Happy New Year friends! Coming to you a couple days late because I’ll be honest, most of the month of December was a time for me to not work very much and just shut off my creative juices for a bit. I’m thankful I can do that! Now that we’ve rung in the new year, I am feeling refreshed and ready to tackle 2020 with brand new goals!
I am one of those who enjoy scrolling social media on NYE reading my friends, family and peer’s yearly recaps, sharing their ups and downs and hoping for a joyous follow up year. This year was different in that it marked the end of the decade too! Like many of my peers, I did a lot of growing in the past 10 years. A huge chunk of life’s biggest moments happened for us. I started it off engaged to my husband at the tender age of 19, we had our wedding, remodeled/doubled the size of our home, added one...two….three children...and throughout each of those events, we’ve cried of happiness, cried of frustration, had our marriage tested, celebrated 8 years of never giving up, and have just been really really grateful that life has been very good to us. While the past decade was largely dedicated to growing, and nurturing children - this next 10 years will be dedicated to teaching them, traveling (can’t wait to bust out our first camper this summer!), focusing on my health, and putting more time into our marriage!
The past decade also brought about this business! Since High School, the plan was always photography, no backup plans. Didn’t want college (although I did do two years community.) Didn’t have a fall back career. Didn’t have *much* direction other than getting married and starting a family (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) In hindsight, that seems flat out crazy to me. I did well in school academically. I could have gone to a 4 year school no problem, set up a nice little safe career for myself, climb the ladder. But it truly wasn’t even on my radar. I contribute that to divine intervention, really. There is *no* doubt in my mind that I took the path that was laid out before me. That’s the biggest blessing I could have, is to know that all that I have, all that did or didn’t work out, was FOR me, chosen for me by God. That puts my heart at ease any time I feel anxious about my career path.
Thankfully after struggling with just photography for a number of years, He nudged me with an epiphany to start filming families, and I finally felt at home creatively. Business grew a LOT this year. I surpassed my goal that I set for 2019 over three years ago. I remember writing it down, and having a lot of doubts, but I am so so proud to have hit, and surpassed it.
I sat down today to start writing out my goals for 2020. I am most excited about adding a few more births this year, a few weddings, really hitting home on (newly re-named) legacy sessions with creative filmmaking and focusing on wardrobe styling for keepsake sessions. (Go to my services page to see the session description on both of those, previously named outdoor and in-home sessions.) I want to continue to put great customer service at the top of my to-do list. Ultimately, I want to focus more on telling your family stories with as much creativity, truth and heart as ever.
Cheers to 2020 friends! May you have a blessed year!
Photo of my family taken by Sara Combs Photography
