rainy days make me | smile

It rained today. It was warm outside, sun shining bright, and right about 3:00 in the afternoon the clouds made their way in front of the sun, overcast the ground with a beautiful bluish gray tint and it just started pouring. :)
Right at that time, I was in my house spending a little time with my best friend, Brooke- talking about life and taking a break from the mountain of homework and pictures I need to edit- and it all came at just the perfect time...
Lately I've been writing more, and reading more, and spending more quality time with my Bible, and journal, and re-vamping my prayer life and I'm being reminded to breath.
Life can get a little overwhelming at times.
Questions without answers.
Dreams standing still.
Hope becoming stale.
And yet, no matter how real those things may seem to me, they are not truth. I can't handle life, but God can. I don't know the answers to the many questions I might have, but God does. My dreams are real, and growing, and moving-in the direction that God wants them to. And hope in myself is unrealistic, because I can only hope in Him-who makes all things possible.
The rain today reminded me to breath. To smile. To hope and dream, and trust that everything is working together for the good-and if that's not good news, I don't know what is...

We had a busy weekend last week- a portrait session on Saturday, then I got to take Brooke out for a "Model Trip" on Sunday, so there are plenty new pictures waiting to be seen! As for now I'll leave you with a couple quick shots I took of some flowers that I happened upon while taking some pictures with Brooke--I ended up ordering each one as an 11x16 print to put on my wall for decoration!!- (or to sell, if anyone is interested...) :)

Hope everyone has a great day! and if it rains, I hope it makes you smile!

aric + casey

matt + katy | wedding

"I'm just ready to see Matt... I can't wait to see him... I know everything will be fine once I see him..." She said it over and over throughout the morning before their "first look." She said it once while she was getting her hair done, again as she was applying the finishing touches to her make-up, and lastly the moment her dress was finally on... She just wanted to see him.

That's the kind of thing you love to hear from a bride on her wedding day. Katy wasn't too concerned with the flowers, the cake, or this or that... All that mattered to her was her groom... And it's a great thing to know that that is all that matters.

Matt & Katy, thanks so much for letting us be a part of your perfect day!! We truly had so much fun and learned so much from the love you two have for one another. Enjoy your pictures!! There are A LOT!!

aric + casey








walking towards her groom for the first look

i love this one!





















i love this shot of Katy & her Dad walking down the aisle...



















good ol' garter toss





the coolest getaway car yet!

can't help but smile

I've been bugging Aric to e-mail me this picture from his handy dandy iphone for the past couple days and he finally did it today!

I am overwhelmed with joy and humbleness every time I look at this picture! It just makes me smile!

I am so blessed...-(and Abby Kate gives the best hugs!)

-Casey

(new wedding pictures coming SOON!!!...)

abby kate

this is abby kate.

my baby cousin.

and i love her!

i had a big long blog ready to preceed the pictures I took of my precious little cousin this weekend, but after I had them all together, I figured none of my words were enough to describe how fun and adorable this little rugrat is- I think the pictures do enough- so without any further ado-this is Abby...

dane + shari | wedding

My answer was "Yes, yes, yes!" before Brittany could even finish her question... Are you kidding me? I would pay YOU just to bring me along to a wedding!
Shooting weddings has become one of my very favorite things in the whole wide world- so I jump at the chance to be at any wedding- shooting or not- because I simply cannot get enough the atmosphere that surrounds a wedding...
The love, the family, the cake and the dancing--but most importantly the moments... a discreet look, a gentle touch, a long embrace, a sweet whisper, or roaring laughter- those moments are my favorite, those moments make a wedding, and as a photographer-those moments are what I live for...


It's a little nerve-wracking traveling to a wedding with a couple I haven't met before-but from moment #1 I knew I would be welcome, I knew I would love Shari & Dane, and I knew I was going to love capturing special moments on their wedding day...


Shari has one of those smile's that is contagious. She's beautiful, and fun, and real. But overall- my favorite thing about Shari- was the way she looked at Dane. It was a happy look. It was sweet. And meaningful. It was a look I recognized. The look of a girl in love...
And still something was different about the look. Something different about the smile she wore when she looked at him- something different with the tears that filled her eyes as she saw him for the first time on their wedding day- something different in the way they laughed together-something different...


She wasn't just in love with the prince charming that came and swept her off her feet.
Not just his handsome face, his familiar voice, or sweet embrace...
She was in love.
In love with her very best friend.
And it showed...


during the "first look"

a sweet moment...

rockin' the chucks!!







tell me how much fun these two are!!!

another sweet moment...











isn't she beautiful?!





and my all time favorite--because of Dane dancing in the background!! :)

Thanks so much for allowing Brittany to bring me along to be a part of your special day. I had so much fun!! And took some of my favorite shots to date! Congratulations and hope you guys enjoy some of the pictures!!
-casey




**Katy & Matt- we haven't forgotten about you!! I (casey) had to work on these so I could get the pictures to Brittany- but Aric & I are both working on some favorites to blog and you will be seeing them SOON!!
aric + casey