We won’t try to hide our excitement over Renee and Brian OR this engagement session!! In our opinion, these college sweethearts are what it’s all about. Toughing it out over years of long distance, and moving across the country in order to live life together. It really seems like no matter what gets thrown their way, they not only make through, but they come out strong. We will have much more from our San Francisco engagement session with Brian and Renee on our blog next week!

Enjoy your weekend! See you back here on Monday.

love,

kate & sam

The boxes are almost all packed now. The list of companies we have to change our address with is rapidly growing. The feelings of excitement are starting to set in now. We don’t need a map or a gps. That’s not necessary because we’ve driven this route many times over (and don’t all roads lead you home anyway?). That is right friends, WE ARE MOVING!!!

In this life of busy busy go go, who couldn’t use more in person family time? Like, an easy Wednesday summer night on the boat, or helping with chores out on the Botwinski land, singing “happy birthday” instead of sending a card, or watching the garden grow instead of hearing about it on the phone. Life is about strawberry picking with Grandma, and shopping with Mom, it’s about hunting with Dad, and happy hours with friends, it’s about being there to pass around the silly 3D paper glasses as you “ooo and ahh” over fireworks on the 4th of July. It’s about NOT using FaceTime to watch your family open presents on Christmas Eve if you can help it. Life is about all of the little moments in between, and recognizing who you want to share them with.

OUR life is about driving down Highway 29 at sunset, seeing nothing but fields of farmland on both sides, and letting the current country hits guide you home. It’s about being there when our best friends get together for a weekend in summer, it’s about homemade breakfast burritos and homemade spaghetti sauce from our moms. We’re sort of dying to hug Kate’s sweet Grandma Annie and hear her say “ohhh my girl, where have you been?” or hear Sam’s grandpa say, “just a splash of milk” to go with his dessert after a family dinner. Oh, and truthfully, we couldn’t bare to spend another 4 months without Uncle Steve’s homemade guacamole. Yep. That’s true. Sam wants his golfing buddy back. Kate wants to have a beer with her brother and reminisce over the days that they knew every word to “Runaway Train”.

You probably journeyed with us as we made our move out to the Wild West, as we like to call it, and the past year has been one that we won’t forget. We are still photographing Colorado weddings, and we will forever love its views. We just know that when all is said and done, life is short, and we want to enjoy our days with the people who love us as much as we love them. Minnesota and Wisconsin are home to us. We are having a ball of a time journeying through this life, but we can’t wait for the simplicity that awaits us back in Minneapolis: a lush green backyard for little Rowe to chase around in, running trails at a normal altitude, hockey!, photo sessions on the docks, strawberry salads at Patty’s in St. Paul, short drives to Lambeau, and cookouts with friendly neighbors. Don’t even get us started on our love for the community of Minnesota wedding professionals, or our Midwest weddings, or our favorite barista that prepares us for our weddings with caffeine, because we are oozing with love for ALL them!!!

We’ll be seeing all of you Midwesterners soon, as in ONE WEEK. Yes, we’re serious. Bring it on Minnesota! We’re coming back!

with love and excitement,

kate & sam

“You could blindfold me and drive me into the middle of this city and sit me down. I could tell you exactly where I am. There is just something different about the air here. The sounds. My whole being is happy.”

“Oh Kate, please tell me you’re not wanting us to move out here. I mean, it’s really great to visit, but…. I don’t know…”

Hours later we were running our miles for that day across the Golden Gate Bridge, and I’m almost 100% positive that his mind was changed for good. To say that it was one of the best runs we’ve ever run, well, that’s a complete understatement. Ships and the deep waters fascinate me to no end, when combined with the allure of Alcatraz off in the distance, towering golden beams overhead, and a view of the entire San Fran cityscape… hello dreamy day! I wanted time to freeze.

For the record, we are not moving our little lives across the country to San Francisco (yet), but don’t think that we (as in Kate) aren’t tempted. You should probably stay tuned for a bit of a HUGE announcement tomorrow though. It is not to be missed. Just to preface this one, it makes us both really happy with this direction we’re going.

While we were out in San Fran, we photographed a really lovely engagement session. Because of our couple, and the locations, and the conversations in between, we found ourselves sad to say good-bye, and exhausted with happiness when we hit the bed. There is nothing better than a hard day’s work and the satisfaction of knowing it couldn’t have gone any better. A few photos are posted on our facebook page, and we’ll have more to share here on the blog shortly.

We hope you’re enjoying your week, catch you back here tomorrow!

love,

kate (& sam)