So where do I start..Oh my.
In my last post I had mentioned that we were looking for a home. Well, we bought one! We looked long and hard and eventually got so discouraged. We had almost given up for a while when this one house kind of fell into our laps last minute. It was meant to be I guess. Remember how I had mentioned before that my dream since I was a little girl was to live by Liberty Park with my dogs? Well, it's right by Liberty and I walk my dogs there often. Thats right..I said dog(s)! I'll get into that in a bit.)
This house we found worked out great for us because it is an old home that has been flipped, so it has the old character that I love with the new updates that Burt loves. It's the most beautiful house. If it were right by a sunny beach it would be my exact dream home.
We have lived here for about 6 months now and it's almost finished being decorated. We just need to fill up a couple walls and we'll be all set! It defiantly feels like home and when we are away I miss it terribly. I don't think I have ever felt homesick for anywhere else I have lived before until recently. Maybe it's because I have been gone a lot more than normal lately it seems like.
Now, backing up to dogs..we have a new addition in our little family. Burt and I are now outnumbered by animals and I love it that way. We got Wyld (a cute little german shepherd mix) at the same place we got Vater. (Second Chances for Homeless Pets) She was 12 weeks when we got her so we had to go through all the dumb puppy training. I forgot how hard it was to have a puppy. I can honestly say though, Vater is a huge help! Without him I don't think I would of been able to do it. She has too much energy. To be honest, Wyld had to grow on me a bit. She has always been a good dog but the puppy stages are tough. A crazy ball of energy (which she still is) that chewed on everything and peed everywhere. Not fun at all! Now she is about 6 months and is completely potty trained and has finally realized what she can and can't chew on. She has become a really great dog and I love her and Vater both the same, which is a ridiculous amount. Her and Vater are perfect for each other too. They play all day and I can't imagine my life without either of them. Wyld also gets along with Bhoomi and sometimes tries to kiss him..However, Bhoomi doesn't feel the same way about her.
I recently booked my first (of many I hope) out of state weddings! I got to fly to Washington D.C. to photograph some bridals and a wedding day. It was beautiful there! Since I was out there for a few days I had a chance to go sight seeing a bit. I didn't want to go alone so I signed up for a tour. It ended up being a bus of about 8 old ladies and myself. We became friends instantly as they asked me how to use their iPhone cameras. It was neat to see all the things I have only heard about and seen in movies, but it was lonely at the same time seeing it all by myself, only having random strangers to share those moments with. It was especially tough going back to an empty hotel room every night. The front desk lady had a liking for me and noticed I was going in and out alone so she would give me a cookie every now and then. People say that everyone in Utah is sooo nice, but every single person I met while in DC was amazing! I would sit and have 30 minute conversations with random people I would come across. I want to go back soon. I miss the awesome people and the humidity. Oooohhh, humidity, I love you! But I do not miss driving by myself in that crazy busy city and trying to find places to park! I would not want to live there, but would be happy to visit very often! Good thing I have a couple good friends who live there. That gives me more of an excuse.
I have been very lucky with all the weddings I was able to photograph this year. They were all so beautiful and I have loved every single bride and groom. I finally had a chance to calculate how many wedding I have done this year and I more than doubled what I did last year! I thought doing this full time would be so scary and hard. I honestly didn't believe in myself and figured I would be job hunting a few months in..now here I am almost an entire year later doing pretty well I think. I have learned a ton and feel that my photography skills have progressed so much in just one year. I cannot wait to see where I am at in another year from now. Don't get me wrong, I doubt myself many times, even still. It's hard to not get discouraged. Maybe it's just how it goes being in such a creative industry. But I found that being in a rut only means I am learning more. I know that when I get out of that rut I will be better than I was before. I say I know this, but it's hard to always keep that in mind.
One thing I have noticed I need to do to help myself not get discouraged about my work or anything is to keep myself feeling good about myself. I make sure to spent lots of time outdoors hiking or even just taking my dogs out. I also joined a Bikram yoga studio. Changed my life, I swear. I have always done yoga, but bikram really helped me in a lot of ways that regular yoga and working out can't. I also recently got a personal trainer so I have a very strict workout schedule and document everything I eat every day. I'm gonna get feeling my best again! I can't wait! I missed the feeling of being a 'workoutaholic' and I am finally back there again.
Woohoo!
Our home.
Vater in our Kitchen
Vater in our home on moving day!
My little Wyld. (she already looks so much bigger!)
By myself at the white house.
Vietnam memorial.
