Once Upon a Time...

8 years ago I spent the afternoon watching Dirty Dancing and trying to take my mind off of the events coming up that evening. I had been set up on a blind date and was understandably nervous. I didn't know much about this guy I was meeting, except that he was tall and "normal" (a good thing to be if you ask me, lol).

I set out on the date thinking to myself that it was only dinner, and if he invited me to go to a movie or something afterward I would agree if I felt it was going well. I remember that I didn't know what to order at the Italian restaurant. (I love spaghetti but it's way too messy, so I ordered the chicken instead.) The conversation went well, I was having a great time and when he asked if I wanted to go to a movie after, I knew he was having a great time too. I can still remember the butterflies in my stomach when we held hands in the theater and how it was so sweet that he kissed me goodnight on the cheek.

Three years later we went to that same restaurant to celebrate the anniversary of when we first met, and later that night he asked me to marry him. As I'm sure you know by now, I said yes and the rest is history.

Tonight we will be celebrating 8 years since that first evening. I never would have guessed that a blind date would end up being the love of my life - just goes to show that you never know what life might bring. In other words, don't be afraid to take chances.

And to lighten the mood, check out this awesome photo I found of Josh and I about 6 months after we started dating. We were attending my best friend's wedding where I was a bridesmaid (and yes, I was blonde!!). I truly can't believe I am willingly posting this. (Sorry for the crappy quality, this is a scanned photo)



And as a comparison, this photo was taken at my sister's wedding in January of this year...oh how we've changed (for the better I hope!!)!

Empire State of Mind

This summer Josh and I will be heading to the Big Apple for a little vacation! I have been putting off planning our trip (although we do have our plane tickets!), but am looking forward to eating at some yummy restaurants, seeing some Broadway shows, and exploring the city. If anyone has any suggestions of things we cannot miss, let me know! It's been a long time since I've been to NYC and am always interested in hearing suggestions. :) I've actually been thinking how fun it would be to do a session while we're in the city, but I'm not sure if anyone from NYC reads this! If you do and you're interested - email me for more info! I'd love to hear from you.

Also - spring and summer are already getting crazy busy with sessions, vacations, family obligations, and this year I'm adding in building a new house to that list! If you're interested in booking a session, please do so early - I'm only taking one or two more sessions for May & August, one more session each for the months of September & October, and I'm no longer taking bookings for April, June, or July. I'm incredibly thankful for all of the clients that booked me for sessions again this year, I am so excited to see how all of the kids have changed since the last time I saw them!

Hope you're having a great week!

Luck of the Irish

I've been obsessed with watching the show "Who Do You Think You Are" on Friday nights (yes I realize I need to get out more) recently. The show got me thinking about my own ancestry, and also the roots of my married name as well. Now, you all know about Einstein - you know, the little 4 lb furry monster which frequently appears on this blog? Anyways, imagine my surprise when I find that the surname Madigan means "little dog" (which makes me think of Einstein, who is indeed a very little dog) and is of course, Irish.

So, with today being St. Patrick's Day - I thought it very appropriate to celebrate my Irish surname with a photo of (you guessed it...) a little dog in a green and white shirt. I think he'd make a great St. Patrick's Day mascot, don't you?

Hope you all have a fun and safe St. Patrick's Day!!