Mosaic School – Ollie started preschool this year and he is in absolute heaven. We are so lucky to have found Mosaic School with its diverse and heartfelt curriculum, and loving teachers. Will is also enjoying stretching his legs a bit more at day care without big brother around to boss him.
Charleston Trip – When Debra and Chipper invited us to photograph their wedding in Charleston we leapt at the chance to visit this city for the first time… we initially thought we would make it a child-free trip, but we ended up taking Will along for the trip (and utilized a really great local nanny for our childcare needs… let us know if you need a babysitter recommendation in Charleston!). We felt a little guilty about traveling with just one of our boys, but Ollie was quite content to stay with his grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousins. Will – who suffers from the oft-bemoaned 2nd child syndrome – reveled in the extensive attention from his parents.
New House – We found a huge house for rent in Roslindale – our initial plan was to buy last year, but when we found this space we knew it would be a perfect landing pad for us while we scope out the next couple of years of our life. Our new house has an AMAZING office, and we LOVE having clients visit us here. Best things about the new house? Steam sauna/shower, big back yard, 3rd floor office, and nice neighbors.
Business Boot Camp – When we learned that Liana Lehman was taking her Business Boot Camp for photographers on the road, we knew that we had to invite her to Boston. She visited us in early December for a full workshop – and BBC is definitely one of the best business workshops we have ever done! Liana is a great instructor, and all the students gained a LOT of insights and tools from her class. Thank you Liana!
Best Dinner Out – the prize goes to Dali, which we visited with our wedding clients & friends Sara & Jason Parker. Dali somehow manages to pull off kitschy décor, yummy Spanish tapas, and silly ruffled tuxedo shirts – all of which have potential to make a place overly pretentious – with ease and a down-to-earth authenticity. We’ll definitely go back.
Jackson – Matt and I have been together for 8 years! And married for 5 of them. And we’ve wanted a dog that whole time (except for the time we dog-sat for a friend in the winter and realized how hard it would be to scoop poop by hand on the frozen city streets of Boston). So this fall, when we found our new house (with big back yard) we finally took the leap. We found Jackson at an animal shelter in New Hampshire – he had traveled there as part of a truckload of dogs from the overfilled shelters in Alabama. Jackson is settling in nicely – he lets the boys climb all over him, even while he is eating, he is fully housetrained (knock on wood), and he waited until the end of our busy wedding season to chew up my favorite wedding shoes. Of course we’ve also been reminded how much fun it is to scoop poop in the winter, but we’re still happy to have him as part of our family now.
Grandma’s Cello – many of you know that we come from musical families. Matt’s brother Russell and his wife Katie founded the Portsmouth Music & Arts Center, and several people in my family are professional musicians (including my dad who retired in ’06 after 30 years of teaching high school band!) I’ve always wanted to learn how to play a string instrument, but somehow never found the opportunity or time. Years ago my Grandma (now known as GiGi by her growing clan of great-grandchildren) offered me one of her cellos if I ever decided to take lessons. So this summer Matt conspired with her to surprise me with the cello for my birthday. I have been taking lessons since the fall and am LOVING finally having this opportunity. Thank you GiGi!
Red Sox Nation – this has been an exciting year for all our local teams, but the prize for “new fan development” goes to the Red Sox… after two failed attempts (thanks to a rained out game and then our wedding schedule), Ollie finally got to attend his very first Red Sox game. Matt treated him to lots of hot dogs, ice cream, and a customized T-shirt to commemorate the experience. That was at the beginning of the season, and The Sox kept Ollie’s attention right through to the end with their World Series Championship – what a way to cultivate a new fan! Our championship hats and special baseball enjoy a special spot in our house.
Our Clients – you ARE why we do what we do! We love our clients, and constantly are marveling at how blessed we are to be doing what we love for a living. Thank you for inviting us into your lives, allowing us to see and document and participate in your important moments, vulnerabilities, and relationships. It is an honor to be part of your lives!
