Lindsey & Jonathan are the kind of people I want to be when I grow up.  The trouble is, they are younger than me so I think I’m a bit behind schedule. :)

One of the questions new couples ask me right away is “Where should we do our engagement session?”

This typically leads to them telling me about an old abandoned building they saw, or a run down gas station they passed somewhere.  I normally point couples away from those locations because although they make for a “cool” background, they really have little if anything to do with their story.  I would much rather stick someone in their kitchen, a library, or a go kart.

Those are the places where their lives started to mesh.
Those are the places their story was written.
Those are the  places they fell in love.

Well, as it turns out.  For Lindsey & Jonathan, old run down buildings are kinda their thing.  They work for a non-profit called Burn Ministries.  Jonathan has spent the past 3 years pouring his life into the Lake Como community and Lindsey is signing up for the same challenge.  This building is right next to their office and too good to pass up.

You know how some people work in a community and then go back to their “real lives.”  Not so with these two.  This is the slab for their home.  They poured it in a “shady” neighborhood.  A neighborhood most of us would drive around or hope to not break down in.  They are being intentional with their careers and with their lives.  They are not athletes, celebrities, or millionaires.  They are regular people making irregular choices. They are my heroes.

Here they are in their living room.  I got excited thinking of all the meals they will share there.  The kids that will come over when they feel they have no one else to talk to.  The lives that will get changed because they opened their home.

It’s not often you can stand on a concrete slab and get goosebumps.

After showing me around their neighborhood, we hit up Qdoba.  These two met while working at a summer camp of sorts.
While at camp Jonathan found out Lindsey was a stylist, so he got her to cut his hair.  (Smart Move #1)
After the hair cut, he then invited her to “grab a bite to eat.”  (Smart Move #2)

This is where they went.

Realizing Lindsey was totally a keeper, Jonathan asked her on a “real date.”  (Smart Move #3)  The Reata is where that happened so we returned to that location to retell a bit of their story.

Thank you guys for being amazing people.  I left your session with a full heart.  You are the best.

Kayla & David met all the way back in high school.  She was trying to buy glitter paint but was under age.  She spotted David in the store and tried to get him to buy her contrabands but alas he too was also not old enough.  The paint stayed in the store but the sparkle of their love lives on to this day. ;)  Seriously though… How great is that little story.

David is attending Texas ATM and Kayla is finishing up nursing school.  At first we were going to do their session around campus but then Kayla spotted a balloon festival in Anna, TX.  They made the 4 hour drive and were up and ready to smile at the literal crack of dawn to catch the balloons.

True story:  When David went to ask Kayla’s father for her hand he bought a toy set of farm animals and took them over and they arranged a trade.  Her dad received a few heads of cattle, some chickens, and a pig and David received a bride.

One of their favorite things to do as a couple is paddleboard.  It looked fun.  I was too chicken to get on one.

You may have noticed David has facial hair.  It’s amazing.  I may have run my fingers through it in a not creepy way.

Thank you Kayla & David for being almost perfect.  Thank you David’s beard for being perfect.

Jeff & Julie are getting married.  Jeff has twin 15 year old girls.

So Jeff was all like:
“We are taking family photos.
They will be boring.
We will wear black & white.”

And his girls were all like:
“Fine dad.”

Then Jeff was all like:
“We will also create a family art piece. It will hang in our home as a family.”

And I was all like. (In my stern dad voice.)
“You girls need to be really careful with that paint.  My camera is expensive.
Don’t flick it near me and do small amounts and make sure it stays on the canvas.”

And in their heads the girls were all like.

Then Jeff was all like:
“Boom, I’m flicking paint on your face!”

Then Julie was all like:
“Paint Fight!”

Then everyone was all like:
“Paint fights are the best!”

Then as we were cleaning up I overheard one of the girls say:
“Dad that was really fun.”

Did you catch that?  A 15 year old girl just admitted out loud, in public, in front of others, to her dad, that she had fun with him.

Best. Session. Ever.

I was totally hooked on Haley & Mark 5 minutes after meeting them.
Here is all you need to know:  Mark flies an Apache chopper.  Normally that would be enough to impress me, but  wait… there’s more.
His fiancée flies a Black Hawk.

BOOM!  I’m sold.  Just like that.

These two met at West Point. (Like you do.)  And after a little back and forth, decided they are totally perfect for each other and are getting married next year.  They love all things science so we all headed to the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

This is totally how I picture them.  Always off on little adventures together.  Running towards danger together.

My favorite thing about Mark is that even though he could probably kill or paralyze me in 2.5 seconds, you would never know it by how he interacts with Haley.  Super sweet, extra tender,  a total gentleman.

I also was thrilled to finally meet people more excited about their rings than those Aggies tend to be.  West Point graduates.

Thank you guys for a great afternoon, letting me share part of your story, and most of all, your service to our country.

What if you could choose the very first words you spoke to the person you were going to marry?  Would you scour Cary Grant movies in search of that perfect phrase?  Would you read every line Jane Austen wrote till you found that hidden gem?  Or… would you just roll with whatever popped into your head?  That’s what Emily did and you’ll love what she came up with.

Emily & Lucas first met in a Physics lab at ATM.  They then went on to fall madly in love while she stalked him at his job at Muldoon’s Coffee House.  They are getting married under the Century Tree next year.  They will live happily ever after.

Ready to meet them?  I thought so.

After a few cups of coffee we were of to the Physics building.   This is the class room they met in. And, on that very first day of class, while sitting at that desk, Emily leaned over and whispered….

“Not to make this weird… but you smell delicious.”

Another little story from their first day in class.
There was a tiny lady bug flying all around that just captivated the students.  Soon after Emily earned the nickname “Ladybug” from Lucas.
So major bonus points to Emily for her outfit choice. ;)

And, like all good Aggies, after class we headed over to the Chicken.

Hey, remember that time they carved their initials onto the wall back when they were dating?

Thanks for a great session.  Thanks for being so chill.  Emily, thanks for booking me.  Lucas, thanks for smelling oh so delicious.