Photographing *A* is bittersweet – she is the same age our Enoch would be – give or take a few weeks!

She is so sweet and cuddly and JUST ADORABLE!

Thank you so much Emily – FOR EVERYTHING!

I cannot wait to meet up again!

Amy is the Facility Director at Phoenix – where I used to work. We are friends and I ADORE her children!

Her hubbie – Jim – won the GC from the GMACC Golf Tournament this year and Amy wanted to use it for a family session with her parents and sister!

How ridiculously cute are they! I feel for *K* – my brother was the only boy cousin for a long time among 4 girls – poor guy!

I LOVE those girls!!!

Total cuties – you guys were great!!

Dave & Jared have known each other for a long time – they went to NCA together. We ran into Dave in Wal*Mart one night and got talking – he was engaged to a sweet girl named Jenna and they were really frustrated with the price of wedding photographers. Definitely a God appointment! They came to the house a few nights later to look at my work – which there wasn’t much of – and said – YES!

We started to hang out with them and became close friends.

Jenna is from Troy and almost everyone from the Troy area has heard about me because of Jenna – who told a friend of a friend of a friend about me. Jenna & Dave really helped my photography get off the ground and spread the word about me – which is one of the MANY reasons I love them!

Dave is from a very large family – 10 kids! Their family has grown lately with some new grandbabies and they needed an updated family photo. Getting the whole family together is difficult so we only had a small window to do photos. And then it rained. Now – we need the rain but I couldn’t reschedule this session since Kathryn and her family were leaving to go back home the moment it was done. The skies cleared just in time for our shoot! Praise Jesus!

Which is another AWESOME thing about this family – they LOVE Jesus!

The crazy thing is that they are ALL beautiful!

Cousins and all the grandkids!

Dave & Jenna are the ones in brown!

They are all YANKEES fans – so they had to get a photo to represent that!

Thank you so much VanLoon family for being awesome!

I met Ciara & Amber through FACEBOOK! (I LOVE facebook if you can’t tell)

Ciara is the genius behind my haircut and color! We exchanged my haircut for a photo session!

Ciara works in the hair salon that Amber owns – EVOLUTION in East Troy.

They are BFF’s.

Aren’t they GORGEOUS!

I had a GREAT time with you girls! Can’t wait till our next session!!!!

Kaitlyn will be a freshman in college this year and for her graduation present I gave her a photo session of her choice!

She wanted some pictures with her kitty, Topanga – her boyfriend, Zac – and her horse, Honey.

I LOVE those shots!

And these mushrooms were just begging to be photographed!

Thanks so much Kaitlyn – it was a great sesson!

Have a FANTASTIC time at college!

I hate waiting. I really don’t know of anyone who enjoys waiting – except maybe my mother-in-law but she is a crazy exception!

I like to read the end of books before I start them. I would much rather go into a movie knowing the end first. It’s just the type of person I am – and have always been.

I have waited 6 years for barden photography to be what it is today. Here is a little history of the beginnings of barden photography.

In 2003 – my college friend Jeremiah asked me to photograph his wedding. To this day I still haven’t seen the photos. they bought the rolls, I took the pictures, and gave the rolls back to them. It was my first wedding and the only pictures I took for other people that year.

In 2004 – Dave Fitzgerald asked me to photograph his family for Christmas. I gave them the rolls and have only ever seen a few of those photos! It was the only pictures I took for other people that year.

In 2005 – I photographed 2 weddings – both were on film and both were for friends. James & Laura were married in October and I am so thankful they trusted me enough to allow me to capture their day. I made mistakes. I put people out in direct sunlight without thinking about shadows. Belinda & Nate were married in December at the same church and the same reception hall as James & Laura – so it was a little easier! It was a beautiful Christmas wedding! I also took photos for a family for their Christmas cards!

In 2006 – I photographed 6 weddings – most of them were for friends and were for experience. I had 1 engagement session, 1 senior session, and 1 portrait session.

In 2007 – word spread a little more and I photographed 6 weddings. I had 1 engagement session, 7 seniors, and 15 portrait sessions.

In 2008 – it started to get a little crazy. I photographed 10 weddings, 3 engagement sessions, 7 seniors, 26 portrait sessions, and sold 2 of my nature prints. In November of 2008 I started to realize that this could be my full-time job. This could really happen! I prayed and prayed that I would be able to get 24 weddings for 2009 and I would be able to quit my job as a secretary. I would be able to live my dream job!

In 2009 – I had my first BRIDAL EXPO in January and it was INCREDIBLE! I gave a 10 week notice at my job to leave on March 31st of 2009. During those 10 weeks – our friend Dave Fitzgerald called us and wanted to speak to the whole family – Jared, me, Mom and Dad B – he had a word for us. He told me specifically that God had revealed to him that barden photography was going to grow. It was going to get to a point where I would be overwhelmed with inquiries and work. To just wait – and see. For the first year of barden photography – officially – I had 24 weddings, 1 after the wedding session, 14 engagements, 32 seniors, 73 portrait sessions, 10 promotional jobs, 5 sports sessions, sold 1 nature print, and sold 6 gift certificates for family sessions. It wasn’t overwhelming. I didn’t think anything of the conversation we had with Dave earlier in the year.

8 months into 2010 – I’ve had 20 weddings, 1 after session, 2 bridal sessions, 12 engagements, 12 seniors, 78 portrait sessions, 3 promotional jobs, sold 1 nature print and sold 1 gift certificate. I am overwhelmed with inquiries for sessions. I am looking at how many I have scheduled for the rest of the year – and it’s amazing to me! Impossible!

2003. 1 wedding.

2004. 1 session.

2005. 2 weddings. 1 session.

2006. 6 weddings. 3 sessions.

2007. 6 weddings. 23 sessions.

2008. 10 weddings. 38 sessions.

2009. 24 weddings. 142 sessions.

8 months into 2010. 20 weddings. 110 sessions.

I am so thankful for all that God has given me through barden photography over the years – from the very beginning when a friend had faith in me to capture his wedding to the moments right now and the moments many years down the road.

Now we wait again. We wait for a child. I have known from the moment I can remember that I’ve wanted to be a mother. That I was meant to be a mother. 2009 was a year for change. I quit my job – started a new one – we got a puppy – and found out we were going to be parents. We waited for our first appointment and waited more when the image I knew I was supposed to see wasn’t there. We waited for our baby to miscarry – waited to start trying again. Here we are – a year and a half later – still waiting for a miracle. Praying for a baby – our baby.

On March 28th of this year – Jared’s mom was given a word in church. That our children would rise up like mighty oaks. Our children.

On April 11th of this year – Dave called us again with a word for us. We would have children. Lots of them – running around in our yard – jumping on trampolines – and they would be our biological children – they would all look like Jared.

On August 15th of this year – we met with our Pastor – because I am angry, tired, sad, and weary. He told us that God has children for us – our biological children. But first we must open our hearts to the notion of taking in a child that is not ours – biologically.

So we wait and pray.

Because we are all waiting – for something.

For a new job – a spouse – a baby – a moment alone – a day without worrying about your weight – a friend – and for Jesus to come back.

Jenna wanted to surprise her hubbie with some photos of the kiddos!

They are so cute!!!

Jenna’s sister was visiting so we got some shots with her too!

They love their aunt!!

Their new pup is ADORABLE!!!!

*K* graduated from AAHS this year – 11 years after I graduated! Makes me feel so old!!

I had sessions in Athens and was staying the night with the rents so I brought my camera to graduation.

LOVE THOSE GIRLS!!

It was so great to be able to capture these moments for you *K* – reach for the stars!!

I cannot believe that this little sweetie is turning two – time flies!

She melts my heart!

I am NOT looking forward to next year flying by and taking her 3 year pictures! UGH!

Ashley is smitten with a handsome little boy – her son Clayton – who just turned TWO!

He is such a mover!

How gorgeous is she?

LOVE THAT ONE!!

HE IS TOO CUTE!

Ashley – THANK YOU so much for getting together with me – can’t wait till next time!