Alright it’s time for me to get intentional about our personal photos! The more I document moments for other people, the more I realize that I need to be more intentional about documenting my own life and actually doing something with the images! A couple of years ago, I made an Artifact Uprising mini book of the year with Wayne. It sits on my coffee table holding memories from my phone. While I believe in moments that require professional photography, everyday moments don’t need a professional camera. A phone camera is just fine. Plus, do you know the millennial phrase “If there isn’t a picture, it didn’t happen?” Well, to be quite honest, if there isn’t a picture, my brain forgets all of the in-between sacred moments that tug my heart in the everyday.

Fast forward to now. Friends, that little family yearbook was created in 2014 and I have yet to make another yearbook. Ashley, my dear friend and teammate, challenged me to MAKE the time and not settle with excuses. So, in an effort to be intentional, I am trying to take more pictures, doing something with the images taken by starting a new series on the blog. Hoping this new blog series also helps make my yearbook albums less overwhelming at the end of each year!

Welcome to the very first Carney Monthbook | September.

The month began with a road trip to my hometown! I LOVE WEST PALM BEACH WITH ALL OF MY HEART! Some of my our friends (who also happen to be part of the MP team!) wanted to surprise my brother in South Florida and bring a piece of his Gainesville home to his West Palm home. The weekend was full of Cuban food, Catan, the beach and just a lot quality time (my love language). One of my favorite moment was spending HOURS at Grandview Public Market, sipping coffee, playing cards, eating dinner and laughing.

Another favorite moment from that weekend was that Wayne and I HEARD FROM THE LORD AND HIRED OUR ASSOCIATE! After 4 weeks of prayer and confirmation, we moved forward. That moment taught me to wait on Him and not rush to make it happen within my timeline. Training started this month! Really excited to introduce you all to her!

 I realized this month, that every team member who has join our MP team (besides Wayne of course), was hired in previous Septembers. While I haven’t celebrated Ashley’s one year (AHH!) anniversary with MP just yet, Tori and I were able to celebrate her three years of being Office Manager! We had a very tearful sushi date, reminiscing about the last three years and ended our work day with a dance party.

Wayne is currently working full time, in a doctorate program, second shoots weddings and co-leads our microchurch. With all of this, he always MAKES time to be a part of Ethan’s bedtime routine. A highlight moment with Wayne this month was watching him take study break in the office and read Ethan a bedtime story. I love this man!

Typically, every year for my friend Ashley’s birthday (I have a lot of Ashley’s in my life!), Wayne and I join her and her husband, Dave in celebrating her with a weekend at Disney. This year we broke tradition and went out for dinner and ice cream IN TOWN. It was actually my favorite of her birthdays! While it may sound simple, it was rich in quality time and conversation. Two of my favorite things! #adulting

This month, I also got to travel to San Francisco to shoot a wedding and a couple of engagement sessions! Dream! I invited my friend Emily, from The Ganeys, to assist me and it really filled my tank. We worked more like a TEAM instead of main shooter and second shooter, as we were so in sync. As much as I loved photographing in epic landscapes, my favorite was the day of rest emily and I took between shoots. We stayed in PJs all day, had heart-tethering conversations, celebrated my birthday early, cooked rope vieja, baked brownies and watched This Is Us. It was just my style to just… be together.

 

After SF, I popped over to Lake Tahoe to photograph and spend time with old microchurch friends. I had never been before and immediately planned Wayne & I’s vacation next summer! It actually felt like I was in a summer movie scene everywhere I went. We stayed in a cabin by the lake and stayed up catching up with a wine glass in hand. The coolest moment was sitting next to a cliff as we sought the Lord and prayed. Nothing compares to being in His creation as I seek Him. Photographing in this scenery wasn’t bad either!

Hope you enjoyed this snapshot of what our lives looked liked in September!