Sometimes our co-workers can be the greatest blessings to our lives.

Jamie is one of my co-workers who has become a great friend and someone who can share parenting tips and stories. She is one of the strongest women I know, going through some of the most heartbreaking trials in one short year but always looking at the positive things in life and smiling through it all. She is part of a leadership group in our area, runs a successful cosmetic business and a cake decorating business and works full-time, all while being a loving and wonderful mom and wife.

Her family is absolutely beautiful and sweet. Her little boys couldn't look more different: one with dark features, brown hair and brown eyes, and the other fair-skinned, blond hair and blue eyes. But they are both absolutely precious and handsome. And her husband is a supportive and an outstanding father. What a wonderful privilege to photograph this happy family!

I've grown up with Amanda since we were little kids, and she has always been one of the nicest, sweetest people I've known, and now she has one of the nicest, sweetest families. I always enjoy photographing this family: the parents are super good at helping direct the kids, and the kids do an awesome job of listening and posing. We had the perfect weather. Overcast yet a little bright and cool, but not rainy. They did such a wonderful job that I had a terrible time narrowing the images down to a reasonable number. I loved them all! 

Sooooo...I won't lie, guys. I totally slacked this month. Quite honestly, if I had been more diligent and prepared, I would have gone with the {dreamy} theme and freelensed some beautiful flowers and light instead.

But this entire month as I was mulling over what to blog about for the {dreams} theme, I had this idea of including my personal dreams that have been fulfilled. To some, they may seem trite, but they are really what I've always wanted most for my life.

So first, I wanted to marry a man who loved me, shared my religious beliefs and moral values, who was funny and kind, and I found him. He has been through so much with me. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease during the first year we were married and had a major surgery just days before our first anniversary. I was pretty gross at the time because my body had been through so much, my face was ballooned from the prednisone, and I had spent 6 weeks in the hospital. We were poor because we were young newlyweds with part time $7/hour jobs and a huge pile of medical bills, paying for healthcare premiums out of pocket. He stood by me. He cared for me. He calmed and reassured me. And a couple of years into our marriage, he surprised me by saving for a trip to Germany, my lifelong dream. We spent 10 days in Munich, and it was amazing, and I was bitten by the travel bug. There isn't anyone else I would rather travel with, to explore the world and share adventures with.

We tried to have children for 6 1/2 years, and during that time, we decided to travel to Ireland...and then again a few months later. Talk about a dream! I still have dreams about Ireland in my sleep, and I wake up longing to hop on a plane and be there. The scenery is incredible and magical, the people are kind and friendly, and the food is ethereal. My dream is to go back, or better yet, win the lottery so we can have a house there and a house here. :)

But then after 6 1/2 long, frustrating, heart wrenching years, God blessed us with our oldest daughter and fulfilled my dream of having a child.  She was a miracle for sure, endured some medical scares of her own, but is now healthy and perfect. She is tiny but fierce, sweet, stubborn, beautiful, smart and funny. I had no idea how amazing being a mom is! And this image here is the dream of getting a nap mid-meal out of a non-napping kid! 

It wasn't long and we were dreaming of another baby, and again it was a bit of a struggle, but then came our Baby Jo, and God fulfilled another dream. She is also feisty, funny, smart and beautiful in her own way, as well as cuddly and affectionate. Having two little girls who are best friends fills my heart to overflowing.

And then we were thrilled for another baby, and we realized our dream of a bigger family was within reach. We are expecting Baby #3 late November, and we couldn't be happier.

So we had to take part in the American Dream and buy a minivan, which was not my dream but I've learned to actually enjoy it....and truthfully, the kids think it's the coolest thing ever.