A Break.

This may sound strange, but the kind of "break" I am talking about doesn't involve resting, relaxing, getting away, or avoiding work in any way, shape, or form. In fact, it's the opposite.

I finally got a big break in looking for some substitute teaching work! That's right, I got a call back today from a third-party sub-hiring company that set me up with a gig at Woodmont Academy Thursday and Friday this week, with a promise to call later this week to set up more opportunities for the near future.

You may think I'm crazy for wanting to work so badly, and even crazier for being excited about substitute teaching, but it's totally what I've been looking for. Fred's job pays our bills, but this will be a huge help to our family, ESPECIALLY around the holiday season. We have no plans to go overboard with lots of lavish gifts, but we both really desire to give a few things to our close loved ones, and to give to those less fortunate. All that being said, I MUST GIVE THANKS!

The Lord allowed me gifts and talents and patience for teaching, He then provided for me a steady job over the past three years that educated, challenged, and matured me in ways I never thought possible. Now, His provision of this simple little job brings me joy once again for the gift of a job, of a special little purpose, of a way to serve and honor others, and as a way to provide for others' many needs. I am so excited and so grateful to have a reason to wake up at 6 a.m. on Thursday!

Freeze Tagged

I've been talking up a big game about this video that I found some time ago on YouTube. I loved the subversive yet respectful nature of this group of people, banding together to "stick it to the man" (or just have a good time) with a laugh. Enjoy!

Our New House

It's been a month and a half since we moved in, but we FINALLY got our living room furniture this week. Which means...
I can finally post some pictures of our new digs! Here are a few, taken through my fisheye lens in hopes that you can see much more of the room in each view.

Our living room, with the new furniture.

The kitchen.

Our tranquil bedroom.

The classy grey & clean blue bathroom.

The spare bedroom & office.

Prayer for Healing

We received news a week ago that my great aunt Gerrie recently found out she has a brain tumor. Aunt Gerrie is a devoted wife, loving mother, faithful pastor's wife, phenomenal Christian speaker, and now an accomplished writer. Whenever I think of Aunt Gerrie, I picture a fun-loving, vivacious woman who gratefully keeps Jesus Christ as her Lord & savior of her life. I admire her very much, and am asking for prayers from anybody who may occasionally still check in on this blog. She and my great uncle Clyde are in high hopes of a full healing, and for those interested, they can follow this blog, kept updated by their daughter Lori.

"Oy vey!" We are love you and we're praying for you Aunt Gerrie & Uncle Clyde!

Photo Website

Hey all!

Be sure to click on this link to check out my Smugmug website, a gallery site that features a few of the senior portraits, engagements, and weddings that I have shot. You can click through thumbnails, or click to enlarge them if you want. You can even vote for the ones you like & dislike, so I know what people are looking for!

The best part is that you can order prints & products through this website. The beauty of it lies in the fact that you only choose the images that you want, and then get to choose the size and paper you want it printed on. Other products such as mugs, t-shirts, aprons, canvases, coasters, and much more are also available for print.

PLEASE take time to check it out. It has helped my business tremendously.

Now I'm off to find the post office in my new town... There are a lot of things you just don't think of when you move!

MARRIED! and more.

Well this is a little note to let you all know that I DID get married on August 30 to the best husband I'll ever have, Mr. Fred Betcher (III). We have spent the last few weeks in wedded bliss and on our honeymoon, in Ludington and Europe. It was a BLAST. As soon as I sift through all of our thousands (yes, THOUSANDS) of photos, I'll be sure to post a few from all of the places we visited. I might post in the style of a friend whose recent trip to Sweden was published in daily increments. I loved reading it, learned a lot about the places she & her husband visited, and was stunned by her gorgeous shots and angles of the various locations.

For now, I must concentrate on packing, moving, and shooting a very special wedding this weekend. I have the privilege of seeing not just two people become one this weekend, but two families become one. God has truly blessed the couple and their children with a second chance at love and family - something He designed and protects in love.

2 DAYS!!!

 That's right, 2 days until I am officially off the market (REMEMBER THE CONSTRUCTION! Click here for details.). The time has FLOWN by, as I knew it would. I just couldn't comprehend what it would be like. I am hoping my wedding day doesn't go by in such a blur that I can't recall it well. It will help that we are video taping it, and will have photos, but I really want to be present and basking in those moments. I want to mean my vows when I say them.

Yesterday I finished editing the wedding pics from last weekend. I only need to burn them to a disc & ship them off today, which is a HUGE weight off my shoulders. They turned out pretty well, I was really excited to see some of the images that I wasn't sure about transform into beauties. It didn't hurt any that the bride was a blushing, beautiful, blue-eyed babe. Her groom cleaned up nice, too. I'll post some of them - sometime. Or maybe a link to their Smugmug gallery.

This morning I am getting things ready to take to the church, so I can start setting up the reception as much as possible. Fred is helping me, and maybe some of his family. Nick comes back in the afternoon, and a whole car full of girls I love will pull in around that time, as well. They have planned some kind of bachelorette party for me, so that should be... interesting.

In effort to keep my mind and heart more on the present (and less on "what's next?" mode), a couple of my friends who were recently married left me some messages on my blog and Facebook wall. I thought they gave very sound advice. I'm wondering if anybody else has some advice for the girl about to get married in 2 days?

PLEASE comment, if you have something to share. :)

Russell Engagement Photos

I have uploaded to my Faithful Photography Smugmug site about 2/3 of the photos from last Friday's engagement shoot with the future Mr. & Mrs. Russell! As time allows, the remaining photos will be added, as well. Click here to peruse a gallery of photos. Feel free to leave comments on the photos & vote for your favorites. It helps me become a better photographer - I LOVE constructive criticism!

3 DAYS!!!

 days. 

I can scarcely believe I am allowed to type that!

The next three days will be filled (and I mean FILLED) with as much preparation as we can shove in before Fred & I marry on Saturday. I keep asking him if he's nervous, and he insists that he's not. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous - not about marrying Fred, but about the whole wedding. We of course want everything to go off without a hitch, so we are preparing and praying as much as possible before Saturday. I have purposed to enjoy the day on Saturday, no matter what happens and no matter what anybody says to me. I am marrying the man I love and we will share the company of many friends & family. What's not to love?!

This may be one of the most surprising seasons of my life, as I mentioned all of the surprises yesterday. Add one more to the mix, because my best girl called me last night and told me that she was not, in fact, driving 9.5 hours overnight with her fiance on Thursday night to arrive here in the wee hours of Friday morning. She is instead flying to Chicago, then driving here on Thursday afternoon with all of the rest of my girls! She even took a personal day @ work for me, I am so grateful. Not only will she be here to spend more time with me, but she will be in town for my bachelorette party (another surprise - they are kidnapping me) tomorrow night, and able to sleep over and help out with everything on Friday. Her fiance will drive solo all the way in on Friday and stay through Sunday and they'll drive back on Sunday, so he is a hero in this, too!

I AM SO EXCITED!!! And blessed!!!

Construction Alert

For those of you coming to our wedding on Saturday, BE PREPARED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION & DETOURS. Please allow 10 minutes extra to work around the construction.

Major reconstruction is taking place at the intersection of I-94 and US 131. The ramp to eastbound I-94 from both northbound and southbound US 131 will be closed. There are a few ways to get around the construction, but these are the fastest.

NORTHBOUND 131 (toward Grand Rapids):

Take Centre Street exit from 131, and turn right (east) on Centre. Drive 2 miles east to Oakland Drive, then turn left (north) and continue for 2.5 miles on Oakland Drive. The church will be on your left, just before I-94.

SOUTHBOUND 131 (toward Indiana):

Take the detour by going west on I-94 to 9th Street, the first exit west of 131. Turn around at 9th and travel over I-94, then eastbound on I-94 for 2 miles to the Oakland Drive exit. The church will be on your immediate right.

EASTBOUND or WESTBOUND I-94:

Both directions have access to Oakland Drive. The church is on the south side of I-94, on the west side of Oakland.

We can't wait to celebrate with you!

4 DAYS!!!

  days!

Yesterday, I was overwhelmed with surprise. First, I found out that we do in fact have a place to go after our wedding. We don't leave for our honeymoon until the eve of September 4, so we have a few days to kill before then. Fred made plans to go up north to Ludington and stay in a cabin there - a PERFECT way to relax.

My second surprise came in the form of my parents' wedding gift to Fred & I - a pair of matching kayaks! I was a little worried when my dad told us, "This gift we are going to give you has never even graced your mind, you've never even thought of it." That being said, he was a little nervous to give it to us for fear that we hadn't thought of it because we didn't want it! It turned out really well, though. Fred & I were elated! We can use them on our camping trips, and maybe even take them up north with us!

Last little note, below are some shots from Friday's engagement session with Jimi & Jill. They are such a cute couple! I couldn't decide which shots to edit, so I did all 200 of them! Jimi has been on active duty in Asia over the last few months, and was supposed to come home a week & a half ago. Just a week before he was supposed to come home, he was given the bad news that there was not enough money and he wouldn't be able to come home just yet.

So Jill prayed. And her family prayed. And her friends prayed.

And Jimi came home! He was given his ticket just hours before his plane left from Japan.

So in celebration of his homecoming and in anticipation of his upcoming wedding to Jill, we braved the rain on Friday morning and got some GREAT shots. Thanks for a fun morning, Jimi & Jill!

"Come-hither" at the KIA.

Little Dutch kids always kiss.

Fields of gold.

5 DAYS!!!

days.

Today I'm editing those engagement shots from Friday & starting the wedding photos. I'll post them soon, if I get a chance - maybe tomorrow's post. Tonight my parents are having Fred & I over for a yummy steak dinner with them & Alison, and they are giving us our wedding present. I am so excited! They have been enormously helpful and wonderful through this whole engagement & the wedding planning process, as well. I am blessed with some great parents, siblings, and extended family already - it seems pretty crazy that God would bless me with ANOTHER wonderful family. He sure has great plans, far better than what I could have come up with.

Oh, and my wedding dress came home from the "hospital" today. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

A little teaser of the dress:

6 DAYS!!!

I don't know about the 7 nights, but just 6 more days before I marry the one I love!

A little update on yesterday's wedding shoot - it went really well! There was NO RAIN while we were out on the beach, the clouds rolled in just as we rolled away. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! The rain held off & I held on during the more hectic moments. I fell in love with the camera I shot with, but still found much use for my Rebel. I'm pretty grateful for that thing! It has opened up a lot of fun, learning, and even witnessing opportunities.

Liza & Dustin Mielke are happily wed and blissfully headed off on their honeymoon this morning. Best wishes and God's blessings for a wonderful life, you 2!!! I had such a fun time with your family, and your generosity is much appreciated.

Pics to come!

7 DAYS!!!

 

That's right, one week until I am Mrs. Emily Betcher. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I always thought so. And check out the forecast for next Saturday!!!

Anyway, I am off to photograph a wedding today. It's in South Haven and while the weather looks BEAUTIFUL this morning, there is a 40% chance of showers & thunderstorms this afternoon (when the wedding commences). Please pray for clear weather for the couple, Liza & Dustin! It is a beach ceremony, which has been their dream and desire. I would love the opportunity to shoot this wedding outside, as well.

I borrowed a friend's Canon 5D, so hopefully I'll come away with some nice shots on both that and my little Rebel XTi. I am saving up for a 5D (or whatever new & improved Canon version comes out in April), and have a few weddings & senior portraits to do, to help me purchase one. My goal with my business is to stay debt-free, so if I have to rent or borrow other equipment, or "just make do" with my current equipment, that's just fine with me! I want to keep learning and pushing myself to grow and to better understand the technology I have, to serve others. There is a reason God gave me the ability to purchase my XTi, and I would hate for discontent to cloud that reason. As I once told my dad (and he is faithful to remind me), "It's not the camera that takes the picture."

A sneak-peak at a few more of Alison's senior pics (the ones she decided on):

8 DAYS!!!

You guessed it - I'm marrying the man of my dreams in 8 days. A little over a week. Wow.

And between now & then, I've got a few things to do:

• Edit engagement shots I took this morning
• Photograph a wedding
• Edit that wedding's photos
• Send off the engagement shots & the other wedding's photos
• Go for a final fitting & bring my wedding gown home from the "dress hospital"
• Pack for moving
• Maybe pack for the honeymoon
• Pack for the days immediately following the wedding
• Decorate the sanctuary & gym
• Have a bachelorette party
• Hang out with friends & family

Just a few things on my plate, it could be a lot worse. Think of all the things God was able to accomplish in just 7 days! And still had time to rest! I am praying He gives me a little of that strength & perseverance to work hard through these next few days, that I may relax and enjoy next Saturday. I covet your prayers as we do our best to prepare, prepare, prepare for the swiftly approaching wedding & marriage.

9 DAYS!!!

I'll be a Mrs. in a mere 9 days! Unbelievable.

In other news, one of my future brothers-in-law is leaving the state soon, and I am going to miss him! Nick is taking off this weekend for North Central University in the Twin Cities, where he will pursue his post-secondary degree. He's been knocking off credits at a community college for a while, and is excited to move with the Lord, following His will and pursuing His presence. He'll fly back next weekend for the wedding, but it will be short-lived.

I am just thrilled for him. In remembering how formative my college years were for me, and I am so proud of the decision he's made. While I'm extremely sad that he will now be 9 hours away from me (11 hours from our new home!), I am blessed that he has moved into a certain Dearest Friend's "neighborhood," and that I'll get to spend time with both of them now, when we visit. I know that I'll see him for holidays and breaks, too, and already plan to visit when I attend her wedding in October.

So in tribute to my new brother, a College "To-Do" List:

1. Glorify God.

2. Have fun.

3. Soak in the education.

4. Try lots of new things.

5. Some things aren't worth trying - don't give in to the masses.

 

10 DAYS!!!

I'm definitely not talking about waiting 10 days for a letter. I'm waiting the next 10 days to get married.

Shower #3

The third shower that was given to me was no exception to the abundance of blessing, fun, and fellowship that marked the first two. This time it was hosted by family friends Laurie Krum & Nancy Haas, and held in the Krums' amazing, immaculate pool area. There were many sweet, fun, fine ladies in attendance - many from different parts of my life. In the game that we played, each woman was "randomly" called upon by myself (drawing a gift from a basket that matched the gift she had chosen from another basket) and was asked to introduce herself to everybody else, and to describe a first, early, or otherwise significant memory of me. It was so fun when some women were able to say they knew me before I was born, and to have other young women whom I have only just met this year share my joy. What a blessing to hear these women speak fondly of memories I share - words can't describe the joy it was to share in. (Moreover, my future mother-in-law got to hear some "great Emily stories" that she didn't know, and got a little peek into the early Emily. Basically, she got to hear how far the nerdiness goes back into my childhood - it's deep, nearly fathomless. I may have been cool at some point during my early toddler days, but it's hard to say.) 

It was just a taste of the joy that Fred & I will share in 11 days when we say our vows in the presence of God, family, and many, many friends. (Insert annoyingly high-pitched squeal here.)

Shower #2

The ladies at my mom's work (KVO) were kind enough to throw me a shower at the Ground Round. We shared a few laughs, ate a yummy meal, and I opened presents. I think that has become (quite selfishly) my favorite part of showers. 

Though I've known a few of the "KVO ladies" since I was born, I was also blessed by the presence and generosity of women there who love me because they love my mom - how sweet is that?! It gave me a whole new perspective of Jesus' teaching about loving the "least of these." I have always lived in plenty, and have never thought of myself as the "least of these." I don't particularly feel that way now, but when I am blessed in such a way that I can't comprehend the love, compassion, and generosity behind it, I know I must be the least this time, and it makes me want to live that generously with my own time, love, effort, compassion, and even finances (a big deal for this Dutch girl - can I get an "Amen"?).

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? 

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

Matthew 25:34-40

Shower #1

This last weekend, my future mother-in-law and my future cousin-in-law (and current friend & bridesmaid!) were gracious enough to host a bridal shower for me. It was PERFECT. We had a Pampered Chef party (ladies, I highly recommend this to ANY bride-to-be) at church, and enjoyed a luncheon together with a few games and prizes for good measure. I was only slightly embarrassed to don several "princess" type items, including a foofy skirt, a pink boa, a Bride-to-Be sash, and (worst of all) a tiara. My embarrassment was my guests' pleasure, and it really cut the ice for those who didn't know each other to enjoy a slight mockery of my ridiculous ensemble.

My coronation.

A noble curtsy.

Cooking with style.

Mmmm - carrot cake, brownies & cookies!

I had a great time, and I feel truly blessed.

"The One With the Much-Needed Vacation"

I know, I know. It's been weeks. But, honestly, if you have been waiting weeks for me to update my blog... you should think about spending more time outdoors this summer.

In any case, here is a photojournalistic update of the past few weeks.

10 Senior girls on a slide

BFFs

Country girls, or the glamorous stars of "The Fields"

"The City of Tomorrow, Today" (aka the Land Before Time)

Our new home!

My fiance's masterpiece on Lake Huron - made me proud!

"Mikey" and Ali bonding before heading to Honduras on a mission trip

I love this guy. I think I'll marry him.

Sneak Peek at Seniors

I had a blast shooting some senior portraits for two girls that are close to my heart today: my little sister & her best friend. I can't give all of them away, but I picked a few of my favorites from each session to post below. PLEASE NOTE that they are UNEDITED * versions, as I will be editing them in their entirety and have not yet captured all the shots I want. Tomorrow, my sister & I will go to South Haven to shoot some more and to meet my only August bride, Liza. We are going to start at the beach, then move into town and end up meeting with Liza at Captain Nemo's for some ice cream - yummmmmm!!! For now, enjoy some of the shots I was able to capture today... and can you tell which girl likes the angled shots?!

*not the naughty kind.

     

Wedding Madness

Invitations are going out today! Wedding planning is in full-swing and I am already tired of it. At this point, we have a lot of things worked out but it seems like a ton more are just waiting to be done. At least the registry is all figured out.

We went yesterday to register for the items we liked at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They were so efficient! The store was very well-run. We had a very nice experience, albeit a long one as we made some decisions together. I, of course, relished in the opportunity to pick out and mentally design what our future home would look like (we don't have a place to live planned yet, by the way). It was a different story for Fred; toward the end he acted like a sailor who had been lost at sea for weeks- starved and crazed. At the point when I caught him scanning obscure items for fun, I knew it was time to leave.When we got to his parents house, Fred accused his father of never having registry shopped, because he "never warned me about it." Oh brother.

Don't forget to check out our wedding website for answers to some of your potential questions, wedding details & R.S.V.P. options, and some hilarious old photographs of Fred & I.

Important Wedding Registry Tip

Just a note about Target's Club Wedd wedding registry (much thanks to our friends Sy & Kate, who called me immediately after he found out that Fred & I are registered at Target):

If you decide to purchase any Target registry gifts, please obtain a gift receipt.

We have nothing against Target (we love the store!), but apparently there are some issues with returns and the registry's policies are fairly strict. We plan to only register for what we actually need and will use, but in the event of some unforseen circumstance, Fred & I would like the options of return or exchange. If you have any questions about the return policy, check ClubWedd.com.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Dressed for Success

After a fun day of trying on an assortment of wedding gowns, I found THE ONE!

I thought finding the right dress would be the hard part, but that turned out to be the easiest. When my sales associate went to order the dress in my size, she was turned down. There weren't any more in stock. The Lord is bigger than my little problem, however, and she kept trying until finally today (5 days after we first started trying them) the dress company found one in my size/color combination partially made in China. It will be finished and shipped here, then be here in "early August." I am still not out of the woods, so let's all pray that God comes through in a big way and that it fits like the glove I am hoping for!

In other news, I can't believe tomorrow is my last day of school for the whole school year. It's crazy, it seems like it just started. I learned a lot this year, I hope I taught half as much as what I learned.

Shop 'til We Drop

I am going to shop for a wedding dress today! My mom, Tess & Mrs. Betcher (my future mother-in-law!!!) will be accompanying me to Davids Bridal (where every gown is on sale, starting TODAY!) & Patty's Bridal Boutique. I've heard that you can get lost in Patty's, it is so large and so full of dresses.

Please pray that I find the best dress TODAY (or soon), so that I don't have to waste time looking. I am also asking God for a dress that I can wear right off the rack, because I don't think I have time for alterations. Plus, if I find one today, I could try it on every day this summer until August 31.

P.S. Fred will NOT be allowed to see the dress (or me IN the dress) until I walk down the aisle, so please don't describe it to him - he's very sneaky, if you couldn't tell by his proposal.

My Favorite Surprise

Everybody's been wanting to hear the story of how it happened, so here it is from my perspective:

I took Friday off of school to attend a photography workshop hosted by three amazing professional photographers (a post about my awesome experience there is sure to come!) both that day & Saturday. After a long day of learning Friday, I was experiencing a little "brain mush." As I drove home from the workshop in Kalamazoo, I called my friend Tess & invited myself over to join her family's pizza & a movie night.

Just after we had started the movie and our dinner, Fred called me on my cell phone. He told me he was taking some stuff up to one of his former students at Faholo Camp & Conference Center. He is still living in Toledo, so it was an hour & a half drive and he wanted someone to talk to. When he found out I was at Sean & Tess's (his cousin & cousin-in-law) house, he asked to speak with Sean and made it sound very convenient that I happened to be there. I told him I'd call him when I left, and let he and Sean talk about "car stuff" for about 5-10 minutes. When they hung up, we all jumped back into the movie.

About an hour went by, and he called me again:

Fred: Hey, what are you up to?

Emily: Um... I'm still watching the movie. (Duh. I told you I'd call you after.)

Fred: So are you in the room with them right now?

Emily: No. (That would be rude.) I am downstairs.

Fred: Well can you do me a favor, then?

Emily: Maybe. (You can't make me.)

Fred: Put on your shoes & turn on the outside light.

Emily: Do I have to tie my shoes? (What?! Why did that even cross my mind, let alone come out of my mouth?)

Fred: Nope.

Emily: Okay...

It was at this time that I opened the front door and my best friend came walking up the driveway, surprising me with an impromptu weekend visit, yet again. We greeted each other with an embrace, and salutations, when suddenly Fred leaned back, told me he loved me and that he wanted to marry me. Then he got down on one knee, pulled out a ring, and proposed to me right there - in that floodlit driveway on a muggy night at the end of May.

I told him I'd think about it.

JUST KIDDING! I said yes. I am so honored & excited to be in this stage of our relationship, and am very much looking forward to the new life that God has for us.

*Photos Courtesy of ShutterSam (Samantha VanderList)*

P.S. I love my ring! He picked the PERFECT ring for me, and had it within 40 minutes of looking - further evidence of his impeccable taste (heehee!).