I love special occasions.  I always have.  The anticipation alone is one of my favourite things.

Having said that, I’ve always struggled to let go of the moment.  I would do everything possible to keep the feeling going.

And I do this with a lot of things.

I keep tags on my clothes for a long time so I can hold on to the feeling of “newness”.  I leave Christmas gifts still wrapped for weeks after the holiday so that I can prolong the festivities.  I save specific dishes and jewellery and decor for special moments instead of using them all the time.

If I’m being totally honest, I don’t especially like this about myself.  Because I end up compartmentalizing my life into moments that are special and moments that “normal”.

And the reality is…that all moments are special.  By the very nature that we are living them makes them special.

Anastasia and Nic have taught me this.

They have taught me that all occasions are worth using the fancy dishes.  That all moments are worth celebrating.  That life – in and of itself – is worth anticipating.

They make a beautiful celebration of all the beauty.  They reach for the magic in any given situation.  And they create joy out of everything.

And I love this so much about these guys.

The adventures that we have had together in the name of beautiful photos has been some of my favourite moments behind the camera.  We had trudged through muddy farmer fields and scaled the rafters of old barns.  We have found ourselves among howling coyotes and lit pathways with candles.  We have laughed and we have cried and we have been so cold that we could barely feel our bodies!!

And we’ve celebrated.

We’ve celebrated engagements and weddings and businesses and books and babies and most of all…life.

Here’s to another moment.  Here’s to another celebration.  Here’s to another perfect occasion to get all dressed up!