I remember in sunday school… way back when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, my sunday school teacher brought glass jars, whole walnuts, and rice into the classroom for our lesson. I remember her teaching us how to prioritize our lives (as best as a 2nd or 3rd grader can understand, mind you…) putting important things like spending time with God, doing our homework, and loving our families first. She put a few whole walnuts in the jar, almost so it looked like there wouldn’t be any more room for anything else. I remember feeling anxious about there not being anymore room in the jar for things like playing with friends, soccer games, and art classes… things that I loved, but that my teacher categorized “not as important”. But then, the teacher added grains of rice to the jar… a great many little grains filled in the gaps between the “important things”, and I was amazed to find that all those “little things” I wanted to do found room in the already very crowded jar of life. ”Decide what your walnuts should be first,” my teacher said. “Then fill in the rest of your time with all those small things you wish to do and need to be done.”

Well, I just turned another year older last week, and surprisingly enough, this lesson still replays in the back of my mind every so often when life seems a little too crowded for my taste. While I don’t have that jar anymore, I do have that memory to serve as the rudder to redirect my priorities. When I allow “all the small things” to get filled in first, the important things don’t end up fitting in my calendar… important things like spending time with Christopher, spending time reading His word, journaling, and reading that book I’ve been meaning to read for months.

So this lull in blogging… this has been a time of re-adjusting my “priorities rudder”…. a time for figuring out what the important things are and making time for them amidst the many little things that need to get done. I have a stack of AMAZING shoots to share with you in the coming weeks, but for now, I wanted to share snapshots from my life in the past month…

Today, I’m missing Herrnhut…. my home away from home. I’m missing the endless green fields, the tall skinny trees, the red roofs, and the stillness of the small town. This last trip to Germany, I had the chance to take Christopher to this place that’s so near and dear to my heart. We got to walk from the castle to town through the silent forest, listening to nothing but the wind rustling the leaves high in the tree tops. We got to explore through this quiet town, grab some Turkish Doener to snack on, and we got to enjoy the lack of impending to-do lists. The quiet that surrounded this place inspired quiet hearts and quiet minds, and as we walked in silence, we felt His peace.

Where, in your life, do you find your home away from home? Today, I pray you find peace and quiet away from the craziness… even, if only for a moment.

Daniel and Che-monte met dancing. How romantic is that?! They also happen to work for the same large company near Nuremberg, Germany. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her… for a good reason… she’s GORGEOUS. And she couldn’t stop thinking of that sweet young man and how he’s “not like other guys in Germany.” Somehow, both Daniel and Che-monte knew they had something special… and they’ve been together ever since.

They recently got engaged and are SEHR SHOEN (sooo cute) together! Che-monte contacted me when she heard I would be traveling to Nuremberg and we quickly set up a time to shoot some engagement photos. They couldn’t have picked better locations… a beautiful park and a beautiful castle. That’s right… a castle. And even though it was a bit cold outside, the rain held up until the very last shot of the evening.

Daniel and Che-monte, I am so glad we met. Your love for each other is something really amazing and I wish you the absolute best as you continue on your journey together. It was such an honor to capture all your sweet whispers, stolen glances, and genuinely happy smiles. Here are some of my favorites from the day…

One of my favorite things to do is explore. It’s exciting getting myself lost (just as long as I can find my way afterwards), experiencing the culture around me, and feeling free to be inspired. This morning, as Christopher and I walked out into the crisp morning cold, I told him I was excited to photograph and not feel the pressure of “getting the shots”. I could take photos of post-its if I wanted to… and I did. We had a late breakfast, then headed out toward the old town of Nuremberg.

Fun Fact: The old city of Nuremberg is embedded in the center of the greater Nuremberg area and is surrounded by the old wall that originally acted as the city gate. Within the old city is a bunch of historical landmarks that include two giant churches and a castle…. all built in the 1500s. We visited all of them!

It’s amazing how deep the european culture runs. I love it. Here are a few pictures from today’s adventures…..

Funny story about this pic…. Chris was quite confused reading the title of this book. He thought it was some sort of anti-fitness book. But in fact, it’s not…. Mike and Jasmin were quite amused by that…