capturing life one image at a time
It was 4:15am when my phone buzzed. The text was from my sister and she was officially in labor. I made it to the hospital 30 minutes before she began to push, and I got to see Tanner one last time before she became a mother. She gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy, my precious nephew, David Callahan Peterson.
This was one of those days I will never forget.
Friends are the family you get to choose.
2014 has been a big year for my family. We have celebrated two graduations, an engagement and wedding, new jobs, new homes, and travels all over the world. For my sister Tanner and her husband Mason, 2014 will always be remembered as the year they were able to get pregnant.
You would be hard-pressed to find a couple more suited for parenthood. These two are going to be amazing parents and I’m grateful to get the chance to learn from the example they will set. One of the challenges of being the firstborn is never having an older sibling to show you how things are done. As the oldest, I was always the one paving the way. Tanner gets to be the first to become a mama and I get to watch as she takes on her new role. She’s paving the way and I couldn’t be more happy for her.
Not long after we ring in the new year, the Petersons have the privilege of ringing in a new generation of our family. This baby may have mom’s red hair or dad’s dimples. It may have mom’s gift for making friends or dad’s gift for making jokes. One thing is for sure though… this baby will have an army of grandparents, aunts, and uncles who love him (or her!) We thank God for his answer to prayer and we look forward to all the joy this new year is sure to bring .
On a surprisingly warm and sunny Saturday in the middle of November, my family celebrated another wedding. In the same church where I took my own wedding vows, I watched as my youngest sister vowed to love and honor and cherish her new husband. It was an absolutely perfect day and I wanted to capture every bit of it.
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Price!
Eight years ago, Katie and I became acquaintances. Then over time, we became friends and prayer partners and travel buddies. Katie is creative and thoughtful and intentional with her words. And somewhere along the way, her friendship has become one of my most treasured relationships.
Katie is having a baby. And if I’m honest, it’s bittersweet for me. Sweet because she’s getting to become a mama and she’s going to be great at it. But hard because now I’m the one left still hoping for a pregnancy.
It’s the time of year when we celebrate the things we’re grateful for. I’m grateful for Katie. Grateful for her love for Jesus and the way she reminds me of His love for me. Grateful for the tears she let me cry when she told me she was pregnant. Grateful for the joy she brings to me and to so many others. It was an honor to get to host a shower for my dear friend.
This girl had lots of reasons to celebrate. Fall break from her masters program was going to be spent at the beach with her friends and sisters. And the weather forecast was perfect.
This was the scene when I arrived – the bathing suit clad bride dancing on the porch to music streaming from her tablet. Her enthusiasm was contagious. The bachelorette weekend was full of good food and fruity drinks, silly games and silky gifts. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it so special!
Florida beach conditions in October are idyllic. The air is warm, the sand is cool, and the humidity is low.
We love you Leah!
Founded in 1989, the Barnabas Center is a Christ-centered counseling and training ministry in Charlotte. This year, the Barnabas Center celebrates 25 years of impacting the lives of the people in our city. This side of heaven, life is hard. Each of us encounters disappointment and rejection, and our lives are full of struggles and questions. The brokenness of this life can easily move us towards despair. The team at Barnabas believes that our brokenness can point us to Jesus and our need for Him.
This night was a celebration of the impact the Barnabas Center has had in its first 25 years. It was a celebration of the relationships that have been restored, the addictions that have been defeated, the hearts that have been healed, and the truth that none of it would have been possible without Christ.
It was a Thursday when Michael turned in his two weeks notice. Making the decision to leave his employer of eight years was not an easy one. For weeks he had prayed about the decision and sought counsel from friends and family. There was such a sense of relief for both of us when a decision was finally made. And there was also the realization that there would be a week between the end of the old job and the start of the new job. We decided that a week of unemployment was a great time to take a trip.
There wasn’t much time to plan, so after some TripAdvisor research and a quick check of our skymile balance, we purchased two plane tickets to Belize. And a week later we were getting our passports stamped in Central America. We spent five days on Ambergris Caye, the largest island in Belize. It’s a top destination for travelers wanting to dive and snorkel because the world’s second largest barrier reef is just a mile off the coast. While the highlights of the trip were definitely our snorkel tours, the time spent at the resort pool wasn’t too bad either.
San Pedro is the only town on Ambergris Caye. The roads are narrow and the buildings are bright. Locals and visitors get around either by bicycle or golf cart. From almost any point in town, you can catch a glimpse of the turquoise waters on either side of the mile-wide island.
This is one of my favorite photographs from our trip. I’m so proud of this man for the hard work that he does and the intentional way he lives his life. Looking forward to seeing more of this big beautiful world with you.
It was August when Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the gulf coast. In the hours that followed, entire cities were crushed by the storm. Lives were lost, families were displaced, and homes were destroyed. Nine years later, Katrina’s presence is still felt on the coast. Her footprint is everywhere.
In Bay St. Louis, along the Jordan River, sits a once grandiose home. Built on a Coca Cola fortune, the acreage includes two homes, a boathouse, and what appears to have been grazing land for buffalo. The scene now is eerily reminiscent of Gone With The Wind. Approaching the house, I felt like Scarlett returning to a war-torn Tara. The exterior walls survived the hurricane, but the interior was ravaged by the storm. And for nine years, it has sat untouched. My friends and I scooted past the “private property” sign and made our way down the winding driveway to get a peek at the ghost mansion.
Mat Kearney is one of my all time favorite artists. I’ve heard him say that his inspiration for the song “All I Need” were friends who had to flee their home during Katrina, leaving behind all that they owned. These lyrics took on a new meaning for me as I tip-toed my way through the broken glass and sagging hallways.
“The walls are shaking, I hear them sound the alarm
Glass is breaking so don’t let go of my arm
Grab your bags and a picture of where we met
All that we’ll leave behind and all that’s left”
In the fall of 2002, I began my freshman year of college. I was in a small town in a new state and feeling very far from home. Living on the same floor of a gigantic freshman dorm were four girls who would turn out to be the most beloved part of my college career. I would not have made it through those four years without these friends. Now, over ten years later, we live in five different states and these days, opportunities to be together are few and far between. We worked hard to find a weekend to reconnect this summer and it was well worth it. By plane and by car, we all made our way to the coastal city of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for a long weekend together. Being with these women is easy and fun and they make me laugh like nobody else can.
This is for you my ninth floor ladies!
It was a weekend of good food and southern beer. It was spent reminiscing about our college days and sharing about our lives now. There was music and laughter and lots of sunscreen.
The weekend also included a surprise announcement from my friend Leslie.
“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.” – Aristotle
rachel baughman photo 