Shake Your Tail Feathers | Bridal Shower Invites

Remember these baby shower invites that I made? Well... I jumped at the chance to help a friend with invitations for her sister's bridal shower & bachelorette party. It just so happens that the wedding is peacock themed! Guess who just took tons of photos of peacocks? This girl!

What do you think?

 

((All invite info was changed for privacy. FYI))

We named this beautiful critter Frederick. Thanks Freddie for giving us something beautiful to work with! 

Depiction

 

After 4 nights of work, this is a pretty good depiction of how I feel right now. I'm pooped! Here's to 2 days off and a week full of catching up with friends I haven't seen in ages.

These are animals from the West Coast Game Park near Bandon, OR.  I'll never look at a zoo the same way. This place is 10x better and so interactive!

Holding the baby Bobcat! If you add poking and prodding, this is almost what I did the past few nights at work...

This is what I should be doing right now...

Staring at this guy makes me feel better about the way I look. Maybe I could sell this as a self confidence booster? What do you think?

If you think you're done seeing animal pictures, think again.  I have far too many to choose from. So, blog readers, beware.... 

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

 In other news, I've finally joined instagram! You can follow me at jennagracer.

US Air Force

 

Today is a good day to tell you...

A year ago, my husband was commissioned into the US Air Force as a Second Lieutenant. Yes, there are great benefits, yes he will serve active duty time after medical school & residency, and no I could not respect him more for what he is doing. It's difficult to explain the thoughts, feelings, and prayers that went into this decision without sharing too much or getting too personal. However, I can tell you that we look forward to what this time in our lives will offer. We look forward to traveling, to meeting new people, to serving this country, and to being a part of a long lasting legacy of men, women, and families who have sacrificed so much for the freedom we have today. In addition, this path will allow Andrew to follow his passions in caring for the under-served as a physician while both in the military and later in life for a multitude of reasons. All in all, and what pulls my heart strings most is the fact that this is how my husband has chosen to provide, both for us and our some-day children. Not just financially, but emotionally as well. If you know Andrew, you know that this is not something he has been dreaming to do since he was a young boy. But, if you know Andrew, you know that he is an incredibly hard worker; he is mentally and physically strong; he makes the best out of any situation; and he thrives when challenged. Furthermore, if you saw him playing with his box of airplanes, army men, and tanks from his childhood room (like I did last week), you'd think this was his dream come true.

His training marks the first "real" military duty and it will most definitely be a new and challenging experience. Though brief, it is also the longest we have ever been apart for our 8 years of being together. With very limited contact, this will be a challenge for me as well.

I am challenged to pray for him throughout each day. To pray scripture over him and be a supportive wife while I'm thousands of miles away. To stay positive and not throw pity parties for myself (though that's exactly what I feel like doing). I am humbled when I think of the wives, husbands, and families who have their loved ones gone for many more months and even years. Their strength is admirable. Their humility is praiseworthy.

Thank you friends and family for support and prayers! 

Lastly, thank you to all of the past, current, and future military folks for the sacrifices you make. Happy Independence Day!

 

Last week

I had the best week of vacation with my mister. With the wedding that we photographed and a week full of gorgeous sights along the Oregon Coast, I'm sure you can imagine how backed up my poor computer is on photo processing. However, here's an unedited, small snippet of last week for your viewing pleasure.

We traveled from lighthouse to lighthouse from North to South along the Oregon Coast.

We saw TONS of animals along the way...

Beautiful sights, gorgeous hikes, big smiles...

Wild animals and amazing nature!

We made new friends too...

I have too much to share with not enough time or energy to share it. Trust me when I say that an entire week with my hubby on the Oregon coast was just what the doctor ordered. Thankful for sweet time spent with my love and for new experiences and adventures.

Anna & Jeremy | Olympia, Washington Wedding

This, folks, is love. Anna & Jeremy met at college and had their first date over hot cocoa. Through 4 years of school, both near and far apart (as Jeremy is stationed in NY in the Army and Anna did some studying abroad in Namibia), these two found a way to make it work. I had the pleasure of photographing their gorgeous, sweet, barn wedding as well as assisting with the flowers (post to come later on that). They didn't see each other before the wedding and chose to exchange letters around a corner before the ceremony. So many sweet moments! It was cold & cloudy, then hot & sunny, then followed by a torrential downpour. Washington was just showing off it's bi-polar weather super powers for all of the guests. All in all, the farm was the perfect venue for this perfect couple.

I like to call Anna my "little sis" as I was her RA in college, which then lead to us becoming great friends. Jeremy displays his love for Anna in such a kind, respectful, loving way. He simply adores her and she has only the most uplifting things to say about him. They make a great couple as well as a great-looking couple! Congrats newlyweds! 

Here was their preview (a few different photos are shown) 

 

 I still have tons of photos to process, but here is a decent sampling from the mix. Hope you enjoyed them! 

PS- I forgot to mention my amazing assistants- Andrew and Catherine. They deserve a HUGE thank you as I simply couldn't have done it without them. What a blessing and joy it was to work with my husband and dear friend! We make a great team.