Sabrina + David: sneak peek

Goodness gracious, y'all, was it a-snowing here in Virginia this weekend! With the threat of winter flurries & storm advisories coming our way, Sabrina & I decided to pray for the snow to hold off & stick with our Saturday morning shoot in Old Town.

Dean & I had an awesome time laughing with Sabrina & David plus snapping tons of lovey-dovey shots of the two. And JUST, I mean just seconds after taking the last shots, the snow really started coming down. Isn't awesome how the Lord hears the needs of His children & answers our prayers?

Sabrina & David, you two are the sweetest together. Despite the chilly weather, y'all were such troopers & gave it your all. Which totally shows. Speaking of answered prayers, halleLUjah that you are both in the same country now after months of faithful prayer, long-distance phone calls & Skype time. We can't wait for your spring wedding!

{December Goals}

My sweet friend Dara Lynn

Happy winter! Whether it's a balmy 65 or you're wrapped up to your ears in a thick scarf, December still marks this wonderful time of year in my book as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

OK, time for some truuuuth. I was looking back over my past goals & the last time I wrote them down (aka blogged about them) was ... June. Yikes, just a few months have passed since I actively committed to making things happen. You could say these 2 little things called engagement & wedding took up some of that time I would normally have otherwise. So, after a 5 month hiatus, we're back! It's goal time :)

December Goals

>> Cut down & zealously decorate our very own family Christmas tree. This is a lifelong dream, y'all!
>> Pick out a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan. Any suggestions?
>> Serve my spring bride well
>> Shoot a lovely engagement session in Old Town with new LMP equipment
>> Walk/run around our neighborhood lake 3x a week
>> Divide & conquer wedding thank you cards
>> Drink at least 3 refilled water bottles daily (hoping for more)
>> Pull off Operation SS (Secret Service) Christmas, anonymously blessing my assigned Small Group sister this month
>> Celebrate turning 26 by reflecting on 26 ways the Lord has blessed my life
>> Stay faithful to our budget
>> Bake yummy cookies to share with friends & neighbors with our new mixer
>> Watch It's a Wonderful Life (Mr. D has never seen it!)
>> Decorate our mantle into a wintery wonderland & roast marshmallows in our cozy fireplace
>> Listen to as much Christmas music as possible ... and somehow convince my hubby that he likes it, too!

"Present over perfect. Quality over quantity. Relationship over rushing.
People over pressure. Meaning over mania."  Lara Casey, #presentdecember

Lara + Dan: Old Town engagement

This couple. What a joy to hang with the future Mr. & Mrs. Stroud! Since our initial phone conversation, it's been *so* fun to chat with them about life, the Lord & their wedding. Since Lara & I are both brides-to-be, we've been able to share with each other's excitement about finding wedding day shoes & sending out all the invitations YAY! Their wedding is early next month - & we wandered through Old Town, ending up at the spot where they had their first date (SO precious!). We finished our early morning session at the Virginia Theological Seminary, where their wedding will be held. It's also where they both attended & met for the very first time. 

And a black & white fave. Ahhhh!

Lara + Dan: sneak peek

Sunrise soccer by the water, the spot of their first date & lots of love are just a few of the details from last weekend's engagement shoot with the lovely Lara & Dan. Excited for their wedding coming up in October!

Happy Labor Day weekend, y'all :)

Sara + Dan: beautiful engagement session in Georgetown

From the very first minute I got to chat with Sara & Dan, three things were super clear.

1. They had a huge heart for the Lord.

2. They were all about investing in college students.

3. They treated each another with such gentleness & love :)

They first met at a Regional Community meeting at our church last January & quickly realized they shared a common bond for overseas missions work. As the Lord would have it, Sarah began volunteering her time with The Gathering, a college ministry for the Georgetown students, where Dan was also very involved. Over time, they developed a friendship, which led to testing the dating waters, which led to a getting-down-on-one-knee-and-popping-the-question earlier this year ;)

For the engagement pictures, the awesome couple decided that going back to where they first met would the best spot. Couldn't agree more. Although it was a SUPER windy morning - I'm talking chilly, why aren't we inside with hot chocolate kind of sunrise - Sara & Dan were such troopers, bringing beautiful flowers for the pictures & keeping the spirits the whole time.

This about sums up their adorableness/love for one another & for the Lord. The couple that reads God's Word together, stays together, y'all.

Stop it. Seriously, they were such a joy to shoot! Just look at those faces. Ahhh <3

This may be my favorite. OK, well they're actually all up there as my faves. But this is Fave #1.

We finished off the morning with Sara + Dan taking time to pray together. Such a sweet time between the two of them.  

To the Mr. & soon-to-be Mrs. Broberg,

I have been blessed up to my toes by getting to know y'all better at church (and in our P4M class!), through our time brainstorming for your engagement session & just plain by being around you two.   Here's to your upcoming big day (August isn't that far off!!) & how the Lord will continue to use you both together to magnify Himself through your relationship, your marriage, your daily out-serving one another.