My love for Vegas (much like my new found love for Macklemore) is a little over the top. Ryan and I went to Vegas on our Honeymoon simply because we wanted to go somewhere that was (fairly) inexpensive, but we could still have a great time without having to have an agenda. Vegas didn’t let me down then, and it didn’t let me down now. Our friends (who just happened to be our wedding photographers) Aric and Casey were very gracious and took great care of us this week. Ryan and I were so grateful for their help and their support.

For those of you who may not know what WPPI is – it a Wedding and Portrait Photography Conference held in Vegas each year and there are classes taught by successful photogs. We learned so much and are so ready to get to work. We learned about lighting, posing, and all things photography and business. Above all of that, though, I learned something so much greater. I was reminded why I want to be a photographer. It is and always has been my love for people. I was so overwhelmed with how much I enjoy people this week. From the people next to me on the plane, to taxi drivers, to friends. Providing people with images that make them feel beautiful and loved means the world to me.

Here are some of the highlights of the trip.

We’ll get this out of the way… but seriously I have the cutest husband.

Moving on – because I talk about the crush I have him on him for like…ever. I had the chance to meet one of my favorite photographers, Jasmine Star. (I may or may not stalk her like a crazy person) Ryan asked, “So are you going to hug her?” My reply, “Why do you think I’m in line????” When I told Jasmine that, she said we had to get this shot…

Although I don’t have an amazing picture, we went to a class taught by Jeremy Cowart that had me in tears more than I should readily admit to. His talent for taking a picture is breathtaking, his heart for people is inspiring, and his ability to make anything he touches turn to gold would make Midas jealous.

The night before we left we all went out for a shoot with Aric and Casey and played around with some light.

Today, as we were lounging around and catching up on sleep, we played around with some light…

We’re excited about our engagement and Bridal sessions coming up so check back soon!

hugs.

Cait

As I tossed and turned last night with dreams of what the school boards decision would be – I woke up to a wonderful phone call that school was cancelled. It was a wonderful and much needed break. It was a day full of little reminders of how great my life is. So grateful for a husband that laughs with me and a home to keep me warm.

I talked him into getting out of our PJ’s for a minute for a quick shoot in the backyard – we had a blast and I got to play around with my new VSCO actions!

There was at least 12 inches of snow in the backyard!

This was the one shot I wanted, and I loved how it turned out.

Wasn’t sure which one I liked better…

Wasn’t sure with this one either…

We are going to WPPI for Spring Break with some friends of ours and couldn’t be more excited. I’m ready to learn new things for all of our 2013 weddings!

hugs.

-cait

I’ve always been the kind of person that is all or nothing. If I am going to like something – I’m going to LOVE it. If I don’t like it – I despise it. Allow me to explain – I avoided the show GLEE, for years. Despite my love for musicals I just didn’t want to like it. Then one day, I’m home sick on the couch browsing Netflix and I see GLEE…I think, “Eh – what the heck?!” Bad. Idea. At the end of season three I’m bawling (**spoiler alert**) because my favorite couple is breaking up…until my sweet husband consoles me by telling me, “Baby, you know they’re dating in real life…right?!” Just like that, I’m okay… see what I mean? I’m a crazy person. And let’s not even get me started on how I despise a certain blonde girl with a guitar that only sings about the dysfunctional relationships that most people would be ashamed to admit to.

So in the later years of my life (23 IS the age you become wise, you know) I’ve learned that I am the definition of passionate. I finally admitted to the fact that I am (just a little) dramatic… but I just call it passion, you can call it whatever you want. I can’t honestly say that I am completely comfortable with finally coming into my own, but I can say that I am learning.

With these life lessons and unavoidable transitions in life also come hard realizations. This photography business was never in my “plan”. I was the most practical child ever (really, I asked for bed spreads and ceiling fans for Christmas) and always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. My dreams never wavered and I accomplished my goal. The business was a true gift that just fell into my lap. I was blessed by many people along the way that taught me and helped me grow so much. I fall more in love with photography with every shoot, and with every new client that I meet.

And here’s where we wrestle. As you know – this is my second year to teach elementary. I used to volunteer at summer school from the time I was in first grade… Something happened on Friday as I sat on my stool in front of my classroom – my heart was filled with pure joy. TThe song, 10,000 reasons was playing on my computer and with every little note muttered from their mouths, I realized that I could never do anything else. I looked at the faces of all the precious kids that I get to be with for eight hours a day, five days a week. I could not imagine doing anything that I loved more. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true.

So what’s the problem, right? Most people live their whole lives looking for that drive and that passion in their work? And here I am complaining about having that feeling with two jobs?! I know, I know…trust me I do. And don’t for a second take my vulnerability as unhappiness – because it’s not. It frustrates me that I can’t devote all of myself to one or the other completely. I hate that I have to be spread between two things. I either feel like I am letting teaching down or I’m letting clients down. When I get overwhelmed – the obvious answer is to let something go, right? The truth is – I can’t. I can’t imagine my life without either one of these.

As I sit here and ponder why I have felt the urge to write this the last few weeks, I can’t really say. I don’t want you to expect less of me as a photographer because I teach. I would never want that – so although I can’t really say the point of this – I guess I just want to say thank you…for understanding that it’s not just a job and always being patient when I am running a little behind on things.

And because no blog is complete without a picture – here is one of my favorites from my trip to Chicago this summer.

xo – Cait

It’s 2013?? I feel a little like Marty McFly running around trying to figure out what year it is and how the heck he ended up there. None the less, I am so grateful. 2012 brought me to wonderful people that turned into beautiful memories, I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year because it is so promising with new resolutions and possibilities. Yet – there is this little piece of me that is full of doubt and remembers the past resolutions and promises that have failed. Being the optimist that I am, I will choose to be full of promises. I have many goals for myself and for the business that I am excited to work towards. Thank you to all of the wonderful clients I got to work with in 2012, may 2013 bring you all happiness your hearts can hold.

-cait

No, this isn’t the oh-so-funny Seth Myers weekend update but the equally as awesome (not near as funny) update from yours truly. Ryan and I took off from school on Friday to head to the Dallas area to shoot a wedding and have a quick visit with family. On Friday, we surprised my sweet nieces for lunch at their school. They were so surprised and it made me so happy to see them!

On Saturday, we had the wonderful privilege to shoot Mary and Tim Fisher’s wedding. I knew Mary vaguely through friends, but I’m glad to say that I know without a doubt that I made a new friend. This couple is so precious and I can’t wait to share them all with you. I have to force myself to only share a few right now and grade papers, but know that this is as hard for me as it is for the cookie monster to turn down a cookie. Yes – I just made a sesame street reference – which is proof that it is time to stop.

This is right outside the front of the theatre they got married in

This is Ryan’s Jeremy Cowert”ish” photo. I love the grain and film look of it. He did so great!

On the first day of every school year at 7 am, my bedroom lights would turn on, my covers would be thrown off and I would be greeted with the sweet sound of my dad singing Chuck Berry’s, “School Days”. As much as I hated being woken up early, I would just smile. This was one of the few times I enjoyed my dad waking me up (he would usually sing the Muppet song over and over and over until I got out of bed…..) because I absolutely loved the first day of school. I loved getting to wear my new clothes, using my new school supplies, and meeting the new friends in my class.

Now I am an adult. I wake up to my iPhone at 5am to go run, and rush home to eat breakfast and get ready to go to work. The funny thing is that it isn’t much different. Although my dad now just sends me audio messages of him singing, and I am going to school to teach instead of learn – the butterflies are still there. I still get to wear new clothes, and use new school supplies, and I get to meet 22 new little people that will touch my life forever. It’s so surreal to me that I get to do what I have wanted to do since I was 5 years old plus more passions I have found along the way, like photography. I feel so undeserving. In fact, last year when I was leaving to go to my first day of teaching, ever, I was crying like a kindergardener leaving their mom for the first time. I was so nervous to start what I had wanted to do almost my entire life. I get to school and find the sweetest most encouraging note from my husband in my lesson plan book. It was perfect. Throughout the day, I got flowers and notes from my mom, friends, and past teachers. I can really tell you how much it all meant without being way too cheesy, but let’s just say – a lot. (Because I’m eloquent like that)

I apologize for the diary-like spill of words, but thank you for reading. I hope that you don’t stop searching and living the life you’ve always wanted. Every year at this time, I’m reminded of the precious gift I’ve been given, and how easily I take advantage of it. Whatever it is that you choose to do, I hope that you do it with all of your heart.

Until next time….

Today was just one of those days, one of those irrationally emotional days.  It started with an emotional breakdown after stepping on the scale (it’s lucky it didn’t get thrown down the stairs…because really, we all know I’m  not to blame) and Ryan waking up to stroke my hair and tell me how beautiful he thinks I am for an hour, all while watching Cathy Lee and Hoda with me.  As if that wasn’t enough, fast forward to dinner.  While I’m running around like a crazy person trying to make Spinach and Chicken Flautas and trying to bake home made bread, roasted zucchini and black beans.

Before I tell you what happened next, let me tell you about me and chicken.  When Ryan and I were first dating, I tried to make Paula Deen’s Chicken and Dumplings…if you will look at the recipe, you will see that it calls for house seasoning.  Well I thought that the WHOLE recipe for house seasoning went in the soup (which is 1cup of salt 1/4 cup of pepper and 1/4 cup of garlic powder).  You can image what that tasted like….bad…really bad.  Ryan ate it anyway and told me it was delicious. Since we’ve been married, I’ve tried to cook chicken numerous times and failed.

Back to Spinach Chicken Flautas.  My friend Rose kept telling me how delicious and easy they were.  I thought, surely I could handle this!  Everything was going perfectly and I proudly threw the flautas in the oven.  As we sat down to eat, I quickly remembered.  I didn’t season the chicken.  At all.

So what’s the logical thing to do?  Have yet my second emotional breakdown.  And my sweet Ryan just laughs and eats three of my disgustingly flavorless flautas.  It reminded me how great it is to be married to someone that can laugh at the things I can’t.  For that and so many other things, I’m so grateful for this man.   So as crappy as today was, I’m thankful that it made me remember how lucky I am to have him.

Aaaaannnnd I just went to take my bread out of the oven and it was flat………….. I think it’s time for bed.

As I was passing out papers at school one day, I was singing musicals (don’t judge me) and one sweet little girl said to me, quite enthusiastically, “Mrs. Thurman, you should quit your job and try out for American Idol!!”  I laughed, and said, “I think I will stick to teaching you sweet pea.”  But then I started to think. Not about trying out for American Idol – I’d be one of the pitchy crazies everyone laughs at in the beginning…but I digress.  I started thinking about what it means to be passionate, what it means to sacrifice, and what it means to follow your dreams.

I was the most practical child I have ever known.   When it was Christmas time, I would ask for things like pillows, ceiling fans, and gel pens (okay those were awesome and anyone who was anyone had them in the 90′s).  My point is that while other kids were getting stereo’s and bikes from Santa, I got things like a new comforter set and decorative pillows.  My dreams as a child weren’t much more ambitious than my Christmas wish list.  When I was 6, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.  When I was 8, I would have told you that I felt like I had what it took to be the perfect wife.  That was it it for me, a teacher and a wife.  I loved working hard for so many years to be those things.  I graduated, got married, and got a third grade teaching job within a week of graduating college.  Now that I am all the things I wanted to be, I often struggle with where to go next.  It is the first time in my life that I haven’t had a concrete goal to reach.

I loved taking pictures when I was growing up, but never expected it to go anywhere.  That was far too ambitious, of course  In 2008, after someone very close to me passed away, my perspective changed.  It occurred to me how important time is.  In one sense, time is important due to the fact that once it is gone, you’ll never get it back.  In another sense, it is  important to remember what you have done with the time you’ve had.  And that’s when my passion for photography exploded.  I realized that I wanted to help make the wonderful moments in people’s lives last.  That passion has only grown with every shoot I’ve had and with every new relationships that have been built.  I can’t wait to see where I will get to go next, and who I will get to meet.  I hope that you’ll join me in this journey, and let me help you make the amazing moments in your life last.

Blessings,

Cait

I wanted to leave you with one of my favorite moments that I love to relive every time I see it!  Thanks Aric and Casey!