Engagement photos, and other ramblings

Last week I was able to take engagement photos for a dear, sweet older couple who will be sealed this week in the Salt Lake Temple. Sharon, the bride, has been through a hideous divorce and Jay has been single many years after the death of his wife. I was genuinely touched and inspired by their "sparkle" for one another and I was reminded how beautiful love can be and how you can just SEE it in someone's eyes when they look at their spouse. It reminded my of being in the temple doing a session with Robert many years back. He was sitting to my right, a couple of rows in front of me and he kept turning to look at me and smile. One of the temple matrons commented to me after, "Boy, you can really tell he loves you!" How I hope we can always be like that! Here are a few pictures of Sharon and Jay so you can see the "sparkle" for yourselves:

I've been thinking lately about much I have evolved over the last several years. In some ways it might not be for the best and maybe I even have more flaws, but because I am more loving and accepting towards myself, I am able to offer this to others as well. I feel so much more calm and peaceful inside because less of my time is consumed with, "Why can't I be more like ______?" or beating myself up with things I did or didn't do. And you know what? I have found that instead of alienating others with my honesty about flaws, I have discovered that people have been drawn towards me. I used to think that by portraying this "perfect" persona, people would want to be my friend, but it was really just the opposite. Friends for a while, seemed like a burden to me because it took up too much energy to keep up my "perfection" facade. Now I am surrounded by amazing friends who are true and fun, and wonderfully flawed like me. I feel like instead of living the law of scarcity, I am living the law of abundance. I used to believe that by admitting that someone else was talented, or beautiful, or a wonderful mother, that it took something away from me--like they were the winner and therefore, I was the loser. I know-- so psychotic, but as I have come to accept myself, I feel like I can freely give without it taking away from who I am; there is no cap on love, talent, beauty, etc. We can all be anything we strive to be, and if others' strive for the same things, the world is all the more better.

*I have also included some recent pictures of the kiddies.