2009 in Words and Pictures

I really have no idea how to do this post.  This is the first time I have done a post like this.  I don’t think I ever felt the need to reflect back at my past year.  I also think that this past year has seen my biggest growth yet.  I hope and I pray that each year I can say that.  I think it is important to be reminded of where I came from and what I have accomplished.  Sometimes I always feel like I never quite get to where I want to go.  Although that is sometimes a good way to see things because it makes you keep working harder to get to your goal or it can sometimes be disappointing.  I am trying to see my accomplishments as great stepping stones to sometime better.  When I feel like I have met a goal then I need to set my standards higher.  It is a process that doesn’t end.  I always need to find ways to better myself.  That starts with a look back at what I have done this past year and how can I make 2010 an even better year.

January

It has been bothering me for a few days now that I have no idea where I celebrated new years last year!  I have no pictures from it either.  That is unusual for me.

Scrapbooking weekend with some wonderful ladies but missing my sister because she was in Ireland!

Two great winter wedding couples.

Salt Lake City, UT ski trip with my husband, sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  This was our first attempt at flying standby on a ski trip and it workout great!

I turned 24!

February

First meeting with Chicks Who Click, a girls-only group that came about for a group a Minnesota women photographers.  Lexi, Laura, and I met at the King and I Thai for a great dinner and planning.

Closed the month out assisting Jessica from JM Photography and them met my husband at Fashion Fight Night (he was colorgaurd) and watch Eliesa rock her socks off!

Another ski trip this time with just my husband to Whistler!  Can I say AMAZING!  One of the best places I have been so far!

WPPI.  It was my first time, well a first of many things.  I had two awesome roommates who I barely knew, met a lot of new people, reconnected, partied, photographed, learned about a huge industry that I needed to wrap myself around.

March

This was a slow month!  That was great!

First official meeting with a large group of inspirational women!

Matt and I went to Puerta Vallarta Mexico for a weekend.

The end of the month I join Krista of Never Miss A Moment to help feature her photography at the Donny Smith Bike Show.

April

I did my first studio session.  I rented out some space and opened the first Saturday to in studio portrait sessions.  It went okay, but I would love to try it again!

My entire family and I flew to Orlando, FL for almost a week and had a blast soaking in the sun, swimming, and visiting the parks.  The biggest highlight was that I graduated from college with my BSN in Nursing from Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences and I walked in my cap and gown in Florida!

May

I started off the month with a wedding of a sister of one of my coworkers.

I got to spend a long relaxing weekend at the cabin on the lake!

Matt, my husband, graduated from the University of Minnesota and then a couple weeks later was commissioned as second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.

Closed out May with a wedding in northern Minnesota for some good friends that Matt second shot with me.  This was an epic weekend for me because we got to stay at Story Book Lodge together were we first met!  I have so many memories there it is unbelievable!

June

June started out with three booked weddings and then things changed a little.  I ended up with only one to start off the month but what a great couple I had!

Matt and I visited a friend in Alaska for the weekend!

Matt and I spent a weekend up at the cabin together.  We went out on a boat launch on Lake Mille Lacs and we caught more fish than anyone else on the boat.

July

I had a wedding with a very unique couple full of love for each other.

Spent the first week up at the cabin for the 4th of July!  This is the highlight of summer for me!

Johnson/Davison family vacation at the cabin!

Matt and I traveled to Rome for the weekend!  It was so funny to tell people who are just going for the weekend.  We went standby and got stuck out last night so we had to stay for an extra day.  It was an amazing trip!

August

Busiest month ever!

Started off with assisting Krista for an August 1st wedding.

Our anniversary was August 12.  Married for three years.

I slammed four more weddings in this month, two of which were 380 miles away in one weekend back to back!

Matt turned 24!

Spent a quick night at the cabin for my mom’s birthday.  Might have been one of my last times there.

Matt and I went to Chicago for the day to walk around and have sushi, then we flew home!

I gave up Nala, our cat, to a good family friend.  She loves it there!

Went to the MN State Fair, maybe our last for a while.

September

Back to back weekend wedding.

Our Spain trip with Matt’s sister and brother-in-law gets canceled because Matt gets the flu.

Labor day weekend Matt and I took his parents over to Italy again.  We visited Milan, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence, and Venice.

First Gopher football game in the new stadium.

October

Starting off again with a great wedding for friends.  Krista was the matron of honor.

My last wedding for 2009 with Krista in Rochester!  We drove down the night before, had an amazing dinner, drank wine, and stayed in a hotel!

I surprised Matt with tickets to one of the last Twins games in the metrodome!

Matt and I had our last Delta trip, AUSTRALIA!  But we didn’t make it.  We tried to get out one night from LA and the flight was full.  We were going to camp in Australia so instead we rented a car and drove up to San Fran with our camping stuff and camped on the ocean.  We went to San Fran, Napa Valley, Yosemite, Sequoia National, and Malibu.  Tried to get out of LA again for Australia and didn’t make it again.  Instead we went back to Minneapolis, repacked and flew to Honolulu for four days!

November

I got one more quick night at the cabin last minute with my mom and dad.

Celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and Matt’s together early.

I quite my nursing job and my last day was November 6.

Had an epic night with my best girlfriends for a last girls night out!  It totally made up for my bachelorette party!

Matt and I moved to Enid, Oklahoma!

December

My first OSS spouse briefing and social.  I got to meet all the other spouses!

Flew home to Minneapolis before the biggest blizzard Christmas has ever seen.  Matt drove up a couple days later.

Car Sledding during Christmas Blizzard from Amy Campbell on Vimeo.

Celebrated Christmas with all my family home in Minnesota.

Photographed a last minute wedding for a military couple soon to be deployed!

Photo by Ziedler Photography

Flew to Watercolor Florida for the Making Things Happen intensive with Lara Casey.  Got fired up!

Drove back to Oklahoma and packed for Colorado.

Drove to Colorado New Years Eve and celebrated in downtown Denver with new Air Force friends.

I am sure most of you don’t care about nearly everything that I did in the last year, but for me, getting it out of my head and writing it down reminds me about where I have been.  I have had life changing experiences this year.  More than any year!  I feel blessed to have been able to enjoy so many things.  Here is to a great 2010.