No more hiding

This post may suck.
It's true.
But as the past year got more and more difficult, I stopped writing.  I was too scared to put down my thoughts at times.  In some moments, I just had nothing to say.  And most of the time I was convinced that distracting myself from my circumstances was a better option.
So...I'm writing again.
Why?
It makes me stop.
It makes me think.
And I have to face the fact that my words may not come together as beautifully as I would like - but if I never try, I'll never grow.

So there...

My hope is that today instead of checking out because it seems easier - that you drop in, you face this moment and you breathe deeply.

Even that - as painful as it can be - is a gift.

It's your choice...

Tonight we watched The Karate Kid.
Because we're cool like that.
And there was a quote that has rocked my world.
"Life will knock us down, but we can choose whether or not to stand back up."
I'd say the last year has felt like a knock-down.  Over and over. 
But you know what?
I'm choosing to STAND up.

PS: Some words of thanks...  Thank you incredible friends who have walked through this.
And thanks to Making Things Happen and the incredible people who make that intensive happen.  If you'd like to be inspired, given the tools and given a swift kick in the butt when necessary - make reading their posts a part of your life.  (For a quadruple blessing - go to the intensive.  Oh my goodness.)
And I am so grateful that God has brought me to this place.  He has given me the space to cry, to doubt, to grieve, to hurt and He has loved me through it all.  And somehow, He's bringing healing and beauty into what I thought was hopeless.  Words cannot begin to express my gratitude...

Just so you know...

Dates, Timelines and Important Info...

First of all, thank you.
Thank you so much for your encouraging words, your emails, your supportive comments and your prayers.
Your words and prayers walked us through such a difficult time.  And though this baby (in case you missed previous posts - I'm pregnant...) might still make an early entrance into the world, this baby is doing well.
Which is why I write...

As of June 20th, I will be going on maternity leave.
And I am not taking sessions again until after September 1.
(Although we do have a couple of weddings in there that are completely unaffected!  I could not be more excited for those weddings and the incredible couples!!!)

Finally, I do want to add, there may be a location change for our family over the summer months.  (And yes, we will keep everyone posted)  This does not affect our wedding clients or future weddings because we will still consider Chicago one of our home bases!  But, there is a chance that we will not be here in the future for individual, couple and family sessions.  So at this moment, my calendar is only available for sessions through June 20th until further notice...
(In simple terms...if you're looking to book a session with us, book before June 20th!  If you are interested in giving us the honor of documenting your wedding day, let us know anytime!)

All of you rock.  Big time.  And as always...I can't wait to tell your story.

Love,
amyp

And just to spice things up today, enjoy a little video from one of my favorite little ones.