Feel free to cozy up with your favorite beverage (if you're like me, then maybe it's an espresso over ice with a splash of cream, or a warm matcha latte if it's cold outside!) and stay awhile. This is my place to share not just beautiful weddings or sessions, but to share my life. My hope is through this, you'll get to know a bit more about me and all the beautiful people that make it worth living! 

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February 16, 2016

Cultivating the Heart of a Wife with Katelyn James | Delight Marriage Intensive

I don’t even know where to begin! Maybe at the beginning? Not the beginning, beginning…of Delight, but at the foundation of this unique intensive and how it even happened!! It was quite a few months ago when a few of us started brainstorming ideas for a retreat about being intentional as a woman and after prayer and absolutely everything falling into place, we launched Cultivating the Heart of a Wife, where we invited engaged and newly married women to fly across the country to join us in a week of seeking out God’s will for our marriages, stripping down our hearts to be filled with grace and wisdom in order to go home and serve our husbands well, and to learn the practical side of things from chopping vegetables in the kitchen to hospitality in your home. A little over a dozen of us gathered in the Delight House where there were too many people to chairs, where we snuggled next to the fire, had incredible worship with Caryn Dawn,  and shared meals around the most beautiful farmhouse table. And it was just a little over three months ago that Katelyn James and my mom were in touch and the dates fell perfectly in line for her and Michael to fly out for a portion of this retreat!!!

I can’t even adequately find words to say what a huge privilege it was to have her with us and to have her and Michael share the ups and the downs of marriage, especially in the photography industry! On Tuesday night of last week, we had a panel of marrieds where we had several hours of Q+A! We laughed and cried and bonded together over a season of life that is ever changing and growing as husbands and wives! Having Katelyn join us was such a gift, and I’m pretty sure Michael enjoyed himself too…we made sure the boys kept him occupied ;)

But if you ask any woman who was here last week, I can vouch for almost every single one in saying one of the most incredible parts of this last week was the blue tin box. You’ll see photos below of us reading strips of paper together, and those strips of paper hold so much wisdom!! Wisdom gathered from women who have weathered incredible storms in their marriage. Marriage advice coming from dozens of women who poured out their hearts to pour into these women who are in the very beginnings of a lifelong journey!

Matt Engelking and his girlfriend Lauren even flew all the way up from Texas to join us in sharing their hearts and what it’s been like intentionally dating in a world of rocky relationships. I’m soooo blessed to have shared this week with friends who I’ve known since I was six years old, some since middle school piano recitals, others through long distance friendships, photography conferences, and I call every one of them family!!!

We chatted together over meals where I shared my greatest passion…from coconut peanut curry to decked out baked potato bars, raspberry danishes for breakfast and pesto flatbreads for appetizers. I mean, if that’s not reason enough to come join us at the Delight House, I don’t know what is!! ;)

Enjoy a little peek into our week together!!!!!! :)

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How cute is Caryn!!!?

And this was just about right after I stepped boldly in front of another camera…it was worth it :) 

We’re soooo blessed to have had Katelyn and Michael with us!!!

And how precious are Matt and Lauren!!?

We needed Michael’s expertise during our Tuesday dinner demo…

Pinch me! A dream come true!!

And Annalee blessed us so much with her Martha Stewart decorating…

 

Interested in being a part of a Delight retreat? Head over to our blog to learn more!!! :) Xoxo!!!

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