history

the farm has a history that i'm not clear about. but a piece of that history belongs to her. they brought her to the farm in a shoe box, 87 years ago. maxine white chased rainbows along the ridges. when she left the farm she became maxine davis and her brother stayed behind to toil the earth and build a family, and he still does.

maxine has a rich history, beyond the farm. a family, a career, and rich friendships. a locket she wears holds the dates of service to her career. her granddaughters have always had her heart. now they comb her hair, apply lipstick and kisses. now she lives in a place that can care for her in the way she needs, and her memories are slipping away, but those who love her remind her of why her history is important.

i lose faith as fields and family names lose ground. i know they say building is progress, and new homes are necessary but when i see the pride that wells up in herman's eyes as i tell him how beautiful his farm is, i can't help but think about the others before him and the history they have left at the land beneath their feet.

in thinking about these things i felt like i needed to put the final photo up. i hope the farm has a special place in his little heart and as he grows i hope he appreciates the history laid before him.

brunch with friends

brunch in and of itself is a good thing. you can have cupcakes and bacon all on the same plate, how great is that! but i think the thing i love most about brunch is that it's slow. it's a good time to sit with friends, drink coffee, and graze. we went to a fun restaurant this weekend with jeff, travis, and leah and enjoyed the randomness of the place as much as sharing french toast.

sometimes you need to dress up.

you just do. i remember when i was little my mom would require a slip and panty hose on sundays, airplanes, and special events. period. i think natalies mom raised her the same way. sure we can rock a pair of sweats with the best of them, and yes there was that season in my life that i wore the same phish t-shirt and pj pants for um a week straight, but now i see what my mom meant. when no one dresses up to go on an airplane, or dinner, and it's okay to wear jeans to work and church it's nice to have an event where you really get to feel pretty and put together. so for a fun night with our cute husbands we got our makeup done and wore fun dresses, isn't hers AMAZING?! we had a great time with our husbands at their law school ball and i think our moms would be proud, sans the panty hose and slip- sorry mom.

when you go looking for an adventure....

.....it usually happens in the way you didn't expect.

when they made their trip from Minnesota michelle and marlene expected a fun mom and daughter weekend; a photo shoot, some jazz, and maybe a little barbeque. what none of us expected was freezing cold temperatures, piles of snow, or me getting stuck in a snow drift.

when we decided to leave the farm and go downtown to shoot in some fun spots i thought my volvo could make it through anything, including a country road covered with snow up to my knees. i plunged right into a snow drift and couldn't budge. so marlene, the mom, jumped out of her car with michelle right behind, never losing a smile, to push me out. it's handy to have northerners with you because they travel smart. she ran to her van and returned with a snow shovel! talk about being prepared. she dug me out, and we are on our way. these are the clients i love!

michelle looked like a pro in t-shirts, tank tops, and probably frost bite. the adventure wasn't what we expect but it didn't matter because we spent the day laughing, and freezing in a fun city away from home.

5 years later

at this moment i was waiting at the door. everyone was seated the music was being played and the groom waited for his bride. the look on his face as i walked down the aisle was priceless. at this moment 5 years ago i had no idea what it would look like to be his wife but somewhere in my heart i knew it was right. and i still do.

photos by Andrew Rush, my good friend from Pittsburgh PA www.andrewrush.com