A Final Hoorah to My 20’s!

4 days after the 4th of July is my birthday! So, that means this is my month! I am officially 29, as of today! And this begins the year of my final hoorah to my 20’s before next year I am officially 30. A lot of really amazing things have happened to me in my 20’s & I am really thankful for all of the memories I’ve made, people I have met, places I’ve traveled, and experiences I have had. It really is beginning to go by very quickly, each year I look back and think ‘wow, that didn’t happen last year, that was actually 2 or 3 years ago.’

For example, you literally have to remind me how long ago it was that Pat & I first met. It seems silly, but to me it seems like it was just a year or two ago. When, in reality, it has been more like 7 or 8. In our relationship, Pat will be the one that always remembers our anniversary and how many years it has been. While I, on the other hand, rely on him to remember the numerical side of things. This past fall we celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary. Which means it was over 5 years ago that we were married at a golf preserve in Harmony, Florida. I am so incredibly thankful to have found Pat and I don’t know how either of us would get along without the other. It was also during this time that I finally was able to work at my favorite place – Disney World!

It was in my 20’s that we launched our first business. Ivory Door Studio has been an amazing adventure for both of us and I am so excited to see it continue to grow! It’s been such a remarkable experience, that I truly can not put into words, being able to meet and connect with so many couples through our business. We have made some dear friends, learned a lot from others, I’ve worked with several other AOII Brides from various chapters, and even helped other couples grow their own businesses in the process! And I even launched my second business (Greek Life Society)! This has been a decade of growth and entrepreneurship and I wouldn’t change a moment.

During this past nearly decade I have moved and traveled a lot. I’ve called both Florida & Tennessee home (although, let’s be honest, Oregon is still my first home). And have traveled all over. A few of the places I have been during my 20’s are: Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington. And that’s just stateside! Internationally we have traveled to destinations such as Tulum, Aruba, Jamaica, St. Thomas — and, I think you’re probably beginning to see a trend. It’s true, we spend a lot of time in the tropical areas of this hemisphere. And, probably the coolest, the Panama Canal!

On the family front, we hosted our first exchange student, Timea, who lived with us for nearly a year! That’s right! This sweet girl from Slovakia is now a part of our family & survived an entire year with us. Pat’s sister was married & we were both in the wedding, & now they already have a 2 year old! Even one of my little sisters was just married this spring (I was also her bridesmaid! Yeah… I’ve been in a lot of weddings too. I’m not allllways just photographing weddings!) This past decade, my immediate family moved from Oregon to Florida and Pat’s parents recently moved from Michigan to Indiana.

Yeah, it’s true. I have done a lot of really awesome stuff. And I can’t wait to see what else life has in store for us during the last year of my 20’s. Although, I think my 30’s will be equally as memorable and amazing! Since it’s my month and I can do whatever I want. So, I am celebrating with….

$250 OFF ANY REMAINING 2017 WEDDING DATE

This must be a new contract & can not be combined with another offer! 

Obviously I am not only celebrating with this awesome deal that we have never done before, we will also be celebrating together. I have chosen to be a super-nerd this weekend & watch the new Spiderman movie and go to the Heroes vs. Villains Nashville comic convention. I might even see Sean Gunn aka Kirk from Gilmore Girls!! Yeah, I’m kinda excited.

… oh, and ps. I’ve also had a lot of hair colors. Including blonde, platinum blonde, brunette, black & of course, my favorite, Purple! Andddd here are some slightly embarrassing (mostly due to the poor quality of the photos. gah! my photographer soul is crying out a little.) photos to commemorate some of these moments.