1. They’re not from Montana and had never been. It’s a must-see for sure.

2. I’ve been dreaming of photographing an engagement session in Glacier.

3. Why not?!

They came to Glacier and we ran around for hours. Fishing. Snagging a rowboat. Hiking. Stepping off the path a ways (possibly in front of tourists on a deck trying to photograph a waterfall right next to us.  Oops.) I’ve never felt so alive during an engagement shoot and man could I do this again. And again. And again.

A small glimpse of an adventurous engagement.

Yaaaa I couldn’t decide between these two so why not put them both in here?

I could go on and on and on about this session. But sometimes the photos just speak so much more than words.

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The sun shined and the wind blew. And there ceremony was filled with loving words from their family and friends. And a smile on everyones face.

And as much as he may have tried to hide it. Her older brother was proud of her. And as the day went on he let it show more and more even said it out loud eventually. His love for her even made Joe cry. Not even lying people.

They declared their love for one another. In gestures and in words. And their families did the same. For Justin. For Christine. And for each other.  I cry at every wedding. Shhhh. Don’t tell people. I’m not a crier. I cry every wedding during the father-daughter dance. Every time. And I hide behind my camera. But this wedding. The words spoken amongst all of them had me crying enough that I couldn’t hold the camera up that long without losing blood to my arms. Sometimes I’d take a long blink just to open them up and see if this was real. Every second of it was. I’ve never seen such a fairytale come true.  I photograph love stories almost every weekend of the summer. And although I think it’s easy to photograph moments of love between two people. I can only hope these images show the amount of love present.

Christine & Justin. You came along as I began a major overhaul on my business. Bringing about new ideas and beliefs for myself. You came at the exact right moment. You’ve proven to me that things are possible. Fulfilled dreams and beliefs. For you I am incredibly thankful. So stoked that you’ve become such great friends along the way! There is nothing like shooting the wedding of a friend. And, lucky me that I get to do it weekend after weekend

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Sara said it perfectly in her vows. These two “fiercely love” one another. No one can deny that. Taking every second to hang back, or step around the corner to kiss one another. Taking that 10 seconds to look into each others eyes and take in the moment.

And eyes only for one another. Constantly. When seeing it for yourself you can’t help but smile. Their love is clear for all to see. And, they are proud of it. They should be!

There is one word to describe a wedding day. This sums up.

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The first week is a little rough. Getting back in shooting mode. The weekly tasks that need done. Finding time to have a weekend in the middle of the week when I feel like I should be working. So I told myself this is why you’re tired. First wedding, camping, back to the grind on a short week, now prepping for this weekends wedding. But I don’t think the real answer of me being tired has anything to do with wedding season.

You see. We have a new addition. A baby. Who needs to potty ever few hours during the night. He’s small. Soft. Cute. Dark. And gives lots of kisses. His name is Gus. An adorable black lab pup.  In his short 9 weeks of life he is already a mountain guy. Going from one mountain range to the next. Literally. Camping. Ran in a foot of snow. Living up to his name. (Named after a dope pro skier, Gus Kenworthy.) I think he’s gonna love jumping through some fresh powder.

Fortunately I know the groom from our last wedding pretty well. We go wayyyyy back. So I knew they wouldn’t mind a little puppy love and all of the children went crazy playing with him. So Gus’ had his first real picture taken on Sunday. With my bride & groom, Ariana & Jonathan. They requested it. Gus did well. He’s gonna fit in real well around here.

Now if only I could nap when he naps throughout the day…….

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He stood there taking in the site of these majestic mountains. Waiting for her, once again. And as much as they tried to shake the nervousness it was there. The excited nervousness. Her gown flowing behind her he turned to see her. His wife.

They are two puzzle pieces that fit together just perfectly. Content in the arms of one another.

There is something so intimate and comfortable about a smaller wedding. The ones you love. The ones who mean the absolute most to you. The ones that really matter. Ariana & Jonathan knew from the beginning they wanted a smaller more intimate event surrounded by family. The ones who will love and support them through everything in life, no matter what.

They start this new life together. This new adventure. I can’t wait to see where it takes them!

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Set the autoresponder on my email and man was it satisfying. Giving myself permission to not check it constantly while away. I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little anxious about potential clients responses to it. I know we’re impatient people. But I needed to stop working. Remember that part about I was exhausted. Ya. I was exhausted. And not feeling super hot. I even emailed a bride I was supposed to meet with Monday night and asked if she would mind meeting after I got back. Nervous to what she would say. I felt bad. But I needed some rest. Her response. DEFINITELY, I wanted to go on a hike anyway. It’s so nice out.

My clients get me. Hike on, girlfriend. That anxiety over the autoresponder vanished. The perfect clients for me, get it.

True story Joe doesn’t drive much. Cause he’s not a very good driver. Ask our daughter she’ll tell you *I might have told her to say that, I don’t think she knows if he is or isn’t*  So I always drive. First cause I’m a better driver And second cause if I’m not driving I get all sorts of nauseas and car sick.

We roadtripped our way across Western Montana, the Idaho Panhandle and across Washington to Seattle. Excited. Seattle is so close to our favorite city (Vancouver, BC) that we rarely stay there or even stop we just head up north. But this time we were stopping.  Staying in a nice hotel. Enjoying the views. Perusing the streets of downtown with a 5 year old in tow. Less than a handful of things we wanted to do on the trip but no real schedule.

We believe that no set schedule or plan and going where our heart desires is really vacationing.  We believe in straying from the beaten path. Doing and seeing what speaks to us. Not cramming every minute with something that everyone who goes there must do. For example. We had a view from our room of the space needle. That was good enough for us. Maybe next time we’ll want to venture there. This time we were satisfied with sleeping. Spoiling Caterina at her favorite place. Indulging in Turkish food. Ice cream on the pier. And slowly wandering the streets, soaking it in. Even while driving we weren’t in a hurry. Stopping several times each way. Searching for lizards, climbing rocks, dying of heat strokes in an old antique mall warehouse, and laughing at Washingtonians who think Snoqualmie is such a horrible pass to drive and their pride in posting up signs showing each place at an elevation of 2300-3300 ft as if it were so high up

Vacation is to be enjoyed not rushed through. Relaxing not scheduled. Savored. Refreshing. That it was, it really really was.

Now we’re back. Excited for work. How lucky are we? How many actually say they’re excited for their work? All I know is more people should say that and we’re blessed to be a few of those that do. Warm weather. Everything blooming. My work schedule will become less scheduled so I can enjoy the summer day with my daughter (who starts school in just 3 months! AH!). And the wedding season begins. It’s an intensely AWESOME season this year and it starts next week!!!! Make sure to stick around. It’s gonna be a fun ride. And I’m stoked to share it with you!

Cheers to Tuesday my friends!

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I’ve never been good at keeping a journal or diary. Ya, I know you had a diary too. A special little key to unlock it thinking we could keep all of our little secrets in it. I wish I had been better at writing life down. And as a photographer I suck at keeping up with taking photos of my family. I mean I get Cattie out every once in a while to stand/sit all nice and smile. But I fail to photograph her. Really photograph HER. It’s time for change in my life. Time to buck up. So get ready to see this blog transform as I begin to bare my soul. I’m stoked, you should be too

I believe in authenticity. But to find it we have to initiate it ourselves.

I believe that by choosing to be fearlessly authentic those around me, including you, will choose to do the same.

There is only one you for all time. Just one. Own it. And fearlessly be yourself!!

Blog posts are just so much better with a photo, eh? It’s our first spring in our new house and the plum trees started blooming today. I’m so jacked that this is happening in my own yard!

After thinking this through I knew 25+ weddings just wasn’t for me. And in the future, 20 weddings isn’t going to be for me. I decided I would limit the number of weddings each year. Taking on less so I could experience more. More with each client. More with my family. More in my adventures. This decision instantly made me feel like I was taking advantage of life. Choosing to live it.

This weekend it poured rain. Our weekend outdoor projects were put on hold. But an idea with two of our best friends took flight. We had talked and discussed a trip camping together. I LOVE camping. But over the last few weeks the idea of backpacking would sneak it’s way in. This week it became VERY clear that the 4 of us wanted needed to go backpacking this summer. And as the rain poured down we met up at REI. Choosing new backpacks. Discussing water filters, cooking utensils, best clothing options, smaller tents, pillows, etc. Hours of looking and discussing with our 3 children running circles around us. Then it moved to our house as pizza cooked we pulled out maps and planned out our summer adventure. With 16 weddings in 15 weeks this summer I’m pumped for a long weekend away smack dab in the middle of the season. Time to disconnect with the world. Reconnect with nature. Breath in the crisp, clean air. Experience something new. See things we haven’t seen before (other than in pictures of course). Come back inspired and ready for the rest of the season. This is what I want forever. Good news is we’ve already determined that the 4 of us have some serious passion for backpacking and getting out into the backcountry and exploring. And each year we MUST do a big trip and we must go bigger than the year before.

I’ve found some sort of balance in taking less to experience more.  I’m highly recommending it at the moment. Try it With that cheers to experiencing more in 2013!

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Contact Jackie  |  Join the Facebook Fanpage  |  Check out the Website

I used to write my daily tasks in a notebook. But throughout the day as things happen I’d continue to write down things that come up that need done. And, any ideas that were coming to mind. My to-do’s were getting lost in all of my want-to’s.  I needed a better set up. For me I’m much more successful when I write tasks down. And then, ya know, the satisfaction of crossing them off as you finish them. Don’t deny it, you love to cross things off!  The Make It Happen Daily To-Do List came into full force!

I needed something that was designated to just things that needed done. Not ideas or notes, just tasks. And not just a blank paper that ended up having the longest list of things to do on it. That became overwhelming. Sometimes to the point of ignoring it. The Make It Happen list helps me focus. Taking 5 top, must do, things and making them a priority. Yet also listing out other things that needed done, but breaking them down. Seeing a few emails need sent or phone calls to be made that I can do in a minute if I have the chance. Listing out some errands to run if they come up. And a space for more to-do list items that need done but maybe aren’t a priority and must be done today. Print these out to have on hand. And then filling them out the day before. Yes the day before. At the end of our work day it’s fresh with what we haven’t finished or the next things to do. In the morning it takes us a little to get going. This way if it’s done the day before and you sit down for work you know exactly what to do and aren’t trying to think back to where you were or what was that one thing yesterday you thought of!

Organization! It makes our lives so much better. The hard part is getting organized. So download this form and start organizing your business!  Keep on top of everything!  Share it with a friend, help each other be successful!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MAKE IT HAPPEN TO DO LIST!

Happy Tuesday, Friends!

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