How sweet it is...

Isn't she lovely? Oh yes, Tanner surprised me with this amazing, fabulous present. It will be a huge help in editing and organizing my pictures. I was incredibly shocked that he would pull this off after me only mentioning it once or twice. That is a real man for ya! =) I have a lot of learning to do but I am oh so excited about the process. I mean, who wouldn't want to sit in front of this and play with pictures all day. Count me in! So I must say that I have a extraordinary husband who completely blew me out of the water with this one! Thank you to my sweet, passionate, godly, sincere, thoughtful, selfless husband!!

"Out of Hand"

And you must get a taste of Tanner's mom's creativity! She is an excellent host! She makes jewelry, wreaths, and other goodies and calls her business "out of hand." I am jealous of her creativity. She went ALL out on our dinner after the horse races! There were horse napkin rings she made, jockey clothes on the tablecloth, a jockey boot centerpiece, napkins that say "kentucky derby," and the madness goes on! The best part was our places were marked by little horses she had named after each of us. Who's do you think was named "lightscameraaction"??? Check it out!

Oh, and I have to mention how amazing her food is! YUMMO!

"God's Country"

Last week we went to a place my father-in-law likes to call "God's Country." My family drove to Lexington, KY and spent the week with Tanner's parents and sister. We had a great trip. It is a beautiful place, and we definitely got our fill of horses btwn the horse races and the horse park. The weather was gorgeous the whole time!

Here are a few delightful pics from the gorgeous Kentucky!

Care Group Life

Last night was the second time our care group gathered at our place for a little praise and worship, good eats, and fellowship. We have such a great group of people. Tanner and I always look forward to meeting with them. Jared, the guy playing guitar, also cooked up some amazing homemade chicken fingers. Everything was oh so yummy. A few of the couples were not able to make it last night, so I am sure there will be more pictures to come! We are so thankful for each of these people, and can't wait to see how the Lord works in this group.

Our first big purchase...

Furniture! And Oh how we love it! Tanner and I took a weekend trip to Hickory, NC (the furniture capital of the world) to look for furniture. Of course, I knew exactly what I wanted, and I wasn't settling for anything less! I wanted comfy, modern but not too modern, slightly textured, neutral color, modern legs, firm but not too firm, etc. Now that wasn't too much to ask for...oh no! Alas, we found it after endless hours of searching. The Broyhill factory outlet had just what I wanted. We love it! It is incredibly comfortable. So, if you are looking for furniture any time soon I definately recommend Broyhill. However, just make sure you ask for the cleaning code b/c I almost destroyed ours with water, yes H2O, during the first week! Yet, Tanner was still very patient and loving towards me! So here it is! Anyone want to come visit?

Proverbs 18:22

Proverbs 18:22 says, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." I wanted to dedicate my first post to my peerless, beautiful, spunky, godly wife. She is a gift from the Lord. I am more than thankful for how he has placed us together to glorify Him (Psalm 34:3) for his purposes. So, thanks for visiting our blog, supporting my wife's blossoming and promising photography career, and enduring from time to time, my reflections on the Kingdom of Christ and the privileged place within it for those who believe.

It wouldn't be right without...

It wouldn't be right without some crazy, fun pictures of us on our blog!! So here are a few pics April took for us a couple of months ago. She had us doing some insane moves...simply risking our lives for the sake of a good picture. Tanner was a good sport! Enjoy!

for old time's sake...

These are some of my favorite pictures from the past. The ones of the little girl named Parker were for a baby Gap contest which she definately should have won. Isn't she absolutely adorable?! The pregnant couple, Justin and Jackie, were my very first shoot on my own...kinda scary. I got so excited, I took tons of pictures and completely exhausted this poor pregnant lady. I forgot pregnant women can't get around too good. =) Now they have a beautiful little baby girl whose name is Abigail. I still have lots and lots to learn but I am excited about the process!

Thank you!

Thanks to my parents for providing me with a camera so that I am able to pursue photography. As many of you know, a nice camera is key to taking good pictures. And b/c I love ya'll so much, here is a delightful picture for all to see. This was taken at my sister's PA graduation...."they so proud!"

Why Imago Dei?

Some of you may wonder why the crazy hard to spell name...
If the Lord continues to lead me and grow my passion for photography, I would absolutely love to name my work Imago Dei photography. Imago Dei means "image of God." God created ALL people in His image. People are my passion. I love capturing the beauty of His creation. His handiwork is shown in the different little expressions and emotions. For we are all fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. We must praise Him for the life He gives.
Genesis 1:27
"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."