applemoonphotography.com

Our baby rocks. Etc., etc.

only 4.5 months old and already chillin’ in a radio flyer red wagon.

CELEBRATING 9 YEARS!

michael, you are more than i could have hoped for in love and life.  everyday i think to myself how blessed i am to have you.  i admire and respect you in so many ways.  whenever i struggle over something, you are the first person i go to.  you are wise, kind, and thoughtful. you know how to bring me out of bad moods with laughter.  i still think you are the funniest person i know – actually, i’m smiling right now just thinking about your silliness.  you know when i need a hug just to be held.  i still melt into your arms and rest my head in the crook of your neck which was made for me.  your love for our daughter makes my heart hurt with so much love.  i can’t believe how blessed i am.  God gave me the greatest gift in you.  and now you’ve given me Avi, and we have started our family.  i look forward to the rest of our lives, and at the same time wish we had 100 more lives to live together… this one already seems too short.  the last 9 years have flown by.  you make my life everything i ever wanted, and most importantly all i ever needed.  thank you for loving me.

Maren, I am the lucky one. These 9 years have flown by and life with you still feels like a honeymoon– really. Your zest for life and desire to squeeze the most out of this world rejuvenates me all the time. I know you deeply, and at the same time I look forward to knowing you more as change inevitably happens and the both of us change and age together. I’ve known you as an acquaintance (that interesting girl in the dark room), then a friend (exploring downtown together), then a girlfriend (that memorable mango…), then a wife (!!!), a business partner (pursuing our creative passion has proven to be a balancing act of each others’ gifts), and  now as the mother of our child. You remain all of these things to me and much more than can be articulated here. This life is certainly too short and the world too small to contain all of our hopes and desires, but it is so good to have someone like you to share them with.

2000. in our home built in 1919 decorating our first Christmas tree as mr. & mrs.

2001. exploring the waterways of the San Joaquin River.

2002.  this was a special night.  our friend’s wedding in a park, and Keeta, our little dog, was also attending.  we adopted her immediately.

2003. celebrating Michael’s 30th with the king.

2004. swimming in Positano, Italy.

2005. northern california, on a 6-week road trip to canada.

2006. on one of our favorite walks, just 1 mile from our home.

2007. dressed like Frida Kahlo (Michael) and Diego Rivera (Maren).  no particular reason, other than we were eating Mexican food that night. Michael’s sangria was phenomenal.

2008. kissing in Costa Rica

2009. celebrating our 9th! anniversary.  Maren surprised Michael with a wave runner tour of the Central Coast.

We finally took our first family camping trip.  Big Sur was the destination.  We were blessed to have B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L weather and big waves which pounded the beach and lulled us to sleep at night – that and the sound of our little girl, Avi, cooing.

We had such an enjoyable and comfortable time at Kristi and Ron’s wedding. If you’ve seen their engagement shoot you’ll know that these two are naturals in front of the camera. And besides that, they’re just so good to be around! They began their wedding day with a First Look at the Madonna Inn before heading up to the ceremony held at Kristi’s family’s stunning private residence in the Arroyo Grande hills. Then we were off to nearby Edna Valley Vineyard for a lovely reception that included endearing toasts & praises from their amazing friends (several of whom, along with Ron, broke out into an operatic ‘happy birthday’ song to a fellow guest during dinner), spicy dance performances, goofy M.J.-Thriller dance performances, an emceed photo slideshow, and a whimsical wedding cake ready for take-off by Ron’s replica airplane. What really touched our hearts was when Ron told us that one of best parts of his wedding experience was us. (Thank you, Ron!) That said however, with the wedding night still in front of him, we think the best was yet to come.

Many thanks to Edna Valley Vineyard for providing a flawless wedding reception by the very talented and friendly event specialist Tina Hoppe.  Priscilla at Events a la Mode kept things going smoothly at the ceremony. Stardust  Cruises provided expert service in their Model A Ford stretch limo. Brian at AVS DJ Service kept the dance crowd moving well, and Jenny at Cake Cathedral served up the most fun cake we’ve seen all year. And last but certainly not least, a special shout out to the ultra-talented Ian Gonzaga for assisting us with the shoot!