Have you ever known someone who worked as hard as they played, and played as hard as they worked? I have – and I truly envy that spirit! I so often stress to friends how important it is to take a Sabbath – or a break – from work. From the everyday grind. The stresses life just has a way of throwing on top of you…and then some!

In all honestly (and sadness…), I could seriously learn to practice what I preach.

This first year of business as a full-time photographer has blessed me in ways I could never have imagined. The freedom I get in being able to stay home with my daughter and see her grow before my very eyes, having the opportunity to take a day off if needed, and of course the artistic fulfillment I receive from being able to create images wrought with emotion just makes my heart soar. But at the same time, it is easy to feel like you’re never truly off the clock as a small business owner – because, well… I’m it!

As I said, the ability to enjoy life itself as well as the pleasures that hard work can bring is a trait I truly admire in others. It’s also something that the Lord has pressed hard on my heart in the past year. Every time I spend hours editing a session and have to tell Austyn for the fifth time that Mommy doesn’t have time to play – there’s a little twinge in my heart. Every time I feel the tension of having to decide whether to go to dinner with friends or pre-blog a wedding that’s been needing my attention – I feel that still, small voice. It’s a healthy tension, and most of the time it is actually the correct decision to make when I opt to work – however, it means it’s just that much more important to break away when the opportunity to presents itself. That’s just what we did two weeks ago!

Since Dustin and I spent a little vacation time in St. Lucia after shooting Jackie and Danny’s wedding, we decided to spend our actual wedding anniversary with our daughter Austyn. It was seriously a last minute decision to go to Folly Beach! Dustin was telling me over breakfast that morning that he’d heard the water for some reason hard turned a deep cerulean blue, like the tropics… and since I was kind of (okay, REALLY) missing St. Lucia, I was totally in!

I have to admit, the water definitely wasn’t quite as gorgeous as St. Lucia was, but hey, we’re in South Carolina. What can I expect? :) However, it was definitely prettier than it usually was, and it really didn’t matter to me one way or the other, because I was enamored watching Austyn fall in love with the beach. She absolutely loved chasing around the seagulls and playing in the wet sand. Looking at these photos brings me right back!

I am so, so glad Dustin and I spent our anniversary together as a family. It is so special to look at my daughter and see so much of our love for one another in her. She is quite literally a product of our relationship. How I love that little treasure, and how I love her Daddy – both the lights of my life.