A look back at 2016 // Year in review for CWP

These type of blog posts are my absolute FAVORITE because they give me all the feels!!! (< --- btw...when is that phrase gonna go out of style? Not for a while I hope, b/c I loooooves it!!!) 

Looking back at all that 2016 has brought me seriously gives me the chills. When 2016 started we had been in New Jersey for about 6 months and I was:

• entering my fourth year of business,
• was about to turn forty
• was just starting to get plugged into the photography community and make some friends
• and feel more settled at our church. 

My goal for the year was to shoot five weddings.

FIVE ya'll.

I ended up shooting THIRTY!!!

How is that even possible?? I am so incredibly blessed for the amazing connections and friendships that God brought into my life to make that possible. I booked and shot seven of my own weddings and 2nd shot or assisted at twenty three more. Thirty celebrations of marriage that I got to be a part of during my FIRST year in business in New Jersey. BLOWN AWAY. 

In addition to that, I branched out my business and diversified my income. I helped numerous entrepreneurs and small business owners launch or update their websites. I mentored and coached other photographers to help them grow their business. I served blogging clients and editing clients all while maintaining my own photography for weddings, engagements, family sessions, styled shoots and other things here and there. 

Paul and I traveled to Connect retreat, Seattle and Albuquerque this year. I joined and stayed active in NJ Spark and was able to fellowship with some amazing other Christian women and photographers. Paul and I started a small group bible study in our home for couples at our church and have made some great friends. We saw two broadway shows, countless movies, endless shows on Netflix, became obsessed with meal delivery and built a deck on the back of our house. 

We have learned, grown, prayed, fought, cried, laughed until we cried and loved each other fiercely. 

This has seriously been a year for the books and I am incredibly humbled, grateful and blessed for all of the friendships I have gained, experiences I have had and lessons I have learned. Now you can see why I love posts like this so much. In all reality, its nice to share this with others, but really, this is such a good way to reflect back on everything I have done an accomplished over a period of time. Oftentimes we feel as if we are spinning our wheels and not really getting anywhere, but when you take a step back and take some time to really look at where you have grown, you will see it. All that progress. It's there, you just gotta look for it. 

This post is really for me. A way for me to visually see what 2016 meant for my own personal life and for my growing business. And it makes me even that much more excited for all that is to come in the next twelve months! Cheers! 

A birthday letter to Paul

6 years, 4 months and 26 days you came into my life. That amount of time seems so incredibly small when you look at the entirety of our lives, but I honestly can not really remember life without you. As you celebrate your 41st year today, I am overjoyed and giddy with the fact that we have way more years ahead of us together than we will have had in our past without each other. Marriage is a complicated union between two imperfect people, but what I have discovered over these past 6 years, 4 months and 26 days is that no matter how hard it may be, there is no one more imperfectly perfect for me. 

To celebrate today, here are 41 reasons why I love you:

1 // You fill my air tank on the daily

2 // Your ability to fix literally anything that breaks

3 // Your unwavering support of all my crazy dreams

4 // You sing and whistle show tunes

5 // You are taller than me 

6 // You are older than me ;-) 

7 // The way you smell 

8 // Your love of going to the movies together

9 // The fact that you are a waaaayyy better cook than me, but you refuse to admit it. 

10 // The way you love your kids 

11 // The way you interact with Guinness and Toby 

12 // The fact that you make me coffee every morning and sometimes leave me little notes if you have to leave before I get up. 

13 // You love podcasts as much as I do

14 // Your spontaneity 

15 // Your sense of adventure 

16 // Our inside jokes that make us belly laugh

17 // Your love of nerd games and how long it takes you to make every single move 

18 // The fact that we always want to watch the same shows on Netflix

19 // You put up with my constant requests for fountain sodas

20 // Your OBSESSION with making sure all of our plants grow 

21 // The fact that you take care of my car and make sure I'm safe

22 // Your dedication to the Army and serving your country well

23 // ICE CREAM

24 // The fact that you make the best popcorn ever

25 // Your amazing and brilliant ideas

26 // The fact that you will not give up until we have a hot tub one day

27 // How you are patient with me when I'm being hard on myself

28 // You always want me to have the best of everything

29 // You always tell me I'm pretty even when I am a serious hot mess

30 // Your endless quest to help me stop crunching chips so loudly

31 // You are an amazing Instagram husband

32 // Your love of Panera Bread green tea

33 // Your Amazon Prime ordering skillz

34 // Your interest in traveling and seeing new places and experiencing new things

35 // You can pack up anything (car, suitcase, camera bag) perfectly

36 // When you wag your tail when we hug

37 // The fact that you tell me I'm adorable all the time

38 // You are a total coffee snob

39 // You are a whiz with the sewing machine

40 // Your heart for Jesus and your desire to lead our family according to God's purpose

41 // The fact that through your actions and words, I continually feel loved and cherished by you. 

I am so honored to be your wife and partner through all of life's ups and downs. Happy Birthday honey! I love you!