We left last Tuesday morning at 4am..so the kids could sleep for a majority of the 8-9 hour drive to Las Vegas..We were going for the annual WPPI photography trade show, and to visit my dad before we had a wedding to shoot in Arizona. It was originally just going to be me flying out to Arizona for the wedding, but we thought we would make a family vacation of it, save some money, visit some family…and enjoy the countless hours of family bonding. Jason and I have done the “Drive” to Las Vegas mannnnnnnnnnnny times. He lived in Vegas the whole time we were engaged, so we drove to or from Vegas at least once every other month to see each other. Not to mention the countless times we did it while we lived there for a year and a half. Its a tiresome, yet bonding experience that we came to love and tolerate …but it is exhausting… and every time we do it, we say its our “last time” driving…but because we are crazy and frugal we still drive it…almost every time. Anytime you leave to go anywhere with kids, you pretty much have to pack your life up in your car..there has to be enough snacks, entertainment, kid songs, and not to mention an unlimited supply of patience to make it from point A to point B. Jason is a rockstar and ALWAYS drives while the rest of us sleep, play with toys, and for me, play on my phone, or in this case, make accessories. I literally had no foot room on this trip because I managed to fit: 3 tupperware boxes of a broches and jewelry supplies, 2 Anthro bags of fabric, one purse, diaper bag, daytimer, and 2 vitamin waters..all on my lap or beneath my feet. I have a ton of accessories to make for our new little business venture, and figured I might as well be doing something productive to keep myself awake during a majority of the drive..and force myself to “sew” rather than just hot glue..:) I could literally write a NOVEL about our trip, but no one wants to read that so I will give you a few bullet points (i.e-rambling) of our week. Any teachers out there..I know I am never grammatically correct. I write how I think..try to refrain from busting out your red pen on me:)

-My daughter Kyla probably asked the phrase “Are we there yet” over a million times..in every language, and every voice decibel possible. She wanted to know our progress in miles, hours, and minutes..between every stop.She would even ask me, and then a second later re-phrase the question to daddy….this is where I would find myself taking deep breaths and reminding myself that patience is a virtue.

-The greatest thing about road trips is going into restaurants in your pajamas. If you stop in Bakersfield at Cocos..it is highly unlikely you are going to be running into anyone you know. We were totally that family in the corner booth… head to toe pajamas. This is funny and cute when you are a high school girl during spirit week or after a sleepover. When you are a grown adult, it just looks creepy…and lazy. Although our kids and obvious bed head were sure “Tell all Signs” of road-trippers-passing- through..I still felt the need to put a disclaimer sign on my forehead to make myself feel better. Kinda like when Prego girls want to wear shirts that say “Pregnant, not Fat”. We just want to get the story straight.

-Vegas is home of the greatest sandwich in the world. There ..I said it. Restaurant-Capriotties. Sandwich-The “BOBBY”. 20 inches of everyday Thanksgiving glory. Ingredients-turkey, cranberry, stuffing, mayo. DO NOT EAT IF- a.) you are wearing your skinny jeans  b.) on your way to try on clothes c.) planning on eating anytime in the next 3 days. Its a belly buster and will make your thankful they only have this shop in a few states, because this sandwich is seriously addicting and will rock your world. (And no-I don’t eat the whole thing myself..Jason and I split it..C’mon now! Not to say I don’t want to eat it myself:)

-Vegas is home to my sweet daddy and  punk rock adorable 8th grade brother. They are worth every second of our drive..to even see them for a single moment…

-WPPI- An inspiring and crazy trade show that makes you feel so small in a sea of photographers..really pushes you to want to find your “voice” and create your “brand” in this huge market. It also reminds me of why I don’t do indoor studio pictures…I’m not sure what types of pictures I could do with a waterfall backdrop and stuffed rabbit props. Something about that is. just.not.natural.

-Kids+smokey casinos= relapse in the winter cough.

-Hotels are like Disneyland for my kids. One day we literally stayed in our hotel in Vegas for 6 hours before they went to bed. They had no toys, no cartoons..they were perfectly content jumping on the beds, playing in the closets, snuggling with us, eating pistachios and cheez- its on the beds. They just LOVE family time. If nothing else..one thing Jason and I have done well so far..is make our kids the affectionate little things they are, to embrace simplicity..and just enjoy being together. We didnt really do too much in Vegas during our few days there..a few meals with my sweet dad..but for the most time..we just burrowed in our room! Let someone else clean up for a change!

-Arizona-Stayed with my darling cousin Jazzy..whom I LOVE with all my heart. We photographed her friend Crystals wedding in a quaint little place in Mesa called “Lavender and Old Lace”…our first REAL out of state wedding..first of one of  3 for this year!

-While driving across the Hoover Dam at 2am back to Vegas..stargazing, going in and out of sleep, listening to my sweet babies snore, I decided that OFFICIALLY..the best music to listen to while road tripping is: The Avett Brothers, Dashboard Confessional, and the Shins. You just can’t go wrong. I was also thankful that it dark and the middle of the night, so  Jason couldnt see that I was pretending I was singing in a music video….. Dont pretend that you dont do that. You know you do.

-We thought we could do the drive from AZ to San Jose all in one night after shooting our wedding on Saturday. We thought we would switch off sleeping and driving and try to do the whole trip while the kids were asleep. I know..what were we thinking????? We made it to our friends house in Vegas by 3 am in the morning to pick up our dog Zooey..( they watched her ALL week)..we ended up totally crashing on their couches and sleeping til 7..because we were total zombies. We got up…had one last breakfast with my daddy, (partial pajamas), and made the 8 hour trek back to San Jo…After stocking up on Starbucks, gas, inevitable fast food, and a Light Brite and Mr. Potato Head from Target, we set out on what seemed to be..the last drive home from Vegas….for now at least:) We counted cows,talked about every type of animal known to man with the kids, answered a million and one of Kylas questions about life,watched Hayden spill his juice down his neck for the tenth time, and we all complained about how our bodies ached & we were so uncomfortable in the car..I even started counting the hours on my fingers..to see if we were almost there.

-When Jason finally hit the wall of exhaustion and let me drive the last few hours..I had a “MOMENT” while driving. One hand on the steering wheel, once hand clutching my Taco Bell bean burrito..peering through the 2%- visibility-bug splattered windshield….staring at my gorgeous husband, sweet kids & border collie in my rear view mirror…and I realized that while we were SO desperate to reach our destination…to “be” home…that we were in fact, already” HOME” . They are my HOME..and the LOVES of my life..I would do anything for them..and pray that I can be half  as significant in their lives as they are for mine.

There’s always an adventure with us Maxwells..thanks for comin along for the ride…hope you are enjoying being “home” today… wherever….and with whomever that may be…XOXO…

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Oh…and YES..there was a wild bunny during our shoot that wanted to be in every shot as we started out…(see below)..Who needs Easter Bunny pics at Sears..right??

You know it is going to be a good wedding when the bride agrees to forfeit going to a few favorite landmarks  in the city..to climb aboard what seemed to be a pirate ship. Between having “Goonies” flashbacks, and being blown away by the beauty of the city view..I felt myself have to take a few deep breaths to not get emotional. I was just standing next to my darling husband Jason at the bow of the ship, sunshine on my face, getting a few last shots of our love birds, and I couldn’t help but feel SO grateful that this is our job, and more importantly, how much we LOVE IT. {This is where you insert the Celine Dion song from Titanic}. But for reals…It was a perfect day..XOXO..

And because Derek kept joking that this was the “Courtney Show” cuz we were taking a million pics of JUST her, I wanted to do a few shout outs to our groom, and the things that make him awesome.

I am having a “Wedding Crashers” moment here. Yes people, it is THAT time of year again. WEDDDDING SEAAASONNNN!! Jason and I just had our second wedding for the year, and we are SOO ecstatic for God blessing us with another collection of sweet couples and new adventures. Ivana and Vedran’s wedding will truly be a VERY LONG post later this week, but I have other editing tasks to do before I can get to that..gotta stay in order:)..but I couldn’t pass this one up as it was uploading…Have a great week everyone!! XOXO…

1.)My second dream job would be a clothing/accessory designer for Anthropologie.

2.)I am severly terrified of public speaking.

3.) My favorite book is “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers.

4.)My favorite drink at Starbucks is a grande soy chai. I might mention also that if I don’t have coffee before about 11am-I get migraines.and I’m grouchy. Its a problem, I know:)

5.)I have mini panic/anxiety attacks every time I am in a scrapbook or craft store. Too many ideas in my head, so little time.

6.)I cry. Alot. At little Things. Especially Music. Especially Carrie Underwood.

7.) My favorite photographers are Sarah Rhoads and Tanja Lippert.

8.)I firmly believe that I have the best friends in the world. I wish I invested more time in letting them know so.

9.)I hate socks. I never wear them. Ever. Not even when Im asked to. Not at bowling. Not in bouncy houses. Never.

10.)When I doodle, I draw flowers. On everything.

11.) I think that every good thing that happens in this life is not by chance, coincidence or luck. It is God. And God is GOOD. ALWAYS.

12.)My favorite place to take pictures is Napa.

13.)I’m obsessed with Thai food.

14.)My grandma Teresa died 5 years ago, and I still think about, and miss her every single day.

15.)I think there is nothing sexier than my husband in Jeans and a white T-shirt.

16.)I like to watch my kids sleep. Is that weird?

17.)I have 15 photography-wedding blogs that I read daily.

18.)My favorite movies are Garden State and The Notebook.

19.)I feel really socially awkward in a room full of unfamiliar people.

20.)I don’t like watching sports. Or war movies. Or Westerns. ZZZZZZZ….

21.)I like to pray through journaling.

22.)I collect vintage buttons.

23.)I truly believe that wearing a cute headband will add a spring to your step and is a simple solution to a drab outfit.

24.)I get really awkward when the camera is pointed at me. “What should I do-where do I look..ahhhh”.

25.)I secretly want to go try on wedding dresses one day because I have never tried a single  dress on ( I made mine for our wedding.. 7 years ago.) Who wants to play dress up with me???

26.)I shot my first wedding when I was 18.

27.)At the end of the day, all I really want, even above being loved, is to feel  appreciated.

Meet Matt: Mr. adventurous.surfer boy.studious.current law clerk. has “Mad Men” hair that is officially awesome.

I have known Jenna from afar for some years now..My mentor Hillary taught at Jenna’s High School back in the day.. Jenna is part of a darling group of girls that I have seen tidbits of over the years…incredible purehearted girls who are now all amazing women..I feel so honored to be the one to photograph a few of them as they now start getting married:) There is a high bar that is to be met for a girl like Jenna… and Matt completely exceeds that bar..he’s practically pole vaulting over  it. Being the people watcher I am, I love to observe the tiny moments during our shoots…try to sweep up all the little “looks” and considerations they have for one another, so I can try to catch it the next time it happens without having to ask for it. Matt has such a presence with Jenna..he is almost anticipating what he can do for her before she even knows she needs something. As we got to our first place to shoot, we were walking through the grass, which Jenna and I could both tell was muddy by the sounds our little flats were making with every step..before we could even redirect our path, Matt had already swept up Jenna in his arms, without question…carrying her the rest of the way.. I felt like I was in a movie. They  have that type of Love. What I call the “LOVE ACTUALLY” kind of love…because LOVE ACTUALLY is ALL around with them. Jason and I had THE BEST day with these two..I have decided that I need a new word for couples like this who bring my dream wardrobe. Lets call it “J.Anthro”…or “Anthropolocrew”. The perfect marriage between two clothing stores that brings love and harmony to my shoots. When I asked them where they shop and the words J.Crew and Anthropologie were pretty much it..I knew I didn’t need to give them any advice on what to pack. They were already in good hands:) Jenna and Matt…your sense of adventure and playful spirits made us just  fall in love with you as a couple…it was truly a blessing to be part of your world for the day…

Jenna is a total family girl like me:) In one of our conversations a few weeks ago, she mentioned wanting to wear her moms wedding dress for a few pictures..we thought it would be fun to do it today, rather than the wedding day, since their wedding will already be encompassing so much family history..and vintage goodies….SO.Much.Fun. Kinda like trash the dress in reverse:)..the hole was already there mom..we didn’t do it!

Allison & Craig reminded me today about a jillion times…why I love my job. Being with these two for a few hours left me feeling on top of the world, and I found my self singing, “I got, I got a pocket full of sunshine…” as I drove away. A.) We had blue skies in a rather unpredictable forecast week..B.)SO thankful that God is good, and that this darling couple from Arizona somehow found me in a sea of photographers..& made me realize, once again, that there are no “accidents” in this life (Just like them meeting by chance at a friends wedding)..&  C.) Hello-they are just ridiculously in love..Its as easy and simple as that. It was definitely one of those days that I was giddy and climbing all over the place trying to contain my excitement, all the while getting the best shot..without breaking a leg or getting swept up by the tide. I probably looked like a kooky National Geographic photographer who had 8 cups of coffee too many. Nonetheless…I pretty much burrowed in my bedroom today the minute I got home because I wanted to relive every moment…I.simply.could’nt.wait. Just like I cant wait until their wedding..Allison & Craig….all I can say is Thank you for being AMAZING..and loving eachother whole heartedly. No photoshop action can create that…XOXO..