening at the beach with them was magical to say the least! We did take a few photos and then finished off the evening with a round of mini golf! AMAZING! (Mini Golf def has to go on the list every year from now on! ;) )

Throw a big 4th of July Party

The 4th of July is always a super fun holiday for us! Since we have made the move to Baltimore, we enjoy it even more because we have this fabulous view of the fireworks! ;) Every year, they bring the barge in and place it nicely right in front of us! ;) And every year we are pinching ourselves knowing that we are super lucky and super blessed to be able to celebrate in such a fun way!! Every year we open our home to family and friends in hopes that they will be as excited as we are about the fireworks! ;) We love being surrounded by our family and friends and love being able to celebrate such fun holidays in such a special way!

Go to an outdoor concert/performance

We have/will be doing this a few times this summer! So fun!! A few weeks ago we decided to go to the Boordy Vineyards for their Summer Concert Series! It was a blast!!! Seriously! We loved every minute of it! We packed a picnic and enjoyed some wine while hanging out with hundreds of other people on the lawn! It really was magical!

AND by the end of the day tomorrow…. we will have done it again! ;) We are planning to make our way down to the Keith Urban Concert in the Baltimore Harbor to kick off the NFL Season!! AHHH! AMAZING! What a super fun way to kick off the football season, right?!! It might be crazy crowded, but we are super excited!!

SO MUCH FUN!! Seriously- what a fabulous summer, right?!? And it is still going strong! We are so grateful!

Tell us about your summer fun!! We want to know what we should put on our Bucket List for next summer! So, please, do share!! ;)

It is so incredibly crazy to think that today is September 3rd. WOW! Where in the world did this summer go? We hope you are coming off of an AMAZING weekend full of celebrating the fact that summer really isn’t technically over yet! ;) Our weekend was FULL of just that… we had the most dreamy wedding on Saturday at a BEAUTIFUL vacation home in Annapolis. Seriously- it was full of all kinds of nautical goodness, and a sweet couple that is so full of love! Dreamy! ;) And then we relaxed, had pizzas on the grill (burnt bottoms and all- they were AMAZING! ;) ), listened to the sounds of the Grand Prix right down the street, enjoyed our very first Pumpkin Spice Lattes! ;), and finished the weekend off with a drink at the Tiki Barge! ;) WAHOO! Happy weekend!, right?!? ;)

As you may have noticed from the fewer than normal blog posts recently, we have been quite busy. We have been doing our best to balance work and life and everything in between… and unfortunately that meant that sometimes our blog posts had to get pushed to the next day on our to do list. Believe me, we beat ourselves up over it many times… but we knew you all would understand! ;)

As you can imagine… we have so much we want to share with you! So this week will be full of posts that may seem all over the place! ;) However, we want to make sure we share all of this on our online journal so that we can always remember the crazy days of this AMAZING life!

Throughout the month of August we have been the hosts of an online Live Broadcast called Shoot & Share Live. Showit, the company we use for our online galleries & image delivery, asked us to host the shows in Baltimore. Every Wednesday & Thursday of last month, we put on our very best Oprah & Matt Lauer shoes and interviewed/chatted with some of our favorite photographer (and beyond) friends in the area! We were so excited to be able to share the gifts of so many incredible people through this show!

We even created a “Geek Week”! ;) Haha!… and it turned out to be one of my favorites!! We have an incredibly talked friend, Natalie Franke, who graduated from the University of Penn last year with a degree in Visual Studies. Her talents expand far and beyond photography! Whenever she shares with us what she learned through her studies, her heart explodes with her words and passion to share! She is INCREDIBLE… so we challenged her (literally challenged in the most heartfelt way possible! ;) ) to share her knowledge and passion on Shoot and Share Live. The number of aha moments for me during that 30 minutes show are literally innumerable!

Ryan joined Natalie to round out Geek Week! He put his engineering shoes on and shared a very technical approach to understanding our cameras and lenses! To be completely honest, I was super duper nervous that no one would tune in because it was quite nerdy! ;) But Ryan rocked it! (I am quite biased… but he did!) Ryan has this incredible way of turning his advanced photonics understanding into something that even I understand. (And let me tell you- that is not an easy task! ;) ) During his live show, I was once again reminded of just how lucky I am to have him by my side!

As we wrapped up the month’s shows last week with Caroline Rausch (an absolutely incredible 18 year old who has been in business since the age of 13!), I found myself with grateful tears in my eyes! Having the opportunity to sit down with some of our incredibly talented friends to learn from them and share their incredibly special gifts with the world was such a blessing! As much of a challenge it was for us on some days, in the middle of our crazy busy season, to make these shows a reality, we would do it again in a heartbeat just to share the couch with some of our favorite people!

Huge thanks to Andrew and Kevin from Showit for putting the live kit into our hands and giving us the opportunity to share the many gifts that Baltimore has to offer!! ;) We are so honored to have been a part of this! To Caroline, Natalie, Becka, Ryan, Ashley, Jeremy, Tom, Maureen, Mikey & Samantha… THANK YOU! Thank you so incredibly much for making the time in your busy schedules to bravely share your gifts and talents with the world through this live show! It is not easy to put yourself out there on a LIVE show… but every single one of you rocked it out!! We are so grateful to be surrounded by you!

Here is the link to the re-watch for all of the shows… (http://showitfast.com/live) When you have 30 minutes here and there, please check them out! There is so much goodness that you definitely do not want to miss!!

Caroline Rausch (Carrie Logan) – Have Confidence in Your Photography*
*Even if you are not a photographer… this one is full of life lessons! ;)
Natalie Franke and Becka Nix (Editors of Bayside Bride)– Get Published on Wedding Blogs

Geek Week! ;)
Ryan Bower – Understanding Light, the Lens, and the Camera
Natalie Franke – The Psychology of Shooting

Ashley and Jeremy Mitchell – Working with Videographers
Tom Barnhill – Financial and Tax Planning for Photographers

Maureen Luther – Photoshop Workflow Tips
Samantha and Mikey Smith – Building a Photography Studio