As I sit here to write this blog post, I’m not sure where to begin. I know I am not alone in saying that 2020 was a hard year full of challenges and obstacles that we were forced to find ways to navigate through. In my personal life alone, there were challenges.

We watched my Mother in law battle cancer and brain tumors that required surgery and radiation.
I landed in the hospital three times in March and April for kidney trouble, alone as the hospital was on lockdown.
We struggled, and are still struggling, with remote learning with our oldest.
We navigated through months of my business being closed and my income going from a substantial part of our household to nothing.

When I began to work on gathering highlights for the year, my heart sank. It truly hit me how hard this year has been. My folders for Milestone, Maternity and Family sessions that once were full of many moments captured, felt insufficient. When I began to run my numbers for the year, I felt a pit in my stomach, like I was letting my family down. This year was HARD.

That said, I also realize just how fortunate we are. God provided and we were always able to pay our bills. I was able to get the medical care I needed to avoid any permanent kidney damage. My mother in law was able to complete her treatments and is currently doing great! Our son is still struggling with school, but after actively seeking answers this year, we were able to get him the help he needs and he is on his way to being the best version of himself.

My family has grown stronger this year with all the time we’ve been forced to spend together. We’ve gone on camping adventures together, hiked and explored together, build box forces together, played games together, laughed together, cried together and grown together. That alone makes all the hardship worth it to me. I pray that I never take it for granted again to spend time with my kids while they are still kids and form bonds with them that will last a lifetime.

My sister in law recently reminded me of Hebrews 13:5 “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” That could not be more true for me this year. I am not sure what I would do if I did not have the hope that God is in control and he works all things together for my good.

Now for the highlights, which I know is why you are all here anyway. A huge highlight for me was being able to spend more time on sessions for friends and family. Instead of cramming them into my schedule where I could, I was able to dedicate time to them alone which made for some magical sessions! I gained a new niece and nephew and was able to have sessions for them as well! I also have a client, Alyssa, who definitely deserves a serious shoutout after trusting me to capture her fourth maternity and newborn sessions in a row. (Thank you Alyssa!)

The newborn aspect of my business remained fairly stable throughout the year and I cannot state enough how thankful I am for trusting me to capture these first moments for you. Sure, studio sessions looked a lot different this year, but thank you to those who accepted the new policies and just rolled with the punches to get through sessions safely!

I also feel the healthcare workers deserve a special shoutout! I am sharing some of my clients this year who are frontline workers, but there are so many more of you out there. Sincerest thanks for all you do and are doing!

I know this year isn’t going to be a magical reset button, but I am hopeful and optimistic that I will be able to see more of you this year and capture more priceless memories for your family. Cheers to 2021 and God Bless!