As far back as I can remember, whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always answer, "I want to be a stay at home mom." My mom did an amazing job raising me and my siblings. She made it seem so effortless and that she truly enjoyed it. 

Now that I'm a SAHM myself, I realize that I had no idea how much hard work  it took to entertain a little one, to keep the house clean (or at least picked up), the laundry, the dishes, feeding little humans, feeding your husband... the list is endless, no matter how many hours there are in the day.

But despite all the hard work, I wouldn't change it for the world. It's incredible. It's so much more than I could have even imagined. Babies don't keep, and God has entrusted me and Jonathan with the responsibility of raising Hadassah.

This one may seem silly, but I always thought it would be cool to live in an old loft apartment in the middle of a historic downtown. Last year that dream came true too. And if you've followed our instagram feeds, you know some of the hard work that has been put into it - washing dishes in the bathtub (for TEN MONTHS), building walls, building furniture, endless sanding and painting, wood staining, and so, so, so much sawdust.

But it's even better than I could have ever imagined, and you know why? Because we made it happen. The best things are worth fighting for, and the best dreams don't fall in your lap. They make you chase them, fight them, and wrestle them before you can harness them to take you where you want to go. And at the end of the day, I see these dreams, even if they seem silly sometimes, as places that God has granted the desires of our heart and poured out His blessings upon us. 

Another dream we're living is this business as photographers. Any other entrepreneur knows all the hard work that goes into running a business. You wear SO many hats, and every hat comes with a to-do list as long as you are tall. But guess what?  I can't imagine doing anything else than pouring into our clients' relationships and capturing the most important moments of their lives.

I guess what I'm getting at is this: Don't be afraid to chase your dreams. The Lord gave them to you for a reason. But not many people will tell you how difficult it is to make your dreams come true. So I'm telling you now, don't be discouraged when you're faced with some loonngggg hours and big obstacles to making those dreams a reality. Make a plan to achieve it and get ready to work harder than ever before. I promise you won't regret it for even a second.