Ashley & Steven | Engaged | 2013
What can I say? These two have been a delight to know from day one. Steven and Ashley braved one of the recent waves of heat, plus a heavy dose of Nebraska wind to celebrate their engagement. I am thankful to call these two friends as they are awesome people. And I am happy that I was able to bring the two back to the very spot where they were engaged.
Congrats again!
The Wellensiek's | 2013
There is one thing I can count on and that is for Nolan and Riley to make great photos! On one of the warmest weekends of the summer, I had the chance to again photograph the Wellensieks. As always, it was awesome. We got some great photos despite the heat. And at the end of the shoot, we grabbed a water/pop and got a visit from the grandparents!
Senior in the Valley | Olivia
In August, I spent a fun weekend at the lake photographing Olivia. She is starting her senior year and is the younger sister of my old college roommate. With a little help from Patrick and their mother and father, we hit some awesome spots around Lake Panorama and the small town of Panora. Armed with some crazy shoes and a great smile, Olivia (and her family/assistants) were great sports and as usual, tons of fun!
A Brick in the Road
Less than two months ago, I purchased the building that was my grandpa's and great-grandpa's grocery store. It had went through a couple of owners and then sat with closed doors for years since my grandparent's retired in the 1990s.
It had been a busy summer transitioning to living back in Cook, starting a new job and traveling for another job, but we had made progress on the building. Thanks to family and friends (and a couple of good connections), we had cleaned out most of the remaining items, the surrounding landscape and front exterior.
I knew the next two major projects were going to be the roof and the brick exterior. But Sunday night I came home to this:
The majority of the east wall had fallen while I was out of town for the weekend.
Previously the wall was home to a large mural of Cook. Originally painted by Nemaha Valley high schoolers, the mural was given a new coat of paint a few weeks ago in an effort spearheaded by one of the original painters. It was great that this was finished in time for the celebration of Cook's 125 anniversary, however as you can see, this wall has been quickly changed.
The result? The decision on how/when to replace/repair the brick has definitely been expedited as we still have to look forward to winter. But as of now, this project has reached a major speed bump. Stay tuned.
Two A's in Nebraska | Andy & Amy
We just had to get a little of Nebraska into some photos for Andy and Amy! Blessed with an amazing day of midwest weather, these two were tremendously easy to work with - even if they consider themselves to have no clue about being in front of the camera! Congratulations and hope I didn't make you too late to your brother's rehearsal dinner! :)
