Feeling really really blessed

So, back on December 6th Zach and Jody announced that they were going to do a 3 day wedding weekend with CreativeLIVE. As I read their announcement, I got more and more excited. Especially when I came to the part about how they would be choosing 6 photographers to attend the workshop.

Um…me Me ME!

I read the entry rules and decided I would most definitely send in a video. My brain started thinking about all the ideas I could do for a video. I needed something exciting. Something that would really grab their attention and make them remember me. Something exceptional. I started planning and it seemed that “the video” was always on my mind. And when I say always I mean it pretty much consumed me until the 22nd.

It was Christmas time. Which means I was also consumed with getting galleries and sneak peeks and card designs to all my clients in time for them to be sent out. I was also thinking about how my family was going out of town for over a week so I had laundry and packing and cleaning to do for 6. Plus, I hadn’t finished my Christmas shopping which was getting increasingly more stressful because you know…I needed the PERFECT gift for each person on my list.

Then December 22nd came. “The video” was going to be filmed the next day right before we were planning on doing our Christmas before leaving town until January 2nd. After a completely overwhelming day and going non-stop and feeling like I hadn’t accomplished a thing I found myself at Wal-Mart to get pizza for dinner. I stood in front of the pizza’s and tears stung my eyes. Know why? They were out of Canadian Bacon and Pineapple. Now what? That’s the one we always got. I had to make a decision. I had to make a choice and all of the sudden, I couldn’t.

A little voice whispered in my heart saying “Him” and tears fell down my checks while I repeated it over and over again. The day before I had followed a link from my friend Jen’s tweet. (I might add that I’ve never actually met Jen. I’m pretty sure we’d be friends if we met though. I think.). The link took me to this blog post and I read it thinking it sounded awfully familiar. In front of the pizza that night though, I realized that all these choices and distractions I’d been dealing with we’re ruining the season for me. And by focusing so much on all of that I saw that I was ruining it for my whole family too. Not. Cool.

That’s when I decided “the video” wasn’t going to happen. At least not the one I originally planned on making. I figured if I had a chance to make something while we were traveling then I would but I would focus on spending this time with my family and Him.

Last night Madi helped me start my video. After a couple attempts we ended up with a 3 minute video that we described as “too preachy”. I decided to take a break and try again later maybe. Then Madi took over and she and Eli finished the video.

They presented it to me this morning and when it was over I knew that even if Zach and Jody didn’t choose me I was still a winner. I feel so blessed to have married Brad and been given these 4 beautiful children. I would absolutely love to attend the wedding weekend in January. I could certainly use the help with organization and working with my couples and building my brand and workflow and LIGHTING! Hopefully I’ll be chosen. If I’m not though, I’ll be watching from my home in Stillwater. With my family supporting me all the way.