When I first started learning about photography in high school, I fell in love with it instantly. The more I fell in love with it, the clearer God made it that He would use my love for photography to glorify Him.

Well, without putting much thought into it, I was instantly convinced that I would be traveling the world right out of college, living in huts and taking pictures of unreached people and loving on them like crazy. Then I fell in love with Jordan :)

At first I questioned it all, only because I just KNEW my purpose in life was to be living among people in other countries, documenting their lives, and unless I was going to build a hut in Lubbock, TX and pretend there were elephants and giraffes right outside, my “dream” wasn’t going to come true. But then God showed me something big. He showed me that first off, my hopes and dreams are often times selfish and not rooted in Him, and also that I can glorify God with what I do no matter where I am. That was a big thing to learn, folks.

Yes, it is SO good to have dreams and goals, but goodness… God is just SO SO SO much bigger than those things. I mean, come on. “I will never ever ever shoot weddings,” was something I once said. I’m just sayin… :)

But onto my point. A SUPER cool opportunity has presented itself, and by golly I’m stoked. There’s a small-ish group from my church, Redeemer, going to Guatemala City, Guatemala, and we’re going to minister to an orphanage called Fundaninos. Our main purpose there is to help them build a website that will allow them to promote their ministry more effectively. So basically, setting up something similar to Compassion, where people from all over can get on their website and support a child with the click of a mouse. So, basically, I’m going to take lots and lots of pictures of precious children. Uhhh yes please!

It’s just cool. God is so good. And my husband is so sweet to lovingly send me off for a week.

And what does this mean for my sweet, sweet clients? Well, if you need any prints, cards, questions answered, etc. Let me know before next Tuesday so I can get you taken care of before I peace out.

I took a lot of pictures this weekend… I mean… A LOT. I think that goes to show that my weekend was filled with special moments. Great laughs, good cuddle times, fun games… it was just perfect.

Jordan’s oldest brother and his family live in Kentucky – you should check out their blog. Our niece and nephew got baptized Sunday, so it was the perfect excuse to make a last minute trip and visit one last time before they move back west.

Here’s a little recap of the weekend…

Morgan in a nutshell, everyone.

and sweet Athan

good times with Papa and bubbles (this was during his physical therapy)

time for baking!

Easter morning!

thanks to Jordan for taking this picture… I just love it.

Our little “niece” Ella turned two. And the shindig that ushered her into her toddlerdom was UH-MAZING.

Allison is most definitely known for her party planning skills, and I think she’s told “hey you really need to go into business” about once a day.

The theme for Ella’s party this year was Tiny Two, so of course Allison made a little town out of cardboard boxes, which were absolutely precious. Then the food. Ohhhh the food. Tiny kid-friendly jello shots, mini caramel apples, mini cupcakes, the cutest little homemade “2″ cookies you’ve ever seen… the list goes on! But seriously, check out Lullaby Lubbock for the full low-down on the par-tay, because I was just an attendee :)

Here’s the tiny town

FOOD!

some more fun details

and of course, lots of laughs and fun friends. and my handsome hubby (bottom right) :)

the sweet booth family

aaaand I’d just like to say that Ella’s ponytail is one of my favorite things in life right now.

Yo peeps,

I’m leaving today for a wedding in Phoenix, then I’m off to Vegas until next Friday for WPPI!

I’ll still have access to e-mail and whatnot, but if I’m a little slow on getting back to you, that’s why :)

Enjoy your weekend, my friends!

A couple nights ago, we went out to celebrate Aric’s birthday. A little Dions + Bowling + The Office = a goooooood time.

Bowling Alleys are awesome. And so is Lullaby Lubbock. And so is Ella!

the birthday boy and his hot wifey

gummy bears and bowling. score!

Allison proved herself as Master of the Claw… she got like three stuffed animals and a shirt from those claw things! Be amazed, people.

soooo sweet.

finally!! a picture of Ella and I. I just love her.

I know I’m not the only person who simply cannot believe it’s FEBRUARY. January was a good month. Texas Tech kicking butt at the Alamo Bowl was definitely a fantastic start, and the rest of the month was filled with a handful of photo sessions, lots of friend time, and some flat out good soul rest.

I’ve learned in my days (as if I’m old and wise or something?!) that down time can easily be filled with busyness, but nothing that holds much value at all. And as someone who values productivity, that’s usually my go to when I have time to spare. I’ll just find little things to fill my time and feel like I’ve accomplished a lot, when really, not so much the case.

I put a stop to that biz-nass.

January was filled with READING (one of my new years resolutions was to read a book a month… I’m totally on track). Casey let me borrow Francine Rivers’ The Mark of the Lion series, and I’m officially hooked. I’ve never been a huge fiction person, and I think it’s mainly because I had this crazy notion that if I’m reading, then I need to be learning something in the process (see?? I have productivity issues!!). But not only is that ridiculous, it’s completely false! I’m halfway through the second book, and I’ve never been so reminded of God’s grace, and how He seeks out his children and pursues us with His love. The only problem is that I’m a big sharer… So when Jordan comes home from work, I’m all excited about the latest happenings in my book, and how it’s affected my heart, so I struggle to tell him what’s going on. He’s so patient :)

January was also filled with lots of friend time. SO GOOD. Catching up, sitting by the fire, going on bike rides… Just good old fashioned fun. And oh my goodness, I forgot how awesome empty weekends are!!

I know this part is kind of boring, but it really has been so good to get caught up on paperwork, taxes, you know… the FUN side of business.

Here’s the bottom line though… It really shouldn’t take me having a slow-ish month to have time for things like these. It’s all about making time for valuable things, and being intentional about it. So in the middle of June, PLEASE ask me if I’ve made time for little pockets of soul rest.

Oh yeah, Lubbock got some snow/ice. That was fun. Here’s our hammock.

and here’s Deuce… attempting to eat the icicles on our torn screen door :)

I decided something recently, and I’m finally going to type it into words.

After thinking about the new year and evaluating how 2009 played out, it got me to thinking about my weekends. I know it’s something every wedding photographer faces, because most of the world has weekends as their “off days,” and we end up working most of those days. Yeah, I know, “you can take Monday off!” Okay, sure, and go bowling by myself, after a nice cup of lonely coffee and then go play a solo match of tennis? I kid I kid.

Let me clarify one thing. I AM NOT feeling sorry for myself one bit, because I am SO blessed that God has provided lovely couples who want me to capture their wedding day. That is a flat out honor and privilege. But here’s the thing, what is more important than being a photographer is being a wifey. One who is around when my hubby is off work. Not saying he needs me to be around, because I’m sure he’d be just fine playing Call of Duty all Saturday long (love you!), however, I want to be around. And when friends come and stay in our home for the weekends, I want to be able to cook them breakfast and catch up on each others lives, instead of peace out before they even wake up.

So, after thinking over these things, and praying and weighing pros and cons, I decided one simple thing.

With already 16 weddings booked for this year, I’m only taking five more weddings for 2010.

You can check out my calendar at www.brittanystrebeck.com to see my available weekends, or feel free to e-mail me for any questions.

In short, what does this mean for you? Well, girls with a ring on your finger, you best step it up and contact me!! And boys, ehem, men, who have not yet put said ring on finger, I suggest you do so :)

Now I’ve reached the point in my blog post where I should post a picture… Hmmm… OH! Here’s part of a Sample Album that I just finished up… Bright colors make me happy.

I come to you all with another blog post that doesn’t include a wedding or a senior or a family – just a little bit of jibba jabba.

I’m back in Lubbock, and it’s been an AWESOME vacation, and I hope you all can say the same about your time off. We recently spend the past 4 days with friends in Ingram, Texas, staying in a house on the river, and it was the most relaxing, enjoyable time we’ve had in a while. It was filled with ladder balls, dance parties, deep conversations, kayaking, game playing… and the list goes on and on. One really special thing about our time is that our friend Dillon was in town for Christmas before he went back to Ranger training. He graced us with his stories and experiences, and we got to pray with him before he left. But man… I was just pleasantly overwhelmed with some good, quality friend time. I’m SO thankful.

And then to top it all off, we went to the Alamo Bowl and cheered on Texas Tech to WIN! It was an awesome game, and I actually decided to enjoy the game from the stands instead of taking pictures… it was fun for a change :) Go Red Raiders.

Well, I think I’ve reached the point in my blog post where I feel somewhat obligated to list some New Years resolutions. I mean, it’s not something I religiously do every year or anything, but I’m particularly excited about them this year… so here goes…

1. Read one book every month this year. I LOVE to read. But it’s something I rarely make time for. So that will change :)

2. Be more consistent and intentional about using photography for the good of Lubbock, Texas. I love being able to give back to the community, because God has given me a unique gift to be able to use in unique situations. This past year, I took pictures for The Bridge and YoungLife, and I loved getting to help out in such a small way. So this year, more opportunities like that will most definitely be pursued.

3. Learn how to do a hand stand. Call me lame if you want to, but after we broke out into an hour long session of trying to do hand stands, with little success, I knew it would become a new goal of mine.

4. Recycle. There’s no reason it shouldn’t happen, other than the fact that I’m lazy.

5. Record music with my hubby. Some of you might not know this about me, but I used to play and sing and stuff. Jordan and I would play at coffeeshops and whatnot, and it was something that we both really enjoyed. Well, sad to say, when life gets a little crazy, things like music somehow find the cracks and slip away. Of course there are random nights that turn into a little sing-a-long time, but for the most part, we cut it out. So yes, we are going to at least record the stuff we used to play, and maybe that will turn into something we do more often? Who knows. If you want to have a little chuckle, you can check out our ghetto myspace pages from back in the day… hahaha. Here’s mine, and his. Enjoy laughing your butt off.

So there you have it, folks. Feel free to hold me accountable on those things, except maybe don’t expect me to show you my hand stand at a wedding or something. And thanks to all my awesome clients and supporters who have made 2009 a wonderful year!

And just because it’s weird to post without including a photo, here is our silly dog playing in the snow.

I don’t have any new stuff to show my blog friends, but really just wanted to share a little tidbit.

First of all, I forgot how much NOT working can be a completely renewing experience!! I love what I do, which is totally awesome, but I think sometimes when a job and a passion collide, if you aren’t careful, it can somewhat take over your life. I for sure hadn’t reached that point, but it’s just a good thing to be mindful of. So, in that regard, it’s been good to spend some quality time with friends and family instead of sit in this chair :)

Second, I just love my family. It was SO great to just be with family for the last couple days. After coming out of a really busy season in photography, it felt like a breath of fresh air to just sit and enjoy people I love.

Also, since we’ve been back in Lubbock, it’s been awesome to do the same with friends that are in town – just enjoy each other. Which brings me to our 8-foot-tall snowman, Harold.

So, if you’re still on break, then let me just remind you to let that lazy goodness take over, and truly enjoy those around you. And if you’re back at work already, well… then I hope you did that while you were on break :)

I’m headed out of town again in a couple of days, so I hope you all have a wonderful New Years!

I do believe it’s that time of year, folks. We’re headed to Fort Worth tomorrow for Thanksgiving to spend some quality time with my awesome family. Here’s some eye candy from last year’s little rendezvous.