This past year has been particularly hard. Of course, we’ve had some good times but with the passing of my mom last November and the loss of our 2nd baby it’s been hard to remember what we’re thankful for. Not that we don’t stop to remember those things every once in a while, and this time of year is great for that. Brandon and I often express what we’re grateful for to remind us of the positives in life, and today I’d like to share some of those with you.

GOD’S TIMING

This has been proven to us time and time again, and I don’t like to get super into this topic with other peopel but I’m pretty dang grateful for it. I don’t think it was a coincidence that my sister moved in with us before our mom passed. Because of that, we were able to be together through such a difficult season. My miscarriage happened in one of my busiest seasons and although there were downfalls to that such as getting behind on edits, shooting weddings and sessions back to back gave me an escape from reality I very much needed. I could go on and on with examples of moments where it didn’t just feel like “good timing” because nothing bad is ever timed well, but we truly believe there’s a reason behind it all and this past year has been testament to that.

SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS

You may already see a pattern emerging here, but this past year would have sucked BIG TIME without the love and support of our closest friends and family. From exploring Iceland to babysitting Bexley, bringing over dinner and hosting game nights, to a simple text to see how we’re doing, it all means a lot to not go through life alone. Good times or bad, we’re very grateful for the large circle of community we have surrounding us. You know who you are, and we love you all. 🖤

MY “JOB”

This feels like a no brainer, but I’m grateful nonetheless. I’ve mentioned before how grateful I feel to have found a career path that allows me to do what I love on a daily basis. There are of course downfalls to owning your own business (hello tax season) but having the ability to stay home with my daughter to watch her grow, work from bed, or travel for work, I’d say it’s pretty good overall!

#THEMAGERSMAN

oh boy. I’m going to try and not make this too sappy, but I know there’s no way in hell I would have made it through this last year without my husband. I might be most grateful to have found a man who loves me despite my flaws, is patient when I’m not, will give me space when I need it, and won’t hesitate to drop everything to be right by my side in a crisis. These past 12 months could have been a strain on our marriage, but instead it brought us closer together and made us stronger than ever. I love you Brandon!

BEXLEY ANN

I’ve told people before, that if God only planned for us to have one child, I’m so happy it’s Bexley. She’s been a light in our lives from the moment we knew we were pregnant with her (though we didn’t know she was a “her” until she was born!) It was unexpected and I didn’t think it was possible, but the loss of baby #2 made us even more grateful to have Bexley. We found out firsthand how easy it is to lose a pregnancy and we instantly were so thankful to have had a flawless pregnancy and delivery with her – despite the 24/7 nausea with her. We may try again for another, but this season we’re especially thankful for our sweet, sensitive, smart, and spunky four year old.

Happy Thanksgiving!