Category : Personal

Happy Wedding Anniversary, My Love!

Byron,

Today we celebrate two years of being married and six years being together.  I sit here SO happy for so many reasons.  Together, we’re making the life we both can find joy and meaning in.  Getting married was the easy part!  I remember clearly taking a walk by myself a month before our wedding pondering how you ‘choose’ the one single person you want to spend your life with?  How do you know it’s for real, for sure, guaranteed?  The only conclusion I came up with is that you’re willing to hold hands, and metaphorically stand on a cliff and jump together into the unknown.  My dad thinks I’m crazy for saying that but that was only thing that made total sense for me.  You’re the one I wanted to jump with.

Through the ups and downs of being married and running a business together, I know you’re the one for me.  We haven’t even touched the surface of what we’re both capable of.  But I know, standing there – holding hands – we’ll both be able to become the people we want for ourselves and for each other.

Although writing a love letter is something that has been around for ages, the simple act of writing one’s feelings down on momentous occasions is a beautiful thing.  We chose to share letters to each other the day of our wedding (thankfully before I put my mascara on!); it became one of the most special things on our day.  Below is my letter to you again, so that the world may know how much you mean to me.

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Dearest Byron,

After four years of being together, I know that you are the one.  Through our vows shared today, and this letter, know that I will stand beside you, love you and grow with you always.  We’ve already proved that we are stronger together.

I promise to continue listening – even when I don’t want to, trusting you – even when I don’t fully understand, care for you – even when you’re sick or fall, and have patience – even when I’m frustrated.

I love you because of your ability to communicate well, our electric chemistry, your adventurous spirit and your humor.  Your ability to grow, combined with your positive drive for life, are the qualities in you that I am SO proud of!

The commitments I share with you in marriage will be spoken today and lived out everyday.  I look forward to raising a family and being present for life’s journey with you by my side.

I love you,
Wendy

Reading Byron’s letter on our wedding day – photo courtesy of Green Door Photography

My sister to the rescue, only to read his letter herself and have us both crying (yes we’re sharing a towel).  Photo courtesy of Green Door Photography

To Byron, From Ninfi: Wedding Anniversary Photography Bend, Oregon

My Dearest Byron – my husband, my lover, my best friend

42 years, incredible, it went so fast.  I can remember our wedding like it was yesterday – all my dreams came true that day.  So many wonderful happenings in 42 years.  Two wonderful sons, vacations, work, sailing, skiing, tennis, motorcross, great music and so much more.

I start voicing a thought and you finish it.  We sometimes think about the same thing at the same time.  Your smile and the twinkle in your eyes makes my heart beat faster because I know they are just for me.  You are so caring and tender, you make me feel safe and loved.

My favorite poem says it all -

How do I love thee,
I love thee to the depth,
and breath and height my soul can reach.

Grow old with me my dear, the best is yet to come.

All my love, now and forever,
Ninfi

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Mom and Dad,

You both are our biggest fans and ultimate role models.  It’s a constant reminder of what can be possible when you wake up and choose love every day of your marriage.  We can only hope to attain the joy and happiness you both live everyday after 40 more years!  Thank you for so openly sharing your love with everyone around you, you probably have no idea how deep of an impact you make in us and others that admire from afar.

Even during this session (your first ‘real’ professional photography session!), you couldn’t keep your hands off each other and a tear was seen here and there.  That’s pure love.

Here’s a gift to your anniversary and to many, many healthy and happy years together.

All our love,

B + W

Love is a beautiful thing at any age….

Can I just say the flowers were full on AMAZING.

Now that’s one HANDSOME man!

Mom with one of her endless giggles, she’s constantly smiling.

One of our favs – do share the secret to your success?!

New Client Meeting Space – The Next Frontier

We’re very excited to announce our new client meeting space in conjunction with wedding florist, Singing Sparrow.  Coffee shops no more, we’re delving to the next frontier by dipping a toe into the water of formal client space.  Singing Sparrow has a beautiful space in front of their workshop where we’ll be holding our client meetings and showings from now on.  We’re excited to make the switch and share such a cute space.

Oh, the best part is we’re across the street from Strictly Organic (so a coffee fix is 10 paces) and our friends at Audette Media (An Internet Marketing Boutique) are above us.  For those of you that would like more specific directions, here’s a direct map to our new showing location across from the Old Mill area.

And because a post is not as fun without a pic, here’s a few of the new fun space!

All the best,

B + W

Nicole from Singing Sparrow has impeccable taste for decorating, no?

The outside is a big, red barn

And the neighbors, a new cool women’s clothing shop, was named after this little princess, Kariella.

Stuff We Love – Champagne

Oh, bubbly how I dream of the.  Maybe it’s because we like celebrations, maybe it’s because every time we open a bottle we make it a celebration – no matter the day.  If you ask us to choose beer, wine or champagne, it’s a no brainer.  Even though we live in a town that has more microbreweries in a 5 mile radius than any other city I know of, when it comes to pure indulgence, we choose champagne.

I know wine tastings are popular but champagne tastings are more fun!  One trait that Byron’s parents passed along is what they call ‘Friday Night Date Night,’ where they have wine, cheese and appetizers for dinner.  Simple, creative and keeps them connected – and I’ve never seen two people more in love at 75.  We’ve adopted that tradition and modified it to our taste by adding bubbly instead.

Is there something that means romance to you (a place, a thing, a food)?  If so, we encourage you to do that regularly and revel in each other.  Champagne reminds us to celebrate each other and our lives – and it always creates a fun moment for the both of us.

Our favorite bubbly from us to you!

B + W

Dr. Theopolis Brings Down The House In Portland, Oregon

My mother would say that classical music is the only music to listen to.  Being a professional opera singer I guess gives her some credibility and her thinking is: hey, isn’t classical the only form of music to still be around after 100′s of years?  My father’s a bit more open to the idea that just because it was created in the last century doesn’t make it all that bad…..Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, The Stones…..maybe it has something to do with the fact that a few in his family, including himself, played the drums.  The bottom line is that music provides us with an outlet to express ourselves regardless of how we’re feeling.  Ah, therapy!

It’s hard not to want to express yourself listening to the band I went over to Portland to see and photoshoot last weekend.  I first caught wind of this 9 piece funk/rap band named Dr Theopolis back in 04 and have yet to find a band that always seems to be having more fun than the crowds they pack in.  What would you expect from a band that’s named after a computer that sat around a robot’s neck in Buck Rodgers?  Is there really a better way to shake your booty dancing while a group of extremely talented musician friends who’s catchy lyrics, as I’ve said before, are like Weird Al Yankovic’s on crack?  Nope.  Wrap this all up with a guy named, “Mr Fabulous” who’s job is to essentially dance with all the ladies in the crowd and you have the making of one solid night of entertainment!  If you ever hear word of them coming to town, you’d be a fool to miss a show and if your willing to, “let your hair down” for a night, this might just be the therapy you need…..bring on the doctor!  Please check out their website Dr. Theopolis to find out about shows and listen/purchase the music.

Mr Fabulous doing what he does.

How do they fit everyone in such a tight space?  6 of the 9 getting their groove on!

Frontman Ezra Holbrook

Till next time…the antics of Dr. T

Miles Of Fun As MLK Service Day Kicks Off For Volunteer Connect

Man, yesterday was stressful.  My wife says I’m sensitive but when I was going over to the vet to pickup Miles from having his “lumpotomy”, (he gets this non-life threatening tumor growing on his side and when it gets to grapefruit size it’s time to lighten the load for him), I was really, really happy to see he was wanting to get out of the cage!

We’ve had our two dogs Miles and Dizzy for 12 of their 13 years now and XC skied, mtn biked, ran and played literally 7 days a week with them.  So yea, I was stressed I’d loose my terror of a lab that has done everything from destroy a new 4 month old couch, to eating 2 full boxes of chocolate fudge Cliff Bars (remember Ben?), to endless counter robberies of steaks, Costco apple pies and anything else that resembled food.

Between dropping Miles off and picking him up, the one redeeming event that allowed me to have a semi-productive day and not let worrying about my dog fill all thoughts was volunteering to shoot some images for the Volunteer Connect projects happening around Bend, Oregon during Martin Luther King Day.  Helping out the community, seeing old friends and laughing with others took my mind off my furry friend. Cheers to all those hard working volunteers!

In the end, both my dogs lay next to me while I write this and I can’t help but wonder when they’ll be ready for the next adventure….Miles, get your head out of the trash dude…..yea, things really never change.

This is our Miles. He definitely has attitude and this shows it!

Paw’s R US

Not trying to play favorites, I needed to include Dizzy as well.

Friends With Flowers volunteers creating love for terminally ill patients in Central Oregon

Over at the Bethlehem Inn, volunteers fixing bikes for a good cause!

At the Bend Community Center volunteers work to create blankets for the homeless.

This young dude was a rock star, putting air into all the bike tires and doing bike maintenance!