See that smile? That smile belongs to my friend Brooke. About 9ish years ago we meet in the loud kitchen of Cracker Barrel as fellow servers. Well, let me re-phrase that, she was a server, I was brand-new to CB, a newbie. She actually trained me one night. She taught me everything I knew right Brooke? 😉 We formed this work sort of friendship. You can actually get pretty close with someone when you’re serving a ton of people on a busy Friday night. We started to hangout, Kaldi Coffee dates & chats became more frequent over the year I lived in Columbia, Missouri. And then I moved. But because Brooke is a true friend, she is one of the few that I have stayed in close contact with since I left.

I have two favorite phone call memories with Brooke since we became long distance friends. The first was around Easter one year & she told me about her decision to put Jesus Christ first in life & follow Him wholeheartedly. There was much joy & tears in the conversation.

The second fav phone conversation was when we talked about her & her husband’s anniversary session that she had asked me to do. I had gotten a request to do a session in St. Charles, MO with another close family from Columbia & so it just all worked out perfectly to meet with Brooke & Nic!

I tell you St. Charles was cray cray that weekend! (I’d love to go back & visit sometime when it was a little quieter though 😉 ) But we did manage to find some quiet spots & have a few moments with just the three of us.

Brooke & Nic have a unique, wonderful love story like every couple who puts Christ first in their relationship. I hadn’t been around Nic too many times so our time in St. Charles was fun getting to know him & seeing how he loves Brooke.

One of the ways I see Nic love Brooke is through his eyes. He looks at her with such love, admiration & a sense of “knowing”. He knows Brooke. He knows her little quirks, her passions, desires, hopes & dreams. And he loves her. Very much. And can I just add that Nic had NO problem kissing Brooke during their session 😉

Brooke & Nic use a candle each year & take a picture with it to symbolize how many years they’ve been married. This past December 1 was the big “2”. And I know without a doubt there will be many more anniversaries to come.

Sweetness.

When Brooke & I talked on the phone before their session, she communicated to me how important having pictures taken of her & Nic is so important to her. She wants to remember who they were at that time & to look back as the years go on & be thankful for what the Lord has done & how they’ve grown as a couple. If I could have recorded that part of our phone conversation & typed out her words for a blog post I would have!!! My heart is just so full when others see the significance of taking photo’s, not just at your wedding but onnnnn through the years.

You two have a strong foundation in Christ. Never forget that. Or that there are tons of people cheering you on. Me included. You two are a dynamo duo. Let the love story the Lord is writing for you continue, with many blessings, surprises & adventures along the way. Love you both.

View more at www.facebook.com/youweremadetosmile.