Climbing The Oceans

Contentment or Joy?

2014-02-12T15:44:00.001-05:00

It's always hard to be a mom but some days it's almost impossible to will myself out of bed to shrill scream coming from the next room. It's not because I don't love my child it's because I'm exhausted. One hundred percent physically, and sometimes mentally, wiped out. It's not just taking care of the 12 pound, eating, pooping, screaming being that exhausts me, it's life. There is more to being a mom than just feeding, cleaning and comforting (on repeat). There is still taking care of me … which has been redefined since baby, and there is also my husband. I have been thinking, struggling and praying a lot lately about how to be a joyful woman with what sometimes seems more than I can handle.

I have found that it is much easier to "be content" than it is to be joyful. Contentment, for me and I would venture to guess for many, is finding yourself in an unpleasant situation and not complaining. I feel as though that is probably how I have defined contentment in my life for a while, if not forever. Joy on the other hand makes you smile, you find pleasure in the mist of things that upset you. It does not mean those things become easy and it does not mean you must enjoy every aspect but choosing to not let your soul be dragged down by the devil, there I find joy.

It is a constant battle and one I can not fight on my own. As the diapers pile up and for the 5th time the dog finds a way to sneak one and eat it, which not only makes me gag but also cry out of disgust. The dishes pile up, the laundry isn't folded, and the doorbell wakes the baby I just spent 2 hours getting down for a nap… I could continue this list for longer than I'd like to admit, but as I pick up my daughter and my back shoots with pain, a reminder that I gained a lot of weight and birthed a child I remember I made a person! I look at my imperfect body with scars, and skin and weight were it never use to be and I am reminded that this life is not forever, this body will serve my soul for as long as God choses to have me on this earth and I long for eternity.

I chose joy because I know that this is all fleeting, the good with the bad. I will soak up the smiles and the tears. Because if these last 3 months are any indication of how quickly this little one will grow, it won't be long before she won't let me hold her as she cries. I will continue find ways to take care of myself, my husband and my daughter. Although the laundry may not get folded, the dishes may still be in the sink tomorrow I have hope for this life and eternity. I have a man who loves me more than words can explain and a baby girl who without knowing it yet is teaching me patience and love deeper than I ever knew before. She is pointing me to Jesus and I pray I do the same for her.

3 Years

2014-01-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

We should have celebrated our 3 year anniversary in July but instead here we are in January :) I'm so thankful for our 2 engagements: the bumps, bruises and how much we learned together through it all. These past 3 years have been amazing, hard, exhausting and so life giving. I couldn't have dreamed up a better man for me to explore and learn with.

In the past 3 years these two crazy kids got the craziest dog the world has ever known. Moved 4 times, one of those moves being from the East to West coast 7 months pregnant. We've searched for churches, made friends, started new jobs, left jobs, lost jobs, cried, dreamed, learned. Baseball games, drives through the night for NFL playoff games in Mass, dinners, and laughter. We were surprised by pregnancy, wondered how we would pay bills, learned to trust God ... learned to trust God again (realized how blessed we are that he doesn't give up on us). Learned to work in 2 different states and were so thankful when we were a family living in the same state again. Now we are a family of 4, if you include the dog ... he thinks he's human so we will include him.

Peter Brandt you have my whole heart, you love me better every day. You are the most patient, loving, caring man .. and you're hot :) I love you. Thanks for the best 3 years of my life. Can't wait for what the next year and year after that and year after that .... have in store for our crazy lives.

Some of my students last year had a few thoughts on marriage :)

The Crazy Animal :)

D.C and Boston sports ... can't wait till we can take Piper to games!

Packing ... story of our lives :)

Year 3. Big move from DC to California!

More packing and leaving the city we called home for almost 3 years.

Cross country road trip, swollen feet and legs and finally arriving in Cali, all together again :)

Tattoos and travels. Exploring the West coast in large fashion ;)

And then waiting ... waiting and waiting for the most stubborn baby ever!

2 is now 4. A little less put together, a little less rested, but so happy and blessed!

Baby Girl

2013-10-16T17:49:00.002-04:00

Baby Girl,

I thought I'd write you a little note and tell you what your getting yourself into entering this family. You have me and your dad and a dog, Elbie.
- Elbie has loved snuggling up with my belly ... he loves you already. He's a trouble maker and I can only imagine how much fun you guys will have and how much trouble you guys will get into. Elbie loves to be outside ... he's a bit dramatic but full of energy and personality, you will love him there is no doubt in my mind.
- Your daddy. Where do I start describing this wonderful man you are lucky enough to call dad. You don't get to pick your parents but you are so blessed with the dad you are ending up with. Your dad in a nutshell: Sometimes he's a weirdo if he doesn't get enough exercise, he's super artistic but also nerdy, and he LOVES to run and climb mountains. Although he is very organized at work he isn't so great with detail in everyday life and will probably lock you and the keys in the car at least once when you are little ... don't take it personally... he will feel really bad and probably tell you not to tell me. He's awesome and helpful and caring and he loves you already.
Your dad rubs my swollen feet every night after he works hard all day, he keeps me laughing when I'm uncomfortable, he doesn't get mad when I keep him awake all night snoring (although I've never snored before so we both blame you for that one). Sometimes your dad smiles like a little kid because he's so excited to be your dad. Your dad loves me better than I could have ever imagined being loved. I can't wait for you to be here and hang out with him!

You have an amazing family outside of our little unit as well, so many cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles who love you already. Here are the first 9 months that you won't ever remember and we won't ever forget.

January 24, 2013. That was your daddy's 25th birthday (although he didn't know yet he was going to be a daddy) and also the day that God decided that we would be parents. Was that TMI? Get used to that kid :)

I had been really sick all winter with nasty sinus infections and after finishing my 4th round of meds in February your dad wanted to go out on a date. When he got home from work I was sleeping on the couch and said I didn't want to go out and that I was grumpy and tired. Your poor dad was annoyed and I went to bed.

I was working in Special Ed at an elementary school Monday through Friday and then Friday nights I worked at a respite care center for kids with multiple disabilities. My Friday night job required a lot of lifting, changing diapers, feeding kids ... don't get me wrong I loved this job and these kids, but it was not easy. I had worked this job for 2 years so I was used to the hard work but for some reason I was so tired and cried at work that Friday night. Saturday morning your dad had a race 3 hours away and when I woke up still exhausted I decided that maybe I was sick. For some reason I decided I should take a pregnancy test "just to make sure" ... when it said "Pregnant" I took 4 more haha ... they all said Pregnant. So now with your dad 3 hours away in the middle of a race I had to wait hours for him to come home. I kept calling him and asking how much longer he would be?!

So once we went to the Dr.s and it settled in sorta, (I was in denial for a long time lol, we were excited but also a little shocked) we decided to tell the grandparents. We were living outside of DC and close to the Brandt's so we met Grandma and Grandpa Brandt for dinner. Parents always know when something is up so Grandma was waiting for some sort of news and trying not too be too excited that it may be her first grandchild. When we told them she screamed. Nonnie and Papa Schnepp lived in Massachusetts so we called them one Sunday and again Nonnie knew something was up and I can't quite remember but she may have asked if we were pregnant before we even said anything ... either way they were so excited.

As my belly grew life did not slow down: You attended your first few weddings as a photographer, took the metro, met Auntie Holly and took a tourist bus around DC, went to Nationals games, hiked, went to Eastern Market in DC, received many pokes, pats and kisses from my precious Special Ed kids who didn't understand why you were taking so long to grow, because they wanted to meet you NOW. Also in the first few months all I wanted to eat was crab ... lucky for us there was an amazing crab place 5 minutes away .... unlucky for us it was probably the most expensive thing I could have craved.

In May Nonnie, Papa, Auntie Becca, Auntie Cheryl, Uncle Tommy, Sara, Andy, Mike and Brittany came to DC and we had a ultrasound that weekend to find out your gender. We told all of them and the Brandt's at dinner that you were a girl! Everyone was excited but after having 5 boys ... Grandma Brandt screamed again :)

We decided to name you Piper Elizabeth Brandt. Piper just because we love that name, Elizabeth because not only did Grandma was to name a child that but also because it is Grandma Brandt's middle name, Great Grandma Brandt's middle name and also Great Grandma Thomas' middle name. You got a lot of family packed into that middle name baby girl.

Spring came and your dad was put on a project in Texas. I was still working outside of DC so he traveled and flew home every weekend. I remember the first time I felt you move I freaked out and called your dad and scared Elbie. Your dad was sad he wasn't there the first time you moved but when he came home and talked to you, like he did often, you jumped in the direction of his voice ... daddy's girl already? It was hard having your dad travel so much and we didn't know where we would end up by the time you were due. God was so good to us and gave me peace, clearly from God because I like to have a plan!

At the end of June we found out that your dad would be on a new project in California and he would start in 2 weeks. We found out while I was in Massachusetts at Nonnie and Papa's for a shower Nonnie threw for us. While we were in Massachusetts we got to meet the defensive tackle for the New England Patriots, Vince Wilfork! Hopefully I raise you right and you understand how awesome this is :)

So the traveling continued for your dad, and I, 6 months pregnant, continued working and packing up our life in DC so we would be ready to move at the beginning of August. Let's just say the month of July was a blur, but you did get to meet Washington Nationals outfielder, Bryce Harper, thanks to a trip to the groomers with Elbie, who tried to start a wrestling match with his dog who is at least 10 times his size. When your dad came home for short weekends we tried our best to visit all out favorite DC spots, hike, spend time together and pack.

Finally August came which meant we were officially out of our apartment in DC and on the road. We went up to Maine and spent a week at Moody Beach with the Schnepp family and then your dad drove from the East coast all the way West baby! Once your dad made it to Cali and got settled I flew out and we were finally a family again!

Since we've been in Cali you have been moving around like crazy, I think you have long legs and you like to stretch them. You stick your butt out one side of my belly and legs out the other. You are getting big ( and so am I, praying you come sooner than later :) We've been checking out hiking and beaches and got to explore San Francisco! We can't wait until you get here so we can show you the world.

Great Grandparents and you :)

Wilfork and Harper!

At the Nats game on the Fourth of July ... with my favorite snack :)

Cuddles....

And more cuddles ....

Packing

Packing break! :)

Leaving D.C.... so bittersweet

Maine. I can't wait to take you there!

Your daddy and Elbie took a LONG road trip from Maine to California

I finally made it to Cali!!

We were happy to be a family again!

Your daddy made me a map of our new home in Cali

Just hanging out, hiking and going to the beach and waiting for you!

My Weekend Waddle

2013-09-17T19:00:00.000-04:00

Peter had a training in San Francisco this past week. We spent the week on our babymoon, our last hurrah before baby girl joins us. We got to explore an amazing city, eat great food, and see some old friends. We had such a fun week and fell in love with this city! Baby girl and I got to do some exploring of our own while Peter was in training. We did a LOT of walking and hiking, it was so worth it but my feet and back let me know I am definitely pregnant. Some of the looks people gave me while I huffed and puffed on my hike were priceless! :)

Baby girl and I on our seaside adventure! There were ruins from an old hotel bath house that was built in the 1800's and burned down. It has an East Coast feel, the weather was foggy and cool and I was so content! After hiking around and seeing the ruins, the forest and the Golden Gate Bridge I ate at a little mom and pop restaurant (that was cash only) read a book and then went and sat on the edge of a cliff and watched some surfers... what a perfect day!

On Saturday we went to do some tourist stuff ... so did the rest of the West Coast. America's Cup was going on and so was Ghirardelli's chocolate festival. After driving around for over a hour looking for parking we were so happy to park and also SO hungry! We ate and then walked around the harbor, it was a beautiful day and we saw Alcatraz, lots of weird people, some very steep hills, lazy sea lions (which I loved!) and we topped it off with some chocolate at Ghirardelli Square. After our full day we went and met a friend for dinner. We had such a great time and feel so blessed for the time we were able to spend as a family of 2 but we can't wait to meet baby girl and have her join our adventures! Only a few weeks left till she arrives and she is as active as ever, we get so excited when her little feet come out the side of my belly and her hiccups make me look like I am doing a belly dance. Sometime Peter gets a huge smile on his face out of no where and when I ask what he's doing he just says "I can't wait to meet her!" Come soon little one!

3 Year Recap

2013-09-05T13:06:00.000-04:00

After a long absence from blogging and being yelled at by my sister. I decided to recap life over the past 3 years by going through my tweets. Here's what I came up with.

2011: Got married. Moved into our first apartment together. Got a dog. Dog was crazy (we loved him anyways). We both changed jobs. We moved closer to DC. Dog got attacked by a crazy person's wild dog (he almost died and cost us thousand, the lady yelled at us ... clearly it was our fault that she owned a vicious animal ...). I nannied (one of the best years of my life, loved the family I nannied for, so thankful for them). Met my Chinese sister - in - law for the first time.

2012: Worked at a respite care center for kids with multiple disabilities. Started taking classes again. Shot a lot of weddings. Started working in Special Ed again at an elementary school. Moved again. Had a LOT of visitors (which we loved). Spent a lot of time in DC. Went to a LOT of Nats games. Dreamt about the future.

2013: Got pregnant (didn't know it.) Found out why I was acting so crazy. Peter worked in Texas M-F. I grew. Found out it's a girl. Peter came home on weekends. I grew. Found out we were moving to California, really soon. Packed up while Peter was in Texas. Lost our minds a little. I grew. Said some goodbyes. Left D.C. Vacationed with family in Maine. Moved from the East Coast to West Coast. Currently settling in Cali and getting ready for Baby to join this crazy, never boring life!

2/4/11 I want a dog...I've been told no. I have since named and become hopelessly attached to my someday dog

3/18/11 Its officially puppy day!!!! Oh and my parents are coming to visit! What a weekend!!!

3/30/11 Elbie is somehow finding ways to poop across the room while locked in his crate...

4/15/11 My mother: I'm so happy, enjoy marriage while you can, then there are kids...Me: um hello?

4/17/11 Walking in DC a mother yells:"kids, you be careful! Squirrels can be aggressive!!" Who knew?

4/19/11 At the vet...waiting for Elbies induced vomiting to start so he can rid himself of THE chicken wing

6/1/11 Took Elbie to the lake, found he's pretty good at swimming, Really good at pooping in the canoe

6/11/11 Just got hit twice. The car hit us from behind and then the guy forgot to put hi car in park when he got out to talk to us ... Yep

6/15/11 Watching the Bruins game ... Online in French, there are certain times I really wish we had TV haha

6/16/11 Dear mouse: consider this your eviction notice, thanks

8/18/11 Last night I hear peter mumbling in his sleep "he needs his helmet!" ... Um who? "The dog .. He's on a very short leash" sleep talk much?

12/5/11 Someone just stole my license plate..... That was mean!

12/14/11 You know you've asked your husband for too many back massages when he starts giving you one in his sleep

12/20/11 Just met my new Chinese sister in law over skype, I cant wait to meet her in person in a week!

1/8/12 Best year of my life! Happy anniversary!

3/21/12 Tonight we are in dc sitting under the cherry blossoms ... Just because we can :)

3/5/12 Dear A&P Prof... There are too many bones in the body ... How about I just learn 50 of the 206 and we call it even?

3/27/12 You know your life is too busy when you are searching for your phone and finally find it in the trash...

5/31/12 Nothing like having a party on Penn. Ave in DC :)

7/30/12 Today the 4 yr old feels the way we all do sometimes "I want the wind to blow me free!"

1/1/13 Sometimes I put clothes on that I've only worn once and wonder why they are so dirty, then I remember my students often use me as a napkin.

5/1/13 Heard the beautiful sound of my child's heartbeat again today

5/26/13 Peter is done for. We're having a girl and she already has him wrapped around her little finger

6/5/13 Just felt the baby move for the first time... Oh my goodness what a crazy, weird, wonderful feeling!!! She's having a party in there!

6/7/13 "Wow Ms Rachael!!! You have eyebrows on today!! ... I mean eyelashes ..." Do you mean makeup? "... Oh Yeah that's what I mean"

6/19/13 Feeling so loved and blessed, baby gifts and goodbyes from my SPED teachers

6/27/13 Our latest adventure had Peter working in Texas M-F. Our new adventure is packing up and moving to California.

7/7/13 Tired of saying goodbye!! Ready to live in the same state as my husband!

7/28/13 27 weeks pregnant. Packing, moving, go!

8/2/13 Goodbye DC, next stop Maine and then on to Cali!

Sneak Peek Cassie and Kris

2012-09-30T01:26:00.001-04:00

Here's a little preview just a couple favorites from Cassie and Kris' Savannah wedding. So grateful I was able to be a part of this wonderful wedding!

My Tuesdays with Morrie Moment

2012-07-25T14:14:00.002-04:00

The first weekend in July Peter and I attended a wedding, the first of many, and I met a dear woman named Sarah. The wedding took place at Rockwood Manor, a beautiful bed and breakfast in Dublin, VA. The house on the property could be compared to what you picture when reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It has 17 fireplaces, a huge front porch with rocking chairs, a swing hanging from a tree on the side of the house ... dreamy, magnificent, timeless ...
Anyways back to my original point. I went in to use the restroom and nosily wandered around lost in thought as the house transported me back hundreds of years. As would happen in some well planned out movie scene I stuck my head into the front parlor and a white haired woman smiled and said, "come in, look around." As I rambled about how magnificent this place was, the floors, the lights fixtures, the molding ... she smiled and said I'm glad you like my home ... She then proceeded to make room, moving papers and books and invited me to join her on the couch.
This is Sarah. In the next 30 plus minutes I learned about the house, her family, farming, her history and how she thought changes needed to be made in Washington and she would like to make those changes herself! And then "gasp, oh the poor dear ... he's fallen. I feel so badly for him ... come on son get up and finish" ... in all the excitement and beauty of the place I hadn't even realized that the T.V. was on. Sarah was watching strangers run in the Olympic trials but had genuine heartache for this man who had tripped during his race. This is Sarah.
As I was telling Sarah it was time for me to get back to the reception, as I was sure that Peter and all our friends were wondering what had taken me 30 minutes in the restroom, Sarah leaned over and gently touched my arm. "Dear, God had me doing a lot of things in my life that led me to where I am now, all preparing me ... things I didn't understand. You watch out! Sometimes God makes you wait until you're old and antique, but he will always have his purpose come to pass ... you watch!" This is Sarah.
Little did Sarah know that I was struggling with that in life. What am I doing, where am I going ... who am I?! Call her Sarah, call her an Angel ... I call her my Tuesdays with Morrie Moment.

Claire and Zach's Preview!!!

2012-07-17T00:12:00.001-04:00

I was able to shoot this wonderful, amazing wedding with a dear friend Sonja Lyon. Sonja shot the wedding and brought me along to second shoot with her. It was not only a blast shooting with her but also learning from her! She is a wonderful creative mind and has a beautiful eye for capturing life in her photos. Here are just a few of the the shots I captured during this wedding in Canada!

Claire's beautiful Aunt owns this lovely country home where the wedding took place.

Claire's grandpa passed away a few months ago. He was dearly loved, as the family made very clear throughout the day. Here his cane and shoes are on a chair next to Claire's shoes.

Every detail was perfect!

The groom and groomsmen got ready for the wedding in the barn ... could not have been more fun!

So the bride and groom didn't see each other until she walked down the isle... but that didn't stop us from seeing them both and capturing some excitement!

Trying to sneak a peek of her groom.

Yes, they were married outside on a rug!

"You may kiss your bride" .... Her face gives me goose bumps! Oh yeah and her father married them ... beautiful right?!

They had games: Canadians vs Americans ... they didn't have to play, they just got to laugh at everyone playing. Such a great idea!

She's Canadian ... He's American

This is the face of a bride ... while her new husband sings her a song he wrote just for her.

Such a perfect, beautiful day.

More of Hill and Matt :)

2012-07-12T23:30:00.001-04:00

More from Matt and Hill's wedding ... everything about this day other than the heat was perfect and beautiful!

Oh the places we have been ...

2012-07-12T12:32:00.001-04:00

Peter and I have been married for about a year and a half ... I started reminiscing the other day about all the places we have been over this short period of time. In this week alone we will have traveled through DC to South Carolina to Michigan/Ohio and up to Canada. We have been so blessed with the love we have for each other and this crazy life. We were able to sit and talk for a while on the beach in the mist of this crazy week thankful for all the passions we have been able to pursue, the friends we have and are blessed to see this month and the love that continues to grow for each other and helps point us to the love that Christ has for us.

So here it goes ... oh the places we have been:

We have moved ... twice. The first place was in need of some serious TCL which we happily gave it and sadly left to move closer to the city. The place we live now we LOVE but it may be moving season again in September... only time will tell...

We got a dog ... who dances to the beat of his own drum.

We got him at 12 weeks old and before his 1st birthday he had (takes deep breath): Swallowed a chicken bone; tried to be the king of our house, all while proving that I am not the most stubborn creature on the face of this planet; almost died getting attacked by a monster dog; broke or chewed or peed on the majority of or living room ... and established that his dog bed would be our kitchen counter while we were out of the house.

Needless to say ... he was lucky he was cute and that he had been purchased by the biggest dog loving sap in the world, who happened to have a pretty big stubborn streak herself :) A year and a half later, Elbie makes us laugh every day, he loves to cuddle and sit on our laps like a human ... he hasn't broken, chewed or peed on anything in probably 6 months ... other than last week when he peed on his best friends head ... we're pretty sure he loves this dog named Koa and was marking her ... but I mean we named our dog Elbie ... unusual name, unusual dog ... I'd say he's owning it pretty well :)

We celebrated our first Christmas together!

We got our first tree. Being from Massachusetts and having gone out and chopped my own tree every year, I was adamant about doing the same here in VA. We found a place that was about 2 hours away but we have a small car so we first drove 1 hour to Peter's parents to pick up a bigger car then 2 hours to the tree place. We found a beautiful tree, cut it down, Elbie saw a rabbit and ran face first into a fence ... it was like a cartoon and I was crying from laughing so hard... anyways we headed home. After driving 1 hour to his parents 2 hour to the tree place and 2 hours home ... we realized that our house keys were on our car keys and they were at his parents house ... so back in the car we drove 1 hour our and 1 hour back ... So 7 hours later ... we had our tree.

And then 2 days later ... it died.

Weddings ... weddings ... weddings ...

So although I have been doing photography for a while now, I made the jump full force into weddings this year. It has been fun ... exhausting and full of learning. On the off chance that I wasn't shooting a wedding on any given weekend, Peter and I were attending one :) It has been a year full of love and marriage.

We feel that we have really embraced our city ... we love that we can jump on the metro and catch a Nats game or go sit on the steps of the Capitol building and talk ... the fact that we can go for a walk or run on the mall and around the monuments is something that I hope never gets old. Although life has been exhausting at times we have been enjoying it and have been energized by making an effort to focus on the positives and learning from all the moments ... you only live once!

Matt and Hillary's Wedding Preview!

2012-07-08T12:43:00.001-04:00

So ... by far the hottest wedding I have ever shot. With temperatures hitting 111 with the heat index it was a day full of sweat, fans and overheated cameras :) The bride and groom looked AMAZING ... how a bride can look this good in that kind of heat is beyond me! So happy for Matt and Hill, it was so obvious how much they love each other and Christ and I am blessed to have been a part of their day!

Here is a little sneak peek ... more too come soon!

A country wedding

2012-07-02T15:19:00.002-04:00

The first of our many July weddings was at Rockwood Manor in Dublin, VA. It was a hot but beautiful day!! After we realized that the wedding was 5 hours away ... for some reason I thought it was 3 lol, we buckled up, drove and sang our hearts out ... Peter changed in the parking lot (this is becoming a road trip pattern of ours).

This was the first time Peter met a lot of my girlfriends from work, it was such a pretty wedding and so much fun spending time with all of these people I love! It was also nice to be a guest and not the photographer for a change, don't get me wrong I love being the photographer, it was just a wonderful change of pace. Of course ... I couldn't help but take a few pictures of the day.

Welcome to the wedding that pinterest built! If pinterest was around when I got married I would have been in big trouble! But in all seriousness, Amanda's ideas and the whole day was so perfect it should really be in a magazine!

Recent Lessons...

2012-06-27T19:03:00.001-04:00

- Where the nearest collision repair is: When you fight with a parking garage ... more times than not you will lose... Oh and if you have our luck when your car is at the garage getting fixed there is a chance a tow truck will hit it as well ... good news: when we get our car back it will look better than it did before we crashed it #pretty much getting a whole new car haha

- D.C. has speed cameras: They will get you every single time ... and then instead of sending you a ticket they will wait and send you a ticket that is doubled ... and claim you have failed to pay your fine ... the one they never sent you in the first place on and they will do it for every ticket you get...

- Rental cars don't have inspection stickers: But apparently D.C. will still give you a ticket for "failure to properly display an inspection sticker"

- People like to visit D.C: We've people stay with us almost ever weekend for 2 months straight ... and we LOVE IT!!!!

- It's wedding season!: We have a wedding every weekend in July, I'm shooting 2 of them :) and will absolutely love being at the others so it's a good season for love!

- Life is hard, Love is good: We decided that I would go back to school and take pre reqs for my Masters. We both work more than 40 hours a week each and then with school on top of it ... we have had a new found appreciation for the time we do have to spend together. In the past 6 months we have learned to love and respect each other in a whole new way. We could not be happier with this crazy life we've been blessed with!

The dog days of summer

2012-06-27T18:15:00.001-04:00

Every monday night there is a outdoor movie in Crystal City. My people took me! Really I just wanted to play and run outside ...

But since they keep me on a leash ...
I don't really have a choice but to follow where they lead me

At least that's what I let them believe ... but if you notice who's
leading the way in this picture ... it's not my people.

I was so excited to be outside ... till I realized it was a chick flick ... I should have known.

So I lounged and waited for the walk home :)

The next day ... my people gave me a haircut ... I didn't think I

needed one and let it be known but they didn't care ...

Still lookin' good!

2012-06-11T14:12:00.002-04:00

Cathy and Doug's Wedding Preview!

2012-06-03T23:55:00.001-04:00

Adam and I shot Cathy and Doug's Wedding on my birthday :) It was a pretty great way to spend my 26th birthday. Cathy and Doug were great, they are very much in love with each other and Jesus. So glad I was able to be a part of their big day!

Thomas - Snitker Wedding preview

2012-03-17T16:52:00.000-04:00

Amy and Sly

2012-03-11T19:10:00.000-04:00

Here's a little sneak peek at Amy and Sly's Engagement we had so much fun!! It was a beautiful day and they not only had fun together but just being with them it is so obvious how much they love each other :)

And then it died ...

2011-11-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

So as my last posted stated we had a struggle getting our tree, here it is all set up and pretty by our window ... no thanks to Elbie who slept the whole time we set it up :)

And then I noticed a LOT of needles ... I had watered it every day but because of how long it took for us to get the tree home and into water ... I think it is now repaying us by dying. I am so sad!!! But can't really keep it inside any longer because there are literally handfuls of needles piling up on my floor ... and if you so much as breath near the tree you are covered in a shower of green. I am so sad!

2011-11-28T14:45:00.000-05:00

We got our first Christmas tree as a family :)

I grew up in Massachusetts where you go out, pick out and chop down your own Christmas tree ... Peter is used to getting the tree out of the attic so I introduced him to correct way of finding a Christmas tree :) We had so much fun! The day started with me, so excited that I was jumping on the bed .. literally haha. We have 1 car and its a small one so we drove to Peter's parents about 40 minutes from our apartment to borrow one of their cars. From their house we drove 1.5 hours to get our tree! (there aren't very many tree farms in DC :)

Pretty sure Peters favorite part was the saw :)

We found the perfect one! Isn't it so cute!!?

It's ours!

Me and my puppy! He had fun too, chasing rabbits and peeing on all the trees ... lucky for us he hasn't peed on the one in our house yet!

So after all of that we drove straight back to our apartment to leave our tree and dog and head back to Peter's parents to switch cars and then head to a friend birthday party ... so to review:

- 40 minutes from our apt to Peter's parents

- 1.5 hours to the tree farm

- 1.5 hours back to our apartment

It was at this point that we realized that our keys had been left at Peter's parents when we left our car ...

- 40 minutes back to Peter's parents

- 40 minutes back to our apartment

- 40 minutes back to his parents to switch our car

- 40 minutes home again at the end of the night

Some days are just more of a struggle with us Brandts ... but hey, our tree looks great and we have a story to tell the kids one day about the day we got our first Christmas Tree ... literally the day ... a simple trip to get our tree turned into over 6 hours in the car. Tired all of us out, including the pup :)

Life is an Adventure...

2011-10-16T21:02:00.001-04:00

Life is an adventure ... the craziness never ends. Peter and I are slowly learning to enjoy life even when it's beating you up. After a month where Elbie was attacked leaving not only his body but also our bank account deeply scared, (by about $3,500)

Then theres me leaving my full time job to work part time and go back to school, and oh we just moved into a new (significantly more expensive) apartment... all at the same time... We have learned to count our blessings and love each other through stress... I say goodbye September not sad in the least to see you go!

Since none of the above events are things we can change or avoid we have had to step back and re - evaluate our life style. It is so easy to live comfortably and to forget about all the random things that can come along, thank you September for screaming a loud wake up call in our faces!

So here comes the hard part ... we've wanted iphones forever and can finally afford it and Peter's phone just broke oh yea and we don't get service with Sprint in our apartment ... so it's time to switch but we have lots of bills between, life, school loans ... and honestly we've been pretty inspired not to be one of the "99%" of people mad at wall for their money issues ....

So heres to: Shopping for lame cell phones that do nothing but make phone calls, BUT save us almost $100 a month. Packing our lunches every day which isn't as yummy or convenient as buying out, BUT saves us almost $400 a month. Searching and using coupons for groceries, but also movie tickets, restaurants... pretty much everything!! Kinda annoying and takes more planning BUT saves us on average $200 to $300 a month.

Recap:

- Sometimes life stinks.
- Sometimes choices and sacrifices that have to be made are not fun.
- It's not so bad having a husband who supports you, in going back to school, making less money, finding ways to save money even if it isn't fun. :)
- Being very intentional with how we spend and save and pay off debt is not fun but pays off, literally :)
- Lame phones, packed lunches, discounts and coupons equals about $800 a month in money otherwise
wasted!!!

I'm not going to lie, in 2 years when our contract is up we are getting iphones! But until then we will be living as a poor, money saving young couple with me in school and the goal to be debt free .... when we make it there, we will have a party and invite you!!! ... Seriously though it will be a biiiig party :)

Back by popular demand ...

2011-10-06T00:09:00.000-04:00

I'm back!

It's been a while and a crazy while at that! Since I've been gone:

1. I gave my 2 weeks notice at work
2. Elbie was attacked by a dog
3. I decided to go back to school and pursue my masters (with the full support of my wonderful husband)
4. Peter got a new job
5. We moved
6. We got T.V. ... sure not as big a deal as some of the other items on the list but I'm going for full disclosure here
7. Summer came ... and went

I could go on .. but I think that gives me a pretty good starting point as far as filling you in on our crazy, should write a book about, you may think I'm lying sometimes, life :)

Let me start with point 1 ... and 3 they probably should have been combined but instead I stuck a 2 in between them ... lets just say it symbolized our ~~chaos~~ life well right now. So yes, I am both leaving my job and going back to school. I will be taking pre- requisites for the next 2 semesters and then applying to grad school for Occupational Therapy. I am very excited and very nervous all at once. Oh and I have 2 weeks from today to find a part time job ... or we can't pay our bills. I had an interview and am waiting to hear back ... #learningtotrustGodinahugeway! (too long for a hash tag?)

Points 2,4,5,6 and 7 will have to wait until tomorrow to be discussed due to the fact that I'm tired. Apparently my body forgot until just now that it is 25 years old and not 19 and in college ... meaning staying up past 11 equals a very tired Rachael in the morning ... seriously when did I grow up? Also Peter who is to my left is soundly sleeping ... but it would appear, with all the kicking and huffing and puffing on my right, that Elbie is not appreciating the light from my computer. We made a rule that he wasn't going to be allowed on the bed ... yet somehow his head is currently on my pillow ... huumm #persistencepaysoffforthepooch

Photo Shoot with the Ho Family

2011-07-19T10:20:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday I had the privilege to meet the Ho family! I went to take photos of the newest edition to their family as well as their 1.5 year old and the family as a whole. Here is a preview, I am still waiting for my new computer and lightroom so these are pretty unedited (don't judge!).

Things I learned: It is very difficult to get good pictures of a 2 week old when they are awake. I have never done a baby photo shoot where the baby is under 6 months and so awake and alert! I learned I need to book more time for a baby shoot in case this happens. Eventually he fell asleep... after we moved on to the family photos of course :)

I also learned, although I already new this, my husband is amazing. This was the first shoot he came on with me. Peter helped lug props around, distract the kids and afterwards encourage me with: "Whoa I have a lot more respect for Photographers now!" He helped make my job so much easier! I may try to recruit him full time!! :)

So here is the preview:

In one word I would describe this session with the word

Joy

Joy in Discovery

Joy in Motherhood

Joy in family

Joy in Unity

Joy in being finished with the Photo shoot :)

Change is a comin ...

2011-07-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

This Saturday I have the privilege of doing a 2 week old baby photo shoot. Then his big brother who is 1.5 years old, and then the family and a family friend. It is kind of a lot for one morning! But it promises cute children and a great family! It will be a fun challenge for sure.

In other news I am really trying to get my Photography up and running, this weekend I will be investing in a new computer and Lightroom ... I seriously haven't been able to sleep with the excitement, call me a nerd it's fine!! I have a decent amount of shoots lined up ... I am a happy girl :)

Also, Peter just got a new job (he will blog about that and I will let him ... I just have to say how proud I am of my husband *waving my pom poms*) We are also looking at apartments in the city! Who knows when that will happen, but change is a comin in the Brandt house, and is being whole heartedly embraced.

Recent Life Fails ...

2011-07-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

Yep you read that right... this is a post dedicated to the most recent fails in my life ...

We've been married for 6th months (today actually)
and we are still getting our wedding thank yous out ... embarressing FAIL!

I had bought a tea kettle at TJ Max ... when I went to use it, after already throwing
away the receipt, I realized, after having my kitchen fill with smoke, that it didn't
whistle. I finally bought a new cute one from Kichen Aid ... it is so cute and green and
and matches my pot holders ... AND DOESN'T WHISTLE. Clearly we are cursed
to have non-whistling kettles forever.

One day I was on my way to work ... I took this train and when I got
off and was about 5 steps from my building (warning, here is where the
story turns sad!) My shoes were eaten by a grate in the road!
Seriously though ... have you ever seen the movie wedding planner?
I was like JLO ...

Took Peter to his first antique store ... enough said

Elbie ... broke my favorite lamp. Somedays Elbie decides the floor isn't
good enough for him and he should take advantage on us being gone so
he can crawl on our kitchen table ... well here are the results of that :(

Who knew keeping a 16 pound puppy in a crate would be so difficult.
This crate started out locked, with Elbie inside, then turned so the door was
against the cabinets... he managed to push it way from the cabinets, open the lock
and let himself out... Win for him ... Fail for his people.

One day I got a call from Peter that went something like this ...
P - "um hi .. you don't have hidden keys anywhere right" R- "um no
why?" P - "I'm locked out of the front door to our apartment... I think I may
have dropped them in our hallway ..." So when I got home I found
the above picture, Peter's Keys in our apartment door...

Let's keep this one short and sweet ... Elbie now rides in a cage in
the backseat.

Yet ... he has a problem, he won't admitt it but we are working on it.