Visiting Mt Lamp community in Washington state...

My husband and I weren't on a vacation for pretty long time.. And while back (probably about 6weeks ago or so), we were looking for a weekend get away place, just to be together and enjoy some quality time.
His best friend lives up in Washington near Deming at a Retreat community center and since we haven't seen him in a long time and he lives surrounded by a beautiful nature, we've decided to visit him and the beautiful place that he calls his home for now.
We flew to Seattle and spend the night there with my very good friend that I've met back in Czech about 11years ago (nice reunion with her and her husband).
And the next day went for a walk and took few pictures by some nice lake (I don't even know the name). After lunch, Zuzika drove us to the exit 202, where David picked us up and took us to the Mount Lamp.

Thinking of my dear baby brother, when I saw this rainbow flag...

Our friend David enjoying his tea...

 What a spectacular sunset...

 Beautiful garden with a wonderful view...

Meditation hall...

 We are staying here since Thursday night and really enjoying it. On Saturday was a big storm that disconnected electricity, so we were able to enjoy complete darkness and really enjoying our time in nature, without any electronics.. What a peaceful place...Good times...

 That's where Nick and I are sleeping...

 Enchanted forest...

Trees are alive here and with faces.. :-)

 Enjoying the candle light while cooking at night.

And eating while having a good time and talk...

 We just stopped in a city for short time, because David had to finish some work, which gave me an opportunity to work a little bit on some wedding pictures and post these...
Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
♥♥♥

4 weddings and a funeral.. plus 2 births...

I haven't posted anything in a while.. And it's due to my life-business of the last weeks overwhelming events that happen all together in one week.
Some of the "older ones" might remember the movie from 80's 4 weddings and a funeral. Well.. on top of that.. I've been to two births as a doula.

Here is what happen...
I've been booked for Friday 7th of August to be a photographer for a wedding of Jessica and Kevin. It was through an agency George Street Photo (so I have to file pictures form the wedding within 5 days after the wedding).

I've been also booked for Saturday 8th of August to be a photographer for a beautiful wedding of a friends of mine Amanda and Ant. It was super fun wedding in Borrego Springs in the middle of desert with the dinosaurs sculptures as an wedding arch. 

And for the Sunday, I was booked for another wedding, wonderful people Jennifer and Rosa, that had a wedding on the La Jolla shore @The Martin Johnson house.

 

And since I'm a doula as well, I was ready any day for Cheryl's birth. It's a beautiful mama of 2 wonderful kids Liberty and Jack and was expecting another addition to their family. She texted me and her midwife on Sunday morning, that she had had contractions during the day and that she feels that the baby is probably coming that night or next day.

So.. after the wedding of Jen and Rosa, I came home, took a shower and went over to Cheryl's home. She had contractions but was still in a very light spirit, so we took few pictures and were waiting for Lisa Marie - the midwife. Who also invited her friend Marley, that is midwife in training.
Because the labor wasn't progressing very fast, the next day in the evening, we've decided to go home and rest a little bit and return later.
In the meantime, my friend Anna, who was expecting baby too, texted us, that she has been having contractions and they are more and more regular and closer to one another.. And because Lisa Marie, her husband Richard and me really needed to be there for her, because she needed extra support, we've decided to go to her house.

I got there at 10pm on Monday (she lives in Temecula). Lisa Marie and Richard came around 11.30pm, stayed over night, and since the labor wasn't progressing as fast, they went back to their hotel room to rest a little bit to be able to help out later.

In the meantime, Cheryl gave birth to a healthy boy Oliver on Tuesday afternoon. Marley and another wonderful midwife Nicol were there for her and her family.

And before midnight on Tuesday, Anna has decided to go to the hospital, so we packed everything and her mom and sister took her there. While Lisa Marie, Richard and I were cleaning the house.
I will write more about the weddings and birth separately.

I just wanted to share, how big stretched without enough sleep it was.. And that we people are capable of much more than we think.
After I went home, I cried a lot, not seeing either of the baby coming out was very sad for me. But both of the births were such a tranformative and humbling experience for me. I'm grateful that I could be there.
On Wednesday, I had to deliver the wedding pictures and my husband shared with me, that his great uncle passed away and that his funeral is the next day in L.A.
So on Thursday morning, we woke up at 5.30am to carpool with part of the family to L.A.
I've never met the great uncle Tony, but I've heard so many beautiful things about him and I feel like he lives withing each of the family member that I've met.

When we came back home at night, I went to sleep, woke up and worked on the pictures from the weddings, met up with Cheryl and her beautiful family and the new member Oliver, Lisa Marie and Richard came there for check up as well. It was a very good time and a closure for the birth.
On Saturday, I had the privilege to take pictures of an elope wedding of Becky and Mark @Del Mar shore.

It was a beautiful early morning wedding and I was really glad for that (because it got hot later on). And from there, I went to Poway to celebrate my sister and brother-in-law's birthday party, got our nieces and they stayed at our house over night and we had fun with them on Sunday before giving them back to their daddy...

What a week...
I feel grateful to have such a rich life.. But it's still taking me time to take all of that in.. and process it...

Wossene and Dan's wedding sneak peek..

Wossene and Dan met at a restaurant. Worked in the same restaurant but not together.. knew each other only as acquaintances... And fate placed them back together again as co-workers at the Tractor Room in 2012. While they worked together, their interest and feelings for each other grew. And as they said.. "The rest, is history!"

Daniel proposed to Wossene on their vacation trip to Chicago, she said yes!! (you'd have to read all his story that lead to the half year of preparation, asking her dad for a blessing and trying to find the right spot where he would pop the question).

I had already had so much fun capturing their couple photos few months back and I was really excited for their big day.
They've decided to have a ceremony @ a lovely St Paul's Cathedral in San Diego. From there, the shiny Rolce Royce picked them up and took them to Balboa Park, where we've taken some bridal party pictures, family pictures and pictures of the loving couple.

What I love about wedding is the privilege to be part of people's special moments in their lives and learn something wonderful and unique about them. I haven't known, how family oriented they both are and how family is the number one for both of them. What a wonderful start to be at as a married couple. To honor the importance of family, love and friendship and be surrounded by their supportive family and friends.

Followed by super fun reception @Westin San Diego.

Their engraved date and touching description of their uniqueness: They are, to each other - "Nefsai". Which in Amharic means "Soul". As I've learned, they have long referred to each other in this way.

CONGRATULATIONS Wossene and Daniel! I am eternally grateful you invited me to be a part of your wedding day. You both are so amazing and I will never forget our time together! I wish you both nothing but a lifetime of happiness and beautiful memories.