Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. But first let me say that it’s not because of the food. I’m far far FAR too picky of an eater and the whole mystery casserole thing quite frankly gives me anxiety! Pleeeeease tell me I’m not alone in this!

For those who know me, eeeeeven a little bit, you know that I love giving compliments… probably to a fault. As in, I often weird strangers out!  I see someone with pretty eyes, I tell them immediately.  I’m sitting at my desk and I randomly have a nice thought of a friend… I text or message them immediately. When I’m looking through old wedding images I’ve shot and I start smiling because I loved their day so much… they hear about it.

I have a theory in life, and I wish more people would join me in this.

When you have a nice thought, share it!

Wayyyyy too many of our nice thoughts of people go to waste! There’s so much negativity in this world that a nice thought from a stranger or an old friend is enough to make your day.

Yeah yeah yeah… I don’t care that I weird strangers out.  I’m convinced that it may be odd in the moment but when they’re laying in bed at night rehashing their day they think to themselves, “That short girl with the red hair, she made me feel pretty.” Maybe I’m just trying to convince myself that it’s a good idea but whatever… I’m not changing!

So back to why I love Thanksgiving. I love it because it’s a time of year that we consciously think about all of the things / people in our lives that we’re thankful for. Here are just a couple of mine:

Megan, AKA Meg$, MegMoney or Meg$n.

Before she was part of the Bobbi Photo team she had been on airplane trips 3 or 4 times.  Meanwhile just in the last 12 months we’ve flown to Arlington, Va.; Austin, Texas; Pittsburgh; Kansas City, Mo.; June Lake, Calif.; and New Orleans (Orlando, Fla. in a few weeks).

Megan has since turned something that she wasn’t super comfortable doing into something that makes her invaluable to me!  This girl rolls with the punches like no one else I’ve ever met. Logistics and keeping me calm were two of the most important attributes when hiring my teammate and let me tell you… this girl EXCELLLLS!

Not to mention that I also happen to think she’s the funniest person I’ve ever met. But she’s one of those secret funny people. You know what I’m talking about; the people who are usually quiet and appear shy…. but when they’re one-on-one with you they have you rolling? Yep, that’s Megan!

Here’s a quick story about her that I posted to Facebook a couple of months ago:

We’re about to drive into the craziest storm either of us have ever seen. First we fill up the tank and grab our standard “road trip Skittles” from the gas station. She starts driving while I get an update on the radar. “Megan! You won’t believe this! The storm just got even crazier!”

She looks, “Oh shiz! You don’t mess with magenta!” (referring to the color on the radar) I nod intensely and proceed to place some Skittles in her cupped hand. She, looking like a fearless boat captain standing at the front deck of his ship, with her eyes wide, looks straight ahead and passionately shouts, “LETTT’S DOOO THIS MAGENNNNTAAAA…!” she then fiercely tosses the Skittles (that were in her cupped hand) back into her mouth.

I nearly peed my pants from laughing so hard! Mayyyybe you had to be there.  However, now every time there’s a magenta on the radar I can’t help but giggle and think about Megan and her storm swagger.

…and thaaaaat’s, in a nutshell, why I call her MegMoney.

She’s patient, kind, hard-working, loyal, adaptable, confident and warm-hearted.

I’m the fiery excitable one and she’s the level-headed responsible one.  She’s the Meredith Gray to my Christina Yang, the John Lennon to my Paul McCartney, the Tina Fey to my Amy Poehler, the DJ Jazzy Jeff to my Fresh Prince, the Harry to my Lloyd, the Garth to my Wayne… Okay okay… you get the idea!

 

Annnnd she also happens to be in amazing photographer! She switched from Nikon to Canon LIKE A BOSS, she switched from being a self-employed lead photographer to be being my counterpart, she switched from working from home to well… working from my home, AHHHH I could go on and on and onnnn! This love fest must stop somewhere! SHEEEESH!

Megan, I don’t know where I’d be without you and I cannot thank you enough for being my person.

Side note: two Grey’s Anatomy references in one post… WINNING! 😉

MurphyMo and my Baby Girl Ruth

The few times in this last year that these two weren’t with me…. phewwww talk about lonely town!  Nothing makes you appreciate and realize what you have until you don’t have it anymore.

These two escaped my fence last month and let me tell you… HYSTERICS! DRAMAAAA! And by escaped the fence I mean Megan opened my gate so we could leave for our session and I didn’t know it was open so I let the dogs out back.

The UPS guy knocks on my door to deliver my new iPhone.  By the lack of barking (UPS guy = CRIME!!!!) and the concerned look on Megan’s face I realize there’s a strong possibility that my dogs are gone. I say to the UPS guy, “Ummm… I think my dogs escaped my fence.”

He responds, “Just now?”

“Yes.”

“Ummm… A black and a gold dog?

“YES!”

“They’re the far end of the road, close to Michigan!”

“WHAAAAAAAA?!?!!”

I sign for the package and literally throw my new iPhone through my foyer and yell to Megan, “GRAB THE JEEP AND GO SOUTH… NOWWWW!!!!!”

“What’s your last name?” the UPS guy yells as I’m already past my driveway.

“SHERIDAN! THANK YOU!”

I should mention that I live on a fairly busy road (there are painted yellow lines if that’s any indication) and I’m one street over from a VERY busy intersection (for those who live in Indianapolis, I live a block away from the corner of Michigan and Kessler). Yeahhhh…. now is the time you FREEEEEAK OUTTTTTT!!!!!

I begin running down the road as fast as I can while screaming their names and holding on to my chest (my undergarment choices were clearly not prepared for a dog escape!). “MURPHY MO!!!! BABY GIRRRRL! WANT A TREAT? WANT A TREAT? WANT A TREEEEEAT?!!??!”

I’m about halfway down the block when I spot them dashing towards me…. AHHHHH!!! It was like a scene from the movies. In my mind the clouds parted and they appeared like two perfect angels. Meanwhile I fall to my knees in some random front yard and embrace them while sobbing dramaaaatically.

Right as I find them Megan pulls into the driveway, we load them in, drive them back to the house, I give them each two treats and off we go to our session.

TALK ABOUT DRAMAAAAAATIIIIIIC!!!!!

If something had happened to them, you may have had to check me into a psyche ward. I wish I were joking. PHEWWWWW! Dodged that psyche ward bullet! 😉

And to answer your question… yes, I am THAT person who dressed my dogs up as a bride and groom. It’s actually what Ryan and I referred to as a website Easter Egg. If you look through the testimonials on this website one of them reads, “Woof” -MurphyMo  paired with this image. 😉

The people I photograph

I’d like to say thank you to the people who ask me / us to photograph their weddings / families. Thank YOU for rolling with the changes in my life like champions, for entrusting me with the memories of the biggest day of your life as it is not a responsibility I take lightly, for flying me all around the country, for treating me like family on your wedding day, for asking me to come back year after year to continue photographing your families and life changes, and bottom line: for loving me no matter what.

Ugh. Nowww I’m crying againnnn…. LAME!

FIVE Bobbi Brides pictured below.

My framily

The day I was told that my marriage was failing I contacted one person, that person… Ryan Hunley. My message, “I’m going solo and need you more now than ever.” He was the only person I trusted with both my business and my fragile state. I walked into his office the next morning afraid and alone. I left his office feeling empowered and ready.

I met him in 2006 as his wedding photographer and we became fast friends…. he knows my business better than anyone. There was no one, I mean NO ONE that could have done what he did. The rebrand was an incredibly emotional process and I wouldn’t wish this task on my worst enemy. I’d cry, I’d jump for joy, I’d yell, I’d laugh… I was a walking ball of emotions! The whole”minus mike” thing was SO much more than just a rebrand… it was a rediscovery… of myself… of my business… of my swagger… and he had a front row seat to the whole thing.

His patience, care, love and friendship means the world to me. I can without a doubt say I don’t know where I would be without him in my life, and especially this last year. He is my framily. So all of that to say thank you Ryan and Second Street Creative for EVERYTHING!

Experiences

I’ve traveled so much this year, been to more concerts than I’ve been to in my life, and I’ve been living my life in a big way with my favorite people (I also have the extra weight to prove it, OOPS! 😉 More on the healthy train soooon!)

My 2016 Live Music List: Houndmouth, Bruce Springsteen, Victor Wooten, Mumford and Sons, Paul McCartney, Sturgill Simpson, Kenny Chesney, The Lumineers, The Head and the Heart, Guster, Halsey, Gwen Stefani / Eve, and Macklemore.

Travel list: Arlington, Va; Austin, Texas; Pittsburgh; Kansas City, Mo.; Chicago; Madison/Milwaukee, Wis.; June Lake, Calif.; New Orleans; Nashville/Memphis, Tenn.; Little Rock, Ark. (Side note: Associated Press stylebook state abbreviations. It’s silly but it’s the way I give a shout out to my Journalism degree)

I just want to say one more thing about life experiences.  I’m thankful for the hardships.  I never thought in a million years that my life would be look like this but daaaamn am I proud of myself for being where I am today and actually loving it.  Sometimes it takes getting kicked down to your lowest to force yourself to rise and to grow. I have to tell you blog readers… I’m genuinely happy.

You

Last but not least… I’m thankful to you, my blog readers. Thank you for staying loyal to me throughout the years, for your encouragement and support, for reading along with all of my crazy stories and for filling up the love tanks of the people I photograph with your amazingly sweet comments.

Much love friends; thankful for every single one of you,

~Bobbi