Hey Reader!

There I was—Up north, laying in bed, lingering in that cozy moment where the sheets are warm and the air outside is crisp.

Enjoying my freshly washed hair, and I just laid there, soaking in the calm. No rush to jump out of bed.

It felt so good to wake up *rested*. 🥰

Last week, when I finally emerged from my editing cave, I was proudly singing the praises of the new dry shampoo my hairstylist recommended.

Because honestly, up early, bed late… who has time to wash their hair?

But then, as I was mentally sorting through all the to-dos running wild in my head & calculating how many cups of coffee it might take to find the bottom of that list, I remembered something I read in Redeeming Your Time by Jordan Raynor:

"We will all die with unfinished symphonies. Our to-do list will never be completed. There will always be a gap between what we can imagine accomplishing in this life and what we can actually get done."

And I found myself thinking, "Kind of depressing & yet so freeing."

... it was exactly the reminder I needed.

He went on to write: "God alone will finish that work and ultimately bring heaven to earth, we can embrace this freeing truth today: God doesn’t need you or me to finish our to-do lists. If the things on our to-do list are on God’s to-do list, he will complete it with or without us.”

So. 👏🏻 Good. 👏🏻

God is not reliant on us — it’s the other way around.

Maybe you’ve felt this too—like there’s too much to do and not enough time. Wanting to “finish the year strong,” but also longing to slow down and just be present this holiday season.

So here’s what I’m doing this week: I’m taking a hard look at everything on my list and asking ...

“Is it okay if this waits until the new year?”

I invite you to join me and do the same, friend.

No big finish here. Just wanted to share it in case it lands for you too.

Warmly,

P.S. This first week of November feels like the big-picture version of my Saturday Sabbath prep days. I’m going in with that same mindset: slow down, tie things up, and prep for 2026...

So I can actually enjoy a slower December.

👉🏼 Check out this blog post HERE for a peek into what Sabbath prep looks like for me ... and then zoom it out and close your year with that same rhythm.

P.P.S. So excited to share what I was so busy editing this week on the blog!! Scroll down to see!! 😍✨

Ava's Lifestyle Newborn Photos

Little Ava’s newborn photos were a dream!! I couldn’t stop gushing over these photos as I was editing them & I’m so excited to be sharing them!

When we took these photos, Ava was about 3 weeks old! So sweet! Lindsay and I were talking about how much she has already grown and is changing!

It really is wild how much these little ones grow in a year! There really is an urgency to have photos taken right away, before she keeps growing.

I still pinch myself that this is what I get to call work … visiting cozy homes, doting over precious little babies and good conversations with the sweetest parents—seriously a dream!!

October's Arizona Desert Minis!

Feeling so much pride for my home state sharing these Arizona Desert minis on the blog!! 🌵✨

I was born & raised in Arizona and let me tell you the desert showed off for these photos! Between how lush it was and the glowy light these photos are absolutely stunning!!

As I got talking to everyone, I found so many families just moved here and wanted to have photos that really show this new season! And others who have called Arizona home for years just wanted your ‘traditional Arizona Christmas card.’ We kept laughing at the irony: sweaters in the desert... while we were literally breaking a sweat!

​CLICK HERE to check out the blog & the reason I'm asking Santa Claus for boots this Christmas! 🎅🏻🤠✨​

2025 Mini Sessions:

The quickest way to grab sweet smiles from your squirmy kiddos.

And after a bunch of requests (and some calendar Tetris), I found space for ONE more mini session day this year!

📣 So, if you would like your photos taken before the end of the year, this is last call!!

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