Sweethearts on the Hill

I've never realized how much fun it is to photograph people as the sun is rising! Us Hatchers are not morning people… so it is a rare opportunity for me to play around with backlighting coming from the East.  I've always assumed it was very much like photographing at sunset… but it's actually quite different. I think I might like sunrise better! Love the story this one tells. I'm still trying to figure out my camera's "new set of eyes"… but with girls this pretty, it's kinda hard to mess it up And sometimes I luck out and capture the perfect set of eyes … and then a second set! Long hair, a darling dress, sandals, and a caterpillar… this is what springtime is made of! Sweethearts What a lucky man this is… all these pretty ladies Smitten... Even though you can't see him, the caterpillar is the subject here… makes for a sweet memory … and another sweet memory Love. This little one was lovin' the camera today! Thanks Kurt and Ca...

Tomorrow marks the two year anniversary of Mr. Agrestic's tree accident. What a day that was. It was a gorgeous April afternoon, clear blue skies, low 70's, calm, and peaceful. It's astounding how so much can change in just an instant. Having a one and a two-year-old inches from the wreckage keeps the pain and challenges we experienced as a result of this accident in a calming perspective. We are deeply thankful for the outcome we had. Bones heal. And we later discovered, as we were struggling through the great challenges we were faced with during that time, something so much bigger was going on within us and between us… It was all part of the divine plan. Nonetheless, Richie had some pretty intense injuries… Viewer warning! Quite unnatural for your leg/ankle to form an "S" shape - this was about 2 hours after the accident. This is the external fixator that was used to hold his bones together after his first surgery - this was about 4 days after the a...

"For better for worse. For richer for poorer. In sickness and in health. To love, cherish, and hold as long as we both shall live." I made an everlasting commitment with those words and felt the truth of them as each one floated off my lips…   The truth of it is… to a twenty-something couple, very much in love, "for better for worse" at its very deepest means I'll accept your bad moods if you'll accept mine.   "For richer for poorer", for lack of a more eloquent phrase means "for poorer for poorer"… we knew nothing different… and if we can deal with poorer, we can definitely deal with richer!   … And "In sickness and in health" … well we're both pretty darn healthy, so this one shouldn't be too tough to take. I may be exaggerating our naivity a little bit, but its not that far of a stretch… we were young and simple. Lacking much complexity in a life together, how can you fully understand the depth of those words?...

Always remember the control you have over the challenges in your life by simply choosing to look at them through a new set of eyes. You can so frequently change that which seems unbearable into a positive, beautiful experience… … just by choosing to walk through it, soaking in every lesson and blessing that shows up along the way. And there, at the end of the journey is a new you… … a little bit tattered. A little bit torn. A whole lot wiser…. … and graced with a shiny new set of eyes. Eyes that can soak in the brightness like never before… soak in the miracles… soak in the unparalleled beauty that comes with profound experiences of the heart. Never forget the depth of your experience extends far beyond that which you can see right now. It might seem a little fuzzy off in the distance… … but that's where the beauty lies. The amazing colors off in the distance blending together, keeping us guessing on the details. Creating an unimaginable palette of Beauty....