Imagine...

For those of you who are parents, think back to the last time your child was sick. Your little one probably felt awful or at the very least not themselves, and you probably spent a night (or even two or three) without much sleep, exhausted but worried and checking on them throughout the night.

Now imagine if this scenario was every day, every night...and there was no end in sight. No time you could tell your child when they might feel better.

I have a lot of very important ladies in my life. Today I'd like to tell you about my sister, Brenda and her daughter, Abby.

When Abby was only 2 years old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. In an instant, her life forever changed, as did the lives of my sister and the rest of their family. For my sister, she went from being a mom to also being a pancreas for her daughter. She immediately picked up where Abby's little body had given out and took charge of her testing, her carb counting, her food intake, and her insulin.

To me, she turned into Superwoman that day. It has been 8 years now, and she has been a force. If one person could singlehandedly change the course of Type 1 Diabetes, it has met its match in her. She has spent the last 8 years researching, raising money, and trying to educate people who still think that diet and exercise will cure Type 1 Diabetes. (Sidenote: It absolutely will NOT. Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes are NOT the same thing.)

All the while, she has continued to raise her beautiful children and her sweet Abby, who is growing into such a kind, sweet, and loving girl.

I can't even tell you the number of needles she has had to give. I bet she could. I can't tell you the amount of worry she has felt, the number of carbs she has counted and the math she has done to measure out just the right amount of insulin, all the while knowing that even on the days everything goes perfectly, Abby's body can still decide to have a scary low.

I can't tell you what it did to her a few years ago when Abby's numbers dropped so low (which can happen during the night) that she had seizures one morning and had to be hospitalized. I can imagine though...and I know I don't want any of them to have to go through that again.

I want Abby, and all of the other children with Type 1 Diabetes, to be able to run and play without having to worry that their numbers will drop too low. I want them to be free of the precarious dance between the carb count and the insulin, the finger pricks, the needles, the doctor's appointments, and the hospitalizations. At its unthinkable worst, I don't want their parents to have to worry that they won't wake up one morning.

I want them all to sleep easy at night and for the parents to be able to tell their children that there is a cure, and that there IS a time they are going to feel better and be free of this.

Insulin is NOT a cure. The research is being done, and I feel like they are so close...that we could actually see a CURE come in Abby's lifetime.

Imagine that. :)

Abby's first medic alert bracelet, from when she was 2, is on the left.

There is no greater force in this world than a parent on a mission.

Their worst day. Insulin is NOT a cure.

Abby girl now. :) The flyer for this year's fundraising event in support of JDRF.

Leah and Tommy...

Usually the words for a wedding blog post come pretty easily to me. I tend to focus the storytelling on how the couple met and what the wedding day was like.

Yesterday it hit me just how much more there is to it.

Leah and Tommy. I'm sitting here trying to find the right words to do their story justice, to focus on the most important parts of the day, to describe their personalities. My backspace key is getting a workout today.

There is so much more to it.

The truth is, I don't know Leah and Tommy that well. I haven't known them for years the way their friends have. I don't know their histories the way their families do. I can't tell you their favorite food, color, or book.

What I can tell you is they are both so loved by their family and friends, and Leah and Tommy have clearly made both groups of people a huge priority in their life.

I can tell you they are two of the loveliest people I've ever met, with hearts of gold and smiles and laughs that are contagious.

I can tell you that through the joy and laughter and rhythm of yesterday, they were also quietly sharing parts of themselves that were vulnerable.

I can tell you that yesterday really opened my eyes. Maybe I was looking at things differently, trying to pay close attention and take everything in since it was the last time...but I truly think it's just the kind of people Leah and Tommy are, who their friends and family are, that changed my view.

I can tell you that being invited in to share in someone's greatest joys is wonderful. Being invited in to share in their greatest sorrow is a privilege.

Make no mistake, the day was full of joy and a beautiful celebration of an incredible couple. But there is so much more to the story, always. In this life, we tend to pass by each other, maybe make some small talk, never knowing the entirety of someone else's story. Pay attention and you just might learn.

In 2011, Leah's family lost her younger sister Emily in a terrible car crash. The resilience that they have shown as people, as a family - and Leah and Tommy as a couple - merely by surviving, is a testament to who they are. Leah's mom, Lorie, gave the most beautiful speech at the reception...to paraphrase, in addressing Tommy, she said, "You saw us at our very lowest, and still, you stuck around."

Celebrating the good times is the easy part. True love, true friends, true family, sticks around for everything else. Leah and Tommy, you two have changed my world. Thank you for letting me in yours.

Below are some photos that, with Leah's permission, I am sharing. They are not the best, glossy, posed photos in perfect lighting, but a few real moments from life as it happens.

The Last One

Tomorrow I'm shooting my last wedding...for at least a year, possibly ever. I would be remiss if it didn't make me a little nostalgic, a little introspective, and a lot reminiscent. I looked up my "stats", if you will, of these last 6 years: 32 weddings and 18 engagement sessions...or in photography terms, approximately 470 shooting hours and well over 1200 editing hours. (That's a lot of editing, my friends)

There are other numbers that I don't have to look up or calculate...5 100+ degree days, 4 churches with no air conditioning, 3 torrential downpours, 3 weddings during the 2011 flood, 1 wedding guest fender bender, 1 party bus backing into my truck. (yes, that happened!)

Mostly what I'm left with are the things, the memories, for which there is no number...meeting a couple for the first time, hearing their story, and having them invite me into their world on one of the biggest days of their lives; getting to know their friends and families, joking with Dad and offering to buy him a drink if he will pretty please just smile for the family photos; the first looks, the nerves, the joy, the laughter, the tears; the sorrow at those whose passing meant they couldn't be there that day; the looks on the faces of parents and grandparents as the couple says their vows; the relief when the ceremony is over; and my favorite, the laughing-drinking-toasting-dancing of the reception.

There are, of course, things I won't miss (that's a whole other blog post, honey!), but the thing I will miss most has to be the incredible couples I get to meet and spend time with each season, and in many cases, the friendships that have remained long after the wedding day. To all of my couples - thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for trusting me with such an important part of your lives. I have loved getting to do this for the last 6 years.

Here's to tomorrow's couple - Leah and Tommy. It's a great one to go out on - let's make it epic! :)