Nicole Rogers Photography » Sneak peek of recent sessions

Where does the time get to?  I can’t believe it is September.  What happened to all my goals that I set before myself at the beginning of 2010?  Time has a way of creeping up on you, as if you didn’t know of its existence at all, and hits you square in the face.

I had a goal for this blog at the beginning of the year to have a place where I could work on my writing and have you share your writing with me.  We even brainstormed on a title for this place…sigh…I haven’t forgotten.  I am always writing, but more so in my dozen or so journals.  I have decided to enter in an essay contest that I found in Real Simple Magazine.  My goal in writing this essay is to challenge myself to write a thorough and thought provoking piece to share or not share with someone one day.  For the most part, I am writing it just for myself right now.  It would be really cool to win the prize though! 

I believe setting goals, big or small, is so important.  Other goals I am setting is to become a certified fitness instructor, get a PPA certification in photography, run and finish a 5k on Labor Day, and to have my next blog post be about my elderly neighbor and have a picture of her hands….see, big and small goals.

The contest essay topic is “Life Lessons” and they want us to finish this sentence “I never thought I’d…”

Well, here is a snippet of what I have begun to write (Beware:  this is very under-construction)…

“At 28, in a lot of ways, I have just begun to live my life.  There are so many things I haven’t experienced yet…motherhood, traveling to Europe, celebrating 35 years of marriage instead of just 5, raising a family.  What warrants me to write about a life lesson?  What about my eighty-three year old neighbor, with everything she says and does, is something she has learned throughout her long life? 

On the other hand, what about the 4 year old girl with cancer lying in a hospital that will experience a life lesson everyday, and in her tiny life span, will learn more about faith, purpose, and appreciation for life than someone who is way beyond her years.  I may not have lived a long life yet or have experienced a grave illness that plummets me into a sea of life lessons, but I have learned to, in trial and hardship (depression and anxiety), to accept myself, to love deeper, and rely on my faith harder…”

So, that’s is a little of what I have so far.  If you are a reader of this blog and would want to comment on this post with a life lesson of your own, please share.  It can be sad, funny, happy, etc.  Also, if you are interested in submitting an essay to the contest, the details are here.  I hope everyone has a great Labor day weekend!  Enjoy the sunshine!

I prayed for this man, whether or not we were going to be together, I wanted him to be happy.  I am a journal keeper and I wrote something like that in one of my many journals I kept throughout college.  Neither one of us knew what we would face when we were married five years ago.  Neither one of us knew the challenges we would face of finding out who we are individually and together, finding careers that would make us happy, choosing to love even when it wasn’t easy.  Our journey together has just begun, but I know God put him and I together.  There is no other man that could stand by me in our time of trial and struggle.  I thank God for him. 

These are a few images from the session we had last week with Rich Smith Photography.  I met Rich at my very first workshop in 2008.  We had the wonderful opportunity to be photographed by Nathan Holritz when we had been married a year, then last summer I was photographed by Amber Holritz for a boudoir session.  I think I know who I want to do our maternity when we have reached that point…but, she doesn’t know it yet.  Amber anyone?  Haha!