We walk down the street side by side. Hot and crowded, this place does not allow the simple luxury of holding hands for this country and these people are not our own. But in our hearts they are and so we adopt their customs and let affection fill the space between. The space grew less and less until suddenly one day distance came crashing in and time in its way took hold of our hands and lead us away from one another until we’d meet again in a familiar place thousands of miles away.

This is Kat and Glen’s story. It is one of the world and her joys and sorrows. Across the ocean in a small city in Thailand Kat and Glen began dating. The culture of the city in which they lived did not permit even hand-holding among the unmarried and so these two learned to navigate a relationship that is filled with space. It was on the eve of deciding to go beyond the city walls to spend more time together that Kat and Glen were struck on their motorcycle by a drunk driver. His leg was broken badly in two places and both of their emotions were shattered in the accident. Glen’s leg had not yet mended when Kat left that place for Germany. Upon Glen’s recovery, he returned stateside and 4 months passed before either saw the other. Fall brought their reunion in the mighty state of Texas and the two moved in down the street from one another. They had a winter of nearness and Glen pondered his affections in this proximity. It was a year from that Christmas before Glen proposed. He painted a promise of his love for her on a great wall and vowed distance would never again pulls their palms apart.

Let it be known that we in Waco have but one Lebanese restaurant and it ranks as a favorite for Glen and Kat. Cheers to you, World, and all your great love stories. :)

Welcome baby Sloan!

I give you, Maureen. Her loveliness is surpassed only by her good nature and captivating joy.

The world can seem so small when we are young. You grow up in a city, the same city, for all your life. The world is an object, not a place, that spins on an axis on a bookcase in the library; its marked out nations a thing of fairy tales and imagination. Then one day you leave that singular city for someplace much larger and suddenly all the world is rushing at you.

Marybeth moved to Dallas from Waco about 2 years ago. It was there she met a man named Alejandro, Hanj for short, and they went for coffee. He was not from Texas, in fact, and he was not even from the States. He speaks French, Spanish, English, comes from the mountains of Peru, and had a dream about Marybeth before he even met her. Dallas was where they met and also where she made plans to travel to Africa for over half a year. They had one month together before she flew 8,000 miles away to live in the bush for 7 months. Despite the distance, Hanj pursued Marybeth – she the true woman of his dreams. Their letters to one another crossed the ocean and as in the great novels their hearts were knit together with such ink and parchment.

It was in the fall that Marybeth returned stateside and by Christmas she and Hanj were engaged. It is not just the fairy tale of the world that has been made known and tangible to these two, but their own story of travel, romance, and great love.

Sometimes in the midst of unexpected change and a complete shift in one’s life, there is amidst it all a perfect surprise that seemingly comes out of the blue. Beckett was just that surprise for the McLaughlin family. It was just one week after dropping their entire life in Seattle, WA and moving to Plano, TX for job requirements that Amy found out she was pregnant. While chaos seemed to encircle the fast change, the pregnancy was peaceful. The birth was easy. And the child, well, Beckett is patient and content – a most wonderful gift for so delightful a family. Especially sweet since Norah has enough energy and spunk for the both of the kiddos. Welcome Beckett Oak!

The beautiful Jenny is married!!!

At the crucible gates is the last place anyone expects to fall in love. And yet for Ben and Kelli it was while living in a nation at war that their hearts grew close and this story was written. Within the walls of Fort Bragg these two met and for two months they had it all. Then deployment day came. Both were sent to Afghanistan and for six months each was asked to set their desires aside and serve our nation. In the days, weeks, and months while separated at different camps each waited and wondered. Perhaps I have found my one. Perhaps in the most unlikely of circumstances, during a time of great sacrifice, I have been given a great gift.

Ben and Kelli made it through the fire of war and now look joyfully towards a wedding. Thank you Ben and Kelli for serving this country. Thank you for being courageous and selfless even in so complicated a conflict as this one with the Middle East. I am overjoyed at all your happy days ahead!

The ISPWP results are in and I am pleased to have had 6 images place this quarter. The work represented on ISPWP is some of the best in the world – take some time and have a look at all the award winning images here.

“Baby Cheeses” “Blondie” “Mi Amor”…our session was full of sweet pet names and that gorgeous kind of Spanglish that is reminiscent of Modern Family and summers in Spain (that would be my bad Spanish. Ha!). Cristina and Kyle are the perfect blend of Texas and Spain – he’s her Blondie and she’s his senorita. Their worlds collided on the campus of UT. She tried to shoo his young heart away acknowledging the age difference between them and he would have none. none. of. it. None at all. For a year and half these two courted and then this man, this sweet, well-bred Texan met the woman he loved at her home in Madrid on New Year’s Eve. Taking a knee he stole her heart – and her whole family’s hearts – with his proposal. We joke because she did not say “yes”. Nope. She said, “OF COURSE,” and the whole house exploded in cheers, hugs, love, and felicidades. Kyle and Cristina, you have stolen my heart with how you love one another and I can not even wait to celebrate you both in May.

The first time Owen met Alexa she was flanked by two other girls, Alexa and Alexa. Upon meeting one another, all three girls chimed, “We’re Alexa”. Ha! Now, while numbers are perhaps not for everyone, in my book whenever anything happens in a set of three, it is something to take note of. So long ago, perhaps Owen wasn’t even thinking about marriage or of the one with whom he would spend all his days. But there in that college quadrangle, the meeting of the three Alexas would be the start of a most joyous journey. Oddly enough, it was thanks to weddings, weddings where each of their respective roommates kept marrying one another that Owen and Alexa spent more and more time together. Suddenly, there were only two single people of their houses left. I remember those hot summer nights, still in the afterglow of one of our most favorite things – “So You Think You Can Dance” – sitting on the couch with Alexa and our friend Allison just squealing at the prospect of it all. When?! Oh, WHEN will he ask her out? The waiting was agony, but in just the right time the heavens smiled and Owen had a dream and knew Alexa was the one written for him. Friendship became a relationship, then a most anticipated engagement, and now a partnership for all the years ahead. How sweet that life would write Owen and Alexa’s own love story in between and quite nestled in to the pages of the stories being written for the people they adore most. Congratulations Owen and Alexa – I am so very happy for you both!

Ceremony: Antioch Community Church

Reception: The Roosevelt Ballroom

Caterer: Festive Occasions

Floral: Pam’s Ribbons and Roses

Coordinator: Connie Dunn