Good morning and happy Monday from California! :) If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen that Sunil and I are out on the west coast visiting my brother and his family! Today we are headed to the beach with my parents, and I'm SO excited to soak in some sun before we all head back home tomorrow. 

Although I have a TON of photos to share... today I'm just sharing a few iPhone snapshots and some random thoughts. Because it's Monday and I'm headed to the beach.... :) 

Random thought #1: Whenever we fly, I feel like I ALWAYS sit over the wing. Always. That means that all the photos I take out of airplane windows have wings in them.... :) 

Random thought #2: Sunil and I never watch TV - we don't even really know any of the current shows! But sometimes we act like we're 12 again and watch Spongebob. (Confession: sometimes we watch Spongebob a lot. It's a really odd obsession. And mostly his fault.)

Random thought #3: Sunsets in CA are spectacular! Throw in some large hills/mountains and I'm in love. I heart mountains. 

Random thought #4: Our first order of business was In 'n Out Burger. Because California. (Does there need to be a reason...?)

Random thought #5: One of the sad things about growing up in a big family is that everyone will often spread out across the country... and sometimes that means you don't get to see your nieces very often! It was SO good to see them. :) 

Random thought #6: Seeing my husband with children melts my heart. The end. 

Random thought #7: I LOVE being able to do photo shoots for my family. LOVE. LOVE LOVE. :) 

Random thought #8: This is going on my fridge as SOON as I get home. Immediately. (Apparently I have big ears and I put my arm around Sunil a lot.)

Random thought #9: Apparently AJP is a big thing in California. I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad that my business name was on a construction sign... :) 

Random thought #10: And last but not least... I got to be with my mom for Mother's Day! YAY!! She's such a beautiful woman inside and out and I love her so much. So so glad we could be together. :) 

I hope you all have a lovely Monday! :) 

I'm a lifestyle photographer. Real moments and real emotions are meant to be discovered - not forced. One of my favorite types of shoots to photograph is an anniversary shoot: celebrating a few (or many) years of marriage by capturing how much deeper a couple's love has become. 

I've known Alex and Nicola for just a few short years - Sunil and I met them when we moved down here to Kansas City. Sunil and Alex have been inseparable since being introduced, and Nicola and I are the introverts that keep our husbands from being too obsessed with people. :)

This couple. It's safe to say they've had their rough moments... relationships are never an easy adventure. But the fierce devotion they have for each other is SO evident through the way they communicate and interact. Their idea for our photo shoot together was to simply capture how much their love as grown and deepened over the last two and a half years... and I was SO thrilled to be the one to document it. :) 

If you didn't know that hipsters could be nerds... you've never met Alex and Nic. They are two of the BIGGEST hipster-nerds I've ever seen. :)

Sitting on their porch, enjoying some wine and cheese - THAT is exactly how Alex and Nicola love to relax. I was so glad they were adventurous with their props! 

These two are both amazing musicians, and do an amazing job leading worship at our church. :)

Alex and Nic bought a Cane Corso Mastiff named Nala almost two years ago - and she's become such a sweet part of their life! 

LOVE this one!! 

The soft blurriness of this photo combined with the sweet moment makes me smile a lot... :)

He is SO sweet with her! 

Alex and Nic, you are two of my favorite people in the WORLD. Thanks for welcoming me into your community here in Kansas and for showing Sunil and I what it's like to have such amazing friends. We love you guys SO much!!