August 2025

     Welcome to my month in review, where I talk about the highlights of the month. I hope you enjoy a peak into my life!

     So what did August look like? The first weekend I did a shoot for my oldest brother and his family. It’s so great photographing people that you know so well. It’s also great when the only thing you have to do to make your nephew smile is to play peek-a-boo with him around your camera!

     The second week was my busiest week out of the whole year. If you live near Highway 127, you most likely know what happens the first full weekend in August. If you don’t, I’m sure you’re thinking, no, I don’t know. Just tell us. Every year on the first weekend of August is the Highway 127 Corridor Sale, which this year it was August 4-8. Simply put, all along 127, people set up with what ever they have, from antiques to regular yard sales to food of all kinds. You name it, good chance you’ll find it! And it has spread from the weekend to the whole week and in some instances, even longer. Our town’s population and traffic at least doubles if not triples for that whole week, most people either love it or absolutely hate it, and it almost always rains at least one day. I’m always amazed at how far people will drive for this! I talked to a couple one year that drove from Maine to set up. And they did it multiple years! Other people come from Florida and lots of other places in between.

     So why did that make it my busiest week? Ever since my parents bought the fried pie business seven years ago, we’ve set up that week. The years that my parents and then my sister owned it, it wasn’t as busy for me, but since I bought the business from my sister almost 2 years ago, it has definitely been my busiest week. We made pies Monday thru Wednesday, putting in a good 10 hours or more each of those days. And that includes making our regular wholesale orders. This year we set up Tuesday thru Saturday, all day. Thankfully, I have a wonderful crew of workers! I couldn’t do it without them! It’s a lot of work, but its also a lot of fun! Since I do mostly wholesale, I don’t get to interact with the customers that much. But I’m also glad each year that I do mostly wholesale, simply because it’s a whole lot less stress!

      Yes people very much do park on the shoulder. And in the median. And pretty much anywhere there’s room for a vehicle.

     The third weekend in August, I flew to Wyoming with two of my cousins for another cousin’s wedding. Well, we flew into Denver and then drove to Wyoming. The wedding was on Friday and it was so good to be there. As much as I LOVE photographing weddings, I have to admit that is fun to sometimes just sit and watch other people work at a wedding. Saturday morning, there were still a bunch of cousins around, so we went sand duning! Unfortunately one of the gators got a flat tire, but we had another one and a four wheeler. It was great fun and a bit crazy! Also, it is completely possible to put 13 people on a gator. We did it. Smart? Maybe not but it was definitely fun!

     In the afternoon we went to their neighbor’s place to shoot prairie dogs. Well, try to shoot anyway! They are actually really hard to hit! But I did end up getting 2 and next time I go to Wyoming, I definitely want to go again!

     My dad, one of my brothers and my sister in law all have birthdays in August, so we got together for supper one evening. It’s kinda crazy, but since my siblings got married, it’s just as much fun to have them come home as it is to have a big family reunion. Not that I don’t like hanging out with cousins, cause I do, but it’s really fun to have everyone home.

     I had the opportunity to capture this sweet family and it was great! Christina and I worked together for a while and were also related. It’s so fun to see them in these new stage. Babies can sometimes be a challenge, but sweet lil Avonlea did so great!

     I had a few other chances to take my camera out. Some of it was just nature. The one night, I met some of my friends at a sunflower patch and we got to take some pictures there. Its always so fun to do random shoots where there’s no pressure and its just for fun!

     Meet Chloe, my second shooter! She does such a great job helping my on wedding days. Getting a different perspective and also carrying my bag and other things for me. She even carries my bag sometimes when it’s not a wedding day!

     Meet Kendria, my spunky cousin! She loves taking pictures too, and is always up for an adventure, even if it’s me asking some friends if they want to meet up to take some pictures and then basically not telling them anything else because I’m not really sure what we’re going to do!

     August, you were great! But I’m looking forward to September. Or maybe more specifically, the cooler temperatures!