Friday Thoughts: Peek-a-Boo!

Peek
a
boo.
I
see
you!

One of my favorite "in between" moment shots from Chloe's three-year shoot...coming soon.
Check out her 18 month shoot here!

Aliza

How Many Hearts Do You Count?

Sometimes a girl from the city needs to surround herself with the opposite. The crowded space filled with buildings, deadlines, meetings, emails, appointments, and housework fades away. The space fills up with hikes in the park, wine tastings, crossword puzzles, bookstore browsing, and mugs of hot coffee. Just a few hours in the car and we're there. Door County. Our getaway at times when Italy's not an option.

This is what we saw.
Do you see the hearts? How many do you count?

















Aliza

One Year Ago...

One year ago I...

woke up early, threw back the covers, and jumped on the bed

stood at the top of a hill hearing the dreamy notes of a guitar swimming through the air

walked slowly to make the moment last

sneaked a peek at my grandmothers over my shoulder

kissed and kissed and kissed

wore purple 3 1/2 inch heels. On the beach.

ate my entire dinner

laughed so hard when he said "I agree with everything Aliza just said."

was hoisted into the air on a chair for the loudest, wildest, most energetic Hora ever

wore gold 1/2 inch flip flops. On the dance floor.

scarfed down a pizza at two in the morning

...married my best friend.


We celebrated our first wedding anniversary yesterday, reminiscing about the day, the whirlwind year, and thought about the future, but really only planned as far out as the wedding cake dessert course...which, by the way, was incredibly delicious! It was an amazing day as I became a wife, a newlywed, and a Werner (no easy feat!). With the love and support of our family and friends, we've started a marriage that, in my humble opinion, rocks my socks. Happy Anniversary to my hubby and "hip hip hooray" for marriage!

Images from our wedding day courtesy of our rockstar photographers, Amy and Andy Holley of A&A Photography! Some of our favorite memories...

Aliza

Wesley Douglas | Newborn

Expectant parents Kim and Terry had the longest wait, and yet, only a whirlwind couple of weeks to prepare for their new arrival. It had been one year since they had decided to become parents through adoption. While they were ready to welcome their first child, Kim and Terry knew they would have to be patient. Through the year, they kept a positive attitude, learning to balance their determination to become parents with an acceptance that all the best things come in their own time.

After years of mental finger-crossing, yogic patience, and hopeful prayers, the phone call that they had been waiting for finally came. A woman in Florida had selected them to be the adoptive parents of a baby girl. Excitedly, Kim, an elementary school teacher, and Terry, who works at a printing company, spread the news that they would be bringing home their daughter...in a month. They prepared at warp speed: painting the walls of the baby's room a sunny yellow, collecting boppies, burp cloths, and booties, buying pink onesies, and deciding on names. Like any expectant parents, their bags were packed, ready to head to the hospital, but just days before the due date, they received a phone call.

Heading into a morning staff meeting overwhelmed by emotion and excitement, with misty eyes, Kim told her co-workers that she had just heard from the adoption agency and that something had changed. The pink onesies would have to be returned, because, the baby would actually be...a boy! Thankful that their child was soon-to-be born, the gender news hardly elicited a second thought, just brief stunned jaw-dropping and relieved laughter. However, just before heading to the airport, they threw a baby name book into their carry-on bag. Back to the drawing board. During the few hours in the air, they paged through the book discussing and deciding on a name for their baby boy. It would only be a matter of hours before holding their sweet new little boy, Wesley Douglas.

Over the next several days, their I's were dotted and their T's crossed, and the family of three boarded a plane back home. Kim and Terry naturally fell into parenthood, thrilled to share the world with Wesley. A flurry of family and friends have been in and out of their house to celebrate this moment, but somewhere in between the activity in their first week home, we fit in a few hours for a newborn photo session. It was an honor to capture the occasion and share this heartfelt story. Welcome to the world Wesley and congratulations to an incredible new mom and dad! The long journey was worth it.

Wesley Douglas | Newborn

Aliza